South African Safari : Part 2

Wednesday 23rd March was Mylene's 50th. We were all on the move again. After lunch in Alldays, we check in at Mapungupwe and set up camp. Carol and Jane arrived as a surprise for Mylene and we celebrated with a food and wine pairing in the bush. There had also been a lot of rain here and so the bird and game watching were not as amazing as we had hoped. Mapungupwe is a big 5 game reserve at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers;and from the picnic site you can see Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana. Mapungupwe is also a World Heritage Site where the Iron Age Kingdom of Mapungupwe has been discovered. Next stop was Pafuri River Lodge just outside the Pafuri Gate of the Kruger National Park; right up in the northern most corner of the park. A combination of the recent flooding and subsequent heat wave affected the game viewing and bird watching here too. Luckily the campsite had a shady pool because tempretures peaked at about 46 degrees celcius. Mylenes family joined us here for the Easter weekend and our campfire parties continued. Coemy enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt in the bush and instead of chocolate, the rest of us played the present sharing game usually reserved for our Christmas in June parties at the farm! Our next stop was Punda Maria Camp in the Kruger for 3 nights; followed by the last 2 nights at Letaba Camp. Game viewing was much better here than further north and we added lion, leopard and hyena to our list of sightings.

South African Safari : Part 1

So Friday started with a wake up alarm at 4.45am, followed by coffee and packing the rental car to the gills and hitting the road to the farm. By 8.45am we were there, unpacking and repacking, sorting the caravan and getting the bakkie started. I have never prepared for a three week camping trip so fast but by noon we were back on the road, returning the rental car to OR Tambo Airport before 2pm and driving to Marakele Game Reserve; making the 6pm gate closure with about 10 minutes to spare. (We even stopped to refill our gas bottle, only to be told it was actually already full.) The meat was on the fire by sunset and we sorted ourselves out, discovering what we had managed to pack and what we had left behind! Luckily, for this trip we stayed within South African borders and were never more than a few hours from shops! In our party for this leg of the trip we have the Thompsons, the Rix's and Colette. What a treat to be out in the bush again. It's been about 18 years since we were last in Marakele. It's pretty and the next day we drive up to the top of the mountain for a picnic with a view. This hill climb is not strictly 4x4 only, but you do need nerves of steel to navigate the twists and turns and with a bit of luck you won't meet too many vehicles head on; requiring deft reversing until you find a bit wide enough to pass the other car! Marakele is a "Big 5" reserve but animal sightings are tough in the dense bush. We stay three nights. On Monday, we drive to Lephalale, stock up on groceries and after lunch we head to Blouberg Game Reserve. We fancy our chances on a route via a village called My Darling, which I have to say I have never been through before. It's not much of a settlement and thereafter the dirt road deteriorates somewhat due to recent heavy rains. Once again, we find ourselves chasing for the gate by closing time! The Rix's have returned to Joburg but the Fouries, hot off a plane from London are a few hours behind us and also get somewhat lost. Luckily, we are the only guests in the entire game reserve and the rangers are happy to let them drive to the campsite well after dark. It's a beautiful reserve and home to a breeding colony of Cape Vultures, but less than adequate management by Limpopo Parks has taken it's toll. Our party is happy to have the peaceful and remote camp to ourselves, of course. We are all getting into the swing of the outdoor life; the cooking on an open fire, the white wine in the sun with brunch, the late morning nap in the shade that inevitably follows. Our bush cooking is rather gourmet these days and we all derive great pleasure from producing imported cheese from our fridges, or knocking up a quick apple pie from scratch in a dutch oven. ( Just a flat bottom potje pot, really) I actually did a trio of sliders one night; beef and haggis, chicken prego and mushroom and haloumi! Am I nuts?

Marakele

The road to Blouberg

Brunch

Singapore to Joburg

It's always great to spend a week in Singapore. Thanks to our wonderful hosts Alex and Dion once again. This time we decided to get the hang of the MRT and found it to be clean, cool and efficient - would it be anything else in Singapore? Of course, we had to catch up with our friends when we were in town. Those that are staying - Yael and Ori, Alex and Dion, Kim and Stuart, Nikki, Karen. Those that have just arrived -  Claire and Graham. Those that are going soon -Robin, Verne and Roy. Those that are visiting or re-visiting - Stephan, Leigh. And then there were those we missed this time.. It's a very busy hub and whenever we are there I wish I could live there again! Of course, we visited our favourite eating spots - Delhi Restaurant for Indian, Din Tae Fung for Dim Sum, High Tea at Shangri-La, Wine Connection at Robertson Quay (our old stomping ground) and Sunday Brunch at Basilico. The usual jaunts to Little India, Chinatown, Sim Lim and Orchard road for shopping and late nights at Crazy Elephant at Clark Quay also featured. We did some new things too.. Watching Super rugby - Cheetahs vs Sun Wolves at the National Stadium and a Jazz Festival at Marina Bay.
Then we got on a plane in Singapore, slept a few hours and woke up over Africa. Before we new it we were stuck in the morning traffic in Johannesburg; a segue that has become my life.. By that night we had lunched with Mom, met with Dumisa, the tax guy, shopped and pre-cooked for a camping trip and and done the laundry! Then three more days to sort out all the admin, see everyone, do more shopping..

Jazz Fest 2016

Crazy Elephant, Clarke Quay

Lunch, Banana Leaf Apollo

Super Rugby @ National Stadium

Roadtripping Thailand:Central

We spent most of the day driving south through scenic farmlands and stayed overnight at Dan Sai. Back at the Mehkong, we loved the town of Chan Khan with it's wooden fishermens' houses, now mostly converted into guesthouses, shops and restaurants. We spent the night at the Mehkong Lodge in Nong Khai, a town that has lost all it's backpacker charm since they opened the Friendship Bridge across to Laos. We sat at a riverside restaurant and listened to what was possibly the worst live band we have ever had to endure over all the years of our quest for live music.The next day we had another long drive via Udon Thani and Khon Kaen to Khao Yai National Park; Thailand's premier wildlife area. It's a weekend playground for the in-crowd from Bangkok and for miles and miles around the park, you will find the most kitsch hotels and resorts imaginable with themes and names like Thames Valley,Chateau Khao Yai and Tuscan Hills, complete with a full size Tower of Pisa replica that looked like it doesn't lean!We visited a few wineries - Gran Monte and PB Valley - and found a number of great restaurants. We spent a day in the park, which had beautiful mountain scenery, but the only animals we saw were deer and monkeys in the camps. We did enjoy the birding. The highway south out of the Khao Yai towards Bangkok is wildly busy and slow-going, even on a Sunday morning and driving into Pattaya took ages. Pattaya is a huge city now with no beachy feel at all. I think it was an in place to hang out in the 60's and 70's, but things are pretty tacky now. There was a lot of litter on the beach and in the sea. There are still enclaves of Western retirees living in Pattaya but most of the tourists seemed to be from India and China. Literally hundreds and hundreds of Chinese groups troop on and off buses, walking in tight groups clutching their bags with one hand and their cell phones and selfie sticks with the other. We found a wonderful Japanese restaurant, Shakiraya 432, amidst a great many mediocre tourist places and we did enjoy the live music on Walking Street.My verdict - don't go! We left on a Wednesday, punching through the outskirts of Bangkok on various highways and found ourselves south of Hua Hin at Sam Roi Yot beach overnight. What a nice surprise - a clean beach and the wonderful Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.
We spent a night south of Sukothai and finally cruised back into Phuket for two last nights of all our favourites - lunch at Song Pee Nong, sunset drinks at Sole Mio, music at Heroes Bar, massages at Ann's and dinner at Kalim@Home.

Chang Khan

Khao Yai

Pattaya

Sam Roi Yot

Patong

Roadtripping Thailand: North

On Friday 19th February we drove up to Pai via an amazing mountain pass. They have upgraded the road since we were last here but there are still 2800 turns to get there! Most travellers head up to Pai in overcrowded minivans - you had better hope you get a driver who has had enough sleep! Bikers like to do the trip too and some even do it on small scooters rented in Chaing Mai! We stayed in a great little guesthouse called Baan Suan Rim Pai. It's been 12 years since we have been here and we don't recognise a thing!It has grown.. and changed! Down by the river the guesthouses are just as rustic as ever and Pai has somehow managed to retain it's aura as a backpacker hangout..just!
Ten years ago a Thai film called "Love in Pai" was shot here and since then hundreds of thousands of Thai fans have come here for romantic getaways and honeymoons. Then two years ago, a Chinese film, Lost In Thailand caused Pai to explode as a Chinese tourist destination. It's hilarious to see young Chinese tourists rushing around from site to site, having photos taken. The best place to eat is on the streets at the night market. Then grab a seat at Yukko Beer Bar for imported craft beer and a great people watching opportunity. The only live music is at Yellow Submarine Bar - the music is not very good but it's fun to watch the western backpackers get very drunk on cheap drinks, hook up and stagger back to their fan-only riverside bungalows! There are lots of coffee bars all over and Maya Burger Queen is the place to get lunch. We also tried a local Thai place where you can get a bowl of "Spicy Chicken Liver Noodle Soup" for 25 Baht.
On Sunday we did another great scenic drive up to Chaing Dao and stayed in Malees Guesthouse. This area is touted for it's birdwatching. We climbed up to the Tham Pha Cave Monastery and we did see a few birds in the area, but mostly from our hut balcony.The next day we did another great scenic drive to Mae Saloeng via Tha Thon. There were lots of rice paddies, fruit orchards and coffee plantations along the way. Mae Saloeng is a town of Chinese KWT refugees and is known for it's tea plantations.We stayed at the Baan Ruam Cha Resort for about 700 Baht and went out to eat the local Yunnanese cuisine.We headed up to the border town Mai Sai near Myanmar and followed the Mehkong River east through the Golden Triangle area. Sop Ruak is an awful tourist trap that touts itself as the centre of the Golden Triangle. To be avoided.. We bypassed Chaing Rai and spent the night in Phayao instead. There are a few local  hotels along the lake and we were the only foreign tourists in town. We had dinner at a restaurant on the lake and then enjoyed a live band at an open air club filled with students. Here if you are not a beer drinker, you drink brandy or local whisky, which you have to buy by the bottle.

Pai

Yellow Submarine

Tham Pha Plong

Mae Saloeng

Phayao