Malawi – Day 1

Aloha ~

Last night I got about 40 minutes of sleep total. I think the excitement of knowing that we were heading to Malawi was too much for me. I was like a little girl on Christmas Eve. Our shuttle picked us up at 4:30am this morning for a 6:15am flight. Not too bad of a trip – 2 hours to Johannesburg and a little over 2 hours to Lilongwe, Malawi. In J-berg, Anne, John, Clay and I met up with Karen. (Our Team Is Assembling)

Drive from Airport to Lilongwe

We were greeted at the airport by Consolata from Habitat Malawi. That is also where David met up with us. The drive to Lilongwe (Capital City of Malawi) was easy. We are at the end of the dry season here in Malawi so much of the vegetation is yellow-brown color.

Road to Kuka Lodge

We will be staying in Lilongwe for the next two nights while the team gathers. Our accommodations are located in the Embassy District. This means that the vegetation on the roads leading to the lodge are greener than elsewhere. Impressions are everything

Kuka Lodge

Once at the lodge we dropped our stuff off and headed to a local market for some supplies. Upon returning to the lodge, the six of us crashed and burned. I think all the traveling has caught up with everyone. Naps were taken, beer was drunk, books were read and photos were taken.

Rooms at Kuka Lodge

Our rooms are not bad. There are mosquito nets over the beds if needed. The beds are actually very comfy --- best nap I ever had. We have fans, a refrigerator, a TV (may have to watch some Malawi TV later just to check it out) and a shower with hot & cold running water (we have been told---morning will tell).

Clouds Moving In

When I woke up from my nap a breeze had come up making for a very nice evening around sunset. I diligently put on my bug repellent (started taking my Malaria pills 2 days ago as instructed), grabbed my camera and headed out to the gardens at the lodge. The sun trying to peak through the clouds was a wonderful welcome on our first night.

Dinner at Kuka Lodge – Grilled Chicken & Chips

Laura and Allison had arrived at the Lodge yesterday and were out shopping in town when we first arrived. After all the new arrivals were well rested, introductions among the group were made. Then we sat down to dinner prepared by the staff at the Lodge.

Tomorrow is mostly a free day and I anticipate that some of us will head into town before team activities in the late afternoon.

WiFi is sketchy here but I will try my best to keep up on the blog. Once we get to our accommodations for the build week I am hoping that the internet will be more reliable.

Until next time…

Cape Town - Day 2

Aloha ~

Today we set out on adventures outside the city. With a limited amount of time in South Africa, we are trying to make the most of it.

Our tour picked us up at 8:15 this morning and we headed out to the Cape of Good Hope. Our goal was to make it out there before the large tour groups arrived. We were successful. 

Campers Bay, South Africa

Our tour guide took us south through many little seaside towns. We actually drove all the way around Campers Bay. It was beautiful. The City Center of Cape Town is just on the other side of the mountain. It was overcast when we left but we were chasing sunshine. Here you can see the clouds taking a short cut over the mountain trying to catch up with us. I am happy to say that while the clouds caught up to us early in the day, we were able to elude them later until our return to City Center this afternoon.

The Beach at Cape of Good Hope

You can see that the clouds were with us at Cape of Good Hope. I think it just made me feel more like I was in California. The coastline reminded me a great deal of the coastline in Northern California. Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey kept popping into my head. It was beautiful.

I Was Here!

I am usually very camera shy but figured I should get a couple to at least prove I was here.

After reaching the Cape, we headed back through the Table Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and kept an eye out for animals. We were not disappointed.

 Ostrich - Trying to Blend In

Baboons - sitting on the side of the road

The ostrich and baboons are residents of the Wildlife Sanctuary. While the ostrich pay no attention to visitors, the baboons have a different reputation. They have been known to come in through car windows, open car doors, and even steal backpacks or purses off the shoulders of visitors as they hike through the park. Needless to say, the above picture was taken from the safety of a locked car. No chances taken.

The "Royal Guard" at the gate

A Penquin Party

Probably one of the best parts of the day was checking out the penquins living at Boulders Beach. This is just a few of the gang that live there. The rest were sunning themselves on the rocks around the bend. They were so cute. I could just sit for hours and watch them waddle around. 

Fish & Chips - Seaforth Restaurant

For lunch we dined on some of the best Fish & Chips I have ever had. That piece of fish was enormous. Their standard white fish is Hake. I have never had it before but I am liking it. Please notice this is the second fish dish in so many days that I have ordered. (Making Progress).

Traditional Colonial Home in Stellenboch

After lunch we headed out to wine country. We stopped in the old Dutch settlement town of Stellenboch. Above is a traditional home that the Dutch Colonists would have lived in. That is a thatch roof. The more windows and the more symetrical they were, the more prominant the family.While Stellenboch has an excellent winery (I know because we had a bottle at dinner last night), our guide opted to take us to a more "off the beaten path" winery.

Jordan Winery

Jordan Winery is a beautiful estate winery at the end of a very long road. They have a breathtaking view of the valley. We tried whites and reds as I am not a girl to limit my options when it comes to wine. The wines were excellent. The shame of it is you cannot get Jordon Winery from South Africa in the States. There is already a Jordon Winery in Napa Valley and they can't sell wines from two wineries with the same name. Bummer!

V&A Waterfront

Once back at the hotel, we took a bit of time to regroup and then headed down to V&A Waterfront for dinner. During a majority of our time in Cape Town we have been commenting on how much it reminds us of California. The Waterfront is no different. Think Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco without the sea lions barking in the background. There were numerous restaurants to choose from for dinner. We choose the Harbour House and we are glad we did. Dinner was excellent.

Tian of Prawns

I started with the Tian of Prawns which is prawns tempura served on avocado, tomato and eggplant. It's like someone read my mind and this dish was made just for me. It was scrumptous.

Butternut & Parmesan Gnocchi

I ordered the Butternut & Parmesan Gnocchi for dinner. Also scrumptous. I love Gnocchi. The butternut was cubed and cooked with other vegetables and then they also placed shaved dried butternut on top with the shaved parmesan. The presentation was great. The end of a great day.

I am now all re-packed and we are heading out early (6:30am flight). We will fly back to Johannesberg to then catch our flight to Malawi. We are expecting 80+ degree weather and sunshine for the next week. I will keep you updated on the adventures as I have access to WiFi.

Until then....

 

Cape Town - Day 1

Aloha ~

As daylight dawned on our first day in Cape Town we were able to get a great look at the view from our Veranda.

Bayflower Guesthouse - Veranda off our Room

The hotel staff made us a wonderful breakfast to give us energy for the day's adventures. Cape Town, as with most large cities, has the double decker red bus tour. It's such a great way to get acquainted with a new city and see the sights if you are short on time.

City Sightseeing - Cape Town

The tour was very educational and gave us lots of information on the city. I love those tours. We toured the V&A Waterfront, Downtown, District 6, the Castle and then took the trek up to Table Mountain.

Table Moutain

There is a tram that will take you up to the highest point on Table Mountain. If you ever have the opportunity to head to Table Mountain, I would suggest buying a ticket online. It could cut your wait time in half during the busy season. Lots of school age kids on field trips today.

Aerial Tram to Table Mountain

The ride up in the tram is awesome. You have an incredible view of Cape Town. The coolest part is that the floor in the tram rotates around 360 degrees so everyone gets a chance at seeing the spectacular sights. Once at the top, the view is breathtaking.

View Atop Table Mountain

In the above photo, we are looking down on Camp Bay. A beautiful beach area where it is rumored that South Africa's most famous people go to have a good time. We were told that if we hoped to run into any celebrities that Camp Bay was the place to be. I figured if there are any, they would have to introduce themselves to me. I couldn't pick them out of a line-up.

Camp Bay Beach

Camp Bay Beach is a very beautiful and picturesque site. The beach was full of people the first time we drove by. The above picture was taken about 5:00pm as the crowds were thinning out.

Taking a Dip in the Atlantic

To quote Zac Brown Band "I had my Toes in the Water and my Ass in the Sand". My fellow traveler Anne said the water was too cold. She is from the US East Coast and is used to having warm water off their beaches. I told her that those of us from Cali were conditioned for cold water and that I could handle it, we're tough. It was not bad at all. Just like home---cold at first but you get used to it.

After sitting on the beach for a bit, we took the advice of our tour guide and decided to have dinner in Camp Bay. Lot's of choices along the beach with a view of the Sunset. We chose a great restaurant called Blues (in Camp Bay). I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area.

Swordfish Dinner at Blues in Camp Bay

I ordered the Fish of the Day, Swordfish. It was baked and served with crushed new potatoes, peas, olives, tomatoes and a chorizo oil. In the past I have not been a big fish eater but I am trying my best to order it more often. I do know that I usually like swordfish so I figured I was safe. Boy was I right. I ate the whole thing. (Go Me!) It was so yummy! Anne and I also split a nice bottle of Chenin Blanc from the region. When in Rome....

Lemon & Mango Sorbet at Blues in Camp Bay

Since we are on vacation, we had to order dessert...it's the rules. However, since Anne and I both ate all our dinner we decided to share the Sorbet. Very refreshing. The great thing about Sorbet (and ice cream or frozen yogurt) is that there is always room in your tummy since it just melts going down and fills in the open spaces. Sounds logical, right?

Sunset in Camp Bay

The only thing that could perfectly cap off such a great day is a beautiful sunset. Luckily there was one right outside the window of the restaurant. 

That's it for today.

DC to Cape Town

Aloha ~

So we left Washington DC yesterday (Monday Oct 22nd) at 5:40pm on South Africa Airlines. The airline was nice and the flights weren't bad. Just long. We stopped after about 7 hours in Dakar, Senegal (northwest coast of Africa) to re-fuel. Unfortunately, we were not permitted to exit the plane. That took us about 1 1/2 hours. Then we flew 8 1/2 hours to Johannesberg, South Africa. There we got off the plane went through customs and immigration, re-checked our bags and headed to the domestic terminal. 2 hours later we boarded a plane to Cape Town, South Africa. The flight was 2 1/12 hours. Bag retrieval was easy and the driver for the hotel was waiting for us.

It is late and my math may be a little sketchy at this point but I think we have traveled about 26 hours from the time we left Anne's house yesterday to when we arrived at the hotel tonight. Phew I am tired! The nice thing is we were fed 4 meals on our travels thanx to taking international carriers. Airplane food is always better when you DON'T pay for it.

We are now safely tucked in bed in our hotel room ready to get a better night sleep and hit Cape Town in the morning.

Bayflower Guesthouse (Cape Town, South Africa)

Not a lot of pictures today. The inside of a plane isn't very exciting. I promise more pictures tomorrow as we explore Cape Town.

That is all for now.  

DC Recap

Aloha ~

I spent half of Saturday on planes traveling from Orange County, CA to Washington, DC. It wasn't a bad trip at all. I was a little nervous as I had a 30 minute window to change planes in Houston. However, luck was on my side --- my deaprture gate was only 4 gates down from the arrival gate. Made it there just as my group was being called to board.

View From Atop The Clouds

Saturday night we picked up dinner at this wonderful little Pie place. It's called Dangerously Delicious and it is in the 15th Street North East Neighborhood of DC.

Dangerously Delicious Pies

Homemade Savory and Sweet Pies. I ordered the SMOG (Steak, Mushroom, Onion & Gruyere). It was excellent. For dessert I got the Lemon Cress. It was basically a Lemon Tart. Very good as well.

SMOG (Steak, Mushroom, Onion, Gruyere)

Lemon Cress

I would highly recommend a visit the next time you are in DC. It gets busy and there is not much seating but it is worth it. They also have a food truck in the city so keep an out for that as well.

Sunday we walked to the Eastern Market which is a great little setup of multiple fresh grocers for all you food needs. We picked up fresh pasta, bread and cheese and Anne made yummy sausage pasta for dinner. Sorry I don't have a picture. I was so hungry that I ate it before I remembered I was supposed to take a photo. Just trust me when I say it was delicious.

Sunday afternoon we also drove over to Georgetown to meet another friend for drinks.We sat at the outside bar at Nick's and enjoyed a  beautiful afternoon on the water. 

Nick's Bar & Grill

Now it is time to reassmeble my luggage. We will head out to the airport this afternoon and it is off to Cape Town, South Africa. I am very excited as we are scheduled to go wine tasting and take an excursion to see the penguins. I didn't even know penguins lived in South Africa. Maybe they vacation there. I wonder what other adventures we will have... guess we will all have to wait and see.

Catch you on the flip side....

And So It Begins...

Please bear with me as I learn to blog and fine tune my storytelling skills. This is how we start...

Aloha ~

(You should know to start out that Aloha is one of my favorite words. I just sounds relaxing don't you think?)

I am preparing for the adventure of a lifetime...A trip to Africa. This is a little bit vacation and a little bit of hard work but I am sure it will all be an experience that I will never forget. How could it not be? Can you believe I am going to AFRICA? I sure can't. Always been a dream but never thought it would be a reality.

My travels start tomorrow when I depart Orange County for DC. There I will spend a couple of days to visit old friends whom I have dearly missed. A great way to start vacation...

After enjoying the city with Dan, Anne, AJ (who knows who else I will get to see / meet), Anne and I will depart for Cape Town, South Africa. I should stop right now and say thank you to Anne. She is the team leader on this Habitat for Humanity Global Village Trip. I am so lucky that she emailed me back in February and kept "encouraging" me to sign up for the trip until I finally said ok. Not only that, she is an awesome travel buddy because she planned everything. I just sent her my credit card and voila...here I go.

Anne and I will have 3 nights and 2 days in Cape Town to get a littly R&R before the work begins. All I know of Cape Town is what I have seen in pics...

Table Moutain, Cape Town, South Africa

Clifton Bay Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

I can't wait to see what kind of photos I get. There will be wine tasting and fun for the girls.

Next Friday, Anne and I will fly to Linglowe, Malawi where we will meet up with the rest of our group (12 of us in all). We are headed to Malawi to build affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity. I can't wait. Such an incredible way to spend a vacation. For those of you who don't know, I work for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. I have been fortunate to get some building experience over the last couple of years. 

Malawi --- A Little Landlocked Country in Southwest Africa

We will also get in some fun as all Habitat trips require fun. There will be a safari, a boat ride and a bush walk at the end of the trip. Rewards for a week of hard work.

The true test of the trip will be the 45 hours of travel I will experience to get back The OC---leaving Malawi on early Sunday and arriving in the OC late Monday. With the 9 hour time difference the time adds up. 

Rumor has it we will have access to wi-fi so I will do my best to keep you all updated on my adventure. I anticipate many new experiences with the people, places and food will be something I will want to share.

Fun Flash Finished --- 

Catch up