Peace and serenity in Botswana’s Okavango Delta
Known as the Kavango in Namibia and the Kwango in Angola, the Okavango River is the fourth longest river in Africa and ends in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
The Okavango Delta was one of my “must-see’s” when creating my Africa itinerary. The landscape is beautiful - stunning blue waters and skies, acres of reeds and papyrus that sway and rustle gently with the breeze, and yellow, purple, and white water lilies that dot the river’s surface.
I spent one night actually camping in the Delta which meant true camping in the bush! Oh boy the mosquitos were EVERYWHERE. They ot me through my pants on my bum and all over my legs but the views and 氣 were (almost barely) worth it.
The Okavango Delta is one of those places that just brings about a feeling of peace and serenity and pureness. I hope you enjoy the view!
Etosha National Park
The animal post you’ve been waiting for! A dazzle of zebras, a tower of giraffes, a herd of impala (antelope), a crash of rhinos, a coalition of male lions. I had a bit of trouble with the Wi-Fi here so there are lots of photos but little text (not that you need it anyways as the photos speak for themselves! Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it for a better viewing experience.)
Below are animals stopping by the watering hole during the evening of our first night in Etosha National Park in Namibia. The watering hole was right next to our campsite and it was amazing. We were lucky enough to see black rhinos, which are an endangered species.
One of the highlights during our day game drive was seeing all kinds of animals mingle together at the local watering hole (there’s a theme here). During the day animals will amble over to the watering hole to cool off in the hot weather. I loved watching the giraffes steadily walk over and then awkwardly bend down to drink.
One of the best experiences in Etosha was the night game drive. Our guide was such a badass! She had a keen eye and was able to spot animals in the dark. It was quite impressive how she could simultaneously drive (manual/stick, with one hand!) and search for animals with a red flashlight in her other hand.
The use of red light at night is preferred since it’s less harsh, but it does impact the photos - you’ll see some red animals! . We stumbled upon a coalition of male lions, which was amazing!
Deserts and Dunes from dawn til dusk
This entire day in the southern Namib Desert (Namib-Naukluft National Park) was a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to visit Sossusvlei, Dune 45, and Deadvlei for several years, after a friend showed me photos of his visit. You’ll see why the stunning landscape piqued my interest!
Sossusvlei
Deadvlei
Another dream come true! This area is famous for its dead skeleton trees, which are scorched black due to the desert sun. The trees are believed to be 800-1000 years old. The starkness of the trees against the jeweled-tone blue sky and orange sand is stunning.
The desert night sky
No words. Being able to see the Milky Way every night has been incredible. Looking up gives me such a strong feeling of wonder and joy and gratitude to be alive and living.
Western Cape (South Africa) & Fish River Canyon (Namibia)
I’ve been traveling with Intrepid Travel on an overland trip that will take me through Southern Africa!
Daily life
Overland trip = traveling by land (in our case by bus/truck - see below!)
We have a truck that fits 22 passengers, but luckily there are only 9 of us, which means that we have a spacious vehicle as we make our way throughout Southern Africa
The truck includes lockers for our bags, two tables (playing cards, journaling), filtered water (important to stay hydrated!) and storage compartments at the bottom of the truck that stores our tents, cooking equipment, groceries, chairs, and much more
We have a trip leader/tour guide (Victor), a truck driver (Ben), and a cook (Nicko)! Our three guides are from Kenya and have been working with Intrepid for quite a number of years. In fact, Nicko was the cook for a trip that another fellow passenger took with Intrepid in Eastern Africa back in 2019!
Each night we camp in local camping facilities and Nicko whips up our meals. It’s quite incredible what he feeds us - he has a whole set up of setting up the stove (with his own gas) and table for chopping vegetables. After every meal we wash the dishes and “flap” to dry the dishes (this consists of holding a dish in each hand and flapping like a bird to dry them off)
Wine Tasting in the Western Cape
This was our first stop on the tour - nothing better than wine and a good view (photos and descriptions below!).
Because we were still in South Africa, we still experienced load shedding (see my Cape Town post for more info) so dinner was cooked by Nicko and eaten in the dark with our headlamps.
Drive from the Western Cape, crossing the Namibian border, and into Fish River Canyon
When stopping by a gas station, I saw that the map of Namibia shows a restricted area where there is no entry which seemed odd. It turns out this area is where all the mining happens (diamonds, uranium, and more, aka $$$), so the government doesn’t want anyone to enter this area. Mining is the #1 industry in Namibia, with construction at #2 and tourism as #3.
After crossing into Namibia, we had our first game sighting! We saw mountain zebras and a lone giraffe while driving. It’s incredible to think that these type of animals are just normal occurrences.
Did you know…a group of zebras is called a dazzle of zebras! I was dazzled by the dazzle of zebras, which included a baby zebra galloping alongside its parents.
Sunset at Fish River Canyon (Namibia)
We had an afternoon walk along the Fish River Canyon. It gets so hot at the bottom of the canyon that there is no hiking allowed except in wintertime (beginning in May). The river was dried up when I went, but there were still some puddles you could see.
We watched the sunset at had a “sundown” aka drinks and snacks (local BYOB version of happy hour!).
The next morning I went for a run and departed the campsite. There was only one road, so I just ran straight until the truck and rest of the passengers caught up with me! It was quite a fun experience to run alone on the deserted highway (dirt/gravel path, not a busy highway like in the US - don’t worry Mom & Dad!) and watch the sunrise. The few 4x4s and trucks that drove by gave me a friendly wave and shout.
Colorful Cape Town
BoKapp neighborhood
Famous for their colorful houses, although it’s unclear what’s the rationale behind the transformation from white to colored paint. However, now it’s required for building owners to keep the exterior paint as a bright color because that’s what brings in the tourists (me!). I took a tour of this neighborhood through the local Cape Town free walking tours
This is a Cape Malay neighborhood. Originally designated for anyone who was a practicing Muslim and of color - whether that meant you were from India, Indonesia, Malaysian, or elsewhere, and “Cape Malay” became the catch all term for those people (yes, a bit problematic)
Had lunch at Faeeza’s, which is opened by a woman out of her home in Bo-Kaap! Delicious chicken curry with roti, with definite Malaysian influences - yum!
Sunset hike at Lion’s Head
Did the hike with someone I met during the Bo-Kaap walking tour - it’s always great when you make random connections that turn into fond memories. Moderate hike with some scramble, ladders and staples. The view was amazing - I had a 360 view with Table Mountain, different neighborhoods, and a view into the Atlantic ocean.
Sunset was gorgeous! Definitely needed my handy headlamp coming down as it was pitch black, but the views were incredible (as you can tell below). The colors were so vibrant and breathtaking
Robben Island
Prison where many political prisoners were imprisoned, including Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe
Both of my tour guides were former inmates who were imprisoned while students protesting the apartheid. It was very moving to attend the tour and visit the prison.
My first guide was imprisoned for six years for being a student activist (declared terrorist by the government), and arrived at Robben Island in 1978 at the age of 20. Part of his sentence was hard labor in the limestone quarry
Second tour guide was imprisoned when 18 for protesting. He talked about smuggling documents for reading and politics as they were banned by the government. They conducted a hunger strike for 29 days to demand better conditions (demand for beds and the ability to talk politics) since their requests to the government went unaddressed
Learned about Robert Sobukwe, a political prisoner who is unfortunately not as well known as Mandela because the government tried to suppress his legacy. He created the Pan African Congress after breaking away from the African National Congress. The government gave him harsh punishments, including years of solitary confinement, and limited his contact with the outside world so he couldn’t influence South African politics. He died in prison and never renounced his belief that the apartheid was wrong (the government promised to release him if he reversed his stance).
The island was also used to house all the “undesirables”, including people with leprosy, who were segregated even among death by type of graveyard and headstone (whites had clean and organized headstones and graveyard v Blacks and Coloureds had jagged headstones and unorganized, haphazard graveyards).
Robben Island has been a political prison for a while, all the way back to the 1400/1500s I think when it housed the local Khoi and San tribal kings.
Table mountain
An incredible hike that got my heart pumping and adrenaline running. I hiked India Venster, which is the most challenging route up Table Mountain because of the scrambles (thanks, Jimmy for the rec!)
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
I took the Skeleton Gorge route down Table Mountain (total hike ~5 hours) so that I could end up at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. I am SO glad I went. The diversity of flora was astounding, and it was so different from what I’ve seen back home.
I learned that Cape Town is one of the most diverse areas in the world in terms of having the most endemic (native) plants per square kilometer. I took a lot of photos of flowers and plants. They made me so happy and at peace. Mother Nature is truly incredible
Walking around here and just enjoying the “qi” (Dad - you would’ve loved this place) was so peaceful. I could’ve spent the whole day wandering or picnicking in the gardens
Day tour of Cape of Good Hope
Included stops along the coastline with beautiful scenic drives
Also happened to be the day of the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon! It was exciting to watch runners go by. The two oceans represented are the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean (west side of South Africa is the Atlantic, east side is Indian), and this race is supposedly one of the most scenic in the world)
Stopped by Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point of the African continent)
First animal sighting! Saw some ostriches running along the side of the road on the way to Cape of Good Hope
Sunrise hike at Lion’s Head
An incredible sunrise that almost didn’t happen because of load shedding! South Africa has periods of electricity blackouts across the country in order to ensure there isn’t a nationwide blackout. This has been going on for around 9 months so far. The morning of my sunrise hike there was several hours of load shedding, so I couldn’t open the electronic gate to my hostel!
Oranjezicht City Farm Market
My favorite place in Cape Town! This is a local farmer’s market that happens during the weekends and was absolutely lovely! There were so many vendors selling fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, and more.
There were also so many food stalls that made choosing a bit overwhelming! It was so lovely to experience a small slice of local life and be a part of the bustle of the city.
30 hours later…From New York to Cape Town!
No that’s not a typo. 30 hours later, I have arrived! It was surprisingly a very smooth journey for which I’m very grateful.
A Jersey send-off
As I mentioned in my last post, I spent some time home with my family for several days to feel pampered while doing last minute prep for my trip. While there was a lot of anxious packing, there were also so many lovely moments.
I live on a plane
The 30 hours consisted of:
JFK > LHR (Virgin Atlantic) - Short 6 hour day time flight that ended up being only 5:15. Easy peasy! Was an early start (8 am flight + early subway in), but caught up on pop culture from last year. I love airplane food but unfortunately this one was very mediocre. Was very grateful for booking this flight back when I still had Delta status because it meant I got a free checked bag.
LHR > JNB (Virgin Atlantic) - An 11 hour red-eye flight turned into 10:15 hours. Guess the winds were behind my planes! I didn’t realize when booking just how far away London and Johannesburg are (I know, dumb American who only learned one side of the map). Thumbs up for airplane food and for an empty economy class - I got to sleep across an entire row.
JNB > CPT (Airlink) - Because I’d booked this flight using Capital One Venture X’s travel voucher (Mom would be so proud) and had searched for the cheapest flight, I thought this would be a budget airline. False! There was free checked baggage AND a sandwich for a two hour flight. Amazing.
CPT > Hostel - Ordered an Uber thanks to Airport Wifi (bless the Internet) as I’m not planning on getting a SIM card for South Africa. Great travel hack - You’re still able to use Uber as long as you have internet during the ordering process. Sometimes the WiFi doesn’t extend to the pick-up zones so I’ll just wait until the Uber is a couple of minutes away before leaving the WiFi safety net.
At long last - Cape Town!
Not sharing the hostel name just quite yet for security reasons (this site is public) but I’ll share later on if it’s one I’d recommend or avoid for the future.
I arrived in the evening and was pleasantly surprised to hear that I got upgraded from a 6 bedroom dorm to a private room with an ensuite bathroom. I think it’ll be nice to have my own private space for a week before I head off to the next stop, which is a 49 day tour of Southern Africa (more to come on that later).
I originally chose this hostel because it’s supposed to have a great community, so hopefully I’ll get a balanced mix of quiet May time and social time. The hostel has free yoga mats so I got to sneak in a quick yoga session to unwind before preparing for bed.
I’ve got a couple of things in mind that I want to do here, but I think what’ll be more important is just getting accustomed to the fact that this is now my life!
First up: Cape Town (& big feelings)
Well this week has been an interesting one! It’s been a whirlwind of events including my combined bon voyage and (very early) birthday party, my last day at work, packing up my Brooklyn apartment and moving things to storage, frantically packing and repacking my bags, and to trying to soak up these last couple of days of being with family and friends.
As a result, this week’s been one of mixed emotions - feelings of anxiety, exhilaration, sadness, excitement, gratitude, and just plain being scared. Throughout the past month, and this week especially, I’ve been reminding myself that all of these feelings are normal and as my friends like to remind me, if I wasn’t feeling anxious or scared about a big trip like this, then that’s when there’d be something for them to worry about!
I’m a champion at not dealing with “big emotions” and instead focusing on surface anxieties that are seemingly easier to manage. Here are just some of the more superficial anxieties that have been running through Dino May’s mind (this is what I call the May who goes through analysis paralysis):
Did I pack too little? Did I pack too much?
Both of these questions meant unpacking and repacking and re-rolling my clothes in different shapes, taking out and putting in new items, and consulting my Excel spreadsheet multiple times while Ugly Betty played in the background.
I’ve finally acknowledged that despite all the back and forth, packing and repacking, I will be packing more clothes than I normally would for a regular backpacking trip. During the past several trips I’ve regretted not packing more casual/nice clothes on non-trekking days to feel more “human” (aka not looking like a “backpacker” 24/7). Also I completely forgot how much space a sleeping bag & co (sleeping pad, pillow, liner) take up!
Conclusion: It’s not like I can’t just buy something if I really need it or discard something if it’s weighing me down! There’s no perfect way to pack for a year-long trip to abroad, though I’ll be keeping you posted on whether or not some items discarded/donated in favor of a lighter pack. Current weight is ~27 lbs not including my daypack but does include two large bottles of special contact solution. I did however do a last minute addition of a Smartwool hiking socks because I got panicked after reading REI’s1-2-3-4-5-6 rule for packing light:.
Is my backpack too big?
This happened very recently (two days ago!) and led to frantic and panicked audio messages to my cousin (thank you for letting me rant out loud). Keep in mind that I had done extensive research on backpacks yet the last minute jitters came on strong!
I felt so uncertain that I conducted a last minute dash to REI to consult with a product specialist (shoutout to Kevin) who helped reconfirm that I purchased the right size backpack. I should’ve trusted the May of three months ago rather than the May whose anticipatory anxiety is manifesting right at this moment.
Conclusion: The Osprey Aura AG 65L seems to be the right backpack for me. I was looking for a backpack that would work for a multi-day thru hike, be reservoir compatible, contain a separate sleeping bag compartment, include a rain cover, and have a comfortable yet sturdy harness. The Aura AG consistently came up as one of the best backpacks. It’s also available in the 50L (the size I used to have) so Dino May was trying to decide if she should exchange for the 50L instead a mere three days before flying out of the country.
Fun note: I decided to donate my previous backpacking backpack after a beautiful 8 year long relationship together across 5 continents. I purchased it way back during my GLOBE days in Hong Kong from a random mountaineering store!
Will my checked-in backpack make it through to Cape Town?
The anxiety was heightened when I found out that there is a strike going on at the Heathrow terminal where I’m laying over - welp.
Conclusion: All I can do is trust in the universe - this is entirely out of my control.
And the list continues - “what if, what if, what if?”. A friend and I were laughing over this recently as this is very much an ex-consultant mentality of trying to optimize for every single possible scenario, which is obviously impossible and unhelpful. That’s the inner perfectionist coming out that needs to be tamed!
^ How it feels like it’s going. Photo from the Polar Plunge in Antartica
So what’s up besides big feelings?
First up is Cape Town!
I’ll be flying into Cape Town with a couple of layovers (looking for those budget deals now that I have no income 😅). Keeping your fingers crossed for me that all goes smoothly!
I have several days in Cape Town to adjust to and get comfortable with this next chapter, but I’m also really excited to just explore the city. South Africa has been on my destination bucket list for a while but I’ll only be visiting Cape Town, at least this time around. I’ve had absolutely nothing planned because I’ve been so focused on getting to this point and planning the higher level things such as health insurance (very important lol) and personal finances. But I’m proud of myself for at least researching how to get from the airport to my hostel (in case you’re wondering, best option is Uber or taxi - the airport shuttle got shut down because of lack of ROI).
So far I’ve gotten some great recommendations from friends - thank you Jimmy, Eric, and Hein! If you have any recs or just want to send some well wishes, please share them below.
Bon voyage! 🤞
Postcards from El Chaltén and El Calafate
I saw the most magical sunrise while hiking in El Chaltén
Postcards from my trip in Feb 2023.
Most of these photos from my accidental 16 mile long hike in El Chaltén - the weather was looking too windy (30+mph winds!) to go hiking the other days, so I tried to squeeze in as much as possible in one day. I was so excited to see town afterwards and sit down!
I spent that entire hike in Los Glaciares National Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares), and I wish I spent more time there so I could check out all the trails. My favorite was the sunrise hike to Laguna Capri which are most of the postcard photos - the light was phenomenal, and I’ve never seen any sunrise like this. I had the entire lake to myself and it was a quiet and magical moment.
Postcards from Ushuaia, Argentina
Ushuaia was more than just a gateway to Antartica, but a region with its own unique hiking opportunities
Ushuaia was surprisingly beautiful. It’s usually branded as “just” the gateway to Antartica (the majority of cruises depart from there), but there were several national parks and trails to explore. In my opinion the scenery isn’t as stunning as other parts of Patagonia, but I’m glad I spent some days hiking in Ushuaia.
