Gelly Babes: Bubbles in South Africa

BUBBLES IN SOUTH AFRICA
JULY 26TH TO AUGUST 28TH 2018

I loved the long flight from Manchester to Istanbul and on to Cape Town because I get to stay up and watch the big screen TV

My Cousin Rachel was very entertaining.

Not so much fun being at Istanbul airport at 12.30 am.

Arrived in Cape Town on Sunday 29^th July and were greeted by this very friendly elephant.

After quickly booking into the Garden Court Hotel we were straight off to Table Mountain. What gorgeous weather for winter! Unfortunately the cable car was closed for mid- winter maintenance. We had a lovely walk through the Company Gardens.

In the evening I experienced paragliding from Devil’s Peak over the Atlantic in the sunset from Signal Hill.

A good breakfast at the Garden Court Hotel set me up for the day of the peninsular tour.

Fantastic scenery – Maiden’s Cove, Camms Bay, Lion’s Head, The Twelve Apostles, Chapman’s Peak on our way to the Ostrich Farm

I bought a couple of souvenirs from a lovely South African Lady

The ostriches are not the only dangerous creatures. The baboons we met were very cunning when looking for food

Off to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point lighthouse. I could see lots of seals at sea.

Getting excited about the big five

Went to see the South African penguins. The sand does look like snow. They are wild and a well settled colony.

Evening entertainment from the folklore tribes who were also a bit wild.

The weaver birds were brilliant entertainment in the garden at the Greywood Hotel in Sedgefield.

Along the Garden Route I enjoyed wine tasting at Stellenbosch Vineyard which was ‘dangerously easy’ drinking at 9.30am and I slept for most of the journey to Knysna except to see this massive statue.
A Long walk to Freedom with Nelson Mandela from C max prison.

On the paddle steamer I enjoyed the trip to the Indian Ocean and back.

The tallest tree in South Africa!!

Does anyone else remember Polly Pocket?

Look I had my own super kingsize bed….

I could see white rhinos in captivity from the service station at lunchtime

Sad to see the remaining signs of apartheid when these houses belonging to both blacks and whites where burned down and the people living happily in the mixed community at South End in Port Elizabeth were separated and made to move to colour segregated areas.

From Port Elizabeth we flew to Johannesburg and then travelled to the Kruger National Park via the Three Rondalos. What a view.

I stayed in the most glamorous tent

Rhinos on safari

Up close and personal at the Kruger National Park

Very hard to make out but this is the tail of the rare pangolin which crossed the road in front of us

This is our guide named Excellent Scout and his wife who worked in the gift shop. He was so pleased he had seen the pangolin he had to go and tell his wife. I felt very lucky to see the big 5 and so many other wild African animals.