South Africa and London (Part 2) Wrap-Up

At last, our final country wrap-up.  South Africa exceeded both of our expectations, which were already high.  It was easily one of our favorite countries and we want to go back there some day.


Facts and Figures
Length of Stay: 65 Days
Miles Traveled: 14,800 by plane from and to London (via Dubai) + 800 by plane from Johannesburg to Cape Town + 2,400 by car = 18,000 (59,870 since landing in Quito)
Places Visited: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Storms River Mouth, Nqileni, Coffee Bay, Bergville, Graskop, Kruger National Park, Pretoria, day-trip to the Kingdom of Lesotho, London
Flights Taken: 5
Times We Sang "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" at Baphumelele Children's Home: 33

Rankings in the full post.

Jeff's Top 3s
Meals 
1.  Mozambican-style chicken @ Canimambo, Graskop.  The spicy marinade used in Mozambican/Portuguese-style chicken is unlike any hot sauce I've had before.  Since I've been back in the U.S., I've even ordered some from a South African chain.
2.  Bobotie @ a restaurant visited on our winelands tour.  A Cape Malay dish made from spiced mince meat with an egg topping.
3.  Cape Malay chicken curry @ a restaurant visited on our Cape Peninsula tour.

Stays
1.  Bulungula Lodge.  An incredible place on multiple levels.
2.  The Smalls in London.  Fiona is a friend we made while volunteering at Baphumelele.  When she found out we were stopping in London on our way back to the U.S., she graciously offered to have us stay with her family.  In a display of generosity that was encouragingly not uncommon throughout our trip, the Smalls opened their house to strangers, fed us and made us feel at home.  It was a nice transition from the hostel scene to our own home.
3.  Storm's River Mouth rest camp, Tsitsikamma National Park.  We stayed in a little cabin tucked in the woods and steps away from the crashing surf of the Indian Ocean.  Cozy and peaceful.

Experiences
1.  I'm going to cheat and say my entire stay in Cape Town.  The city and it's surroundings are just incredible.  Between the people, our climbing Table Mountain, great white shark cage diving, touring the Cape, touring the winelands, taking in the USA-South Africa soccer game, and checking out the beaches, I just can't say enough about our six weeks there.  Of course, the time we spent at the orphanage was unforgettable.
2.  The hike to Tugela Falls.
3.  Taking it easy on the Wild Coast (except when we were busy capsizing).

Magge's Top 3s
Meals 
1.  Shepherd's pie dinner with Fiona's family. It was delicious and the company was superb.
2.  Anniversary Dinner at the Mozambique restaurant. In all honesty, I don't remember what I had other than that it was good. (I was sick, give me a break)
3.  Breakfast at Bulungula. Actually, this might be my #1 now that I'm thinking more about it, but I'm too lazy to reorder things right now. They served really great, huge breakfasts with bread that was made in their solar ovens and the view was about as beautiful as one could ask for.

Stays
1.  Bulungula Lodge. OK, I'll admit it wasn't the most comfortable place in the world and the compost toilets really didn't smell so great, but the scenery and the good cause make it my first choice.
2.  Our last night in Kruger National Park. We stayed in a permanent tent with a (partial) view of the river and we could hear hippos and it was just so cool! When you stood on the railing of our porch you could get good views of the river and look at crocs and hippos.
3.  Tsitsikamma National Park. The little cabin was cozy and we could hear the waves at night.

Experiences
1.  Watching Barney with Litha. Most nights after bath time we would sit and watch a little TV before bed and Litha would always sit on my lap and we would sing along to the show. I still miss him and am going to start crying if I say any more than that.
2.  The South Africa vs. USA soccer game. South Africans are wonderful hosts with a great sense of humor. We had a ball.

3.  Wandering around Bulungula Lodge with my best friend. The grounds of Bulungula are what I would envision if I were to describe heaven. The rolling, beautiful hills that sloped right into the ocean. I had such a great time walking around with Jeff. I hope we can somehow get those pictures off the camera card!