One Week to Go!

Closer and closer!  Luggage tags labeled, another restaurant reservation completed, (Codfather in Camps Bay), only 4 more days in the office!  Weather has been rainy and chilly there—but rainier and chillier here!  We have had measurable rain 17 out of the last 28 days in Chicago this month—the most in 50 years!  (Still better than the devastating tornadoes that have swept the country this spring.)  Weather reports projected in the Cape Town area for our trip look pretty good so far.  Allowing for a variety of temps. with plenty of layers.  Will start packing soon!

Less than two weeks now!

One restaurant reservation completed (Cape Town’s The Opal Lounge ).  Will be booking our reservation on the Red Bus Tour, for our first Sunday in South Africa—should be a great way to work our way through the highlights of Cape Town. We have decided on the following sights as our priorities while we’re in the Cape Town area:

Robben Island

Table Mountain

Chapman’s Peak Drive

Cape of Good Hope/Cape Point Nature Preserve

Boulder’s Beach Penguin Colony

V & A Waterfront

Jewish Museum

District 6 Museum

Green Market Square

Long Street

If we can hit all these during our five days in Cape Town, we will have done well—plus whatever else we discover!  Of course Sanbona, our four day safari, and our two nights in Camps Bay will be additional highlights. 

Apparently there have been new white lion cubs spotted at Sanbona Reserve—hope we get to see them while we’re on Safari!

3 Weeks to Go!

Yikes, time is flying now.  A little bit of miscellaneous shopping to do, and lots of organizing for optimal packing! 

Steve set up our wine country tour this week. "For much of the 20th century, the wine industry of South Africa received very little attention on the world stage. Its isolation was exacerbated by the boycotts of South African products in protest against the country's system of Apartheid. It was not till the late 1980s and 1990s when Apartheid was ended and the world's export market opened up that South African wines began to experience a renaissance." Cedric of Luhambro Tours will guide us through L’Avenir Vineyards, Tokara, and Vrede en Lust on Sunday, May 15.  Tokara is also an olive farm with more than 15 hectares devoted to the olive groves (1 hectare=approx. 2.5 acres).

30 Days To Go!

Getting close now!  We've purchased our new gadgets: the Canon 210IS digital camera (14 x digital zoom and 14 megapixels) was first.  Have been practicing a bit--and skimming the online user guide.  I do miss the hard copy, but have no plans to print out the 200 pages!  I've attached a photo of the first Buffalo Grove spring flowers (April 3) and can't wait to be posting pictures of South African flowers--don't know if the SA national flower, the pink King Protea, is in bloom when we're there, but will be looking for them!

Next purchased toy was the HP laptop with Windows 7 and Microsoft Suite 2010--now playing with the new formats and figuring out any new options.  Yesterday Steve bought the REI back pack to carry it all.  We can check technology and carrier off the list!  Still needing an extra camera battery...luckily have plenty of plug adapters, complements of AAP traveling to the Johannesburg conference last year.  Let's see...will need to be recharging phones, kindle, laptop, and camera--almost need a power strip!

Pretty soon will be starting with the lists:  things to buy, things to pack, things to do, etc.  Steve is in charge of making some dinner reservations and possible day tour arrangements. 

His neck is good to go, recovered from the October '10 cervical fusion, just gotta get that knee back in shape as he recovers from the torn miniscus scope in March '11.  Physical therapy, tylenol, and four more weeks of recovery and he should be ready for the adventure!

Getting close now!