http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/shadowgoth/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from shadowgoth en-us Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:19:18 +0000 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:19:18 +0000 Best and Worst ExperiencesEllie Worst Having a nosebleed and altitude sickness in the Rocky MountainsBest Lion CubsJackWorst Falling off the golf cart and getting an ear infectionBest Seeing the Southern Right Whales and Cheetahs but not at the same timeMarkWorst Jack falling off the golf cartBest 1st SafariAnnabel Worst Never getting a night of uninterrupted sleepBest 1st S http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Gloucestershire/Stroud/blog-333598.html Getting home after 63 days of travellingAfter an uneventful flight a quick check at immigration we faced an hour long wait at the Baggage Reclaim because they couldn't open the door of the baggage holdHowever we made it with an hour to spare back to the Coach Station at Heathrow for our coach back to Gloucestershire. After a brief dispute with the coach driver who insisted that first of all we http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Gloucestershire/Stroud/blog-322352.html We were woken by a breezy jambo again at 6am today so that we could enjoy our last early morning safari. However we had to become stealth warriors on our way to our vehicle as there were three elephants blocking our path to the reception area of the camp. We had to duck and dive around varying tents waiting for the go ahead from the security guards before crossing open spaces in the camp.Hav http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Masai-Mara-NP/blog-322316.html Big Cat DiaryDay started once more with another shout of lsquoJamborsquo hello from our tent guide and rousing to consciousness via enforced cheerfulness and a couple of mugs of hot chocolate. Just so that you know the daily routine by now was game drive breakfast mid morning game drive lunch collapse and try to force kids into a siesta afternoon game drive make self presentabl http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Masai-Mara-NP/blog-321423.html On Safari in the Masai MaraThe day started with our wakeup call at 6 am and we hurried into our clothes to start our early morning safari at 6.30am. First of all it would be fair to say that on any of the safaris we embark whilst at Governorrsquos Camp we will see Topi with their markings making them look like they are wearing denim shorts and brown stockings impala grantrsquos gazelle a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Masai-Mara-NP/blog-321416.html Arriving and Safari all in one dayWith a prompt wakeup call we dashed to get ready and breakfasted for our pickup to transfer us to Wilson airport. As with the best laid plans the driver turned up early and put us into a slight panic but we piled aboard and headed into the mechanical melee that is the Nairobi road traffic system. Joseph our driver navigated his way past broken down Lorries a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Masai-Mara-NP/blog-320437.html Heading for Kenya the final destination3.30am came to soon not soon enough for Annabel who woke up at 2am but we were out of the apartment and in the car just before 4am to drive to Cape Town International for our 6.20am flight to Johannesburg en route to Nairobi. Berk did a reasonable job of directing us and on the way to the airport we drove past another expansive township this time in th http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-320435.html Oh what a beautiful morningWe had decided that we would celebrate Markrsquos birthday today instead of tomorrow when we would be spending most of the day on airplanes and in airports making our way to Kenya.The day started with brilliant sunshine yes Annabel even sat outside on the patio to eat her breakfast it was that warm. After Mark had been sung Happy Birthday and had opened his prese http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-320434.html The first day of spring in Cape TownAnother overcast day greeted us this morning as the 1st September heralded the start of spring. However there was none of the ominous dark grey clouds of the days before looming and the weather seemed altogether calmer so we set off in high hopes of today being the day we would conquer Table Mountain. We made use of Berk to remind us of the route to Table Moun http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-320423.html Raindrops keep fallinrsquoSaturdayTable mountain had its black table cloth on this morning and the rest of the sky was pretty grey too so no visit up there for us today. As mentioned yesterday the weather was constantly changing and before we left the house we had watched a couple of rain showers out of the patio windows wersquore never going to get into our very own swimming pool at this http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-318620.html Touchdown in the Mother CityBreakfast packing and checking out was leisurely and we hit the road with the aid of Berk who knew how to find our next planned destination Cape Point. Cape Point is the southernmost tip of the Table Mountain Peninsula not the southernmost tip of Africa or even where Indian and African oceans meet as lots of tour blurb says but is where two ocean currents mee http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-318617.html Whorsquos stolen the SunWe had great plans of relaxing outside our apartments reading and letting the kids run about the garden but when we awoke it was to the sound of torrential rain which sort of scuppered that idea. So instead after breakfast we went for a walk from the hotel to the wine estate and booked ourselves into a wine tasting session kids too they would be taste testing grape http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Stellenbosch/blog-318616.html Him his mate and his matersquos mateHaving checked out of the hotel nicely bundled up against the weather we emerged to find that today was actually quite warm and sunny. We shed a layer or two of clothing and spent the morning in Hermanus waiting for 2pm when our boat would be leaving the new harbour on a whale watching trip. On our way along the sea front we saw our little mammal friends o http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Hermanus/blog-317239.html Sunnier in HermanusAfter a cold night we awoke to bluer skies and the sight from our bedroom window of a whale just offshore. Today Mark had got his dive with great white sharks booked so he prepared himself for a chilly trip on a boat and a probably even chillier dive. The sea is not warm at this time of year on this part of the coast. Mark left to wait at reception for his lift to Gansbaii http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Hermanus/blog-317233.html Ever onwards to HermanusWe awoke to a still cold cabin despite the heating being on all night and it was the speediest wersquod ever managed to get the kids dressed After breakfast back at the main building we set of towards Hermanus. The weather on the journey started off cold only 7 degrees C and foggy and then brightened up to bright blue skies and around 15 degrees before then alterna http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Hermanus/blog-316389.html Getting posted in Cango CavesWell it has to be said that when it comes to Lake Pleasant Living size isnrsquot everything. It may have provided us with the largest room but it probably was the worst food and only near the bottom of the top five best views. We left after breakfast and headed yet again along the N2. We passed through a place called Wilderness so named because the wife of some fe http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-316385.html Knysnarsquos Seafood Platters and ShoppingAaahh ... a nice slow morning today gradually coming round when the kids piled into bed with us wonderfully strong showers brekkie not as good as Hog Hollow though wersquore hoping we havenrsquot set the bar too high with that one a bit of DVD watching and blogging.When eventually we were ready to go out we drove into Knysna to find food a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Knysna/blog-316382.html From Plett to KnysnaAfter the tremendous downpour yesterday it was great to wake up this morning to brilliant sunshine. Breakfast was served outside on the terrace due to the excellent weather. Afterwards we packed up and headed off in search of whales. This part of the South African coast is renowned for its abundance of whales mostly humpbacks and southern right whales. First we went in sear http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Knysna/blog-316374.html Little MonkeysWe woke up to a fantastic if slightly overcast view of a forest with mountains behind it. We eventually wandered off to breakfast which was definitely a contender for knocking our Jorsquoburg breakfasts off their throne.Hog Hollow is a fantastic place to stay the main house is filled with African artefacts and wooden furniture all housed in orange brown and black tones. Our room http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Plettenberg-Bay/blog-316366.html Leaving Kwa MadwalaThe bleep of Annabelrsquos wristwatch alarm heralded the start of a gruelling day of travelling we rose and packed promptly and loaded our stuff into the game vehicle where it waited until we had finished breakfast and checked out. Manyatta rock camp was a beautiful place with friendly staff and we were sad to leave when the transfer car arrived. Today was still not a money http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Plettenberg-Bay/blog-316365.html