SOUTH AFRICA TRIP (Final Part 4)

The last leg of our South Africa trip was uneventful from a wildlife perspective, but nevertheless very enjoyable. We flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg and from there drove to Sun City (A 3 hour drive). Arriving in the evening, we were overwhelmed at the sight of the regal, imposing, The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City. The first sight is truly magnificent and the scale of the hotel overwhelms you. 

The Palace Hotel at Sun City

The Palace Hotel at Sun City

The Palace Hotel at Sun City.. evening view

The Palace Hotel at Sun City.. evening view

The Palace Hotel at Sun City .. morning view

 

Huge Bronze  sculpture at the entrance

After a quick freshening up routine, we were off on a night safari to the nearby Pilanesberg National Park.  Excited by the thought of a night safari and looking to spot lots of nocturnal animals, my luck finally ran out. I did not sight any noteworthy animals.. only some gazelles in the distance, eyes glittering like diamonds and a lone giraffe. But it was bitterly cold and open jeep safari accentuated the cold even more unbearable.

Dinner and early to bed and a fresh start the next day. But it was a day of leisure.. exploring the huge majestic Palace hotel on our own.

I got some learned information from a guide who took us on a tour of the Palace.  It was completed in 1992 in the middle of a tropical jungle. It had 5,000 workers working around the clock to complete it.  It occupies 25 hectares of land and has 350 guest rooms. The inside of the palace has all artefacts that one can imagine, a hand painted ceiling dome (reminded me of Sistine Chapel in the Vatican), intricately carved pillars supporting the 25 meter high lobby.

The Ceiling of the Palace Hotel lobby

We moved around the hotel went to the top of one of the towers for an exquisite view of the entire Sun City views, lazed around the pool and took a dip as well. It was a relaxed day and the next day we were off to Johannesburg to catch our flight back to India.

The National Flower of South Africa

Huge Sculptures adorn the entrance to the Palace Hotel

Inside the Hotel.. the entrance to the restaurant.

King sized sculptures inside the Palace Hotel

And so this wonderful, eventful trip ended. All along on our journey back, first from Sun City to Johannesburg and then to India, I kept wondering about the many many secrets that the continent of Africa hides from the rest of the world. For a true blue nature and wildlife enthusiast, I thought this was just the beginning of a very long and rewarding love affair with Africa. In my readings, in my research, in my talks with native Africans I have found out each country in Africa has its own well guarded exotic secret which I hope to uncover one by one.

After all I cannot resist the temptations of visiting places with such romantic names as In South Africa itself the Kalahari Desert (to see the black maned lions of the Kalahari) and the world renowned Krueger National Park. In Botswana, the world famous Okavango Delta where the big cats have adapted to a life in and around water and of course to the see the Botswana side of the Kalahari. In Namibia, the Namib desert which is teeming with wildlife. Then there is Zambia with its Victoria falls. And yes you still have Kenya with the world famous Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru (for flamingos), Lake Naivasha and  about 40 plus national parks including the Tsavo National park (Tsavo was made famous by the Hollywood movie The Ghost & the Darkness starring Val Kilmer, Michael Douglas & Om Puri). And not to forget Tanzania with its Serengeti (endless plains), the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Natron and so on. Whew the list is almost endless and overwhelming. 

But let’s take it one sweet step at a time. So see you all soon on another one of my fascinating trips that I’ve promised myself. 

SOUTH AFRICA TRIP (Part 3)

After  the excitement of stroking two live cheetahs, a visit to the Ostrich Farm, was much less of an exciting  sojourn.  

The day ended late and the next day was spent taking an early morning cruise on the Knysna lagoon after which we left of a  seven hour drive to Cape Town. The drive in itself was uneventful but took us through some of the most scenic routes that one can hope to witness. Arriving at Cape Town and checking into the hotel, we were almost ready to hit the sack, but the small business of dinner had to be completed.

The next day was to be another activity packed day called the Peninsula tour.  We first started off by  visiting Hout Bay. The pier has lots of shops from which tourists can buy curios and knick knacks. You have to bargain hard and we did some curio shopping here. Then we set off on a boat to Seal Island. This is a 45 minute round trip – 15 minutes ride to the island itself 15 minutes spent observing the seals and then the return journey. The island itself is made up of granite rock with no vegetation at all. The island  is lashed by the sea. The sea that day was very choppy and the high waves were tossing the boat around.  A few minutes out of the harbour, we spied a few chubby, furry, seals sitting lazily on a huge rubber pipe... apparently sun bathing (even when there was no sun shine). 

 

They looked languid and lazy, with most of them asleep, in their precarious perches. Then about 5 km into the choppy sea, we got to see a small rocky out cropping, coming closer and closer. And as we got nearer, we saw, literally, thousands of seals sitting, crawling, trying to climb up on a slippery rock face and slipping, some, in the icy cold waters, swimming aimlessly, some snoozing, others just lost in thought and a vast majority doing just nothing.

But what a sight.. hundreds of chubby, fat Cape Fur seals in a single place !! 

However, since the sea was very rough, the boat was lurching madly. So photography was difficult.  And we could not get close enough to them, for fear of hitting the rocks. So after some time, of observing and enjoying their funny antics and fun and frolic, we headed back to the harbour in Hout bay. Our guide mentioned that In December- January, when the baby seals are born, they attract the biggest predator  the Great White Shark. These great whites feed on baby seals who are learning to swim and do not yet know what danger means. Disembarking from the boat we headed back to our boat each one of us in pensive silence.

Our next stop was  Boulders beach. The route took us through the Chapman’s Peak drive a very scenic route, where we had a photo stop. And then onwards towards  Simons town and Boulders Beach. This was another fantastic sight.. viewing African Penguins who have made  Boulders beach their home

There are no predators here and this colony of African Penguins flourishes. There is a wooden walk way along which tourists walk and come quite close to some cute, inquisitive penguins who waddle up to us. These penguins are also called white footed penguins or Jackass Penguins  because of the donkey like braying sound that they make.

They grow to up to two feet tall  and have a distinct pink colouration around their eyes. And their white under body is dotted with black spots. 

What a wonderful sight, to see a full colony of them, some on the rocks -sun bathing, some emerging  from the sea, some nesting, some tending their young and a few lazy fellows taking a cat nap. I spent quite some time observing and photographing them and I got some great pictures of these social flightless birds.  In fact I was one of the last ones to leave the walk way and walk back to the bus. I had never seen such an incredible sight in my life. And I was the richer for it.

The rest of the ride to the southern most tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, was in stupefied silence, each one with her or his own thoughts, wondering at mother nature’s marvels. And she has many many more marvels which she will open up to us, slowly. And perhaps grudgingly.

SOUTH AFRICA TRIP (Part 2)

Beautiful Sun Set over Africa

Followers of this South Africa series, would remember that I posted about Kwantu Game Reserve and our departure from Kwantu to Knysna via Port Elizabeth and George. It was a long, but pretty journey, with a lunch stop at the world famous Bloukrans Bridge. 

The Bloukrans Bridge

This is the highest bungee  jumping spot ,in the world.  It is a very picturesque spot, on the road connecting the Eastern & Western Cape provinces, on the garden route. As  I suffer from  Vertigo (fear of heights) I skipped this adrenaline rush activity. I did watch, with a mixture of wonder and awe, a few ladies who dared to do this bungee jump. The bridge itself, is very beautiful arch across the Bloukrans River, close to where it meets the sea. Late evening we reached our hotel and the day ended with Dinner.

We were up, bright and early ,the next day , because we had four activities lined up. Little did I know then, that this was going to be, the most spectacularly memorable day of my life. The day itself, started innocuously enough, heading out to the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn.

Inside the Cango Caves...

Inside the Cango Caves... another view

Inside the Cango Caves... artistic patterns

Inside the Cango Caves... on floors

Inside the Cango Caves... and ceilings

The caves are very large and intricate formations, of stalactites and stalagmites, forming artistic and intriguing patterns, hanging from the roof and springing from the floors. We took a standard tour of the caves. The insides are beautifully maintained and well lit. Low light photography was a challenge inside the caves, but I did manage to get a few good shots. After finishing the tour it was good to be back in sunlight and our next halt was Cango Wildlife ranch.

We reached the ranch in about an hour.  The first leg of our visit, took us past some breathtaking birds and animals. We got to see huge bats hanging upside down, the critically endangered Cape Vultures (there are only 16 of left in the world) and 4 of them happen to be here!!

Endangered Cape Vultures

Managed to sight and photograph some shy and hyperactive Ring Tailed (Madagascar) Lemurs,

Ring Tailed Lemurs 

beautiful Lesser Flamingos,

Lesser Flamingo

Lesser Flamingo pair

two huge Marabou Storks, seemingly levitating,

Marabou Stork

and a host of Nile crocodiles lazing in the cold sun.

Nile Crocodiles 

A lone pygmy hippo, sunning himself and snarling at us, occasionally.  Busy, spotted neck sea otters, were seen jumping in and out of the water and looking at us curiously before scurrying off.

The next leg of the visit was to see the animals, and they had quite a few there. There were two Servals  (African wild cats), Caracals (Wild Cats), Bat Eared Foxes,  Royal Bengal Tigers, White tigers, Cheetahs, et al. Had a fantastic time viewing  these beauties. Had the rare opportunity, to observe and photograph these wonderful animals, at real close quarters.  I seemed to get lost, in the spirit of the “Kingdom of Animals” here, at the Cango Wildlife Ranch. My spirit was gratified at seeing so many animals, all under one roof, knowing that they were well cared for and looked after, here. This reverie was unfolding beautifully, when the guide announced that those of us who wanted to, could go into the Cheetah enclosure, to stroke a live Cheetah.

What, stroke a live, grown Cheetah? What an opportunity!  I was excited and my heart skipped a beat. I was one of the first to pay the fees and was head of the queue.

Cheetah up close & personal

Wary of me

Ready to spring into action...

We were briefed by the Cheetah handlers, not to cuddle, hug or kiss the Cheetah. So sad. Anyway, as luck would have it, there were two Cheetahs in the enclosure, and we could stroke both. Since I was first, I was invited to come close, bend down and pet the Cheetah. At this juncture, both Cheetahs were resting, with eyes closed. I stroked them to my heart’s content.

Exciting & thrilling

I  gave my camera to one of the girls, in the enclosure, and asked her to keep on clicking. Both Cheetahs seemed to be enjoying my stroking and one of them even turned on his back, indicating, that he would like to be stroked on his stomach as well.

Exhilarating, tickle me he seems to be saying.

The handler asked me to move back, with a concerned look on his face. But no alarm, just the Cheetah wanting to be petted more. I was then asked to make way, for the second member and so on.  After all four of had our turns, I requested the handler for one more opportunity, as now both of the Cheetahs were awake and in a semi sitting position. Somewhere, my love for animals became infectious and he smiled indulgently and allowed me one more time.

And this time, stroking two live Cheetahs wide awake, one giving me the once over.

Two is better than one 

And now both awake.. one giving me the once over

And now both awake.. one giving me the once over

Was I scared? NEVER, for a moment, did fear enter my mind. In fact, it was a unique bond, that I seemed to share with these cats, who seemed to reciprocate, this bond. I just loved every thrilling, electrifying, exciting & exhilarating moment,  of this wonderful fifteen minutes of my life. This WAS THE BEST  moment of my life. Imagine, being in an enclosure with two wild cats, stroking them for continuously and not knowing any fear. Only thrill, excitement and a desire to extend this moment to eternity. Sadly, that did not happen, and like all good things, this visit came to an end, and we exited the enclosure. I was richer for this experience. This memory will last me, a life time (or even more, who knows).  But yes, this is one experience, that that all animal & nature lovers, must have,  or they are the poorer, not doing it.

And then our onward journey resumed and we were off to see Ostriches and the next day Cape Fur Seals and African (Jackass) Penguins. But again that is another wonderful experience, yet to be documented.