From Cape Town to the Kgalagadi

FINALLY WE'RE OFF!

Here we are.. after so many months of planning, reading, decisions to make, bookings to make, meetings with the other participants to define everything, etc.. the moment of departure has finally arrived. Cristina and I and Gigi leave by train for Milan and reach Malpensa with the shuttle, where we have an appointment with our other 3 friends and travel companions Massimo, Anna Paola and Silvia, who instead arrive from Piedmont. We are super excited and overjoyed to see each other again and above all to begin this adventure we have talked about for so long. We immediately pack up the duffel bags and check in, then we go to eat something and finally around 9 pm we board. The Emirates plane, contrary to my expectations, is not the best.. and my video doesn't even work... what a stress!! Used to the super luxury of the recent flights I've taken with Qatar, I'm decidedly disappointed...

and bored because, since I can't sleep much, the prospect of having nothing to do for so many hours stresses me out quite a bit.. oh well.. never mind.. the important thing is to leave!!!

JOURNEY CONTINUES

After five and a half hours of flight we finally make our stopover in Dubai and are immediately stunned by the size of the airport. We spend the waiting hours browsing the shops and dozing off in the extremely uncomfortable chairs of the boarding area, then the departure time finally comes, but in reality we leave very late and they make us wait first on the ground and then an eternity inside the plane with nothing we can do... what a drag!! What's more, given the length of the flight we thought we'd have a much bigger and newer plane, but instead it's the same one.. this time the video works but they have a truly poor and antiquated entertainment program with few films, which start and finish whenever they decide, as on the very first flights I took centuries ago...

I would never have expected that from a company like Emirates!! At a certain point we finally take off and, more or less, I manage to pass the time until arrival in Cape Town, obviously late and... icing on the cake, my luggage isn't there.. I have no words.. Emirates definitely failed.. With a certain contained anger I deal with the usual formalities for the luggage report and then we go to pick up the cars. Given the fact that the employee at the lost luggage office claims the luggage stayed in Dubai and will probably arrive tomorrow, we decide to change the itinerary and stay 2 nights in Hermanus instead of one, so as to be able to leave an exact address for delivery, since for the second night we had nothing booked because we wanted to cover as much road as possible and sleep wherever we happened to, to make up some time.

Finally, after wasting a lot of time on all these things, we manage to leave the airport and head towards Hermanus, which is about 120 km away.. Since it's now sunset and obviously very behind schedule compared to our program, we choose not to take the coastal road as planned but the more direct one, so as not to have to travel too much in the dark. The first impact with driving on the left, despite not being the first time, wasn't exactly the best, especially because the car I ended up driving is decidedly much bigger than I expected, because we had booked a car like a Yaris and instead they stuck us with 2 brand-new white Toyota Corolla sedans, so it took me a while to get the measure of it. Despite everything, thanks to the GPS and the little radios we brought from home, we managed to reach our accommodation in Hermanus fairly quickly and without getting lost.

It's been pitch dark for a while when we park on the seafront in front of the Hermanus Esplanade complex, where I had booked an apartment months ago, but there are no problems because I had already agreed that they would leave the keys with the caretaker, who has us drive around the block to put the cars inside the fenced courtyard and then shows us the house. At least this isn't a disappointment.. really nice, on two floors, with a small inner courtyard on the ground floor and a large room with kitchen, bathroom, living room and lounge one after the other, and opposite it a large terrace with a gate that opens onto the street, and beyond the street there's the sea. On the second floor instead there are 2 bedrooms, one double and one with 4 beds.

Taking advantage of the fact that there's another bed in the living room, we leave the double room for the only couple, namely Massi and AP; we 3 girls take the quadruple room with ocean view, and Gigi settles in downstairs. Once settled, given the late hour, we immediately go out in search of one of the restaurants I had noted down, but we don't find any.. the town is deserted, not a soul around.. maybe because it's late?! hmm.. we're a bit surprised..we thought there'd be a bit more going on..we pass by the Zebra Crossing, flagged by Lonely Planet as a very nice and lively pub, but it's closed, and after wandering around a bit we decide to eat at the only restaurant that seems affordable and above all open that we find, namely the MARIMBA CAFE', a restaurant with typical African cuisine flagged by Lonely Planet. The place is nice and lively even though there aren't many people.

The menu is on a chalkboard and, not knowing the dishes, we end up deciding to have them bring us a mixed platter with various African specialties, which in the end turns out to be quite edible... At this point, all in all satisfied with dinner, we decide to head back and, decidedly rather tired, we go to sleep.

the discovery of South Africa begins...

Around 7 am... I wake up and, looking out the window to see what the weather's like, there's immediately a fantastic surprise.. right in front of us in the bay I see a whale!! incredible.. we thought we wouldn't manage to see any given the season, and instead here it is.. I immediately alert the others and go downstairs, and looking carefully we realize the whale is by no means alone... there are several of them playing and roaming around the bay!! what a thrill...my first whales!!! so beautiful.. I must say the choice of accommodation was really spot on.. having whales in front of the house is just too much!! We keep watching them and photographing them while we drink a coffee on the veranda and have a micro breakfast with the little we have, then, reluctantly, we decide to set off... we have a lot to see today and time flies!!! First stop..

the colony of African penguins at Stony Point that we should have seen the day before... we found the place right away without difficulty, even though it's not very busy; in fact there are only a couple of people, so we can enjoy the penguins and the scenery in peace...

a shame though that there's a beastly wind blowing, so much so that you struggle not to move when you take photos!! and on top of that it's also freezing, so despite the sun it's bitterly cold!! After wandering around a bit we decide to go warm up in the nearby bar with a nice coffee, and drawn in by the menu we end up having a huge breakfast of eggs, vegetables, bread and jam!! it's almost 11 and it really hit the spot!!! With full bellies we decide to set off again and head back towards Hermanus, where we make a stop at the splendid Grotto Beach, and then continue on to Cape Agulhas, stopping now and then to see other beaches (among them Pearly Beach) and to take a few photos of the splendid views we come across. Finally, around 4:15 pm, we arrive at the southernmost point of the African continent, where the 2 oceans meet...

Here too the wind is very strong, and we take a few photos, then go thaw out in the bar at the lighthouse. After a short stop, and despite the late hour, we decide to go all the way to the village of Arniston.. but the GPS takes us on a much longer route than the one I wanted to take, so in the end we arrive quite late and stop only for a few seconds to take a couple of photos of the distant dunes of the De Hoop reserve (which we would have liked to visit but had to give up including in the itinerary because the road to reach them would have cost us too much time). So we leave Arniston and stop along the road at a big supermarket to stock up on some food for the next few days.

In the end, even though we didn't want to drive at night, we return to Hermanus when it's been pitch dark for a while, so much so that when we go out for dinner we find all the restaurants with their kitchens already closed and have to make do with eating something at the Zebra Crossing. Of my suitcase there's no trace, and by now I no longer counted on finding it, when around 10:30 pm I go out of the house to get something left in the car and the night guard comes up to me telling me that at the entrance there's a courier with my suitcase!!!!!! I couldn't believe it... it really was my dear little duffel bag.. out of joy I would have kissed the courier too.. this time too I got lucky.. thank goodness... tired but happy about the recovery, after making ourselves coffee and tea and chatting a bit, we go to bed.

Tomorrow the alarm goes off before dawn!! A long day awaits us with tons of km to cover to reach the Addo Elephant Park, where we've booked for one night.. See you tomorrow..goodnight!!!

From Hermanus to Addo Elephant Park

We wake up very early and, shortly before dawn, that is just after 5:00, we're ready to leave.. we take advantage of the fact that there's little traffic and that we're fresh and rested and do one mega stretch all the way to Mossel Bay, where we stop at a kind of service station and have a nice coffee, eating some biscuits that the legendary Gigi had brought from Italy, and above all we stretch our legs a bit!! After a while we set off again, and always in touch by radio we decide to make a stop at a scenic spot along the coast to take some photos of a beautiful beach seen from above; then we stop at another beach and, given the time, we also pull out what we need to make sandwiches... in the end we mostly eat a lot of sand, given the wind that's still blowing very strongly, and we take a few photos...

nice place..shame about the wind, which is truly deadly! Since there's nothing in the area and we fancy a coffee, we get back in the cars and set off along the road, and stop at the first bar-restaurant that appeals to us. Time flies, but fortunately so do the kilometers, and trying to limit stops as much as possible, finally around 4:30 pm we arrive at Addo Elephant National Park. Our rondavels are really nice and, as expected, overlook the waterhole, which however is deserted. We immediately inquire whether it's possible to book the evening or night safari, but the only one with space is the 6:00 one the next morning, so we book that one, and since there's still about an hour until the gates close we decide to take a little drive around the park in our own cars.

Armed with the map, I take the lead and head straight for a waterhole, but there's nothing there...The first impression of the park is a bit disappointing because, although the landscape is beautiful, the road to drive in the park is paved, and to me it's a real disgrace to bring asphalt into a nature reserve, and on top of that you don't see many animals...we immediately come across a couple of elephants, but they slip straight into the bush and vanish, a few ostriches, the usual kudu and some cute meerkats. Unfortunately, the time available isn't much, so we don't go too far and are back by 6:30 pm....

let's hope tomorrow we manage to see something more! Back at our lodgings, the idea was to cook something in the communal kitchen, but when we go to look at it we notice there's not much available and that all the cupboards are locked, so we decide to eat at the camp restaurant; then we stay outside our rondavels for a bit watching the waterhole, but apart from a couple of rhinos you can't see much... despite everything though, I'm happy..at last I feel in Africa..my dear, much-loved Africa with its starry nights... the scents, the colors and the animals hidden in the darkness of the savannah.. only now, for me, does the real journey begin!!

ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK

Wake up at around 5.. it's still dark but it's already getting light even though it's all cloudy and it's freezing cold!! We make ourselves a coffee and drink it looking at the watering hole, obviously deserted, then we go to reception ready for the 6 o'clock safari. There are quite a few of us and the six of us are put on the bigger of the 2 trucks (obviously open) and shortly after we set off.. despite the many layers we're wearing it's freezing cold...let's hope we don't freeze to death!! Past the gates we start with the area we had already seen yesterday on our own and there's nothing interesting..the usual kudu..ostriches and warthogs then we go deeper into a more distant part of the park and finally find some dirt roads (thank goodness they've at least left some like that.. seeing asphalt in a reserve is a real disgrace!!) here too nothing particularly interesting..

we find a couple of elephants eating the bushes at the sides of the road and further on a herd of buffalo.. we continue but at this point the vegetation is quite dense and tall so if an animal isn't right on the road or right at the sides you just can't see it.. almost 2 hours pass like this and I'm practically frozen and decidedly disappointed then suddenly we hear the ranger talking on the radio probably with the other jeep (we had split up right away) and we hear the magic word for my ears: "lions"!!!! Immediately we change route and shortly after we catch up with the others and following their gazes we immediately see a beautiful pride of lions sitting and/or lying just a few metres from the road in a small clearing.. finally.. I can hardly believe it.. what luck!!! they're really beautiful... every time I come across them it's always like the first time..

the adrenaline rises and I'm fascinated by their power and beauty. By now, unfortunately though, it's past 8 and the rangers only give us a little time to take a few photos then they take us back to camp, meanwhile it has also started to rain.. what a rotten day and what cold!! Back at camp, given how frozen we are, we decide to go and have a nice breakfast of eggs bacon and piping hot coffee at the restaurant... just what we needed... it feels like an eternity since we got up, maybe also thanks to all the things we've seen and the intense emotions we've felt, and instead it's only 8:30!!! how nice, we still have quite a bit of time to drive around the park! unfortunately though while we're having breakfast it starts pouring so we wait a bit for it to ease off before going back to our rooms to get our luggage and so we waste a bit of time.

After packing our bags and the sandwiches for lunch we leave the rooms and finally around 10 we're back inside the park..right away we come across a nice big African tortoise along the edge of the road.. we continue..our intention is to go back to the lions but it's been almost 2 hours since we left them and in fact when we get to the area they're no longer there...we keep looking for them scanning every bush every tree every little clearing but nothing... unfortunately the area has quite dense and tall vegetation so they could simply have moved a few metres away from the road and we can't see them anymore.... what a shame.. really..

anyway we were lucky to have seen them at least this morning because the lions were introduced into the park only recently and there are very few of them...I think 7 or 8 and we saw 4 of them!! whereas for example there are hundreds of elephants and we only saw 4 of them too!! we keep driving around far and wide until past 14:30 but of the lions no trace anymore only warthogs ostriches kudu zebras buffalo and a lone eland near a watering hole... before reaching the park gates, even though it's forbidden, we get out of the car a couple of times to remove some tortoises from the middle of the road... there are so many of them.. I didn't think so.. Out of the park we stop at the camp for a coffee and Massimo and I go to fill up at the pump... there are quite a few kilometres outside the park ahead of us before evening if we want to reach Middelburg as planned for the night.

After a while we finally manage to set off...we're a bit behind schedule but once back on the N10 the kilometres fly by thanks to the excellent road and the light traffic. When the sun starts to set we're still far from Middelburg but not that far so we stop for a moment to take some photos because the landscape is stunning.. in the surrounding plain there are beautiful cone-shaped hills some with flat tops and clouds around them so that they look like volcanoes erupting especially given the fact that the sunset has tinted everything pink and purple..really beautiful... When we arrive in Middelburg it's pitch dark but luckily the hotel where I had thought of looking for accommodation, namely the Karoo Country Inn Hotel, is right on the main road and we find it immediately.

Two of us get out to see if there's room, leaving the others to guard the cars because the place doesn't inspire us much.. the lady at reception is very kind and gives us a good price for 3 doubles, she tells us to go around the block to bring the cars into the inner courtyard where they'll be safe and then that if we want to have dinner in the adjoining restaurant we can already go because it's open.. we bring the cars inside, quickly settle into the rooms and then go down to use the ATM which is right nearby.. Gigi and Silvia can't withdraw with theirs but we have no problems..worst case we'll lend them the money. That done we go to the restaurant and I have, just for a change, a nice big steak with potatoes and fried onion.. really excellent!! In the end we also manage to taste the typical South African dessert, Malva Pudding, which contrary to what I thought is really excellent.

After chatting a bit and deciding to wake up very early again the next day given the many kilometres left to reach the next destination, namely the Witsand Nature Reserve, we go to bed. The rooms are a bit gloomy and furnished in a very old-fashioned way but the beds are comfortable and we're dead tired so we sleep like babies!

From Middelburg to WITSAND NATURE RESERVE

Wake up at 4.15, a quick coffee (thank goodness there's the kettle in the room and also some coffee sachets!!) and then we go down.. it's cool and also cloudy... I can't take the cold anymore damn it.. we're in Africa not at the pole!! luckily we're heading north and it should be warmer there...let's hope so!! We leave Middelburg.. the kilometres fly by.. we find ourselves in the mountains..there's fog and it's drizzling.. it feels like being in the Dolomites.. how strange this South Africa is.. it's incredible how the landscape changes constantly! We go over a kind of pass..the road is only two lanes and there are many trucks but luckily every now and then they've added a second lane a hundred metres long to allow slow vehicles to move over and let others pass and... incredible... everyone does it!! this is another aspect of South Africans that struck me a lot...

contrary to what I had been told they drive fantastically, everyone who goes slowly is very kind and moves over to let you pass then it's customary to honk to say thank you and they flash their lights at you... it's the norm.. they really all do it.. incredible.. just like in Italy!!!!!! After a couple of hours of travelling the weather starts to change and the sun comes out..at the first sign of a village we exit to see if we can find an ATM to let Silvia and Gigi try again but we find ourselves in a half-ghost village with a somewhat eerie feel and the only bank there is closed and seems to have been for a long time.... so we decide to go back to the main road and try the next one. In the next village we stop at a petrol station to get a coffee and fill up then we stop at the ATM nearby but they can't withdraw anything here either..I think it's really their cards that have problems.

Meanwhile the air has started to warm up and it's much better.. it's a beautiful day and we decide to continue and stop at the next village to let them go into a bank to change money since they can't withdraw and since it's still closed because it's early. Finally after a while near Groblershoop we find a cluster of houses and shops with a bank too and we stop. Since we also have quite a bit of money on us we decide we should all change some and then we finally set off again towards Witsand turning right away onto the R64..this too is a nice road, very wide and with very little traffic.. at a certain point we see a sign on the left indicating witsand Reserve but of course Massimo who is ahead obeys the sat nav and continues.. we slow down but by now they're too far away and can't hear us because the two-way radio no longer gets a signal...never mind...we'll take the next one...

Along the road every now and then there are rest areas with a table and posts like stools to sit on so we take advantage and stop for lunch...we set the table with everything we have, that is bread nutella crackers biscuits salami and of course coffee... it's still very windy but the sun is burning and it finally feels really good.. After refreshing ourselves we set off again and after a while we turn left onto a dirt road and from here on the landscape is increasingly beautiful especially because there's no more of the horrid asphalt that makes everything sadder. the road despite being dirt is in quite good condition and we proceed quite fast... we cross hilly areas and plains.. the earth in some places is very red in others less so...

there's a lot of dust obviously and our cars soon are no longer as beautifully white as they once were!!! At a certain point we also see a beautiful little steenbok with 2 big ears that distinguish it. Towards 16:30 here we finally are at the gates of the Witsand Reserve.. in the distance you can already see the legendary white dunes... truly a beautiful place!! We park and go to reception..apart from one person behind the desk and another guy in the little shop opposite there isn't a soul around... hmm... luckily they have our booking and showing us a map they point out the road to reach our bungalows which are in the camping area. It was hard to book one night in this place because they never answered any of the emails I sent them and I really didn't know what to do then I found a booking site for all of South Africa that also had this one and I booked through them...

we wanted a 6-person chalet but they told us they only had 3 bungalows for 2 in the camping area so with shared bathrooms and kitchen and that was absolutely fine with us. Arriving in the area they indicated we find only 2 of our 3 bungalows and of these 2 one is locked and there's no trace of the key and the second is open but still to be tidied. I don't understand if they're a bit slow in this place or if they're simply not very organised. I take the car and go back to reception.. the guy very kindly makes a phone call and tells us he's sending someone straight away to look so we go back and after a while, calmly of course, the cleaning ladies arrive and while they tidy the rooms we go to see the pool and the common area but everything is closed and there's no one.. what a shame.. who knows why..

maybe it's low season or maybe we've simply caught a day with few people in fact there's only another couple besides us in the bungalow next door... on the other hand it's also true that this area here is a bit like a campsite and maybe the guests are all in the chalets which are in another area... after a while we finally settle in.. I forgot, meanwhile we also found the 3rd bungalow which was hidden behind another one among the trees. You certainly can't say they're luxurious and we're a bit cramped but we knew from the start that the accommodation here was spartan and we adapt without problems. Finally here it's decidedly warm and we take the opportunity to wash our hair too and change.. finally we abandon the fleeces and jeans and put on summer clothes with light trousers and a tank top..

fantastic!!! Cleaned up and smelling nice we take the cars and with map in hand we start driving around the park then we decide to go straight to the area of the famous dunes. Along the road we come across several springbok. Arriving at the point indicated by the map we get out of the cars and climb up a dune... an enormous effort because the path isn't on the top of the dune but on the side and so you sink in and then it's very steep.. we reach the top and I'm out of breath and exhausted but the landscape is truly worth the effort... it's splendid.. with dunes and green bushes..beautiful!! we take some photos then go down.

WITSAND NATURE RESERVE continued

... By now it's not far off 6pm, closing time for the shop, so we head off quickly because we want to buy the meat to do the BBQ but even though we arrive at one minute to 6 the shop is already closed and there's no one around anymore.. never mind, we'll make ourselves a plate of pasta...At this point since the sun is still out we go to see another viewpoint. Here we find a table with benches and sit for a bit to enjoy the view with the dunes on the horizon..curious, I set off along a little path nearby but then given the ground full of rocks and bushes I give up and turn back for fear of venomous snakes. We decide to watch the sunset from the dunes behind our bungalows but when we get there the sun is already behind the taller dunes and we can't see much. We settle for photographing the dunes and the sky full of clouds tinted pink or orange depending on the positions and the moment...

Back at the bungalows we make our dinner, that is spaghetti with tuna, and eat all together in the guys' room. After dinner we linger a bit outside in the dark admiring the stars and we see loads of shooting stars.. truly a magical place!!!!!! of course being out in nature there are also quite a few unwelcome little creatures like big spiders cockroaches little worms slithering etc so even though we're fascinated by the sky every now and then we turn on the torch to take a look around our feet to make sure nothing is climbing up our legs... moreover in the dark we also keep catching sight of several pairs of sparkling little eyes watching us not far away but when we point the torch we see nothing... maybe they're the baboons.. anyway we're not very at ease and we stay on guard.

After a while though we decide reluctantly to retire too also because everyone is very tired...I would have stayed forever watching that sky but on my own I didn't feel up to it.. and as I head towards my "bungalow" I get the fright of my life because an animal suddenly pops out from behind Massi and Gigi's bungalow and runs off very fast... I really wasn't expecting it, anyway it was just a springbok or something similar. At this point I go into the room hoping not to find unwelcome insects in the bed and I fall asleep almost immediately.

from the witsand reserve to Upington

Today no wake-up at dawn... we're not in a hurry to get moving because we only have to reach Upington by evening but it's only about 220 km of which half is dirt roads so it'll take 2 and a half hours, 3 if we stop often to take photos, so we take the opportunity to rest a bit more. We have breakfast as last night in the guys' bungalow then we go around the reserve again for the whole morning.. we see a new very beautiful viewpoint from which we also spot a group of oryx, then we return to the viewpoint seen the evening before, the one from which you have access to the dunes, and leave the cars to take a walk hoping to spot some animal but the only one we meet up close is an enormous tortoise..

we return to the cars and make a stop at the reception where we take a quick look at the botanical reserve, then around midday we decide to leave (after wandering a bit to find Gigi, whom we had lost!!) We reluctantly leave this splendid reserve with its white and red dunes and decide to take a different road from the way there to see as much as possible of that beautiful area and we did well because we saw fantastic landscapes with wonderful colors... hard to describe the beauty of these African landscapes..

you need to see them with your own eyes and carry them in your heart!! In the mid-afternoon we arrive in Upington and immediately track down the guest house "De Duine" B & B of Dantes (the owner of Kalahari tours & Travel with whom I had booked the 4 days of safari) where we were supposed to stay but when we arrive we discover it's already occupied by relatives visiting for his son's wedding, so he accomodates us at his other Guest House, Mazurka Water B & B. Actually we were very lucky because the second one is much more elegant and luxurious compared to the one we chose, which was cheaper, and he doesn't charge us the difference because it was his choice. As soon as we arrive we settle into our rooms, which are mini apartments complete with kitchen and living room, and then we go for a stroll to the nearby supermarket to stock up on water and food for the following days.

Dinner at the restaurant next to the market with, for a change, a nice big grilled steak (this time ostrich) with potatoes, truly good.. we return to our guest house and get ready for the next day's safari!!

off x the safari at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Up early as always and after a nice breakfast prepared for us at Dantes's house, we finally set off for the safari. We leave our Toyotas here and continue the journey in 2 nice off-road vehicles, one driven by an expert guide and the other by one of Dantes's assistants... unfortunately the latter can't accompany us as planned because of a wedding. Along the way we first stop to observe an enclosure with some emus, which are not exactly typical of this area, and then at the edge of a kind of salt lake. Shortly before entering the park we also stop at a beautiful hotel for a coffee break and finally here we are at the famous and long-desired Kgalagadi Park. As soon as we enter we settle into our bungalow and then immediately off around the park in search of animals!! As a start we're not very lucky, in fact we only see a sea of springboks, oryx and wildebeest,,, no felines...

let's hope we're luckier tomorrow!! Back at the camp they prepare dinner for us, which we eat outside our bungalow surrounded by a sea of fluttering insects and big black worms... not exactly great company... luckily there are also some cute yellow mongooses that eat the insects we throw on the ground. After dinner we stay outside in the dark watching the splendid African sky and after a while we hear the roar of a lion.... what an emotion.. now we really feel like we're in Africa!!! But the surprises aren't over yet, in fact shortly after we witness a very strange event: for a few seconds the sky lights up as bright as day, so much so that it even lights up our faces, and then just as it lit up it quickly goes dark... we're left speechless and still can't explain what happened...

one of the many emotions that only Africa can give you! we stay outside for a long time still hoping it happens again and also hoping to hear the lion again but then, reluctantly, we go to sleep... ready for a new adventure the next day!!