Another long run home via South America: July 2023

Sunday 9 July 2023

At 0400 hrs a taxi picked us up for the normal 90 minute trip to Marseille Airport, which at that time was just on an hour. Marseille is one of the world’s not very good airports: old, dirty,  packed with people and with poor facilities such as lounges. However in a couple of hours we were airborne, flying over the food bowl of Europe towards Paris. It always intrigues me the amount of crops and other produce that is produced all over France.

Landing in Paris, we headed for the lounge before boarding our Air France flight to Lima, Peru. Now Air France is a funny one, owned by the same company as KLM, however the standard of service and upkeep of the cabin is normally much higher on KLM than Air France. Hence it was a pleasant surprise when we boarded the new Air France Boeing 777-300 with a really great crew, smiling as they went about their work, providing great service and delivering excellent food, which made for a very comfortable twelve and a half hour flight. The good thing about modern planes is they have great ground and forward facing cameras on them. As we lost altitude over Peru I turned on the ground camera witnessing some spectacular scenery in places where switchback roads made their way to the tops of steep hills, which then opened out onto green valley floors. As we came into land at Lima I switched to the front camera. I was surprised to see that the invader huts (people that came down from the hills) that used to be prominent on the side of the runway had all gone.

The journey through immigration was reasonably quick, a driver awaited us on the other side for what was a relatively straight-forward trip to our hotel in the Miraflores area.

It has been 10 years since I was last here and the improvements in the city are remarkable. Apart from the new road from the airport to town, there are no beggars walking down the streets with scruffy pieces of cardboard asking for money. They must have shipped them to Auckland, NZ. The streets are now clean, there has been a reduction in coiled razor wire on walls and fences.

We spent the evening relaxing with Sylvia doing some pre-reads for her meetings tomorrow.

Monday 10 July 2023.

After a night of not much sleep we headed down to breakfast. Soon we were joined by Ludo, the cluster manager for Royal Canin (Peru, Columbia, Puerto Rico and Chile). Sylvia headed off to have some one and one meetings while I caught up with Ludo and Nicolai.

After breakfast I took a walk down to the cliff-top waterfront area, which was like taking a walk down memory lane. My friends AJ and Michelle were here with me all those years ago and we had a great look around Lima, visiting the old Mayan ruins and many other places. Back then (2013) there was a guy on a yellow and green parapont with a motor on it that made his way back and forth along the sky above the foreshore. I saw what looked like the same machine still going for it.

The day was quite clagged in (I am not sure whether it was fog or smog) but as I wandered around the mist cleared to the extent that I could see the aerials on the peninsula to the south of the city that was once a fortress. I wandered south along the cliff-top to where a motorway cuts up the valley, heading inland, and then wandered north to where another motorway heads inland through a valley and there is a large statue of a couple making out at Love Park.

Just before noon I headed back to the hotel. Looking out the window towards the buildings next door, I was thinking to myself, I wish these guys would clean the windows so I could take a photo, then carried on getting our stuff together. The next time I looked out the window I was a bit surprised to see a man hanging on a couple of ropes cleaning the window, a practice I remember they banned in Hong Kong some years ago, after a woman reached out the window and cut the rope with some poor guy hanging below somewhere. Anyway, windows cleaned I was able to get a photo of the gaggle of buildings next door.

I headed down to the foyer and met Sylvia and the crew (Ludo, Nicolai and Monica). We hopped in a van and headed across town to a restaurant at the Hyatt Hotel where we enjoyed a nice lunch of octopus and shrimp before heading to the airport.

It was late in the evening when we touched down in Bogota, where we headed to the Marriott Courtyard hotel, ready for an early start in the morning.

Tuesday 11 July 2023

Ludo picked us up at 6:15am and off we went, back to the airport, boarding a 737-800 for the 60-minute flight to Medellin. On arrival we were met by some of the Royal Canin crew, ready to pounce on Sylvia and race her off to a whole lot of meetings. Meanwhile, Juan Carlos, one of the Royal Canin team, had organised a guide and driver for me. Diana, the guide, led me through the carpark to a Chevy SUV and Carolina, the driver, sped us off to Santa Elena. This is an area in the hills on the outskirts of Medellin that is renown for its flower growing, which dates back some six+ generations.

On arrival at one of the grower’s houses, we were treated to a sweet tea made from sugar cane and the herb citron before being escorted on a tour of the property by the owner dressed in his traditional attire.

Every year, at the beginning of August, in Medellin, they have a large festival where five hundred and twenty locals from the Santa Elena area parade 2 miles through the streets carrying large floral displays on wooden frames on their backs, some of them weighing up to 100kgs. It is only the people from the Santa Elena area that can enter this procession and the tradition stems back to the early days of the Spanish, when the Basque people, who originally moved here as gold-miners, used to carry people over the hills on a chair-like frame on their back. Each participant receives $500 from the government and the displays are judged in five categories. The winners of each category receive $5,000 and become cultural ambassadors for the country.

The tour over, we headed back down the hill towards the airport and then through Latin America’s longest road tunnel, at about 8.5kms, to the city of Medellin. This tunnel had smiley face speed signs that went to a sad face if you went too slow. Once the most crime-ridden city in South America, Medellin is now relatively peaceful with a metropolitan population of about 4 million, basically stacked into a valley with buildings and housing now making their way up the side of the hills. The city has become very popular with digital nomads. Both Diana and Carolina take great pride in their city, consistently extolling its virtues and telling me how nowadays many people have moved there from all over Colombia, many working remotely, with the demand pushing the price of accommodation up.

 

Our first stop was a large monument built in memory of all those killed by Pablo Escobar. This site was where Escobar had his eight-storey house-come-headquarters, which housed his family, his art collection and a whole lot of security people. After his death the government literally blew the bloody thing up (Diana showed me a video on you-tube of the explosion). Constructed on the site is a large dark granite monument, which has on one side the 250 bombings that Escobar organised between 1984 and 1993 and on the other side, 46,612 holes to represent the people that they believe Escobar was responsible for the deaths of.

From there we headed into the centre of town to the Alambique restaurant, with its eclectic collection displayed on the walls. We were seated at a table and not provided with a menu as such, but more of a book covering all the different options to eat and drink in the place. Wanting to try some local stuff I asked Diana to order for me. The first thing that turned up was some Canasticas de bunuelos, a shrimp cocktail served in a deep fried basket thingy. Next arrived Cazuela de sobrebarriga, corn chips with pulled beef, cheese, and a few other tasty things.  The last course was Calentado de Ursula, which was a corn fritter with rice, octopus and shrimp, nicely presented in a coconut bowl. By that stage I was over-full and couldn’t eat it all.

Canasticas de buñuelos

Cazuela de sobrebarriga

 

Calentado de Ursula

Lunch over we headed up to the north end of town to the cable car station. This is quite unique as the cable car links up to the metro and is used for public transport. Like most large South American cities, Medellin has its share of Barrios Bajos (slum areas). In the seventies and eighties, during the major times of trouble in Colombia, many people were forced off their land through conflicts and acts of terrorism and migrated to the city.  Arriving with nothing they scrounged begged and stole materials to build themselves accommodation. A lot of the buildings are literally stuck to the side of steep hills. Originally with few roads and only paths carved into the hill to access these areas, no water or sewage people suffered many hardships just to survive. Gradually over the years the local government has supplied infrastructure such as water, sewage and electricity to a lot of these homes but access to factories and other places of work from these remote locations remains extremely difficult. In 2004 a cable car system was installed to service this area and link it to the central metro system.

We mounted the cable car, headed to the top of one hill where there is a station, down into a valley and up to the top of another hill where we dismounted and had a look around before making the return journey. The trip was really quite impressive covering 14 kms and giving one a good understanding of just how vast these once-slum areas are.

The cable car ride over, we mounted the Chevy and drove through some steep but narrow streets to Conuna 13 (District 13). In Colombia all cities are divided into six classes, 1 being the poorest areas and 6 being the most wealthy. Conuna 13 is in the category 1. Illegal structures were first developed here in 1978 and over time more and more structures have been somehow established on the hillside. Diana introduced me to a lady called Milena, who is part of a trust that does all sorts of things to assist people in the area. Milena took us on a walk through part of the town and explained to me how her mother, Socorroco, had been one of the founders of the area. In the late 90’s and early 2,000’s there were a number of military operations conducted in the area to try and clean out criminals and terrorists that were occupying some of the buildings.

During a massive gunfight on the 21st May 2002 a couple of children had been seriously injured by stray bullets.  Socorroco grabbed a white bedsheet and walked out into the middle of the gunfight holding it above her head. Other women in the neighbourhood saw this and did the same thing and the shooting stopped and the children were taken to hospital. It was at this point that the people started to stand up against the crime and the shooting and there was only ne more military operation that took place in the area on 16 October 2002. Socorroco now runs a charity where people in need can go and receive food and medical treatment. There is lots of graffiti style art in the area depicting various scenes relating to the days of the trouble and lots of art for sale. The local community even got together with the authorities and organised the construction of a number of escalators to help get older and disabled people up to their houses. We took the escalators down to the bottom of town and wandered through some busy narrow streets where Milena introduced me to her mother, who presented me with a little white flag printed with the words ‘Mujeres al Poder’ (Women of Power).

Carolina then picked us up and we drove south through the town and up onto the hillside into an area 6 where the Pullman hotel where we were staying for the night was situated.  That evening I was privileged to be invited to dinner at a local Japanese restaurant with the Royal Canin Colombian team.

A big thanks to Ludo, Tomas and the Colombian team for a great time in Medellin.

Wednesday 12 July 2023

Sylvia was up bright and early and off for some breakfast meetings while I headed to the gym to endeavour to remove some of last night’s dinner. At 9:30 I met Sylvia and her team in the foyer. I showed the white flag I had been given yesterday to Sylvia as it was in the outside pocket of my suitcase. Sylvia immediately confiscated it and gave it to Diana, one of her team here, who has recently battled cancer.

Leaving the Royal Canin team to it we jumped in a taxi and headed to the airport for the next leg of this journey. The first leg was a one-hour flight to Panama City, followed about 3-hours later by another one-hour flight to San Jose in Costa Rica. In hindsight, they were the easy legs. The next part of the journey was four hours sitting in the back of an SUV, two of which were spent mostly stationary in a traffic jam. It was around 11pm when we arrived at the Nayara Springs resort near the Arenal Volcano. After checking in at reception we climbed in an electric buggy and were driven up a steep cobbled pathway to villa 9 where we will spend the next four nights.

Thursday 13 July 2023 – Nayara Springs

After a bit of a sleep in we got up to have a look around  the not-so-little villa in daylight. Not only does it have a large four-poster bed and rather classy chandelier but out through the ranch slider is a  crystal clear thermally heated private plunge pool, surrounded by thick jungle including red lipstick palms, creating a really stunning atmosphere. It was mid-morning when we wandered down to Mis Amores for breakfast. Looking out across the jungle canopy to one side and an outdoor area leading to pool, complete with sunken bar on the other side, this is a very tranquil and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a leisurely and tasty brunch.

We then wandered down to the reception area to organise our activities for the next couple of days then meandered along some of the cobbled paths encased on either side by thick jungle plants. Apart from a visit to the local gift shop and the gym we had a relaxing afternoon, including a massage at the local spa.

Friday 14 July 2023 – Nayara Springs

We were down at reception by 6am to meet our guide, Pablo, and driver, Juan Carlos, for our tour to the Canó Negro wildlife refuge. We headed east for about 40kms passing through little villages and towns in an area that is largely crops of pineapple, sugar cane and cassava. Eventually we hit Corredor Norte (Highway 35), which took us in a northwesterly direction towards Nicaragua. Not far from the border we turned down a pot-holed side road for the final journey to Canó Negro on the Rio Frio.

It was on this bumpy road that we stopped to look at a large flock of egrets, wood stork, jacana, tiger heron and even a roseate spoonbill feeding in a large body of water, which was also occupied by a number of caiman. I picked up the camera to take a photograph only to realise that the battery was completely flat so I will have to in advance apologise for the quality of the photos for this leg of the journey as I had to resort to the i-Phone, not great for taking pictures of wildlife.

Not far down the road we came to the Canó Negro and mounted a boat and began our cruise down the river. A table, complete with table cloth was set up on the front of the boat and our breakfast laid out for us to enjoy as we drifted down the river. We hadn’t gone very far when we came across a Tamandua (type of tree climbing ant-eater) high up in one of the trees.  Next there was a bunch of white faced capucin monkeys. Pablo was explaining that these monkeys will even eat iguanas if they can catch them and next thing a large green iguana launched itself off the tree, almost resembling a bomb as it sped towards the water, rather taking its chance with the caiman than these aggressive little monkeys.

White faced cappucin monkey

Emerald Basilisk

A little further along a Nicaraguan sliding turtle perched on a log in the middle of the water, and then lived up to its name, sliding off into the water. We could hear Howler monkeys in the distance and above us in the tree spider monkeys hung from their tails as they fed on the leaves. Next we pulled up alongside a tree growing in the water, to see eight little long-nosed bats, which blended perfectly into the colour of the bark on the tree, only given away because they were on a dark patch.

Nicaraguan slider turtle

Boat billed heron

Long nosed bat

An emerald basilisk sat on a twig by the river bank hiding from more capucin monkeys in the trees above. Pablo told us that the capucin, when the water level gets low and there are a lot of caiman around, will run to the water and dip their tails in, then run away and sip the water from their tails to avoid being eaten.

We continued to cruise down the river, passing many troops of each of the three species of monkey in the area. We also spotted a two-toed sloth asleep high in one of the trees.  Right before we turned around to head back we saw a howler monkey with some unusual orange markings. Pablo explained that there are a few in this area that even have completely orange babies. They are unsure if this is a genetic mutation due to inbreeding or exposure to pesticides but the orange babies seem to have a shorter than usual lifespan. Arriving back where we started Pablo spotted a great potoo high in a tree. This bird could easily be mistaken for part of the tree.

On the journey back to the resort we took a bit more notice of the farming activity in the area which included large orange plantations and cow farms stocking I think the originally Indian humpback cow. There is a very efficient sort of fencing around here where they use two different types of trees for fencing, one the quick-stick and the other called immortal mountain. Both these you can just grab a stick and stick it in the ground and it will grow. The sticks are planted in straight lines and wires stuck on and the trees grow, some into quite big trees and others are trimmed back.

At one small village we pulled over and saw a couple of sloths in the trees right by the main road, one wth a very tiny baby. The Costa Rican people value the sloths and they have adapted to live close to human habitation.

Arriving at the nearby village of La Fortuna we visited a local restaurant for a very tasty lunch. On the short drive back to Nayara Springs, the volcano that had been covered in clouds since we arrived appeared.

The local coffee machine.

After a bit of rest back in the room, Blanco arrived in a buggy and took us for a tour around the complex. Consisting of three separate areas, Nayara Springs for adults only, Nayara Gardens, the largest, original resort catering for families and at the top of the hill Nayara Tented Camp, the newest area. As we headed across the Toucan bridge near the spa, Blanco pointed out another two-toed sloth on the move. I was quite impressed with the speed – even with quite a large baby on board she was able to move quite steadily up the tree and along, always hanging on the underside of the branches.

After observing the sloth we headed up the hill to an area with a number of thermally heated hot mineral pools, which can only really be portrayed (and then not well) in the photos. At the top of the hill is the Alto restaurant and reception area for the Tented Camp, not that these are really tents. With its stunning views over the canopy to the volcano, infinity pool complete with sunken bar and large restaurant with a swing bridge leading off it this certainly looked like a good place to hang out.

Heading back to our room,  we stopped at a garden area and glasshouse with hives for the tiny (almost mosquito-sized) native non-stinging bee.

Saturday 14 July 2023 – Nayara Springs

At 7am we strolled down to the restaurant for breakfast. Mist hung around the volcano and there was the odd spot of rain. At 8am we wandered down to the reception area to meet our guide only to find that today’s adventure didn’t start until 9 so we took the opportunity to relax and wait. The driver and guide showed up just before 9 and we hopped in the van and headed west through some very lush farmland mainly cattle, passing lots of resorts and tourist venues, and eventually crossing over the Laguna de Arenal dam. We stopped just down the road as a couple of three-toed sloths had been spotted in the trees. The first was hidden amongst the branches and vines, with only its eyes and nose visible, and the second, round the other side, was the baby of the first one and with its arms wrapped around a branch looked more like a ball of fluff than anything else as it was fast asleep. In most cases when you see these animals they seem to be stationary and asleep although we did see the one yesterday with a baby wrapped around its body climbing the underside of a branch with surprising speed, reaching out and hooking its claw into the bark as it gracefully swung underneath the branch.

Turning off at the end of the earth dam (made using lava rocks from the volcano) we headed up the hill to Mystic Hanging Bridges, which is basically a well-set up tourist walk through the jungle. Our guide Damzon turned out to be a gushing fountain of information – a tap that could have been turned down a little bit. But as we strolled along the concrete paths he gave us the full run down on every plant, insect and the odd bird we saw along the way and a lot of other information in relation to symbiosis, bio medicines and much more. But to his credit, he was bloody good at spotting hard-to-find things, like the strawberry blue jeans poison dart frog. The many insects, amphibians and other small animals we saw can best be seen in the photographs.

Lobster Claw

Stingless native bee hive

Red Ginger (Leaves eaten by leaf-cutter ants)

Red Ginger

Bamboo Orchid

Maraca Ginger

Paper Wasp and nest

Rhinoceros Grasshopper

Lobster Claw

Centipede

Strawberry blue-jeans poison dart frog

Leaf-eater ants at work

White lined bat

Emerald Glass Frog

Golden Orb Spider

Damson fly

Venomous Stick Insect

The path wound its way up the hill to the first of six suspension bridges, the highest of which was about 45m above the gulley floor. Sylvia struggled a little with the first few of these but by the time we got to the sixth one she was almost comfortable. There was a restriction of a maximum of 15 people on any one bridge at any time and a person stationed at each bridge to control the flow of people. The whole trail was about 4.5km long and we exited and enjoyed a picnic lunch at a table overlooking the valley below.

Stingless native bees

Male Damson Fly

Eyelash Viper

 

Giant banded anole

 

 

 

Reticulated Glass Frog with eggs

On returning to the resort we tried some famous Costa Rican coffee at the cafe above reception but unfortunately it didn’t rate very highly with us. Returning to our room we sat in the crystal-clear outside pool, which is supplied by hot water from the local thermal springs.

Later in the afternoon we wandered up to the Lapas bar situated by the pool at the Tented Camp on top of the hill, where we enjoyed a drink while chatting to some of the other guests before heading for a massage at the local spa.

Life in France: From the Sewers of Paris to a Nuclear Power Plant and more – June 2023

Saturday 17 June 2023

Having landed in Paris at around 0500 from Johannesburg, we were lucky as arriving at the Prince de Galles hotel, they had a room ready for us. After a shower and some breakfast we took a stroll along the River Seine, arriving at the Sewer museum a few minutes before its 1000 opening. We sat on a bench and watched boats go up and down the river and people stroll and run by.

We could see the staff inside having a bit of a pre-opening yarn, eventually getting around to letting us in only a few minutes late. Showing our tickets we headed down a steep escalator through a turnstyle and into a large concrete tunnel.

Over the years as I have wandered through many of the worlds cities l have often wondered how they deal with all the waste water. Organised tours of the sewers in Paris have been running since 1889, when people were transported through the sewers in boats and wagons. The Paris sewers were first developed in the 14th century, when pollution became so bad it made the city almost unliveable, especially as raw sewerage was just tossed onto the streets eventually draining into the Seine River, where people also collected their drinking water. As the streets got paved they put a drain down the middle which still ended up in the river. Once the sewers were dug the grey water was taken by tunnel out of town and drained onto fields. Eventually that became too much and it started flowing back into the rivers so large treatment plants were built. Just from the original city, which has had a population of about 2m people since the 1900’s, millions of cubic meters of sewerage is pumped out to treatment stations every day. The museum, which not only has a collection of machinery and devices used now and in the past for keeping the flow going up, but also has large amounts of rather brown looking, smelly water rushing through the various drains and canals. Some of the waste water is now used in heat exchangers to help cool and heat buildings. There are masses of pipes and cables throughout the tunnels.

Tunnels run off in many directions there are lots of information boards on the walls but all in french.

A main canal carries a large amount of grey water. The boat on  the right is used for traveling through the canal and removing silt and fat build ups with high pressure pumps.

One of the many side tunnels that bring the grey water from the local buidings. They come with their own supply of sewer rats.

This machine is used to carry the lager balls that are in the next photos. These are used for unblocking tunnels, they drop them in and they roll off down the tunnel until they hit an obstruction; as the water builds up behind the ball a high pressure jet is created between the ball and the tunnel wall and this removes the obstruction. There are some smart people out there coming up with such ideas.

Some of the older equipment in the museum part. there are also some examples of boots, some with waders attached, others more like a sandal. I suppose it didn’t matter too much as one was sort of in the crap either way.

Sunday 25 June 2023 EDF Cruas-Meyse Nuclear Power Plant.

This plant is about 100kms north of where we live and last year I visited the plant after reading on their website that one could just rock up and do a tour. After hunting around for quite some time l found the information centre and discovered the tour they were talking about online was just a walk through the information centre. Eventually I established through google translate that you had to apply online at least 3 months in advance to visit the actual plant.

Applying on line and going through the security clearance process, which included sending in copies of our passports, we eventually got a date locked in.

We arrived at the information centre at 1400 hrs to be greeted by a very friendly french guide who took our passports and gave us an access card. There were about 20 people on the tour, most of which seemed to be family members of people that worked at the plant.

Soon we were all lead into a lecture theatre, where our guide gave us a rundown on the place and told us about the reactors and how much power each one generated. A little bit of metal was handed around representing the diameter of  one of the rods that is put into the reactor to make it work and also a bit of rock that the uranium is extracted from was passed around.

As I’m sure most of you are aware it is steam that’s actually used to power the turbines and generate the electricity. This is done in such a way that water is isolated in an area that flows around the reactor picking up the heat caused by the nuclear reaction and reaching temperatures of about 370° which then goes through a heat exchanger and transfers the heat to another lot of isolated water that turns into super- heated steam that powers the turbines which, in turn power the alternator or generator creating electricity. From there that water then goes through another heat exchanger and the heat is transferred to another isolated section of water that then flows into the large cooling house as steam which is then condensed back in the water and the process is repeated. These three separate lots of isolated water reduce to 0 the chances of radiation escaping into the atmosphere making the process pretty safe.

There are four pressurised reactors at this plant but generally only 2 or 3 are run at a time each supplying 915 Megawatts of electricity.

Fully operational in 1981, three of the four reactors were used to supply electricity to the Eurodif Uranium enrichment plant on the site until it closed in 2012. Research on nuclear weapons was and maybe still is carried out on the site somewhere.

There are around 1800 people working in the power plant, which during shutdowns increases to around 3000. The whole 600 hectare site employs around 5000 people.

Our lecture over we were handed helmets and safety boots that slipped in most cases over peoples shoes, with I presume some form of protection in them. Mine sort of stuck on the end of my shoes giving me feet longer than the average clown.

We set off to the security room where we were handed an electronic pass and a piece of paper with our ID copied onto it along with a number. As one would expect security is very tight here. We then wandered back over to a security gate where to enter the security pass was held on a sensor then you entered your number to get access. Through the gate we then entered a large control room. Strictly no photos allowed. As the guide gabbed on in french I looked around in amazement wondering how in the hell anyone could ever learn what all these buttons switches and lights did or meant. Sylvia explained to me later that this was a practice control room (bugger, I could have had a play with a few buttons). It looked very similar to the control room featured in the documentary movie about Chernobyl. Every two months every operator has to come here and do retraining and every two years they have to go through the whole certification process again. There are always 3 operators in each control room; they are not allowed to do stuff from memory. If an alarm comes up on one of the many panels they have to go to a drawer with that alarm code on it, pull out the instructions and follow them, which includes logging the fault. I noticed there were 4 phones at the end of the consul, one of them red!

They wouldn’t  let us take photos but I did find some on the net; sorry the detail is not too good.

Leaving the control room we headed back over the security area or main entrance to the plant. All the  20 nuclear plants have a large statue representing something from the local area. With some 56 reactors and more on the way in 2021 they generated 68% of France’s power.

Once past the office we tagged in then went through the full airport type security where they checked the number matched our access card. Next it was through the radiation detection device. That done helmets on, long sleeves, boots checked and off we go. As it was a hot day we then wandered through the workshop area and out the back of the main plant building across from reactor 3. We stood in the shade as our guide explained how they get the fuel rods into the reactor and the spent fuel out and into a large concrete building on the river side of the reactor. This is the most secure building on the site.

The round buildings are the reactors, the square ones the spent fuel storage. The long rectangular building houses the generators.

From here we headed into the main plant room taking a lift up to the top floor. There are massive amounts of pipes of all sizes running through this place, most of them with aluminium encased lagging around them. This brought back memories as in the mid-seventies I worked doing the lagging and making the cladding on pipes at a new brewery that was built near Timaru in NZ’s South Island.

The steam turbine is huge with the steam entering at one end where there is a smaller turbine then it heads into the middle of the main turbine and splits off in two directions spinning the shaft at a constant speed which drives the shaft heading through to the generator. In this room it was both loud and impressive. The whole area was spotless, all the floors painted with walking paths marked on them and absolutely no rubbish to be seen.  We could do with a couple of these plants in NZ. Oops no we can’t as we are nuclear free.

After we has been back through the radiation detectors and handed in our passes and had our passports returned we walked back to the information centre. On the way the guide pointed out all the solar panels on the carpark roofs, which is a common site around southern France. The guide then went on to explain how they are part of a plan for EDF to reach a certain percentage of solar energy but 2030. If Sylvia understood right, they are not yet connected up.

We were also told about the massive back up generators they have inside in case an earthquake collapses a dam up river and floods the area as happened in Japan.

Monday 26 June 2023.

As i went for my morning stroll around the block here there was lots of activity. Summer is here and with an unusual amount of rain everything is looking rather lush. The stone fruit is being harvested with a big crop of nectarines being picked by hand. There is lots of activity in the many vineyards.

Nothing seems to be standardised, it must depend on the size of the owner as some have little tractors heading down the rows with big arms on the back spraying out what looks like a white powder others have a tank with a rotary device on the back dispersing a liquid. Then there is big machine which looks like it has just come out of a sci-fi movie that straddles a row with arms that do four rows at a time.

Some of the vines have the soil cultivated between the rows where others just let the grass grow. A narrow tractor with rubber tracks instead of back wheels carries out this task.

There is another narrow tractor that heads along with spinning disc blades that cut off the leaves on the outside of the vines as the grapes hang close to the centre. I presume this is to direct more nutrients to the grapes. A bit like any good business that gets rid of the deadwood that doesn’t make a contribution.

Having said that another vineyard tucks the long vines back into the central vines and mow’s the grass between the rows.

I would love to know the significance of all these different processes but around here english is just not spoken and my french has not progressed much past bonjour and merci.

Some of the local crops are now being harvested with large bins distributed around the paddock, which are loaded onto a trailer and pulled alongside the header to collect the grain.

Saturday 1 July 2023 A trip to Sault to look at the Lavender.

We had Louis, from Wakkestroom in South Africa, come and pay us a visit. We met in Sweden in 2014 and have kept in touch. I had hunted at his place a few years ago. We had decided a few weeks ago to go north into the hills and look at the real lavender, which only grows above 700 meters. Apparently the stuff that grows around here is not the full noise but is an offshoot, lavandine, that has a brighter colour and grows at lower altitudes. Some distance past Avignon heading northeast, we started to gain some altitude, eventually arriving at the top of a rather picturesque valley.

Another 20 or so kms we came to the town of Sault, where we enjoyed a nice lunch at Signoret Atelier a nice restaurant that overcharged us quite a bit.  Pity I paid the bill and not Sylvia. Sault is a typical old French village with narrow streets; we were lucky to be there before the busy season gets underway in a few weeks.

After lunch we headed down the road to one of the Lavender walking trails. Many of these crops look much better from a distance as up close there are a lot of weeds and grasses growing in the rows. There are quite a few old buildings and the area is very picturesque, something I just can’t seem to capture the full effect of on camera.

Walk over we then headed to Roussillon, an old town with a rather red tinge to it from the local rock harvested from around here. The town was busy and one definitely wouldn’t want to be here in August.

From here we could see the town of Gordes, which perched on the end of a ridge, looks really great from the outside bit is not much to look at when you get into it. We did a drive by and made the mistake to taking the road that runs around the back past the Sénanque Abbey, which is situated in amongst some lavender fields. Well every man and all three of his dogs, wives, kids and anyone else they could pack in the car had to come to have a look; the road was blocked, taking us nearly an hour to get around a couple of corners. Once that was over the drive home was an easy one.

Some of the brighter lavandine.

 

Botswana June 2023 – Part 4: Mombo

Friday 9 June 2023 – San Camp to Mombo: Roger

At 0800 after a leisurely breakfast and bags packed we headed off for our last game drive. All was pretty quiet apart from a few mobs of wildebeest heading back from the nighttime safety of the salt pans to the grasses and water holes. We witnessed a big bird (kori bustard) getting airborne, all 23 kg of it. The odd springbok, zebra and many jackal moved around the plains. Close to the airstrip we came across a pearl spotted owlet sitting in a tree.

Arriving at the airstrip, several vehicles arrived from other camps; a couple of Mack Air Caravans landed with lots of people disembarking to be distributed to the local camps. We boarded along with 3 others and pretty soon we were airborne on the 45 minute flight north to Maun.

On arrival we parted with the brat pack as they headed off to catch their AirLink Flight to Johannesburg and then home to NZ on a variety of airlines. Having said our goodbyes,  Sylvia and I were escorted to a lounge for the three-hour wait for our flight to Mombo.

Wait over, we headed off through security then boarded another Caravan along with 10 other people for our flight northeast to Mombo. We touched down at Tubu Tree Camp strip to drop some people off before flying low at about 500 ft for the leg to the Mombo strip.

On arrival Reuben, our guide, picked us up and took us to Little Mombo camp, which is attached to Mombo. We headed to our tent, dropped off our stuff and were given a tour and instructions on how everything worked in this somewhat over the top tent. 

Baboon break-ins are a big problem here so they had to redesign the door locks to keep them out. However they have worked out that they can just rip the fly mesh and open the locks on the shutters to break in. They then head straight for the lounge where the goodies are kept; they even open the fridge and grab peanuts, biltong and other goodies before heading back to the trees. The camp has a guy with a big stick on baboon patrol most of the day.

After afternoon tea we headed out on our first game drive. Warthogs, giraffe and impala, were prominent, digging and grazing as they roamed the plains. We stopped by a waterhole as the sun set to have a drink as a giraffe spread its legs and bent its front to get its mouth into the water.

We made our way back to the camp arriving after dark in time for drinks by the fire before heading in for a very tasty dinner and an adventurous nights sleep Sylvia will fill you in on.

Saturday 10 June 2023 – Mombo Camp: Sylvia

At 5:30am Reuben knocked on the door to wake us up. He needn’t have bothered as we had been well awake for several hours with hyena calling, laughing, screaming and crunching on bones right outside our tent. It is always exciting to hear these types of noises in the bush but I would have liked a little more sleep.

At 6am he was back to escort us to the fire pit at the main area of camp for a light breakfast before we headed out at 6:30am. From the fire pit we could see buffalo and a number of hyena on the floodplains in front of camp so we started the morning drive there. Within just a few minutes we were following about 15 hyena as they chased a warthog, who eventually ran into a hole, then about 5 minutes later ran out again, seemingly having forgotten the hyena were there. He backed into another nearby hole and eventually the hyena gave up but then started harassing an old buffalo and cornering him in a bush.

Hyena have become the dominant species at Mombo with three clans of about 40 having divided the concession into three territories. They have started doing some of their own killing as well as scavenging and have apparently used this technique to successfully hunt buffalo. Buffalo need to drink and they keep them in one place during the day until later at night they get dehydrated and become easier to kill.

We eventually moved on and had a lovely morning spotting numerous different animals and birds. Probably the most notable was a hyena with a badly damaged mouth lying in the sun. We returned to camp, passing the spot where we expected to see the hyena still guarding the buffalo but he had obviously gotten the better of them.

After a delicious brunch we headed back to the tent for a bit of a break. We had arranged massages during the siesta time and also walked the boardwalk  to the main Mombo camp to see the changes since the new camp was built. It is all very flash with pizza oven and a new gym and spa area but it retains its Mombo charm.

After our high tea, we headed out and pretty soon heard on the radio that a leopard had been spotted. We found her just climbing down from her spot in a tree, stalking a nearby impala. Leopard are incredibly patient they way they stalk their prey but in this case she was unsuccessful and after watching her for a while we continued our drive. She was obviously completely unperturbed by us. At one point she walked very calmly right underneath the vehicle.

Having safaried here a lot we are now focusing on learning more of the birds and starting to notice different animal tracks and behaviours which is interesting. We spotted lots of the usual animals and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon before heading back to camp for dinner and an early night.

Sunday 11 June 2023 – Mombo Camp: Roger

After breakfast by the fire we headed east with Reuben looking for the wild dogs. As we headed along the tracks in the soft sand Reuben kept a keen look out for dog tracks. Most of the tracks were dominated by hyenas, which had even followed the wild dogs when we did come across their tracks.

Heading southeast we came across the old buffalo herd hiding in some trees. These are the old bulls that are the grumpy old men of the buffalo world. Kicked out of the main herd they hang out together until they get really old then they go it alone and can be really unpredictable and dangerous. I encountered one of these in South Africa a few years ago ending up in a him or me situations.

We continued south across land that had been recently scorched by natural fires that self ignite in the soil here from time to time to allow fresh growth to come away. We ran into a pack of hyenas sleeping on the track, then headed into an area full of candle pod acacia trees, some with little bean-like pods on them, all having sharp thorns. Here we came across a heard of grazing elephants picking and chewing away at these thorny plants, ensuring they didn’t eat too much from any particular plant.

Heading across the flats from there we rounded a scrubby termite mound to find a pride of 11 well-fed looking lions lying in the shade and digesting their recent meal. Zebras and other game continued to graze at a safe distance as though they had not a care in the world.

Next stop was by the water which is rapidly encroaching on the land from Angola. Here the brew kit was produced as we watched a crocodile’s eyes break the surface of the water from time to time. A rather game reed buck stood on a nearby island.

There are so many colourful birds here, many of which are very small. We are  endeavouring to photograph as many as possible and will do a separate post with all their names for those that are interested. They are quite challenging to shoot as they fly really fast and don’t sit still for too long. Getting out of the vehicle and sneaking up on them is not allowed.

We headed back to the airstrip and picked up the dog tracks again but did not come across them. Continuing on through scrubby and occasionally forested country we observed many more giraffes, elephants, impala, warthogs and the odd kudu.

We rounded a corner to see tables and chairs set up under the shade of a big tree, along with kitchen and bar. As we sat and had lunch a herd of elephants crossed the water 150m away from us, stopping for a drink and a wash on the way. This was followed by a dust bath at the other side.

While writing this during the siesta time Gee Gee, one of the many delightful staff members here, knocked on the door to inform us that Alex, the Operations manager for Wilderness, who we had chatted to over the last couple of days during a brief visit they made to the camp, had shouted us a 30-minute helicopter ride over the concession this afternoon. Arriving at the helo we were pleased to see the doors lying on the ground by a bush. We boarded and the pilot, a chap called Dylan, from Marseille in France, gave us some instructions, strapped us in, and off we went for an amazing flight over the Delta. He explained how there are just three animals that make this place work: termites that build the mounds that turn into islands, hippo’s that keep the waterways open, and elephants that spread the seeds from one place to the next.

We flew at about 300 feet, sometimes dropping lower to get a closer look at various animals, including a hippo making like a submarine as it walked across the bottom of a deep pool. There were hundreds of animals and flocks of birds spread out over the delta. The spontaneous combustion fires, of which there had been many over the summer, had played their part in sparking fresh growth from the seeds in the soil. We saw the deep channel which brings the water into this part of the delta surrounded on each side by thick papyrus plants.

After the flight Rueben picked us up and we drove to an open plain for the mandatory sundowner as the sun set to the west.

Monday 12 June – Mombo: Sylvia

The sky was speckled with clouds this morning making for a particularly beautiful sunrise, the red orb of the sun streaked with grey. It was also quite windy and from time to time we could see big clouds of dust billowing.

After the usual light breakfast we headed out with Reuben, driving southwest along the incoming waters that are bringing the floodplains here back to life. It seems the zebra were having a convention today – we saw huge herds of them all heading to the water to drink. We meandered our way along the plains spotting lots of the usual game and some great bird life. We saw several areas filled with small sand mounds, signs of the burrows of mole rats.

We stopped for morning tea at the southernmost point of the concession that is drivable. Further south it is all water, broken up only by small islands, all initially formed by a termite mound. Three bull elephants grazed peacefully just across the water from us, a huge herd of buffalo was moving in the distance, giraffe, red lechwe, zebra, fish eagles and many other water birds were unfazed by our presence as we stretched our legs.

Heading back to camp we came across a family herd of elephants. One of the teenage males thought about challenging us for a few minutes but eventually crossed the road and let us pass.  A bit further on we came across a small group of hyena, one lying right across the road, and a young one begging its mother for food.

Back at camp we enjoyed another delicious brunch and a luxuriously long siesta before the afternoon activities started.

In the afternoon we headed west driving alongside the water before heading through into the wooded area. At one point we came across an area filled with dead camel-thorn acacia trees. Apparently this area once used to receive the flood waters but doesn’t any longer. We spotted a magnificent martial eagle soaring in search of prey, then perching atop a tree and posing beautifully for pictures. We stopped for a while at the hyena den to watch two young hyena pups playing with each other, two older hyenas on watch duty sleeping nearby. At one point we came across a group of very cute young giraffe grazing and playing under the watchful eyes of their mothers. While we enjoyed our sundowner drinks clouds of dust billowed where a warthog was busy cleaning out his burrow.

On our return to camp we were escorted down to the main Mombo camp for a boma night, where the staff entertain us with songs and dances that represent the different cultures of the country and we get to sample some of the delicious traditional food. We had some great chats also with some of the other guests here before retiring for the night.

I am a bit sad that today will be our last full day here. We return to Johannesburg tomorrow, where I will work for the next few days. Still, I have replenished my memories of this wonderful place where red billed spurfowl, seemingly with a death wish, run frantically along in front of the car before finally flying off or stepping off the road, where the smell of wild sage fills the air, where the sunrises and sunsets are impossibly red, where giraffes peep at you, their heads towering over the acacia bushes, where the people are incredibly warm and friendly and the service is outstanding, and where the nights are punctuated by the tinkling of painted reed frogs, the grunting of hippos, the haunting laughter of hyena and the odd lion’s roar.

Botswana June 2023: Part 3 San Camp

Thank you for all the comments and feedback on the previous blogs. Glad you are enjoying them.

Tuesday 6 June 2023 – Duba Plains to San Camp: Roger

The coffee and hot chocolate arrived at 0700 as breakfast was at 0830 prior to our flight south to San camp.

During breakfast I had a good yarn to Todd and Sandy, who were visiting from Los Angeles. The others all took off to see a large bull elephant, which was visiting camp, even stretching up on his hind legs right outside the front entrance to reach some high leaves. Suddenly I got a tap on the shoulder from Katrina “we are leaving in two minutes.”

Out the front we checked our bags were there and after a couple of pictures with Motz and Owner, our fantastic guides, we boarded the vehicle for the short drive to the airstrip.

Mike, the manager, and others were there to say goodbye as we boarded the 60 minute Caravan flight to San Camp in the Kalahari Desert southeast of here. After about 30 minutes we had left the wetlands of the Delta behind. The vast scrubby lands of the desert were spread out 9500 feet below as we held our 130 degree southeast bearing. As we started descending we crossed the once lakes but now salt flats of the desert. As we head further south the vegetation thins out to almost nothing in places. Landing at the local strip shared by a number of camps we gathered in a tent before boarding the trusty Toyotas.

Along the 30 minute drive we spotted a white backed vulture perched high in a palm tree. Apparently elephants brought these trees from East Africa where they swallowed the seeds whole along with the other 300kg of their daily fodder and distributed the seeds westwards on their travels. I had often seen these trees, especially in the delta,  but had not worked out why they were in often in straight lines. The elephant, as a herd, usually walk in a straight line distributing seeds as they go. Along the dusty road to camp we also spotted wildebeest, ostriches, zebra and black-backed jackal.

Arriving at the mess tent we enjoyed a nice lunch and a chat to some other guests visiting from near  Oakland in the USA. After lunch we were showed to our tents and advised what went where and how to operate things.

At 1530 we gathered at the high tea tent for coffee, tea and biscuits. Just after 1600 we mounted the trusty Toyotas and headed south just past Jacks Camp, spotting lots of wildebeest, zebra and jackals along the way. Stopping on the track alongside 10 quad bikes, we were given instructions on how to operate them before heading south across the dry lake bed. Before dark we stopped and after some jumping pics in the sunset the guides stuck a pack 100m plus away in the flat desert. We were one by one blindfolded with our kikois and then sent to walk to the target. It was highly amusing as everyone went off either to the left or right, some almost coming back to the start point. A good indication as to how easy it is to get lost in the desert.

As the sun dipped below the skyline we headed further south stopping to look at the brilliant night sky. After that we stopped by a fire for a drink before being led through the night to a dining table. The cooks delivered our meal from a fire a hundred odd meters away. As the night was cooling down, one of the guides got hot coals from the fire and placed some under each chair – very effective! A tasty tomato soup was followed by lamb shanks with mashed potatoes and some vegetables. One of our US guests, Geoff, had a birthday; a large cake was produced and shared around all of us.

The kitchen was set up about 100m from out table with a very tasty three course meal being cooked over open fires in drums the cooks silhouetted in the fire.

Next we were led off into the night again and found a number of beds spaced out across the sand which is where we spent the night. This is something that doesn’t always happen due to weather conditions.

Wednesday 7 June – San Camp: Sylvia

We woke this morning with the red glow of the sunrise. Despite being out under the stars all night it was incredibly toasty in our beds with thick blankets, canvas wraps and hot water bottles. I think most of us had to ditch the hot water bottles and I kept my arms out of the blankets most of the night although it cooled down a lot in the very early morning. The nearly full moon was incredibly bright and I didn’t sleep overly well but it was a great experience nonetheless to sleep out in the middle of this vast salt pan. Just a little weird to have all the beds somewhat spaced out but in a row.

The guides came and put hot water in large copper jugs by the canvas basins near our beds so we could wash up before heading over to the fire for coffee and a mufffin before heading back on the quad bikes towards camp. Eventually we got back to where we had started from last night. The whole thing was very well done. We never drove too long to get uncomfortable, the stops were fun and they maintained a good element of surprise. Definitely a unique opportunity.

We climbed back into the land cruisers and headed off. Just around the corner we came across two young adult lions, a male and a female, gnawing on a wildebeest carcass in a small salt pan. There were over a dozen black-backed jackals hanging around waiting for their turn to have a go. Then we spotted their older sister stalking some wildebeest in the distance. The young male started to drag the carcass up out of the pan and the younger female headed in the direction of the older lioness. She came bounding over and treated us to a great display of family affection, jumping and pouncing on each one. Eventually they settled back down and we headed off to meet the bushmen.

Roger and I had walked with the bushmen when we had stayed at Jack’s Camp in 2015 and several of the group we were with this morning were the same. We followed them through some low scrub as they chatted away in their clicky language, often talking over the top of each other as they spoke, miming out as they explained about the different medicinal uses of some of the plants. Even before it was translated we were picking up the clues about the one for headaches or the one for diarrhoea. They demonstrated how they hunt porcupine and then pointed out a scorpion hole and proceeded to dig out the scorpion. Just as he had done 8 years ago, one of the bushmen picked up the scorpion and put it in his mouth “to clean it and calm it down”, so he could show us all the different parts of the scorpion, before digging a small hole to put it back in. They then proceeded to very quickly make a small fire with a couple of sticks and some zebra dung before leading us back to the vehicles.

We headed back to camp for a late brunch and a good long siesta. It is great to sit in the breeze by the pool – even dipping your feet in for a while helps to cool things down a bit. Katrina and Beka ran back and forwards across the salt pan with wildebeest roaming behind them. Roger took the long way back to the tent, also crossing the salt pan once.

We met for high tea at 4pm. Here they have a wonderful room filled with Persian rugs and lots of cushions and we take tea with our shoes off, sitting on the cushions or the floor. The carrot cake today was particularly memorable. I hate to think how much weight I have gained on this trip.

We set off about 4:30, headed for the brown hyena den, and spotted a couple of bat-eared foxes not far from camp. We arrived at the den and within about 5 minutes we saw the two pups coming out for the night.  They are incredibly cute with their sharply pointed ears and thick woolly brown coats – very different from the spotted hyena I have seen before. Apparently the pups stay here at the den while the rest of the clan is spread in different dens around the place. They scavenge overnight and bring back food for the pups in the early morning. There were a few bones around he edge of the den that the pups gnawed on from time to time.

After another magnificent sunset we headed back to camp, spotlighting as we went. With the short grass here it is a great location for spotting nocturnal animals. We saw scrub hare, spring hare (like a cross between a squirrel and a kangaroo), porcupine, african wild cat, more bat-eared foxes, and steenbok, then came across the most magnificent dark-maned male lion.

Back at camp we enjoyed another delicious evening meal and then all headed back to our tents for an early night. Beka and Katrina had a surprise visitor in their tent, a small spotted genet made its way onto Beka’s bed not long after she got in resulting in the odd scream and lots of giggles as they worked to shoo it out.

Thursday 8 June – San Camp: Roger/Sylvia

There was great excitement at breakfast this morning when Beka and Katrina turned up sharing their story. They shared the hilarious video footage of the two of them trying to scare the genet out of the bathroom.

Breakfast over, we headed west onto a road that divides the concession from the 74,000 square kilometre Makgadikgadi National Park. Sitting on top of the vehicle we observed a lot of bird activity until after about 3 kms we arrived at the rather grand entrance to the national park. A bit like a border station it once housed guards but is now unmanned.

Apart from the odd springbok wildebeest, ostrich a few birds and ground squirrels there wasn’t much activity until we reached a waterhole where an oryx stood facing us on the other side of the waterhole. There were also a couple of white backed vultures wandering around, eventually getting airborne with what looked like a rather cumbersome flight method. This waterhole, like others in the area, has a solar-powered pump, pumping water in to keep animals here in the dry season.

From there we headed to another, larger waterhole where a large mob of wildebeest, the odd jackal, a huge herd of springbok and a flock of ostrich were hanging out.

Heading back out through the park entrance we were able to climb back on to the top of the vehicle for the drive back to camp where we enjoyed a nice lunch and another siesta. Beau flew his drone over the camp, giving us a good appreciation of just how vast this area is.

After another high tea we headed out to visit the meerkats. The team here have worked to habituate a colony of meerkats in the area. They remain completely wild but have become accustomed to having us humans walk among them, and even like to use us from time to time to get a better view – the taller the better. They are incredibly cute creatures, scurrying about and digging frantically for beetles and the like. There were a few younger ones who constantly made little whimpering noises begging for food.

One jumped up on Katrina first. Once one was up high it was on sentry duty so the others could feed. We transferred the meerkat from one head to another, the one with the meerkat needing to make themselves shorter than the one next to them so the meerkat would climb higher.

After a good time with the meerkats we headed back to the vehicles to drive to camp for dinner, stopping to admire a group of four lions, stalking a wildebeest unsuccessfully.

 

After dinner four of us (Sylvia, Katrina, Beau and Victoria) headed out for a night drive while the others preferred to get an early night.  We spotted lots of spring hares and bat-eared foxes but otherwise was a pretty quiet night and starting to cool down by the time we returned to camp about 10:30pm, our aardvark search as unsuccessful as the lion’s hunting attempt earlier.

 

Botswana June 2023: Part 2 Duba Plains

Friday 2 June 2023 – Maun to Duba Plains: Roger

We all met for Breakfast at 0900 then headed to the terminal just across the road to check in for the flight to Maun in Botswana. Kirstie and Celeste had to go and get their bags, which had come in on a morning flight from Dubai. The rest of us checked in and headed through to departures. Keeping us informed on WhatsApp of their progress until Kirstie’s battery went flat, they came trotting up just as boarding commenced.

Airborne on the Airlink e190 jet we headed north, landing in Maun an hour and a half later having enjoyed a snack and a brew handed out by friendly staff along the way. Maun airport has undergone an upgrade since we were last here in 2017 – there is even a carousel for the baggage. We were then met by someone representing the camp, who took us to check in where we dropped our bags. Everyone now goes through security before boarding their small planes to be distributed to the many camps in the area. The 8 of us mounted a Cesssna 208B Grand Caravan along with another couple who were heading to Kings Pool camp another 35 minutes south of Duba Plains where we were bound. We joined the queue to take off with 6 or so planes in front of us and another 5 or 6 behind us distributing the many happy campers to the camps spread out through the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert to the south. Flying northwest  we crossed an expanse of land, some desert, some farmland and some full of waterways.

Beau, Celeste, Sylvia, Katrina, Beka, Kirstie, Victoria

Interestingly the Cubango and Cuito rivers originate in Angola, where the monsoon rains flood the area each year and 11 squae kilometres of water makes its way to the Delta. Originally the water flowed to lake Makgadikgadi until an earthquake raised the land and made that lake a salt pan. The water now sits in the Delta and evaporates before the next lot of water arrives in April to June.

Arriving at the camp to a singsong from the staff, we were shown to our tents, which are more like houses than tents. Then it was back to the rather luxurious dining, lounge, wine cellar and library where we mounted the two Toyota Landcruisers  for our first game drive. There were warthogs and kudu’s hanging around the camp as we drove out and crossed the longest bridge in the delta to get off the island, passing a boardwalk that ended up at the river for what looked like the ‘swim with the crocodiles’ entry point but turned out to be the launch point for the river boat tour.

Next the track headed through water where we had to lift our feet as the water sloshed around the floor of the vehicle. The water here contains lots of tanins, making it black and giving great reflections like that of the Rio Negro (black Amazon). Sloshing through the water  we eventually reached dry land. The land here is made up of sand but like any desert in the world, add water and you have lush grasses and other vegetation.

There are an abundance of antelope here; the first we spotted were tsessebe gathered together in a small group. A monitor lizard headed off into the grass as we approached, this was followed by a herd of red lechwe of which there were hundreds. We roamed around spotting a couple of bateleur eagles high in a sausage tree.

As the sun set we stopped for sundowners, where the guides produced a table and a range of drink for us to enjoy as the sun set. The sun set surprisingly  quickly giving some amazing reflections in the dark water. It was dark as we headed back to the camp, the drivers having kidded about if they couldn’t find the bridge we would be out all night.

Arriving back at the camp we gathered around the fire on the deck for a drink and a yarn before being seated at the long dinner table for a very delicious five course meal, served with a choice of very nice wines and any other drink one might desire. They even catered for the vegetarians and vegans amongst us. Day one over we were all escorted back to our respective tents. There is a rule around these places that after dark one must always have a staff member as an escort.

Saturday 3 June 2023 – Duba Plains: Roger

Just after 0600 there is a knock on the door and coffee and hot chocolate delivered with “I’ll be back in 30 minutes to pick you up”. At around 0645 we all gather at the dining area for another coffee, this time in a insulated mug to take on the drive. Just as first light arrived we were headed out along the dusty track past the local kudu and warthogs.

Crossing the bridge and diving through the deep water we see lots more game and bird life. Soon we were stuck and had to be pulled out by the other vehicle. Eventually we came across a small pack of wild dogs, who looked pretty well fed as they lay around in the shade ignoring us. We continued heading southwest being stunned by the vastness of this wilderness area and the amount of game it holds.

There are huge mobs of red lechwe, who dominate the the plains, often in male or female groups sometimes numbering into the hundreds, occasionally herds of mixed male and female; no one is quite sure for the reason why they mix in such a way

We returned back to camp midday for a siesta then headed out again in the evening spotting more of the plentiful game in this area. We stopped again for a sundowner in a great spot observing animals and birds as we enjoyed our drink.

Sunday 4 June – Duba Plains: Sylvia

We were woken again at 6 and enjoyed our hot drink and bikkies while getting ready to head out for another day exploring this amazing Delta area. The sunrises and sunsets are incredible here. Photos really don’t capture the incredible red of the sun and this morning was no different. We watched it rise, with a palm tree silhouetted in the middle of it.

We have been switching the group around for each activity and this morning we were in a vehicle with Victoria and Beau worth Mots as our guide. Our guides are incredibly talented… They drive in really difficult terrain, through deep water, sand and all sorts while keeping an eye out for game, answering our (at times inane) questions, and at night spotlighting too. And then when we stop they pull out tables and table cloths and set up breakfast, or in the evening drinks and snacks.

It was cooler this morning as we set out and we drove past the usual mobs of red lechwe, kudu and tsessebe. The starlings looked particularly resplendent with their feathers glowing an iridescent blue in the sunlight. We had spotted a large herd of buffalo in the distance and were heading towards them. We stopped to admire a side-striped jackal and noticed that one of the buffalo was straggling behind and limping. We talked about how it would make an easy meal for a lion and joked about calling the lion so it could order take-out. Only a minute or two later Beau called out “lion” and we saw a young male stalking behind.

The chase was on… We were treated to a ring-side view, first to the stand off between the lion and the buffalo, which was impressive in itself, and then as the lion jumped on the back of the buffalo, brought it down and clamped his jaws around it’s neck. Mercifully it was all over remarkably quickly.  I was a mix of emotions, coursing with adrenaline, understanding that the lion needed to eat but still sad for the buffalo. We quickly noticed though that it had a completely broken back leg so would not have survived long anyway. Some small relief.

The guides have been telling us about how two new males lions have recently arrived in the area and have been creating havoc with the local prides, including killing another young male recently. Unsurprisingly this one was looking pretty cautious. We even heard some calling in the distance… but eventually he settled in and started to rip the tough skin under the belly so he could benefit from his exertions.

We decided it was time to go and have a break for breakfast ourselves. Luckily there was no meat on the menu – some on the vehicle had decided to go vegetarian for a bit… not sure that will last long. We stopped beside a waterway and obviously bothered a hippo who promptly exited the water and ran along the bank to a deeper pool. It is incredible the quality and tastiness of the breakfast our guides are able to unpack and assemble in a very short time – granola and muesli, fruit, eggs, muffins, mini chocolate pastries, cheese, tea and coffee. And it is always good to stretch the legs too.

After breakfast we decided to go and check out the area where we had heard the other lions calling earlier. No luck with the lions but we did pass by a secretary bird, pacing in the medium height grass, searching for snakes, lizards or frogs to eat. We also came across a mother and baby rhino and were certainly bemused when the baby decided to run after the car as we were leaving, his mother trotting along behind; obviously curiosity got the better of him.

We headed back to camp – it takes about an hour or so to get back there from where the rhino are. We stopped along the way admiring all sorts of different wildlife, including my favourite, the malachite kingfisher. At one point we stopped so Roger could be photographed holding up an elephant thigh bone – it really gives some idea of how huge these animals are.

 

We came across a large herd of elephant standing on the side of the water channel. They were all packed together looking like they were waiting for the ‘cross now’ signal. Eventually the lead ele decided it was safe and they all crossed over safely, including the wee baby that was with the large herd – at least 25 of them.

After lunch we all had our siesta time. I chilled out in my room and leveraged the weights that were available to do a workout. Roger, Victoria, Beau and Celeste sat in the lounge area and took full advantage of the open bar. Beka and Katrina went for another run on the airstrip, ably guarded by Owner in the land cruiser and Kirstie chilled in her room.

After ‘high-tea’ we headed off for our afternoon activities. Today we split up: Roger, Kirstie, Celeste and I went on a relaxing boat ride. The flood waters will continue to increase each day until the end of June or July before they start to recede. It was very peaceful heading up the channel, flanked on either side by various grasses and papyrus. We spotted numerous birds and saw a few elephants, including a large bull munching papyrus on the side of the channel just a few metres from us.

Eventually we got to a large hippo pool and sat there while the sun set enjoying the snorts and grunts of the 11 or so hippo (including a few babies) that were in the pool, before heading back down the channel to camp. The reflections of the sunset and the large blood red moon as it was rising were spectacular and incredibly difficult to capture effectively on camera.

 

 

Arriving back in camp we were advised that the other crew had been stuck in the mud and would get back in 20 minutes or so. They eventually arrived back, barefoot and with their pants rolled up above their knees, full of excitement to share their story. Apparently they had been with the wild dogs on a hunt (hey had caught a baby lechwe)and had got stuck in the mud twice. The rangers had come to rescue them the first time and got stuck as well. Only a few minutes after the first rescue they were stuck again – and this time firmly. They had to get out of the vehicle and walk through the ‘crocodile infested’ water to get to land so they could be transferred on to another vehicle to be brought back to camp. Owner eventually arrived back in camp after ring extricated from the mud at about 9:30pm. Apparently someone gets stuck about every 5 days here as the floodwaters arrive.

Back at camp we were treated to a six course degustation menu prepared by the group head chef for Great Plains Conservation group at the interactive chef’s table. The food was superb, as it has been the whole trip. With both Beka and Katrina being vegetarian and Beka also dairy and gluten free, the base of all of our meals has been ‘vegan friendly’. Generally with the addition of a protein for those who wanted it. Tonight we had 5 fully vegan dishes and one with a small piece of perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken. The completely vegan desert was one of the best I have ever tasted, a mix of multiple different flavours and textures. Thankfully the portion sizes have all been small and even after six courses I felt satisfied rather than stuffed. But ready for bed anyway after another exciting day int he Botswana bush.

Monday 5 June – Duba Plains: Roger/Sylvia

All the animals here have special ways of crossing water. I think it is part of their ‘avoid the crocodile’ strategy. Elephants gather on the shore and then all head through together, rhinos tend to hang around then stroll through, but only through relatively shallow water, the red lechwe, reflecting in the morning light, conduct almost a form of ballet, leaping as they go through the water. The funniest of all are the baboons, some leap and others stand up and walk through on their hind legs, their arms tucked up, looking like humans who don’t like cold water. We saw all of these here at Duba Plains this morning.

We went to check out the buffalo remains from yesterday. Sure enough the rogue lion brothers had moved in and got hold of the carcass, of which what little they had left had been moved into the shade. They looked very well fed as one chewed on the remains of the head, the other flopping down with an overfull look. A little bee eater looked on waiting to strike.

 

Vultures and jackals picked at the scraps from the original kill location.

We stopped for breakfast overlooking another expansive landscape. As we moved off from here we spotted a dust cloud as a herd of around 160 buffalo made its way towards us heading for the water, the leader out in front not wanting to be messed with.

As we headed back to camp our guides mentioned they had seen some lions lose tot he airstrip. Being seasoned safari-goers Roger and I were not surprised when we ended up at a lovely spot all set up for a picnic lunch in the bush – the lions were a decoy. It is always nice to eat out in the open. As we headed  back to camp after lunch we spotted a sounder of warthog all snuggled up to each other, facing in opposite directions as they slept in the sun, as if they were playing a game of sardines. 

After our usual afternoon rest, Roger, Kirstie, Celeste and I headed out on the vehicle while Victoria, Beau, Beka and Katrina took their turn on the boat. Having crossed the bridges and made our way through the water we came across a number of burchell’s starlings with their bright purple, turquoise and navy colours, a couple of which Roger was able to shoot in flight. Their shapes make them almost unrecognisable as birds.

Next we ran across a gang of banded mongoose, who we had only seen in the distance before. We spotted a group of kudu standing in the bush, where they tend to hang out. We then checked up on the wild dogs, who were looking rather relaxed and not at all hungry, as the five of them lay in the shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After watching them for a while we headed off a few hundred metres to enjoy our sundowner drinks, only to be joined a few minutes later by the wild dogs, who must have gotten curious and come in for a closer look.

The sun down we headed back to the camp for dinner. After having a few drinks and enjoying a spicy tomato soup and our main course of a variety of tasty curries, we moved over to the lounge area where Kirstie had put together a little video presentation to celebrate my 70th birthday that had occurred a week ago, before I left New Zealand. Back at the table, the chef produced a birthday cake that catered to the dietary needs of the whole group – vegan, gluten free and, despite that, remarkably delicious. The staff also serenaded me with their impressive harmonies.

 

Botswana June 2023 – Part 1 Johannesburg

Wednesday 31 May 2023: Roger

Arriving at Auckland Airport, having received an email from Qantas to be at the airport 4-hours before the flight, I checked in online and arrived at 0350hr to pick up the boarding pass. I went to the business class check in, got my boarding pass, and headed upstairs to go through security, only to find the grill to customs was down and the shops and cafes were all closed. MacDonalds was the only place open, with massive queues to order. There was a big sign saying nothing opens until 90mins before the first flight, which was mine to Sydney at 0600hr.

I stood around for a while, eventually spotting a seat to sit down, until the grill came up about 0430hrs. Luckily I am only 70, not 90 years old trying to find a seat.

I headed through to the lounge, the flight departing slightly late for Sydney, then headed to the gate for the flight to South Africa. I had reserved a window seat on the left hand side of the plane. Last time I did this flight in 2011 on a 747 there was a big westerly wind across Australia and when we headed south we got fantastic views of the Antarctic ice. Sometime into the flight I checked with one of the crew to see if we would see the ice, and the crew said the 787’s don’t head that far south, so we wouldn’t see them, so hard luck.

Between watching movies and listening to a very good book called Dictator Land on the various dictatorships that had ruined many prosperous countries in Africa I arrived in Johannesburg just after 4pm. I checked into the Intercontinental Hotel, adjacent to the airport. With lots of friendly staff, this hotel, which I have stayed at several times before, has fantastic service. Heading up to the room I made an effort to stay awake until 2200hr, but by 2030hr I was fading and hopped into bed. Of course I was wide awake at 0030hr.

Thursday 1 June 2023 – Johannesburg: Roger

My daughter Victoria and her partner Beau arrived at 0715hr. They had spent a few days in Singapore on their way here, which they thoroughly enjoyed. We enjoyed breakfast together and I organised a tour of Johannesburg and Soweto (known as South West of the Town). At 1000hrs we were picked up by a friendly, bubbly and delightful driver guide called Vuyo. Vuyo has a degree in political science and has been a guide since 2003. We headed southwest along a motorway, eventually driving through an area called Kensington, once a white only area, but now pretty derelict with many of the shops closed with iron grills on front and for lease. Most of the houses had barbed wire around their houses.

Next stop was Ellis Park, the famous rugby ground, with Emirates signs all over it. The surroundings of it are not very desirable, which you would not expect from what you see on TV.  From there we headed to Hillbrow, a place known by the internet not to visit when you are a tourist. As we drove down the road, Vuyo pointed out the men on the corner primed to rob people or undertake their drug activity. Vuyo wound the window half way up, worried I would get my phone snatched. He says at night time, this is not a place to visit, especially with your Rolex watch and Louis Vuttion bag, as they may be borrowed and never returned. It was not a place for tourists. We then went to Constitution Hill, where the prisoners Nelson Mandela and Gandhi were held at various stages. At the time this was a white man only prison, but they didn’t want to send Mandela to a ‘black’ prison as he might influence people and establish an escape. This was before he was transferred to Robben Island.

We then headed to Braamfontein, a university area. Then we crossed the railway lines, with thousands of trains sitting stationary. Like many countries, South Africa got impacted hugely by covid. To stop the spread they stopped the use of train lines, and turned the power off to the overhead lines. Surprise, surprise, the local baddies went and stole the copper wire lines which run the trains. Consequently the trains are no longer running and the government has no money to pay for new lines.

It was interesting because on the way out we were having a great discussion with Vuyo about the power disruption in South Africa and he explained that at the end of the Apartheid the power was only supplied to 32% of the population. Because of the way Mandela came into power in 1991, many of the wealthy in South Africa left the country taking with them what little wealth they could out of the country. What was one of the wealthiest countries in the world is now struggling to recreate its economy with the highest crime rate in the world and over 30% of the population unemployed. According to Vuyo’s political studies, it will take another two generations from now for the country to reach the prosperity it once had.

We then headed to the old commercial district, now mostly closed. Then we headed to the Indian district and from there we went to Newtown. They have tried to spruce the place up, with pillars on the motorway with artwork and a museum. Then we jumped on a motorway and headed to Soweto. Passing large hills made of tailings (hills built from the left over spoils from the mines after gold extraction), which now have grass and plants on them.

Arriving at Soweto, expecting slums, we passed a rather nice school, with lots of kids standing around in nice school uniforms and headed down some rather nice streets. Observing very nice houses with double garages and brick walls, few topped with barbed wire, and what would be a rather nice part would be of any city of the world. Vuyo went on to explain that this was known as the upper class area of Soweto, populated with doctors, lawyers, and business people. We were somewhat surprised by how nice the area was. We then headed to the middle class area of Soweto. Although the streets and paving were a little rougher than the upper class part, there were lots of people out cleaning the footpaths and mowing the grass. In general the area was quite well kept. Vuyo explained that back in the 70’s they used to have a thing called ‘neckties’, where people that spoke or gave information to the police would have a car tyre put around their neck, filled with petrol and set on fire. Things have changed, and the car tyres we saw were being re-threaded and sold, as opposed to being used for ‘justice’. Nowadays there is little crime in Soweto, and if there was, there is mob culture where the community would assist and the police would not be involved.

We headed past what was an old coal power plant, with its large decorated chimneys, which you can now bungee jump off a ramp that is between the two. We then arrived at a little market place, and a cafe, Vilakazi Espresso, which had a generator running out the back. We enjoyed a coffee and a sandwich before being encouraged to have a look at the stalls, where we made a contribution to the local economy, Victoria more than others.

We then headed to the local museum, where no photos were allowed. This was full of various photos of demonstrations and riots that took place during the apartheid days. One in particular had all these high school children parading up a street all well dressed in their school uniforms to be later attacked by riot police. Many of the children arrested were unable to be tracked down by their families and the authorities never alerted parents of their children being arrested. There is a courtyard with bricks laid out with names of those who were killed during these demonstrations.

From the museum we drove past the house that Mandela occupied in Soweto with a couple of his four wives. We also drove past the house that Desmond Mpilo Tutu occupied at one stage. We then saw Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, a public hospital, which is the largest hospital in Africa and third largest in the world. There was a large nurse living quarters next to it for those from overseas to reside in.

Vuyo explained that through the 70’s and into the 80’s the apartheid rulers were gradually starting to integrate the black and white communities. Unfortunately when the ANC took power in 1991 many of the affluent business people left the country and with a combination of corruption amongst the politicians since then it will take generations for South Africa to recover to the affluent country it once was.

From there we headed to the lower class area of Soweto, which is a shanty town. To earn an honest living, people here go out and collect rubbish to be recycled. This is known as a lower class job and so these workers don’t embarrass their families they often wear full masks to hide their faces and identity as they roam the streets collecting plastics, bottles etc which are then separated and recycled.

Note this guy has his face covered so his kids who go to the local school won’t be embarrassed by the fact that their father does the lowest job in the community to support his kids through their education. There are a number of people in other countries that could learn a lesson or two from these hard working people.

These people live in huts and shacks, made from corrugated iron. Often 4 – 5 people live in one of these shacks. Some have electricity that is stolen from the local grid but there is no sewage or potable water supply. These days this area is minuscule compared with what it was years ago.

Soweto’s soccer stadium

Soweto’s hospital entrance. Formerly a military hospital, now the largest in the southern hemisphere.


We started heading back to our hotel, taking in more of the views of Johannesburg, seeing blokes in the back deck of utes and some people walking on the motorway. Returning to the hotel, it was a good time to sit down and relax at the restaurant for a drink and dinner to follow.

Local bus station

Sylvia and daughter arrived around 1630 followed by my daughter Kirstie and her friend Celeste at 2230, without their bags as the flight from Sydney to Dubai was late, their bags missing the connection. Also on that flight was Beka’s friend Katrina.

A Quick Visit to the Holy Land – April 2023 (Sylvia)

I was in Israel for a business trip and had the opportunity to do a couple of brief guided visits, one in Jaffa, the old port near Tel Aviv, (where I was staying), and one in Jerusalem.

Israel is a tiny country, steeped in history. Many of the cities have been built, destroyed and rebuilt time and time again over the years. The deeper you dig, the further back in history you go.

Jaffa

Jaffa is the oldest seaport in the world, existine for more than 4,000 years. It is known as the site that Jonah (the biblical Jonah of Jonah and the whale) set off from. It also features in the New Testament, with our guide explaining that christianity started in Jaffa when Paul received a vision in a room in the city.

The team in Israel had organised a fantastic guide to take us for a quick walking tour around the city one evening. We started at the clock tower that was built towards the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1903. Our guide regaled us with some interesting writings from visitors to Israel and Jaffa – it seems most were disappointed with Mark Twain in particular using some well crafted language to express his views “Of all the lands there are for dismal scenery, I think Palestine must be the prince… Can the curse of the Deity beautify a land? ”

We wandered through narrow cobblestoned streets down towards the port itself. Many of the streets now contain high-end art stores, many of hte artists having moved to the area a long time ago, before its current gentrified state. The streets often have zodiac signs on little painted tiles. If I had more time, I could have gone on a ‘treasure hunt’ to find them all.

In one spot we came across an orange tree, suspended and hanging – an art installation reflecting the many orange trees that used to grow in the area.

At the port itself we stopped to hear the story of Andromeda, Poseidon and Perseus – there is a rock formation in the harbour (that must make navigation treacherous)  that is runoured to be the sea serpent of legend that Perseus turned into rock when saving Andromeda, by holding up the severed head of Medusa. It was a lovely evening – the photos really don’t do the place justice.

Jerusalem

I was able to take an afternoon and make a visit to Jerusalem, about an hour’s drive from Jaffa. I was met in the old city by Dorit, another fantastic and well-informed guide. Old Jerusalem itself is actually very small, only one-square-kilometre, and home to about 40,000 people – Muslim, Christian, Armeniam and Jewish – the city is divided into four quarters.

We started our visit in the old citadel in the Armenian quarter, near the Jaffa gate, which is the entrance from the road to Jaffa. The current walls of the old city were built in the 1530’s. (The city had walls before but the city was smaller). Apparently Suleiman, the Ottoman Sultan at the time the walls were built, had the two architects who designed the walls killed on their completion, because the meglected to include Mt Zion, the City of David, inside the walls.

We climbed to the top if the citadel for fantastic views across Old Jerusalem to Gethsemane and beyond. The Dome of the Rock (mosque) stands out with its huge gold dome, as do the domes on the churches in the Christiam quarter and the synagogues in the Jewish quarter. It is really impressive to be standing in a place so steeped in history and that has touched so many people over the years.

As we wandered down through the city we passed a small tattoo parlour that has been there since 1300. The current proprietor is the 27th generation of his family to maintain the tradition. Apparently many people want a permanent souvenir of their visit to the Holy Land. Dorit also told me about Jerusalem Syndrome, a recognised mental condition that can affect some visitors who become overwhelmed by the sacred space and end up with full blown psychoses, believing they are the messiah.

Many Christian visitors start their pilgimage in Gethsemane and follow the Via de la Rose to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church has been built on the hill that once stood outside the city and was know as Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. The church itself is now jointly managed by the Greek Orthodox,  Armenian Orthodox, and Franciscan Order (Catholic). Apparently the Ethiopian Orthodox church is also involved. Each has its own separate area of the church and it takes quite some time to align on any changes, upgrades, maintenance etc.

Inside the church is the area that Jesus was crucified – people file past and are able to bend down under a small table to touch the rock. There is also a large stone slab believed to be where his body was laid after it was taken down from the cross. Many people were prostrate over this area, praying, crying and rubbing their belongings over the stone. There is also a small building that supposedly stands where the cave that Jesus was buried is. People queue to be able to enter the small space for a few minutes.I wish I would have had more time – just to sit and watch the people. Regardless of belief, there is no doubt that this is an incredibly sacred and meaningful journey for a lot of people.

After leaving the church we wandered through the bazaar area, and after stopping for some delicious houmus, salad and falafel, continued to wander down to the Jewish quarter. It was quite amazing as I had the sense of being in a completely different place altogether. It was quieter and calmer, with no bazaar, only some upscale stores selling Jewish arts and crafts. In places the old Roman roads have been excavated with their tall columns now proudly displayed. This part of the city was completely demolished prior to the 1967 war and so is much newer than the other parts we had been in. The large synagogue here has been rebuilt at least three times. Again, I would have loved to have more time to people watch with many men dressed in Orthodox Jewish fashion gathering in different places. The diversity and contrast in this place is quite impressive.

We finished our visit at the Western, or Wailing wall, at the base of the Temple Mount or Mount Moriah. This site is holy to the Jews and the Muslims having been the site of the Temple that Solomon built. Mount Moriah has been encased in what is almost a large box to create more space for people to gather, and now houses the Dome of the Rock. Jews gather at the western wall to pray as it is the closest they can get to the Temple site. Many write notes and prayers on pieces of paper and press them into the crevices between the stones. The area for prayer is separated into male and female areas. Again, there is an overwhelming sense of reverence from the people gathered. I was quite surprised when I reached out to touch the wall how smooth the rock has been worn over the years.

While I would have loved to have more time, I am definitely glad for the opportunity to visit this incredible place.

A weekend in Strasbourg: Nov 11-13 2022

We attended the fun bull-fighting at Lunel last weekend, after being given tickets by Hadrien who owns the Le Cartel Restaurant at Vauvert and also runs the bull fighting. We popped along for a rather entertaining couple of hours. At this event no bulls die and the blokes in the ring with the bull are very agile and very quick to jump over the fence as the bull runs after them after they have tried to tag it with their hand between its horns. It can be best described by the short video below.

Thursday 10 November 2022

Late afternoon we drove to Lyon, about 3 hours north of us. We had decided to stop the night here to make a stop on the way to Strasbourg. We hit heavy traffic on the way into the city and somehow ended up driving through a bus depot on the way to the hotel L’ Abbaye in the old city. Once again the car parking was some 800m from the hotel. It is a comfortable boutique hotel with a two star Michelin restaurant, which we had not booked for.

Friday 11 November 2022

After what was definitely not a Michelin star breakfast at the hotel we headed off north to Strasbourg. Once again the the roads were great and as we headed north past Grenoble the land became very flat, opening out into a wide plain which was extensively farmed.

Our first stop was Colmar, a pretty little town just south of Strasbourg. It’s another place that just makes great photos, especially with its waterways and half-timbered buildings, some of which look like they have sagged a little over the years.

Arriving at Strasbourg we checked into Hotel Leonore in the old area – this time the car park was only 200m away. It’s quite a big hotel, at some stage converted from someone’s mansion.

Like all the old cities of Europe, Strasbourg dates back to pre Roman times, originally being a Celtic Village renamed Argentoratum by the Romans. In the 5th century, well after the Romans, it was captured by the Franks who called it Strateburgum. They held onto it for 300 odd years. In 842 Charles II of West Franks and Louis II of East Franks took an oath of alliance, the Serment of Strasbourg, the text of which is the oldest written document in Old French. In the Middle Ages it became a city of the Holy Roman Empire. It, like most places in Europe, went through the 30 year war of the 1618-48. In 1870 it was captured by the Germans and returned to France after WWI.

After checking in, we went for a wander into the town centre and enjoyed a drink and some people watching in the square by the cathedral. It was dark by 5pm and a mist settled over the city so we headed back to the hotel for a drink. The restaurant was booked out so we enjoyed a meal at the Sofitel Hotel’s restaurant behind the church across the road before settling in for an early night.

Saturday 12 November 2022

After a good breakfast at the hotel, we took a wander around the old city, heading first along one of the many canals to the area, known as Petite France, which still has some of the old towers standing. Originally there were some 30 of these surrounding the city in a defensive wall. Stone buttresses at the bottom of the towers had canon ports in them, just above the water level. The L’ILL River surrounds the old town making it into an island. They had also built a dam (barrage) that still exists, with some 17 gates that could be opened to flood the areas when under attack. Not only did this river make for a good barrier if the city was attacked but also the water was used to power much of the industry that sprung up in the town. Large tanneries, abattoirs and factories existed along the banks of the river. Like most old cities, many of the factories have been turned into accommodation and office buildings. We popped into the church of Notre Dame, with its large Pipe Organ, which blurted out something I think they call music but to me sounded more like a cat screaming when gripped tightly around the neck by a large dog. Bodies were buried in the floor plus in the odd cask sitting in alcoves.

Arriving back at the main square, the spire of the cathedral was covered in fog on this wintry day when the still waters gave off reflections of the colourful buildings situated along the river and canals. We had arranged to meet Marlyn at the Gurtlerhoft, a restaurant situated in a basement,on the edge of the square. There we enjoyed a lovely lunch and a good chat. I had met Marlyn on a walking tour of Berlin in early 2020 while there watching my daughter race in the track cycling world champs. She lives in the nearby German city of Karlsruhe. Thanks for the lunch Marlyn we look forward to meeting again soon.

After lunch we headed down to the river to catch a boat cruise around the city. The boat headed up river to a lock not too far from the bund. Dozens of people watched as the gate opened and our boat headed in, the gate closing and the water flowing in until we reached the height of the upper river level. We then motored up to the bund then headed down the other side of the island after going through another lock to drop us back down to the river level. Passing the end of the island and the old city we headed a couple of kms down river, passing some nice old buildings with the commentary telling us about several of them as we went.

One included a large church, built to accomodate the 1300 soldiers of a previous army so they could pray together. Reaching a fork in the river, we were informed the a building on its bank was the home of the European Court of Human Rights along with some other administrative type buildings. Then we turned around and headed back to the start point. We had planned to do the climb up the cathedral spire but it was still clagged in with fog. We went into the main building which is very grand and also looked at the astronomical clock, situated down the back on the right-hand side. By this stage night was setting in so we wandered back to the hotel.

Sunday 13 November 2022

On the drive up we had spotted, on a rise near the motorway, what looked like a large old fort, which turned out to Belfort. The town is relatively young only occupied since Roman times. Once in Austrian possession, it was handed back to France as part of the treaty at the end of the 30 year war in 1648. After this the fortifications were extended, and in the 1870s it held out against the Franco-Prussians and survived a 3 month seige. The place is impressive with a moat and walls around the old town and the large hill to the to the east. With the Savoureuse River looping around the west side it was a pretty magnificent fort for its day. We had planned to stop in the fort cafe at the top of the structure but it was closed, as was the museum, despite Google saying it would be open. The whole town was covered in mist making it not a very good day for photos. After checking out the tunnels that were open and taking a look at the large lion sculpture on the side of the hill we continued on our journey home.

A weekend in Toulouse: 5-7 Nov 2022

Monday 31 October 2022

Having arrived back from Washington DC in the US yesterday, and with Tuesday being a holiday and Sylvia having today off, we decided to revisit Toulouse.

We set off early for the 250km drive to Toulouse following the toll roads for the 3+ hour journey.

Stopping at the old town fortress of Carcassonne for lunch, on what was a rather windy and overcast day, we tried the local dish, cassoulet, which we both decided would not go on our favourite list.

I know I have said it before, all the main roads here are smooth, wide and easy to drive on with the 130km/h speed limit only reducing at interchanges and for the odd patch of road works. When road works are being undertaken they paint the road markings with yellow paint and usually put up concrete barriers to protect the workers. Very few road cones are seen.

Arriving in Toulouse, we checked into the very nice Hotel Soclo, a short stroll from the town centre. Car parking is always a bit of a problem in these old town centres. The parking was some 800m from the hotel.

After settling in we took a stroll into the town centre. Toulouse is a very pretty city with mainly old red brick buildings. It dates back to well before the arrival of the Romans with the town being established around 800 BC. People originally settled in the hills around 9kms from today’s town centre. Originally called Tolosa, pre 200BC it was a trading post with access to the Atlantic, the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. Occupied by the Romans for around 500 years from 118 BC; from then until 877 it was part of various kingdoms. In 877 it became the country of Toulouse. At the end of the 11th century Count Raymond IV headed off to the Crusades and wars of succession followed. In 1229 The Treaty of Paris introduced a university. For a time it was the capital of the south of France and in the 17th Century it came under the rule of the French King. Like just about every city in France it has survived many wars, plagues and famines, even being invaded by the British in 1814, just after Napoleon abdicated and headed off to Saint Helena for a long, and probably undeserved, holiday.

We had briefly called in here last year on the way home from a trip down the west coast of France and were struck by its beauty hence the return visit. After strolling around a few streets we took a seat in the square which was full of activity including a group dance competition, which seemed to go on forever. The local rugby team had a stand also in the square. As the sun set the square was nicely lit up and being Haloween lots of people were wearing costumes.

Toulouse City Hall

We wandered the 300 meters back to the hotel through the busy streets to for a quiet night.

Tuesday 1 November 2022

We headed down to an excellent late breakfast in the courtyard behind the hotel. This place is well set up with a nice outdoor are including a pool. It was good to relax as the week before we had been in Washington DC, where Sylvia attended a Mars Senior Leadership Meeting, plus she has been working really hard with her additional role as VP Enterprise Effectiveness.

Hotel Soclo

Breakfast over, we woadered the picturesque streets; this is a city where there is a photograph around every corner.

We headed into the Cathedral Saint-Etienne

Leaving the cathedral we headed back to the square, passing Saint Sernin which is quite deceptive from the street, with a narrow tower perched above what look like the normal street buildings with a large church hall behind it.

We headed through the square as there is another square behind City Hall, which has a row of nice tents set up in it as a market selling a great variety of food from pork to cheeses.

As we carried on wandering the streets we admired the variety of buildings and the way they have been built in various shapes to fit every spare piece of land. There is even a reasonably new carpark building looking like a ship. There are many more churches and administration type buildings along with some very well presented retail shops. The Garonne River runs through the town with a number of house boats parked up in places.

The city tour over we checked out of the hotel and got on the road, taking the long way home through the pretty farmland of south central France. Even though we are away from the toll roads the surfaces are smooth and the lanes wide. We made our way northwest, soon arriving at the city of Albi, another old city with evidence of human habitation dating back to 3000 BC. It was fought over by various clans and religions over the centuries and hit by plagues and other tragedies. In 1282 the Palace de la Berbie was completed, looking more like a fort than a palace. Bishop Castanent started work on the Cathedral of Saint-Cecile. From a distance it almost looks like a grain silo with its rounded walls, each of which houses a crypt of to the side of the main church hall. We parked and wandered into the central square which houses shops, the palace and cathedral.

We lunched at the La Boussole restaurant, which with its slow service, tough streak and bad wine I can highly not recommend. We then wandered through the palace grounds as the building itself was closed. The grounds are impressive with views over the Tarn river holding the reflections of the surrounding buildings on this clear blue sky calm day. Here even the rubbish bins have imitation stone like wrapping on them, which looked good. The rest can only be described through photos.

The drive home was an uneventful one through more farmland and crossing the Millau Viaduct over the river Tarn, until, reaching more arid lands as we approached Montpellier.

We took the Grey route to Toulouse and the blue rout back.

Eastern Europe Part 3

Monday 17 October 2022

There was a clear blue sky as I headed out of Tirana, with the misty haze in the distance. There were some nice buildings along the way, plus what looked like a large gas processing plant up on the hill. Albania has gas and oil reserves in the Caspian Sea. The road was quite good and two lanes each way; often people stood on the side of the motorway like they were waiting for a bus. One thing I have noticed in this part of the world are a large number of dogs wandering the streets and roads; one had been run over recently. The road made its way alongside a river with some nice houses alongside. As we headed up into the hills the road had been cut into the hard rock. Eventually it turned into a toll road with a five euro fee at the gate. Eventually the motorway headed alongside the huge Black Drin Lake, which has a power station at the lower end and was covered in mist. The motorway had a gap in it at one point, where a bit is still under construction with a massive steel structure set up as part of the construction. The motorway cut through rock and, rising through the hills, carried on up to the Kosovo border, where the crossing was easy. The whole trip on this road I had not seen one truck.

Entering Kosovo the road dropped down into a large basin, which was almost like a different world, having a wealthy feel about it with nice houses and green fields, despite there being lots of small, old tractors around.

Speed, as in how fast one should be going, is a bit hard to work out here especially as google maps doesn’t show the speed. At one point I was cruising down a double lane highway at 120 kph and must have missed a 60kph sign. Heading over a hill under an overpass and bugger, there were two cops there with their radar gun. Pulling over, they showed me the speed 121kph. Their English was just better than my French. I said ‘that’s only 1km over the limit; they explained that this was a 60kph area and you lose your licence for 6 months for going twice the speed limit. They asked where I was from and where I was going and why. I explained that I was from NZ and just swanning around checking out their nice country. I gave them each one of our little ‘going places’ cards. They told me that Kosovo people are very nice and friendly. I can vouch for that as they sent me on my way with a smile and not even a fine.

As I headed towards the hills of Montenegro, I stopped at a cafe attached to a petrol station for a coffee. The guy behind the counter had not a word of english, then out of nowhere a kid of about 8 appeared and did the interpretation. He had been sitting outside with his father. More friendly Kosovo people.

There were lots of stalls selling stones in this area. As I headed through the village there were lots of little tractors about. The road then wound its way up the hill on a switchback road to the border checkpoint, where the friendly guy said the Montenegro border is 8kms further on. I presume the bit in between is no-man’s land. There were good views back over Kosovo, blurred by the mist or smog.

The crossing at the border was easy and the winding road headed down into a valley, then wound through valleys with lots of small villages then up over hills. It is a pretty country with lots of rocky hills and colourful bush. Here and there are lots of little tractors and in places bigger machines were parked up in people’s front yards. In several places there was a guy with a wheelbarrow clearing out the gutters on the roadside; no cones just some high vis gear.

I stopped for a bite to eat at a roadside restaurant on a cliff above a river. The woman got out a gas burner to brew my coffee and make me an omelet. Despite the lack of facilities, there were quite a few people sitting around outside, drinking beer. Just about every town has cops with speed detectors pulling drivers over. People were in the fields hand raking cut grass to stack to feed stock in the winter. In spite of it looking like a place of subsistence farming, the houses are nice and it looks like the people have a good standard of living. A couple of towns had old abandoned factories but I never saw any evidence of manufacturing. There were more colourful beehives on display in front of houses. The road wound up a valley alongside a railway line, then up a hill. Driving through a medium sized village, I arrived at the Bianca Resort, which is a rustic type hotel with side by sides for hire and lots of old stuff on display. After enjoying a wine, I headed to the restaurant, where laid out on a large table was one of the best smorgasbord meals I have ever seen. At 130.00 NZD for the night, including breakfast it is good value.

Tuesday 18 October 2022

There is ice on the car windows as I reach the carpark ready to set off on today’s journey. Heading back down the valley, visibility is impaired by thick mist. Heading up a hill takes me above it for a while, then it is back down into the gorges as the road cut into the rock winds its way up to the border with Serbia.

The border crossing is easy and the road winds its way down the gully into a narrow valley. As the road headed alongside the river I stopped for a coffee at a log-house place alongside the river. The rather gruff guy sent me around the back after I had explained what sort of coffee I wanted. Around the back there were a few tables with a couple of women sitting at one of them. I said hello and they asked me to join them. Kristina and her daughter Mia were on their way to an event Kristina, an event organiser, was running. Mia, an architect student, was tagging along for the three day event. We chatted about the economy in Montenegro; I had said how the parts I had seen looked like they were quite well off. Kristina explained that all the people in the country basically make most of their living off the land in an almost subsistence farming manner, selling off the little they can produce, a lot of it on the roadside. Kristina said they were going to stop at a 13th century monastery about 20 mins off the main road and invited me to join them. I said yes and followed along arriving at this beautiful complex; apparently people can come and stay there a bit like a hotel. We entered the chapel with the white angel, which is quite renown in this area, painted on one wall. After the chapel, we looked around the grounds, then to the gift shop, where they brought me some gifts for Sylvia. After that we headed on our respective journeys.

A railway line ran along the rocky face above the road, with many tunnels punching out through the rock. There was a water point on the side of the road; in other places I have often seen people queueing to get water at these. The road took me along a valley to a hydro-power plant then on to the town of Priboj, with what was once the largest truck factory in Yugoslavia, employing 8,000 people. Not sure what it is making now but from what I can gather it is struggling. From there, the road continued to the Bosnian Border.

Crossing the border, the road wound up a valley with farm houses spread through it. Heading over the top it was down another valley. This went on for a while until finally the land opened out into a plain with fenced paddocks and stock in the fields. I love the way everyone in this part of the world stacks their firewood; some people were even working on log splitters, splitting and stacking the recently delivered logs. The last stretch towards Sarajevo was through a gorge with lots of tunnels cut through the rock. Over the past week I have seen many steel nets draped over the rocky cliffs with concrete weights at the bottom, I presume to stop them lifting in the wind.

Arriving in the town I managed to park the car and find the not-too-flash Old Sarajevo Hotel, with poor wifi but a very helpful receptionist. A wander around the town revealed a large area dedicated to tourists with lots of souvenir shops, bars and restaurants. People sat in many bars puffing on sheesha, men and woman included. There are quite a few woman here in the full faced niqaab. I enjoyed a good streak at a local restaurant and sampled some local wine, which was quite nice.

Some friends of mine were here during the war in the late 90’s; one described the place as basically a bomb-hole, with terrible coffee. There is now no obvious sign that a war took place as it has all been rebuilt. Something the poor people of eastern Ukraine will have to undergo some time in the future.

Bianca Resort Montenegro to Sarajevo

Wednesday 19 October 2022

The traffic was light as I left Sarajevo; the city is quite spread out with farmland, commercial buildings, houses and apartments intermingled.

I hit a mist covered motorway, which ran for around 100kms north, at a town with what looked like a large coal-powered electrical generation plant and some other factories. The road then led through various valleys with the new motorway still under construction. There is lots of farming here similar to the other countries in this part of the world.

Then finally it was onto another motorway and then to a small town and through some back streets to the border. The crossing into Croatia was uneventful and a secondary road lead to the motorway that ran all the way to the Slovenian border. There, there were hundreds of trucks queueing up, stretching out over 2 plus kilometres. The motorway continued right through Slovenia with the turn off only 3 kms from my destination.

Checking into the Hotel Centre in the town of Postojna I took a stroll down to Costilna Pizzeria, where I enjoyed a great pizza and a couple of glasses of the local wine. Strolling back to the hotel afterwards, I saw a barber shop still open and popped in to see if I could get a bit unscruffy. The guy said he was finishing after the customer he had, could I come back in the morning. I said no and then he said Ava (a young woman there) could do the job but does not speak english. I said ok and Ava got a haircut underway, plus I was offered a glass of whiskey, which was a new experience during a haircut. Luca explained that this was the oldest barber shop in Slovenia, having opened in 1926. They were friendly and nice people and as I was leaving he showed me the little museum out the back, displaying the history of the shop.

Sarajevo to Postojna Solivena

Thursday 20 October 2022

After breakfast I headed out to take a look at the Predjama Castle, which is about 10kms from the town. The knees not liking stairs very much just now, I just had a look from the outside. This place has been there for around 800 years. In the maze of tunnels behind the castle, Knight Earzem of Predjama used to store his plunder, uplifted from raids he carried out from the castle. In a cave under the castle is a colony of bats.

Heading back to town I joined the tour of the Predjama caves. People queued up by signs with the language they wanted the tour done in: English, Dutch, German, Italian, Slovak and a few more. We were then lead through to the station. Yep! they run trains into the caves. In 1868 Thomas Cook, while visiting the caves, said they were big enough to have rail tracks laid in them. Four years later 1500m of railway tracks were laid with 2 seater carriages called pheatons, being pushed along by the cave guides. Back then, the cave was lit by some 17,000 candles – the richest man in town was the local candle maker. During WWI Russian POWs were used to do work in the caves, including building a bridge between two different caves. Italian miners also dug various connecting tunnels through the rock and limestone. In 1925 the tracks were redone and a gasoline engine was used to tow the carriages. Over the years more modifications have been done. The English group was eventually called forward and we headed to the rail platform and mounted the many carriages, now powered by a battery-powered loco. The place is double tracked as as we journeyed the 3.7km into the cave. The sights were really spectacular with thousands of stalactites, stalacmites and columns above us and to the left and right. Eventually we stopped at a platform, then followed the guide up a 40m concrete path incline. He stopped every now and then and took a microphone from a stainless steel post and gave us a run down on the caves. There are 3 layers that the Pivka river has carved out over millions of years. We are on the second layer and the current third layer is where the river now runs. The river pops out of the ground by the cave entrance and eventually becomes the Sava river that runs through Ljubljana (the capital of Slovenia), through Croatia Bosnia and Serbia, where it then joins the Danube, which eventually flows through Ukraine into the Black Sea.

The tour took us on a 1.5km walk through caverns and tunnels, across a bridge, then through more caverns with lots of different formations, some looking like blinds others like spaghetti. Then we got to see some salamander housed in a kind of fish tank; there are a few thousand of these living in the caves. Finally we got to a big cavern that has an amazing echo. We then hopped on another train and were driven out of the caves.

After a sandwich and a coffee at one of the many cafe’s around the cave entrance, I hit the road to Turin. Joining a motorway not far from the caves I basically stayed on the same road for the next 500 plus kms. There is no hard border between Slovenia and Italy, just a road toll gate. There were two tolls on this stretch of road totalling about 60 euros. For the whole journey I averaged 108kph, never exceeding the speed limit of 130kph I hope.

It was dark when I arrived into Turin and checked into the Hotel Gran Mogol in the old city. Parking was a bit of a problem so I parked in a driveway and went to the reception, who said their parking was full and sent me to a private carpark just down the road, where a very friendly chap took the car and stored it overnight for me. Having checked into the hotel I found a nearby restaurant and enjoyed a nice Italian steak dinner.

Predjama Slovenia to Turin Italy

Friday 21 October 2022

I woke up at 0100 hrs sweating to discover the air conditioning was not going. Playing around with the switches, I could not get it to spark up. After breakfast I asked about it at reception and was told it is the law here now – they are not allowed to use it unless it gets over 25 degrees. Bloody Putin!!!

I took a stroll around the old town on a rather grey morning and was impressed by the size of the buildings and the covered footpaths with huge columns holding up the building above. Even in the rain you could walk all around the city without getting wet. Everything is huge and chunky in this town and with the normal statues, museums, university and government administrations buildings. Large squares are full of tables and chairs serviced by the local cafes and restaurants as are the many tables and chairs in the streets. The Po river runs around the edge of the old city making its way across the top of Italy into the Adriatic Sea. With a population of around 900,000 I was surprised at how light the traffic was as I exited the city. Even out towards the edge of town they have maintained the same style of buildings.

On the drive home I struck really heavy rain most of the way. Most of the journey was on toll roads with the traffic only slowing a little under the 130 kpm speed limit in spite of the rain. Arriving home, I checked the odometer to find since leaving Cassis, nearly 3 weeks ago, the car had traveled 8,125 kilometres with a driving time of 110 hours. It has been a really interesting trip, checking out what was once part of the USSR and to see how the countries in the north and west of Europe are definitely better off than those in the southeast. In saying that though, they all look like they are making progress with new roads and infrastructure underway. The drive through the former Yugoslavia gave a good appreciation of how countries can recover and rebuild after a devastating conflict like the one there just over 20 years ago. Katrina and her daughter, who I met in Serbia, told me how their borders in Montenegro were closed for more than 10 years during the conflict. All the way through the journey the people were nice and friendly and full marks go to the two cops from Kosovo who let me off what could have been a very difficult speeding ticket.

Turin to Home in France
the old Yugoslavia
Eastern Europe trip