Retrospection: An amazing Trip

 

Wow!  Tomorrow, we board our first flight on our homeward journey. Flying times, 8 1/2 hours to São Paulo (two-night stop), then 10 hours to Atlanta, and finally 3 1/2 to Denver.  We have so many memories, more of the people and cultures encountered than the scenery; our understanding of our world has been permanently affected.  One example: we were eating lunch at a restaurant at CapePoint, near the southern most point of Africa. Two men from Germany were at the adjacent table, and we started a conversation. Initially, we spoke of South Africa, but we could all see that the issues here also applied to what is happening in Germany and the USA.  This populism, being ruled by the uninformed majority expecting 'free stuff', is creating a scary world.  Uninformed citizens voting in a powerful government to 'take care' of them breeds corruption.  The government that can do everything for you effectively controls you and all citizens.  Freedom is a high price to pay. We all sensed that despite our different backgrounds.

Would we change our trip in retrospect?  No. Not everything was as expected, but it was all worthwhile. A lot of coordination was needed to pull off this trip.  The problems encountered were initially scary, but it all worked out. One of our shuttle contractors, for the move from Kandy to Hikkaduwa, dropped out at the last moment but I was able to replace them with an alternate contractor quickly.  Leaving Sri Lanka, we were pulled out of line because Dawn had only been granted a two-day visa (a mistake?), and we had been in the country for two weeks.  The fine would be 350 Euros; but with explanation, the fine was dropped.  

Our car rental at Cape Town developed a slow tire leak. Then the A/C failed, and the electronics went wacko.  We were stuck at a parking lot at the Cape of Good Hope with a car that would not start and a cellphone that was out of range for a signal.  I changed the tire (full size spare), got the car started, and drove all the way back to the Cape Town airport, almost two hours, to exchange vehicles.  We lost time that we had hoped to use on hiking the area.

Sao Paulo has turned out to be a disappointment, although we were somewhat forewarned.  I talked to a person who grew up in that area who told us the city of 15 million was rather gritty.  The hotel was very basic, even though rated as one of the better stays.  Most of the staff of this major airport hotel did not speak English.  The neighborhood was semi-industrial.  Reviews of other area hotels indicated that this was not unusual.

Our previous trip, to Sardinia, had included a delayed flight, cancelled flight, lost luggage, bad weather, cancelled car rental, taxi transportation issues, unexpected layover in Amsterdam, wrong information on a ferry service.... out worst trip ever.  On this trip everything went as planned.  When you consider the length and complexity of plans, this has been a wonderful trip.

South Africa, Cape Town and a Safari

We flew Emirates business class from Sri Lanka to Dubai (overnight stop) and then Cape Town.  That is the most luxurious flying we have done.  The flight included a driver and Mercedes vehicle which met us at the Cape Town airport upon landing and drove us to our boutique hotel.

  Front yard of our boutique hotel.  The owners are originally from Switzerland.  (We prefer Switzerland.)  We had breakfast outdoors in this area every morning.

In South Africa, we stayed at four different locations.  First, we stayed at boutique hotel (converted residence) near Cape Town university. This put us near Cape Town itself but in a semi-residential atmosphere. Uber rides were close at hand and cheap. We visited Robben Island and the harbor area first. Next, we took the gondola to the top of Table Mountain. Finally, we went to the botanical garden on the east base slopes of Table Mountain.

Looking south from our hotel neighborhood.  When clouds are on Table Mountain, that is referred to as the 'tablecloth'.

Looking toward Cape Town from Table Mountain; there are cracks in that plateau.

Robben Island is thought-provoking: apartheid’s widespread effects, the severe sentences, the inhumane conditions of confinement.  I took no pictures because I found it hard to capture any visual sense of this in the low gray buildings and featureless island contours.  Even the beaches were shallow and ugly with extensive beds of floating kelp. Our tour guide was a previous inmate; his stories and willingness to answer all questions made the visit worthwhile.  The Cape Town harbor front is large and well-maintained with excellent restaurants and shopping malls.

Dawn composing a photo from the Table Mountain flattop peak.  

Plan your visit to Table Mountain carefully.  The crowds and resulting waiting times can be a significant delay to tour plans.  We were fortunate, a wait of only an hour.  At the top, the views are excellent, and a walking path accesses the entire rim of the ‘table’.  On a hot day, the peak was slightly cooler with breeze, making it a pleasant visit, although the sun was intense. January is mid-summer.

You can see how busy the Cape Town harbor area is.  The large buildings in the background constitute a large shopping mall.  Restaurants are closer to where we are standing.  Unique African merchandise fills one large store. 

That's me, the hat, glasses, and long-sleeve shirt (plus sunscreen) are for sun protection, not style.

   

Looking down on Cape Town harbor from the edge of the Table Mountain plateau.                                                                                               

The gondola to Table Mountain.  As you can see, trekking to the top is a poor option.
                                                                                             

Welcome shade when visiting the National botanical park.
                                                                                             

This struck me as a beautiful scene.  Botanical gardens are peaceful refuges from the hustle and noise outside.  A walk in a forest is always superior to civilization's carnival rides.                                                                                                                       

Our botanical garden visit was also done on a hot day. Beautiful surroundings and sufficient shade to provide relief from direct sun. We had lunch at the garden restaurant. Unlike the ginger ale served in the U.S., you can enjoy real ginger beer in this area.  Very refreshing on a hot day without the alcohol. During our entire visit to South Africa, we were able to pay for everything with credit cards. No local currency required.

From Cape Town, we flew to Port Elizabeth where a waiting staff member drove us to our safari site in the bushveld, an hour northeast.  The Safari Lodge was authentic with its canvas walls, outdoor showers, and wildlife watering hole only about forty feet from our front deck.  One morning Dawn screamed when she encountered a mouse in the bathroom.  We were kept very busy with game drives, morning and late afternoon, in our open Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles.  As soon as we arrived, before even being shown our room, we set out on our first game drive.

Our two room 'hut' at the safari lodge. The shower was outdoors.

    Real rhinos, elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, warthogs, Cape buffalo, and many other creatures.  I wanted to see a hippopotamus but learned that they are largely nocturnal, spending days submerged in a pond with only their snout protruding.  Then, at night, they come out to feed.  We watched three lions stalking some warthogs.  In the final rush, the warthogs escaped.... they were amazingly fast with their short little legs (but they were running for their lives).

I would like to get a better photo of a warthog.  We saw them frequently, but they would head for cover when they saw us. Before this area became a game reserve, people used to hunt the warthogs, and they have developed an aversion to human presence.  We also saw jackals, another skittish animal.  I didn't have time to really focus before they were gone. 

Moma and her baby.  If you notice the bird perched on her back, that is part of an early warning system.  When the bird makes a fuss, mama rhino gets defensive.  

The giraffes are beautiful, bigger than I imagined, and one of our guides said that they are very smart.  Humans don't seem to disturb them at all.  

This is the main eating hall.  On the left we see someone coming from the kitchen.  To the right is an open area where tables are set.  As you can see, more authentically rustic than modern.

The well-manicured and scenic valley of Franschoek.  The surrounding mountains are dramatically steep and jagged.

Back at Cape Town, we rented a vehicle and drove to Franschoek in the center of wine country.  The place is beautiful, upscale, and an exception to the ever-present poverty obvious in many areas of South Africa.  The weather was perfect during our visit.  Touristy but not crowded; many fine shops and restaurants; it reminded me of Aspen with its surrounding steep mountains.

The Franschoek valley is full of vineyards, nurtured by water from the surrounding mountains.

 

A panorama of the entire Franschoek valley with its many vineyards.  Downtown was easy walking distance with interesting high-end shops (arts and crafts) and great restaurants.  Locals referred to it as "living in a bubble" because it was so much nicer than every other area. 

Next, we drove to Constantia where we stayed in our most outstanding accommodation. It had previously been an estate with extensive well-manicured grounds and an opulent central mansion.  Of course, it has a pool with pool house, pond & stream, circular cobblestone driveway with a central fountain, 15-foot-high ceilings, huge bedrooms and baths.  Security was high with a gate code needed, stone walls & electrified fences. The estate backs up to the east border of Table Mountain NP.  Hiking paths and a cafe just for hikers were just outside the rear gate.

On the patio of the main house, looking down toward the pool area with the pool guesthouse on the left.  It was more like living in a mansion than any hotel we have encountered.

Our room on the second story was huge; the bathroom was as big as a small hotel room.  They only had a few rooms.  Their reservations are non-refundable and need to be made far in advance. 

From this location we were able to drive to a penguin colony at Betty's Beach, 100 km. to the southeast and also explore the Cape of Good Hope peninsula.  We had an exciting few moment at the Cape of Good Hope when we had to deal with a flat tire, failing electronics (beeping noise and could not lock or start the car), and were out of range of any cell phone signal.  Fortunately, I was able to get the tire changed, the Mitsubishi vehicle eventually started, and we drove directly to the airport to exchange it for a different (Hundai) SUV.

Looking north from Cape Point, near the Cape of Good Hope.  We would have captured more scenery except for the mechanical troubles with our rental car.  Almost a two-hour trip back to the airport to get a different vehicle.

The drive to Betty's Beach.  There was one stretch of sandy beach along our route, but mainly the road was carved into a steep mountainside.

The penguin colony is much bigger than what is shown.  The drive to Betty's beach is scenic.  It reminded me of the California coast between San Luis Obispo and Monterey with tall mountains rising abruptly from the shoreline.  Recent floods had washed out parts of the roadway causing construction delays.

On our last day in South Africa, we elected to just relax near the pool on our estate stay.  The following day we had to turn in our rental, take an 8 1/2 flight to Sao Paulo, and check in at our next stop on our way home, after eight weeks of travel.  Sao Paulo was only a brief stop to breakup what would otherwise be a sixteen-hour nonstop flight to the U.S. east coast.  The one full day we had in Brazil was cloudy and rainy, and our hotel was unexceptional.  It made us eager to get home, although it would be a long day (23 hours) to get there.    

Waterbuck: a common deer-like animal. These are drinking from a waterhole near our dining hall at the camp.

Zebra:  There are two different types, one found more in the lowlands and the other up higher.  The Amakhala reserve varies about 3000 feet between its highest and lowest areas.

Impala:  common in the open plains' areas.

Rhinoceros:  No, he is not stuck, he just likes the cool mud.

Late afternoon and this male lion was out for a walk.  The females do almost all the hunting.  Leopards were re-introduced to this area, but the lions killed all of them.  We were advised to stay sitting and quiet when near the lions; otherwise, they may view you as prey and attack.

Cape Buffalo:  This is entirely different than a water buffalo.  These have not been tamed and actually have a very vicious reputation.  It is said that if you shoot one, you better kill it or else it will kill you.

Gemsbok:  Very impressive horns.

Giraffe:  Wow are these tall!  The trees in this reserve are the ideal height for grazing.  Giraffes eat a huge amount.  They are healthy and reproducing well in this area.

Cheeta:  Relaxing in the grass with two fellow cheetahs until it is time to hunt again.  You probably know that they are considered the fastest land animals.

Blesbok:  another of the plains herd animals.  You often see several species together for mutual lookout and protection.

Black Wildebeest, also called a Gnu.  Not one of the prettier animals.

Sri Lanka

I think I could write many pages about Sri Lanka. We learned so much; it has so much history and its present issues are universal, holding lessons for all of us. The story begins 3000 years ago, but the past century is most instructive. It was once a prosperous country and could again become one. The people in main are very open, honest, and welcoming. We have enjoyed our time here but are ready to leave…. mainly due to the unrelenting poverty which saps our enjoyment.  There is no pleasure in witnessing the struggle of a good people trying to make a life for themselves with little hope for improvement.

Many fishing boats crowd Galle harbor.  How can they all negotiate getting out of that crowd?

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Galle fortress has a long history from the colonial days, but now it caters mainly to tourists.

Main street Galle fortress.  Every form of transport imaginable can be found in Sri Lanka, but the 'tuk-tuk' (named for the sound they make) is a favorite.  Recently the government prohibited the importation of new tuk-tuks, to reduce currency outflows, so now the price of existing tuk-tuks has risen dramatically (along with many other goods).

When the British gave the country independence in 1948, the country was prosperous. It is a very diverse country: Sinhalese, Tamils, Indians, Moors. Several languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English are all taught in government schools. People we talked to mentioned sending their children to private schools for additional language instruction in English and French, plus other subjects.  You must pass a strict test to be allowed to enter high school, and an additional test to enter university.  Even though the schools are free, poor people cannot afford the living expenses for schooling; thus, the rich are the major recipients of this ‘free’ education.

Three major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. EDITORIAL COMMENT: With all this diversity, this must be a wonderful country, but, in fact, diversity has been used by politicians to create deep divisions within the country. Assassinations, bombings, and rebellion have been common in recent years. Everyone we talked to mention the huge factor of government corruption.  ‘Diversity’ is like the term ‘weather’ it can be good or harmful.  Let's promote DRC (self-Discipline, Respect, Commitment) instead.

The Chinese government has provided massive loans and construction help for major public works projects.  Much of the funding has gone for bribes and payoffs, and Sri Lanka has been left with loans they cannot repay.  The country went bankrupt recently.  Thus, the Chinese government has taken over control of the commercial port at Hambantota, collects the tolls on major highways, and is set to take over a major airport at the south end of the island. Can this have anything to do with Sri Lanka’s strategic location at the apex of the Indian subcontinent?

We initially planned to use train service between our stops in Sri Lanka, but the more that I looked at the details, the more I realized the problems.  We would need a taxi to get to the train station and another taxi to get from the train station to our destination.  Most of the time we would need to stop in Colombo and transfer to a different train.  It was easier to simply hire a taxi with driver to shuttle us between our accommodations.  

Our hotel near Kandy.  The owner had worked in Dubai hotels for many years and then returned home to build his own hotel on this beautiful site.

View from the front of our hotel room.  The rear view was equally scenic with large windows and a wide balcony to enjoy the landscape.

We first were transported from Colombo harbor to our hotel in the central highlands near Kandy.  Colombo and Kandy are the two largest cities.  Kandy was the previous capital for centuries and is the site of the Temple of the Tooth, where Budda's lower left canine tooth is kept and on limited display. 

Looking down on Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth (far shore).

Our hotel was 6-7 miles out of town, on a scenic ridge at a higher altitude.  Very nice accommodation with a pool and restaurant.  So scenic and well-kept that couples would come there to have their wedding/engagement photographs taken.  We then arranged day trips from the hotel to Kandy itself and to Nuwara Eliya, the highest altitude city in the country. We found neither city to be especially attractive: crowded narrow streets with an excess of vehicles, small shops, and vendors.  We were able escape to the tranquility of Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya and also to a pleasant restaurant for lunch.

The lush central high country.  The climate is slightly cooler.  Many tea plantations are here, but also nontropical fruits and vegetables are grown.

Victoria Park, a tree over 100 years old with Dawn standing in front of it.  The climate in Sri Lanka is favorable for healthy growth of vegetation.

Royal Botanical Gardens, it is a popular destination, including many young courting couples.  Entry fees pay for a staff to provide excellent care for the gardens.

Visiting the Royal Botanical Gardens was a highlight of our visit to Kandy.  The Gardens, about 150 acres, are located on the inside of a bend in the river, effectively creating the seclusion of a peninsula.  Lush foliage, huge trees, and tribes of monkeys feeding on the fruits and nuts.

A young monkey, other members of the group are close at hand.

While in Kandy, we toured a woodworking shop.  Their main product is high end custom furniture.  This statue has been hand-carved from a single piece of wood.  Absolutely amazing!  Labor is cheap in this country; thus, they can produce and ship custom pieces like this all over the world.  The machines they use are old and with limited capability.  When I asked what training the workers get, I was told that it is generational; fathers pass the skills onto their sons. 

Our chauffer from Kandy to Hikkaduwa was a very friendly young man.  His home was near our route, so he invited us to stop at his family home and also at the local temple (combined Buddhist and Hindu).  We met his mother, his sister, an uncle and aunt, plus some neighbors.  We sat in their small house and drank the water they offered us.  We got the feeling that the family has very limited contact with Westerners. Such nice people.

View from our hotel balcony.  This is a long narrow lake.  Power boats are limited to one daily passenger ferry. More commonly we saw fishermen in outrigger canoes, ducks, and water monitors (predatory lizards powered by their strong tails).  

A peaceful morning on the deck at our boutique hotel, only 7 rooms.  A Chinese family called for a reservation and requested two rooms with kitchen privileges to prepare their baby's food.  When they arrived at the hotel, their demands became one room only, unlimited use of the kitchen, and a discount on the room cost.  They were turned away; the manager told us this as another example of the increasing Chinese arrogance; cheap and pushy.    

One morning I ordered the traditional Sri Lanka breakfast.  Many new flavors to try, but I could not eat it all.

Our stay at Hikkaduwa was comfortable and also very interesting.  Our boutique hotel overlooked a lake where we could watch fishermen in outrigger canoes.  The accommodation was excellent, but the best part was the manager, Pandu.  He was well educated and spoke very understandable English.  After dinner, we would talk with him about many subjects.  As a Buddhist, he explained the five principles of Buddhism (sort of a simplified Ten Commandments) but warned us that many of the priests are corrupt and influenced by money.  

English is not a first language for anyone in Sri Lanka, but it is a second language for many.  Problem was that their accent and grammar was so bad that often we were left guessing at the meaning of their words.  Most of the people you will encounter on Hikkaduwa Beach proper are Russians!  It is a very popular vacation location for them. I just read that Russians (with free extended visas) have been flocking to Sri Lanka (and staying) since the start of the war with Ukraine. Some 288,000 are present and have even started their own business's. Natives of Sri Lanka are getting tired of the Russians, but they bring in money to stimulate the economy. 

The beach there is very popular because the reef provides a protected area for waders and shallow snorkelers.  Dawn and I rented a boat with driver to take us out to a rocky point outside the reef where the water was deeper and the fish larger.  Waves swept over the area, but being submerged with snorkels we just enjoyed the gentle lift and surge of the waves.  We also encountered a sea turtle. 

Tsunami memorial.  Built at the site where a train on a coastal route was engulfed by the huge waves, estimated to be 29 feet high.

Roughly 35,000 persons in Sri Lanka were killed by the massive tsunami of Dec. 2004, and there is a commemorative museum at Hikkaduwa.  The event is recent enough that we talked to people who actually experienced the tsunami.  One reason that the museum is located at Hikkaduwa is because a train, with about 1200 passengers, was traveling on a coastal route there when the huge waves came ashore.  Almost everyone on the train was killed.

Hand-dug mine shaft in search of precious stones for jewelry.

Panning for precious stones.  The worker is standing in a pool of discarded ore and sifting fresh ore in a reed basket.

The ore contains several types of precious stones.  These are polished and either sold loose or mounted in a wide variety of jewelry.  There is a retail store on site, but even there, prices are not cheap.

Sri Lanka is known for the mining of precious stones of gem quality.  We visited one of the crude mines in the area.  The mine consisted of a vertical central shaft about 60 feet deep with a lateral shaft at the base about 20 feet long at this time.  Water was constantly pumped from the bottom of this wet pit, no ventilation was provided, and workers climbed down and up a long ladder to get to their work site. The "ore" was brought out in hand-cranked buckets and then separated as you would pan for gold, by being swished in a woven reed pan.

When a new highway was built through a low swampy region, fill material was brought in from another area of the island to elevate the roadway.  A few workers discovered that there were precious stones in this fill material.  The workers struck it rich; subsequently, police had to start patrolling to stop people from 'mining' the roadway.

Dawn at breakfast overlooking the lake.  We also had dinner here, afterwards we would have long discussions with the hotel manager.  He told us that some of his favorite literature is from 19th century British authors.

From Hikkaduwa, we were driven to Negombo, close to the Colombo airport.  Negombo was described as another beachfront town.  Our hotel was within easy walking of the beach, but there was little of interest on the beach.  What we saw of Negombo was not attractive; what was described as a shopping mall was similar to a smaller Walmart.  While our hotel was very comfortable, with restaurant, the neighborhood was marginal.  Tall walls around every separate business for security.  A nearby canal full of stagnant water and rotting boat hulls.  A semi-covered drainage ditch along our street with more stagnant water.  It was the first place where mosquitoes were a concern.