Weekend Wrap Up (AKA SA Wrap Up)

Sniff.   This will be my final post in the Weekend Wrap Up series as I have left SA and returned home to Chicago.    But don't fret... I will still be posting about travel, Chicago, running and other fun stuff.

This is actually a wrap-up of my last weekend in SA.   I've been back in Chicago almost a week, but I unexpectedly am having a much harder time adjusting and re-patriot-ing then I had anticipated.   Surprisingly I wasn't jet lagged at all (thank you liquid melatonin) but I've been really thrown off and depressed about everything that changed without me in the last 6 months.     And missing all my friends and co-workers back in Johannesburg.  I had an indescribable life experience that I will forever treasure.  It is difficult transitioning back from a place I wasn't ready to leave.

Goodbye Jozie Skyline

So  taking you back in time to last week...

Where did all this stuff come from??

The work week was a short one due to Monday being another public holiday.   I spent most of the week wrapping up work projects and saying my goodbyes.    I had really wanted to get out a bit more, but I was really fighting with my luggage (my clothes reproduced ) and my emotions ( I really couldn't go very long with out tears).

Goodbye weird hotel apartment

I did manage to plan a goodbye pizza party for the R&D team (I totally forgot to take pictures), I wrote about 30 personal goodbye notes and had a farewell dinner on Friday with two of my R&D friends.   We were going to go out one last time, but I'm glad we decided against it.  Last minute hung over packing on Saturday would not have been fun.

Goodbye Penny... I'm sorry.

On Saturday, I drove to the airport... the whole time I was praying that I would not hit anyone or anything right before I left.... and I side swiped the pole in the rental return as I was pulling up to the agent.  DOH.    On a side note, I was pretty surprised that Phil was really not phased by the whole story, until I came home are realized that he had just done the same thing to our car in our garage.  I don't feel too bad now.    

Hello champagne

I was really anticipating issues when at the airport, because I find it really difficult not to have customer service issues.  This trip was my first experience with Virgin Atlantic.   I'm normally a American Airlines loyalist, but due to changes in their reward program this year, I've decided to show Delta some love too.   Virgin Atlantic is a Delta partner.

hi little chair

The check-in process was seamless.  No lines at all for Upper Class check-in.  The staff were friendly and efficient and by some miracle, none of my bags were over weight.   My 3 bags were tagged and sent on their way in minutes.   I was directed to the VA Clubhouse, but needed to clear security first.   Here the lines were long, but moved quickly.   I was in the VA Clubhouse in no time.   I intended to buy a couple last minute gifts but I was shaking from the run in with the pole and my back pack was so heavy it was knocking me backwards.   Upon entry I was promptly checked in with a smile and the immediately greeted by a staff member.   He took my bags and showed me to a comfy chair.   He brought out bottled water, champagne and crisps as well as a full cocktail menu and wine list and a dinner menu.  All included!   One glass a champagne wasn't going to stop the shakes so I order one of VA's signature drinks a Virgin Redhead as well as a veggie flat bread.  Both were delicious.  It was soon time to board.   The flight was called and there was no line at the gate, so I was able to hop right on and settle in to my little pod.   The seat was a bit narrow, but the footrest  doubles as a little chair, which is cute and functional if you are not traveling alone.

Second flight prep.

The trip to London was about 11 hours long, but uneventful.  The service and food was fantastic.  My only issue was that the seat needs to be flipped in order to be used as a bed.  It's not that bad, it is automatic and the flight staff is happy to help if needed.    PJs and bedding are provided.   I love airline PJs  (I'm actually wearing them now as I write this).

swing~

In London, it took me a bit to find the lounge and I kept getting literally knocked backwards by the weight of my back pack.   I had been so excited about the spa services, but when I finally found the Virgin Club house and saw the basket swings, all I wanted to do was swing and cry.  Yea.  I'm that weirdo crying in the swing.

Gnocchi and sun-dried tomatoes 

The second flight (9-ish hours) was also pretty uneventful.   The food was decent, the movie selection was okay-  my favorite was The Room.  I was told that it is also a book... the book is probably better.    Speaking of books, I finally finished Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom.   Ok, honestly  I essentially finished it awhile ago, but I had started it on the flight to SA, so I wanted to save the last chapter for the way back in a symbolic gesture of closure.    It's a long, but great read.  I highly recommend it.

Chapter closed.

And that wraps it all up.   I arrived to flowers and signs and a super ecstatic husband, despite my crabbiness and irritability.  We celebrate with a run around our neighborhood, geo-caching and tacos and margaritas in Pilsen.    

I'm a little startled about how much I miss SA and my friends.  and I'm startled on how lost I feel being back.  It's a process and little by little I'm sure it will improve.    

I will be back soon, will more travel insights (including Victoria Falls) and fun stuff in general. 

:)

Hello Chicago.

Hello strange geo-caching husband.

The end of the Garden Route Adventure- Days 5-7.

Almost Tip of Africa

Welcome to the final installment in the Garden Route Series!  Congrats if you made it this far.  You can find Day 1, Day 2,  and Days 3/4 hyper linked here.    Day 5 brought the longest drive in our journey, but some of the most scenic views.   We woke early and left Mossel Bay and headed to Cape Point.   We passed many coastal towns and one of the largest and most famous townships in South Africa, Khayelistsha.  It is the second largest in South Africa, with a population of over 400,000 people.

Khayelitsha Township

Cape Point

The Cape of Good Hope is located in the Table Mountain National Park.   We made our way through the park, stopping at several points to take pictures, our ultimate goal was the Cape of Good Hope.   It was incredibly windy, it felt like we'd be blown into the ocean.   Luckily, we arrived right before 2 tour buses and didn't have to wait long to take picture in front of the sign.

Leaving the Cape of Good Hope, Phil decided to ignore Google and "take a short cut".   This short cut in fact was a pretty intense mountain pass.  Luckily for us, it was two lanes and tar.  It could have been worse.  The views of the bay from the pass were absolutely amazing.

We checked into the Vethos Villa in Camps Bay.   On a previous trip, I had stayed in the business district close to the wharf.    I guess it depends on what you are into, but I would definitely recommend Camps Bay over the business/wharf area.    There is more restaurants, a grocery store (and the beach!) within walking distance, there's a red bus stop right there and a short Uber to Table Mountain and the Wharf.     I felt that in Camps Bay we had more access to activities and night life and it felt safer:  there was just a whole lot more people around and shorter walks to points of interest. Vethos Villa is nice, more of a small hotel/lodge.  The hostess was nice, the rooms were clean and stocked with beach towels and a full bar.  The bathroom door was clear glass, which was a little strange, but fun to harass Phil when he was trying to have private bathroom time.  There was a large common room that always had coffee service and light snacks.  The only complaint was that there was supposed to be parking and we were told all the spots were taken.   There was ample street parking, so it really wasn't a problem.

The first night after check in, we walked down to the beach to play in the surf and watch the sunset. Dinner was on the promenade at The Raj.   The Raj had fantastic  service which we have found hard to find in South Africa as a whole.  There was a large and diverse selection of food (including a large vegetarian selection) and cocktails.

After dinner, it was an Uber ride over to Long Street to check out the night life and a DnB event.   The club had a balcony over Long street, which allowed for some great people watching.  There's a lot of opportunistic crime on Long street.   From our vantage point we could see all the pick pockets walking around... the are pretty obvious from above.  Almost all have backpacks and either walk back and forth or hang out in the shadows.   There was also a TON of police but it wasn't really clear what they were doing.   They seemed to be checking bars, but maybe not.

Our morning began fairly early, taking an Uber after breakfast to Table Mountain.   We had purchased our cable car tickets in advance, but there as a still approximately an hour wait, even though we arrived shortly after opening.  We had considered hiking up the mountain- but heard/read varying reports of time and difficulty  I think we still would of tried, but I wasn't feeling so great when we woke up.   There are some trails on top of the mountain, so we did hike around those... which offered some great views and picture ops, that I hadn't gotten to see the first time.  

After Table Mountain it was off to the V&A Waterfront, which is incredibly crowded and touristy.   We needed to do some souvenir shopping and the V&A Waterfront has a market with upscale Arts and Crafts.   I had eye'd a vendor the first time I was at the market and was happy when Phil also picked the same artist, without me pointing her out.   The vendor we chose sells art made in the townships from recycled materials.   When we can we try to support independent artists or groups supporting the community, rather than just buying something mass produced from a tourist shop.   We also bought some small gifts for our co-workers and some carved animals for our living room.

Dinner was at the sushi place on the strip, which was okay, followed by gelato and a walk on the boardwalk.

Our guide was a political prisoner in the '80s.

In the morning we were off to Robben Island by ferry.   We were treated to views of whales breaching and the African penguin colony that lives on the Island.  The island houses the prison that held political prisoners, including Mandela, during Apartheid. Our guide was an ex political prisoner who was imprisoned in the '80s.   I read the Long Walk to Freedom, so it was especially interesting to see the places that Mandela had described in such detail.   Having read the book, I was able to whisper- fill in details to Phil.   An aside, I highly highly recommend this book, especially if you are coming to South Africa.   I gained deeper understanding of South African culture and history. I think it allowed me to really connect on a deeper level and thus enhanced my experience here.  It also gave me a good jumping off point in beginning conversations on the Apartheid.

After Robben Island it was lunch at the Waterfront before heading off to the airport.

And this ends our trip on the Garden Route!

Stay tuned for my reviews of Chobe National Park (Botswana), Livingstone, Zambia and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

And always feel free to leave comments or direct message me!

Travel- Day 1 on the Garden Route in South Africa

Day 1:  First stop- Storms River Gorge, Tisitsikamma

Despite it still being warm during the days, it is really beginning to feel like fall here in Johannesburg.  It is no longer light when I wake up in the morning and I no longer need to turn on the aircon to sleep.   Last night, all I wanted was fluffy sweaters and hot cocoa when I got home from work and it's more and more difficult to crawl out of bed in the morning... The Winter Lazy is starting to creep in.  The silver lining to my departure from my beloved Jozi is that I will jump right into my third summer in a row.  Speaking of fall weather, we also felt the beginning touches of fall on our Garden Route Journey last week (good segue, huh?)

We began our trip by flying from Joburg to Port Elizabeth.  I had booked a flight with South African Airways, but the airline transferred the flight to its budget partner, Mango.  There was some confusion the night before when we couldn't log in to select our seats or check-in, but Phil cleared it up with a phone call.  The agents here in SA were very helpful.   AND upon dropping off our bags, they gave us chocolate! <3    They also gave us vouchers for in flight meal service, due to SAA providing  complimentary meal service and Mango providing for-fee ala carte.  The flight was quick and uneventful and soon we were in Port Elizabeth.  PE is one of the larges cities in SA, located in the Eastern Cape Province.  

Thanks Mango!

We decided to rent the biggest most powerful car that was available in auto to make our drive easier than the Kruger Adventure and more comfortable for me as the passenger ;).  That ended up being a Nissan SUV named Serena. Phil LOVED Serena and now wants his own Serena .

Phil is super excited to be driving a "real" car aka "Serena" due to her "curves" and power.

Phil's giant portable file cabinet which contained our very large and very detailed travel itinerary did not contain any points of interest for PE, so we were quickly on our way to  our first stop on the Garden Route.

And we are on our way!

Our first glimpse of the Indian Ocean.

Stop 1: Tsitsikamma National Park

After about an hour or so on the road we crossed the Storms River Gorge and pulled into the Tsitsikamma Tourist Center and Rest Stop.  After grabbing a couple of coffees at Mug and Bean (SA's version of Starbucks) we headed across the pedestrian bridge next to the highway for a better look.   It was amazing!  After taking a million pictures, including the selfie above, we hopped back into the car to head down the highway to the park's entrance in search of the mouth of the Storm River.  This is also where the Otter Trail begins.  The Otter Trail is one of the must-do hikes in SA.   It is also, a 5-day hike, so unfortunately we didn't have enough time on this trip.   My co-worker, an avid hiker, has completed it and highly recommends it.
We did have time for a shorter walk/hike on the Mouth Trial.  It was a relatively easy path, with beautiful views of the ocean, lots of dassies (fuzzy guinea pig looking creatures) and a chance to cross the suspension bridges.  Once we crossed the bridges we sat on a rock and watched the ocean for awhile.  #pleasefreezetime

Tourist Center and Parking for the Gorge Look out

Storms River Gorge

Mouth Trial- Tsitsikamma National Park

Wave watching at Tsitsikamma National Park

Phil getting the perfect shot on the suspension bridge

Suspension Bridge warnings.

Ariel view of the bridge system

Dassies, Dassies, Everywhere!

We then set out on the Crags part of the Garden Route.  The Crags is the portion of the route that is basically between Tsitsikamma  and Plettenberg and  is jam packed with attractions and nature stuff. 

Nature's Valley

Stop 2 was  Nature's Valley a small beach-y town a bit down the way.   It was a quick stop for pizza and wine on the beach at one of the town's only restaurants  before hitting the road again.   The town seemed to host many holiday surfers and cyclists.  Nature's Valley is also the end point of the Otter Trail.

Stop 3:  Animals!
Next Phil gave me a choice between The Elephant Sanctuary, The Birds of Eden, or Monkey Land.   We saw A LOT of elephants at Kruger so I opted out of Elephants.  The reviews on Trip Advisor were both very positive for both the monkeys and the birdies, but stated that you could spend hours inside the bird sanctuary and the tour of the monkeys was only an hour.  We arrived late in the afternoon, so choose the monkeys. I was a little skeptical, but the park was legit.   It is the first of it's kind to rehabilitate multiple species of primates (from all over the world) in one free-roaming space.  We spotted all 11 of the free roaming species housed in the park.  There are 7 other species currently housed separately as part of the acclimation to the sanctuary. They need time to de-human and adjust to "freedom". For an entrance fee a tour guide walks you through the park, points out monkeys and educates the group on the primates that call Monkey Land home and on the park itself.   All the monkeys in the park have been rescued from circuses, pet stores and domestication.  I recommend a stop a Monkey Land if you are on the Garden Route.   There is a combined ticket with the Birds of Eden, which I would also recommend based on other reviews, if you have the time. (Rates- 190Rand for adults, 300Rand Combo ticket w/ Birds of Eden).

The park's only ape species, the Lar Gibbon

The only local species, the Vervet Monkies

Black and White Ruffed Lemur

Charmaine, a Tufted Capuchin, and resident thief, waiting for victims on the bridge

Stop 4: Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay was both our next stop and our first stay on the Garden Route.   Our action packed first day had drawn to a close.    Our Bed and Breakfast in Plentinsburg was Bliss on Beacon Isle.   The location was good, a short walk to the beach and restaurants, with a whole flock of guinea birds living on the block.   The guest house has about 5 ensuite rooms, including a family room and has both bed and breakfast and self catering options.  We had a single non-self catering room, the Wild Fig with a balcony over looking the small splash pool.  The guest house is owned by a family.  We only met the wife, who is very nice, but seemed busy and distracted with her family.  The service was good- prompt, personal check-in, clean room, standard breakfast (cold and hot options), but wasn't as  intimate and lacked some of the other personal touches that we appreciate.   There was also the ant incident, which was partially Phil's fault.  Actually, pretty much all Phil's fault.   He rolled down the shade in the bathroom, discovered an ant colony and then instead of rolling it right back up again like I would have, he f'd with it and started a 1 Million Ant March.  Although it was more like 1 Million Ant Frenzy, which was made worse when he attempted to fix it by dousing them first in deet, then in non-deet mosquito spray, followed by air fresher for good measure.  It was definitely an ant massacre scene by the time we left.

Our hostess, did suggest a dinner restaurant, Fat Fish, which looked very lovely,  but failed to let us know we needed reservations, so when we showed up a 8pm in the middle of the dinner rush we were out of luck.   Luckily, there was several places right on the beach with in ear shot of the Jazz Festival, which actually turned out for the best- music, view of the ocean, and lot's of people watching.    Our choice was Moby Dick's.    The service was a little slow, but TIA (This is Africa), so not any slower than expected.   The cocktail list was fun and the menu selection, mostly seafood, had several vegetarian choices.   I choose the lasagna, which was okay.  And Phil choose the Hake, which he also said was just okay... but that may be because he prefers "a fishy fish".

style.   We ended the night by playing with the thousands of burrowing snails on the beach and  chasing each other and the incoming waves under moon light.

A little pre-dinner beach playtime.

Stay Tuned for Day 2 on the Garden Route- Knysna, the heads and crazy mountain driving!