Johannesburg, London, New York, Austin

We're resting in Johannesburg for our long flight home. The weather looks good for flying.
Our trip to South Africa has been inspiring. It is a beautiful country only surpassed by
an even more beautiful people. We were treated royally by all from the lowest employee
on the totem pole to the highest. Everyone we encountered met us with a broad smile
and ready handshake. Put South Africa on your list of travel endeavors. If you do come,
stay for a decent amount of time and visit as many areas as you can, you won't regret it.

So I say again, goodbye from South Africa and raise a toast with my cold glass of Namibian
Lite, a most interesting place and to Grandma Annabelle, who made this a glorious adventure.

Out of Africa

We're still in Simbambali waiting for the late game drive to muster. To bring you up-to-date,
after I wrote my farewell to you and returned to Lodge 1, you wouldn't believe what I saw.
Annabelle was leaning over this rustic rail of our terrace talking to a large bull elephant that
was munching on the shrubbery not more than 20 feet away.
Then after lunch, when we returned, a rather large baboon was on the porch rail inspecting
the area. It's hard to believe that these animals are able to roam free in these surroundigs
without interference but poaching is a problem and there are very stiff penalties; some
people take the chance since various parts of various animals bring high prices. An elephant
tusk could mean a comfortable retirement for a person. Better than a 401k or a short term
gain in the stock market.

Grandma Annabelle is taking the safari seriously. She sits next to Charles, the driver-guide, and picks his brain about all the fauna and flora we pass on the drive. On our late drive yesterday we saw our first hippo and when he yawned we could see those big molars. He can remain submerged for up to 8 minutes. On the way back to the lodge we had to by-pass a resting hyena who chose to stop in the center of the road and give us a warning sneer.

Last night while having dinner served by Reiner, our waiter, a hippo was grazing within sight
of the open dining area. Dinner consisted of lamb curry and roasted stuffed quail plus
all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The fruits are great here especially the mangos and papaya
like Hawaii.

There were only 4 of us on this mornings game drive (Feb. 22). Service (his real name)
the tracker. Charlie, our driver guide, and moi. It was like a private safari and Annabelle
was in her best form, checking out everything along the way and she had the complete
attention of Charlie, who, fortunately was able to provide all the answers. These fellows
know the region intimately.
Service, began tracking a large lion print but it crossed over to another lodge territory where
we had to stop the search. Kruger is a very large park and is divided into a number of
sections, each under the jurisdiction of a lodge. The animals are free to roam and hunt
without constraint over the entire area but a lodge must keep in its own territory so if an
animal is tracked up to the border of another lodge, it can't violate that territory. We'll just
have to wait and see if that lion crosses back. Although we have seen a female pride, we have
yet to spot a male.

Between game drives, I have been working on a movie script that I plan to produce, direct and
star in. It's an adventure film to be graded "O" for old people, no violence, no sex, no anything.
It's a tale of two people in their eighties, Henry Bogart and Annabelle Hepburn who trek
through darkest Africa in search of an African Costco, home to the elusive Hebrew National
Hot Dog. Unfortunately, they get lost but after sending out a text message they are rescued by 2 handsome Zulus who burst out of the jungle. There is a happy ending when the Zulus lead them to safety and their long voyage back home on the QM2. Please send me a title for this momentous epic because the "African Queen" is already took.

As you can see my brain is being jolted loose along with my teeth by the incessant rattle of
the safari wagon. TOTSIENS, or goodbye in Africaans.

Simbambili Camp.......Northeast in Kruger

To all the faithful followers of Despicable Tours, I dedicate this bit of verse, especially Aubrey
and Walter. Also to Tracker Sam and Driver Colbert who found our first leopard.





The Spotted Towel


Draped o'er the limb like a towel,
Feigning sleep yet so wide awake.
Ears alert for a crunch or a howl,
Claws eager and wide as a rake,

Beneath, the bush all aquiver,
Some creature has broken its stride.
Above, the limb starts to shiver,
And the towel begins its slow slide.

Not seeing the spots carefully blending,
With tree leaves and bark o'er its head,
The creature not sensing the ending,
From a towel that demands to be fed.

We went on our final morning drive. This time we spotted several jackals trying to raid a nest
of guinea hens and the adult birds were putting up a great fuss trying to chase them off. Watched a large male elephant munching his morning shrubbery.
Last night, instead of heading back to the camp, we were surprised by a special dining event.
The Camp staff set out a full dress feast in a clearing in the bush. The area was surrounded
by campfires and the sky was lit by big round red orange moon. A new camper joined us
and what do you know, she grew up in Garden City NY and spent lots of time in Mineola
where she attended a girl's Cathlolic school that I knew quite well when I worked at Mineola
HS. Small world.

We've been resting on our front deck which overlooks a dry river bed about 30 feet below. There's a large water hole about 100 yards ahead and a number of zebra and Cape buffalo
are milling around. A couple of monkeys are squawking in a tree above our thatch roofed
cottage. A large African hawk eagle is soaring by not 25 feet over the cottage. This place is
much more rustic than King's camp The altitude is higher and the jungle more dense.

We were transferred from Kings Camp by Tom, one of the locals and drove more than 2
hours to Sabi Sands, a different section of Kruger where this lodge is located. On the way, we
had to stop short to avoid a collision with a massive male giraffe who kept trying to cross the road There was a decent paved road for half the trip but it gradually disintegrated.
The beat-up toyota sedan rattled and shook and I expected pieces to fly off as Tom pressed the pedal close to 100 KM, grinning and enjoying the ride.

On part of the trip we past several small villages and the contrast in lifestyle was obvious. I spotted a tall black gal in native dress toting a big basket of produce on her head then further
down the road we saw a tin shack not more than 15' by 15' sporting a crooked sign painted
bright red above the door which blared, "INTERNET CAFE'. Maybe the gal was bringing
lox and bagels to the hackers in the cafe'. So much for jungle life..
We stopped at a fairly large town where I bought a small scissor for R3.95 (about 50 cents).
What do you know, most of the items were labeled, "made in China'.
We were reluctant to leave Kings Camp. I guess, Liselle, our gal from Sunsafaris who
arranged the itinerary, wanted to vary our safari experiences. Now we have to learn all
over again the "whys, wherefores and do nots" since no camp follows standardized procedures.
We also have to make new friends at dinner time and unravel the lingo of the mostly black
staff. There are few oldsters doing this thing and the young people in the group spend as
much time looking at Annabelle and I as they do the wildlife. Next time, I'll charge a fee.

Kerry and Anton were at the entrance to the main lodge with glasses of juice and wet
towels in hand and we were escorted to lodge 1 near the dining area. Our lodge is
furnished with the African motif including animal skins on the floors and patterned
pillow cushions. Quite lively.
We were too tired to make the afternoon game drive which was leaving a few minutes after
our arrival but we did arise at 5:00am today Feb.21. to join the group. Charles, the driver
took us on a leopard hunt and we managed to follow two female leopards. It was funny,
that when we caught up with one leopard, she turned around and looked at the wagon,
gave us a wide yawn and a disinterested look, then trotted down the path. It could have
made a great photo but my camera battery died. One of party with us, a young doctor
from Pretoria, who was armed with a monstrous camera and no doubt was a camera devotee,
promised to send us some of his photos.

Annnabelle is lounging on our front terrace reading a book about the trek of the early
Dutch settlers in Africa while I'm in the lodge office on their computer, with a number
of keys sans lettering. Fortunately, I can't go out of this place since we were advised to
stay in sight of the lodges. Pete, they do have a small fitness center on the grounds so if you want to get back in business, the prospects are great here in the bush.

I may not get back to the blog until we return to Johanessburg and civilization so if you
don't hear from us, I bid you goodbye in Zulu, "UNT-ILL-THE-NNN".

Kings Camp and The Big Five

Big Five.........elephant, lion,buffalo,leopard, rhino

Everything about the D'Oreale was grandiose; the rooms, service and food. The buffet this
morning is hard to describe. In a setting that rivals Maui. It's the first buffet spread I've seen that included freshly shucked oysters on the half shell.

We're now ready for hour two hour flight from Tambo airport to Hoedspruit SA where, hopefully, will be met and taken to Kings Camp and finally to glimpse at rougher part of Africa.
We checked our largest luggage pieces with the hotel and took the shuttle to O.Tambo
Tambo is a first rate airport, entirely modern in all respects. We did manage to find our way after asking help from a number of airport personnel, all of whom who speak a form of English coated with native dialects from various regions of the country. They all seemed to know we were
from the US. Luckily, we arrived at the correct gate, not a minute too soon because the shuttle
to the tarmac was set to leave. There it sat, a propeller driven De Havilland, ready to take us to the bush country. to our great surprise, we were served a small lunch with polite service
included, no longer included on short flights in the USA.

Someone was supposed to greet us at the terminal and transfer us to Kings Camp somewhere
in Kruger Nat'l Park, not far from the border deviding SA and Zimbabwe.

The small airfield came into view, carved out of the surrounding bush country. After landing,
we walked through a small terminal to the outside. Mike was there with the HENRY &
ANNABELLE poster. Outside, there were a number of Safari Wagons. We boarded a van for the two hour drive to the camp, however, midway we stopped and transferred to another van, driven by Warren, the camp's manager.Lo and behold, on the right side of the road a herd
of zebra were grazing, then on the left, a group of impalas jumped near the vehicle.

Kings Camp is comprised of eleven thatched roof lodges, a library (Joan, no librarian, here's
your chance) with a very slow computer, dining facilities and office, run by Mellisa who
knows most everything about the area and inhabitants. We occupy Lodge 7 not too far
from the dining room. It's quite elegant inside with a king size bed, lots of furnishings,
bathroom, tub and shower plus a large glass pitcher filled with sherry on a sizable coffee
table sitting on a zebra skin and a bowl of fresh fruit continually replenished by some unknown person who slips in the door then silently disappears before you can thank her or him.
We are allowed to roam the camp during daylight hours but must call Oscar, the night
watchman to escort us to evening meals at night then back to our lodge.

A game drive was scheduled for 4pm the first night we arrived. Our guide, Colbert, who drives and a tracker, Sam both large black men but soft spoken and gentle in helping us climb
the safari wagon. The wagon is large and rugged somewhat like a military personnel carrier.
It has a high freeboard and sports a fierce looking elephant gun on the dash. Sam, was situated on a type of jump seat attached to the left front fender. Away we drove, following a skimpy dirt
road. Sam blurted out something in Zulu an off we dashed through the bush, shrubbery flying to the right and left, tree branches crackling as we ducked low to avoid the debris.
I might add that the first thing we had to do on arrival at the camp was to sign a waiver of
liability.

It would take too much time on this outdated Dell to describe our adventure on the first
game drive but we followed a female elephant and her calf, getting within ten feet of both. Later
Sam picked up the tracks of a leopard while we crossed a dry river bed. He pointed to a tree on the other side and we spotted a female leopard slumped over a wide limb. Just below there
lay a partially consumed impala. We drove next to the tree and sat looking eyeball to eyeball
with that leopard who was too full to bother us. Later on we watched two hyenas waiting for the leopard to leave his perch and depart. Just like you see on the Nat'l Geo channel. Perhaps
the most interesting sight was a pride of female lions dozing, two females with 3 cubs. Two of
thye cubs were almost entirely white, a rare event in the animal world.

Our game drive this morning began at 5:30am. We followed a large herd of about 200 African Cape buffalo to one of the large water holes. These were monstrous creatures right next to us.
So far we've seen four of the Big 5 plus many colorful birds who are spending the winter
here from chilly Europe.

There are Vervet black faced monkeys all around the camp, especially near the dining room
waiting for a chance to dart in and grab a slice of bread or whatever. The other evening
while we were scanning the waterhole from the observation platform, a monkey slipped in
and grabbed a gal's backpack. It was humertous to see both woman and monkey struggle
with the pack until she screamed loudly and won the tug o' war when the monkey let go
and fled.

Fri. Feb. 18 evening game drive was one of the most exciting. We now saw three rhinos
which completed thye Big 5 combo. Also, watched a group of giraffes nibbling on tall trees.
One had a very young infrant who looked at us and scampered away. There was a male
leopard in a amarula tree, a lone wildebeast, probably lost from the herd. Of course, the
three rhinos including a youngster.

Tonight, we have a brilliant full moon, so round and tinted yellowish orange. Driving back
to camp you could hear sounds in the bush and see critters darting to and fro. Camp was
a welcome sight. We were bushed, mostly by sitting for 3 hours in a spartan vehicle.
I was still aching this morning and decided to sleep in but Grandma Annabelle rose to
join our team for the 5:30am game drive, Watta woman!

While having lunch this noon, a funny thing happened. A male and female wart hog
couple with three young'uns in tow walked out of the tall grass, looked our way, then nonchalantly strolled on. Luckily I had my trusty Cannon at the ready and snapped a few gems.
By the way, our dinner last night consisted of grilled wart hog. Fortunately, I chose chicken.
Lunch today included French onion soup, and either a Greek salad or smoked salmon.

The Rovos Railway to the Northeast

I'm writing this from the grandest Hotel in Johanessburg, De 'Oreale or Emperor's Palace.
It truly lives up to its name. A vast complex of hotel, casino and upscale restaurants. We
just had lunch in a Chinese restaurant filled with, of all things, Chinese. They say that
China is making great inroads in Africa.

It was Valentine's day and Jack fetched us promptly to Cape Town just before rush hour. On
the way we passed miles of shanty town shacks where most of the black South Africans live
in pretty harsh conditions, somewhat like the slums you see in areas of Rio. This is one
situation that the SA gov't better improve but quickly. The Rovos Rail terminal was a far
cry from the metal clad shacks we passed.
A violinist and guitarist combo were playing classic selections while the 32 passengers assembled
were served tea and crumpets, etc.. Just before boarding time, Rohan Rovos, who is the owner
and CEO, spoke to the group and informed us that due to a derailment about 250 Km up the
line we will have to be driven by bus to the train. It would be waiting at a small town of
Matjiesfontein. We were to have lunch and be entertained there and then board the train.
This town was the center of the battlefield during the Boer war at the end of the 19th century.
You history buffs will have to check this war out. All seemed reasonable enough until after
lunch we were informed that the train would be ready at another spot, Beaufortport. A
revolting development since the trip by bus, although a comfortable carrier turned out to be
more than 8 hours. Needless to say there were alot of unhappy campers including, moi.
Mr. Voss had slipped us a fast one and it was the first glitch in our travel thus far.

However, we did embark the Rovos train, which was a delightful experience and we were
soon able to forgive and forget. It is a luxurious group of rail cars that probably were used
in the early 1900s, wood panelled walls, carpeted floors, ensuite bathroom (quite ample)
with a 21th century shower. Of course there were service staff aplenty. The dining car
was beautiful and the food, first class. We ate high off the hog, ostrich and lobster with
different wines and brandy between courses.

We eased into our accommodations and began to enjoy the ride. It was late before we
retired for the night. Our room attendant gave us instructions on how to operate the
electrical systems etc. Sleeping on a train in motion isn't easy and getting around during
the night is more of a challenge for us oldsters but we persisted and managed to get
a few hours shuteye. Breakfast the morning after was excellent, offering a wide variety of
dishes and it was interesting to view the SA scenery fly by as we sipped our morning coffee. (decaf, of course)

We stopped at Kimberely, where we toured the town, looked into the "Big Hole"where
diamonds were first mined in SA and were taken to the mine museum. We also watched
a massive flock of pink flamingos, about 15ooo they say, that spend winter in SA.
The local guide was a wealth of knowledge about every "facet" of the diamond industry
presented with a touch of SA humor. Did you know how the "carat" came to be the universal
measure of weight for precious stones?

Tomorrow, we take a small plane over to the Kruger Nat'l Park and the Kings Camp to
start the long awaited safari. Grandma is getting ready to run with the lions.

Franeschhoek....................Villa 27

Steve drove us from Cape Town on Friday to our lodging at the small Afrikanns village of Franschhoek, which means, corner of France and it did remind me of Provence. Our place,
L'ermitage, consisted of about 50 villas and chateaus. The chateau being the larger structure.
Villa 27, our unit,bordered on the foothill of a rough looking mountain that rose about 2000
meters. In the valley below, grapevines sprawled for miles. the major grape at this time
is called, Hannspoort, a grape made into a sweet type of sherry and brandy although
there are many other types grown. Since this is summer in SA, grapes are ready for
harvesting.

Liselle outdid herself in booking us here. We now are residents of a richly furnished villa-
windows all arround with beautiful drapes, no curtains here, a full kitchen, upholstered sofa and chairs in a spacious livingroom and a tiled bathroom etc. You'll enjoy this......a tiled bathtub that is situated between the wide bathroom and the master bedroom open to both rooms. I can
now lie in bed, read my depleted financial account while observing Annabelle take her bath.
Unfortunately, she refuses to cooperate. So much for that. Of course, there are french doors that open from the bedroom and livingroom to wide verandas with magnificent vistas

Who, you may ask(with bated breath) stops at this Motel 6? I'll tell you in secret since the
general polulation may be in the dark. Our fellow guests this week include 50 members of
the SA Parliament who were in Cape Town to hear the opening address by President Zuma,
he, of the 4 wives plus several girlfriends.
I can't wait to see what comes next on this rugged trek through Africa to find Dr. Livingston.

Today, Sunday, we met Johann Pretorious, our guide to the Winelands. Incidently, this
Afrikaans area was settled about the mid-1600s. He took us to Stellenbosch which is
the wine growing hub of SA. Stopped at the largest plant, tasted some of their product and
purchased a bottle of medium sweet sherry which we drank at our villa while having
dinner there rather than being bothered by so many polite waiters eager to overfeed us.

Tomorrow, Johann is taking us back to Cape Town for the next stage of this journey. We travel
to Pretoria, a two day trip on Rovos Train a privately owned group of trains on which one
has to dress for dinner. They say it's Edwardian in style with wood pannelling and
wide open observation cars as well as 5 star service. I keep on wondering what our safari
is going to be like. Will the lions be dressed in tuxedos? Stay tuned to Grandma Annabelle
on Safari.

The secretary has just whispered, "gaan". I think that means she thinks I've used up my
welcome at this computer.

Cape Town................De Waterkant

We disembarked from the QM2 at a special berth since the ship was too large for the usual
space. It was hard to leave our familiar home, so comfortable for 3 weeks to this brand new
territory. Would someone be there to greet us and show us the ropes? After struggling with
our luggage in a sprawling tented area at dockside and stepping over a few passengers who
were exhausted from looking, we grabbed our bags and headed through the unending
immigration maze plus security personnel. There he stood, tall, muscular with a cautious
smile. Steve Muller, our man in Africa, holding a large sign with big block printed letters,
Mr. and Mrs. H. Rosenbluth, USA.. He drove us to our digs at 2 Loader St. in Der Waterkant,
a fashionable section of town, high on the hillside near Signal Hill with a view of much of
Cape Town below and Table Mountain in the distance.

Our lodging was in an area similar to the Georgetown section of D.C. We were met there by Mr. Britt and staff, all scurrying about trying to help us get settled. I couldn't believe this place,
a three story structure; 4 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms all with TVs, wine cellar well stocked, a
swimming pool and a kitchen-dining area, 30' by 30', a table seating 10 people plus an
outdoor all tiled veranda with outdoor grill . From there we could sea the ocean while
seagulls soared overhead. Daily maid service was included. There we stood, two oldsters
in a building that could houise at least 10 adults. Liselle of Sunsafaris promised me a
nice place in Cape Town but I think she went too far, however, it became our home for
6 days.

Steve has been taking us on tours for the past few days in his late model VW van, including
a full day journey to the Cape of Good Hope. Annabelle and I stood on the spot where the
Atlantic and Indian Oceans join and was first navigated by the Portuguese in the 1500s.
On the way we stopped to watch a troop of baboons foraging by the side of the road. Infants
in the group were playing alongside just like kids do everywhere.

We also spent a day at the world's oldest botanical garden. The food is wonderful here,
fresh fish in abundance. Pete and John take note. African jazz musicians are always
around in the shopping areas near the waterfront.
Nelson Mandela is the exalted person here in Cape Town and loved by all, black, colored
and white. He and de Klerk were the reason that SA made its peaceful transition from
Apartheid to Democracy. In fact, de Klerk actually deserved more credit since his task
to convince the white gov't to change was far more difficult.

Naturally we took the ferry to Robben Island, named for the Dutch word, "seal".
Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, most of the time doing hard labor under very
harsh conditions. A remarkable individual who had the courage to overcome this
situation without any bitterness toward his captors. A saintly individual who is an
icon to all South Africans. In fact, President Zuma, in his State of the State speech last
night started his address with homage to 92 year old Mandela.

Incidently, I am taking many photos and will get them to you when we return. SA
has many problems despite its peaceful transition to democracy; high crime rate, an unemployment rate of 23% and difficulty in bringing most black Africans into the modern
society. There are many different official languages. Steve speaks several and is fluent
in Afrikaans a mixture of Dutch-German. These people comprised the Boers of the 18th
and 19th centuries.

We leave for the Wine Country and will pass through Stellanbosch to our lodgings in
Franschhoek or France's Corner which was settled by French Hugenots who were
exiled in the 17th century by the French Catholic gov't.
Before I leave this post, since I'm on a short computer leash, I have to tell you about
our recent lunch at the Baia Restaurant, where Oprah always eats when in SA.
How's this for our menu: Ostrich, Kudu and Springbok. How's that for taking in the
local color?

Next Post I'll tell you about our trip to Robben Island and our trip to the Wine Country.
We boarded a special ferry to the Island, about a 1/2 hour easy sail accross the Bay.
A desolate place indeed. Buses picked us up and we took a hard gravel road arround the
island stopping at various places where guides discussed where the prisoners were put to work.
There were political prisoners, all black, as well as common criminals. We stopped at the
limestone quarry where Mandela served most of his imprisonment, breaking rocks for road
building, etc. Prisoners weren't allowed to wear hats, sunglasses despite the brutal sunshine.They were fed only the minimal calories to keep them alive and fit to work.
The visit was an emotional experience especially when former prisoners, who were part
of the guide staff described their lives under their harsh guards. The tour ended with a
visit to Mandela's cell. I entered the cell and was overwhelmed by its barren condition.
You have to wonder why men would do this to fellow men, but look what Hitler did to
the Jew's of Europe.

Tristan da Cunha...............??????????

Check your atlas in the South Atlantic and you'll see an island that you never heard of.
It has a peak about 6500 ft. above sea level, called Queen Mary's peak. At twelve noon
today, Capt. Wright will sail us close to the island and sound the ship's horn to let the
few inhabitants know that we are coming. In the meantime, I'm heading for the
Illuminations auditorium to hear a lecture on the African elephant while the lady of the
stateroom is getting the laundry done.

Aubrey, if you can find the Longitude & Lattitude positions of the Island, you can win
a prize.
Capt. Wright announced that the Royal Mail Ship St Helena is nearby. The island has
a small community called Edinborough. A small launch is approaching the QM2 and the captain
is telling us that they will b e exchanging gifts. Our engines are slowing to await the launch.
He just said that he hoped they would have a few lobsters for the officer's mess. Seems
like the Navy hasn't changed since my day.

See you in Cape Town.