Knysna, South Africa to Ghana, West Africa

In the Knysna district we were lucky enough to visit an Elephant Sanctuary and a Wild Cat Rehabilitation farm where we were even allowed inside some of the enclosures (thankfully after their lunch). We were fortunate enough to see leopards, cheetahs and other wild cats of Africa - up close and personal!

We boarded our Drifters Overland truck for our final leg of the journey with our Trusty Krusty behind the wheel and we travelled south from Knysna through the Lake District and then on through the magnificent Hottentots Holland Mountains, bound for the beautiful city of Cape Town. We stopped off in the scenic coastal town of Hermanus for a couple of hours - Pat and Darrell braved the winds - cut up a pineapple and made fresh bread, butter and pineapple sandwiches for their lunch.

As we travelled on the freeway into the City past Capetown Airport we could see the thousands upon thousands of ramshackle homes in yet another Shanty Town - bricks and tyres holding down tarps and tin roofing - washing out to dry - children playing - people walking everywhere - walking many kilometres to and from work each day in order to save on bus fares. The day was bleak and cloudy so we were unable to see Table Mountain as we followed the coast around to the Drifters Inn at Sea Point.

Over the next few days we were able to do some wonderful sightseeing in and around Cape Town - I think Krusty really enjoyed showcasing his home town for us. We headed out to Stellenbosch and visited Fairview Winery and enjoyed the tasting of the wines and exotic cheeses - we then sat down to a great lunch. In the evening we visited The Waterfront and were surprised to see the Ocean Princess had arrived early and was moored alongside the wharf. Pat had to forego this trip to the Waterfront as he had become ill and needed to rest - thankfully he had fully recovered by mid morning the following day.

We travelled down to the southernmost point which consists of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point - this area is the junction of earth's most contrasting water masses - the cold Benguela current on the West Coast and the warm Agulhas current on the East Coast - Cape of Good Hope is popularly perceived as the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Our time had come to say goodbye to Cape Town, our fellow travellers and our special driver and guide, Krusty. Marie-Lynn will spend a couple more days in Cape Town and will then fly to Namibia for 3 days; Bruno and Michel will spend 2 more days in Cape Town and will then set off on a 24 day Overland Camping Trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg via the West Coast and Victoria Falls; Amy will fly to London for a couple of days, then to Rome and onto Venice for a Mediterranean Cruise; Krusty will have some days off before taking a bus back to Johannesburg and then will prepare for another 18 day Overland tour the same as the one we have just completed. Thanks crew, for a magnificent trip and for all the great times we shared. Wot you say???????

South Africa - what a magnificent place - our overland trip of 4,666 klms of scenery and experiences beyond expectation. I have to admit that Africa was at the bottom of my list of places I personally wanted to visit - something has changed - we are already putting thoughts and plans in place for yet another visit in the near future. Our Drifters tour was a fantastic and safe way to see this magnificent country.

Our taxi arrived at the Cape Town Drifters Inn, our bags were loaded so we headed off to the Waterfront to board the Ocean Princess for a 31 day cruise from Cape Town to Dover. Brenda and Darrell will then head into London from Dover - Pat and I will disembark in Le Havre, France. Ocean Princess is a small ship with only 617 passengers and 370 crew, so we should be well looked after.

As we sailed out of Cape Town harbour, the view of Table Mountain, the coastline and surrounding mountains was nothing short of spectacular. Our first 24 hours at sea were quite rough as we cruised north in the area where the two great oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian meet. We had expected to shed some kilos on our overland trip in readiness for the fine dining on the ship - somehow that didn't happen! Oh well - here goes - 31 days of eating out!

Luderitz, Namibia - Our first port of call was founded in 1883 on behalf of Adolf Luderitz from Germany. The Port of Luderitz was initially set up as a trading post, however in 1909 diamonds were discovered nearby so this township enjoyed a sudden surge of prosperity. Today, however, diamonds are mostly found in other areas of Namibia and offshore so the population of 20,000 has a much quieter existence.

Walvis Bay, Namibia - Walvis Bay has the best harbour on the Namibia coast - thus the British added it to their enclave in Southern Africa in 1878. It was not until 1994 that the now-Republic of South Africa returned Walvis Bay to Namibia. The port is the gateway to the vast Namib Desert, one of the oldest and harshest deserts on Earth.

We left the port area and organised a taxi into town, then took another taxi to the very nice township of Swakopmund, which was also originally a German settlement. The 33 kilometre journey from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund follows the coastline and is fringed by the orange coloured sand dunes of Namibia. Swakopmund is a very modern town with a big emphasis on Safari Tours and Tourism and the town's roadways are dotted with huge date palms. In this area of Namibia, the world's largest uranium mine can be found - there are actually three mines here. The town looks very prosperous, although our taxi driver told us that many men work a nine hour day and receive about $3.00 pay - he is fortunate that his Mother bought the taxi and he is able to make a good living for himself and his family.

We now have four days at sea before our next port of call. Days at sea are very relaxing to say the least - there is as much to do or as little to do as one wishes. Brenda and I have been enjoying games of Scrabble while Pat and Darrell have been enjoying the swimming pool, the spa and the sun. The further north we travel the warmer it becomes so card games are a great way to pass the time on deck whilst enjoying the outdoors.

There is a library on board, a card room and an internet room, not to mention the theatres, restaurants, lounges, bars, gymnasium, fitness centre, swimming pools and the casino. The entertainers, musicians and dancers on board put on great shows every evening and there are countless choices of lectures, classes and get-togethers to attend during the day. Yesterday we crossed the Equator, so several people agreed to take part in the Crossing the Equator Ceremony whereby participants faced punishments such as being washed with oil and flour before having eggs broken and poured into their clothing - I'm glad I was a spectator!

Last night we attended a concert by an amazing (and easy on the eyes) Italian Violinist, Vincenzo Gentile from Anacona in Italy. The violin he was playing was made in the 1700's and is currently insured for $200,000 - the collector/owner asked Vincenzo to take it on tour so that people around the world could see the violin and enjoy the sound of this most amazing instrument - and we did hear the most beautiful music imaginable eminate from that violin.

Cotonou, Benin - we headed ashore at Cotonou, unsure of what to expect - the Lonely Planet describes it as follows: "Benin's commercial capital is an unlovable example of urban Africa, and spending a day here is like being locked in a car with a chain-smoking speed freak. The zemi-johns (scooter taxis) swarm down the boulevards like kamikaze pilots, filling the air with fumes that only clear at night."

With our inside information as described above, we set out to explore some parts of Benin. A shuttle bus took us to the Cotonou city centre where we saw badly littered streets - streets lined with food and clothing markets manned by both Benin and Nigerian people. We made a deal with a taxi driver to take us out to visit the village of Ganvie which is a little further out in Southern Benin.

Ganvie is sometimes nicknamed The Venice of Africa. It is a village of 30,000 people built out over the shallow waters of Lake Nokoue, accessible by pirogue (flat bottomed boat) which is designed for navigating shallow waters. Ganvie's bamboo homes and huts are built on stilts three feet above the water and all these buildings are linked by canals. We pulled into the local Hotel, also built over the water, and enjoyed a cool beer and bottle of water on the deck. When I walked down the hallway across floorboards with views down to the waters below, I was lucky enough to see a Ganvie style Hotel Ensuite room .... hmmmmm very interesting ... just outside of the open back door the vision I saw of huts on stilts, children fishing and people paddling along in their dug out canoes gave me an image of the real Africa, Africa in it's very own natural environment - it was a wonderful view and one which I shall never forget.

Lome, Togo - The nation of Togo is a narrow strip of country which features a full range of landscapes and cultures. Togo boasts over 40 different ethnic groups with their own traditions and rituals - interestingly this region is the home of voodoo, which migrated to Haiti as a result of the slave trade.

We were ready to explore the capital of Togo, unfortunately just before we disembarked the heavens opened and it then rained for most of the day. We took the shuttle bus into the city centre and set off into the market place. The people here dress in very bright and vibrant colours and material is available to purchase in about 10 and 12 yard lengths for approximately $10 to $20 US, which is very cheap - unfortunately these lengths of material are quite substantial in weight, thus making a purchase costly in terms of excess baggage on the journey back home. The women take their clothing down to the sea to wash as they say the salt water ensures the colour lasts in the fabric for many years - I guess that would also eliminate the need for spray starch!

Tema & Accra, Ghana - Europeans, mainly the Portuguese descended on Ghana in the 15th century in search of gold - with the wealth of the slave trade many of these early settlers decided to stay on and the region was named "The Gold Coast". Ghana is one of the most densely populated countries in West Africa and has a total population of about 20 million.

A group of us on board ship hired an eight seater wagon and set off for the day. Tema was originally a fishing village but today it is the largest and the main port for Ghana. One hour's drive north in the capital city of Accra we visited the Botanical Gardens and smelt many plants and trees growing there, some of which we use in our homes and in our cooking - eg cinnamon, bay leaf, allspice and camphor. We saw real extremes in Ghana - very wealthy people in beautiful large homes and very poor people living in shanties. The people have lovely big wide smiles and white teeth - the kids love to wave and say hello. Goats roam about the fields and streets and it was rare to catch sight of a dog.

We had a most unusual visit to a "Coffin Maker" - he makes coffins in whatever style the customer so chooses - he told me he has visitors who come from Europe - they bring their drawing/plan with them - place their particular order for a coffin and then the builder constructs it, paints it and ships it to them in Europe - virtually a door to door service! What more could one want? Completed coffins we saw today included - a chocolate topped ice cream sundae, a camera, a jet plane, a pineapple, a car, a truck, a magpie, an eagle, a bottle of beer and a lion - how bizarre!

The next three days will be at sea so there'll be some relaxation on the cards.