South Africa 2014

Rachel's special birthday surprise. We packed a lot in and had a fantastic time.
Bumped up to Business Class for free - very happy Business class for free! Love it. First view of Table Mountain from the air. Our first stop - Cape Town and the Cape Grace Hotel The Cape Grace Hotel - an excellent place to stay. Strolling around the V&A (Victoria and Alfred) waterfront.
V&A "Excellence" ferris wheel Shoot me? Get knotted! Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk, Nelson Mandela in Nobel Square, Cape Town Queuing to go up Table Mountain. View from the cable car at Table Mountain View from the top of Table Mountain - we were so lucky to have a clear day.
View from the top of Table Mountain At the top of Table Mountain - a bit chilly up there! View from the top of Table Mountain There are times when you think "I should have worn a jumper" View from the top of Table Mountain One of the old cable cars originally used.
Cheers from the V&A Table Mountain not so clear the day after we went up On the red bus tour around Cape Town. Great way to see stuff and get a taste of the place. Obligatory selfie, this one on the bus tour Bus tour photo Walking the streets on the bus tour
At the Mount Nelson Hotel on the bus tour Green Point lighthouse. Football stadium. Brings back memories of the World Cup 2010 and those awful Vuvuzelas A nice little treat for Rachel from the Cape Grace hotel. Nelson is a lot taller than I thought he was. Your Tutu tall Mr. Bishop
Ha ha - rachel changes her "Salut" T-shirt Aquarium at the V&A waterfront Cheers Cheers Really strange chandelier at the Cape Grace Hotel. It's like playing a hidden object game. Friendly seal on the V&A waterfront
Leper graveyard on Robben Island - before it became a prison for political activists. Riding the red bus tour Looking back at Cape Town from Robben Island Robben Island Rock pile started by Nelson Mandela and added to by former prisoners, one rock each, at reunion What Robben Island stands for now.
One of the standard cells at Robben Island Comparison of diets - designed to deliberately create conflict View of Mandela's cell from the excercise court yard. Nelson Mandela's cell. Cheers Blue Train lounge for part 2 of our trip.
Ready to board the Blue Train Last view of Table Mountain from the Blue Train as we depart Cape Town. On board the Blue Train Leaving Cape Town on the Blue Train The Blue Train is very long! Our tiny room on the Blue Train. The bed is folded into the wall behind Rachel.
After the beds are made up (by the staff - you don't have to do anything on the train except eat, drink and be happy. We were!) Quasimodo finds his way into our cabin Drinks are all free on the Blue Train. Lovely. Blue Train excursion Mini stop-off excursion from the Blue Train at Mat Jiesfontein. The shortest but funniest trip we've been on. Brilliant. Sing-a-long on our excursion. Vic Reeves pub singer watch and learn :-)
Cheers Cheers One night in Pretoria at the Castello Di Monte guest house. Stunning. Our room at Castello Di Monte, Pretoria Castello Di Monte, Pretoria One of the dining rooms at the Castello Di Monte
Castello Di Monte, Pretoria Castello Di Monte, Pretoria At the airport - I bumped into Nelson again. Not the biggest airport in the world - but much better than the one in Botswana! Arrival at Victoria Falls airport. Arrival at Victoria Falls airport.
View from our window at the Victoria Falls hotel. Zambezi river in the background and we could see the spray from the falls Victoria Falls Hotel Victoria Falls Hotel Sundowner cruise on the Zambezi. Hippos and Elephants a-plenty. Wild old goat spotted in the Victoria Falls Hotel From the Victoria Falls Hotel it is a very short walk to the actual Falls tourist route. And of course at this time of the year, with the river low, the views are fantastic from the Zimbabwe side.
"Must have" mosquito net at Victoria Falls hotel. Looks like it's caught a big bug Map of the falls route. When the river is high you will see nothing but spectacular spray - and you will get drenched! We just got soaked. Our first view of the Falls - looking across from Devlis Cataract Dr. Livingstone I presume Devils Cataract at low season Devils Cataract. My favourite part of the Falls.
During the high season this video would show nothing except a wall of spray. The main falls The main falls With the river low (less spray) you get some fantastic rainbows. More falls rainbows. We met Pumbaa on the Falls trail. We called him Mr. Pig.
Bambi was there too, but was very shy Getting wet at the Falls Looking across to the Zambia side - you can walk across the top and bathe at the top of the Falls. Look close - you can see people bathing at the top of the Falls. When the river is high you can see none of this! Bungie jump? No thanks!
Victoria Falls at different times of the year High Tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel My first ever helicopter ride - and what a fantastic place to do it. Victoria Falls. Helicopter view of Victoria Falls Helicopter view of Victoria Falls Helicopter view of Victoria Falls
Ngoma Safari Lodge, Botswana Our room at the Ngoma Safari Lodge. Baboons, Impala, Zebra could be seen during the day and evening, and the Lion could be heard at night. View of the watering hole just below our lodge. View of the watering hole just below our lodge. Breakfast before we go out on a game drive. Ngoma Safari Lodge, Botswana
Our patio, Ngoma Safari Lodge, Botswana On our way out for our first game drive we had to stop at a REAL zebra crossing. Safety first! Elephant Crossing - with the emphasis on "cross" Watching a field full of zebra and impala and then this fellow walked around the corner. Say hello Gerald. Excellent photo taken by Kristian Elvestad who was on our trip
A fantastic shot by Kristian. Love this picture. Watch out Hippos - there's a croc about! The lions were too far for my iPhone to get a decent picture, thank you Kristian for this great shot. Another shot of lions by Kristian Zebra on the run, by Kristian Giraffe by Kristian
Our safari group. Ocean (the guide) with Kristian at the front and his Mum & Dad on the right. A really lovely family. So excited to see our first leopard. Beautiful creature Close up of the leopard with thanks to Kristian Leopard time, iPhone wind noise removed! Impala - looks like one of them lost a fight to be leader of the pack
In honour of the Springboks beating the All Blacks I love elephants Chobe Safari park Elephants playing in the water Yellow billed stork Crocodiles just look evil
Elephants in the way as we drive around Chobe park This elephant was so close to the car even leaning back this was all I could fit in the lens. Giraffe in the way I love giraffes Giraffe feeding Beautiful
You can never have too many giraffes Sunset from our room at the lodge Wild dogs enjoying a kill Baboons - I don't love them! Hello monkey man Must be something interesting in the bush!
Humungous amount of Buffalo all at one time. A small portion of the Buffalo - there was probably 3 or 4 times this many! Sweet Game for a ride Cheeky blighter drinking from our plunge pool Our guide. His name was Ocean and he was brilliant.
View of our lodge from down on the plain At the Ngoma Safari Lodge. So many birds in this nest making an awful racket early evening, then suddenly, as if a signal somewhere, they all go quiet. New barman arrives at the Ngoma Lodge Sunset on the plain at Ngoma Safari Lodge Sunset