Just NB

The last stop on my trip was Franschhoek, Cape Winelands. The last blog entry left off here , in Nxbega. It was about an hour or so drive (no helicopter this time!), then back on this little teeny plane. We arrived back in Kasane (where I was so happy to see my luggage ); then did the reverse of the journey from Botswana to Zambia (while listening to a bunch of senior citizens talking about their hip replacements..); then fly from Zambia (Livingstone) to Johannesburg; then fly from Johannesburg to Capetown; then drive to Franschhoek. It was a LONG day of travelling...and was the longest possible route. Three countries in one day! FINALLY arrived at La Fontaine guest house about 19h00 (after leaving Okavanga at 4h30...) What a house! Amazing views! Each night I'd sit in the reading room, and drink South African port and read intellectual magazines like all accountants do. (Yah right!!) The little cat kept coming into the room for some cuddles!! Every morning I...

Finally getting up some Accidental African Adventure Part 2 posts!!! After leaving Reunion, I had a few days in Johannesburg. I was sort of looking forward to it (English speaking country and shopping), but sort of scared (guns and death), but it ended up being a really fun time!!! Welcome to Joberg. Looks....safe from up here... It only took ...oh...about forty minutes or so to find the "free shuttle" to the hotel...during which I was still convinced that I would get shot if I just got in any random cab. I asked for directions several times...and was always pointed into different directions... Finally someone saw the pained, lost look on my face and led the way to the free shuttle. He was given a $100 ZAR tip for his services. Later I found out that was about $14CDN. Well, good day for him I guess... Welcome to the (well gated, secure) Emperor's Palace . They have five hotels - ranging from 5* to 3*. This time I stayed in the 5* and it was AWESOME!!! So...when...

Franschhoek has been wonderful. If I could do things again, I would scratch staying at Africa's version of Disneland . Nxbega , and stay another few days here instead. (I'll write up a post on Nxbega later with pictures...but...it was just too much at the end. SO cheesey and SOOO expensive!!) Even though I'm staying in the Winelands...I haven't actually visited a vineyard. The weather has been a bit too cold...and I've been really liking going out, walking to a nearby breakfast cafe, coming back to the guest house I'm staying at, napping, reading, and then walking to a nearby restaurant for supper. Maybe it's the chilly weather that has me lazy....or maybe I'm just really good at being lazy. This afternoon, I'm FINALLY going to a spa and getting a pedicure, then getting picked up and driven back to the Capetown airport, flying to Johannesburg and then spending the night at the same place I did my first couple of nights here. I think I'll be ...

Zzzzzzz....It's 6h00 and I'm just about to leave for breakfast and the airport. Was up really late last night, didn't sleep (excited) and am now very sleepy. Zzzzzzzzzzz.... Yesterday I went shopping at a mall in Johannesburg and felt relatively safe. Had an awesome, awesome taxi driver who answered all of my bazillion questions and talked about the history of South Africa. I can't beleive how different life is here for the blacks and the whites - and especially how different it was until 1994. Today is the celebration of independance here - where Nelson Mandela overturned all the rules against the blacks. Up until this day in 1994, black people weren't allowed in certain parts of the city, had a curfew, couldn't use the same toilets as white people, the list goes on... I'm kind of dissapointed not to be spending the day here, I'm interested what the celebrations would be like. So, I'm off to Zambia. I'm excited, nervous, anxious, scared, E...