This canon was on the deck of the Portuguese galleon Sacramento when it ran aground on 30 June 1647 off the coast of Port Elizabeth – for those of you who do not know Jan van Riebeeck only arrived in 1652 in the Cape of Good Hope so five years prior to old Jan setting foot ashore at the Cape of Good Hope.

What caused the disaster and how many people were aboard the Sacramento is unknown, but 72 made it to shore.  After 10 days the group decided to walk from Port Elizabeth to Maputo – which is about 1 300 km away by the way – from where they planned to get a ship to Europe.  It must have been hostile and wild country back then so an easy walk it was not!  A mere 9 persons survived to reach Maputo (then Lourenco Marques) on 5 January 1648. Now I am wondering did they really know how far Maputo was or were they just sort of taking a guess or maybe started walking and just hoped for the best outcome possible?

The canon weighing in at 2 500 kg was manufactured in Macao, China and cast by the Bacarro family foundry.  The bronze canon was only salvaged 330 years later in 1977 and the detail is still in pristine condition.

How do you get such a heavy canon salvaged from tons of sand in the ocean floor? If anyone knows the story to this, please share it in the comments section. I would really like to know.

The canon overlooks a few rock pools and the sea and a bench provide a space to sit and contemplate or watch the dolphins frolic just behind the white of the waves.

If you are planning to do the nearby hike, make sure you take enough water and some sun protection for the round trip of 8 kilometers.  You can read more on sun wise tips at The African sun is not for sissies

The post THE TALE OF THE SACRAMENTO appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Travelbucket was awarded the title of Best Environmental Blog during the 2018 South African Blog Awards! A full list of all the winners and runners-up in all the categories is available here.

We are still stunned! We woke up one day, going about our business to save the planet one plastic piece at a time, when suddenly, we were hit by the big surprise of the announcement of the Category Winners and the Runners-up.

Not in our wildest dreams could we ever hope to achieve something like this. Blogging is not about winning, it’s about sharing and learning from others. Travelbucket is a true reflection of our everyday adventures as a family. A family who has a passion for nature and it’s wildlife. We appreciate the fauna and flora that we are blessed with.

Yes, we do set goals for ourselves. We do have Bucket Lists on our Travels. We do fall in the category of believers that we can change the world one plastic piece at time (hence our no straw policy). This is part of our lifestyle. Therefore it was an easy decision to make. Above all, we are all for change. Thus, getting out of our comfort zone and making a difference.

This award is a motivation to us to do some extra work. To keep inspiring others to want to make a difference. Through the sharing of our daily lives, we would like to change the mindset of even just one person, to live a greener lifestyle, to care a little more, to love nature!

Thank you:

In conclusion, we want to thank each and every one of our followers! Those who join us on our journeys and those who took the time to vote for us. It is us, as a team, that makes a difference to a cleaner, healthier world.

Other Results:

Congratulations also to Luchae Williams from My Spreadsheet Brain (a fellow Eastern Cape Blogger), for being runner-up in not one, but TWO of the categories! Keep going, next year you will be a winner, no doubt!

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Let me, as an experienced and seasoned African traveller, give some basic do’s and don’ts when you are out there:

• Zip up your tent – no matter how hot it is in side, zip up for various reasons. It keeps out bugs, mosquitoes and slithering things like snakes.  A lion will not bother you in your tent.  They do not realise that they can rip open the canvas with a quick stroke of the paw and no, an elephant will not trip over your tent.  Elephants are amazingly gracious when they walk.
• When you go to bed stow all food (and garbage) either in your tent or vehicle. Inquisitive animals like hyenas, jackal, etcetera will come and have a look what is there to taste.
• Do not wander off in the dark and outside the light of the fire. There are creatures watching you that you do not even know of.  If  you do have to go for a nightly routine walk let somebody go with you with a torch and keep close to your tent.  Night animals have keen eyesight and spot you long before you even notice them, so take care.
• Be extremely vigilant when vervet monkeys and baboons are around. They are very quick and will grab your food before you know it.  Do not challenge a baboon, if this does happen they can be dangerous.  Rather back off.

• Mana Pools is famous for its “dagga boys” (i.e. a lone stray buffalo) that venture into camp even in day times. Be on the look out and try to avoid them totally.
• A rather difficult one to do is if you have an encounter with a lion or elephant – DO NOT RUN!   I say again – DO NOT RUN!  Your instinct will tell you to get out of the way, but stay put, stand very still .
• At rivers and dams be on the lookout for crocodiles that lurk in the muddy waters especially on the banks when you approach.  Also keep an eye out for paths that animals (i.e. hippopotamus) use that lead to the water. A hippo looks clumsy, but they are not.
• Do not misjudge the small animals as they can bite you and there is a possibility that they carry rabies. Rabies are fatal.  Wild animals that are prone to rabies are:  monkeys, mongoose, meerkat, jackals.

Remember that you are in the wild and wild animals can be unpredictable and “a lot” quicker than you think.  Do not party – alcohol impair your judgment towards wild animals and may land you in unexpected trouble.

—oOO—

“You have to look after wealth, but knowledge looks after you. — Zambian Proverb”

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What a pleasure to drive through the damp forest and then unexpectedly arrive on top of the hill at the coffee shop.  It was a lot busier than we expected.  Families with grannies and young children were having something to bite in the shade of a tree, others were taking hikes and on the decks families camped out and were just relaxing and enjoying nature.  This is far from the maddening crowds and cell phone towers.

First we ordered something to eat from the coffee shop – a vetkoek stuffed with curried mince, a home made hamburger and toasted bacon and egg sandwich washed down with delicious home made gemmerbier.  No fancy gourmet stuff here.  Plain and simple all made by the friendly staff.

While waiting for our food to arrive I read the intriguing story portrayed by Jeanie Phillips about Mrs Perks, the forest fairy, weighing in at 300 lbs who could only move from the house to her enormous rocking chair on the veranda from where she dispensed medicine to the sick.

Another interesting story is that of the “Keeper of the Knysna Elephants” who became Dean at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Ghana from 1951 -1960.

Off to the office to pick up some brochures.  There by chance we met Karel, who for 20 years tracked and looked after the elephants, and knows the forest like the back of his hand.  He will enthusiastically tell you how the naughty Kruger Park elephants escaped from the damp forest and caused havoc on nearby farms, but how good the Knysna elephants behaved by debarking the black wood and invasive wattle trees thus controlling its growth in the forest.  On the other hand kershout was favoured by the Kruger elephants.  In their own special way the elephants are the keepers of the indigenous forests of Knysna!  The same Karel of the office is the forest’s own celebrity as he was featured doing what he loves – tracking the elephants –  together with the famous researcher Gareth Patterson in an Animal Planet programme.

This is just some of the stories eagerly shared by Karel. He is such a barrel of information eagerly waiting to share it with visitors, but will never reveal the whereabouts of the remaining elusive Knysna elephants.

And when you return from the Elephant Walk, and hopefully spotted a Knysna Loerie displaying its red feathers, you can visit the little museum where you will find Old Suzi who faithfully rendered her services to the woodcutters of Knysna until 1930.

After inspecting the camping decks (some with a pitched safari tent or you can pitch your own tent) we decided that deck 3 and 4 will be our choice if we come to pitch our tent here.  If you have small children this is definitely a no-no as some of the decks are quite high.    The upside is if you dislike camping there is a self catering unit available just behind the coffee shop.

Diep Walle camping decks will see us in 2016!

*** For an interesting read visit this link***

http://africageographic.com/blog/tracking-the-elusive-knysna-elephants/

The post FOREST LEGENDS appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

After filling up at the Shell Petrol Station in Rakops (only three pumps for different types of fuel. We could luckily fill up before they ran dry a couple of days later. Thereafter, we set off on the sandy road leading to Matswere gate.  After driving about 500 meters we decided to deflate the tyres to enhance a more comfortable and easy ride on the corrugation with the fully laden bakkie.

As you have to be self sufficient in all aspects, we took 40 litres of diesel and 60 litres of water (drinking and washing) to last us for the week that we were planning to spent in the wilderness.  The park has an everything in-everything out policy, except you are requested to leave your extra firewood for the next visitor.

About halfway to the Matswere gate a car approached us from the front at quite a speed with daylights switched on.  And if I say a car I mean a car – one of the newest Mercedes Benz models!  Well, to say the least we were stunned out of our socks to find some stupid guy hammering a new – or for that matter any car – on a sandy track with quite a high  middelmannetjie at some places.

Big was our excitement when we looked at the sightings board at reception and noted that there were pins allocated to leopard, lion and hyena around the Deception pan  area.  However day one and two we did not spot anything interesting during the day. Neither did we hear a lot of sounds at night – just  saw some oryx and springbuck grazing on the nearby pans.  Something “exciting” is more in the ranks of a lion, cheetah or leopard, but we also have appreciation for the smaller creatures of the Kalahari.

On day three things started to brighten up.  After having early morning coffee on the pan we spotted a lonely lion crossing the road and in the afternoon two cheetahs resting in the shade of a tree at Leopard Pan.  Not bad at all!

The rest of the week we saw some more lion, big kudu at the waterhole, jackal, springbuck and were surprised when a couple of curios bachelor giraffe came really close, displaying no fear, to do an inspection of the bakkie.  This gave me the opportunity to take some pictures of these tall and elegant animals.

On day four we found that a herd of oryx was very much intrigued by three lions sleeping in the shade of a thorn tree.  Up to 50 of them gathered to have a look at the sleeping enemy – not that the lions actually noticed the oryx staring at them! This kept us entertained for a couple of hours while the camera kept on clicking to capture everything as the scene unfolded in front of our eyes.

The CKGR is not for everyone. It is not a place where you come to seek the big five or animals in abundance.  This is a place where you have to take your time and spend the day enjoying the silence of the Kalahari whilst searching for the elusive animals that survive in harsh conditions.  This is a place that gets under your skin.

“I think the thing to do is to enjoy the ride while you are on it”

—— Johnny Depp

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 My first experience of Sierra Leone in 2011 was ten years after a bloody civil war (1991- 2001) and before the horrendous ebola outbreak in 2014 which is the largest in history.  Sierra Leone – a struggling country filled with friendly people with warm and welcoming hearts.

Flying over Africa enroute to Freetown

Crossing Africa on my flight from Johannesburg (via Nairobi and Accra with Kenya Air) to Freetown I sat next to a proud soldier who was on holiday from Afghanistan. He was super excited to see his family back home in Freetown after an absence of three years from his home country.   His eyes were shining bright and he could not wait to put his feet on home soil and hug his family once again. Oh yes, and me?   On a visit to hubby since this was his designated office for a year or two.

And we also made an unplanned stop in Camerone to refill enroute to Accra

Arriving at the old Lungi Airport I stepped into another world.  Welcome in Sierra Leone the country of the magnificent cotton tree and torrential rain and …. a bit a chaos.  First the necessary stamp at immigration, then on to the yellow fewer check point before you attempt to find your bag.  Once you have your bag, hold on to it.

The before and after look of the airport

After a final baggage check you step outside and meet the crowds.   Now everything turns into a bit of chaos as everyone is haggling and competing for your attention to carry your bag.

Chaos outside the old Lungi airport

 Everyone is eager to do business with  the passengers that arrive at Lungi as most visitors need to get to Freetown which is situated on the other side of the estuary.  For a first time traveller this can be a bit of a challenging experience, but I stood my ground until I found Lahai, my designated driver, that will see me to Freetown on the other side of the bay.

The choice of transport across the bay from Lungi to Freetwon

When I visited the choice to cross the bay was between the car ferry which goes to Kissy ferry terminal or the Pelican water taxi or the hovercraft, which was the quickest option, and arrives in Aberdeen.  (Note:  according to wikitravel.org the hovercraft seized its operation in 2014).  The crossing is an experience in itself as it can become unpleasant at times when the sea is rough and plastic gets entangled in the boat’s propeller.  Nevertheless an experience not to be missed.

Our accommodation for the visit was located next to the Man of War Bay with a view on the route to the harbour where every morning you wake up with the sound of big ships passing by to dock in the Freetown harbour.   On the odd occasion you will also spot the US Coast guard doing their anti piracy patrols in this part of the world.  This was part of my daily routine to keep track of when ships arrive and leave the bay.

Ships entering Africa’s biggest natural harbour

Like everywhere else in Africa a lot of the locals live off the sea. Fresh fish and sea food are aplenty in contrast to the availability of red meat at a price (unless you know where to find it!). The local fishers gained new respect from me.  Every day they go out with their wooden boats (some of them without engines) from the Man of War Bay battling the wind and high seas to make their daily catch to sell it on the beach in the late afternoon.

View on the Man of War Bay

Daily life here has a pace of its own.  Going to the shop creates interesting obstacles of its own and the trip more or less evolves like this.  First you have to shoo away the goats sleeping on the driveway to get into the road.  Then you drive like some drunkard as you swerve to avoid all the potholes in the road and at the same time avoid running over someone who is dodging the pools water that formed in the downpour.   But you will make it to the shop.

Resident goats on the drive way

The next challenge is to miss, one of the many, stray dogs that roam the streets.  On your way you will also see some war victims in wheelchairs battling the potholed roads in the rain.  Then the ever present police blockades,  especially popular over the Christmas period, that needs to be negotiated before you have to battle for a parking space at the shop.  Patience is the answer!

Free roaming dogs of the city

Like all other African cities the roads are poor and the traffic congested and moving at a snails pace.  Be patient, smile and enjoy the ride!

General street scenes

However living in Aberdeen we were lucky to have Lumley beach with its long sandy beaches at our doorstep.  Being  the closest beach to Freetown it is always busy and somewhat littered with all kinds of objects and plastic of various shapes and sizes.  For a day at the beach it is a good option to head further out of town to the less crowded beaches like Lakka and River No 2.

Lumley Beach

A lot has changed since my  first visit to Freetown – a new airport building was constructed and a lot of the roads were upgraded by the Chinese and big mines were put into operation creating a lot of jobs in the country.

 In my next post I will share more about my visit to Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary on the outskirts of Freetown and our Christmas at Lakka Beach.

 Somehow Sierra Leone sort of gets under your skin – you either love it or hate it.  But I loved the unique rhythm of Freetown!  Alas now all that remains is the good memories and friends I have made.  

Yet again a country not on my wish list, but I am grateful that I could pay a visit.

“The journey not the arrival matters.”
T.S. Eliot

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St Francis dune vegetation

Despite some problems with invasive Australian Acacias the vegetation is in very good condition.  The trail meanders through the reserve, providing opportunities for observing the exciting fauna and flora of the area.

A giant snail on the trail

Do take time to visit the reserve on different times of the year to experience the whole spectrum of the flora and fauna.

Flora

 There are two trail options that can be walked, a 3.2 km or a 2.5 km loop. Both trails cover relatively flat terrain and are suitable for moderately fit people and no bundu bashing is required.  There are also a couple of geocaches (www.geocaching.com) that can be logged on the various trails.

 The tranquility of the bird hide, located near the entrance of the trail, can be utilized to observe some of the birds at a water pan.  So bring your binoculars!    If you are lucky you will spot the proud Springbuck or a plains zebra grazing in the fynbos.     Also look closer for some very interesting creatures that roam in this reserve.

A scary looking hairy worm

On the morning of our walk we did not encounter any of the various buck, but we found a lot of caracal spoor on the trail.  Don’t worry about the caracal (not the same as a lynx) as they are very shy and the possibility that you will encounter one of them is very rare.  You will be very privileged if you spot one!

Caracal spoor

Do remember that this is a nature reserve so there is always the odd possibility of snakes, especially during summer time.  Good advice is to take a walking stick when walking in the veld as well as some sunscreen and a hat for the relentless African sun.

NMMU also offers game drives, in what is probably a South African first for a university, through its private nature reserve.

 Please note that for safety purposes you need to report at the security boom when entering campus – just state that you are going to walk the Grysbok Trail and they do not have a problem.  Also sign the Visitors’ Book at the fence stile at the start of the trail to avoid any unwanted trouble as they do spot checks from time to time.

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What immediately strikes you when you cross into Cambodia at Aranya Pratet is that life is quite different from Thailand – different modes of transport, different language (Khmer) and even less English speaking people than in Thailand, more poverty, but all over very friendly people.  One thing that does not differ however is the humidity and the heat.

We left our vehicle for the weekend in the parking lot at Aranya Pratet and crossed per foot into Cambodia and rented a taxi (which uses gas as fuel) in Poipet to take us to Siem Reap for the weekend.

Filling up with gas next to the road

What we did not realize is that it was a long weekend in Asia so a couple of hundred other tourists had the same idea than us so the queues at immigration was quite long, but nonetheless it was quite an easy process despite the language barrier.

Waiting to get our passports stamped at immigration

Siem Reap is a bustling touristy town with lively bars in Pub Street and stalls where you can buy anything from clothes to jewelry, food and books and stay open until late at night.

Some streets scene in Siem Reap

Pub Street, Siem Reap

 There are numerous ways to explore Siem Reap, but the best way to explore the various markets that sell about anything that you can think of is per foot and when your feet get tired you can hop onto a tuk-tuk taxi or rent a cheap Chinese bicycle and negotiate the traffic.

Various modes of transport

I must say the Cambodians, like the Thai people, can fit a whole family onto a scooter and still travel comfortably – amazing!  All kinds of transport are tolerated on the roads so keep your eyes open when crossing a street.

Some interesting tuk-tuks

At the jaw dropping Angkor Wat it is quite challenging to get any picture taken without a number of other unknown tourists in it.    You quickly learn to be extremely efficient with the camera to focus and shoot!  So you can imagine when you have to retrieve a geocache what stealth and posing as a decoy it required between me and hubby to retrieve and replace a cache with all these masses around.

At Angkor Wat complex

Allow a whole day to wander through this impressive UNESCO site!

Angkor Wat complex

But thanks to geocaching we also visited the lesser known (we were the only tourists there at the time) Ta Nei temple in the forest and took some awesome pictures.  Some Japanese students were working on a restoration project piloted by the University of Tokyo and were amazed when we showed up at the site.    However they just carried on with their work and  we were able to retrieve the geocache (with a snake skin on top of the container!) unnoticed.

Ta Nei or temple of butterflies tucked deep in the forest

 Tired of all the touristy stuff we rented quad bikes for the morning and spend  four hours with a guide taking us through rice paddies and traditional villages in the Siem Reap area.  Be sure to slap on some sunscreen and be prepared to get dirty and enjoy the ride!

A ride through the rice paddies

In the smallest of villages we came across neatly dressed Cambodian children that have to attend school even on a Saturday.  Schooling this way does pay off, because most of the children speak a perfect American English and are the negotiators on behalf of their parents who run or own shops, etc.

This little entrepreneur spoke perfect English selling her flowers in Pub Street

Too quick the weekend was over, my life enriched and the visa run accomplished.  I could add yet another smiley to my travel bucket and appreciate my easy way of life in South Africa.

“He who strays discovers new paths.”
Nils Kjaer

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The Hogsback Arminel Inn

Plan B included driving the road (indicated on maps as a normal road, but do not be fooled as this has degraded to a 4×4 track) from Hogsback to Seymour, which was on hubby’s to do list,  as well as picking up some caches in the area.  However the weather did not have a sunny outlook so we followed the road less traveled  through the forest to Keiskammehoek

A track leading to Keiskammahoek

Thanks to Geocaching we passed traditional huts and villages, beautiful mountain farms and forgotten small churches in this spectacular area surrounding Hogsback, Seymour, Cathcart and Keiskammahoek.

Road side to Carthcart

A small church perched on a hill

When the sun peaked for a moment through the clouds we took a walk on leave covered paths in the park and saw some magnificent birdlife, huge California redwoods, waterfalls in flood due to the incessant rain, fairy mushrooms and lush plantations.  A photographer’s dream!

Waterfalls dotted all over

Another beautiful, almost fairy-like, place visited  in my own country – a tick and a smiley on my travel bucket list!

A massive Californian redwood

Too quick the exploring of tree filled lanes in the quaint village with green pastures and  good food came to an end and we left with only the memories.

The post A WEEKEND VISIT TO HOGSBACK appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Gewoonlik is die besige Afrika lughawe ‘n miernes van mense wat kom en gaan en drentel en wag maar vanoggend is Jomo Kenyatta aan die stil kant en ek wonder of dit die gevolg van ebola is aangesien dit ‘n aansluitingspunt is vir vlugte vanuit Wes-Afrika.  Maar voort na Zanzibar.  Hier op Jomo Kenyatta moet jy amper alles uittrek om deur sekuriteit te kan gaan – skoene, geld, horlosie, belt, oorbelle, enigiets wat nie daardie masjien gaan laat piep nie – maar word ons tog gedurende die vlug beloon (al voel ek effe grys om die kiewe) met ‘n gesig van Kilimanjaro se skamele bedekte sneeu top.  ‘n Voorreg inderdaad.

Kilimanjaro with only a little bit of snow visible

Dit stort reën oor Zanzibar se lughawe terwyl almal stil raak in die vliegtuig en asem ophou dat ons nie na Dar Es Salaam hoef uit te wyk en wag vir beter weer nie.  Dan land ons tog na ‘n tweede probeerslag.  Welgedaan aan die bekwame kaptein van Precision Air!  Heel duidelik was dit nie sy eerste landing in sulke gure weer op die eiland se lughawe met die indrukwekkende naam van Abeid Amani Karume International Airport nie.   Getrou aan Afrika is die naam heelwat meer indrukwekkend as die lughawe self.

Rain, rain, rain on Zanzibar

Ons rit na die Oostekant van die eiland begin deur strate wat vol water is  en  kry ek sommer nuwe respek vir die Kaptein van Precision Air se vliegvermoëns.  Die gesig van turkoois blou tropiese water laat my gou vergeet van Pando, ons taxi bestuurder, se bestuurvermoë.  Gewoonlik is ek nie ‘n kandidaat vir karsiek nie, maar Pando het daarin geslaag om my grys en bleek om die kiewe te laat en was Makuti Beach Lodge se hekke net betyds in sig.

Nadat ek al die fyn skrif (soos wat my prokureur man my mooi geleer het) op www.bookings.com gelees het en vinnig huiswerk gedoen het op Tripadvisor  (dit is darem “werklike” mense wat daar kommentaar lewer) het ek die bespreking by Makuti Beach Lodge gemaak.  Nader aan die water kan ons nie bly nie!  Met die afhandeling van die papierwerk met aankoms kom ons agter dat ek en my prokureur wederhelfte dieselfde begrip het van wat daar staan op www.bookings.com se website, maar helaas nie die Spaanse eienares van Makuti nie.  Sy dring daarop aan dat die verblyf vooruit in USD betaal moet word – geen kredietkaart fasiliteite nie!  Wat ‘n verligting dat ek so in my haas by die huis klomp USD in my rugsak geprop het saam met my geelkoors kaart.  Daar gaan ons hele week se spending money!

The beaches at Bwejuue

Ons lees en lê vir die eerste twee dae met ‘n boek in die heerlike louwarm weer en ontspan.  Teen dag drie begin ons sommetjies maak om te sien of ons darem kan eet vir die res van die tyd wat ons hier is.  Die boeke balanseer nie.   So dan is dit Plan B.  Huur ‘n Vespa (30 USD per dag met net genoeg petrol om jou by die garage te kry) en ry die 46 km terug Stonetown toe om geld te gaan trek, want aan die Oostekant van die eiland is daar geen banke nie.  So gesê, so gedaan!

Net genoeg petrol om jou by die enigste garage aan die Oostekant van die eiland te bring

Omdat ons gesoute Afrika travellers is besef ons die Vespa rit gaan nie ‘n rit om die blok wees nie.  Net na ontbyt spring ons in die pad en voordat ons kan petrol ingooi moet ons die eerste polisiepunt trotseer.  Dankie tog vir die plaaslike bestuurderslisensie papiere wat ons in Stonetown (10 USD) laat kry het.  Die manne bestudeer die papiere sorgvuldig, maar is tevrede.

‘n Vespa is nie heeltemal so gemaklik soos ‘n BMW motorfiets nie en na die eerste 20 kilometer is dit tyd vir ‘n Marlboro en die Zumo om seker te maak dat ons darem nog op koers is.  Ons vorder goed.  My nek is nou al gewoond om in oor-die-skouer-posisie te wees om vir voertuie van agteraf dop te hou, want die Vespa se spieël is nie meer heeltemal so bruikbaar soos wat hy moet wees nie.

Die verkeer raak meer – taxi’s, trokke, scooters, fietse, voetgangers, honde,  kinders en die odd hoender of twee.  Stonetown se buitewyke is ‘n miernes van alles en almal wat beweeg en kom en gaan en koop en verkoop.  Maar diè twee Mzungus laat hulle nie afskrik nie want die Zumo vat ons mos mooi om die sirkel tot voor die Barclays ATM se  deur.  Tyd vir nog ‘n Marlboro – ons het dit gemaak sonder enige insident!  Maar soos dinge in Afrika maar werk is baie dinge op ‘n kaart/GPS aangedui, maar nie altyd beskikbaar nie.   Die sekuriteitswag kom aangeslenter en deel ons mee dat die ATM masjien nie werk nie.  Vriendelik verduidelik hy dat die NBC ATM net langsaan neem slegs die betrokke bank se kaarte.  Die moed sak so effe.  So wat nou?

We made it to the ATM in Stonetown

Ons word verduidelik na ‘n ATM aan die anderkant van die verkeersirkel en besluit om die Vespa met sukkelende ratte net daar te los en eerder voet te slaan, met my geskeurde hak ligament, deur die verkeer na die ander opsie doer aan die oorkant.  Dalk is ons gelukkig.  Die ATM toon aan dat hy Visa, Master en Maestro kaarte aanvaar – nie sleg nie!  Iemand is reeds besig om geld te trek.  Ons hou angstig dop of die masjien werk.  Ja, wraggies ons is gelukkig …  of nie.

Die Tripple T faktor (ons spreekwoord wanneer dinge effe skeep loop) skop in en die teller gaan van lyn af of so iets …  Ons sê ‘n gebedjie op daar in die besige strate van Stonetown tussen al die verkopers en wag, want ons senuwees en beursie sal nie nog ‘n trippie vanaf Bwejuu na Stonetown maak nie.  Probeer weer.  Jippieeeee!  Om my voetbesering te spaar word ek staan gemaak op ‘n veilige plek (debateerbaar) en wederhelfte gaan  terug om die Vespa met sukkelende ratte te gaan haal en om die sirkel te werk met hom.  Die mense van Zanzibar is vriendelik.  Almal groet.  Ek voel nooit bedreig deur die plaaslike inwoners en asof ek die heeltyd oor my skouer wil loer soos in ons eie land nie.

Die terugrit begin en ek neem my oor-die-skouer-loer-posisie in, maar kry darem ‘n breek toe ons by die Jozani Forest stop om na die Colobus monkeys te gaan soek.  Hulle is so mense gewoond en rustig dat ons lekker baie foto’s kon neem en doen toe sommer ook die cache daar. Nog ‘n smilie!

Colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest

So kom ons as gevolg van Geocaching by Captain Cook’s Equinox restaurant, wat by sy huis  in die village van Jambiani is, uit waar ons laat  middag heerlike klapper White Snapper en rys eet.  En so gaan die week verby deur in die dag in die hangmat te hang en boeke te lees en die aande plaaslike plekkies al langs die strand te gaan soek vir aandete.  Eiland lewe op sy beste!

Captain Cook’s

Dit is die laaste naweek van die vakansie en ons pak op om Stonetown, ‘n UNESCO verklaarde gebied, te gaan verken.  Ons het blyplek gekry in die Zanzibar Hotel wat volgens hulle webtuiste die eerste hotel op die eiland was.  Dit is lekker gerieflik in ‘n stil stegie geleë binne stapafstand van die strand en al die interessante gangetjies en winkeltjies wat dwarsoor Stonetown weggesteek is.  Ons dwaal vir twee volle dae deur die gangetjies en koop geskenke en verkyk ons aan die deure waarvoor Zanzibar so bekend is.

Glimpses of old Stonetown

Ons betaal ons TSH7 000 en gaan maak ‘n draai by Anglican Cathedral wat op Kersdag 1877 in gebruik geneem is en merk dat  hulle besig is met grootskaalse restourasie werk.  Daarna besluit my eie Livingstone dit is tyd om die pad te vat per voet na David Livingstone se huis toe  en ek byt maar vas op die agterhoede met my voetbesering .   Ons stap deur minder toeriste tipe markte wat belaai is met dadels en brode en verby die Zanzibar Hooggeregshof tot by die nasionale gedenkwaardigheid wat vandag as kantore gebruik word.  Langs die pad moet ek eers twee pleisters koop (ja, jy koop hulle los!) by ‘n apteek wat verbasend bekende medikasie op die rakke het!

The Anglican Cathedal

Daarna volg my “Livingstone” sy GPS met ‘n ander pad terug sodat ons die Old Dispensary, wat op ‘n tyd as hospitaal gedien het en deur die Aga Kahn Stigting opgeknap is, ook te siene te kan kry.  Wat ‘n imposante gebou net jammer die houtwerk is liggroen geverf.

The Old Dispensary

Met voete vol blase van die dag se stap maar ‘n lied in die hart gaan ons die aand ‘n G&T by een van ‘n strandkroeë drink en daarna kos koop by die nagmark in die Forodhani Gardens wat  elke aand voor die House of Wonders en  Arabiese Fort gehou word.  Hier kies en keur ‘n mens watse tipe seekos jy wil eet.  Enigiets van kreef, krap, prawns, scallops, calamari, seekat, gebraaide piesangs, kassawa  samoosas tot ‘n groot verskeidenheid van visserige sosaties en suikerriet stroop – te veel om op te noem.  Dit is net die ou rooi vleisies bly maar ietwat skaars!

Die laaste aand van die vakansie moet ons mooi beplan wat om te eet en drink om ons laaste paar Tanzaniese shillings te spandeer, want in Suid-Afrika kan jy dit mos nie ruil nie so ons wil dit nie huis toe bring nie.  Dit laat ons toe om een Kilimanjaro, ‘n plaaslike bier, te deel en ‘n stringetjie prawns vir aandete te nuttig.  Nou het ons regtig net ons airport tax nog oor!

Met ‘n lied in die hart, ‘n glimlag op die gesig en ‘n smilie op my travelbucket klim ons op die KQ vlug terug huis toe en sê ek totsiens vir my man op OR Tambo.  Dit was lekker!!

“Not all those who wander are lost.”
J. R. R. Tolkien

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