We began the day at Table Mountain, because when in Cape Town, you go up the mountain. The cable car (technically a rotating gondola) carried us upward into blue sky… and then later, back down into pure whiteness as the fog rolled in like a curtain being drawn. At the top, the landscape felt almost […]
south africa
Days 14–16: Wine, Words, Freedom, & the Long Road to Cape Town
The last you saw your fearless traveler, we were being told “Good luck” by the Kruger gate while pinned between elephants. Since then: vineyards, revolutionaries, perfume chemistry, language monuments, prison guards, penguins-to-be, and one very long stretch of early wake-ups. Let’s work backward. Day 16 (Today): Gardens, District Six, and Christo Brand Up at 6. […]
Day 5 p.m.: Sad Truths, A Crash of Rhino (Almost), and a Happy Braai
This afternoon we drove to the Rhino Orphanage, where we learned a great deal about South Africa’s long and heartbreaking history with poaching. Through the 1960s, the numbers were going down, down, down — to roughly 370 rhinos killed in a year. But then, decades later, the crisis surged again after a very specific spark: […]
Next Trip: Africa! (Then Vancouver…then Japan…)
Coming up in February/March, I’m off with Overseas Adventure Travel again, this time to Africa. The overview is HERE, the day-to-day itinerary is HERE. I am doing the pre- and post-trips as well, then staying an extra couple of days in Namibia, at a Cheetah Conservation Organization that Herbert and I have supported for decades. […]