The Trek Begins: South Africa to Namibia

The first week was full of adjustments. We met our fellow travelers on the first night during an introduction meeting followed by dinner. Our 60 day Northbound Trek is actually three separate trips. Trip one is three weeks from Cape Town to Victoria Falls where 6 of our 13 fellow travelers will depart and two new ones will join. The group of 11 will continue north to Nairobi and most will leave as only three of the original group goes on to Rwanda and Uganda with 13 more people joining.

The group is a mix of Westerners from Canada, Australia and England plus us two Americans. Our trip leaders are American and British so this is an all English speaking crowd. The age mix goes from gap year students to a couple in their 60s. Half of the group is younger than 30. All pretty nice people who are very helpful. We all have “jobs” to do like unload the truck, set up camp, and rotate every five days in food preparation with our amazing Kenyan cook.

While I don’t want to bore anyone with too much detail of our everyday life (trust me, I remember that the Seinfeld Show was called a show about nothing), there are many daily events that are definitely different than most everyday Western life.

Today in the grocery store for example, the lady in line behind me had her baby in a papoose, her hair in braids or dreadlocks and a copper colored powder all over her body. Of course, I did a double take when I saw she was naked from the waist up and thinking nothing about it as she went through her daily life.

The first two days took us west through the southernmost portion of South Africa where we camped the first night. The camp was very nice with hot showers, a beautiful pool and a meal cooked by the camp owners. All good except it was very hot for us. (In Massachusetts, they would call this wicked hot.) The temperature was around 38 Celsius which is 104 Fahrenheit. We have been warned that it was around 45 C in Namibia which is around 113 F where we would be camping two nights later. While there is a lot of wind in the late afternoon, it takes a while for the air to cool so sleep didn’t come too quick for me the first night. To keep myself occupied, I went out while the others were drinking and tried to take some photos that are called star trails. My star trail efforts from the first week will have their own short blog.

The second day, we crossed the border into Namibia. No Visa needed so this was pretty simple. We continued on to a camp site just over the border, next to the Orange River that is the border between these two countries. They had a much nicer pool but much worse showers/bathrooms but still, very acceptable. For two days we had been riding on a vehicle to get us to the border that is not as nice as the one we will use for the rest of the trip. At night, we met up with that vehicle and transferred our goods and camped for the night. The combination of tired from heat and lack of sleep had me snoozing by 9 PM. The air was a bit cooler and the tent a bit nicer.

We are now in a routine of camp set up and break down that will hopefully make for a smooth trip. Day three, we had a late start and will headed toward Fish River Canyon, which is something like the Grand Canyon with lots of heat. It was an interesting place to see as Namibia began to unfold its natural beauty. We stay in this canyon (where it was “only” 100 in the shade when we arrived), because the following morning, we will rise early to go to a massive sand dune area to climb up for sunrise. The Grand Canyon of Namibia is shown in this composite of four photos “sewn” together on my computer.





The sand dune was a very interesting place as some of the photos may show. We hiked up a 400 foot path on the spine of the sand dune. The dunes are stunning with red and orange tones, little tree or plant life.







There was the occasional surprise around these dunes as we spotted an ostrich family with many young moving at the base of a dune.



After that we went to an area in the desert where there has been no water for a long time and the trees are still standing 300 years later. Talk about desolation!





We then proceeded to another area where we would spend the night but not before taking a tour of the 30,000 acre property by the owner who is a 4th generation white Namibian (Dutch origins). He showed and told us amazing things about living in this desert area where this year they have had 10x the normal rainfall. We saw a lush green desert filled with wild flowers that would usually be an arid wasteland. Here are a few from his property…





The end of week #1 finds us in Swakopmund on the western Namibian coast next to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a relief to be in a cool, temperate climate and not worry about beating the heat. Since I was in a bed for the first time in a week, I slept 11 hours. We will have three nights here to chill out here before heading into our first serious wildlife area called Etosha National Park.

Now a few words about Namibia. Namibia is a relatively new country established in 1990. Namibia was formerly German Southwest Africa until the League of Nations gave the land to South Africa, which had administrative control until 1990. The land is a mix of desert, mountains, colonial cities and seascapes. The people are a mix of Germans, Dutch, English, South Africans and local tribe people. The languages are English (the official language), German and Afrikaans (simplified Dutch). Namibia is one of the least populous countries in the world with a density of 2 people per kilometer.

The country is full of wildlife. The first few days we saw ostriches, Oryx, gemsbok, springbok, mountain zebras and gemsbok, among others. While the zebras (pronounced zeb-ras here) are the most interesting, the springbok are by far the most entertaining as they intermittently run and jump high in the air as the move away from us.

There is so much to talk about and what we are moving through is quite amazing. While it’s hard to believe one week is already complete, we still 7½ weeks remaining so there will be plenty more shock and awe at the people, natural beauty, wildlife, etc.

Oh yeah, here are a few animal photos...

Zebra



Springbok



Gemsbok



Ostrich

Penguin Breakfast Meeting

My wife "forced" me to awaken at 5:30 AM yesterday and go take photos of penguins on the beach. The truth is I wasn't satisfied with the prior penguin photos and we're staying 5 miles from the beach where a large colony of penguins live. These were taken at Boulder's Beach, Simonstown, South Africa.

The penguins are pretty acclimated to having humans around so I sat on my "assets" and begun taking photos to tell the story of the early morning march of the penguins.

Nothing but photos; enjoy!

Check out the slightly blurred leg showing movement on the first one...



















Want to see more? Paste this link in your browser.

http://spiegels.smugmug.com/Travel/Africa/16024022_E9wBo

Cape Town, South Africa - A little slice of Heaven

We arrived in Capetown after a nine hour flight @ 2 AM out of Mumbai to Johannesburg followed by a 2 hour flight to Capetown. Arriving in Africa, we were met by some obvious differences like the color of people’s skin, the language, the music, etc. and some unexpected differences like the weather (warm and windy), the lack of crowds and the lack of noise in traffic. Cars are small, clean and look new, nothing like India. There is generally a more satisfied attitude about life and what people are doing. The government is obviously trying to keep people happy by giving them jobs. At the airport, our plane was met by a ground crew of around 25 people looking to assist passengers deplaning.

I was expecting South Africa to be a bit more 3rd world like but have found it to be pretty progressive. The roads are clean, cars are clean, buildings and property are well maintained. Of course, we haven’t ventured into the “townships” where life is much more difficult so we might only be seeing a small sample. I’m not overlooking the crime issues here as there are lots of warnings about being out in certain places at night, carrying your camera in full view of others, etc. We have found many places take credit cards something that was fairly rare in India.

I am also surprised and impressed with the level of physical activity as many people are riding their road bikes on long, hilly treks. Others are seen running or kite sailing. The weather is ideal for all these activities. Staying in a guest house with a view of the East Coast of the peninsula here, we can see para-sailors and kite boarders from our room, watch the waves breaking on the shoreline and enjoy and almost 180 degree view of the water. It’s certainly a nice place to chill out for a few days before the 60 day trek north begins.



Our first adventure was to go see the African penguins this area is known for. While we were unable to find the main group, these few were entertaining.





The next day it was off to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. This is the southern tip of the African continent. Although it was quite windy at the top of the mountain at the point, the views are breathtaking and it’s an amazing thing to see. We were able to observe several animals in the wild like ostriches, eland, dassies, baboons and springbok. So here are some photos of the views and the animals…

Tip of Africa, two views…



Who lives in this house?



Dassies





Birds I’ve seen before in the Galapagos





Eland



Cormorants take flight among the water spray…



Ostrich in harsh sunlight…



Springbok (or some other antelope like bok)



The next day, it was up at dawn and a short drive to a beach area where they have some classic looking change houses in the early morning light.





After another great breakfast at the Guest house, it was off to see the botanical gardens called Kirstenbosch. This was another great experience as they have done a first class job of creating an environment for plants, flowers, trees and animals. I was able to observe some interesting animals as Susan “whiled away the hours, conferring with the flowers, consulting with the rain…” (you can name the title of that song pretty easily, I hope.)
My photographic efforts peaked with a sunbird feeding on a large flower with his made for this type of eating beak.







And then there was this guy ( a spotted eagle owl) watching the festivities…

Goodby Mumbai, Hello Africa

This is my last India blog. We have 36 hours to go before we depart Mumbai at 2 AM on Saturday, heading for a 6 days in Capetown, South Africa. We have a beautiful B&B near the beach outside of town and everyone tells us what a great place Capetown is to visit. Soon you’ll be seeing Jackass Penguins on these pages and, no, I’m not making that name up.
Departing Mumbai will be a little bittersweet for us. The Staples people have extended themselves beyond what we could ask for making the life and work experience easier to take. The work has been very interesting and I think I have made some valuable suggestions and adjustments to their business that will result in some needed changes. We have enjoyed our month and the lifestyle we have been able to experience here. Most people you meet at random are nice and helpful. The streets are not as clean as you would hope and we’re told it is much better than it was. Finding acceptable food hasn’t been a big issue except at lunch on work days but somehow I manage.
So before we get to the photo journal part of this blog, let me tell you about some things I don’t care for.
1. The lack of social support for very needy people. Every Westerner is inundated with beggars, invalids, sick people, poor people, children, cripples, families, etc. There is a guy who waves his leg stump at me every day asking for money. People have some never seen before maladies like bones, finger, legs and hands missing. If you don’t pause for a minute and thank whoever you believe in that you and yours are much luckier, well, you have to be pretty callous. The local people tell me they are so used to seeing these things that mostly it goes right past them.
2. The insanity of Cars and drivers. While I thought Shanghai’s big issue is too many scooters, motorbikes, mopeds and cars all trying to go the same way creating a lot of honking and chaos, it was really only preparation for a much more difficult situation here. Two wheeled vehicles are not issues but cars do whatever they want regardless of the color of the stoplight. Couple this with the businesses that have extended their selling area to the sidewalk forcing you to walk in the streets and you have lots of opportunity for chaos at the next level. There are 40,000 taxicabs in Mumbai and no one gives anyone an inch. The taxis are inexpensive, most have no side mirrors because they would get clipped off if they were there and they are typically old, rusted, not air conditioned and uncomfortable.
3. The lack of sanity conditions. In a place like this, where people are fighting for the very basics of life, sanitary bathroom conditions and clean drinking water are not at the top of the list. Everything is dirty and you have to use Purel or wash your hands constantly. Even with that, it is still a battle to keep germs and disease away.
4. Weather – To all of this add muggy, monsoon conditions and you would have a real mess. Fortunately, I had a month free from rain or high temperatures which combined with a hotel near the ocean affording nice breezes all day, the weather was very easy to take. I’m told that it is difficult to come to work in July and August during monsoon season without having your pants soaked up to the calf.
5. Odors - I have poor vision but an excellent sense of hearing and smell, so I may be more attuned to some of these things than the average person. Certainly, every region of the world has scents unique unto itself. In France or Italy, you might hear people speak about fragrant air. In the Western U.S. there is the distinctive mountain air. Well in India, it's certainly fragrant and distinctive, but at times it can be hard to take. On the train, jammed in with far more people than anyone would say is safe, it was a raw, ugly body odor. In the back of my mind, I hear someone making fun of Nelson Rockefeller referring to these people "the great unwashed". In the office, it's the food odors that bring a gag reflex to my throat. In the taxis, there is frequently the captivating incense smell. (Of course, I always think of the Archie Bunker malaprop, "Are you burning incest?")

So let’s take a final look at some people, places and things I encountered during this month…

A macaque having meal



A few Buddhist women in a sacred cave area





We all wear our saris to the beach…



Through a natural viewing spot…



A beach vendor…



Finally, as every man knows life ends if you don’t have a remote in your hands so who cares if you live in a slum along a highway, you’ve got to have satellite TV. These people have their priorities right…

India's Golden Triangle - Delhi, Agra, Jaipur

This past week we took a trip to see India’s Golden Triangle. We have lived in a place that claimed to be a Golden Triangle, which is Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange, TX. That may have been a geographical triangle but there was little “golden” about it. Other areas in Pittsburgh, Denver, SE Asia, etc. claim to be golden triangles. There is a Golden Triangle of great English Universities too. Our adventure was to go from Mumbai to Delhi to Agra to Jaipur, known in India as the Golden Triangle.

We took an early morning flight to Delhi and spent our day going through a famous Red Fort and the bazaar areas nearby. If we thought Mumbai was crazy, Delhi is the same, only on steroids. The crush of traffic, mobs of people and crazy busy shopping areas made our heads spin. We moved from the airport to the train station to drop our bags off so we wouldn’t haul them around all day and planned to pick them up before boarding our train at 6 PM. After our pedi-cab driver found the key street blocked, we struck out on foot and got caught in the crush of people headed into a huge mosque for mid day prayers. We eventually found our restaurant destination. This is where I had my first authentic Indian meal, and it was quite good. Some veggies, some naan (bread), some kebabs and little mystery meat in sauce. Pretty tasty and certainly satisfying. Then we strolled the bazaars finding some great photos of people before going to another palace area, near the train station so we would be sure to get to Agra that night. There was a Taj Mahal-like dome that posed for me.



We went to the train station to find our first travel hiccup in a while. Our four hour train ride was now scheduled for 9:45 PM, not 6 PM. We were in a remote station so we hunkered down with books and luggage and waited. A while later, while dining at the train station food spot (snacks, not Indian food), I noticed our train was now 11:15 PM. Not liking the trend, I asked what our options were. The clerk calmly replied, “There is a different train leaving for Agra in 15 minutes.” You have to realize this is 3rd world, so the ticket with the same company for the other train was not usable for the earlier train. The clerk never imagined someone would go on an earlier train even as the one we were scheduled for was being delayed. The only accommodations available were 2nd class, not first. First class is a bare minimum most of us would agree to and is not expensive ($15). We decided to take this 7:45 train and insure our arrival as we planned on seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise. The upper berth we were given was roomy for an infant but not an American. Laying flat on my back, my right shoulder touched the wall and my left touched the rail, even so, I was happy to be on the train and headed to our destination. I was able to nap for a while, no surprise considering we walked 8 miles that day. The trip was generally uneventful and we arrived in Agra at 11:15 PM.

Up early to grab breakfast and take some photos of the Taj Mahal in the early day light before the harsh sun reflected off of everything. Most of you will remember my earlier blog comments about hating to take photos of buildings but for the Taj Mahal, I was willing to make some exceptions. One early photo shows the softer morning light…



So what is the Taj Mahal? For years, I have only known the location as the answer to a very popular crossword puzzle clue that was typically worded as, Taj Mahal site. Anyone who spent much time doing these puzzles knew that the answer was Agra but until last week, I didn’t really know much else. The Taj Mahal was erect by a mere 20,000 people over a 22 year period as a place to put the tomb of a Shah’s wife who died in childbirth of her 14th child. (Maybe she was just tired.) It has ornate marble work and is perfectly symmetrical from all four sides. The construction of the pillars causes an optical illusion making you think they are angled, they’re not. On the exterior wall, the marble is set such that as you look up at it, it appears to be a raised surface, which it’s not. The building itself houses the tombs of the Shah and his wife.





Of course, while I’m very interested in all of this and I will probably never return, it didn’t take long until my interest waned. I went off on my own to see what strange creatures I could find. Well, there are some birds that inhabit the grounds that I have only seen in the wild in Ecuador and then it was from quite a distance.





After another excellent Indian lunch and a nap, we did return that evening to try and capture sunset at the Taj Mahal and found a few interesting photos.





Agra didn’t strike me as a nice or fun place and I was happy to be leaving the next day heading Jaipur, the third leg of the triangle. This time because we couldn’t get a train ticket, we were traveling by Air Conditioned Deluxe Coach bus for 5.5 hours. We were warned not to take the non-AC vehicle.

Waiting for the bus I found a barber shop...


So off we went in this monster sized bus on these crowded streets. We would have a break in 2.5 hours, so we settled in. The bus driver was working hard to get through the narrow areas and the bus rocked around for a while before we got on decent, somewhat open roads. We observed some amazing gatherings and movements of animals, people, vehicles along these narrow streets in pretty impoverished areas. We did see many instances where cattle were walking around in the "high" speed lane on a highway. At one point, a bus passed going in the opposite direction with more than 40 people riding on the top of the bus. I guess those were the non-Deluxe AC vehicles we were told about.

About ten minutes into our drive, I heard a noise behind me that sounded like spitting. Well, the lady sitting directly behind Susan tossed her cookies and in her attempt to cover up, redirected some of the “spray” onto the back of my neck! No amount of wiping could remove the feeling. Let’s just say that made me a little uncomfortable for the two hours or so until we got to a wash room.

After reboarding the bus, we were able to make some good time until we got near town. I did notice the young man next to me (4 years old or so) couldn’t wait so his mom was helping him relieve himself into a water bottle. I guess that’s similar to what they do in Jaipur where I observed some outdoor restrooms across the street from our restaurant…



We did spend our AM in an interesting fort, where the ticket seller tried to rip me off by not providing any change. When he initially denied it, I just told him to reach in his pocket and give me money back, which he did. At the fort, there were some interesting things to see among the ruins but what captured my attention was a single bright color among the earthy ones…



And a sea of a single color among a gathering of religious men…





Besides the people we were able to photograph along the streets, we came upon these people waiting to be shipped out at a mannequin factory…



The final photo from this trip is a composite of five photos taken from the base of this temple. The result of taking these from the peculiar angle and then stitching them together in Photoshop is an appearance of a curve in the building, which is definitely not there. I liked the effect and wanted to share…



On this trip we traveled by plane, train, bus, car, taxi, electric rickshaw and pedi-cab. We walked around 28 miles in 4 days and were actually quite happy to be back in Mumbai, which I would have thought to be a silly idea a few weeks ago but really is true.