Whale Watching in Hermanus

We chose to stay in Hermanus to Whale Watch, naively we assumed it would be like ‘oh look there’s a whale’ but sadly not.

Although Whales can be seen here September till December it does require a little more effort than a room with a sea view.

So without any Whale pictures to post I thought I’d share some of the things I found out about The Southern Right Whale and Hermanus.

 

• Hermanus is generally regarded as the best land based whale watching centre in the world. Acknowledged by the World Wildlife Fund for nature WWF.
• Hermanus has the worlds only whale crier, Eric Davalala who patrols the streets blowing his kelp horn alerting tourists to the position of the whales.

·         Calves are born tail first

·         Calves measure 5-6 meters at birth

·         The mother takes the calf to the surface for their first breath

·         Within 30 minutes of birth a calf has learnt to swim

·         Gestation period is 12 months

·         A fully grown male is around 15.2 meters long and a female 16.5 metres

·         The life span of a Southern right whale is between 90-100 years

 

The bottom of Africa

Agulhas, the Southernmost Tip of Africa is an absolute must. Apart from Guest Houses and a couple of local shops and restaurants, there is little else to do in Agulhas, but for us that was the whole point of staying there.

There is something amazing about standing at the bottom of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meets.

 

 

The most exciting blog post in the world.

I've started this blog whilst waiting for the cable car to go Table Mountain. My plan was to check out the view and take some pictures, forgetting that I'm married to the most inquisitive man in the world and we are likely to be up there all day.

Half way up the mountain

At the top

My current view

So once I've taken some pics I will sit in the cafe and ask you 'where is the most exciting place you've ever blogged from?'

Mossel Bay on the Garden Route

In 1500 Pedro de Ataide left a letter in a shoe, under a large tree in Mossel Bay. In his letter he warned of troubles near Calcutta and a year later it was found by Joao da Nova on route to India, who took head of the letter and turned back. This was South Africa’s 1^st post box and is still in use today. You can find it in the Diaz Museum.

 

Mossel Bay is the half way point between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, approximately 400kms between the 2 cities.

The approach into Mossel Bay isn’t the most endearing with gas towers on the approach, but you really can’t see them when you get to the beach.

 

This year we arrived a little earlier and it wasn’t as busy as last December. Near the lighthouse is a campsite which fills quickly, making parking and getting a table in a restaurant a little tricky.

We stayed slightly out of the town, but still in walking distance, visiting the Diaz and Shell Museum, exploring the side streets and a market. The town centre is currently undergoing modernisation and there are few main street shops there.

We spent time on the beach which is full with an array of shells and scrambled over the rocks, also climbing up to the caves under the Light House to learn more about the San people who originally lived there.

 

 

I cannot recommend highly enough the Kingfisher Restaurant, with amazing food and sea views and the occasional seal in the bay.

Tsistsikamma on the Garden Route

Tsistsikamma, place of abundant water, is approximately a two drive from Port Elizabeth on The Garden Route.  Managed by the SANParks and accessed with the annual Wild Card, a wonderful visit for walking, hiking, bird watching, relaxing on the beach with a selection of accommodation including camping. It features a well stocked gift and grocery shop and a restaurant.

 

15km inland is Storms River, which suits both young and old and the adventurous. We stay in the original hunting lodge built in 1840 which is now the Village Inn. Our room was in the old stables now converted to bedrooms, although small in size, good use of the space was made including an ensuite shower room and separate toilet. There are numerous places to stay and several restaurants in Storms River.

 

We stayed for 2 nights on route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, more than 2 nights is needed if you want to experience everything on offer. From Canopy Tree Top Tours, Falls adventure zip lines, segway trails, bungy jumping, tubing, and kayaking.

 

 

 

 

 

Life is one long holiday

I’m adjusting to holidays, strange, but with 5 kids in the past holidays have been a break. A break from family life, work and the norm.

Well now I’m on holiday and it doesn’t feel right. I’m on a permanent holiday right now. No kids at home and no daily grind to take a break from and I’m not really enjoying myself TBH.

I’m enjoying exploring new places and experiences, but I don’t actually feel like I’m on holiday.

Hubby says I need to take a break from the lap top and internet, but as I’m on holiday it’s a fantastic opportunity to blog, tweet, face book and instagram and share the experiences and any way internet is very limited, so I'm blogging at breakfast and after dinner, the times of the day when hubby wants to switch off and I start work.

I’m currently Mossel Bay on the Garden Route. I’m blogging about Penguins, ordering my mum and daughters xmas gifts online. I’m looking around at the families on holiday with large families with young kids and thinking ‘that was me 10 years ago’ I’m only 42 I don’t feel ready to be a grown up.

We meet people on our travels, who assume we’re on holiday and visiting from the UK. I’m not sure what is more glamorous, the fact that we are here on holiday or the fact we live here. I’m undecided. We drive around, doing normal things and then all of a sudden reality kicks in ‘we live in South Africa’ or ‘ we are on holiday in South Africa’ I guess both are outside our norms, but then again what is ‘normal’ anymore when you’re an expat.

I guess I’ll just have to accept that a holiday isn’t about taking a break anymore, it’s about exploring somewhere new. And I should just enjoy sitting back, relaxing and drinking as many cocktails as is medically possible.

The day Nelson Mandela died

We were awake until 2am last night listening to the news that Nelson Mandela died. It wasn't a shock, it was a matter of time.

Having lived in South Africa for 3 years, I've come to understand the legacy that Mandela has left behind. I read moving tributes on twitter and it was the one's from the South Africans, black and white that touched my heart.

It feels like every person is this country has lost someone close.

We were travelling in the Eastern Cape, we spent 4 days traveling the Wild Coast, driving through the Xhosa homelands. When I came down to breakfast this morning and I entered the room, there were around 50 people having their breakfast, chatting and you'd never know anything had happened. My MIL did not have the TV on this morning and she did not know that Mandela had died as no one was talking about it.

I wanted to ask 'have you heard the news?' 'Do you know Mandela is dead?' Where is the reaction, the expected out pouring of grief?

How will people respond when they return home, but I guess the people who work here are at home, how many people are actually oblivious to the news this morning?

We only have access to the Internet when we reach our hotel and the radio reception was poor today. We drove to Plettenburg Bay, no indication that Mandela was dead, we drove to Mossel Bay, ate out in a crowded and vibrant restaurant, again no indication that Mandela is dead. We put the TV on in the apartment and the BBC tell us that South Africa is in mourning, that flags are flying at half mast, that people are out in the street, celebrating his life.

That's not we are seeing on the South Coast of South Africa. Maybe news is till spreading, maybe we will feel that Mandela has died when we reach Cape Town in 4 days time. We travel north to Pretoria and home on the 15th, the day of his funeral.

Disability in South Africa

Meet Amo

 

As part of my volunteer work with Santa Shoebox, there are spin off projects that I get involved with. Kungwini Welfare Organisation, Peas in a Pod and The Viva Foundation. There are so many vulnerable children and adults in South Africa and on occasion the experiences can be heart breaking.

After a celebration day I was asked by a social worker if there was a spare box we could give to one of their former pupils. A young disabled boy who lives with his Aunt in Olievenhoutbosch, a township south of Pretoria.

I went with the social worker to visit the child, through an array of shacks. Amo’s mother has died and his Aunt has been left to raise him. As she hasn’t adopted or officially fostered him there are no government benefits available to her. An Uncle pays for their electricity so she can run a fridge for his food and a TV that he spends most of the day propped up in front of. His older sibling cares from him during the day while his Aunt cooks at the local school, but she cannot earn enough money to provide him with an education and the medical treatments such as physio he so desperately needs. After meeting Amo and his family, I told his story on face book. I received a financial donation from my cousin in the UK and one of her friends and used it to buy nappies, wipes and creams and some staple foods. Hubby then suggested we purchase a pushchair and some other food as a one off donation, which I returned to him and his Aunt last week.

I explained to her that this was a one off and I would not be providing any further financial aid or donation and I hoped that having a push chair would make a big difference to their lives. Hopefully now she can take Amo out to work with her, he can interact with other children and people and his sister can either return to complete her education or find work and his Aunt can earn more and pay for the medical treatments Amo needs to improve his life.

Amo's Aunt said ‘thank you so much for the pushchair, you do not know how much this can help me’ well I think I do and I hope it does help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Special Needs Penguin

 

All the about the Penguins

 

 

We spent the morning at the Lighthouse and Penguin sanctuary in Port Elizabeth.

This is Arg, he is a special needs penguin.

 

They believe he is brain damaged after underwater explosions and he was in the vicinity and was stunned by the shock wave. He was found on the beach and taken to SAMREC. South Africa Marine Rescue and Education centre. Unlike the rest of the penguins there is little chance of rehabilitation and he will remain at the sanctuary for the rest of his life. There is another penguin called Jay who they’ve tried to release several times who seems to think the water is too cold, he dips his toe and returns back up the beach.

There are many reasons that more penguins are being brought into the sanctuary and they are because of man. The seas are getting warmer which means the penguins have to swim out further to get food for their young, by the time they return they’ve used up the food in energy and there is nothing left to regurgitate, meaning the chicks aren't getting enough food. Also man has harvested the guano from the rocks to use as fertilisers and other chemical derivatives eg certain industrial disinfectants.  Penguins are also being affected by pollution, carrier bags, plastic drinking straws that they mistake for pipe fish and fishing wire and nets abandoned at sea.

In Boulders Bay, near Cape Town, on Foxy Beach, where we are heading next week, there is one of only a few on land Penguin colony and for a small fee you can walk on the raised platforms and see the work they are doing to protect the penguins. They have made them artificial housing just like they’d make for themselves from the guano in which they can lay their eggs without the fear of predators eating them.

 

 

 

 

 

Addo Elephant National Park

 

We successfully renewed our annual family wild card today. R870 for a year for 2 adults and up to 5 children, but give me strength, there is little consistency in the approach.

As a resident in South Africa, one pays a cheaper rate than international visitors. A days entry for the park for a non south African is R216 and for a resident its R54. Last year when I bought the annual wild card I paid around R870 for a years admission to all the SAN Parks in South Africa. I took a utility bill and gave them the children's and my husbands ID numbers and showed them my visitors visa. This year they need my husbands passport and to actually see him as my visitors visa doesn't suffice this year. And again the usual battle of my electricity bill not being proof that I live here and the fact I have a local bank card.

Anyway the hassle out of the way and another R870 for the year, a fab day was had for all in the National Park. We only covered the top section and one can view the big 5 but on a self drive you don’t get to see the variety of animals that the rangers have access to. We saw Elephants, up to 50 in a herd, Zebra, Ostrich, Antelope of many varieties, Hyena, several species of Bird, there were wart hogs which I mistook for Lions, even with the binoculars and no I hadn't been drinking, mongoose, eventually a Lion and Tortoises. The most famous Tortoise was called Domkrag which translated into English as car jack. He would sneak up on cars and literally lift them off the ground. Sadly he fell into an Aardvarks hole in the ground and couldn't get out. his shell is on display at the Main Gate.

The picnic site was inhabited by monkeys and we needed an umbrella to wave the monkeys away after it attacked hubby narrowly missing his face, hubby said he’d prefer it if I let the monkeys have his sandwiches next time. However cute the monkeys look, please don't feed them as they become extremely aggressive and you end up signing their death warrant.

My favourite pictures of the day.

 

 

Travel The Wild Coast. from Durban to Addo, Nr Port Elizabeth

Road Trip from Centurion to Cape Town and back via Durban and Port Elizabeth

 

 

We’ve been to Durban and the surrounding areas and driven the Garden Route but we’ve never explored the East Coast and have been told that’s where we find the most spectacular beaches.

We spent 3 days travelling from home to reach Addo, North of Port Elizabeth and we did see the most amazing sites, from driving through the homeland of the Xhosa people, where Nelson Mandela is from, and their painted houses to the rugged coast line. Called The Wild Coast.
 

It’s a very long journey with an average of 7 hours a day on the road, but it’s a must. Locals warn you of the dangers on the road, people and animals. It is constant, from goats wandering across the roads to cattle delaying the traffic and not just the side roads but the National roads also.

 

I was told in advance about the Xhosa peoples green houses, today I’m assuming they’ve got a job lot of various shades of green paint, but originally their houses were decorated by extracting the green from copper in the mud.

 

We didn’t spend a lot of time in any of the places to explore but what we saw from our brief stop over in Ramsgate, Coffee Bay, visit to Port Alfred we really liked it and plan to return another time.

 

The coast line down here is peaceful and tranquil in terms of activities and visitors. If you enjoy chilling out, reading, walking and bird watching then I can’t think of a better place to visit.

Coffee Bay involved a 2 hour, return, drive on an unpaved road for 75kms. I think they should put signs up to say ‘no pot holes for the next 100 yards, otherwise they’re everywhere’

 

Thankfully the hotel was ‘All Inclusive’ as there was no village centre or local shops, the hotel owned what appeared to be the only Fuel station and banking facilities in the area.

Coffee Bay took its name after a ship carrying a cargo of coffee beans was shipwrecked in 1893, some of the beans took root but none survived the salty soil.

There is so much history to explore in regards to ship wrecks and fascinating to discover that 8 years after the English ship The Grosvenor sank in 1782, an expedition to find the survivors uncovered over 400 people of non-African descent living along the Mngazi River, believed to be the remnants of various ship wreck survivors along the wild coast.

The trip to Port Alfred took us on a detour off the N2 of around 40 minutes. We drove through a range of small villages full of bars, restaurants, craft shops and small cheese and dairy farms, to the coast. It’s obviously quite windy there judging by the size of the sand dunes and despite the constant drizzle we’d had for the past 3 days, the air was warm and we took a walk on the beach collecting shells from the Indian Ocean.

 

Back in the car for another 2 hours and we reached Addo, where we are staying for 2 nights to explore the Addo Elephant national Park.

Fight or Flight? What would you do?

I wrote a blog post which was published on Monday about How safe is South Africa?

Today we were victims of a crime and all the advice we have been given about maintaining our safety in South Africa went out the window and I experienced 'fight or flight'

I always said I would I would run the opposite direction and I'd let a thief take what they wanted to, to protect myself, but until you're actually put in that situation you really don't know what you'd do.

I fought back, I chased a thief.

MIL arrived from the UK this morning. We sat and drank coffee while waiting for hubbies flight from Dubai, which landed an hour later. We walked down to the parking lot, paid for the ticket and as we opened the boot a guy insisted on helping us with our luggage. We told him no, but he grabbed the cases and put them in the car, then he started rearranging the cases. I told him no more and gave him R5 to go away.

We closed the boot and got into the car, but something stopped me, made me check the boot.

My first thought was he had marked the car and was going to phone ahead to hijackers, to intercept us on our way out of the airport.
Then I noticed hubbies hand luggage case was unzipped on the side. I asked hubby if he had his passport, he said it was in the side pocket of his hand luggage.

As I closed the boot and looked towards where the man had gone, I saw him start to run. I yelled at hubby, 'he's stolen your passport' and before he could get out of the car, I'd taken chase.

I ran up the escalator, looked left and right and saw him at the top of the next escalator, I ran after him, out the door, across the 2 roads, towards the long stay car park and the hotels.

For a split second I thought about running into the police station, but I really didn't want to lose him and go through the hassle of replacing a passport.

As I caught up with him I grabbed him on the shoulder and yelled 'Give me my f***ing passport back, NOW'

He removed it from his jacket pocket and said he'd found it on the floor. I snatched the passport and yelled 'you f***ing liar, you stole it' and turned and ran to the police station.

It was only as I entered the building that fear spread over me like a big wave. He could've had a gun, this is South Africa, Johannesburg.

I had no control over my behaviour. I fought, it was a natural instinct, one that I will have to learn to supress.

If the incident was captured on CCTV it'll look like I was the one who committed the crime. I was so bloody angry.

International travel

 

Joburg to the UK

As an expat I make frequent long haul trips to the homeland. I can’t always plan these trips in advance to take advantage of special offers or travel outside of holiday times. I can’t plan when the next heart attack will be that I need to return home for. So as a result trips tends to be booked last minute. Usually with around a weeks notice. I compare prices, take into consideration the routes, the length of time for a stop over. I don’t fancy 9 hours in Dubai airport even with the use of the Emirates lounge.

I usually fly emirates, as I can fly into Birmingham where a friend will collect and return me, but the downside of this is I’m in transit for 24 hours.

My last trip I had about 3 days notice that I was going and the only flight available in economy was with Virgin Atlantic, direct to Heathrow.  I flew with virgin direct last year and to be honest the thought of catching a tube into London and a 3 hour train trip to Malvern after an 11 hour flight, plus passport and collecting luggage didn’t appeal to me again. But having little choice unless I wanted a 12 hour wait in Cairo, I flew with Virgin.

Now don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with Virgin but I do prefer travelling with Emirates. For example on my last trip I was able to change my flight 3 times for less than £20 a time. Even if I have to catch a train from Birmingham its around £15 instead of £40+ from Heathrow as like I said I don’t always know when I’m flying to book train tickets in advance.

Already planning next years trip. I’ve just booked a one way ticket for my 1 yo who leaves SA in January and the 14yo flight is a return from SA so he flies back to school on January 10^th and returns end of July.  They're flying with BA for the first time.

Hubby and I are planning to spend Christmas 2014 in the UK, so all I have to do now is book my Easter trip to the UK, but you never know what may happen between now and then so I’ll guess I’ll just stick till the last minute as always.

How safe is South Africa?

Well it all depends on where you go and what you do.

We live in a security estate set around a 18 hole golf course, when I look out my window I see houses, when I walk down the street I see grass, lakes and a river.

When I drive out of the estate I see security fences, barbed wire, electric fences, armed guards and have to pass through finger print checking and CCTV to access the outside. I hear gun shots/cars backfiring, you never know and rarely hear about it on local news.

But I don't notice the security anymore, I just live with it. I don't feel unsafe and have never felt in danger, but I do feel scared sometimes, I worry about car jacking, shootings, mine and my families safety, but I don't live in fear, I don't let these feelings/thoughts control or restrict my life.

I tell you I live in South Africa. It shocks most people that we would chose to come here, where crime is rife, murder is high, to what a lot of people perceive as one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

I volunteer, I visit townships, I drive alone, I drive at night. My 18 year old drives, goes to parties, bars. We go on holiday, we food shop, we pay the bills, we do everything that we did before, just in South Africa.

I haven't changed how I feel about living here, I've changed the way I live. Every day outside the estate is like being on holiday, except I'm not. I stop the car at the lights or a 4 way stop. I'm like a learner driver on the day of their test. I check the mirrors, big obvious looks in the mirrors. I'm making sure no one is approaching my car. But when they do they're usually trying to sell you car chargers, sponge bob square pants and hello kitty stuff. I keep my handbag under my seat, my phone in my pocket. I park in security car parks, centrally, not alone on the top floor, or the unlit corner. I put my shopping in the boot. Left it once on the front seat when I popped into another shop and some guy tried smashing my window for milk and bread. I put the food shop in the boot and another guy opened the passenger door, took the sat nav and camera out the glove box. I don't leave anything of value in the car. I only take out what I need.

I carry a handbag, a nice leather one. I'll use my laptop in a cafe. I will walk from the Mall out of the security area to another Mall and back to my car. I've observed others, I've asked locals if things are safe for me to do. They understand my questioning.

I go places many locals have never been, they've grown up in a different world to me, many are scared to leave their houses, many have left the country after violent crimes to themselves, family or friends, many leave due to the fear of violent crime, many can't understand why we came here.

But to me living here is no different from living in the UK, we lived in a nice, low crime area, we drove many miles to football matches, to visit family and friends, for day to day activities, we've been caught up on 2 occasions in violence at football matches, I've driven alone at night with my job in areas around Birmingham where I've felt scared, intimidated, I've had my car broken into, my hand bag snatched, a knife pulled on me many years ago by a 14yo in a youth club. But I accepted that as the norm, for what I did for a living, that was my life. I did my best to minimise the risks and that's just what I do here and now.

 

What would you put in Room 101?

I was tagged in a Meme by Mediocre_mum, so long ago I've no idea of the link, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it anyway.
The reason it took so long to post is because I couldn't decide on just 3 things to go into the room.

The first thing I'd put into Room 101 are Laws and rules that don't mean anything.

‘It is against the law to smoke in this hotel room, anyone found to be smoking with be charged xxxxxx for cleaning of the room’

No sorry that’s hotel policy surely. I thought if it was against the law then at some point the authorities should be informed or have I been misinformed?
And as for rules, your rules, rules that don't matter, about what you must hashtag something, use no words with your picture, only link up if I let you. Refusal to publish comments that don't make you look good and even remove other people's points of view, well you're heading for Room 101 along with the pointless laws.


The second thing I'd put in Room 101 is self proclaimed experts...yes you.

People who write blogs about how to do things the correct way. Now I like to post recipes and some of my crafts and yes I do give step by step guides on 'how to' but I don't claim to be an expert. I consider myself just sharing what I've learnt from trial and error and experience. I detest the blog posts from people who call themselves 'Social Media Experts' you get paid to do the job and I'll listen to your advice. You try telling me 'how to blog in exchange for a few freebies, followers or even worse 'how to make money off your blog' and I'm afraid you're going into Room 101.


The third and final thing I'd like to put in Room 101 for now are 'band wagon jumpers.'

Oh look a controversial tweet/face book comment/forum and they feel it's compulsory to write a blog post on the subject. You don't fool me, you're only doing it to try and raise your audience. Fair enough if it's a campaign, I've taken part in them, but seriously 'jumping on the band wagon because you see it's a popular discussion usually means it's run it's course anyway.

How do you braai?

Another weekend and another opportunity to invite friends round and to have a Braai.

But how do South Africans Braai? Well some swear by wood, others by coals, all seem to have their favourite way of doing things and keen to share their hints and tips with you. But what about the protocols of holding or attending a braai?

 
Give me strength, there are no set rules. Well none I can find anyway.

In the UK if you invite someone round for a BBQ and they say 'can I bring anything' you usually reply...'No, its all organised' and you end up with left overs for a week. Your guest will usually turn up with a bottle of wine or maybe some flowers.

In South Africa things are different.

We've been invited to Braais where the host has added 'please bring your own meat/drinks'

We've been invited to Braais where the host has added 'please don't bring anything'

We've been invited to Braais and asked 'can we bring anything?' and the host has responded with 'bring meat/drinks/ice/swimsuit'

So how do we issue our Braai invite?

'Would you like to come for a Braai' 'Must I bring anything?' 'Yes, your own meat, we will supply the rest oh and maybe some ice'

I'm not sure if we're doing it right, but to date it seems to have worked ok.

We had a Braai in January with 20+ people. One woman turned up with a cooler box, her own chair, all her own food, including crockery, a bottle of gin, tonic water and a sharp knife to cut a lemon slice, she even brought an individual desert.

 

Help save the Rhinos.

#RhinoFriday What do you know about it and what use is a hashtag?

I saw this update on my face book this morning by Africa, this is why I live here. One of my biggest pet hates is posts that say 'like this if you care' I don't see how they do anything, I know it raises awareness and gets people talking, but we need to get people doing things not just discussing how terrible it all is.

So at the suggestion of 'Africa, this is why I live here' and less than 2 weeks ago we went to Pilanesberg for a day safari and were stopped by Rangers for a spot search of our vehicle to ensure we weren't carrying a rifle. We discovered only 4 days later 2 Rhinos were mindlessly killed for their horns which have no medicinal properties what so ever, that's 848 this year so far.

I emailed Albi Modise – Chief Director: Communications/Spokesperson at National Department of Environmental Affairs
AModise@environment.gov.za
requesting the department consider making Rhinos a protected species to save them from extinction.
Feel free to cut and paste into your own email. It takes a few minutes and could stop this mindless and pointless murder of such a wonderful animal.


'It is clear that Rhino's need to be made a protected species. With 848 poached in South Africa to date, with figures doubling year on year, the time has come to step up and outlaw this poaching. Education is needed so people understand there are no medicinal properties in Rhino horn and their senseless slaughter is barbaric.

A zero tolerance policy must be enforced and those caught poaching along with those issuing the orders must be named and shamed for the world to see'

I'll leave you with a selection of Rhino's I have photographed in Kruger, Pilanesburg and Reitvlei.