Stunning views from Cape Point

Afternoon scene of the Cape of Good Hope, taken from Cape Point, South Africa.

Sunset at Good Hope Nature Reserve, in southwest South Africa.

Cape Point, as seen from the Lighthouse.

Today’s destination: Cape Point, the second most southern tip in Africa. Attraction: breathtaking views of the meeting point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

If you come to Cape Town, a day trip to Cape Point is a must. Driving a rental car, I started in Kalk Bay, a small village on the eastern coast of the Cape. Within minutes I arrived to Fish Hoek (fishing village and dry town) and continued on to Simon’s Town, the largest in the area and home to the South African Naval Base. Simon’s Town is a quaint attraction for tourists, offering good restaurants, nice shops and water activities (white shark cage diving, and whale and seal watching).

I then skipped a Penguin Colony popular among tourists and headed to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. The entrance costs 55 Rand per adult. A joyous drive, I must have stopped 20 times to take pictures and enjoy the mountainous views of False Bay on this weirdly sunny, cloudless and misty day. I saw baboons and ostriches on the way, as if I had not seen enough of them in Botswana, and finally made it to the Cape Point Lighthouse.

Get this: while in Cape Point I ran into Lorena, a Spaniard I had met two weeks in Victoria Falls. She is here with her husband on a honeymoon…

The Lighthouse is at the top of a dangerous but spectacular cliff, offering stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. This is where Portuguese explorer Bartolome Dias arrived in 1488, thinking this was the Southern most point of Africa. I would have thought the same thing. When you are standing at the Lighthouse, all you see is stormy water all the way to the end of earth. I first experienced a similar view in 2003 in Cabo Finisterra (Galicia, in northwestern Spain), which literally means the end of land. A sense of inspiration and power overtook me standing atop these cliffs. If I had to rate the two, I would probably vote for Cape Point as the most striking.

After wondering around Cape Point I drove a few miles to the Cape of Good Hope (Cabo da Boa Esperança in Portuguese), where a “the most southern-western point in Africa” sign welcomes you. Don’t be tricked. The southern most point of Africa is Cape Agulhas, about 150 kilometers to the southeast.

On my return to Cape Town, I drove along the western side of the Cape, my eyes clashing against a gorgeously looking hazy sunset in Kommetjie and Hout Bay, a drive comparable to that of Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Barbara and San Francisco.

It’s a pity I was not able to drive through Chapman’s Peak, closed this week due to the shooting of a film about renowned American pilot Amelia Earhart, starting Hillary Swank and Richard Gere. Want some gossip? I already knew Gere was in town. My brother ran into him in an elevator at the Mount Nelson Hotel earlier in the week.

Discovering Cape Town

Cape Town's Table Mountain, as I returned from Robben Island on a sunny winter afternoon.

Cape Town - I am in Cape Town, South Africa!

As you know, I love visiting exciting destinations for the first time. In the five days I have been here, I have found it a thrill. If you know nothing about South Africa, Johannesburg is the business centre, the large unattractive city, while Cape Town is the country’s beach town par excellence, South Africa’s San Francisco, the place where you spend your summer hiking, drinking wine or strolling along the waterfront.

“When I first came here, I thought I had found paradise,” a friend of mine tells me, before explaining how racial issues and its distant location from the United States and Europe made him realize paradise did have its limitations. This just to say I know my first upbeat impressions are probably spoiled by the virgin eye of a Latin tourist in search of some fun.

In the first few days here, I have found many similarities between Cape Town and other coastal cities I have visited or lived in. San Francisco, Malibu, Big Sur (all in California), the French Mediterranean and Rio de Janeiro first come to mind - in essence because of their beaches, mild weather, beautiful scenery, large ocean waves, high mountains and posh vacation spots. I stopped making comparisons. I am going to start comparing the others to Cape Town. For starters, none of the above places sit so elegantly at the tip of the world (‘top’ if you look at the map upside down) between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. And, how do you factor Cape Town’s unique ethnic and racial history?

Since arriving here, I have visited some of the most obvious tourist destinations:

Table Mountain: this is the flat mountain overlooking the city for which Cape Town is best known for. The funicular (they call it ‘cableway’ here) takes you up to 1086 meters in five minutes (at a cost of 130 Rand). The view from there is astonishing although it was cloudy when we visited it. I am thinking about going to back to take better pictures and take a longer walk.

Robben Island & Nelson Mandela Gateway: the island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of the 27 years he was behind bars during Apartheid. I took a 30-minute ferry ride (150 Rand) from the Victoria & Albert Waterfront to the Island. It was a beautiful day and I took a few nice pictures of Table Mountain from the boat. A former Robben Island prisoner gave me a tour of the prison, including a peek at Mandela’s cell. It was an interesting and worthwhile visit but I did not like that the prison has been fully remodeled, looking too sharp painting a much humane and sellable picture of Robben Island than what the history books hold.

Victoria & Albert Waterfront: known as the Waterfront, it’s full of restaurants, shops and hotels and serves as the departure site for various water activities. Some of the more expensive African craft shops I visited include Delagoa, Porcupine and African Trading Port.

Cricket beats Olympics; say what?

South Africans in Cape Town insist on watching a cricket game between England and South Africa, while the Beijing Olympics are going on. What is that all about? Someone please explain. I get on a taxi and the cab driver is listening to the darn game. Next day, the game over, I go for dinner to a family’s house and they are watching the game’s exciting highlights. I read the local paper, more cricket.
Alright, I forgive South Africans, but only because they love soccer too. But don’t do it again.

Cape Town, my first Nieman reunion

August 9, 2008

Cape Town - I spent a wonderful Saturday afternoon with two of my former Nieman fellows (200 , Melanie Gosling, who lives here, and Andrew Quinn, who is spending the (northern) summer reporting a series of stories about vaccines research in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. This was my first Nieman reunion since leaving Harvard in July, a nice gathering I did not expect would happen so soon! We spent most of the afternoon catching up and climbing the Echo Valley Mountain in Kalk Bay, 33 kilometers southeast of Cape Town, a stunning spot from where we watched a couple of whales wonder around False Bay — the huge bay east of Cape Town.

Cape Town gets ready for 2010 Soccer World Cup

This is how Green Point Stadium looked like when I drove by in early August 2008.

Cape Town - I just drove by the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, under construction for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. I wonder if it will be ready in two years. The new structure, which will have a capacity of 68,000, replaces an old stadium. It is strategically located near Cape Town city centre and the Victoria & Albert Waterfront.
All I know about the 2010 World Cup is that Cape Town will be the place to visit and where all the parties and cool action will take place. Too bad the Final won’t be played here. Still, forget about Johannesburg!

Sighting lions and leopards in Xakanaxa (Botswana)

Scary leopard near Xakanaka Camp in Botswana!

We just spent three days at Xakanaxa Camp in the Okavango Delta. If Chobe was all about the massive herds of elephants along the Chobe River (we saw at least 400 of them out of a population of 100,000 at Moremi Reserve Park), this leg was all about Xakanaxa Camp’s comfort (read more here) and the decent number of lions and leopards we spotted.

Let me start with the lions first. Before coming to Moremi Reserve Park, I wasn’t quite sure how many species we would see and in what quantities. In the first safari hours it became evident, though, that predators like lions, cheetahs and leopards are not as abundant here as some people might think. That safari guides rejoice and celebrate when they spot one of these species is an indicator of their scarcity. Given this standard, I feel well served by having seen 20 lions (one lion, four lionesses and 15 cubs) and five leopards while at Xakanaxa, but somewhat empty that we never saw a single cheetah. If anyone with more knowledge about this issue can explain to me what is going on in Botswana or beyond, I’d appreciate it.

I should also point out that the Okavango Delta is different from Chobe. Here the animals are scattered all over the Reserve as water is readily available in small ponds throughout the territory. In other words, animals are not all concentrated in a few spots as was the case in Chobe.

Once our jeeps got close to the lions, it was full joy. Unlike elephants, which spend most of their time traveling and eating, lions rest a great deal of time. In all instances, we saw the lions lying down in the grass or bushes, as if taking long naps. But we also found lion cubs alone, meaning that the adult lion and lionesses were out hunting for the family.

The most exciting episode at Xakanaxa took place the first morning, when a few jeeps, including ours, followed a big leopard in the open field. While making his round, the leopard gave a big scare to two impalas and two side-strapped jackals. These poor animals began to scream and run in circles, unsure how to react to the presence of the bigger predator.

The other unforgettable Xakanaxa moment was a herd of 50 to 60 elephants traveling southwest during sunset on our last night here. We saw the elephants in the distance, walking elegantly and forming a long line.

As I said earlier our experience at Xakanaxa was unbeatable. We had enough time to relax but also managed to see a great deal in the driving and boating safaris. The routine the camp has established for its visitors couldn’t be any better: game drive from 7 am to 10:30 am, brunch, rest time, tea at 3 pm, a game drive between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm and an exquisite dinner at 7:30 pm, followed by coffee or drinks at a fire place in the open.

Xakanaxa Camp, a jewel in the Moremi Game Reserve

We reluctantly said goodbye this afternoon to Cathy and Rob at Muchenje Lodge. Our next destination is Xakanaxa Camp in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. To get there we flew for an hour from Kasane Airport to Xakanaxa, inside the Moremi Game Reserve.

I’m stopping for a moment to wonder why people fear flying small planes. Earlier in the afternoon, tension went up in the group as we walked in into the small but comfortable Kasane Airport. After taking a peek at the minuscule size of the planes there, our bellowed Giorgio, “El Jefe”, entered in panic mode, despite the Vodka tonic treatment Fiorela induced on him on the waiting lounge. Although this was an unspoken family trick, this treatment had worked to perfection three years ago, when Giorgio downed a few shots of Scotch minutes before taking a helicopter ride to observe a glacier site in Alaska. On this August day there were two options: an old Cessna for five or what looked like a “huge” 208B Caravan for ten — piloted by a blondie in caqui pants. Giorgio secured a spot in the big eagle but Anita, our good American friend, ended up volunteering for the smaller plane.

After the Caravan made a perfect landing in a remote ruble runway, and everybody in smiles, our new guide Leabo drove us in a sexy, dark olive Range Rover to Xananaka Camp.

Bob Flaxman, one of Xakanaka Camp's effective and likable managers.

The Camp is absolutely gorgeous, a jewel hidden in northeast Botswana. Made up of 13 tents and comfortable common areas overlooking the Okavango Delta, the Camp is enclosed by an electric fence to keep elephants, hippos and other large animals from coming in. When Leti, one of the Xakanaxa’s managers asked us not to walk inside the Camp without an escort at night (there is no electricity here) to avoid running into some animals that trespass the fence, I did not realize how much fun we would have with this. Not an hour had passed when Nico and Emilia, two of the American kids traveling with us, came running to the main lodge, their hearts still pumping fast, to tell us they had seen a hippo inside the Camp. In case you don’t know, the hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals around here. They normally look calm but once they decided to charge you, that’s it. Hasta la vista baby. I later saw the same hippo grassing as my escort took me to my tent after dinner, but for some reason did not think it was that scary. The other funny scene is that of baboons stealing toothpaste or cosmetics from the tents bathrooms, or goodies from the cookie jar in the common area.

Xakanaxa, the Camp is nicely lighted by candles, Dietz Kerosene lamps and torches scattered around the site. Each tent (about the size of a regular hotel room) is a piece of art, equipped with full-size beds and soft linens, wooden floors and carpets, a desk and a chair, a standing fan and countless decorations ranging from hand-made cushions to wooden vaults in the bathrooms. Each tent has a porch fitted with two comfortable wooden armchairs that came in handy to read during the day and watch the sunset. It sounds strange concept but each tent sits on a one-foot high wooden platform and is covered by a larger tent that covers the porch as well. This protects the tents from floods, large animals and inclement weather.

Xakanaxa is owned by a wealthy German who lives in South Africa and extremely well managed by Bob Flaxman and his wife, and two other couples, including that of Ian from Namibia and Justine from Australia, a young new addition to the staff.

As we settled in Xakanaxa, you soon realize life can’t get more peaceful and simple than this with no telephone, cable, internet or electric power, this is a perfect setting for relaxing, meditating or getting in touch with yourself.

Animals I saw in Zimbabwe and Botswana

Animals I have seen in Zimbabwe and Botswana from July 28 to August 6, 2008: 

Hippopotamus (Zambezi River, Chobe National Park)

Leopard (Chobe National Park)

Lion (Chobe National Park)

Crocodile (Zambezi River, (Chobe National Park)

Giraffe (Chobe National Park)

Elephant (Zambezi River in Victoria falls and hundreds at Chobe National Park)

Buffalo (during elephant ride in Victoria Falls; Chobe National Park)

Baboon (Victoria Falls Hotel lawn; Chobe National Park)

Warthog (Victoria Falls Hotel lawn; Chobe National Park)

Kudu (Chobe National Park)

Impala (Chobe National Park)

Puku (Chobe National Park)

Stolk (Chobe National Park)

Side striped Jackel (Chobe National Park)

Black backed Jackel (Chobe National Park)

Owl (night drive at Chobe National Park)

Nnightjar (Chobe National Park)

Zebra (Chobe National Park)

Genet (Chobe National Park)

Waterbuck (Chobe National Park)

Sable antelope (Chobe National Park)

African Wild Cat (Chobe National Park)

Lechwe (Chobe National Park)

Vervet monkey (Chobe National Park)

Guineafowl (Chobe National Park)

Egret (Chobe National Park)

African fish eagle (Chobe National Park)

Whitebacked vulture (Chobe National Park)

Gull (Chobe National Park)

Mozambique spitting cobra (Chobe National Park)

Black heron (Chobe National Park)

Grey heron (Chobe National Park)

Great white heron (Chobe National Park)

Pelican (Chobe National Park)

Ant lion (Chobe National Park)

Cormorant (Chobe National Park)

African sacred ibis (Chobe National Park)

Yellowbilled duck (Chobe National Park)

African jacana (Chobe National Park)

Pied kingfisher (Chobe National Park)

Hornbill (Chobe National Park)

Bushbuck (Xakanaxa)

Mongoose (Xakanaxa, Mapula)

Wild beast (Xakanaxa, Mapula)

Steenbok (Mapula, only at night)

African Wild Dog (Mapula)

Spotted hyena (Mapula)

Camaleon (Mapula, at night)

BIRDS:

Wattled crane (endangered species) (Xakanaxa)

Saddle billed stork (Xakanaxa)

Open billed stork (Mapula)

Whitebrowed sporrow weaver (Xakanaxa)

African darter (Xakanaxa)

Reed cormorant (Xakanaxa)

Marabou stork (Xakanaxa)

Kingfisher (Xakanaxa)

Grey Lurey (Xakanaxa; Mapula)

White faced duck (Xakanaxa)

Great white egret (Xakanaxa)

Greater blue-eared starling (Xakanaxa)

Lilac-breasted roller (Botswana National bird) (Xakanaxa)

Hadeda Ibis (Xakanaxa)

Sacred Ibis (Xakanaxa)

Red billed francolin (perdiz) (Xakanaxa)

Bat (Mapula)

Slaty egret (Mapula)

Egyptian geese (Mapula)

Cape Turtle Dove (Mapula)

Grey backed Bleating Warbler (Mapula)

Scary encounter with a leopard and two lions

Rob and Cathy, managers of Muchenje Lodge in Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Today we were extremely lucky. We saw a leopard and two lions in the same location in Chobe National Park as we were driving towards the river. The leopard was quietly hanging from a tree, probably waiting for the lions to leave. She was beautiful and kept staring at us in the two jeeps, directly below the tree. Then a female lion came out of a bush, almost without us noticing her. She walked around the bush to meet the male lion, probably within 10 meters of us. It was a scary scene. I could hear good old Giorgio, his face pale, whisper to our guide, “let’s go.” After a few seconds quietly standing there, the driver said we should leave in case the lions decided to chase us. Chase us? Are you kidding me? These animals were so big we wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere.

After such a treat, we took a two hour boat ride on the Chobe River, which divides Botswana and Zambia. We got off to a great start when about ten elephants, including a one-month old elephant, walked down to the river to drink and take a bath. We stood there in awe, observing, taking photographs and enjoying these giants do their thing in the Botswana wild. Following these scene we ran into a bunch of species: buffalos, hippos, crocodriles, sables, lechwees and a bunch of birds. I am really horrible with bird names but lucky we were riding with Juan, an experienced South American rancher, and Jamie, a well trained biologist. The bird that most surprised Jamie was the black heron, if I remember the name correctly. This bird makes a round shade with its wings to fish in the mud next to the water.

The day ended with a perfect sunset from Muchenje Safari Lodge, which sits on a hill overlooking the Chobe River and Zambia on the distance. Right down from us we can see massive hurdles of zebras and waterbucks, roaming around the river. Jamie, Anita and I tried to capture the sunset with your Canons and Nikons, while others sat at the terrace by the fire. If anybody ever wants to do a safari in Chobe, I highly recommend Muchenje Safari Lodge. It’s owned by a British who lives in the UK and ran by Cathy and Rod Stedman, a couple from Zimbabwe who had to leave their country because of the chaotic economic situation there. The Lodge’s staff is well trained, the food is excellent and the amenities hard to beat. In the evenings there is open bar and you literary have to stop the bartender from refilling you.

Animals I have seen so far in Zimbabwe and Botswana

Animals I saw today at Chobe National Park (Botswana): kurus, impalas, elephants, hippos, pkus, stolls, crocodile, giraffes, jackals, owls (during night safari), zebras (during night safari), genets (during night safari), baboons (during night safari).

Animals I have seen so far in Zimbabwe and Botswana: hippopotamus (Zambezi River, Chobe National Park), crocodile (Zambezi River, Chobe), armadillos (Victoria Falls Hotel lawn), elephants (Zambezi River; from the helicopter in Victoria falls; during the ride with Wild Horizons in Victoria Falls; and a bunch of them at Chobe National Park), buffalos (during elephant ride; Chobe), baboons (Victoria Falls Hotel lawn; Chobe) and warthogs (Victoria Falls Hotel lawn; Chobe), kurus (Chobe), impalas (Chobe), pukus (Chobe), stolks (Chobe), jackals (Chobe), owls (Chobe), zebras (Chobe), genets (Chobe)