July 10 - Day 1 Cape Town
Our last breakfast on our own, or should I say before the actual safari took over the schedule, is something I’m ging to have to try. It was called Hausa Masa
[1] is basically fried rice balls and these were stuffed with something savory. There was also a kind of bean hash. It was good and I quickly finished up my last clean up while Lev and Benny moved our belongings to the front door and then out to the waiting car to put the stuff in the “dickey”. I swear before this is all said and done I am going to get a translation dictionary for Australian.
Our first stop of the day was the Two Oceans Aquarium where we spent a couple of hours killing time in an educational setting for Benny’s benefit. I’m really not sure how much he is going to get out of the safari so when other opportunities present themselves Lev and I plan on taking advantage of them
The Two Oceans Aquarium provided a diverse showcase of Atlantic and Indian Ocean marine life, with over 3,000 animals in their display habitats. We explored different underwater species from the Ocean Basket Kelp Forest, which also showcased the unique kelp that is found on Cape Town beaches. We explored similar habitats for the Indian Ocean. There were both low-tech and high-tech exhibits that featured the dazzling colors of all the different fish, translucent jellies, shy octopuses and Knysna seahorses. The Knysna is the most endangered seahorse in the world. At one point there were less than one hundred left in the wild.
We learned that the study of seahorses is important for scientists and conservationists because they are known to be an 'indicator species'. An indicator species is an organism which serves as a measure of the environmental conditions that exist in a given locale.
One of the coolest exhibits was a long tunnel that gave us a peek at a variety of subtropical species. It was like walking underwater without getting wet.
The Two Oceans Aquarium is home to a few species that aren’t found at any other aquarium in the world. Among these are the strange, serpentine hagfish
[2]. An eel-like fish, that can produce over a gallon of slime when it’s scared. It’s an ancient fish that doesn’t have eyes, fins or scales.
From the Aquarium did a little shopping for a few items that Lev needed and I picked up some female personal hygiene items. We also had a grilled chicken meal from a popular fast food place called Nando’s. I felt a little stared at but I think it was due to our American accents than for our skin color.
Fred drove us around a little more so Lev could gather some filler pictures and then we officially started the safari with a welcome meeting at 6 pm.
According to the email we received this morning:
Welcome to South Africa. With its stunning coastline, modern cityscape and nearby mountains, Cape Town is one of Africa's most exciting cities. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm this evening. You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. If you do happen to arrive early, why not get out and explore Cape Town, perhaps taking a walk in Newlands Forest, jumping on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, or heading down to the waterfront to see Cape Town Stadium up close.
The dinner was a bit over the top and reminded me a little bit of some of the dinner shows we saw in Hawaii. There was a special African dinner and then a drum show.
This is where we met up with the other members of the safari. We were supposed to be a group of twenty-two but there was a family of four that cancelled at the last minute and moved up a brother and sister traveling combo named Sheldon. Our group was a “four” as well … Lev and I, Benny, and Hugh. It was decided that the group would just go short and possibly pick up someone(s) for pieces of the safari. I wasn’t really understanding how that worked but it wasn’t my job, and it didn’t appear it was going to impact what was our job. Hugh said it was a common practice. Some of the group would be long haulers for the entire safari, and then shorter tours would run concurrently with what we were doing. Additionally, there was a surprising number of personnel/guides coming with us. They would come and go throughout our travels as well, but there would be a few constants. Too frazzled to report on them yet since I haven’t gotten a feel for them.
During dinner we had a speaker that laid out some of the missing information from my packet. For instance, a “typical” safari day is as follows:
5:30 am wake up call and get to breakfast
6 am – 11 am morning game drive
11 am – 4 pm leisure time including lunch
4 pm – 7 pm afternoon game drive
7:30 pm dinner time
9 pm lights out and bedtime
However, as I looked at the itinerary I wasn’t seeing a lot of “typical” days. There are going to be a lot of travel days. Long travel days. The more detailed itinerary we received has given me more than just a few things I need to talk to Lev about. Especially all those long travel days and what we are supposed to be getting out of them. There are too many days where it looks like we get up early to eat, then climb onto a bus and drive all day, only to park for dinner and then go to bed early because there is another travel day the next. The travel brochures don’t mention that part. Now I know why a few of the websites I read said to bring a book or deck of cards for travel days. Africa is a big continent, I get that. And we are covering a lot of it. I get that too. And this is one of the longest safaris that I found when looking at them on the various travel websites for some comparisons. But. I really had no idea we’d be spending so much time on the road. Maybe I should have, but somehow, I missed that part.
Next up was accommodations. We weren’t the only ones that had arrived in Cape Town early, but we arrived the earliest. As far as the remainder of our accommodations:
Camping (with facilities) (47 nights)
Camping (with basic facilities) (5 nights)
Bungalow (2 nights)
Cabin (3 nights)
Dormitory (2 nights)
Hotel (4 nights)
Tonight is considered one of those hotel nights and we moved from the villa to the hotel we were all staying in as a group. Lev and I will be back to finding our privacy when and where appropriate because Benny is sleeping on a cot with us from here on out. Hugh will have his own sleeping quarters most of the time.
The participants making up our tour group:
1. Levinson Beauregard “Lev” Hargis (And Lev has told me to forget his middle name when and if at all possible)
2. August Summer “Gus” Barrymore Jr.
3. Benjamin Lawrence “Benny Little Bear” Barrymore IV
4. Hugh who said it was damn odd going along as a paying customer than as a guide
5. Mrs. Bodycombe – in her words an “old bird” from England completing a bucket list item
6. Mr. Wight – grandfather, aka “the rich old bloke”
7. Mr. Dutton – assistant to and for Mr. Wight
8. Sadie Wight – 14-year-old granddaughter; from what I can tell, shy and neglected in favor of the older popular twin brothers
9. Twin 1 – Kingston Wight – young twenty-something male, grandson 1
10. Twin 2 – Kerrigan Wight – young twenty-something male, grandson 2
11. Mr. Morin (Canadian Retiree) – widower
12. Kevin, adult son of Ms. Thomson. Sweet, gentle, mostly non-verbal, does use sign language, intellectually disabled, some mobility issues, presents to be younger than Benny in some respects, still able to interact with the group and his environment.
13. Ms. Thomson (Expat) living in Uruguay – mother of Kevin, never married, devoted to Kevin
14. Mrs. Murray (lived in Portugal but after their trip will move to be with sister) – widow, sister of Ms. Thomson
15. Mr. Legrand – husband in his early 40s
16. Mrs. Legrand – wife in her mid 30s – Lev said she’d be company for me. Yeah, right. I knew immediately she was a woman used to having a lot of male attention, women need not apply. I’m going to need to be careful not to let my opinion show.
17. Mr. Peeters – Belgian, not French. When he said it, he reminded me of that old character Hercule Poirot from some movies that Grandma Barry and Meemo used to enjoy watching together and giggling and sighing like girls over Peter Ustinov, the actor. Ugh. I thought they were silly as I remember. This guy is definitely younger, somewhere around Lev’s age I guess. He plays at being a freelance photographer but something about him just feels shady. Not in a criminal kind of shady, more like he … oh I don’t know. Definitely bears watching but for what I haven’t a clue yet.
18. Mr. Sheldon – brother
19. Ms. Sheldon – Sister
20. Mr. Hendry – personal security guide for the Wights, works for the same company as Hugh
After dinner and the drum show, and introductions, were over we were given “the rest of the story” for our safari. One of the things covered was food on safari since several in the group have dietary restrictions. I had already read up on it thanks to Tommi and her fetish for detailed notes which I am very glad for. I feel much better prepared than I had, but the new information was also welcome. First, it is very common to pick up a few pounds on safari because food is everywhere and in some camps your options for exercise may be very limited. That’s fine for Lev and Benny but I am going to have to be more careful. The usual safari mealtimes are as follows:
- A wake-up call with coffee and biscuits (cookies), more European than what someone from the US would be used to. Rather than cookies or pastries those of us with gluten issues may get rice crackers or something along that order. That’s assuming there is no “full breakfast” being offered. On some mornings there is simply no time for a complete meal.
- A refreshment stop on the morning game drive with hot drinks and muffins (with a gluten-free option). Sometimes this might be the time for a full cooked breakfast out in the bush if it is offered. If you are hot-air ballooning, expect a full champagne breakfast with everything from omelets to pancakes. [I glanced at Lev and he gave me a slightly guilty look. Uh huh. I want the full itinerary from here on out and not just a sketch of one.]
- Refreshments or brunch when you get back to camp. Depending on breakfast or brunch arrangements, you could have lunch instead.
- Afternoon tea is a safari tradition. Just before your afternoon game drive, tuck into coffee, cakes, biscuits and other treats like pies or tarts. There will be gluten-free versions of the above or cheese, nuts, dried fruit, or similar.
- A refreshment stop on the afternoon game drive with drinks and snacks (everything from dried fruit and nuts to biltong, chips, samosas and so on).
- A drink when you get back to camp.
- A multi-course dinner.
I was thinking we’re going to be bouncing back to the airport at the rate we were expected to eat. Then I wondered if there was enough give in our clothes. Then I nearly groaned; Benny was going to grow a mile and would need all new clothes just to get back to the States. Argh. Fine. Problem for another day.
While the men were distracted by maps and some videos, all the females were pulled aside and told not to worry about being disrespected as females though there were a few safety issues it will be important to adhere to. The woman who gave us “the talk” was cool if a little earthier than expected by a couple of group members.
Safety on safari is everyone’s duty. At all times listen to your guide or ranger and always obey instructions given by the staff. They have years of training and experience, especially in predicting the behavior of wild animals. Your safety is their foremost concern so obey their instructions.
- Never, ever take food back to your tent or leave food lying around. Wild animals have a very keen sense of smell and are driven by the need to eat. If you have brought food with you, do not open the packaging; preferrably hand it to the kitchen staff for safekeeping.
- Always zip up your tent or close the door to your suite when leaving. Not doing so is a common rookie mistake. Baboons and monkeys love ransacking tents, and will easily slip through an open door or window. Animals seek out shade, warmth or dryness – your tent is a perfect hiding place if you leave it wide open. If you get back to your tent to find an animal in it, do not panic. Walk away quickly and quietly, and alert a member of staff who will remove it safely.
Those of us young enough to still menstruate or older females that use incontinence items were given some advice:
- Bring sufficient supplies with you. If you are due to have your period on safari, do NOT assume that you will be able to purchase tampons or pads easily. You may be hours away from the nearest shop and there is no guarantee they will stock what you need. Many camps have only male staff so don’t rely on being able to ‘borrow’ items from female staff.
- If you can, bring brown paper bags to put soiled items in for disposal. Do NOT flush them even if your camp has a ‘flush loo’ – the system won’t be able to cope, and you may block it. Rather wrap up everything in toilet paper, put it in a paper bag and put it in the bathroom’s bin. If everything is paper, the staff can burn it later. Most lodges will supply a bag and have a message explaining how the toilet system works.
- Don’t leave used items behind if you must go to the toilet on a game drive. Animals have a very keen sense of smell and will come to ‘investigate’ once you’ve moved on (they won’t while you’re there as they’re scared of humans). You don’t want a lion eating what you’ve left behind. Rather bag it all up, put it in a Ziploc bag, put it in your daypack and discard it discreetly when you get back to camp.
- Don’t be embarrassed. Menstruation is completely natural. Some primates menstruate as do some canids. I’ve had fascinating conversations with male guides about this – it is all part of nature and nothing to be ashamed of.
- Do NOT put soiled underwear in the laundry basket for the staff to wash – wash it yourself.
And speaking of laundry. Camp staff do NOT wash any women’s undergarments for cultural reasons; this includes bathing suits. We will find a small pot of washing powder next to the bathroom basins to take care of our “intimate apparel” with. And while washing, remember that Africa is a water poor land. Conserve, conserve, conserve. Everything I brought is made from quick dry material. Hopefully that will be sufficient as I’m not interested in hanging our private clothing for the entire camp to get a look at, especially if the elastic starts to go or they get holes in immodest locations.
We were also admonished to not leave taps running when shaving, brushing teeth, or washing hair … assuming there is a tap. In most camps we will have a single bucket of water to wash with … that includes both body and hair combined. Sounds like on a sailboat so I know that I wasn’t wrong to bring multiple containers of unscented deodorant, even for Benny. I have containers of cornstarch and baking soda for homemade and unscented dry shampoo and body powder. When the scalp and other body hair gets to where it really needs more than that, I have dry soap sheets … sheets that dissolve in one use and has low suds … that can also double as shampoo. Hopefully. The “hopefully” is why I also have leave-in conditioner and detangler … and scissors for Benny’s and Lev’s hair for just in case. And I also have enough waxing strips to get me through, though gotta do it where Lev can’t see as it gaks him out.
Last time the subject came up I tried to tell him, “It really isn’t that bad. You get use to it. Better than shaving every day or looking like Bigfoot’s cousin.”
His reply? “I’d rather be waterboarded. You freeze me to death.” He shuddered.
“Fine, just keep your beard trimmed. It tickles in places, and not in a good way.”
So we have an agreement. I don’t make him watch me wax my legs – he says the sounds of me ripping the strips off gives him nightmares – and he keeps his beard trimmed and uses softener on it so I don’t chase him down and wax his face. I’d say that’s fair.
Another delicate subject was using the bathroom while on a game drive. Some of the parks will have pit toilets at various locations but most game drives will not.
- As always, don’t be embarrassed. Everyone has ‘to go’ at some point and guides will often explain upfront what you need to do. Some even have waterless hand sanitizer on the vehicle.
- Simply tell your guide that you need ‘find a bush’ or ask him or her if it’s ‘OK to use that bush’. They will know what you want to do. In East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), many guides use the euphemism ‘picking flowers’ – ‘Do you need to pick flowers?’. They don’t mean literally picking flowers – they mean a toilet break!
- Check the ground around the bush for snakes, lizards, frogs, bugs and monitors – most will move on when they feel the vibration of your walking on the ground. Stomp extra heavily as you approach the bush if you want to make sure!
- Don’t leave behind plastic wrappers, sanitary pads, tampons etc – wrap them and bag them to take back to camp.
- We suggest making a small ‘loo bag’ for yourself with a small bottle of hand sanitizer, biodegradable toilet paper or wipes and brown paper bags.
- Always go to the toilet at the lodge just before you leave for your game drive – it’s the last plumbed loo you will see for at least three hours!
- Wash your hands thoroughly – waterless hand sanitizer is the easiest way of doing this.
- Do NOT wear a jumpsuit or romper! You have to take off the whole thing to use the loo, which is very impractical and wastes a lot of time. Bear in mind that no bush is ever completely private and that you may be on the game drive vehicle with strangers, men included.
Some of the women looked a little freaked out but life gets very real on occasion. I’ll just do my best not to need such facilities except in camp or at stops designed for it. If I can’t wait? Oh well, I’m human and built like the Creator made me. Hopefully other people are willing to give me the privacy that I will give to them.
Found out after we headed to our hotel room that the guys got the same basic talking points. Good to know we females weren’t the only ones being treated to that extra special dose of attention. Lev agreed with me when I suggested all three of us take a shower, scrub our hair, and take care of any other personal hygiene as it looks like for the next two months, we were in for a real backcountry experience.
[1] Stuffed savory Masa (Waina)
[2] 14 Fun Facts About Hagfish