EPIC ADVENTURES Archives | TRAVELS WITH TAM

Joburg 2012

July 1, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

May 6 2012

I am exhausted! Traveling for two days is tiring, even when you’ve travelled in the utmost comfort. I arrived at the Da Vinci Hotel in Nelson Mandela Square at 7 a.m. and thankfully they had a room ready for me, even at that hour. Beautiful room…I love the style. I was asleep by 8a, and didn’t wake until 330p. I have no clue what that means as far as my body’s clock is concerned; the only thing I know is that my body is tired, and not only from the travel, but from losing items on every plane and every security stop along the way. I swear, being ADHD can be very inconvenient. I have a “stick” with me, it looks like a walking stick but it is actually a mount for my new camera. I lost it no fewer than 3 times, and I found it all 3 times if you can believe that. I lost my hat, but it caught up with me at the baggage claim here in Joburg. Of course I had to check my backpack dozens of times for items…glasses, power chargers, medicine, etc. I really am a walking, talking tornado. No wonder I am always exhausted!

I am awake and planning to stay conscious for an hour or two…well, maybe less. The car comes at 730 a.m. to take me to OR Tambo Joburg Airport and my flight to Inhambane, Mozambique. I confess to being nervous about it….first, the plane is a prop which seats 70, and LAM (Mozambique airline) is one of the airlines banned by the European Union as having “safety concerns”. Well, this flight goes every single day, so there is no reason to suppose that tomorrow would be the day something would happen. I shall follow my usual coping method which is to make the decision to do it (which I have) and ignore the rest. The volunteers on the project will be on this plane as well. I have no idea how many of us there will be, or the ages of the volunteers. I have a feeling I will be the oldest at 52. 52! When my parents were that age I perceived them as old…I do not feel old, at all. I worry about being able to keep up because of my bad back which is held together by 4 rods and 8 pedicle screws, but that worry has been with me all of my life, it is not an age thing. Hopefully my fellow volunteers will be an interesting group. I am a little embarrassed about all of my (heavy!) luggage, but I have to have my cameras and strobes, and my new GOPRO Hero 2 with its different mounting systems. I must have my computer to process the photos and videos I plan to take. I have to have clothes for the safaris Randy and I will take after the volunteer trip. So. I will just have to be embarrassed.

Well, tomorrow will be the big day of meeting my fellow travellers, arriving at my destination, doing an orientation. I am eager for the work to begin.

Adventures in Mozambique 2012

June 30, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

In May 2012 I did a volunteer trip to Tofo, Mozambique. The trip, with All Out Africa, marked a turning point in my life. I kept a journal while I was there, and I would like to share my memories and photos with you. Also, I will be taking another research trip in January with Dr Andrea Marshall, Queen of Mantas. I am also excited that some of my fellow volunteers are coming to Cozumel this summer!

So, where am I going? And why? I am going to Tofo, Mozambique, home of the Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna, (it is on Facebook), headed by Dr. Andrea Marshall (manta rays) and Dr Simon Pierce (whale sharks). For anyone who doesn’t know me well, I am an animal lover, an ocean lover, a scuba diver and an enthusiastic amateur underwater photographer. I heard about the project in Tofo through NatGeo (or Discovery). Andrea Marshall is known as the Queen of Mantas. She is in Mozambique where she researches the manta populations, and she discovered the existence of two species of manta.

To say I admire what she has done and what she is doing is a vast understatement. We can all argue about what causes climate change, but one thing we do know and can agree on: humans are harming the balance of life everywhere on our planet. The ocean is at the heart of all life, we depend on its food sources, its plant life, its currents, and its temperatures. The ocean and its animals are at risk. I decided I need to do my part. I’ve been doing fish species surveys for REEF for a year now, and this trip is, I hope, the first of many such ventures.

I grew up on Jacques Cousteau specials, the famous boat Calypso on its voyages of exploration, and how I wanted to be a part of it! Of course, I think every kid of my generation wanted to be Jacques Cousteau. In the days before world of warcraft, home computers, the internet and Facebook, we had to find our own fun and we didn’t live our adventures on our Xboxes, we lived them through our imaginations and through individuals like Jacques Cousteau, who generally had two television specials a year. No, we didn’t have cable, so we had to find out when it would be on, and be sure we tuned in. No, there would be no rerun or repeat of the show.

The first look at SCUBA (Jacques Cousteau invented the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), watching dolphins play, seeing sharks and incredible creatures from the deep for the first time fired my curiosity and wonder. I have never lost it. I have been diving with all kinds of animals, including Great White Sharks, manatees, dolphins, sharks, eels, all manner of fish, etc etc, but this is a dream come true, to participate in research designed to assist in the protection of our seas. I am excited to be on my way.

So, trying to stay awake as I hang out in the Admirals Club Lounge, waiting until 5p when I have to take a bus to another terminal to catch a British Airways flight to Johannesburg. Conserving my energy! I’ll sleep like a baby on the flight tonight. I will check in tomorrow, from Johannesburg!

UPCOMING TRIP: COZUMEL, July 1

June 27, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Diving. yoga. Beach walks. Diving. Eating. Sleeping. Diving, diving, diving. Stay tuned!

Great White Sharks and the Cape

June 18, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

The next day was our Great White Shark Adventure, which turned out to be a pretty lousy day. Did we see a Great white shark or two? Yes…a BIG one. But no breaching, and the visibility was so bad that they could not be seen from the cage. The weather was awful, swells of 8 feet or more, there was definite seasickness on the boat. One poor woman was completely passed out. Seal Island has over 30,000 seals living on it…they make quite a noise and one does not want to be downwind. It is sickening, absolutely. Overall, we were tremendously lucky with animals…but the weather did not cooperate with the sharks. The boat and captain have been on Nat Geo, it was just a lousy winter day. Worth a try!

south africa — Guys with HUGELY fat seal!

We spent our last day going to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, driving and seeing wildlife, and of course, having a fabulous meal on the waterfront. Our guide took us to a marina to see the “seal man” who has “tamed” a wild seal who comes daily to visit and be fed. We all enjoyed feeding this huge guy! He is in his thirties we were told…he is hugely fat!

We stopped at an ostrich farm and fed ostriches….it was great fun, but I was really the only one that loved it. They are so funny….and strange looking! But I loved them. I laughed so hard and could not stop when they pecked my fingers…I heard Ran say to the kids, “Now you know why I married your mother!”. Ran is so sweet. sigh.

baboon, south africa, table mountain — Just a few days old.

We drove up the Cape Point and saw baboons, one was even sitting on a car! One needs to be a little careful with these guys. If they decide to sit on your car, that is tough luck for you! You’ll be waiting until they choose to get off! We also saw a baboon family of three…they are so human! The baby was so pink and only a day or so old.

South Africa, Bantry Bay — Sunset on Bantry Bay

That evening was one of the best sunsets we have ever seen….we have a great view from our balcony of the ocean, but we walked down to the water to see the sunset.

Africa has been a revelation in so many ways…we all want to return. It has been a tremendous adventure and one of the best experiences of our lives.

Boulders Beach

June 16, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Outside of Cape Town is Boulders Beach, a beautiful spot where a South African Penguin Colony lives. They are the cutest …birds you can imagine! They are birds, but of course, they don’t fly in the air, they fly underwater! The penguins are nesting at this time of year…I had no idea that penguins made little dens and sat on their eggs. These little babies are brown and furry! We always hear about the Emperor Penguins, but most penguins do not live in such arctic conditions. These penguins are known as Jackass Penguins. I’m not kidding. They are called Jackass because of the “heehaw” sound they make! They really do sound like donkeys! We walked among them, saw their nests and their young, then walked on the beach where a small group of them came out and swam. I sat near the water and enjoyed watching them in their little tuxedos! It was a cloudy day, and “winter” (to them) as well, so we pretty much had them to ourselves. The beach was pristine, with huge boulders (hence the name Boulder’s Beach), and tidal pools filled with sea stars and crabs and other little critters. Incredible experience!

Wes and Ally...bouldering — Wes and Ally…bouldering

We also met a new animal, the Rock Hyrax or “dassie”. Strangely enough, their closest relative is the elephant! They look like rodents….they are absolutely adorable. I’m sure you will agree that Ally took some wonderful photographs of them.

The Rock Hyrax, or “Dassie”!

We stopped for lunch in Simon’s Town where Ally took a bit of a tumble (fell on her ass, actually). It is usually me, but Ally took the fall on the continent of Africa! (Of course, I have fallen on Africa too….just not on that trip!) Afterward we went up Table Mountain to see the view….endless vistas…

Another beautiful day in South Africa!

Hermanus and a “go around” in Cape Town

June 14, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Hermanus, small town in South Africa, known for Whale Watching.

Yesterday was travel day….we left Botswana at 10a.m. and did the border crossings again into Zimbabwe and to the Victoria Falls airport. From there we flew to Johannesburg, then caught another flight into Cape Town. I think when it comes to Africa, every flight has to go through Joburg! Our flight was VERY interesting heading into Cape Town. As you may or may not know, the cape is known as the Cape of Storms, because storms form with no warning … as we began our descent a line of squalls quickly came up. The pilot came on the PA system and announced that we might have to do a “go around”, a common maneuver at the Cape Town airport. The plane tries to land, but if the squall comes in at a certain speed, the plane must pull up suddenly (no matter how close to landing) and then “go around” before taking another “bash” at landing! I’m not sure “bash” was the right word to use in this case….Yes, we experienced a go around….wow! The landing gear is deployed, you are almost touching down and boom…the plane suddenly pitches up and accelerates and you are pushed back in your seat! Kind of like the plane in the movie AIR FORCE ONE. It took us 45 minutes to land. Most exciting! We then rented a car and drove to Hermanus (Randy is the MAN, cannot believe he can drive on the left and shift with his left!). We expected a charming hotel on the coast….we arrived late and were a bit surprised at the tiredness of the hotel…our rooms had no heat and there were towels under the windows to keep out the howling wind and rain. We were so tired we didn’t protest, just slept. We didn’t arrive at the hotel until midnight. Things always look brighter in the morning… the hotel has a long ago charm to it (a little “longer ago” than anticipated), and we were shown to better rooms with sitting areas and balconies as the view is quite magnificent even in the rain (cliffs, pounding ocean, mountains barely visible through the mist). We are taking a day to have our laundry done, catch up on sleep and reading and Internet, and watching the weather change every 15 minutes. We are hoping to see the whales out there, but it is very rough and we have not seen any yet. As I write Wes is reading, Ran is working, Ally is sleeping, and I am journaling. The ocean is feral as the South Africans would say!

Chillin’ in Cape Town

The hotel in Hermanus was so cold and miserable that we came to Cape Town a day early. What a beautiful city, surrounded by ocean and mountains and islands. We are staying in Bantry Bay (what was known as Botany Bay in history), at the Protea President (which was opened by Nelson Mandela) with an incredible view of the ocean. What is a Protea? Well, Protea is a botanical name and the English common name of a genus of South African flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes. Remember, Protea President Hotel is on what used to be Botany Bay.

Ran has been ill and unable to enjoy Cape Town today, but we are hoping he will be able to join us for dinner tonight on the waterfront. The kids and I explored Cape Town, going to the aquarium where I had a bit of fun, Nobel Square where Nobel Peace Prize Winners are immortalized: Albert Luthuli, former president of the African National Congress, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, last president of the ‘old South Africa’ FW de Klerk and the legendary Nelson Mandela, affectionately called by his clan name, Madiba, by many South Africans. We explored the V & A waterfront and shopping areas. Cape Town is quite cold, winter in Africa is just starting.

Nobel Square: founders of democracy in South Africa

Ah, Randy did feel better and was able to join us for a lovely dinner at Quay Four, a fabulous restaurant on the waterfront. I can heartily recommend it! Also, at the Haagen Daaz (of course, South Africa has heavy Dutch influence) they have a wonderful concoction: Midnight Cookies and Cream! Chocolate Ice Cream and Oreos. Heavenly!!!!

A gorgeous city, reminiscent of San Francisco, but Cape Town is marred by the abject poverty of the shanty towns that ring it. I have never seen anything like it….miles of “homes” and “townships” made of scrap metal. It is horrifying. It has been 15 years since the end of apartheid, but there is a very long way to go for true equality. A failing economy is not helping. Our country didn’t have true universal suffrage until 1965, with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, so it is understandable that in 15 years things in South Africa are not perfect….but the sight of the miles of shantytowns will stay with us.

EPIC ADVENTURES

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