2010-2011 Christmas in Kenya, New Year in South Africa
Itinerary
Dec. 8 Flight from Raleigh to London Heathrow
9 London
11 London - Nairobi
12 Nairobi
13 Trip to Mount Kenya, Nyeri, Aberdare Mountain Reserve
Roaming around Nairobi
25 Christmas in Nairobi
26 Flight from Nairobi to Johannesburg, South Africa. Sandton Mall- Mandela Square
28 Johannesburg Park, Zoo and Military Museum-Moyos Restaurant
Redhill School - St. Martins in the Veld - Apartheid Museum
29 Pretoria
30 Flight from Johannesburg to George, Knysna
31 Drive to Knysa - boat ride, Wilderness
Jan. 1 Drive down Garden Route to Capetown - Mountain Manor, B&B.
2 Roaming around Capetown - Library - Gardens
3 Drive to Blue Peter Hotel in Blouberg to meet John and Jesicah Hodson - Drive around Seapoint and other places where family lived.
4 Groot Constancia - Rhodes Memorial
5 With Pamela Wolfe and Lynn Crowhurst, visit Wolfe graves in St. John's Parish cemetery, then to Plumstead
Cemetery for Crowhurst and more Wolfe graves - Vineyard Hotel for tea
6 Cape Point - Simonstown - Fish Hoek. Flight to Kenya for family - Flight to the UK then on to the USA for me.
Dec. 8 Flight from Raleigh to London Heathrow
9 London
11 London - Nairobi
12 Nairobi
13 Trip to Mount Kenya, Nyeri, Aberdare Mountain Reserve
Roaming around Nairobi
25 Christmas in Nairobi
26 Flight from Nairobi to Johannesburg, South Africa. Sandton Mall- Mandela Square
28 Johannesburg Park, Zoo and Military Museum-Moyos Restaurant
Redhill School - St. Martins in the Veld - Apartheid Museum
29 Pretoria
30 Flight from Johannesburg to George, Knysna
31 Drive to Knysa - boat ride, Wilderness
Jan. 1 Drive down Garden Route to Capetown - Mountain Manor, B&B.
2 Roaming around Capetown - Library - Gardens
3 Drive to Blue Peter Hotel in Blouberg to meet John and Jesicah Hodson - Drive around Seapoint and other places where family lived.
4 Groot Constancia - Rhodes Memorial
5 With Pamela Wolfe and Lynn Crowhurst, visit Wolfe graves in St. John's Parish cemetery, then to Plumstead
Cemetery for Crowhurst and more Wolfe graves - Vineyard Hotel for tea
6 Cape Point - Simonstown - Fish Hoek. Flight to Kenya for family - Flight to the UK then on to the USA for me.
In December 2010, my son Daniel and his wife Elisa, gave me the trip of a lifetime. Having recently moved to Nairobi, Kenya, for Elisa's job, they invited me to spend Christmas with them and then go on to South Africa for a holiday. Dan had never been to South Africa, and for many years I had been wanting to share memories of my birthplace with him. I was thrilled too, at the prospect of being with them all again. In October, they had spent a month with me after leaving their apartment and I sorely missed them and my sweet two and a half year-old grand-daughter Zoe.
December 8th, I played hooky from school, said goodbye to my students and cat Wolfie, and took off on American Airlines Flight 174 to London. This is my favorite flight, the only way to go London, in my opinion. Great uncrowded airport only 20 minutes from my house, direct flight on a small aircraft, not having to go to huge crowded hubs. We are certainly lucky to have that daily flight.
December 9 - Pushed by the jet stream, we arrived early at Heathrow, which meant circling around for a while due to the early morning time restrictions, and the number of planes coming in from the West, but finally we landed. I had been most fortunate in the weather. The week before there had been snow storms, but for me it was fine, albeit a bit chilly. Despite making arrangements with my B&B hostess, there was no car to meet me. I had 2 suitcases as I was taking a number of items Dan and Elisa had had sent to my address for me to bring. And of course there were the Christmas presents. I had decided to stay overnight in London, giving me two full days to see my friends (how could I not!) and also to give me a rest between two overnight flights. I found a shuttle bus company at the airport who would take me to the B&B and pick me up the next day for the flight to Nairobi, so that was easily taken care of. My B&B was perfect, I found it on http://www.thebedandbreakfastclub.co.uk/. I was looking for somewhere close to the Victoria and Albert Museum, as I planned to go to the Diaghilev exhibition. It was a small mews house, beautifully furnished, and a charming hostess who could have been an aunt. I felt at home immediately.
After a quick settle in, I walked over to the V&A to meet my childhood friend Louise. As I was early, I went up to the Jewellery collection where I looked for pieces that were commissioned by lovesick swains, and spelt out messages, e.g. Dearest would be a brooch perhaps, with a Diamond, Emerald, Amber, Ruby etc. to spell out the word. I had read about those pieces on Two Nerdy History Girls. Unfortunately, the museum did not have any examples, only illustrations from a book in the Art Library. It was still worth a trip to the Jewellery collection. The exhibits from pre-1600 to today were breathtaking.
When Louise arrived, we had lunch before going through the exhibition. English museums and country houses always have wonderful lunches and teas, and we had both. Lunch before the exhibition and tea afterwards (only just, as we stayed late at the exhibition). For lunch we had a fish pie and a vegetable pie, both delicious. It kept us going through the two and a half hours it took to walk through the exhibition. (More to come).
At the end, we just were able to get a cup of tea and a piece of cake, before tackling the drive up to our next event, the ballet "Cinderella" at Sadlers' Wells.(more about this later). Fortunately Louise was aware of it, and tried to take a route around town, but we still got caught up in the traffic caused by the demonstration by students regarding university fees. We just missed being in the area where Prince Charles and Camilla were attacked in their car. Louise worked her car magic and found a legal parking space just around the corner from the Theatre. It was exciting to be at Sadlers Wells once again. When a student at the Guildhall School School of Music, then located in Blackfriars, I lived on Noel Road, very near Sadlers Wells. My landlady was a cellist in the Wells' orchestra. At first, reluctant to move from her previous home in South Kensington, I had moved to the house of a friend of hers nearby, but it wasn't the same. I think living in a basement flat wasn't very salubrious. I caught a bad case of flu, and actually had to go home in Kent to recover, so up to Islington I went. Phyllis' new house was a Georgian row house backing up on the canal. It had been completely renovated and was very modern and airy. My room was on the third floor. Phyllis on the second floor and her 90 year-old mother (Granny to us all) lived on first floor. Every morning Granny would make her way down to the basement kitchen, overlooking the garden and canal, to make her cup of coffee with fresh beans and feed the cat.
The Camden Street Antique market and shops were fascinating, and on the other side of Islington High Street was the regular market, as only Londoners can do it. I did miss being in South Ken., being close to the Royal Albert Hall for concerts and some of my friends from the Royal College of Music, but it was fun in Islington. Phyllis occasionally would give me tickets to performances at Sadlers' Wells. One was to Puccini's "La Boheme". To this day, I have not been able to watch another performance of that opera. It affected me so much that night, that I sat in the theatre and sobbed until the ushers threw me out. However 40 something years later, I could go back to the newly-renovated theatre and thoroughly enjoy the ballet.
On the way back to the B&B to drop me off, I wanted to see the Christmas lights on Oxford and Regents streets. Definitely the wrong choice! We got caught up in the remnants of the detoured traffic from the students' protest march, and when we saw the police armoured vehicles, we turned around and looked for other ways to cross London. Thank goodness Louise knows London like the back of her hand, and we were soon in the mews with the B&B. I usually stay with her when I am London, but because I was so short of time, I opted for a B&B close to everything and easy to get to Heathrow. By this time it was very late, and I had been up for over 24 hours, what with the time change from the US, and not getting much, if any sleep on the flight. So I slept like a log in the cozy soft bed.
Dec. 10
My hostess and I had arranged for breakfast at 8:30am, but I slept until 9:30am when she finally called me. Panic stations! No breakfast for me, as I had to meet Daniel at the Angel tube station (in Islington!) at 10:30am.
I ran to the Gloucester Road tube, fumbled around for tickets, there was a long queue of course, and made it to the Angel. No sign of Daniel and I thought I had missed him. My phone was working but nothing from him. I was sad at the thought that I had missed him and he had given up on me, but then up he came on the escalator. He had been in Hackney at his job. Daniel is a former cello student of mine, studying with me from the fourth grade through high school. He was the most consistent student I had. In spite of many other commitments he had, he would be at his lesson on time and prepared. We had such fun with his compositions in my group classes, he would write rhythms that challenged us all. He loved playing Irish jigs and inspired all my students. Daniel is one of the nicest persons I know. An exceptionally caring young man, with great passions for soccer and music and helping others less fortunate. He went on to university at UNC-Chapel, so I was able to follow his musical career with his recitals and participation in the Viol consort. He went on to spend time at Brighton University and then back to the States working in California with a non-profit called City Year. A position in the same organization opened up in London, and he was thrilled to get it. He had just finished organizing a soccer event for a number of under-privileged children in London. It had gone extremely well and he was so gratified.
We sat in a coffee shop and for 2 solid hours he outlined a project he has for 2012, getting children in selected areas of each state in the US to play instruments. It will be amazing, and I am going to help him with it as much as I can. The time went too fast, and suddenly it was time for me to meet my other good friend Rogers, also at the Angel. I was sad to say goodbye to Daniel, we still had so much to catch up on, but time had run out.
Rogers is an old friend from my student days. A top-notch tenor who has had an amazing career with the Hilliard Ensemble and still going. We went to lunch at Pizza Express (delicious) and again the 2 hours flew by. One thing I wanted to talk to him about was the "Stabat Mater" by Arvo Part, the Estonian composer. The Hilliard are famous their interpretation of this piece. I and a group of musicians are performing it in April, so I wanted to get some performance practice tips from him. He is so precise, I hope I can pass on his suggestions correctly to the others. A sudden look at the watch, and I had to rush off to the B&B to meet the shuttle for the airport. What a wrench! But then, I had so much to look forward to! The family and Africa!
The shuttle did find me eventually, the B&B is tucked in a narrow mews off the Queen's Gate, and there was a lot of construction going on. London seems to be being re-built everywhere. It took an hour to get to Heathrow, then it was the usual, checking in, etc. etc. The flight was Virgin Atlantic at 9:20pm to Nairobi. Another overnight flight.
December 8th, I played hooky from school, said goodbye to my students and cat Wolfie, and took off on American Airlines Flight 174 to London. This is my favorite flight, the only way to go London, in my opinion. Great uncrowded airport only 20 minutes from my house, direct flight on a small aircraft, not having to go to huge crowded hubs. We are certainly lucky to have that daily flight.
December 9 - Pushed by the jet stream, we arrived early at Heathrow, which meant circling around for a while due to the early morning time restrictions, and the number of planes coming in from the West, but finally we landed. I had been most fortunate in the weather. The week before there had been snow storms, but for me it was fine, albeit a bit chilly. Despite making arrangements with my B&B hostess, there was no car to meet me. I had 2 suitcases as I was taking a number of items Dan and Elisa had had sent to my address for me to bring. And of course there were the Christmas presents. I had decided to stay overnight in London, giving me two full days to see my friends (how could I not!) and also to give me a rest between two overnight flights. I found a shuttle bus company at the airport who would take me to the B&B and pick me up the next day for the flight to Nairobi, so that was easily taken care of. My B&B was perfect, I found it on http://www.thebedandbreakfastclub.co.uk/. I was looking for somewhere close to the Victoria and Albert Museum, as I planned to go to the Diaghilev exhibition. It was a small mews house, beautifully furnished, and a charming hostess who could have been an aunt. I felt at home immediately.
After a quick settle in, I walked over to the V&A to meet my childhood friend Louise. As I was early, I went up to the Jewellery collection where I looked for pieces that were commissioned by lovesick swains, and spelt out messages, e.g. Dearest would be a brooch perhaps, with a Diamond, Emerald, Amber, Ruby etc. to spell out the word. I had read about those pieces on Two Nerdy History Girls. Unfortunately, the museum did not have any examples, only illustrations from a book in the Art Library. It was still worth a trip to the Jewellery collection. The exhibits from pre-1600 to today were breathtaking.
When Louise arrived, we had lunch before going through the exhibition. English museums and country houses always have wonderful lunches and teas, and we had both. Lunch before the exhibition and tea afterwards (only just, as we stayed late at the exhibition). For lunch we had a fish pie and a vegetable pie, both delicious. It kept us going through the two and a half hours it took to walk through the exhibition. (More to come).
At the end, we just were able to get a cup of tea and a piece of cake, before tackling the drive up to our next event, the ballet "Cinderella" at Sadlers' Wells.(more about this later). Fortunately Louise was aware of it, and tried to take a route around town, but we still got caught up in the traffic caused by the demonstration by students regarding university fees. We just missed being in the area where Prince Charles and Camilla were attacked in their car. Louise worked her car magic and found a legal parking space just around the corner from the Theatre. It was exciting to be at Sadlers Wells once again. When a student at the Guildhall School School of Music, then located in Blackfriars, I lived on Noel Road, very near Sadlers Wells. My landlady was a cellist in the Wells' orchestra. At first, reluctant to move from her previous home in South Kensington, I had moved to the house of a friend of hers nearby, but it wasn't the same. I think living in a basement flat wasn't very salubrious. I caught a bad case of flu, and actually had to go home in Kent to recover, so up to Islington I went. Phyllis' new house was a Georgian row house backing up on the canal. It had been completely renovated and was very modern and airy. My room was on the third floor. Phyllis on the second floor and her 90 year-old mother (Granny to us all) lived on first floor. Every morning Granny would make her way down to the basement kitchen, overlooking the garden and canal, to make her cup of coffee with fresh beans and feed the cat.
The Camden Street Antique market and shops were fascinating, and on the other side of Islington High Street was the regular market, as only Londoners can do it. I did miss being in South Ken., being close to the Royal Albert Hall for concerts and some of my friends from the Royal College of Music, but it was fun in Islington. Phyllis occasionally would give me tickets to performances at Sadlers' Wells. One was to Puccini's "La Boheme". To this day, I have not been able to watch another performance of that opera. It affected me so much that night, that I sat in the theatre and sobbed until the ushers threw me out. However 40 something years later, I could go back to the newly-renovated theatre and thoroughly enjoy the ballet.
On the way back to the B&B to drop me off, I wanted to see the Christmas lights on Oxford and Regents streets. Definitely the wrong choice! We got caught up in the remnants of the detoured traffic from the students' protest march, and when we saw the police armoured vehicles, we turned around and looked for other ways to cross London. Thank goodness Louise knows London like the back of her hand, and we were soon in the mews with the B&B. I usually stay with her when I am London, but because I was so short of time, I opted for a B&B close to everything and easy to get to Heathrow. By this time it was very late, and I had been up for over 24 hours, what with the time change from the US, and not getting much, if any sleep on the flight. So I slept like a log in the cozy soft bed.
Dec. 10
My hostess and I had arranged for breakfast at 8:30am, but I slept until 9:30am when she finally called me. Panic stations! No breakfast for me, as I had to meet Daniel at the Angel tube station (in Islington!) at 10:30am.
I ran to the Gloucester Road tube, fumbled around for tickets, there was a long queue of course, and made it to the Angel. No sign of Daniel and I thought I had missed him. My phone was working but nothing from him. I was sad at the thought that I had missed him and he had given up on me, but then up he came on the escalator. He had been in Hackney at his job. Daniel is a former cello student of mine, studying with me from the fourth grade through high school. He was the most consistent student I had. In spite of many other commitments he had, he would be at his lesson on time and prepared. We had such fun with his compositions in my group classes, he would write rhythms that challenged us all. He loved playing Irish jigs and inspired all my students. Daniel is one of the nicest persons I know. An exceptionally caring young man, with great passions for soccer and music and helping others less fortunate. He went on to university at UNC-Chapel, so I was able to follow his musical career with his recitals and participation in the Viol consort. He went on to spend time at Brighton University and then back to the States working in California with a non-profit called City Year. A position in the same organization opened up in London, and he was thrilled to get it. He had just finished organizing a soccer event for a number of under-privileged children in London. It had gone extremely well and he was so gratified.
We sat in a coffee shop and for 2 solid hours he outlined a project he has for 2012, getting children in selected areas of each state in the US to play instruments. It will be amazing, and I am going to help him with it as much as I can. The time went too fast, and suddenly it was time for me to meet my other good friend Rogers, also at the Angel. I was sad to say goodbye to Daniel, we still had so much to catch up on, but time had run out.
Rogers is an old friend from my student days. A top-notch tenor who has had an amazing career with the Hilliard Ensemble and still going. We went to lunch at Pizza Express (delicious) and again the 2 hours flew by. One thing I wanted to talk to him about was the "Stabat Mater" by Arvo Part, the Estonian composer. The Hilliard are famous their interpretation of this piece. I and a group of musicians are performing it in April, so I wanted to get some performance practice tips from him. He is so precise, I hope I can pass on his suggestions correctly to the others. A sudden look at the watch, and I had to rush off to the B&B to meet the shuttle for the airport. What a wrench! But then, I had so much to look forward to! The family and Africa!
The shuttle did find me eventually, the B&B is tucked in a narrow mews off the Queen's Gate, and there was a lot of construction going on. London seems to be being re-built everywhere. It took an hour to get to Heathrow, then it was the usual, checking in, etc. etc. The flight was Virgin Atlantic at 9:20pm to Nairobi. Another overnight flight.
Dec. 10, 2010 Flight to Nairobi
The flight was eleven and a half hours, and the seats quite uncomfortable. Food very so-so. The plane was full of people going home for the holidays, so no possibility of empty seats to stretch out. I sat next to a mother with 2 children around 7 and 3. They were very well-behaved and sociable. Another early arrival, this time we were allowed to land, but had to sit in the plane until a gate opened up. The airport looked much the same as I remembered it from 44 years ago, maybe a few more buildings around it, and no animals on the runways. The good thing about the flight was there is not much jet-lag, so apart from missing a night's sleep, I was feeling fine. Had to hang around waiting to get a visa. Fortunately Dan had told me to have $25 ready in cash for the visa. Not the greatest of welcomes - the lift was not working to go down to baggage claim, and the guard I spoke to made no effort to help me down the stairs with my carry-on luggage. Did find a lady porter downstairs who put my 2 bags and carry-on on the trolley, then there was Zoe on top of Dan's shoulders and Elisa. What joy!
They had arranged for the use of the apartment complex van to pick me up, which was big enough to take us all and the luggage. The apartment complex is not far from the airport, so we were soon there.
The first impact was that it was warm! A balmy 78 F, it felt so good. Then there was the red Kenya soil and wonderful bougainvillea trees in different colours. I was sorry it wasn't jacaranda blossoming time, I could see the trees and picture the glorious purple-blue blossoms everywhere. The infrastructure around the city is interesting - there are tall, beautifully-designed (for the most part) buildings along main roads, but the roads themselves are appalling - no sidewalks, just paths in the grass or rubble alongside the roadway. I tripped onto the road once, stepping from the sidewalk on to the road, as the tarmac was higher than the dirt path and I didn't lift my foot high enough. There was lots of traffic, (driving is impossible for a newcomer, no-one takes any notice of traffic lights as there are so few anyway, roundabouts are very hazardous as everyone is trying to squeeze in.) but also many people walking on the sides of the roads. Later on I saw very nice sections of the city, and there was a lot of road construction going on to the north, so progress is happening.
The apartment complex which is totally enclosed by a wall with a security gate and guardhouse, is well laid out with lovely gardens and swimming pool. There is also a bar and a chef who cooks meals on demand, and we would have lunch in a little pergola next to the pool. Dan and Elisa would take Zoe in for a dip, but it was surprisingly quiet, not many of the residents of the 3 blocks used it. I didn't make use of the pool as I had forgotten to bring my swimsuit, and didn't find one when I looked in the mall. All they had were the skinny sports suits. I would take my writing pad down and catch up on my journal. It was bliss. Remember, the weather is always perfect.
The apartment on the second floor was spacious and well-designed. The front door opened onto a foyer with built-in shelves, mirror and hooks for hanging hats and coats. Doors lead into the living room (lounge), and the kitchen, which also had a balcony where clothes could be dried. In the foyer there was a good-sized storage closet to put Zoe's stroller. In typical African fashion, the floors were lovely wood parquet throughout. The living room had a built-in entertainment center to fit a large flat TV, bookcase sheleves and cabinets. The dining room had a built-in china hatch with sliding-glass doors above and cabinets below. The textured walls are an earthen color reflecting the Nairobi soil. The dining room, overlooking the pool and gardens, was through an archway from the living room, which had a balcony where we had tea and watched a troup of monkeys watching us. As of now, they have not figured out how to jump from the roof covering the cars, over to the balconies. From the dining room, a door leads to the hallway with three bedrooms, one with the bathroom ensuite. There is a second bathroom, and a small office.
I was well-rested the next day when we went out to the Karen Blixen Coffee House run by the Tamambo restaurant, (formerly the plantation manager's house), in the suburb of Karen. This once part of the estate where Karen Blixen came from Denmark to start a coffee farm. The house which I visited a few days later is still there, but the rest of the estate has been sold off. We had a wonderful brunch, it was a great start to the holiday and we celebrated with Mimosas (and Bloody Mary's I think). The Eggs Florentine with salmon were superb, as was the setting.
Our sweet Zoe
Yummy
After brunch and looking around the lovely gardens and little shop, we went back home, stopping at a roadside basket display. Elisa wanted some laundry baskets and I bought the best purchase of my stay in Africa - a straw-woven hat.
Baskets galore
Your dolls fit better in there, Zoe!
With Zoe still taking naps occasionally, it was easy to have a lie-down in the afternoon to escape the heat of the day after a strenuous morning of sightseeing. Unfortunately that can be very habit-forming, but blame it on the ever-present sun! It was lovely to sit out by the pool in the cool of the evening, no humidity and amazingly free of biting insects. We did have mosquito nets to pull around the beds, and Zoe had hers over her crib which she called her "house". It didn't always stay in place, but she was surprisingly good about keeping under it.
On days we didn't have a touristy event, we went shopping at a nearby supermarket or to one of the many malls in the outskirts of the city. The exotic smell of the fruits in the supermarket sent me into a heady spin -pawpaw, mango, grenadilla and so inexpensive. Fresh fruit was on our menu every day either at home or when eating out. Another delectable inexpensive treat was avocado. It was in season and in all green salads. How I miss them all.
One morning in a mall, the Junction, a smallish mall with a variety of very nice shops, I saw a notice about a string group playing carols that eveing. Thinking it might be a violin teacher taking his/her students to play, I suggested to Dan we take Zoe, as she loves the violin and is always playing hers ( usually a spoon and a straw for the bow, but she'll use anything, fork and knife etc!) Off we went in the evening and found a string trio with a bass, playing carols beautifully. We watched, Zoe was fascinated, then during a break I went up to the first violinist and introduced myself as a friend of Gillian. He brightened up and said they all knew her, and were in fact using some music that she had left them. Gillian was an orchestra student when a young girl, and had gone on to become a fine violinist. For her PhD project, she had gone to Kenya to start a string program in a school near Mount Kenya. During the time she was there, she met and played with a number of musicians. She is sorely missed there. I was invited to play with the group, the cellist was very accommodating and lent me his cello and I enjoyed playing with the group very much. I was pleased that Zoe got to see me playing. The cellist is a sub-organist of the Anglican Cathedral, All Saints, and he invited us to attend the Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols, which we did. His brother is the organist and I got to meet him after the service. I was sorry that the musicians I had been introduced to were gone for the holidays. I would have enjoyed meeting them and playing chamber music. The Nairobi Symphony was also on a break.
One Saturday afternoon, Elisa. Zoe and I went to the YaYa mall which she frequents often as it is close to her office. While not terribly big, it has a good grocery store, well-stocked, and a number of boutique shops. It had some Christmas decorations, but no-where near the American-style hype. The most fascinating thing were the Christmas trees of various sizes made from banana tree leaves and decorated by traditional beaded ornaments.
Another outing one day was to the Diamond Plaza. An interesting square of Indian shops on three sides. Everything was sold in the small shops - clothes - exquisitely embroidered saris for women and little girls, tunics for men and boys. For everyday wear or weddings, the selections were breath-taking. Jewellery of course and leather slippers, electronics, a small convenience store and of course the mobile phone shops. The fourth side had long tables and benches where one sat and got bombarded by waiters trying to get you to order from their restaurant. Fortunately Dan and Elisa had a favorite Indian/Chinese restaurant, "Chowpaty" so we didn't have to battle too long. I was very conservative and had a vegetable samosa and a cheese marsala dhosa which was very tasty. To drink I had a mango lassi (mango puree yoghurt, delicious). It was way too much food, and I took home a good portion of the dhoso. Poor Dan bit into a chili seed and was in agony for some time. It really affected his tongue. I felt awful for him, but then found out that this was not the first time he had done that. Those chili seeds are hard to see in a dish.
The next day were were leaving for our big trip to the Mount Kenya area, so went home to get over lunch and pack for the trip.
They had arranged for the use of the apartment complex van to pick me up, which was big enough to take us all and the luggage. The apartment complex is not far from the airport, so we were soon there.
The first impact was that it was warm! A balmy 78 F, it felt so good. Then there was the red Kenya soil and wonderful bougainvillea trees in different colours. I was sorry it wasn't jacaranda blossoming time, I could see the trees and picture the glorious purple-blue blossoms everywhere. The infrastructure around the city is interesting - there are tall, beautifully-designed (for the most part) buildings along main roads, but the roads themselves are appalling - no sidewalks, just paths in the grass or rubble alongside the roadway. I tripped onto the road once, stepping from the sidewalk on to the road, as the tarmac was higher than the dirt path and I didn't lift my foot high enough. There was lots of traffic, (driving is impossible for a newcomer, no-one takes any notice of traffic lights as there are so few anyway, roundabouts are very hazardous as everyone is trying to squeeze in.) but also many people walking on the sides of the roads. Later on I saw very nice sections of the city, and there was a lot of road construction going on to the north, so progress is happening.
The apartment complex which is totally enclosed by a wall with a security gate and guardhouse, is well laid out with lovely gardens and swimming pool. There is also a bar and a chef who cooks meals on demand, and we would have lunch in a little pergola next to the pool. Dan and Elisa would take Zoe in for a dip, but it was surprisingly quiet, not many of the residents of the 3 blocks used it. I didn't make use of the pool as I had forgotten to bring my swimsuit, and didn't find one when I looked in the mall. All they had were the skinny sports suits. I would take my writing pad down and catch up on my journal. It was bliss. Remember, the weather is always perfect.
The apartment on the second floor was spacious and well-designed. The front door opened onto a foyer with built-in shelves, mirror and hooks for hanging hats and coats. Doors lead into the living room (lounge), and the kitchen, which also had a balcony where clothes could be dried. In the foyer there was a good-sized storage closet to put Zoe's stroller. In typical African fashion, the floors were lovely wood parquet throughout. The living room had a built-in entertainment center to fit a large flat TV, bookcase sheleves and cabinets. The dining room had a built-in china hatch with sliding-glass doors above and cabinets below. The textured walls are an earthen color reflecting the Nairobi soil. The dining room, overlooking the pool and gardens, was through an archway from the living room, which had a balcony where we had tea and watched a troup of monkeys watching us. As of now, they have not figured out how to jump from the roof covering the cars, over to the balconies. From the dining room, a door leads to the hallway with three bedrooms, one with the bathroom ensuite. There is a second bathroom, and a small office.
I was well-rested the next day when we went out to the Karen Blixen Coffee House run by the Tamambo restaurant, (formerly the plantation manager's house), in the suburb of Karen. This once part of the estate where Karen Blixen came from Denmark to start a coffee farm. The house which I visited a few days later is still there, but the rest of the estate has been sold off. We had a wonderful brunch, it was a great start to the holiday and we celebrated with Mimosas (and Bloody Mary's I think). The Eggs Florentine with salmon were superb, as was the setting.
Our sweet Zoe
Yummy
After brunch and looking around the lovely gardens and little shop, we went back home, stopping at a roadside basket display. Elisa wanted some laundry baskets and I bought the best purchase of my stay in Africa - a straw-woven hat.
Baskets galore
Your dolls fit better in there, Zoe!
With Zoe still taking naps occasionally, it was easy to have a lie-down in the afternoon to escape the heat of the day after a strenuous morning of sightseeing. Unfortunately that can be very habit-forming, but blame it on the ever-present sun! It was lovely to sit out by the pool in the cool of the evening, no humidity and amazingly free of biting insects. We did have mosquito nets to pull around the beds, and Zoe had hers over her crib which she called her "house". It didn't always stay in place, but she was surprisingly good about keeping under it.
On days we didn't have a touristy event, we went shopping at a nearby supermarket or to one of the many malls in the outskirts of the city. The exotic smell of the fruits in the supermarket sent me into a heady spin -pawpaw, mango, grenadilla and so inexpensive. Fresh fruit was on our menu every day either at home or when eating out. Another delectable inexpensive treat was avocado. It was in season and in all green salads. How I miss them all.
One morning in a mall, the Junction, a smallish mall with a variety of very nice shops, I saw a notice about a string group playing carols that eveing. Thinking it might be a violin teacher taking his/her students to play, I suggested to Dan we take Zoe, as she loves the violin and is always playing hers ( usually a spoon and a straw for the bow, but she'll use anything, fork and knife etc!) Off we went in the evening and found a string trio with a bass, playing carols beautifully. We watched, Zoe was fascinated, then during a break I went up to the first violinist and introduced myself as a friend of Gillian. He brightened up and said they all knew her, and were in fact using some music that she had left them. Gillian was an orchestra student when a young girl, and had gone on to become a fine violinist. For her PhD project, she had gone to Kenya to start a string program in a school near Mount Kenya. During the time she was there, she met and played with a number of musicians. She is sorely missed there. I was invited to play with the group, the cellist was very accommodating and lent me his cello and I enjoyed playing with the group very much. I was pleased that Zoe got to see me playing. The cellist is a sub-organist of the Anglican Cathedral, All Saints, and he invited us to attend the Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols, which we did. His brother is the organist and I got to meet him after the service. I was sorry that the musicians I had been introduced to were gone for the holidays. I would have enjoyed meeting them and playing chamber music. The Nairobi Symphony was also on a break.
One Saturday afternoon, Elisa. Zoe and I went to the YaYa mall which she frequents often as it is close to her office. While not terribly big, it has a good grocery store, well-stocked, and a number of boutique shops. It had some Christmas decorations, but no-where near the American-style hype. The most fascinating thing were the Christmas trees of various sizes made from banana tree leaves and decorated by traditional beaded ornaments.
Another outing one day was to the Diamond Plaza. An interesting square of Indian shops on three sides. Everything was sold in the small shops - clothes - exquisitely embroidered saris for women and little girls, tunics for men and boys. For everyday wear or weddings, the selections were breath-taking. Jewellery of course and leather slippers, electronics, a small convenience store and of course the mobile phone shops. The fourth side had long tables and benches where one sat and got bombarded by waiters trying to get you to order from their restaurant. Fortunately Dan and Elisa had a favorite Indian/Chinese restaurant, "Chowpaty" so we didn't have to battle too long. I was very conservative and had a vegetable samosa and a cheese marsala dhosa which was very tasty. To drink I had a mango lassi (mango puree yoghurt, delicious). It was way too much food, and I took home a good portion of the dhoso. Poor Dan bit into a chili seed and was in agony for some time. It really affected his tongue. I felt awful for him, but then found out that this was not the first time he had done that. Those chili seeds are hard to see in a dish.
The next day were were leaving for our big trip to the Mount Kenya area, so went home to get over lunch and pack for the trip.
Trip to Mount Kenya, Nyeri and the Aberdare Mountain Reserve.
Our biggest trip in Kenya was to the Mount Kenya area. About 3-4 hours north of Nairobi, it was my first view of the countryside.
Maina had arranged to have an airconditioned Rav 4 for this trip, and it was an excellent choice. Two adults were a little bit cramped in the back with Zoe's car seat, but the drive was very smooth and comfortable. Getting out of Nairobi during the morning rush hour was a challenge with new road construction going up north. Thank goodness we were able to close the window, the red dust was overwhelming. People everywhere - in trucks, cars, mattutus (shared taxi-vans, always packed), bicycles, trying to get where they were going. I wonder what the traffic accident statistics are. At first everything was covered in red dust, but then gradually turned green and very lush when we finally got on to the main road that was paved, and into the countryside. Gradually the the terrain became more hilly. There were many signs of schools (both Junior and Senior), but I don't know if they were government or private schools. A lot of them were boarding schools. Many affluent families send their children to boarding schools for a good education and to get them out of the city. There was always a long driveway, so we couldn't see the buildings. Both sides of the road were sandy red earth, no sidewalks. People walking, setting up stalls of everything- fruit and vegetable, furniture, you name it, there's a stall! It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get to Nyeri. We didn't stop except to take a photo of the Equator. Zoe was so good, quite happy in her car seat, inspite of the sun beating down on her side. We tried to protect her with a light cotton blanket covering the sindow. It worked some of the time.
We stayed at the Outspan Hotel on the outskirts of Nyeri, a small town on the edge of the Aberdare mountains and reserve. It is idyllic and I could have stayed there for ever.
Our cottage
My writing corner
We had a 3-room cottage, the living room had a stone fireplace and a writing desk in front of a little side window. I loved writing there looking down into the forest. The bath was luxurious. Each room had French doors that opened onto a stone patio overlooking the forest and river below. We walked either around the lawns to the dining room or under a covered walkway which led into the hotel. The hotel expanded from a colonial farm in the 1920s to what is now one of the luxury lodges in the area. The orginal part of the hotel houses the dining room, Sherry Bar, and other public rooms, and looks over the main lawn to Mount Kenya. It has an elusive peak which is not always visible, but on our second day we got breath-taking views. It is the only place in Kenya that has snow on the rocky crags at the top. The gardens, lawns flower beds are beautifully tended. The lawn in front sweeps from one side of the hotel grounds to the other and is quite deep.
I didn't get the name of this palm tree, anyone know it?
There is an entrance to a Kikuyu tribe village on one side of the at the end of the lawn, but we did not get visit it. Unfortunately, as we were walking to the dining room, a group of Kikuyu came up the road covered in war paint and doing a war dance. Poor Zoe was terrified, but she was brave and by the time the 3rd Kikuyu warrior had passed by, she stopped screaming. She understood that no-one would hurt her but we didn't want to expose her to something that obviously scared her. She had had a scary experience at Hollowe'en when they were staying with me in October. Kate and James went with her and she had a great time in the early evening going trick or treating in her bumble bee costume, but later in the dusk got very scared by trick ot treaters who were wearing masks.
We arrived around noon and had time to settle in and wash-up before going to the terrace for the buffet lunch. It was very substantial with 4 courses and the hotel guests were joined by a tour group coming from or going back to the reserve. There was a spinach cream soup to start, followed by a little taste of sausage, beef, roast potatoes,green beens, banana stew (delicious) and rice. For dessert I had the wonderful fresh fruit salad with mango sauce. I couldn't manage the cheese course.
After lunch Maina arrived to take us to the Aberdare Wildlife Park and our adventures began. Elisa opted out of coming, she was not feeling well, we thought it may have been the somewhat bumpy ride up, but in fact she had a nasty 24 hour bug, so it was good she was able to sleep it off.
We had to get a "smart card" to allow us to enter the park, then we were on our way. Of course I had wanted to visit Treetops, which is where in 1952, Princess Elizabeth was holidaying with Prince Philip when she became Queen. Her father, King George VI passed away in England just a few weeks after they had left for a tour throughout Africa. Unfortunately, although by staying at the Outspan Hotel we would have been able to go to Treetops, Treetops does not allow children under 5, so we were not able to go there, but Maina was able to drive to a spot where we could just make out the building. There is a gate and very long driveway up to it. The building that was there when the Queen was visiting burnt down, so this one is a newer version.
Treetops way far away from the madding crowd
We felt comfortable with Maina as a guide, he grew up in a village about 45 minutes from Nyeri and has driven through the park, but it was a pretty scary experience. In the bush, roads off the main road were appalling. Not level at all, they sometimes had huge dips on one side or the other, so the car had to roll from side to side. I have so much more admiration for my little Rav 4, even though it doesn't have 4-wheel drive. The scenery was magnificent, down huge valleys and back up again. As in the Nairobi park, in the early afternoon, game is sparse. We drove around the bush looking for animals, sometimes on the main roads, sometimes off. We came across warthogs, adults and babies, impala, dik-dik (small buck) and buffalo. With all the rocking around, Zoe had fallen asleep, thankfully. I was beginning to feel quite queasy.
The lush forest of the Aberdare Mountains.
Around 3:30 or so, hot and thirsty, my internal teatime alarm went off and I asked Maina if we could have tea at the Ark, the only other lodge inside the reserve. It is not open to the general public (like us). You have to be booked in at the Kenya Safari Club, the other luxury hotel. But you don't fool with an English woman when she wants her afternoon tea in the bush! We found our way there, the gate was open so we were able to drive right up to the lodge where Maina worked his magic, and I pleaded with the head waiter. It seems a minibus load of tourists had just driven in which is why the gate was open. Lucky us. We did get a lovely cup of tea and piece of cake.
The Ark is a unique structure. Built of wood in the shape of an ark, the lower level consists of sleeping rooms for guests. Upstairs there is a dining room that seats 120 people, and side areas where one can view the panorama and wildlife. But it is the prow of the Ark that is so magnificent. We were taken to the far side of the dining room where huge picture windows looked on to an enormous water hole full of elephant. We also walked onto the prow of the deck and could look down. Quite amazing.We stayed a long time on that level, drinking our tea, then went downstairs to the ground level, where there was a stone room with smallish windows that we could look the animals in the eye. A couple of the elephant trumpeted at us but were not hostile. As well as the elephant there were several warthog families playing and/or fighting. White tick birds perched on the backs of the animals looking for dinner. There was a low barrier of boulders between us and the animals, and we were mesmerised. To attract them, in addition to having the water hole, the management puts salt licks in the ground for the animals to dig out.
From the stone room window
Eventually the elephant ambled off into the bush for their afternoon nap. Then one lone male elephant came down. He had been ostracised by the herd, and would wait until they had left before coming to the water hole.
The lone male
Why have tea anywhere else?
What a high note to end the game drive on! We left reluctantly and got back to the hotel to relax before going to the Sherry Bar before dinner. Elisa joined us for a drink, but couldn't face dinner. The bar was a typical of a Ye Olde English pub - huge stone fireplace, beautifully carved wooden bar and large windows overlooking the lawns. Dinner was served in the baronial dining room. I had lamb kebab with barbecue sauce and the fresh vegetable medley. All delicious. I had a sense of all the parties and celebrations and perhaps some unhappy events that had been had in that beautiful setting. Maybe I had "White Mischief " in my head.
"White Mischief"
There had been quite a storm while we were gone, and the temperature had dropped. As I had not brought any warm clothes, I had a hot bath in the luxury tub before snuggling into bed. A totally blissful day.
The next morning was gorgeous. The mist had cleared so we were able to see the peak of Mount Kenya. I tiptoed through the dewy grass past the peacocks to the terrace where the outdoor breakfast buffet was being served. There was much variety - cereal, yogurt, fruit salad, made to order omelettes and pancakes and of course "the full English" - eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushroom, potatoes.That really gives you a start for the rest of the day (providing you put in a day's work of hard labor to work it off!) It was difficult to leave the terrace, sitting there in the peacefulness of the early(ish) morning was so soothing, in spite of the peacock screams. Gorgeous peacocks wander around and occasionally join the breakfast and lunch diners.
However, we had a busy day ahead of us and I wanted to visit the Baden Powell museum before we left.
The founder of the Scout movement, Lord Robert Baden Powell, had a cottage built for him at the hotel, and he and his wife and lived there for 3 years until he died in 1941. The cottage is called Paxtu and is now a museum/shrine to Baden Powell. The photographic displays were so interesting, showing many facets of his and his wife's lives. I was fascinated, but so sad that my brother John was not with me. He would have been fascinated as well, knowing so much about scouting from Macgregor. His Dad was a scoutmaster for decades, and in fact died on a hike during a New Year's scout camping trip in South Africa. Scouters and Girl Guides come from all over the world and leave their local troop scarves with messages in the museum. Scout Jamborees are quite often held at the hotel. The movement is quite strong in Kenya, I believe.
Maina came to pick us after after spending the night at his mother's house. Her village is about 45 minutes from Nyeri. He brought us back corn and plums from her gardens and some local tea for me.
I had wanted to see the school where Gillian had taught her string program. I was very excited, as she and I would send CDs and photos of our string students and had a penpal project going, and now I was going to see it for myself. There are two campuses, Junior and High School, but we only had time for the Junior School where Gillian had stayed in a cottage on the grounds. The guards were very obliging and took me to the office where the Finance Director, Georgina allowed us to walk around. There were large grassy playing fields behind the buildings which are square with an inner courtyard. Some of the classroom doors had beautiful paintings on them.Of course it was very quiet as there were no students.
Our next stop was the Ol Pejeta Ranch and Sanctuary north of Nyeri. The bush was quite different from the Aberdare reserve - few trees, easier to see the animals, very dry and dusty. We saw giraffe, zebra, a mother rhino and baby, duiker, and then in a wetlands area, a good-size herd of elephant.
We were unbelievably getting peckish for lunch, and went to the Sweetwaters Lodge. It is another incredible lodge, this one with tents overlooking the water hole and the mountains beyond. A unique place to sit watching the animals at the water hole and the sun set behind the mountains. The tents are covered by a thatched roof and fit in beautifully with the landscape.
Waiting for their passengers.
The buffet lunch was outstanding - beef broth, lamb, fresh vegetables beautifully cooked, fresh fruit of course, and the most delicious orange creme dessert imaginable. We sat watching a giraffe coming to water hole for a drink. Zoe had a great time running around the lawn in front of the water hole, there were quite a few children playing and she had a good time.
Although we would love to have lingered for the whole afternoon, we had a date with some chimp orphans in the same reserve, a sanctuary under the auspices of Jane Goodall. It is only open to the public from 3-4:30pm. It is not large, but there is a good view of them from the ground and an upstairs platform.
That was the end of our great adventure into the Abedares. We had seen so much in just two days and had such an incredible time. It was a long drive back to Nairobi, nearly 4 hours, as we were quite further north than Nyeri. The last hour was back in the dust and road construction. Maina must have been exhausted dealing with that and the rush hour traffic. He got us back safely for which we were truly grateful, and glad to have an early night.
Maina had arranged to have an airconditioned Rav 4 for this trip, and it was an excellent choice. Two adults were a little bit cramped in the back with Zoe's car seat, but the drive was very smooth and comfortable. Getting out of Nairobi during the morning rush hour was a challenge with new road construction going up north. Thank goodness we were able to close the window, the red dust was overwhelming. People everywhere - in trucks, cars, mattutus (shared taxi-vans, always packed), bicycles, trying to get where they were going. I wonder what the traffic accident statistics are. At first everything was covered in red dust, but then gradually turned green and very lush when we finally got on to the main road that was paved, and into the countryside. Gradually the the terrain became more hilly. There were many signs of schools (both Junior and Senior), but I don't know if they were government or private schools. A lot of them were boarding schools. Many affluent families send their children to boarding schools for a good education and to get them out of the city. There was always a long driveway, so we couldn't see the buildings. Both sides of the road were sandy red earth, no sidewalks. People walking, setting up stalls of everything- fruit and vegetable, furniture, you name it, there's a stall! It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get to Nyeri. We didn't stop except to take a photo of the Equator. Zoe was so good, quite happy in her car seat, inspite of the sun beating down on her side. We tried to protect her with a light cotton blanket covering the sindow. It worked some of the time.
We stayed at the Outspan Hotel on the outskirts of Nyeri, a small town on the edge of the Aberdare mountains and reserve. It is idyllic and I could have stayed there for ever.
Our cottage
My writing corner
We had a 3-room cottage, the living room had a stone fireplace and a writing desk in front of a little side window. I loved writing there looking down into the forest. The bath was luxurious. Each room had French doors that opened onto a stone patio overlooking the forest and river below. We walked either around the lawns to the dining room or under a covered walkway which led into the hotel. The hotel expanded from a colonial farm in the 1920s to what is now one of the luxury lodges in the area. The orginal part of the hotel houses the dining room, Sherry Bar, and other public rooms, and looks over the main lawn to Mount Kenya. It has an elusive peak which is not always visible, but on our second day we got breath-taking views. It is the only place in Kenya that has snow on the rocky crags at the top. The gardens, lawns flower beds are beautifully tended. The lawn in front sweeps from one side of the hotel grounds to the other and is quite deep.
I didn't get the name of this palm tree, anyone know it?
There is an entrance to a Kikuyu tribe village on one side of the at the end of the lawn, but we did not get visit it. Unfortunately, as we were walking to the dining room, a group of Kikuyu came up the road covered in war paint and doing a war dance. Poor Zoe was terrified, but she was brave and by the time the 3rd Kikuyu warrior had passed by, she stopped screaming. She understood that no-one would hurt her but we didn't want to expose her to something that obviously scared her. She had had a scary experience at Hollowe'en when they were staying with me in October. Kate and James went with her and she had a great time in the early evening going trick or treating in her bumble bee costume, but later in the dusk got very scared by trick ot treaters who were wearing masks.
We arrived around noon and had time to settle in and wash-up before going to the terrace for the buffet lunch. It was very substantial with 4 courses and the hotel guests were joined by a tour group coming from or going back to the reserve. There was a spinach cream soup to start, followed by a little taste of sausage, beef, roast potatoes,green beens, banana stew (delicious) and rice. For dessert I had the wonderful fresh fruit salad with mango sauce. I couldn't manage the cheese course.
After lunch Maina arrived to take us to the Aberdare Wildlife Park and our adventures began. Elisa opted out of coming, she was not feeling well, we thought it may have been the somewhat bumpy ride up, but in fact she had a nasty 24 hour bug, so it was good she was able to sleep it off.
We had to get a "smart card" to allow us to enter the park, then we were on our way. Of course I had wanted to visit Treetops, which is where in 1952, Princess Elizabeth was holidaying with Prince Philip when she became Queen. Her father, King George VI passed away in England just a few weeks after they had left for a tour throughout Africa. Unfortunately, although by staying at the Outspan Hotel we would have been able to go to Treetops, Treetops does not allow children under 5, so we were not able to go there, but Maina was able to drive to a spot where we could just make out the building. There is a gate and very long driveway up to it. The building that was there when the Queen was visiting burnt down, so this one is a newer version.
Treetops way far away from the madding crowd
We felt comfortable with Maina as a guide, he grew up in a village about 45 minutes from Nyeri and has driven through the park, but it was a pretty scary experience. In the bush, roads off the main road were appalling. Not level at all, they sometimes had huge dips on one side or the other, so the car had to roll from side to side. I have so much more admiration for my little Rav 4, even though it doesn't have 4-wheel drive. The scenery was magnificent, down huge valleys and back up again. As in the Nairobi park, in the early afternoon, game is sparse. We drove around the bush looking for animals, sometimes on the main roads, sometimes off. We came across warthogs, adults and babies, impala, dik-dik (small buck) and buffalo. With all the rocking around, Zoe had fallen asleep, thankfully. I was beginning to feel quite queasy.
The lush forest of the Aberdare Mountains.
Around 3:30 or so, hot and thirsty, my internal teatime alarm went off and I asked Maina if we could have tea at the Ark, the only other lodge inside the reserve. It is not open to the general public (like us). You have to be booked in at the Kenya Safari Club, the other luxury hotel. But you don't fool with an English woman when she wants her afternoon tea in the bush! We found our way there, the gate was open so we were able to drive right up to the lodge where Maina worked his magic, and I pleaded with the head waiter. It seems a minibus load of tourists had just driven in which is why the gate was open. Lucky us. We did get a lovely cup of tea and piece of cake.
The Ark is a unique structure. Built of wood in the shape of an ark, the lower level consists of sleeping rooms for guests. Upstairs there is a dining room that seats 120 people, and side areas where one can view the panorama and wildlife. But it is the prow of the Ark that is so magnificent. We were taken to the far side of the dining room where huge picture windows looked on to an enormous water hole full of elephant. We also walked onto the prow of the deck and could look down. Quite amazing.We stayed a long time on that level, drinking our tea, then went downstairs to the ground level, where there was a stone room with smallish windows that we could look the animals in the eye. A couple of the elephant trumpeted at us but were not hostile. As well as the elephant there were several warthog families playing and/or fighting. White tick birds perched on the backs of the animals looking for dinner. There was a low barrier of boulders between us and the animals, and we were mesmerised. To attract them, in addition to having the water hole, the management puts salt licks in the ground for the animals to dig out.
From the stone room window
Eventually the elephant ambled off into the bush for their afternoon nap. Then one lone male elephant came down. He had been ostracised by the herd, and would wait until they had left before coming to the water hole.
The lone male
Why have tea anywhere else?
What a high note to end the game drive on! We left reluctantly and got back to the hotel to relax before going to the Sherry Bar before dinner. Elisa joined us for a drink, but couldn't face dinner. The bar was a typical of a Ye Olde English pub - huge stone fireplace, beautifully carved wooden bar and large windows overlooking the lawns. Dinner was served in the baronial dining room. I had lamb kebab with barbecue sauce and the fresh vegetable medley. All delicious. I had a sense of all the parties and celebrations and perhaps some unhappy events that had been had in that beautiful setting. Maybe I had "White Mischief " in my head.
"White Mischief"
There had been quite a storm while we were gone, and the temperature had dropped. As I had not brought any warm clothes, I had a hot bath in the luxury tub before snuggling into bed. A totally blissful day.
The next morning was gorgeous. The mist had cleared so we were able to see the peak of Mount Kenya. I tiptoed through the dewy grass past the peacocks to the terrace where the outdoor breakfast buffet was being served. There was much variety - cereal, yogurt, fruit salad, made to order omelettes and pancakes and of course "the full English" - eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushroom, potatoes.That really gives you a start for the rest of the day (providing you put in a day's work of hard labor to work it off!) It was difficult to leave the terrace, sitting there in the peacefulness of the early(ish) morning was so soothing, in spite of the peacock screams. Gorgeous peacocks wander around and occasionally join the breakfast and lunch diners.
However, we had a busy day ahead of us and I wanted to visit the Baden Powell museum before we left.
The founder of the Scout movement, Lord Robert Baden Powell, had a cottage built for him at the hotel, and he and his wife and lived there for 3 years until he died in 1941. The cottage is called Paxtu and is now a museum/shrine to Baden Powell. The photographic displays were so interesting, showing many facets of his and his wife's lives. I was fascinated, but so sad that my brother John was not with me. He would have been fascinated as well, knowing so much about scouting from Macgregor. His Dad was a scoutmaster for decades, and in fact died on a hike during a New Year's scout camping trip in South Africa. Scouters and Girl Guides come from all over the world and leave their local troop scarves with messages in the museum. Scout Jamborees are quite often held at the hotel. The movement is quite strong in Kenya, I believe.
Maina came to pick us after after spending the night at his mother's house. Her village is about 45 minutes from Nyeri. He brought us back corn and plums from her gardens and some local tea for me.
I had wanted to see the school where Gillian had taught her string program. I was very excited, as she and I would send CDs and photos of our string students and had a penpal project going, and now I was going to see it for myself. There are two campuses, Junior and High School, but we only had time for the Junior School where Gillian had stayed in a cottage on the grounds. The guards were very obliging and took me to the office where the Finance Director, Georgina allowed us to walk around. There were large grassy playing fields behind the buildings which are square with an inner courtyard. Some of the classroom doors had beautiful paintings on them.Of course it was very quiet as there were no students.
Our next stop was the Ol Pejeta Ranch and Sanctuary north of Nyeri. The bush was quite different from the Aberdare reserve - few trees, easier to see the animals, very dry and dusty. We saw giraffe, zebra, a mother rhino and baby, duiker, and then in a wetlands area, a good-size herd of elephant.
We were unbelievably getting peckish for lunch, and went to the Sweetwaters Lodge. It is another incredible lodge, this one with tents overlooking the water hole and the mountains beyond. A unique place to sit watching the animals at the water hole and the sun set behind the mountains. The tents are covered by a thatched roof and fit in beautifully with the landscape.
Waiting for their passengers.
The buffet lunch was outstanding - beef broth, lamb, fresh vegetables beautifully cooked, fresh fruit of course, and the most delicious orange creme dessert imaginable. We sat watching a giraffe coming to water hole for a drink. Zoe had a great time running around the lawn in front of the water hole, there were quite a few children playing and she had a good time.
Although we would love to have lingered for the whole afternoon, we had a date with some chimp orphans in the same reserve, a sanctuary under the auspices of Jane Goodall. It is only open to the public from 3-4:30pm. It is not large, but there is a good view of them from the ground and an upstairs platform.
That was the end of our great adventure into the Abedares. We had seen so much in just two days and had such an incredible time. It was a long drive back to Nairobi, nearly 4 hours, as we were quite further north than Nyeri. The last hour was back in the dust and road construction. Maina must have been exhausted dealing with that and the rush hour traffic. He got us back safely for which we were truly grateful, and glad to have an early night.
Roaming around Nairobi
We didn't go on game drives every day, occasionally I stayed at the apartment, keeping an eye on Zoe, or sitting out in the little gazebo writing my journal and just enjoying being there. Although I had never lived in Nairobi, I felt very much at home and very comfortable. I missed my cello of course, but had it been during the school year I would have been playing in the Nairobi Symphony and teaching.
One day out was to visit the Nairobi Waldorf School. As I teach at a Waldorf School, I wanted to visit them, and I knew my fellow teachers at home would be very interested in my visit and seeing photos. I was warmly invited to visit when I phoned the school. It is out in Karen on the Miotoni Road. As it was holiday time, there were no children but some of the teachers were cleaning up and getting ready for the next term. I was shown around by Irene who was one of the kindergarten teachers.
Dan and Zoe were joined by the 6 year-old daughter of one of the teachers, and was so friendly to Zoe. They had a wonderful time on all the play equipment while I went around the campus. It is small, with wooden buildings, but has great open areas, a nature walk, bike paths and playground. They also had a small garden patch for the kindergarden where the children learn to plant and grow vegetables. Surrounding the buildings are flower beds, beauiful colorings and plants. The school goes to 8th grade, and there are separate buildings for each grade. In addition there is a large eurythmy room with an attached music room, which doubles as an instrument storage room after class. There is no string program, but if a child wants individual lessons, a private teacher comes to the school after classes end. The staff I met were so friendly, I think it must be a very happy school. The Waldorf atmosphere is very evident. I hope that my school can develop a friendship with them.
Crossing the wobbly bridge
After visiting the school, we went to the Karen Blixen House featured in the film "Out of Africa". It is clearly recognisable from the movie, even though the actual esate is much diminished what with the coffee barn burning down and then later the sale of land around the house. One can tell how much the house meant to Karen Blixen, and can almost feel her love of the view to the Ngong Hills. The sunsets must be spectacular,I would have loved to have been there one evening. The lawns were immaculate and the trees stunning, with of course, bouganvillia. The house is now a museum and most of the items were bought back to furnish it. (Before she left to go back to Denmark, there was an auction of everything, an agonizing part of the film.) There are the costumes Meryl Streep wore in the film, and even Robert Redford's jodhpurs! Oh, the memories of my beating heart! The little museum shop had some lovely jewellery, I bought a pair of "trade" earrings, made of traded beads from other countries for Kenya goods. The little triangles are made from bone.
The Ngong Hills
The Karen Blixen house
We went for lunch to the nearby Utamaduni Crafts Centre, a cooperative of local artists and craftspeople. As it was getting late, we thought we would eat first, then look around the centre. We sat under an ivy-covered trellis enjoying the beautiful plants beside the slate paths, and the stone pond. The place was not very crowded, but the service was very slow, and it took us some time to realise that they wanted us to look around the centre BEFORE having lunch. We did manage to get our waiter instead to bring us lunch right away, and it was delicious. I had a fish soup "Zanzibar" with all sorts of exotic spices, but fortunately not hot. Zoe had her fish fingers (fresh fish is served everywhere, not those horrible frozen things) and Dan had fish as well. The Centre was in a former house, and each room had a different craft, all beautifully presented. Beaded work is very popular, and I bought several items for gifts. There were hand-designed fabrics made into tablecloths, aprons and other household items. I bought Elisa a beautiful cotton dressing gown for Christmas. She travels a lot and she didn't have one.
By the time we got into the car, we were pretty exhausted with our day out, and were glad to get home after the ride along the dusty and noisy Ngong Road. Traffic in Nairobi is an quite an experience.
Game Parks
One morning, Maina, our driver, drove us to the David Sheldrick Elephant and Rhino Orphanage on the edge of the Nairobi National Park, just a few miles from the apartment. These baby and young elephant had been orphaned, their mothers for the most part having been killed by poachers for their ivory tusks. Sometimes the babies are very young, perhaps just a few months old, and they stay in the orphange for quite some time until they are ready to move out into the wild. The public is only able to see them once a day at 11am for their bottle feeding and play time. It is quite a sight, a line of baby elephant rushing down the hill from the bush to get to their bottles of milk formula, drunk in about 30 seconds. We were distracted for a couple of seconds when we saw a lion rushing across the bush behind the babies, but he wasn't interested in them, but in a warthog. Maina was in the parking lot and he told us the lion tore through the parking lot after the warthog. We didn't find out the end result. After the babies have gulped their milk, they are encouraged by the handlers to play, some with soccer balls or on a huge mound of earth where they jostle and push each other over. It is truly an incredible sight.
We're coming!
Bottle time
A fun dust fight
The babies played for quite a while, then it was time for them to get back to their enclosure and a second group came tearing down for their turn.
After that, we drove to the Giraffe Centre run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, founded by Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville. It's the home of the "Rothschild" giraffe, they have white socks. The giraffe are in the wild, but a treehouse with a deck all around allow visitors to be at eye level to them, and to give them a kiss, which I did several times. It's actually a way to feed them a little pellet, which you put in between your lips, and the giraffe very gently licks it off. (They have gorgeously long black eyelashes and brown eyes, by the way!) Their tongues are not germy, nature has given them saliva that is antiseptic, as giraffe eat spiky leaves and cut their tongues, and the saliva heals them up.
They are really sweet.
From the tree house, you can see the Giraffe Manor, built in the style of an English manor house, somewhat incongruous in the middle of the Africa bush, but time has weathered it, and it seems quite at home there. Previously a private home, it is now a top-notch hotel. I had hoped to go out there again for afternoon tea, where the giraffe join you, but time ran out.
By this time, we were quite ravenous, and Dan had chosen a very special restaurant, the Talisman, rated #1 in Nairobi. Situated off the Ngong Road in Karen, it had been an old colonial mud and wattle bungalow. As I discovered in this land of outdoor living, most places have large lawns with play equipment for children, and this one was no exception. A lovely green lawn below the outdoor patio with a double swing for me and Zoe to swing on while waiting for our lunch which was superb. Dan had pan-fried tuna, and I had a pork escalotte, both served with a medley of delicious fresh vegetables - spinach,broccoli, green beans and carrots. We gave in to desserts - a raspberry pavlova for me and chocolate mousse for Dan. We waddled to the car.
On another day we went for a game drive through the Nairobi National Park adjacent to the elephant and giraffe sanctuaries. This was Kenya's first wildlife reserve and has lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino. No elephant. The babies from the orphanage nearby are transported to other reserves, Tsavo or the Masai Mara, for instance. The city is gradually encroaching on the park, it is now between the Wilson Airport (small aircraft, local flights and charters) and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. There are issues along the corridor where the animals migrate. The Masai villagers have moved up very close to the corridor and the wild animals often attack their goats and other animals.
We saw a number of birds, ibis for example which had beautiful yellow crops. Game was sparse in the middle of the day, but we had good views of zebra and impala.
In the middle of the reserve is a very moving tribute dedicated to the elephant. A stone circle surrounds a huge pile of ashes. This is where hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ivory was burnt in a protest by the Kenyan Government against the poachers. There is a large statue in brass of a group of elephant, and panels around a block describing the event. On the way out we passed through a troup of babboon who hang up high in the trees at a certain time each day at feeding time around an enclosed orphanage for monkeys. It must be a very frustrating existence for babboons, no wonder they are so bad-tempered. They are scavengers and probably get left-overs.
It had been very hot, in fact Dan had literally taken the shrt off his back to cover my arms which were getting quite sunburnt. The car did not have air-conditioning, so we had the windows open most of the time. However, we were able to cool off on the terrace of the Rangers Restaurant, part of the park. It must be a great place in the evening to sit with a sundowner and watch the animals come to the water hole below. I had a delicious entree of grilled tilapia with lemon sauce, and the usual excellent medley of fresh vegetables.
Waiting for our lunch at the Rangers' Restaurant
One day out was to visit the Nairobi Waldorf School. As I teach at a Waldorf School, I wanted to visit them, and I knew my fellow teachers at home would be very interested in my visit and seeing photos. I was warmly invited to visit when I phoned the school. It is out in Karen on the Miotoni Road. As it was holiday time, there were no children but some of the teachers were cleaning up and getting ready for the next term. I was shown around by Irene who was one of the kindergarten teachers.
Dan and Zoe were joined by the 6 year-old daughter of one of the teachers, and was so friendly to Zoe. They had a wonderful time on all the play equipment while I went around the campus. It is small, with wooden buildings, but has great open areas, a nature walk, bike paths and playground. They also had a small garden patch for the kindergarden where the children learn to plant and grow vegetables. Surrounding the buildings are flower beds, beauiful colorings and plants. The school goes to 8th grade, and there are separate buildings for each grade. In addition there is a large eurythmy room with an attached music room, which doubles as an instrument storage room after class. There is no string program, but if a child wants individual lessons, a private teacher comes to the school after classes end. The staff I met were so friendly, I think it must be a very happy school. The Waldorf atmosphere is very evident. I hope that my school can develop a friendship with them.
Crossing the wobbly bridge
After visiting the school, we went to the Karen Blixen House featured in the film "Out of Africa". It is clearly recognisable from the movie, even though the actual esate is much diminished what with the coffee barn burning down and then later the sale of land around the house. One can tell how much the house meant to Karen Blixen, and can almost feel her love of the view to the Ngong Hills. The sunsets must be spectacular,I would have loved to have been there one evening. The lawns were immaculate and the trees stunning, with of course, bouganvillia. The house is now a museum and most of the items were bought back to furnish it. (Before she left to go back to Denmark, there was an auction of everything, an agonizing part of the film.) There are the costumes Meryl Streep wore in the film, and even Robert Redford's jodhpurs! Oh, the memories of my beating heart! The little museum shop had some lovely jewellery, I bought a pair of "trade" earrings, made of traded beads from other countries for Kenya goods. The little triangles are made from bone.
The Ngong Hills
The Karen Blixen house
We went for lunch to the nearby Utamaduni Crafts Centre, a cooperative of local artists and craftspeople. As it was getting late, we thought we would eat first, then look around the centre. We sat under an ivy-covered trellis enjoying the beautiful plants beside the slate paths, and the stone pond. The place was not very crowded, but the service was very slow, and it took us some time to realise that they wanted us to look around the centre BEFORE having lunch. We did manage to get our waiter instead to bring us lunch right away, and it was delicious. I had a fish soup "Zanzibar" with all sorts of exotic spices, but fortunately not hot. Zoe had her fish fingers (fresh fish is served everywhere, not those horrible frozen things) and Dan had fish as well. The Centre was in a former house, and each room had a different craft, all beautifully presented. Beaded work is very popular, and I bought several items for gifts. There were hand-designed fabrics made into tablecloths, aprons and other household items. I bought Elisa a beautiful cotton dressing gown for Christmas. She travels a lot and she didn't have one.
By the time we got into the car, we were pretty exhausted with our day out, and were glad to get home after the ride along the dusty and noisy Ngong Road. Traffic in Nairobi is an quite an experience.
Game Parks
One morning, Maina, our driver, drove us to the David Sheldrick Elephant and Rhino Orphanage on the edge of the Nairobi National Park, just a few miles from the apartment. These baby and young elephant had been orphaned, their mothers for the most part having been killed by poachers for their ivory tusks. Sometimes the babies are very young, perhaps just a few months old, and they stay in the orphange for quite some time until they are ready to move out into the wild. The public is only able to see them once a day at 11am for their bottle feeding and play time. It is quite a sight, a line of baby elephant rushing down the hill from the bush to get to their bottles of milk formula, drunk in about 30 seconds. We were distracted for a couple of seconds when we saw a lion rushing across the bush behind the babies, but he wasn't interested in them, but in a warthog. Maina was in the parking lot and he told us the lion tore through the parking lot after the warthog. We didn't find out the end result. After the babies have gulped their milk, they are encouraged by the handlers to play, some with soccer balls or on a huge mound of earth where they jostle and push each other over. It is truly an incredible sight.
We're coming!
Bottle time
A fun dust fight
The babies played for quite a while, then it was time for them to get back to their enclosure and a second group came tearing down for their turn.
After that, we drove to the Giraffe Centre run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, founded by Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville. It's the home of the "Rothschild" giraffe, they have white socks. The giraffe are in the wild, but a treehouse with a deck all around allow visitors to be at eye level to them, and to give them a kiss, which I did several times. It's actually a way to feed them a little pellet, which you put in between your lips, and the giraffe very gently licks it off. (They have gorgeously long black eyelashes and brown eyes, by the way!) Their tongues are not germy, nature has given them saliva that is antiseptic, as giraffe eat spiky leaves and cut their tongues, and the saliva heals them up.
They are really sweet.
From the tree house, you can see the Giraffe Manor, built in the style of an English manor house, somewhat incongruous in the middle of the Africa bush, but time has weathered it, and it seems quite at home there. Previously a private home, it is now a top-notch hotel. I had hoped to go out there again for afternoon tea, where the giraffe join you, but time ran out.
By this time, we were quite ravenous, and Dan had chosen a very special restaurant, the Talisman, rated #1 in Nairobi. Situated off the Ngong Road in Karen, it had been an old colonial mud and wattle bungalow. As I discovered in this land of outdoor living, most places have large lawns with play equipment for children, and this one was no exception. A lovely green lawn below the outdoor patio with a double swing for me and Zoe to swing on while waiting for our lunch which was superb. Dan had pan-fried tuna, and I had a pork escalotte, both served with a medley of delicious fresh vegetables - spinach,broccoli, green beans and carrots. We gave in to desserts - a raspberry pavlova for me and chocolate mousse for Dan. We waddled to the car.
On another day we went for a game drive through the Nairobi National Park adjacent to the elephant and giraffe sanctuaries. This was Kenya's first wildlife reserve and has lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino. No elephant. The babies from the orphanage nearby are transported to other reserves, Tsavo or the Masai Mara, for instance. The city is gradually encroaching on the park, it is now between the Wilson Airport (small aircraft, local flights and charters) and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. There are issues along the corridor where the animals migrate. The Masai villagers have moved up very close to the corridor and the wild animals often attack their goats and other animals.
We saw a number of birds, ibis for example which had beautiful yellow crops. Game was sparse in the middle of the day, but we had good views of zebra and impala.
In the middle of the reserve is a very moving tribute dedicated to the elephant. A stone circle surrounds a huge pile of ashes. This is where hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ivory was burnt in a protest by the Kenyan Government against the poachers. There is a large statue in brass of a group of elephant, and panels around a block describing the event. On the way out we passed through a troup of babboon who hang up high in the trees at a certain time each day at feeding time around an enclosed orphanage for monkeys. It must be a very frustrating existence for babboons, no wonder they are so bad-tempered. They are scavengers and probably get left-overs.
It had been very hot, in fact Dan had literally taken the shrt off his back to cover my arms which were getting quite sunburnt. The car did not have air-conditioning, so we had the windows open most of the time. However, we were able to cool off on the terrace of the Rangers Restaurant, part of the park. It must be a great place in the evening to sit with a sundowner and watch the animals come to the water hole below. I had a delicious entree of grilled tilapia with lemon sauce, and the usual excellent medley of fresh vegetables.
Waiting for our lunch at the Rangers' Restaurant
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Nairobi
Dan and I spent the morning of Christmas Eve shopping - first at a stall, (actually a blanket on the ground tended by an lovely older lady) who made beaded and other jewellery. She had the nicest selection of all the stalls around and I bought several items for myself and to take home as gifts. She even made me a necklace to suit a top I wear, not too long and matching nicely. She also made Dan a necklace of black twine and beads. We then got Zoe's Christmas present, a tricycle. She had been riding around the shop for days trying them out, but of course didn't know she was going to get one! We had lunch at the Java Cafe at the YaYa center, I had a delicious guacomole,cheese, tomato sandwich on a baguette. Their lemonade is also delicious, previously I had lemonade and ginger which was very strong, this time I had one with passion fruit, not quite as strong!
There wasn't a lot of evidence that Christmas was nigh, a few lights on hotel windows and some shops had decorations. Nairobi seems to have unique Christmas trees, perhaps used all over Africa. I wanted to get one for the apartment but Dan said no for this year as we were leaving the day after Christmas. It is made with some kind of tree trunk wrapped in banana leaves, as are the branches, and decorated with beaded and other ornaments.
Nairobi's unique Christmas trees
We really didn't have a lot to do, quite different from the Christmas Eve panic that manifests itself in Western countries, so before we returned to the apartment, we dropped in to the Nairobi Wildlife Park again, this time to go on the Safari Walk. It is basically an educational centre donated by the European Union so that African schoolchildren can learn about the wildlife and protect them.
The animals are fenced off, but are in their natural habitat and just a few of each. There is a path that winds around the different areas and through a treed area, and makes for a good walk. We had started out just meandering, but then a guide seemed to attach himself to us, and was actually very helpful, telling us all about the park. We saw the rare white rhino, male and female lion, 2 albino zebras (very rare), and an ostrich, which we fed with leafy branches. We were let into the leopard area so we could see a leopard way up in the tree. We couldn't get a good photo as the leopard was so well camouflaged. The highlight of the walk was petting a cheetah. Our guide convinced the keepers to let us into the enclosure and pet them, which of course we did. The fur was not as soft as Wolfie's when I scratched him under chin (they are in the cat family after all!), he was very patient with us, realising that we were not his meal of the day, his food dish was being held by a keeper. It was quite unbelievable, and so unexpected. We really lucked out with our guide. However, we had to say goodbye, having to get back to the apartment to get ready for the Christmas Eve service.
Sign says "Warthogs and children have right of way"
Tea-time for ostrich
Keeper, where is my lunch?
Will I have to resort to white meat?
In the evening we went to the All Saints Anglican Cathedral for their Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols. We had been invited by the cellist in the string group I played with in the Mall (see Nairobi Dec. 11-26) whose brother is the organist there. The cathedral, a traditional Anglican stone building with a wooden ceiling and pews, was very full, and it was obviously well-loved and attended. The service was enhanced by the installation of flat-screen TVs attached to the support columns. It enabled us to hear well and see the readers at the lectern. The choir sang beautifully, and had two fine sopranos, one, the soloist in the traditional processional "Once in Royal David's City", and both in "O, Holy Night". The service was nearly 2 hours long, but I was glad to be there. It's good to have an Anglican church pretty much anywhere in the world, especially at Christmas time. Zoe was very patient, but able to come and go when necessary. There were other children to play with outside who found the service lengthy! Afterwards, I went to thank the organist, who is the head of the Nairobi Conservatory of Music, and we had a chat about Gillian's trip to Nairobi in July with her string students from St. Ignatius College in San Francisco.
At home after getting Zoe settled, we had lots to do, wrapping up the presents ( mostly for Zoe). For a tree, we used a standing lampshade with leafy branches, and hung the ornaments I had brought from the States. Each of my grandhildren has their own Christmas tree at my house, and gets an ornament every year, so I brought Zoe's. In addition I had seen some lovely zebra ornaments at the Talisman craft shops, and bought a set for her and for Kate and James.
The Western Christmas tree by the pool
Christmas Day! Zoe is beginning to put it all together. At her school, they had a nativity play, and she was an angel (literally and figuratively). She learnt some carols, mainly jingle bells, but didn't quite realise the meaning of presents. However, she learnt quickly and had a great time opening them. It was so lovely to be altogether, although of course I missed Kate and James.
However, I had given them a Christmas party before I left, with games and stocking stuffers, so that was a good time for us all.
The hotel we had booked for a Christmas lunch was north of the city, and on the way we stopped at the Memorial for the victims of the American Embassy which had occupied a corner block on a very busy street. The building was totally razed after the bombing in 1998 and the site is now a moving tribute to those who died, mainly Africans going about their business in the city. The garden has a fountain and a memorial wall surrounded by trees and benches. There is a small information center in the back.
The American Embassy Memorial Wall
We drove on to the Windsor Hotel and Golf Club. It is the premier place for conferences and golf. Originally built in the 30s, it has 2 wings of Victorian style 3-storey accommodation. The central building has a dramatic staircase leading up from the foyer, and the main reception rooms. We had pre-lunch drinks in the clubhouse (cooler, it was so hot outside) before going to our table on the terrace. The large umbrella over the table shaded us from the burning sun. The heat is dry, so as long as one is in the shade and not moving around much, it is quite pleasant.
As a good Englishwoman I selected the roast turkey with all the trimmings, but there were many other dishes more suitable to the climate. The Christmas pudding was brought to me, as I hadn't seen it on the dessert table. It was two tiny mounds of pudding, which actually was very delicious, and a huge mound of what I thought was creme fraiche, but turned out to be solid Devonshire clotted cream. I saved some of it for the fruit salad I had later. A friend of Elisa who worked for the Swedish Embassy joined us for lunch and it was very enjoyable sitting there, which we did for quite some time.
The Gingerbread House at the buffet.
The languid afternoon slipped by and we knew we had to get back to get ready for our flight to South Africa the next day. It had been a really enjoyable Christmas day with my family, out in such a beautiful spot, lovely lunch and atmosphere. Bliss.
On our way back Maina, our driver, mentioned that the Masai Market was open in the city location (it moves around during the week to different locations). There had been many references to the Market, and I was eager to go. It was near closing time so wouldn't be a long stop. Zoe was asleep in the car, and Elisa stayed with her. Little did I know what Dan and I were getting into!
We were not prepared for the bombardment of the vendors when we walked in. I think that business had been very slow on Christmas Day, it was nearly closing time, and here were 2 unsuspecting tourists. They were like bees around a honeypot. I was not afraid, but overwhelmed by all the chattering, offerings and deals that were heaped on us, each one talking louder than the other. All our pleas to let us walk around to see what the vendors were selling fell on deaf ears, and we could hardly move. I clung on to Dan's arm, and finally said in a very firm voice that if they didn't leave us alone, we would leave immediately and not buy anything. I think they realised what I meant, and enough left so we were able to walk around a bit, with a few of them trailing behind. Dan was very good at negotiating, and we did purchase some lovely items, but as I told them, we would have bought a lot more if they had let us look around without being hassled. It makes for a good story.
A truly memorable Christmas Day, never to be forgotten.
Dan and I spent the morning of Christmas Eve shopping - first at a stall, (actually a blanket on the ground tended by an lovely older lady) who made beaded and other jewellery. She had the nicest selection of all the stalls around and I bought several items for myself and to take home as gifts. She even made me a necklace to suit a top I wear, not too long and matching nicely. She also made Dan a necklace of black twine and beads. We then got Zoe's Christmas present, a tricycle. She had been riding around the shop for days trying them out, but of course didn't know she was going to get one! We had lunch at the Java Cafe at the YaYa center, I had a delicious guacomole,cheese, tomato sandwich on a baguette. Their lemonade is also delicious, previously I had lemonade and ginger which was very strong, this time I had one with passion fruit, not quite as strong!
There wasn't a lot of evidence that Christmas was nigh, a few lights on hotel windows and some shops had decorations. Nairobi seems to have unique Christmas trees, perhaps used all over Africa. I wanted to get one for the apartment but Dan said no for this year as we were leaving the day after Christmas. It is made with some kind of tree trunk wrapped in banana leaves, as are the branches, and decorated with beaded and other ornaments.
Nairobi's unique Christmas trees
We really didn't have a lot to do, quite different from the Christmas Eve panic that manifests itself in Western countries, so before we returned to the apartment, we dropped in to the Nairobi Wildlife Park again, this time to go on the Safari Walk. It is basically an educational centre donated by the European Union so that African schoolchildren can learn about the wildlife and protect them.
The animals are fenced off, but are in their natural habitat and just a few of each. There is a path that winds around the different areas and through a treed area, and makes for a good walk. We had started out just meandering, but then a guide seemed to attach himself to us, and was actually very helpful, telling us all about the park. We saw the rare white rhino, male and female lion, 2 albino zebras (very rare), and an ostrich, which we fed with leafy branches. We were let into the leopard area so we could see a leopard way up in the tree. We couldn't get a good photo as the leopard was so well camouflaged. The highlight of the walk was petting a cheetah. Our guide convinced the keepers to let us into the enclosure and pet them, which of course we did. The fur was not as soft as Wolfie's when I scratched him under chin (they are in the cat family after all!), he was very patient with us, realising that we were not his meal of the day, his food dish was being held by a keeper. It was quite unbelievable, and so unexpected. We really lucked out with our guide. However, we had to say goodbye, having to get back to the apartment to get ready for the Christmas Eve service.
Sign says "Warthogs and children have right of way"
Tea-time for ostrich
Keeper, where is my lunch?
Will I have to resort to white meat?
In the evening we went to the All Saints Anglican Cathedral for their Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols. We had been invited by the cellist in the string group I played with in the Mall (see Nairobi Dec. 11-26) whose brother is the organist there. The cathedral, a traditional Anglican stone building with a wooden ceiling and pews, was very full, and it was obviously well-loved and attended. The service was enhanced by the installation of flat-screen TVs attached to the support columns. It enabled us to hear well and see the readers at the lectern. The choir sang beautifully, and had two fine sopranos, one, the soloist in the traditional processional "Once in Royal David's City", and both in "O, Holy Night". The service was nearly 2 hours long, but I was glad to be there. It's good to have an Anglican church pretty much anywhere in the world, especially at Christmas time. Zoe was very patient, but able to come and go when necessary. There were other children to play with outside who found the service lengthy! Afterwards, I went to thank the organist, who is the head of the Nairobi Conservatory of Music, and we had a chat about Gillian's trip to Nairobi in July with her string students from St. Ignatius College in San Francisco.
At home after getting Zoe settled, we had lots to do, wrapping up the presents ( mostly for Zoe). For a tree, we used a standing lampshade with leafy branches, and hung the ornaments I had brought from the States. Each of my grandhildren has their own Christmas tree at my house, and gets an ornament every year, so I brought Zoe's. In addition I had seen some lovely zebra ornaments at the Talisman craft shops, and bought a set for her and for Kate and James.
The Western Christmas tree by the pool
Christmas Day! Zoe is beginning to put it all together. At her school, they had a nativity play, and she was an angel (literally and figuratively). She learnt some carols, mainly jingle bells, but didn't quite realise the meaning of presents. However, she learnt quickly and had a great time opening them. It was so lovely to be altogether, although of course I missed Kate and James.
However, I had given them a Christmas party before I left, with games and stocking stuffers, so that was a good time for us all.
The hotel we had booked for a Christmas lunch was north of the city, and on the way we stopped at the Memorial for the victims of the American Embassy which had occupied a corner block on a very busy street. The building was totally razed after the bombing in 1998 and the site is now a moving tribute to those who died, mainly Africans going about their business in the city. The garden has a fountain and a memorial wall surrounded by trees and benches. There is a small information center in the back.
The American Embassy Memorial Wall
We drove on to the Windsor Hotel and Golf Club. It is the premier place for conferences and golf. Originally built in the 30s, it has 2 wings of Victorian style 3-storey accommodation. The central building has a dramatic staircase leading up from the foyer, and the main reception rooms. We had pre-lunch drinks in the clubhouse (cooler, it was so hot outside) before going to our table on the terrace. The large umbrella over the table shaded us from the burning sun. The heat is dry, so as long as one is in the shade and not moving around much, it is quite pleasant.
As a good Englishwoman I selected the roast turkey with all the trimmings, but there were many other dishes more suitable to the climate. The Christmas pudding was brought to me, as I hadn't seen it on the dessert table. It was two tiny mounds of pudding, which actually was very delicious, and a huge mound of what I thought was creme fraiche, but turned out to be solid Devonshire clotted cream. I saved some of it for the fruit salad I had later. A friend of Elisa who worked for the Swedish Embassy joined us for lunch and it was very enjoyable sitting there, which we did for quite some time.
The Gingerbread House at the buffet.
The languid afternoon slipped by and we knew we had to get back to get ready for our flight to South Africa the next day. It had been a really enjoyable Christmas day with my family, out in such a beautiful spot, lovely lunch and atmosphere. Bliss.
On our way back Maina, our driver, mentioned that the Masai Market was open in the city location (it moves around during the week to different locations). There had been many references to the Market, and I was eager to go. It was near closing time so wouldn't be a long stop. Zoe was asleep in the car, and Elisa stayed with her. Little did I know what Dan and I were getting into!
We were not prepared for the bombardment of the vendors when we walked in. I think that business had been very slow on Christmas Day, it was nearly closing time, and here were 2 unsuspecting tourists. They were like bees around a honeypot. I was not afraid, but overwhelmed by all the chattering, offerings and deals that were heaped on us, each one talking louder than the other. All our pleas to let us walk around to see what the vendors were selling fell on deaf ears, and we could hardly move. I clung on to Dan's arm, and finally said in a very firm voice that if they didn't leave us alone, we would leave immediately and not buy anything. I think they realised what I meant, and enough left so we were able to walk around a bit, with a few of them trailing behind. Dan was very good at negotiating, and we did purchase some lovely items, but as I told them, we would have bought a lot more if they had let us look around without being hassled. It makes for a good story.
A truly memorable Christmas Day, never to be forgotten.
on to south africa!
December 26, 2010. Nairobi to Johannesburg
I was sorry to leave Nairobi, as I felt so at home there and had such a good time with the family. Dan and Elisa made a lot of effort to show me around so I could see the country, and I loved it. However, South Africa called. It is my birthplace, but there was a certain sadness in going back, knowing so many of my family had passed on. I knew it would not be the same, but it was a good feeling that finally after years of regretting that I had not taken the boys to South Africa when they were younger, Dan was now coming with me and his family.
A final ride to the airport with a friend of Maina, who had a large van for all our luggage, and off we went to Johannesburg on Kenya Airways business class, courtesy of Elisa's frequent flier miles (there is a benefit to all those trips she makes. Hopefully easier now she is in Africa and not commuting from New York!) The flight was about 4 1/2 hours. It was very smooth and comfortable with great views of the Kariba Dam going over Zimbabwe. How I remember when a student in London, those wonderful summer holidays
I had in the Zambezi Valley with John and Betty, and John flying us in to the Kariba airport in the little Cessna 150. On the Kenya flight, there was only one little thing that could have been better. More time to enjoy our meal. As we were the only people in business class, our flight attendant concentrated all her attention on us, and the meal was served very efficiently, with not much time to savour the actually pretty good food. As we went further south, the terrrain became greener. I learnt later that the Johannesburg area had had more rain than usual.
The airport is world-class, very impressive, spruced up I suppose, for the World Cup. I could tell immediately that in the 44 years since I had been in South Africa, so much had changed. First of all it was no longer the Union of South Africa that I grew up in, run by the British, now Africans were working in all sectors as equals. The young African man that sold us the SIM cards for our phones was very knowledgeable, efficient and helpful, I hadn't a clue what to do about my phone.
We had arranged for a driver to meet us and take us to the B&B breakfast I had booked in Sandton. Frank became our driver on several trips, and he too was very interesting to talk to about many things. A great help to us as we were not the average tourist-type. He was very adept at getting all our luggage and us into a VW Passat.
Sandton was not an area I remembered from my schooldays. In fact, I am not sure it existed then. The whole area from Rosebank where I used to live, to Sandown where I went for my riding lessons, and is adjacent to Sandton, is now suburbs, where before it was way out in the countryside. Sandton itself is a mini-city, built during the difficult 1980s when there was so much trouble in downtown Johannesburg. The Sandton Mall (as luxurious as any mall in the US), was built first to make shopping easier and safer for the suburbanites, then banks and businesses came out as well.
Frank was very patient with me, as I looked for familiar places which no longer existed. However, I remembered most of the locations and we drove around and found some of them. My earliest memory was of an hotel, the Balalika, where my parents and I would go for social events. There was a large thatched-roof rondavel which was used as a ballroom and dining room. I seem to remember a children's birthday party there. As South Africans spent a lot of time outside, there are always lovely lawns and playgrounds for children to run around in, while the grownups chat away. There were ponies for gentle rides at the Balalaika. A few years later, when I was with my father and his second wife Joy, we were living in a cottage on the Balalaika property with toddler Charles. It was there 50 years ago, during rest time after lunch, lying on the soft grassy lawn, listening to some heavenly music, I decided I wanted to be a musician. I have those memories of the Balalaika more in my head than the upscale modern hotel it has become in Sandton, surrounded by city streets and buildings.
Sandton Mall and Mandela Square
My old school, Redhill, was where I remembered it, although the road which we walked down from the main road was now paved, instead of being gravel. Frank talked the security guard into letting us in through the main gate and we could see some of the older buildings with thatched roofs that I remembered. One had a particular memory for me. When I was a 7 year-old at the school (it was boarding), two of the older girls were planning to run away and asked me if I would like to join them. Although I was not at all unhappy at the school, I said yes, as I thought I would go visit my brother in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, a thousand miles away. So we carefully and secretly packed up our things, including toothbrushes, and somehow crept out of the grounds. As I mentioned, we were in the countryside (veldt), the road was gravelled and there were few houses on this very dark road. The girls decided to spend the night in the garden of a day-girl's home, down the road from the school (how far, I don't remember) and we settled in under a large tree. The day-girl must have heard noises, as she came outside and found us, but assured us her parents were out and we would be OK in the garden. However, it wasn't long before the parents returned and were told, and of course we were taken back to school. I suffered the least punishment because of my age. The other girls were expelled from the school, but I was put into the headmistress's house and not allowed to go to my dormitory or classes for a week. I was given books to read and there were 2 kittens to play with. I was perfectly happy. My mother came to visit and brought me some sweets, but I was not allowed to have them.
When at school, or if I was at home nearby in Rosebank, we were taken to church on Sundays at St. Martin's in the Veld, and although it is in the suburbs now and has been renovated, (it seems bigger and missing the thatched roof), there still is the feeling of the old church.
Not far from St. Martin's it seemed, was my home on Bath Ave when I was a young child. It was on a small plot with a lawn in front and a driveway on the side. Although Bath Ave is still there, the number of the house, 52, does not exist, so I think it must have been re-numbered at some time. 54 Bath Ave is now a very elegant hotel, The Grace, but it is on the corner of Bath and Tyrwhitt Ave. I remembered that we would walk towards Tyrwhitt to go to Stuttafords, a fancy department store, for afternoon tea. From Tyrwhitt Ave. we walked along a block which looked familiar, with small overgrown plots. The houses were either torn down or overgrown by trees and bushes. I like to think that my was there somewhere, and hadn't been bulldozed away.
Here are two photos of my third birthday there.
One place I remembered well was the Johannesburg Park. Frank drove Dan, Zoe and me out there on Dec. 28 (Elisa was tired and a cold was coming on). The park also houses the National Military Museum. As Dad was in the SAAF during WWII, I was interested in seeing it.
There are interesting exhibits, and a Spitfire and a couple of Messerschmidts which I suppose had been shot down. I was hoping to get a book or some information from the shop, but the owner or the shop assistant was very unhelpful, either talking on the phone or taking his dog out for a pee, so I gave up.
Johannesburg Zoo Lake
Mum and Jane(in Redhill uniform) on the lake in the Johannesburg Park
Going to the lake was much better and it was just as I had remembered it.
My brother John must have come up to visit us, and with Mum we went to the park and rowed in the lake. This is also where Mum met my friend Louise (about 3 years old) who had come to the park with her Grandmother and walked away, and Mum found her. Alice, Louise's grandmother, was visiting from England, so she and Mum had a lot in common and they became lifelong friends. The friendship continued with Louise's parents and Louise and I have become good friends. Louise was very good to Mum when Mum was living in sheltered accommodation in London and then in the nursing home in Blackwater. 3 generations of friendship, from a chance encounter in a park!
There was a lovely playground for Zoe, but no shade, and the kids couldn't play on the equipment as it was too hot. It is the same in the US, designers build beautiful playgrounds which the children can't play in because the slides and swings are burning hot.
We went to Moyos, an African-themed restaurant for lunch in the park overlooking the lake, and although it was delicious, it was mostly European food with a few African/exotic spices.
Zoe had fallen asleep in Dan's arms during lunch, so we opted for a drive around the suburbs before returning to the B&B. Johannesburg is the best city in the world for greenery. Immaculate parks everywhere with pristine lawns that the public is allowed to walk on! Streets with canopies of jacaranda trees, even after all this time I still have a picture in my head of those gorgeous avenues, breath-taking in the purply-blue blossom time.
December 29, To Pretoria.
It was only about 40 minutes from the B&B along an excellent motorway. Although I had no recollection of Pretoria as such, I had memories of lion statues and being photographed sitting on one, and was sure they were at the Union Buildings, and a must check-it out for me.
We went first to the new Freedom Park overlooking the city. http://www.freedompark.co.za/. It is beautifully designed to fit around the hill it is built on, one can hardly tell from a distance there is a large building. The 200 slim silver poles surrounding the site, represent reeds. All the walls are built with slates of different hues. Very labor intensive to construct. Steps wind around taking the visitor to different areas. We saw one component of the memorial, Sikumbuto, commemorating the conflicts that shaped South African history. Not all the areas are are complete, but enough is to see how this is going to be a place South Africans will want to take their children to learn about their heritage. There is a still body of water,Tiva, reflecting peace, tranquility and serenity. The Eternal Flame sits in a basin on the edge of a section of the building.
The Eternal Flame and reflecting pool,Tiva, with the amphitheatre
In the far distance across the valley on another hill, is the Voortrekker Monument commemorating the Boers trek north from the Cape. From the Freedom Park we went into downtown Pretoria to the Union Buildings to check out the lion statues. There is a spectacular view of the city from the magnificient Union Buildings built on a hill and completed in 1913, but no lions! We walked all around in the heat, my photogenic mind was searching frantically for locations, but nothing came up. It was well worth the visit for the view and the buildings. I was disappointed but I had one more place to check out.
We continued on down into the city to visit the Paul Kruger House, President of the old ZAR ( Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek). http://www.southafricaholiday.org.uk/places/m_g_krugerhousemuseum.htm.
The museum bears witness to the forceful personality of Kruger, who was the leader of a small Boer republic in Southern Africa that was engaged in a struggle against British Imperialism. The house is a fascinating glimpse into European living in the late 1800's. Most of the objects and furniture are original to the house which makes it so interesting. Much of it came from Europe to Lourenzo Marques (now Maputo) by boat, then brought overland by train. Kruger had the rail line built from Pretoria to Lorenzo Marques. There was no way the ZAR could get goods from the coast, as Britian had a blockade from Capetown up the East Coast. This was one of the first houses in Pretoria to be electrified. Two offices, one for Kruger's private secretary, with one of the first telephones to be installed in Pretoria in 1891, the other used by Kruger himself. In the garden there is a large barn that houses a trek wagon, and Kruger's State Coach. Many objects that were given to Kruger as tokens of sympathy are displayed and showed the international support for the Boers' struggle for independance during the Anglo-Boer war, 1899-1902. Also in the garden is Kruger's State Railway Coach which he used on official visits and political campaigns. After the British won the war, Kruger went into exile in Europe.
We were ready for lunch after the visit, and went on to Church Square in the centre of town, where the market used to be. I was beginning to realise the difference between Pretoria and Johannesburg. Pretoria, although the Executive capital of South Africa (Capetown is the Legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is the Judicial capital), has still a small-town feel and with Afrikaans roots. Johannesburg is beautiful and brash, reminicent of the gold and diamond rushes. Lots of money to be made, attracting all types.
We had lunch at the Cafe Riche, an establishment that originally opened in 1904. It reopened in 1994, and has an excellent reputation, and is very popular and well-loved, according to the postcards sent by clientele in far-away places. The food was excellent, nothing fancy, but well prepared and presented. I tried the dessert "Koeksisters" -dough deep-fried then soaked in a sugary liquid. Sherry or Grand Marniere would have added some flavor, it was rather bland.
After lunch we walked around the square which has imposing buildings surrounding the statue of Paul Kruger in the center. They include the Old Capitol Theatre, The tudor Chambers and the General Post Office, and the turreted Palace of Justice which was the scene of the most famous trial in political history in South Africa, the Rivonia Trial. During this trial Nelson Mandela and other prominent liberation figures were charged with treason and subsequently incarcerated.
Further along from the square were the Botanical Gardens where we stopped for a few minutes for Zoe to play in the playground. The park was designed in the early 1900s - beautiful lawns, ponds, plantings and a bandstand. On the farther side of the park is the Melrose House http://www.melrosehouse.co.za/ where in 1902 the treaty between the Boers accepting the peace conditions with loss of independence, and the British, was signed by a delegation of 10 Boers including Paul Kruger.
Unfortunately, due to the holidays, the house was closed. I was disappointed as the house, beside being of great historical significance, is a Victorian mish-mash of different styles - wide verandas for sitting in the afternoons, and of course, beautiful lawns and flower beds.
We tried to get into the Transvaal Museum, but were refused as they were getting ready to close. It had been a very hot day, so we drove back to Sandton for a swim and a cool down.
December 30, our last day in Johannesburg. We were packed up and checked out by 10:30 for Frank to pick us up. The B&B had been pleasant enough, with the lawn and pool, and having a guest kitchen/lounge, but the breakfasts were minimal - all cold, not scrambled eggs or other hot items we had in the other B&Bs we stayed in. It was also in deep suburbia and we felt far away from everything. Frank was able to get all our stuff packed away, but it was certainly tight.
We decided that Dan and Elisa would go to the Apartheid Museum http://www.apartheidmuseum.org/ and I would take Zoe to the amusement park next to it. However, when we got there, we discovered it was a theme park, like Busch Gardens and quite unsuitable for Zoe. We all went into the museum and I saw most of it before taking Zoe out into the natural bush area and wetlands nearby. It was a lovely day, not too hot, there had been storms in Johannesburg in the night, cooling down the temperature. There was a cafe in the grounds and we all met up for a good lunch together. Dan and Elisa were very interested in the museum, it was of course a real eye-opener seeing and reading how apartheid had come into being, and is now thankfully gone by law.
We left for the airport, said goodbye to Frank and checked in with no complications, in spite of all our luggage.
I had mixed feelings about leaving Johannesburg, the place where I have most of my early childhood memories. It has changed so much, and I have no family or friends left there, but I was still sorry to say goodbye. Interestingly enough, we had to take a bus to the plane.
Dec. 30 George, Knysna - my birthplace
The flight to George was just about 2 hours and pleasant. It was still daylight, although very grey and cloudy. They had had lots of rain in the past few days, for which they were very glad, there had been an unusual drought for 2 years. We hired a car, a Mercedes, as it was one of the few left. As it was high season and people flocking to the beaches, car rentals at that time were at a premium. Surprisingly, it was either smaller than Frank's Passat, or Frank was a better packer, but we had to struggle to get everything in. I drove around the parking lot a couple of times to get the feel of driving on the left once more. George is in a very quiet area, so I didn't have any trouble driving to the B&B in the centre of town. "Die Waenhuis" (Afrikaans for the wagon or coach house) was ideal for us. It was an old building housing coaches for the railway, and it had been well-restored with antiques, paintings, cosy chintz covered chairs. Even Zoe's crib was an antique!
There were nice little touches in the rooms, a decanter of sherry with proper sherry glasses! and of course all the essentials for making a cup of tea. There was a large lounge for the guests, with an honor bar, so one could sit in front of a good fire in the winter and be very comfortable. The lounge led out onto a smooth lawn surrounded by beds of flowers and a well-established garden with fruit trees (lemon, I think or maybe limes, they were small and green, perhaps not ripened yet.) The garden originally must have been quite large, as recently, a separate building had been built at the back of the property to accommodate more guests. There was also a swimming pool at the back, but unfortunately we didn't have the time to get to try it out as we were exploring everywhere. Being in the centre of town was good, as Dan could walk out to a restaurant and bring us back light suppers.
The town itself is not a tourist attraction except for train lovers, the train museum is fascinating, as is the small George museum, which includes a record of the time during the war when the SAAF had a training base there It made me feel closer to Dad seeing all the uniforms and badges, and the photos of the base where he was training to become a radio operator on the planes. We went around to the areas my mother had talked about so enthusiastically, and I could see why. I kept thinking what it must have been like for her in the January she spent waiting to give birth to me. Being summertime, she probably spent her birthday on the 6th lying out on a comfortable chaise lounge and staying close to home, enjoying the view of the mountain and perhaps walking around the Botanical Gardens nearby. I feel sure all of these sensations contributed to my love of natural beauty. George is in an outstandingly beautiful area, with the magnificent Outeniqua mountains to the west, sweeping plains and then only a few kilometers away to the east on the way to Knysna, the winding road through one of the few remaining rain forests to the most beautiful coastline in the world. The drive down to Capetown along "The Garden Route" must be one of the world's most glorious scenic drive imaginable.
Dad, Elizabeth and John. One of the few photos of Dad in uniform.
Dec. 31.
The weather in the George/Knysna area was not conducive to a lot of sunbathing, due to the heavy clouds and intermittent thunderstorms they were having at that time, but we were able to take Zoe down to Victoria Bay about 8 kms from George where we spent a very pleasant late afternoon. There were rocks surrounding the beach and as the tide was out there was plenty of sand for her to play on. She had not been to the beach much so this was all quite new to her, but she loved it. It is very popular with surfers and a number were out as the waves were quite high. Victoria Bay is a quiet area, reached by a narrow 2-lane road from the main George to Knysna highway, with a few small B&Bs and hotels, and a campground in a field above the houses. Magnificent view for the campers, and I was astonished to see a satellite dish on one of the tents! I suppose after the sun goes down, they are ready to watch man-made shows. It seems the sort of place families would return to year after year, great for reunions. In front of the beach are a few shops and a restaurant where we ate delicious fish and chips. It was very pleasant sitting there looking out into the Indian Ocean, trying to figure out which country was on the other side.
Victoria Bay
On our way back to Die Waen Huis, it being New Year's Eve, we bought some bubbly and treats, and had a relaxing evening before going to bed well before midnight. Dan went out and got salads for supper. Mine had everything I liked, avocado and biltong! For those of you not familiar with biltong, it is dried buck, a South African favourite, similar to beef jerky. It had been shaved for the salad, which made it easy to eat, otherwise one can be chewing it for quite some time. As biltong cannot be imported into the States, it was quite a treat for me.The next morning we were asked if we had heard the fireworks and a car crashing into one of the lovely trees lining the street. We heard nothing!
Breakfast at the Waen Huis was really good. The couple who cooked and served it were locums for the owners who were away on holiday for 2 weeks. Sandra was an outgoing Scotswoman and had run a nearby B&B with her partner for 13 years, so were very experienced at preparing breakfasts. There were freshly-baked croissants, fresh fruit salad, (how I miss those delicious fruits-pawpaw aka papaya, mango, kiwi, all properly ripened), homemade fruit compote, yogurt, meats and cheeses, ete. etc. They also offered cooked items and we ordered omelettes, and scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon (for me). The dining room looked onto the lawn and it was easy to linger over that last cup of coffee, or tea in my case, enjoying the view and the peace and quiet.
New Year's Day 2011 - There was still a low grey mist, so we were not able to see the mountains as we left George to drive westwards down the main road, which took us through one of the last remaining virgin rainforests in the world. It is an incredible experience going through all those old trees and vegetation, I want to read an explorer's account of an expedition through them. At the bottom of the cliff is the town of Wilderness, where we stopped to visit the smallest church in the world, St. Aiden's Anglican Church. Set a little way above the beach road, it is an African thatched rondavel, built in the 1920's as a Chapel and holiday home for visiting priests.
There was also a road sign which intrigued Dan, so we drove up a narrow mountain road looking for "The Map of Africa". Thinking it might be an educational experience as Dan is a history buff, we followed the signs. Finally on a gravel road out in the bush (I was becoming nervous) it turned out to be a rather decrepit-looking B&B, so a big disappointment.
Back down to Wilderness which is a sleepy seaside town, not at all commercial, with lovely beaches. Too cold for us to stay long, so on we went to Knysna. Soon after, the mist started to burn off and we saw the huge mountains and plateaus and the lakes just before reaching Knysna. It is larger than Wilderness, but not much. The town and the hills surround much of a lagoon which has a small channel between 2 cliffs to the Indian ocean. There is a quay full of upmarket shops - some touristy, good clothes shops, bookstores -making for enjoyable browsing. There are many restaurants on two levels to choose from and we ended up at one overlooking the boats in the harbour. The food was good, but mine was unfortunately too spicy hot for me to eat. It was a Malay lamb curry, and despite the waiter assuring me that Malay curry is less hot than Indian, it was still too much for me. The view and the company more than made up for that disappointment.
While enjoying the view from the restaurant deck, we saw a booth for a paddleboat cruise around the lagoon. Although it was almost time for the sailing, tickets were still available, so we dashed off to catch the boat, the ticket office warning them that we were coming. Of course the boat was moored halfway round the harbour, but gasping and panting we got there and had a lovely (but windy) cruise. There were lots of people on the water, either sailing or waterskiing on plastic blow-up chairs bouncing all of over the place. Impossible to stay on, they were always falling off!
The channel in the lagoon
The sailors must have been to glad to come through the channel from the ocean.
Zoe's boat in the playground.
Another example of a restaurant's playground. Zoe always met such nice kids to play with.
On our return to George, not far from Knysna is a tiny little community, Belvidere. It is on the opposite side of the lagoon from the quays with the paddleboat. Being so small, it has restricted driving, so no traffic noise at all once you get off the 2-lane main road. We were told about it by the lady who was doing the flowers at St. Aiden's in Wilderness. There is another contender for the smallest church - in Belvidere, built entirely in stone! Set in a lovely grounds, beautifully maintained, it is a peaceful haven.
http://www.360cities.net/image/belvidere-church#346.80,5.40,70.0
The few houses we saw as we drove to the church parking area, had well-established gardens. There is also a hotel, a true get-away destination. Next visit maybe!
That stop set us up for dealing with the rest of the drive to George. The clouds came back and there was an horrendous thunderstorm - going up the mountain from Wilderness was tense. Fortunately the road was superb and the car stable, so we survived. We were glad to get back in the cosiness of the B&B, our last night there.
In the morning, after another plentiful breakfast, we packed up the car and squeezed everything in. Before we left George, we went up the road leading to an area called Fernridge. Perhaps it was named after the cottage where I was born.
Fernridge Cottage in George where I was born.
Near that area is the Botanical Garden which may account for my interest in beautiful gardens, http://www.bgci.org/worldwide/article/193/
January 2. To Capetown
The journey was about 470 kms. I drove for a couple of hours through acres of farmland - sheep, cows, ostrich, lavender fields, all with the backdrop of the magnificent Outeniqua mountains on the right, and behind them the Kammasie mountain range. On the left was the glorious coastline of Mossell Bay, which unfortunately we didn't see a lot of, as we went on the motorway in order to get to Capetown before it got dark, instead of taking the scenic route. Driving around an unknown city in the dark is not my first choice.
Lunch was at a Wimpeys (think McD's), pretty awful, but a nice stop for Zoe to run around and go on the swings and slides. She was so good in the car. Onward for another couple of hours, Dan driving, then for tea we stopped at the Orchard Restaurant and Farm Stall. This was a special place for me and I wanted to share it with Dan and Elisa. Maggie, my niece had brought me here when we were in South Africa in 2007 for the funeral of my brother, John Wolfe, Maggie's Dad, who had passed away suddenly a month before I was to go to South Africa for a long-awaited visit. The Orchard was a favourite place of his and Betty his wife, and well situated for their trips to friends further north. They would stop for tea after they had come up the Sir Lowry Pass, on their way to stay at a friend's cottage further north, and on the way back before going down the pass. We made it in time for tea and delicious scones with jam and cream, and I ate one for them. Zoe had a great time at the playground making a friend and having fun.
Zoe and two new friends at the Orchard
When in Capetown for John's funeral in 2007, Maggie and I drove to George, so I had enjoyed the magnificent view on the way back going down the Sir Lowry Pass. Now I was driving, and realised just what an amazing feat of roadmaking it had been. As with all the roads we had encountered in South Africa, it was superb. It took us down a great height, with many turns and bends, all with an incredible view of the coastline and Somerset West. Elisa was great at figuring out where we were and eventually we found our street, Breda, and the B&B, "Mountain Manor". The backdrop to this area is Table Mountain hence the name of the B&B. It is a group of 3 houses, two side by side, and one further up the street, which serves as a backpackers' hostel. Our house was the B&B, the larger of the two. A typical Cape family house, it had been renovated to accommodate 13 bedrooms. There was a sunny breakfast room with small tables, nicely laid with pretty linens and a different china pattern on each table. A buffet held all the cold items - fruit salad, cereals, orange juice, yogurts, bread for toasting and coffee and tea things. A waitress came in for any orders of hot food. It was really just like being in an older home, so comfortable. Off the main reception room there was a "mini pub", a small room with a proper bar and a couple of little tables. It had an honor system, you just wrote down what you had taken -drinks, snacks, and the total was added to your final bill. The porch was just outside the reception room, and we had supper there a couple of evenings, when trying to cool down. After a very stormy evening our first night, the temperature had shot up to 90 degrees for the rest of our stay, and the porch offered some breeze. Between the two houses was a small swimming pool with a little nook beside it. There, Zoe and I had a snack and enjoyed the evening air the night Dan and Elisa went up Table Mountain to watch the sunset. The adjoining house is an 1851 Dutch house, with I think, 3 units for self-catering. It too had a porch and a second swimming pool which Dan and Elisa enjoyed a lot. I dangled my feet and ankles in the pool to cool off, (still no swimsuit). A European self-catering family (couldn't quite define their language, either Danish or Swedish, I think) enjoyed the patio around the pool eating the supper they had barbecued at the table under the canopy.
After arriving the first night, we settled in, then walked around the corner to an Asian restaurant and had a light supper of noodles, vegetable tempura (don't forget, we had had a late tea of scones, jam and cream!)
Our rooms and beds were comfortable. I took the larger which had the crib, as I wanted to be with Zoe. There were two levels, the crib was on the upper level which led to the bathroom. Big wardrobe on that level as well as a dressing table with mirrors and a glass-toppped table and comfy high-backed chintz-covered chairs. My bed was on the lower level, just a few steps. Large windows, which rattled somewhat that first night with the fierce winds.
The following day, the heat intensified, and there was no airconditioning , only ceiling fans, and it got pretty stifling. Zoe had trouble sleeping and I asked the staff for an extra fan. After a while they brought a large contraption which turned out to be a portable airconditioning unit. It had a plastic pipe, similar to those used by clothes dryers, which was attached to a piece of wood. The wood was inserted in the bottom of the window frame with the window resting on the top, allowing the hot air from the pipe to go outside. The cold air flowed through a vent in the machine. It made a huge difference, and Zoe and I slept very well the rest of the time. This was one instance of how the staff were so helpful to us. They had been very welcoming and adored Zoe. One of the office staff was especially helpful with internet problems I was having on my netbook. Although the B&B had wireless, in South Africa it is most always charged for, and I had trouble getting it set up online. Late at night, she sorted it out for me and I was able to get online.
After a good first night's sleep we had a delicious light breakfast, although it was tempting to eat more, as we were to have brunch/lunch with my half-brother, John Hodson and his wife Jesicah. They came to lead us to the Blue Peter Hotel in Blouberg, a beach community with a marvellous view of Table Mountain. It seems the Blue Peter is a much-loved institution for many generations of South Africans, and a great place to hang out, with a gorgeous beach and incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain and Robben Island.
John and Jane
Dan, Jane and John with Table Mountain in the background.
The family
Dan, Elisa, Zoe, Jane, John and Jes
It was a momentous occasion getting together after all these years, we had not seen John and Jes since my other brother Cliff's wedding to Erin in South Carolina 6 years ago, and we had much to catch up family-wise. Sadly, their Mom and my stepmother, Joy Hodson, passed away last August. We missed her so much, how she would have loved being with us all in Capetown. She often came to the US to stay with Clifford and I saw her then, but it would have meant so much to be with her in the place where she and Dad had lived with the boys. Dad was killed in a car accident in 1971 on one of the mountains in Capetown, taking the family for a holiday on the farm of a relative of Joy. It devastated the family, the boys were between 9 and 13 years old. At the time of Dad's death, I was living in New York (yes, Flushing!) with my family - a toddler and a 3 month-old. I had not seen Dad since I left South Africa as a teenager. I was deeply upset that he would never see his grandchildren.
Cliff, John and Charles after Joy's funeral.
The lunch at Blue Peter was good, but I couldn't concentrate on it much with all the talking and telling family stories. Dan and Elisa took turns taking Zoe to the beach across the road, she was very patient. It became quite hot as the day wore on, and finally we decided it was time to leave. John wanted to take me around the places they had lived with Dad and where the boys went to school, I was so thrilled he wanted to do that. It would have been too much riding around for Zoe, so she went with Dan and Elisa to visit the Kirstenbosch Gardens while John, Jes and I rode around the northern Capetown suburbs. Joy was living in Seapoint when she died, and that was where the family lived when Dad was alive. We drove around the streets, John pointing out the various houses they had lived in, and his school, where a course offered surfing. Very practical I thought, since across the road there is the best surfing imaginable. The little coast road gets clogged up all the time with traffic, and is basically a parking lot in the summer. It leaves plenty of time to watch the waves and the incredible views of the ocean and the mountains. Clifton and Camps Bay were suburbs I recall on the way to Hout Bay where Dad and Joy had lived for a time. Hout Bay is a fishing port and the dolphin come right into the pier where we went to look around.
Dolphin under a fishing boat at Hout Bay
There was a little arcade (the first little shopping centre in Capetown) where one could buy postcards and snacks, as well as some seaside-type shops. At one, Jes bought some snoek, a fish I had not heard of, and is delicious. We had it several times in South Africa. On the way back to the B&B we stopped at Jes' father's apartment in Clifton to say hello. It was right on the cliff above the beach overlooking the ocean. I could have stayed there forever, listening to the waves and watching the sunset every night. However, it was getting on to evening, so we reluctantly left and John and Jes dropped me off at the B&B. A most marvellous day, to remember forever.
Hout Bay
At Jes' father's apartment, see the ocean reflected in the mirror behind us
The next day, Tuesday Jan. 4th, another fiercely hot day, we drove out to Groot Constantia in the southern suburbs behind Table Mountain. It's a beautiful drive past the Kirstenbosch Gardens and the University of Capetown to the estate, the oldest vineyard in Capetown, 1692.
The house at Groot Constancia
From the Dutch-style entrance gates a long tree-shaded driveway leads up to the house itself. Sadly the original house burnt down in the 1920s, a fire started in the kitchen, and as there were strong winds, the fire got into the traditional thatched roof and everything was burnt. A philanthropist vowed to rebuild the house with as many of the original furnishings as he could find, and now it is a very interesting place to visit. Behind the house are the stables which house some examples of wagons and wine barrels. While Zoe and I enjoyed the the house and gardens, Dan and Elisa took the opportunity of going on a wine cellar tour. They found it fascinating and bought a couple of bottles of wine to take home. They have a much healthier respect for winemakers now!
The Vineyards
The trees along the driveway provided additional shade for the small umbrella-covered dining tables, so it was cool enough to have a light lunch outside the restaurant housed in part of the old buildings. I had an appetiser of snoek pate and toast, it was delicious. Reluctant as we were to leave the peace and quiet of a drowsy afternoon in the beautiful surroundings, with the vineyards in the center of the valley, the mountains on the right and the sea in the background, we made our way back to the car, seeing on the way a baboon scarpering across the parking lot. Dan took a photo, but it was too far away to really see it.
We made our way around the southern suburbs to the Rhodes Memorial high above the University of Capetown. This was the last possible place for the lions to be and I held my breath as we drove up the windy road to the memorial. They were there! All 8 of them, 4 on each side of the steps leading to the monument to Cecil Rhodes.
At last I had found them and can go peacefully to the end of my days knowing where that photo of me was taken. Now all I have to do is find it! Mum or Dad must have taken it on one of our holidays from Johannesburg, when we camped in the bush on our way down to Capetown, and now we have darling Zoe following in her Grammy's steps. She will always know where her photo was taken! The first lion is obviously the favorite for photos, as it had been worn down with no doubt countless children sitting on it, but it was too hot for me to sit on, so I stood. Zoe's lion was in the shade so she got to sit.
Of course we had to have afternoon tea after all that exertion. There is a nice tea garden behind the monument with a playground for Zoe, so we sat in the shade and enjoyed a scrumptious scone with jam and cream. In my quest to visit all the a) luxury hotels, b) Tea rooms, c) Quaint loos. We scored 2 out of three. The loo was the quaintest I had encountered so far in Africa.
The Rhodes Memorial loo
Wednesday, Jan. 5th . Just as we were finishing up breakfast at the B&B, Lynn Crowhurst and Pamela Graham Wolfe came to fetch me for a day of remembrance. Pamela had met Dan on a visit to the US some years ago, but Lynn had never met my family, so it was lovely for them to meet Elisa and Zoe as well. It was good too for Dan and Elisa to put faces to names of family that they have never met.
We are all family, in that Pamela and Lynn are cousins (both had Wolfe ancestors), and I tag along as a daughter of a former Mrs Wolfe, so perhaps I am a step-cousin. In any case, we are all interested in the Wolfe family in Capetown and that is why were were spending the day together.
A bit of background of the Wolfe family. Originally an aristocratic Irish family, eventually a branch went to England and in the mid 1800s, a Richard Wolf went to the Cape as an army veterinarian. He stayed and prospered and eventually there was a Wolfe street, still in existence today, and a lovely house "Forenaughts", which remained in the family until well in to the 20th century.
We started off by driving to St. John's Parish cemetary where there are graves of the Wolfe and related families. This was a very sad part of the day for me, as in 2007 my beloved eldest brother, John Wolfe, died suddenly a month before I was to visit him and Betty in Capetown. It had been 44 years since I had been to South Africa and was so looking forward to being there with them to go to all the family places. It was a very tearful journey instead of the excitement of a long-awaited trip.
The cemetary is a small, hidden behind buildings that have grown it. It is old, some of the graves go back to the 1700s. It was to hot to spend much time there exploring. Lynn has done quite extensive research into the families and knows where the graves are.
The two Wolfe graves are together, Richard Wolfe from the 1800s. Below his headstone and grave is that of Arthur Kilwarden Wolfe (known as McGregor). He was my mother's first husband, and father of John and Elizabeth. John was cremated and his ashes were buried in McGregor's grave, after the funeral in Fish Hoek where he and Betty had lived for many years. Although it was a dreadful day, I was thankful to be with there with the family to say goodbye. I miss him dreadfully, and am so grateful that I had him as my brother and that he always looked out for me. A very precious part of my life has gone forever.
We went on to Plumstead cemetary, as Lynne knew of some Wolfe and Crowhurst graves. Pamela is a wonderful guide to drive around Capetown with, she knows everything. Between her and Lynn, we found the cemetary easily. Again, it was a fiercely hot day, and it is a large cemetary, so Lynn found someone in the office to help us locate the graves, rather than wandering around in the heat. Lynn had actually come pretty close to the lots. It is quite a well-kept cemetary. It was interesting to see pop bottles filled with plastic flowers. Mourners prepare them that way to put on graves, they don't lose their colour as fast.
We found a Crowhurst and Wolfe grave, McGregor's sisters (John's spinster aunts) Sheila and Nora are buried there, as well as some Crowhursts.
Pamela and Lynn at the Wolfe/Crowhurst grave in Plumstead cemetary.
It had been a hot and emotional morning. We were glad to accept Pamela's invitation to lunch at her granny flat in Claremont, a southern suburb not far away. She had been staying there for about 9 months while in South Africa. The converted garage was perfect for her - a cosy little sitting room and bedroom overlooking the garden and a kitchen and shower bathroom. The main house was owned by friends of hers. Pamela had prepared a salad with gammon (ham) and Lynn had brought a Christmas pudding made by parishioners from her church. Each year they sell them as a fundraiser, and it was delicious. We couldn't help but have a little snooze after lunch! Although we certainly didn't need it, I wanted to treat us to afternoon tea at the Vineyard, a lovely hotel in Claremont. It was John and Betty's favourite hotel where they would stay for a few days after the long flight (around 19 hours airtime) whenever they returned after visiting their daughters in the US. It was a chance to celebrate being together and to remember happy times when Lynn and Pamela joined them at the hotel. It was also a nice way to celebrate Pamela's upcoming 89th birthday! The hotel had originally been built in the 1700s and forms the centre. It overlooks beautifully-landscaped lawns going down to the river, and there are winding paths all around the gardens. We enjoyed a leisurely walk around, getting some exercise after the pudding, admiring all the nooks and crannies, with benches for sitting, while taking in the peace and quiet and the lovely scenery.
I could see why John and Betty liked it so much, a perfect place to get away from it all. The afternoon tea was all it should have been, a 3 tier plate holder with little sandwiches, petite fours and of course scones, jam and cream. We sat on the patio, enjoying the fact that the slate paving stones had come from "Fornaughts" when it had been demolished. John had made arrangements for the hotel to have them and they are just right in that setting.
I hope John was looking down at us 3 ladies enjoying
their afternoon tea!
It was a special ending to a memorable day, it was so good of Lynn and Pamela to have taken me around on such a hot day and helped me get a sense of my mother's life in Capetown. We drove back to the B&B where I said goodbye to Lynn and Pamela, who herself was to return to her home in France in mid-January. Unfortunately Dan and Elisa weren't around to say goodbye, it turned out they were with Zoe in one of the swimming pools.
I had promised them I would stay with Zoe in the evening so they could go up Table Mountain to watch the sunset and that's what they did and had a marvellous view. Zoe had some supper, I was not at all hungry (I wonder why?) and enjoyed hanging round the pool where some children were swimming. A
bath and a few book settled her and with the airconditioner she soon was sound asleep. She had had a fun day visiting the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, and the aquarium.
Thursday, Jan. 6th. Our last day. So sad in many ways.
This was my mother's birthday, and earlier, it was one of those coincidences that I had been thinking about her a lot the day before visiting the Wolfe gravesite in the St. John's Cemetery, where her ashes were buried.
Packing up and loading the car, as usual, took longer than we expected and it was mid-morning before we left the B&B. We had decided to take all our luggage and go straight to the airport at the end of the day. It had a been a lovely stay, very quiet and relaxed, away from the hordes of holiday-makers at the beaches. I'm glad for them the weather was so good, I think it had been chilly and stormy before we arrived. Many of the holiday-makers come from the UK and Europe winter, so were glad of the heat and sunshine.
We decided to spend the rest of the day in the Cape Point Reserve, then drive around through Simon's Town and Fish Hoek so Dan and Elisa could see where John and Betty lived. It was a glorious drive on a glorious day, I will never forget the color of the sea and sky from the Point. Although there were many warning signs about baboons and to not feed them, we only saw a few. I think since it was mid-day, they were in the shade taking a nap. They can be very dangerous when looking for food, so I was relieved.
Cape Point is not exactly the tip of Africa. That honor by a few feet is Cape Agulhas - located about 200km to the east of (and south of) Cape Town. This is not only the southern most tip of South Africa, but also of the African continent. Cape Agulhas is also the meeting point of two ocean currents, the warm Indian Ocean current which travels down the east coast of Africa and the cold Benguela current which travels down the west coast of Africa. This gives rise to the frequent mist/ fog off of the coast.
However, at Cape Point there's no getting away from the fact that you can stand looking out over the ocean and there's nothing between you and Uruguay, except for the tiny island of Tristan da Cunha halfway.
There were quite a few visitors to the Point but it was not overcrowded, and we took the funicular up to the top. There are further steps up to the lighthouse, but Zoe and I didn't make it up there.
My last photo of Zoe on our trip
Time was passing far too quickly, and we had a long way back to the airport, but still many places to visit. The drive down to Simon's Town has the same glorious as from the point. We frantically looked for the Boulders and Penguin Sanctuary that Dan had specially wanted to see. When we did eventually find it, Dan and Elisa jumped out of the car (Zoe was asleep), and managed to see a few. We sped off to Fish Hoek where John and Betty had lived for many years, and saw the little tea room "The Windsor" that John and Betty had run so well. Sadly it was not at all the same, it looked run down and seedy, so we went to The Chit-Chat Cafe, where family and friends gathered after John's funeral. It was a favourite of theirs and the owners remembered him and Betty when I told them who we were. I'm glad that we left Fish Hoek to our last day. It really was an ending and a goodbye.
After that, it was just pure anxiousness to get to the airport. Dan and Elisa were supposed to be there by 6pm for their 7pm flight to Johannesburg and then to Nairobi. We arrived at 6:25pm. All we had time for was to unload their luggage, car seat, stroller and check in. British Airways was marvellous. No problems. The worst part , saying goodbye, was over very quickly and they were gone. I could not fall apart as the car was parked illegally and I had to get it back to the rental office. Through my tears I crawled around the airport, not knowing the location. When I did find it, thank goodness the agent drove me back to departures, unloaded my luggage and off I went to Virgin Atlantic. Not a good experience and do not recommend them. They would not check my luggage all the way through to Raleigh, so after an eleven and a half hour night flight in a very uncomfortable seat, I had to get my luggage, go through customs and immigration in London, and then turn around and check-in for Raleigh. All in 3 hours. I was pooped, thankfully the American Airlines agent was helpful, and as the flight was only half full, I was able to get three seats, so could lie down and sleep for a good part of the eight-hour flight. Nineteen hours total flying time plus three hours in transit in London. A long day, a long way. A lifetime away.
My mother, who had recently married a Canadian-American, came to South Africa to take me to live with them in Cleveland, Ohio in the US. After a visit to my brother in the then-Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Christmas with my Welsh family, we crossed the very rough Atlantic ocean on the Queen Mary. I was quite ill with seasickness, so don't remember much about it. We were in New York for a few days, I was amazed by the skyscrapers and excited about buying a Davy Crockett hat. I'll never forget the bitter cold. Coming from the South African summer to the grip of winter was a jolt.
December 2010 - January 2011 - Nairobi, Johannesburg, George, Capetown, London, North Carolina.
Over the New Year, we were staying in George where I was born. We had arrived in Johannesburg the day after Christmas and stayed until Dec.30th when we flew to George. The town itself is not a tourist attraction, except for train lovers, where the train museum is fascinating. There is a Botanical garden near the neighborhood where I was born, and I feel sure this contibuted to my love of natural beauty. It is an outstandingly beautiful area, with a backdrop of the Outeniqua mountains,one of the few remaining virgin rainforests, and close to the coast with its pristine beaches. The drive down to Capetown along "The Garden Route" is the most beautiful scenic drive one can imagine.
My father was stationed in George during the war, training with the South African Air Force, after having been wounded in North Africa. We went around to the areas my mother talked about so enthusiastically, and I could see why. I kept thinking what it must have been like for her in the January she spent waiting to give birth to me. Being summertime, she probably spent her birthday on the 6th lying out on a comfortable chaise longue and staying close to home enjoying the view of the mountain and perhaps walking around the Botanical Gardens.
From George we drove down to Capetown and spent a very happy time there with family and friends, going to the top spots such as Table Mountain, the V&A waterfront, Blouberg with it's incredible view of Table Mountain and the ocean, and on our last day, spectacular Cape Point. 50 years before, I had left family in Capetown to go to the USA and 50 years later I was doing the same thing.
I was sorry to leave Nairobi, as I felt so at home there and had such a good time with the family. Dan and Elisa made a lot of effort to show me around so I could see the country, and I loved it. However, South Africa called. It is my birthplace, but there was a certain sadness in going back, knowing so many of my family had passed on. I knew it would not be the same, but it was a good feeling that finally after years of regretting that I had not taken the boys to South Africa when they were younger, Dan was now coming with me and his family.
A final ride to the airport with a friend of Maina, who had a large van for all our luggage, and off we went to Johannesburg on Kenya Airways business class, courtesy of Elisa's frequent flier miles (there is a benefit to all those trips she makes. Hopefully easier now she is in Africa and not commuting from New York!) The flight was about 4 1/2 hours. It was very smooth and comfortable with great views of the Kariba Dam going over Zimbabwe. How I remember when a student in London, those wonderful summer holidays
I had in the Zambezi Valley with John and Betty, and John flying us in to the Kariba airport in the little Cessna 150. On the Kenya flight, there was only one little thing that could have been better. More time to enjoy our meal. As we were the only people in business class, our flight attendant concentrated all her attention on us, and the meal was served very efficiently, with not much time to savour the actually pretty good food. As we went further south, the terrrain became greener. I learnt later that the Johannesburg area had had more rain than usual.
The airport is world-class, very impressive, spruced up I suppose, for the World Cup. I could tell immediately that in the 44 years since I had been in South Africa, so much had changed. First of all it was no longer the Union of South Africa that I grew up in, run by the British, now Africans were working in all sectors as equals. The young African man that sold us the SIM cards for our phones was very knowledgeable, efficient and helpful, I hadn't a clue what to do about my phone.
We had arranged for a driver to meet us and take us to the B&B breakfast I had booked in Sandton. Frank became our driver on several trips, and he too was very interesting to talk to about many things. A great help to us as we were not the average tourist-type. He was very adept at getting all our luggage and us into a VW Passat.
Sandton was not an area I remembered from my schooldays. In fact, I am not sure it existed then. The whole area from Rosebank where I used to live, to Sandown where I went for my riding lessons, and is adjacent to Sandton, is now suburbs, where before it was way out in the countryside. Sandton itself is a mini-city, built during the difficult 1980s when there was so much trouble in downtown Johannesburg. The Sandton Mall (as luxurious as any mall in the US), was built first to make shopping easier and safer for the suburbanites, then banks and businesses came out as well.
Frank was very patient with me, as I looked for familiar places which no longer existed. However, I remembered most of the locations and we drove around and found some of them. My earliest memory was of an hotel, the Balalika, where my parents and I would go for social events. There was a large thatched-roof rondavel which was used as a ballroom and dining room. I seem to remember a children's birthday party there. As South Africans spent a lot of time outside, there are always lovely lawns and playgrounds for children to run around in, while the grownups chat away. There were ponies for gentle rides at the Balalaika. A few years later, when I was with my father and his second wife Joy, we were living in a cottage on the Balalaika property with toddler Charles. It was there 50 years ago, during rest time after lunch, lying on the soft grassy lawn, listening to some heavenly music, I decided I wanted to be a musician. I have those memories of the Balalaika more in my head than the upscale modern hotel it has become in Sandton, surrounded by city streets and buildings.
Sandton Mall and Mandela Square
My old school, Redhill, was where I remembered it, although the road which we walked down from the main road was now paved, instead of being gravel. Frank talked the security guard into letting us in through the main gate and we could see some of the older buildings with thatched roofs that I remembered. One had a particular memory for me. When I was a 7 year-old at the school (it was boarding), two of the older girls were planning to run away and asked me if I would like to join them. Although I was not at all unhappy at the school, I said yes, as I thought I would go visit my brother in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, a thousand miles away. So we carefully and secretly packed up our things, including toothbrushes, and somehow crept out of the grounds. As I mentioned, we were in the countryside (veldt), the road was gravelled and there were few houses on this very dark road. The girls decided to spend the night in the garden of a day-girl's home, down the road from the school (how far, I don't remember) and we settled in under a large tree. The day-girl must have heard noises, as she came outside and found us, but assured us her parents were out and we would be OK in the garden. However, it wasn't long before the parents returned and were told, and of course we were taken back to school. I suffered the least punishment because of my age. The other girls were expelled from the school, but I was put into the headmistress's house and not allowed to go to my dormitory or classes for a week. I was given books to read and there were 2 kittens to play with. I was perfectly happy. My mother came to visit and brought me some sweets, but I was not allowed to have them.
When at school, or if I was at home nearby in Rosebank, we were taken to church on Sundays at St. Martin's in the Veld, and although it is in the suburbs now and has been renovated, (it seems bigger and missing the thatched roof), there still is the feeling of the old church.
Not far from St. Martin's it seemed, was my home on Bath Ave when I was a young child. It was on a small plot with a lawn in front and a driveway on the side. Although Bath Ave is still there, the number of the house, 52, does not exist, so I think it must have been re-numbered at some time. 54 Bath Ave is now a very elegant hotel, The Grace, but it is on the corner of Bath and Tyrwhitt Ave. I remembered that we would walk towards Tyrwhitt to go to Stuttafords, a fancy department store, for afternoon tea. From Tyrwhitt Ave. we walked along a block which looked familiar, with small overgrown plots. The houses were either torn down or overgrown by trees and bushes. I like to think that my was there somewhere, and hadn't been bulldozed away.
Here are two photos of my third birthday there.
One place I remembered well was the Johannesburg Park. Frank drove Dan, Zoe and me out there on Dec. 28 (Elisa was tired and a cold was coming on). The park also houses the National Military Museum. As Dad was in the SAAF during WWII, I was interested in seeing it.
There are interesting exhibits, and a Spitfire and a couple of Messerschmidts which I suppose had been shot down. I was hoping to get a book or some information from the shop, but the owner or the shop assistant was very unhelpful, either talking on the phone or taking his dog out for a pee, so I gave up.
Johannesburg Zoo Lake
Mum and Jane(in Redhill uniform) on the lake in the Johannesburg Park
Going to the lake was much better and it was just as I had remembered it.
My brother John must have come up to visit us, and with Mum we went to the park and rowed in the lake. This is also where Mum met my friend Louise (about 3 years old) who had come to the park with her Grandmother and walked away, and Mum found her. Alice, Louise's grandmother, was visiting from England, so she and Mum had a lot in common and they became lifelong friends. The friendship continued with Louise's parents and Louise and I have become good friends. Louise was very good to Mum when Mum was living in sheltered accommodation in London and then in the nursing home in Blackwater. 3 generations of friendship, from a chance encounter in a park!
There was a lovely playground for Zoe, but no shade, and the kids couldn't play on the equipment as it was too hot. It is the same in the US, designers build beautiful playgrounds which the children can't play in because the slides and swings are burning hot.
We went to Moyos, an African-themed restaurant for lunch in the park overlooking the lake, and although it was delicious, it was mostly European food with a few African/exotic spices.
Zoe had fallen asleep in Dan's arms during lunch, so we opted for a drive around the suburbs before returning to the B&B. Johannesburg is the best city in the world for greenery. Immaculate parks everywhere with pristine lawns that the public is allowed to walk on! Streets with canopies of jacaranda trees, even after all this time I still have a picture in my head of those gorgeous avenues, breath-taking in the purply-blue blossom time.
December 29, To Pretoria.
It was only about 40 minutes from the B&B along an excellent motorway. Although I had no recollection of Pretoria as such, I had memories of lion statues and being photographed sitting on one, and was sure they were at the Union Buildings, and a must check-it out for me.
We went first to the new Freedom Park overlooking the city. http://www.freedompark.co.za/. It is beautifully designed to fit around the hill it is built on, one can hardly tell from a distance there is a large building. The 200 slim silver poles surrounding the site, represent reeds. All the walls are built with slates of different hues. Very labor intensive to construct. Steps wind around taking the visitor to different areas. We saw one component of the memorial, Sikumbuto, commemorating the conflicts that shaped South African history. Not all the areas are are complete, but enough is to see how this is going to be a place South Africans will want to take their children to learn about their heritage. There is a still body of water,Tiva, reflecting peace, tranquility and serenity. The Eternal Flame sits in a basin on the edge of a section of the building.
The Eternal Flame and reflecting pool,Tiva, with the amphitheatre
In the far distance across the valley on another hill, is the Voortrekker Monument commemorating the Boers trek north from the Cape. From the Freedom Park we went into downtown Pretoria to the Union Buildings to check out the lion statues. There is a spectacular view of the city from the magnificient Union Buildings built on a hill and completed in 1913, but no lions! We walked all around in the heat, my photogenic mind was searching frantically for locations, but nothing came up. It was well worth the visit for the view and the buildings. I was disappointed but I had one more place to check out.
We continued on down into the city to visit the Paul Kruger House, President of the old ZAR ( Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek). http://www.southafricaholiday.org.uk/places/m_g_krugerhousemuseum.htm.
The museum bears witness to the forceful personality of Kruger, who was the leader of a small Boer republic in Southern Africa that was engaged in a struggle against British Imperialism. The house is a fascinating glimpse into European living in the late 1800's. Most of the objects and furniture are original to the house which makes it so interesting. Much of it came from Europe to Lourenzo Marques (now Maputo) by boat, then brought overland by train. Kruger had the rail line built from Pretoria to Lorenzo Marques. There was no way the ZAR could get goods from the coast, as Britian had a blockade from Capetown up the East Coast. This was one of the first houses in Pretoria to be electrified. Two offices, one for Kruger's private secretary, with one of the first telephones to be installed in Pretoria in 1891, the other used by Kruger himself. In the garden there is a large barn that houses a trek wagon, and Kruger's State Coach. Many objects that were given to Kruger as tokens of sympathy are displayed and showed the international support for the Boers' struggle for independance during the Anglo-Boer war, 1899-1902. Also in the garden is Kruger's State Railway Coach which he used on official visits and political campaigns. After the British won the war, Kruger went into exile in Europe.
We were ready for lunch after the visit, and went on to Church Square in the centre of town, where the market used to be. I was beginning to realise the difference between Pretoria and Johannesburg. Pretoria, although the Executive capital of South Africa (Capetown is the Legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is the Judicial capital), has still a small-town feel and with Afrikaans roots. Johannesburg is beautiful and brash, reminicent of the gold and diamond rushes. Lots of money to be made, attracting all types.
We had lunch at the Cafe Riche, an establishment that originally opened in 1904. It reopened in 1994, and has an excellent reputation, and is very popular and well-loved, according to the postcards sent by clientele in far-away places. The food was excellent, nothing fancy, but well prepared and presented. I tried the dessert "Koeksisters" -dough deep-fried then soaked in a sugary liquid. Sherry or Grand Marniere would have added some flavor, it was rather bland.
After lunch we walked around the square which has imposing buildings surrounding the statue of Paul Kruger in the center. They include the Old Capitol Theatre, The tudor Chambers and the General Post Office, and the turreted Palace of Justice which was the scene of the most famous trial in political history in South Africa, the Rivonia Trial. During this trial Nelson Mandela and other prominent liberation figures were charged with treason and subsequently incarcerated.
Further along from the square were the Botanical Gardens where we stopped for a few minutes for Zoe to play in the playground. The park was designed in the early 1900s - beautiful lawns, ponds, plantings and a bandstand. On the farther side of the park is the Melrose House http://www.melrosehouse.co.za/ where in 1902 the treaty between the Boers accepting the peace conditions with loss of independence, and the British, was signed by a delegation of 10 Boers including Paul Kruger.
Unfortunately, due to the holidays, the house was closed. I was disappointed as the house, beside being of great historical significance, is a Victorian mish-mash of different styles - wide verandas for sitting in the afternoons, and of course, beautiful lawns and flower beds.
We tried to get into the Transvaal Museum, but were refused as they were getting ready to close. It had been a very hot day, so we drove back to Sandton for a swim and a cool down.
December 30, our last day in Johannesburg. We were packed up and checked out by 10:30 for Frank to pick us up. The B&B had been pleasant enough, with the lawn and pool, and having a guest kitchen/lounge, but the breakfasts were minimal - all cold, not scrambled eggs or other hot items we had in the other B&Bs we stayed in. It was also in deep suburbia and we felt far away from everything. Frank was able to get all our stuff packed away, but it was certainly tight.
We decided that Dan and Elisa would go to the Apartheid Museum http://www.apartheidmuseum.org/ and I would take Zoe to the amusement park next to it. However, when we got there, we discovered it was a theme park, like Busch Gardens and quite unsuitable for Zoe. We all went into the museum and I saw most of it before taking Zoe out into the natural bush area and wetlands nearby. It was a lovely day, not too hot, there had been storms in Johannesburg in the night, cooling down the temperature. There was a cafe in the grounds and we all met up for a good lunch together. Dan and Elisa were very interested in the museum, it was of course a real eye-opener seeing and reading how apartheid had come into being, and is now thankfully gone by law.
We left for the airport, said goodbye to Frank and checked in with no complications, in spite of all our luggage.
I had mixed feelings about leaving Johannesburg, the place where I have most of my early childhood memories. It has changed so much, and I have no family or friends left there, but I was still sorry to say goodbye. Interestingly enough, we had to take a bus to the plane.
Dec. 30 George, Knysna - my birthplace
The flight to George was just about 2 hours and pleasant. It was still daylight, although very grey and cloudy. They had had lots of rain in the past few days, for which they were very glad, there had been an unusual drought for 2 years. We hired a car, a Mercedes, as it was one of the few left. As it was high season and people flocking to the beaches, car rentals at that time were at a premium. Surprisingly, it was either smaller than Frank's Passat, or Frank was a better packer, but we had to struggle to get everything in. I drove around the parking lot a couple of times to get the feel of driving on the left once more. George is in a very quiet area, so I didn't have any trouble driving to the B&B in the centre of town. "Die Waenhuis" (Afrikaans for the wagon or coach house) was ideal for us. It was an old building housing coaches for the railway, and it had been well-restored with antiques, paintings, cosy chintz covered chairs. Even Zoe's crib was an antique!
There were nice little touches in the rooms, a decanter of sherry with proper sherry glasses! and of course all the essentials for making a cup of tea. There was a large lounge for the guests, with an honor bar, so one could sit in front of a good fire in the winter and be very comfortable. The lounge led out onto a smooth lawn surrounded by beds of flowers and a well-established garden with fruit trees (lemon, I think or maybe limes, they were small and green, perhaps not ripened yet.) The garden originally must have been quite large, as recently, a separate building had been built at the back of the property to accommodate more guests. There was also a swimming pool at the back, but unfortunately we didn't have the time to get to try it out as we were exploring everywhere. Being in the centre of town was good, as Dan could walk out to a restaurant and bring us back light suppers.
The town itself is not a tourist attraction except for train lovers, the train museum is fascinating, as is the small George museum, which includes a record of the time during the war when the SAAF had a training base there It made me feel closer to Dad seeing all the uniforms and badges, and the photos of the base where he was training to become a radio operator on the planes. We went around to the areas my mother had talked about so enthusiastically, and I could see why. I kept thinking what it must have been like for her in the January she spent waiting to give birth to me. Being summertime, she probably spent her birthday on the 6th lying out on a comfortable chaise lounge and staying close to home, enjoying the view of the mountain and perhaps walking around the Botanical Gardens nearby. I feel sure all of these sensations contributed to my love of natural beauty. George is in an outstandingly beautiful area, with the magnificent Outeniqua mountains to the west, sweeping plains and then only a few kilometers away to the east on the way to Knysna, the winding road through one of the few remaining rain forests to the most beautiful coastline in the world. The drive down to Capetown along "The Garden Route" must be one of the world's most glorious scenic drive imaginable.
Dad, Elizabeth and John. One of the few photos of Dad in uniform.
Dec. 31.
The weather in the George/Knysna area was not conducive to a lot of sunbathing, due to the heavy clouds and intermittent thunderstorms they were having at that time, but we were able to take Zoe down to Victoria Bay about 8 kms from George where we spent a very pleasant late afternoon. There were rocks surrounding the beach and as the tide was out there was plenty of sand for her to play on. She had not been to the beach much so this was all quite new to her, but she loved it. It is very popular with surfers and a number were out as the waves were quite high. Victoria Bay is a quiet area, reached by a narrow 2-lane road from the main George to Knysna highway, with a few small B&Bs and hotels, and a campground in a field above the houses. Magnificent view for the campers, and I was astonished to see a satellite dish on one of the tents! I suppose after the sun goes down, they are ready to watch man-made shows. It seems the sort of place families would return to year after year, great for reunions. In front of the beach are a few shops and a restaurant where we ate delicious fish and chips. It was very pleasant sitting there looking out into the Indian Ocean, trying to figure out which country was on the other side.
Victoria Bay
On our way back to Die Waen Huis, it being New Year's Eve, we bought some bubbly and treats, and had a relaxing evening before going to bed well before midnight. Dan went out and got salads for supper. Mine had everything I liked, avocado and biltong! For those of you not familiar with biltong, it is dried buck, a South African favourite, similar to beef jerky. It had been shaved for the salad, which made it easy to eat, otherwise one can be chewing it for quite some time. As biltong cannot be imported into the States, it was quite a treat for me.The next morning we were asked if we had heard the fireworks and a car crashing into one of the lovely trees lining the street. We heard nothing!
Breakfast at the Waen Huis was really good. The couple who cooked and served it were locums for the owners who were away on holiday for 2 weeks. Sandra was an outgoing Scotswoman and had run a nearby B&B with her partner for 13 years, so were very experienced at preparing breakfasts. There were freshly-baked croissants, fresh fruit salad, (how I miss those delicious fruits-pawpaw aka papaya, mango, kiwi, all properly ripened), homemade fruit compote, yogurt, meats and cheeses, ete. etc. They also offered cooked items and we ordered omelettes, and scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon (for me). The dining room looked onto the lawn and it was easy to linger over that last cup of coffee, or tea in my case, enjoying the view and the peace and quiet.
New Year's Day 2011 - There was still a low grey mist, so we were not able to see the mountains as we left George to drive westwards down the main road, which took us through one of the last remaining virgin rainforests in the world. It is an incredible experience going through all those old trees and vegetation, I want to read an explorer's account of an expedition through them. At the bottom of the cliff is the town of Wilderness, where we stopped to visit the smallest church in the world, St. Aiden's Anglican Church. Set a little way above the beach road, it is an African thatched rondavel, built in the 1920's as a Chapel and holiday home for visiting priests.
There was also a road sign which intrigued Dan, so we drove up a narrow mountain road looking for "The Map of Africa". Thinking it might be an educational experience as Dan is a history buff, we followed the signs. Finally on a gravel road out in the bush (I was becoming nervous) it turned out to be a rather decrepit-looking B&B, so a big disappointment.
Back down to Wilderness which is a sleepy seaside town, not at all commercial, with lovely beaches. Too cold for us to stay long, so on we went to Knysna. Soon after, the mist started to burn off and we saw the huge mountains and plateaus and the lakes just before reaching Knysna. It is larger than Wilderness, but not much. The town and the hills surround much of a lagoon which has a small channel between 2 cliffs to the Indian ocean. There is a quay full of upmarket shops - some touristy, good clothes shops, bookstores -making for enjoyable browsing. There are many restaurants on two levels to choose from and we ended up at one overlooking the boats in the harbour. The food was good, but mine was unfortunately too spicy hot for me to eat. It was a Malay lamb curry, and despite the waiter assuring me that Malay curry is less hot than Indian, it was still too much for me. The view and the company more than made up for that disappointment.
While enjoying the view from the restaurant deck, we saw a booth for a paddleboat cruise around the lagoon. Although it was almost time for the sailing, tickets were still available, so we dashed off to catch the boat, the ticket office warning them that we were coming. Of course the boat was moored halfway round the harbour, but gasping and panting we got there and had a lovely (but windy) cruise. There were lots of people on the water, either sailing or waterskiing on plastic blow-up chairs bouncing all of over the place. Impossible to stay on, they were always falling off!
The channel in the lagoon
The sailors must have been to glad to come through the channel from the ocean.
Zoe's boat in the playground.
Another example of a restaurant's playground. Zoe always met such nice kids to play with.
On our return to George, not far from Knysna is a tiny little community, Belvidere. It is on the opposite side of the lagoon from the quays with the paddleboat. Being so small, it has restricted driving, so no traffic noise at all once you get off the 2-lane main road. We were told about it by the lady who was doing the flowers at St. Aiden's in Wilderness. There is another contender for the smallest church - in Belvidere, built entirely in stone! Set in a lovely grounds, beautifully maintained, it is a peaceful haven.
http://www.360cities.net/image/belvidere-church#346.80,5.40,70.0
The few houses we saw as we drove to the church parking area, had well-established gardens. There is also a hotel, a true get-away destination. Next visit maybe!
That stop set us up for dealing with the rest of the drive to George. The clouds came back and there was an horrendous thunderstorm - going up the mountain from Wilderness was tense. Fortunately the road was superb and the car stable, so we survived. We were glad to get back in the cosiness of the B&B, our last night there.
In the morning, after another plentiful breakfast, we packed up the car and squeezed everything in. Before we left George, we went up the road leading to an area called Fernridge. Perhaps it was named after the cottage where I was born.
Fernridge Cottage in George where I was born.
Near that area is the Botanical Garden which may account for my interest in beautiful gardens, http://www.bgci.org/worldwide/article/193/
January 2. To Capetown
The journey was about 470 kms. I drove for a couple of hours through acres of farmland - sheep, cows, ostrich, lavender fields, all with the backdrop of the magnificent Outeniqua mountains on the right, and behind them the Kammasie mountain range. On the left was the glorious coastline of Mossell Bay, which unfortunately we didn't see a lot of, as we went on the motorway in order to get to Capetown before it got dark, instead of taking the scenic route. Driving around an unknown city in the dark is not my first choice.
Lunch was at a Wimpeys (think McD's), pretty awful, but a nice stop for Zoe to run around and go on the swings and slides. She was so good in the car. Onward for another couple of hours, Dan driving, then for tea we stopped at the Orchard Restaurant and Farm Stall. This was a special place for me and I wanted to share it with Dan and Elisa. Maggie, my niece had brought me here when we were in South Africa in 2007 for the funeral of my brother, John Wolfe, Maggie's Dad, who had passed away suddenly a month before I was to go to South Africa for a long-awaited visit. The Orchard was a favourite place of his and Betty his wife, and well situated for their trips to friends further north. They would stop for tea after they had come up the Sir Lowry Pass, on their way to stay at a friend's cottage further north, and on the way back before going down the pass. We made it in time for tea and delicious scones with jam and cream, and I ate one for them. Zoe had a great time at the playground making a friend and having fun.
Zoe and two new friends at the Orchard
When in Capetown for John's funeral in 2007, Maggie and I drove to George, so I had enjoyed the magnificent view on the way back going down the Sir Lowry Pass. Now I was driving, and realised just what an amazing feat of roadmaking it had been. As with all the roads we had encountered in South Africa, it was superb. It took us down a great height, with many turns and bends, all with an incredible view of the coastline and Somerset West. Elisa was great at figuring out where we were and eventually we found our street, Breda, and the B&B, "Mountain Manor". The backdrop to this area is Table Mountain hence the name of the B&B. It is a group of 3 houses, two side by side, and one further up the street, which serves as a backpackers' hostel. Our house was the B&B, the larger of the two. A typical Cape family house, it had been renovated to accommodate 13 bedrooms. There was a sunny breakfast room with small tables, nicely laid with pretty linens and a different china pattern on each table. A buffet held all the cold items - fruit salad, cereals, orange juice, yogurts, bread for toasting and coffee and tea things. A waitress came in for any orders of hot food. It was really just like being in an older home, so comfortable. Off the main reception room there was a "mini pub", a small room with a proper bar and a couple of little tables. It had an honor system, you just wrote down what you had taken -drinks, snacks, and the total was added to your final bill. The porch was just outside the reception room, and we had supper there a couple of evenings, when trying to cool down. After a very stormy evening our first night, the temperature had shot up to 90 degrees for the rest of our stay, and the porch offered some breeze. Between the two houses was a small swimming pool with a little nook beside it. There, Zoe and I had a snack and enjoyed the evening air the night Dan and Elisa went up Table Mountain to watch the sunset. The adjoining house is an 1851 Dutch house, with I think, 3 units for self-catering. It too had a porch and a second swimming pool which Dan and Elisa enjoyed a lot. I dangled my feet and ankles in the pool to cool off, (still no swimsuit). A European self-catering family (couldn't quite define their language, either Danish or Swedish, I think) enjoyed the patio around the pool eating the supper they had barbecued at the table under the canopy.
After arriving the first night, we settled in, then walked around the corner to an Asian restaurant and had a light supper of noodles, vegetable tempura (don't forget, we had had a late tea of scones, jam and cream!)
Our rooms and beds were comfortable. I took the larger which had the crib, as I wanted to be with Zoe. There were two levels, the crib was on the upper level which led to the bathroom. Big wardrobe on that level as well as a dressing table with mirrors and a glass-toppped table and comfy high-backed chintz-covered chairs. My bed was on the lower level, just a few steps. Large windows, which rattled somewhat that first night with the fierce winds.
The following day, the heat intensified, and there was no airconditioning , only ceiling fans, and it got pretty stifling. Zoe had trouble sleeping and I asked the staff for an extra fan. After a while they brought a large contraption which turned out to be a portable airconditioning unit. It had a plastic pipe, similar to those used by clothes dryers, which was attached to a piece of wood. The wood was inserted in the bottom of the window frame with the window resting on the top, allowing the hot air from the pipe to go outside. The cold air flowed through a vent in the machine. It made a huge difference, and Zoe and I slept very well the rest of the time. This was one instance of how the staff were so helpful to us. They had been very welcoming and adored Zoe. One of the office staff was especially helpful with internet problems I was having on my netbook. Although the B&B had wireless, in South Africa it is most always charged for, and I had trouble getting it set up online. Late at night, she sorted it out for me and I was able to get online.
After a good first night's sleep we had a delicious light breakfast, although it was tempting to eat more, as we were to have brunch/lunch with my half-brother, John Hodson and his wife Jesicah. They came to lead us to the Blue Peter Hotel in Blouberg, a beach community with a marvellous view of Table Mountain. It seems the Blue Peter is a much-loved institution for many generations of South Africans, and a great place to hang out, with a gorgeous beach and incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain and Robben Island.
John and Jane
Dan, Jane and John with Table Mountain in the background.
The family
Dan, Elisa, Zoe, Jane, John and Jes
It was a momentous occasion getting together after all these years, we had not seen John and Jes since my other brother Cliff's wedding to Erin in South Carolina 6 years ago, and we had much to catch up family-wise. Sadly, their Mom and my stepmother, Joy Hodson, passed away last August. We missed her so much, how she would have loved being with us all in Capetown. She often came to the US to stay with Clifford and I saw her then, but it would have meant so much to be with her in the place where she and Dad had lived with the boys. Dad was killed in a car accident in 1971 on one of the mountains in Capetown, taking the family for a holiday on the farm of a relative of Joy. It devastated the family, the boys were between 9 and 13 years old. At the time of Dad's death, I was living in New York (yes, Flushing!) with my family - a toddler and a 3 month-old. I had not seen Dad since I left South Africa as a teenager. I was deeply upset that he would never see his grandchildren.
Cliff, John and Charles after Joy's funeral.
The lunch at Blue Peter was good, but I couldn't concentrate on it much with all the talking and telling family stories. Dan and Elisa took turns taking Zoe to the beach across the road, she was very patient. It became quite hot as the day wore on, and finally we decided it was time to leave. John wanted to take me around the places they had lived with Dad and where the boys went to school, I was so thrilled he wanted to do that. It would have been too much riding around for Zoe, so she went with Dan and Elisa to visit the Kirstenbosch Gardens while John, Jes and I rode around the northern Capetown suburbs. Joy was living in Seapoint when she died, and that was where the family lived when Dad was alive. We drove around the streets, John pointing out the various houses they had lived in, and his school, where a course offered surfing. Very practical I thought, since across the road there is the best surfing imaginable. The little coast road gets clogged up all the time with traffic, and is basically a parking lot in the summer. It leaves plenty of time to watch the waves and the incredible views of the ocean and the mountains. Clifton and Camps Bay were suburbs I recall on the way to Hout Bay where Dad and Joy had lived for a time. Hout Bay is a fishing port and the dolphin come right into the pier where we went to look around.
Dolphin under a fishing boat at Hout Bay
There was a little arcade (the first little shopping centre in Capetown) where one could buy postcards and snacks, as well as some seaside-type shops. At one, Jes bought some snoek, a fish I had not heard of, and is delicious. We had it several times in South Africa. On the way back to the B&B we stopped at Jes' father's apartment in Clifton to say hello. It was right on the cliff above the beach overlooking the ocean. I could have stayed there forever, listening to the waves and watching the sunset every night. However, it was getting on to evening, so we reluctantly left and John and Jes dropped me off at the B&B. A most marvellous day, to remember forever.
Hout Bay
At Jes' father's apartment, see the ocean reflected in the mirror behind us
The next day, Tuesday Jan. 4th, another fiercely hot day, we drove out to Groot Constantia in the southern suburbs behind Table Mountain. It's a beautiful drive past the Kirstenbosch Gardens and the University of Capetown to the estate, the oldest vineyard in Capetown, 1692.
The house at Groot Constancia
From the Dutch-style entrance gates a long tree-shaded driveway leads up to the house itself. Sadly the original house burnt down in the 1920s, a fire started in the kitchen, and as there were strong winds, the fire got into the traditional thatched roof and everything was burnt. A philanthropist vowed to rebuild the house with as many of the original furnishings as he could find, and now it is a very interesting place to visit. Behind the house are the stables which house some examples of wagons and wine barrels. While Zoe and I enjoyed the the house and gardens, Dan and Elisa took the opportunity of going on a wine cellar tour. They found it fascinating and bought a couple of bottles of wine to take home. They have a much healthier respect for winemakers now!
The Vineyards
The trees along the driveway provided additional shade for the small umbrella-covered dining tables, so it was cool enough to have a light lunch outside the restaurant housed in part of the old buildings. I had an appetiser of snoek pate and toast, it was delicious. Reluctant as we were to leave the peace and quiet of a drowsy afternoon in the beautiful surroundings, with the vineyards in the center of the valley, the mountains on the right and the sea in the background, we made our way back to the car, seeing on the way a baboon scarpering across the parking lot. Dan took a photo, but it was too far away to really see it.
We made our way around the southern suburbs to the Rhodes Memorial high above the University of Capetown. This was the last possible place for the lions to be and I held my breath as we drove up the windy road to the memorial. They were there! All 8 of them, 4 on each side of the steps leading to the monument to Cecil Rhodes.
At last I had found them and can go peacefully to the end of my days knowing where that photo of me was taken. Now all I have to do is find it! Mum or Dad must have taken it on one of our holidays from Johannesburg, when we camped in the bush on our way down to Capetown, and now we have darling Zoe following in her Grammy's steps. She will always know where her photo was taken! The first lion is obviously the favorite for photos, as it had been worn down with no doubt countless children sitting on it, but it was too hot for me to sit on, so I stood. Zoe's lion was in the shade so she got to sit.
Of course we had to have afternoon tea after all that exertion. There is a nice tea garden behind the monument with a playground for Zoe, so we sat in the shade and enjoyed a scrumptious scone with jam and cream. In my quest to visit all the a) luxury hotels, b) Tea rooms, c) Quaint loos. We scored 2 out of three. The loo was the quaintest I had encountered so far in Africa.
The Rhodes Memorial loo
Wednesday, Jan. 5th . Just as we were finishing up breakfast at the B&B, Lynn Crowhurst and Pamela Graham Wolfe came to fetch me for a day of remembrance. Pamela had met Dan on a visit to the US some years ago, but Lynn had never met my family, so it was lovely for them to meet Elisa and Zoe as well. It was good too for Dan and Elisa to put faces to names of family that they have never met.
We are all family, in that Pamela and Lynn are cousins (both had Wolfe ancestors), and I tag along as a daughter of a former Mrs Wolfe, so perhaps I am a step-cousin. In any case, we are all interested in the Wolfe family in Capetown and that is why were were spending the day together.
A bit of background of the Wolfe family. Originally an aristocratic Irish family, eventually a branch went to England and in the mid 1800s, a Richard Wolf went to the Cape as an army veterinarian. He stayed and prospered and eventually there was a Wolfe street, still in existence today, and a lovely house "Forenaughts", which remained in the family until well in to the 20th century.
We started off by driving to St. John's Parish cemetary where there are graves of the Wolfe and related families. This was a very sad part of the day for me, as in 2007 my beloved eldest brother, John Wolfe, died suddenly a month before I was to visit him and Betty in Capetown. It had been 44 years since I had been to South Africa and was so looking forward to being there with them to go to all the family places. It was a very tearful journey instead of the excitement of a long-awaited trip.
The cemetary is a small, hidden behind buildings that have grown it. It is old, some of the graves go back to the 1700s. It was to hot to spend much time there exploring. Lynn has done quite extensive research into the families and knows where the graves are.
The two Wolfe graves are together, Richard Wolfe from the 1800s. Below his headstone and grave is that of Arthur Kilwarden Wolfe (known as McGregor). He was my mother's first husband, and father of John and Elizabeth. John was cremated and his ashes were buried in McGregor's grave, after the funeral in Fish Hoek where he and Betty had lived for many years. Although it was a dreadful day, I was thankful to be with there with the family to say goodbye. I miss him dreadfully, and am so grateful that I had him as my brother and that he always looked out for me. A very precious part of my life has gone forever.
We went on to Plumstead cemetary, as Lynne knew of some Wolfe and Crowhurst graves. Pamela is a wonderful guide to drive around Capetown with, she knows everything. Between her and Lynn, we found the cemetary easily. Again, it was a fiercely hot day, and it is a large cemetary, so Lynn found someone in the office to help us locate the graves, rather than wandering around in the heat. Lynn had actually come pretty close to the lots. It is quite a well-kept cemetary. It was interesting to see pop bottles filled with plastic flowers. Mourners prepare them that way to put on graves, they don't lose their colour as fast.
We found a Crowhurst and Wolfe grave, McGregor's sisters (John's spinster aunts) Sheila and Nora are buried there, as well as some Crowhursts.
Pamela and Lynn at the Wolfe/Crowhurst grave in Plumstead cemetary.
It had been a hot and emotional morning. We were glad to accept Pamela's invitation to lunch at her granny flat in Claremont, a southern suburb not far away. She had been staying there for about 9 months while in South Africa. The converted garage was perfect for her - a cosy little sitting room and bedroom overlooking the garden and a kitchen and shower bathroom. The main house was owned by friends of hers. Pamela had prepared a salad with gammon (ham) and Lynn had brought a Christmas pudding made by parishioners from her church. Each year they sell them as a fundraiser, and it was delicious. We couldn't help but have a little snooze after lunch! Although we certainly didn't need it, I wanted to treat us to afternoon tea at the Vineyard, a lovely hotel in Claremont. It was John and Betty's favourite hotel where they would stay for a few days after the long flight (around 19 hours airtime) whenever they returned after visiting their daughters in the US. It was a chance to celebrate being together and to remember happy times when Lynn and Pamela joined them at the hotel. It was also a nice way to celebrate Pamela's upcoming 89th birthday! The hotel had originally been built in the 1700s and forms the centre. It overlooks beautifully-landscaped lawns going down to the river, and there are winding paths all around the gardens. We enjoyed a leisurely walk around, getting some exercise after the pudding, admiring all the nooks and crannies, with benches for sitting, while taking in the peace and quiet and the lovely scenery.
I could see why John and Betty liked it so much, a perfect place to get away from it all. The afternoon tea was all it should have been, a 3 tier plate holder with little sandwiches, petite fours and of course scones, jam and cream. We sat on the patio, enjoying the fact that the slate paving stones had come from "Fornaughts" when it had been demolished. John had made arrangements for the hotel to have them and they are just right in that setting.
I hope John was looking down at us 3 ladies enjoying
their afternoon tea!
It was a special ending to a memorable day, it was so good of Lynn and Pamela to have taken me around on such a hot day and helped me get a sense of my mother's life in Capetown. We drove back to the B&B where I said goodbye to Lynn and Pamela, who herself was to return to her home in France in mid-January. Unfortunately Dan and Elisa weren't around to say goodbye, it turned out they were with Zoe in one of the swimming pools.
I had promised them I would stay with Zoe in the evening so they could go up Table Mountain to watch the sunset and that's what they did and had a marvellous view. Zoe had some supper, I was not at all hungry (I wonder why?) and enjoyed hanging round the pool where some children were swimming. A
bath and a few book settled her and with the airconditioner she soon was sound asleep. She had had a fun day visiting the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, and the aquarium.
Thursday, Jan. 6th. Our last day. So sad in many ways.
This was my mother's birthday, and earlier, it was one of those coincidences that I had been thinking about her a lot the day before visiting the Wolfe gravesite in the St. John's Cemetery, where her ashes were buried.
Packing up and loading the car, as usual, took longer than we expected and it was mid-morning before we left the B&B. We had decided to take all our luggage and go straight to the airport at the end of the day. It had a been a lovely stay, very quiet and relaxed, away from the hordes of holiday-makers at the beaches. I'm glad for them the weather was so good, I think it had been chilly and stormy before we arrived. Many of the holiday-makers come from the UK and Europe winter, so were glad of the heat and sunshine.
We decided to spend the rest of the day in the Cape Point Reserve, then drive around through Simon's Town and Fish Hoek so Dan and Elisa could see where John and Betty lived. It was a glorious drive on a glorious day, I will never forget the color of the sea and sky from the Point. Although there were many warning signs about baboons and to not feed them, we only saw a few. I think since it was mid-day, they were in the shade taking a nap. They can be very dangerous when looking for food, so I was relieved.
Cape Point is not exactly the tip of Africa. That honor by a few feet is Cape Agulhas - located about 200km to the east of (and south of) Cape Town. This is not only the southern most tip of South Africa, but also of the African continent. Cape Agulhas is also the meeting point of two ocean currents, the warm Indian Ocean current which travels down the east coast of Africa and the cold Benguela current which travels down the west coast of Africa. This gives rise to the frequent mist/ fog off of the coast.
However, at Cape Point there's no getting away from the fact that you can stand looking out over the ocean and there's nothing between you and Uruguay, except for the tiny island of Tristan da Cunha halfway.
There were quite a few visitors to the Point but it was not overcrowded, and we took the funicular up to the top. There are further steps up to the lighthouse, but Zoe and I didn't make it up there.
My last photo of Zoe on our trip
Time was passing far too quickly, and we had a long way back to the airport, but still many places to visit. The drive down to Simon's Town has the same glorious as from the point. We frantically looked for the Boulders and Penguin Sanctuary that Dan had specially wanted to see. When we did eventually find it, Dan and Elisa jumped out of the car (Zoe was asleep), and managed to see a few. We sped off to Fish Hoek where John and Betty had lived for many years, and saw the little tea room "The Windsor" that John and Betty had run so well. Sadly it was not at all the same, it looked run down and seedy, so we went to The Chit-Chat Cafe, where family and friends gathered after John's funeral. It was a favourite of theirs and the owners remembered him and Betty when I told them who we were. I'm glad that we left Fish Hoek to our last day. It really was an ending and a goodbye.
After that, it was just pure anxiousness to get to the airport. Dan and Elisa were supposed to be there by 6pm for their 7pm flight to Johannesburg and then to Nairobi. We arrived at 6:25pm. All we had time for was to unload their luggage, car seat, stroller and check in. British Airways was marvellous. No problems. The worst part , saying goodbye, was over very quickly and they were gone. I could not fall apart as the car was parked illegally and I had to get it back to the rental office. Through my tears I crawled around the airport, not knowing the location. When I did find it, thank goodness the agent drove me back to departures, unloaded my luggage and off I went to Virgin Atlantic. Not a good experience and do not recommend them. They would not check my luggage all the way through to Raleigh, so after an eleven and a half hour night flight in a very uncomfortable seat, I had to get my luggage, go through customs and immigration in London, and then turn around and check-in for Raleigh. All in 3 hours. I was pooped, thankfully the American Airlines agent was helpful, and as the flight was only half full, I was able to get three seats, so could lie down and sleep for a good part of the eight-hour flight. Nineteen hours total flying time plus three hours in transit in London. A long day, a long way. A lifetime away.
My mother, who had recently married a Canadian-American, came to South Africa to take me to live with them in Cleveland, Ohio in the US. After a visit to my brother in the then-Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Christmas with my Welsh family, we crossed the very rough Atlantic ocean on the Queen Mary. I was quite ill with seasickness, so don't remember much about it. We were in New York for a few days, I was amazed by the skyscrapers and excited about buying a Davy Crockett hat. I'll never forget the bitter cold. Coming from the South African summer to the grip of winter was a jolt.
December 2010 - January 2011 - Nairobi, Johannesburg, George, Capetown, London, North Carolina.
Over the New Year, we were staying in George where I was born. We had arrived in Johannesburg the day after Christmas and stayed until Dec.30th when we flew to George. The town itself is not a tourist attraction, except for train lovers, where the train museum is fascinating. There is a Botanical garden near the neighborhood where I was born, and I feel sure this contibuted to my love of natural beauty. It is an outstandingly beautiful area, with a backdrop of the Outeniqua mountains,one of the few remaining virgin rainforests, and close to the coast with its pristine beaches. The drive down to Capetown along "The Garden Route" is the most beautiful scenic drive one can imagine.
My father was stationed in George during the war, training with the South African Air Force, after having been wounded in North Africa. We went around to the areas my mother talked about so enthusiastically, and I could see why. I kept thinking what it must have been like for her in the January she spent waiting to give birth to me. Being summertime, she probably spent her birthday on the 6th lying out on a comfortable chaise longue and staying close to home enjoying the view of the mountain and perhaps walking around the Botanical Gardens.
From George we drove down to Capetown and spent a very happy time there with family and friends, going to the top spots such as Table Mountain, the V&A waterfront, Blouberg with it's incredible view of Table Mountain and the ocean, and on our last day, spectacular Cape Point. 50 years before, I had left family in Capetown to go to the USA and 50 years later I was doing the same thing.