2/3/09 Mountain Biking and Boat Riding!

Tuesday, February 3 - Extreme Sports day!

Lesley and I slept in until 9:30 and we ate breakfast and headed out for our extreme sports day! We went mountain biking for a few hours which was wonderful. The trail went through the trees and ponds and ended at a beautiful cliff with waterfalls.

We then headed out to go water rafting but it started to rain so we decided to not go - so extreme sports day turned out to be not so extreme. We ended up going for a motor boat ride instead. The weather was not cooperating so we went back to our cabin by the sea and I downloaded photos and chatted with Howard while Lesley took a nap. I think the mountain biking zapped all her energy! We went to dinner at the local pizzeria and chatted with the drunk people which is always entertaining.

2/2/09 Lesley rides a Croc!

Monday, February 2 - drove thru Durban to Margate to Port Edward

Only have three weeks left of my trip and I am trying to figure out where the past six weeks went! We drove along the coast which was beautiful! We went to a Croc Farm for an hour near Margate. We stopped and had lunch at the Main Beach in Port Edward. We stayed at the Port Edward holiday resorts which were cute little cabins on a hill near the beach.

Lesley, Howard and I went for a walk along the beach. The area reminds me of Northern California's coast. The water is so incredibly clean and beautiful. We braai'ed (bbq) that night. Howard and I watched the Martian Kid that night.

2/1/09 Let the Adventure begin!

Sunday, Feb 1 - Escort to Durban

We stayed at the Blue Haze Lodge and drove through KwaZulu-Natal. Drakensberg is Southern Africa's highest mountain range with breathtaking views and steams flowing through secluded valleys. The drive was beautiful. We stopped at a goat farm and bought some cheese. Now there is a first.

We then drove to Durban and toured around the wharf. We drove to the Salt Rock beach area and checked into our bed and breakfast. We headed off to the beach and took a swim. It was wonderful!

Lesley happens to be a chef so she made us a yummy dinner. Howard and I watched 27 Dresses and Lesley crashed early. Great day!

1/31/09 A funny thing happened on the way to Phi Phi Island

Saturday, January 31 - Joburg, mom leaves, off to Cape Town

So today is mom's last day on the trip. It has been nice having her along and sharing all the experiences. We went to Mandela's Square around noon and then I met with Lesley and Howard.

So before I tell you about the day, I have to give you the background story going back to scuba diving at Phi Phi Island....I was hanging out with folks on the boat and asking about touring South Africa. I was interested in touring the Garden Route and driving from Durban to Cape Town. It so happened that one of the dive instructors, Clive, was from Cape Town and had a friend, Lesley, that was moving back to the area and had some extra time on her hands. So I sent an email to Lesley and asked if she would be interested in driving from Joburg to Cape Town. She drove over to my hotel on the 31st with her brother to determine if we were going to give it a go.

So Lesley and Howard and I met for a coffee and chatted for 30 minutes. We decided we would drive from Joburg to Cape Town in 10 days. They headed out to go pack a bag and planned to come back at 5pm to head out. In the meantime, mom and I walked around the mall and bought some souvenirs. We hung out at the hotel in the afternoon and had a snack and she left for the airport at 4pm.

I read a book and pondered whether or not two total strangers would actually return in one hour to pick me up for a 10 day excursion. Crazy enough, Lesley and Howard showed up at 5:10 and we left for Drakensberg. The sunset picture was taken from the backseat of Howard's car about 2 hours outside of Joburg. This is a crazy thing I am doing and yet it feels like the right thing to do....

1/30/09 Touring Joburg

Friday, January 30 - Touring Joburg

Mom and I took a tour of Joburg. The second photo is a shot of Joburg which I was surprised by how green the city was - they have received a lot of rain this season but I was pleasantly surprised by the green sights of the city.

The first photo is a home in Soweto (stands for South Western Township) where 20,000 people live with one faucet of running water and one toilet on each block). Mom and I were invited to meet one of the residents who had a 7 day old baby. The woman had bad facial scars and mom thought she may have AIDS since she was bottle feeding. Her home was two rooms - one bedroom and one kitchen/den that she shared with her baby and two other kids. This was a true reminder of how fortunate I am and how much I have. The thought of having no running water in my home rarely crossed my mind before this trip and yet I find myself thinking about it daily now.

1/29/09 departing Mozambique to Joburg

Thursday, January 29 - Mozambique to Joburg

Mom and I took the small plane from the Bazaruto Island to the Mozambique airport. The terminal was one room. Customs was one room. This is the smallest airport I have ever been to and air conditioning would have been great. The employees wanted to charge us $130 because our luggage was over the weight limit. I have to say that it is difficult to stay under the maximum 20 kilo weight limit per person - these guys even weigh your carry-ons which is a big bummer. There were only about 7 people on our plane so we got out of paying the excess baggage fee. I look forward to being back on my international flight itinerary so I can have all the baggage I want. Mom and I did leave some clothes and other items back at the resort for the local people which helped reduce our overall weight. I was impressed with myself that I only have one duffel bag for my clothes but perhaps I still brought too much stuff with me.

1/28/09 Hanging by the pool

Wednesday, January 28 - Playing around in the pool with Micah

Mom and I went scuba diving on Tuesday but the visibility was not that great. Natasha joined us for her very first dive. We saw a large ray and some big fish. On Wednesday, we hung by the pool and played with Micah. He was so much fun to play with...here he is working on his diving skills. He is adorable!

A few things I have learned on this trip....

I can't keep days and dates straight. I have to keep asking people about the day of the week.

I don't think Americans have a good reputation as tourists. I am trying to change that perception.

I have a hard time converting the time to home. East coast time is not a problem but those three extra hours set me over the edge.

I could watch a movie every night.

When I am done reading a book, I want to discuss with someone.

I am uncertain why we have not converted to the metrics system with the rest of the world.

I find it interesting that most foreigners I meet may not understand that I am from the US or the USA or the states but understand America.

1/26/09 Paradise Island

Monday, January 26 - Paradise Island

Mom and I took an excursion to Paradise Island which is about a 30 minute boat ride from our resort. The water was clear blue and the sand was fine white sand. We went snorkeling twice and saw so many big colorful fish! I saw more fish snorkeling than scuba diving which is a little irritating! It is a lot warmer here than Thailand so mom and I are still adjusting to the humidity.

Hello from Cape Town!!

Hello - Just wanted to let folks know that I am alive and doing well. I have been unable to download my photos and frankly I think the blog is more exciting when I have pictures attached so I am hoping to be able to update the blog in Egypt! I have had a wonderful time in South Africa - lots to catch up on. I leave for Cairo tomorrow and will have 9 days in Egypt before flying home on Feb 23. I cannot believe how fast the time has flown by and yet it feels like a long time since I have talked to friends and family. I look forward to a week at home before heading back to work so call me the week of Feb 23 to say hi and get re-acquainted!
Hopefully I will have the blog updated with photos and stories soon!
Love - kel