As I sit here in Brookline, Massachusetts on Mothers Day, recovering from jet lag and a 36-hour intestinal bug that Elizabeth claims is from eating a pepper steak pie at a road stand along the Garden Route between Knysna and Cape Town, I decided to focus my last post on something Phil Liggett kept repeating during our Safari. Phil, who was the heart and sole behind why this trip was put together, kept saying over and over again, “It’s all about the animals.” And as we spent more time with these exotic and extraordinary creatures, I began to understand why he kept repeating that mantra. Phil Liggett, known as the…

Tuesday morning, we boarded two boats that took us up the Bushman River to our final destination at Kariega Game Reserve – Settlers Drift Lodge. When we arrived, we were greeted by friendly staff who offered cool lemon scented towels and a delicious beverage. This was standard operating procedure each time we arrived back at our accommodation, whether after a bike ride, a Jeep safari or after any other event. Unlike River Lodge, located on the Bushman River, Settlers Drift, like Ukhozi Lodge, is perched on a ridge. It and its nine villas overlook the Bushman River and small valley. To get to our villa we had to walk a…

As I cycled on my third day through the bush of South Africa, our group found huge piles of fresh elephant dung dotting our path. I gleefully began dodging these as if I were biking an obstacle course. Without thinking I yelled to no person in particular, “How many people can say they dodged elephant dung while on a mountain bike!”  The riders around me laughed and gave me a thumbs up. Another unique experience among so many we would have on this trip. And so began our second day at River Lodge – our second stop in Kariega Reserve.  We had arrived here after a wonderful stay at Ukhozi…

We took a very early flight on Friday from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, also known as Gquberha- see map. We met our group at noon at Port Elizabeth Airport. After a two hour drive we arrived at Kariega Reserve and our lodging for the next two nights – the Ukhozi Lodge. During our drive to Kariega we were able to catch up with our dear friends, the Hoffman’s, who were entirely responsible for convincing Elizabeth to go on this once in a lifetime trip. When we arrived, we checked in to our cabins, which were beautiful. They also sit on a bluff overlooking a small valley that is absolutely…

If we ate our way through Cape Town yesterday, we drank our way through the West Cape today. We did a wine tour through the Stellenbosch wine region during the day and stopped at 5 different wineries. In the evening we celebrated Lizzy’s 60th birthday at the Michelin rated La Columbe in Constantia where we enjoyed a 10-course meal with eight wine pairings. The following morning we took an early flight to Port Elizabeth tomorrow.

Because we arrived so late on our first day (Tuesday) in South Africa and were jet lagged, Elizabeth and I stayed in an our beautiful hotel (The Cellars-Hohenort) and ordered room service while enjoying our complimentary bottle of South African red wine.  We ordered  a traditional Cape Malay Bobotie with Mushroom and Lentil that included steamed white rice, minted pea samosa, cumin roti, and sambals. It is fitting the the first food we put into our mouths in South Africa was Bobotie.  Bobotie is a classic South African dish that has been around for 300 years and was a mainstay for the Trekboers on the frontier.  It is mentioned in “The Covenant” several…

So, our next travel adventure begins – South Africa. Last year friends of ours graciously invited us to spend a week with them in the Kariega Game Reserve, a private reserve located near Port Elizabeth in the southern part of the country. So, Elizabeth and I spent 15 hours suspended 40,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean on a flight to the Southern tip of Africa. We landed in Cape Town, where we will spend a few days before flying to Port Elizabeth, where we will be shuttled to Kariega. Located in the shadow of Table Mountain, Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful spots in the world.  So, we…