South Africa: Part 1

Yay we are in South Africa! This is one of my favorite countries in the world and I'm really glad to be back. We hired a car and spent the first few days hanging out in Johannesburg, doing washing and other exciting things like that and trying to sort out Justin's camera. Unfortunately it got wet and was dropped and now only half works.  We also went to the Apartheid museum which was an eye opener. When you buy your ticket to go in, they give you a white or non-white ticket and at the entrance you have to go through different doors. It felt very strange to be segregated like that. I came out feeling completely overwhelmed. 

We also spent a day visiting a private lion park that breeds and conserves tawny and white lions. They had 8 day old cubs which we got to cuddle. They are so cute and I wanted to take one home with me. Then we spent a day in Plianesberg National Park. It is a great little wildlife park that has lots of animals in their natural habitat. One of the best sights was about 2 minutes into the park when we came across a savannah with zebra and wilderbeasts grazing and giraffes in the distance walking along with their heads bobbing up and down. It was such an iconic African scene.

We spent the next 4 days visiting Kruger National Park. We managed to see heaps of animals including lions, cheetah, elephants, buffalo, rhino, zebra, lots of different types of antelope, and even the shy and elusive leopard. We got up really early and went on a dawn drive and were lucky to see the leopard stalking some kudu. It was amazing. The whole time in Kruger was really great and I took lots and lots of photos.  

After that Justin dropped me off at the Greater Private Makalali Game Reserve where I am currently volunteering. We are collecting data on animal numbers and sexes so the reserve knows how many animals  there are and if there are too many to be sustainable. They are also running immunosuppression contraception programmes on lions and elephants in order not to breed too many animals that would then require culling of the entire herd. I'm finding it really interesting and learning heaps. The other day we spent the morning walking around tracking rhinos and learning all about poos and feet, and how to recognize the different animals tracks. Most days we go on drives around the reserve and count animals.

I am here for the next few weeks and will hopefully update you again soon. Unfortunately the internet and cell phone reception here in Africa are terrible and unreliable. Sorry there are no photos but I will try and upload some photos later.

Vietnam: a wrap

So much has been happening that I'm forgetting to write it all down. Anyway here is a quick catch up from what I remember. We left Dalat, in the south of Vietnam, and travelled north by a bus that drove super fast down windy roads to Nga Trang on the coast. At least two thirds of the bus were motion sick and it was a huge relief to get to the new town. Nga Trang is a touristy beach town, but it has some of the best food we have tasted in Vietnam. We only strayed a few days there before getting depressed about all the tourists around.

Bikes waiting for riders.

Next we headed further north to Hoi An. This was also by bus, but it was a night bus that had semi-recliners to lie on. The roads around Vietnam are not the best, and it took about 14 hours to travel approximately 600km! It makes me appreciate the roads in NZ, even if I do complain about them sometimes.

Old Town, Hoi An.

Hoi An has ended up as one of our favourite places. It has a population of around 130,000 and has a well preserved old town that was once a large bustling port town known for its silks and fabrics. Today the old town is closed to traffic so it is pleasant and easy to walk around. It is still known for its material and this is the place to get clothes tailor made. Justin got a beautiful winter jacket made, which was funny watching him try it on in 34 degree heat. I also had a jacket made, as well as 2 pairs of shorts and 2 dresses.

Mmmmm noodle soup, Hoi An.

Vietnam is not well known for it's diving but Justin was having diving withdrawals, so we went on two dives in the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park. It was colder and very different to the Perhentians which is very tropical. The first dive was really great. As Justin is now a divemaster, we could dive by ourselves without lots of people around. It made such a difference to the experience and being able to see the wildlife. I even came up with the same amount of air as Justin! The second dive however was not fun. We dived at a site that has several large rock pillars rising to the surface. The current itself was ok, but the swell created by the pillars was really bad. It took a huge amount of effort to swim and we were being washed around really badly so everyone ended the dive early. The only cool thing about that dive was seeing a huge school of barracudas.

Going to float lanterns on the river, Hoi An.

That night Justin and I were covered in itchy, stinging rashes and had a horrible next few days as we continuously scratched. It was worse for Justin as he also fell sick with some sort of fever and general unwellness. Because of this we ended up staying in Hoi An an extra week in order to rest and recover.

One of many temples in Vietnam.

Dog statue in Hoi An. 

But the next part of our travels was exciting. We hired a guide and motorbikes for the next 5 days and travelled through the highlands and the Ho Chi Minh Trail, visiting ancient ruins, villages, huge caves, tunnels and the DMZ from the Vietnam War and generally having a good time. The only bad times were when it rained (which happened every afternoon), Justin's phone got wet and died (yay for insurance) and when I was sting by 2 bees. They really hurt when they hit you in the face at 40km! I had a swollen cheek for the next few days.

Riding motorbikes on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Ancient ruins, My Son.

We ended our bike trip in Hue and then caught an overnight train to Hanoi. Now this is the way to travel! It was a 4 berth sleeper train. It was much more comfortable than a bus. Hanoi is big and bustling with people, motorbikes and noise everywhere. We did an overnight trip to Halong Bay (which is amazing and has sooooo many cliffs that could be climbed.) before returning to Hanoi. And here we have settled before heading onto our next destination in two days time....which is to be South Africa!  

A few extra photos:

Tunnels in Vinh Linh. 17 babies where born in here and lived their first few years mostly in the dark.

Vietnam War cemetery.
 

Rice fields.

Village life.

Village kids. 

Taking a ride home.