May 19, 2015 by carrievijil

Camping in the Okavango Delta

May 19, 2015

We just returned from spending 3 days out in the bush in the Okavango Delta. It was a pretty cool (and relaxing!) couple of days. We arrived here in the Okavango Delta on Saturday where we camped just outside of the Delta for the night. It was a good evening – we had steak for dinner and got to catch up with the internet before we are out in the wilderness for a few days. On the way to the bar/internet cafe, we had a little excitement when we ran into a 5-6 ft Python that was laying across the walk way!! Hayden was a little nervous about it, but decided it was pretty cool after it climbed up the tree and was gone. There were also several monkeys hanging around the camp that were pretty cute. After that, we went to bed early to get ready for our big trip.

Chillin’ monkey

First thing Sunday morning, we got up and had a quick breakfast so that we could get moving before it heated up. We took a 4×4 out to a village where we met our guide and polers that would be taking us out to our campsite. Once we got everything loaded in the boats, we had a 90 minute ride out to our campsite. It was a really cool experience. We rode in Mokoros, which are dug out canoes made from a single tree trunk. Historically, they are all made of trees, but for the sake of conservation, they are now being made from fiber glass. We could fit 2 people and our luggage in each Mokoro, so we ended up having a little convoy down the river. 🙂

Mokoro on the Delta

On the Mokoro

Once we got to camp, we set up our little area and made ourselves at home. We had our regular tents and kitchen stuff, but had to build a bathroom. The bush toilet is known as the “bushy bushy” which is just a hole in the ground. Hayden was very entertained by the idea of going to the bathroom in a hole. lol. That first evening, we went for a game walk before dinner. We saw a couple of animals including eagles, giraffes, and hippos in the distance. We had dinner at the camp and went to bed early in preparation for a big walk in the morning.

Monday morning was our 4-hour game walk that started before sunrise. We were able to see the sunrise over the Delta, which as beautiful. We made our way to Chief’s Island where we saw a huge heard of zebras, along with wildebeests, and giraffes. It was crazy to be so close to them while we were on foot. They were interested in us, but pretty much looked for a few minutes then went back to their breakfast since we were staying still. We made our way around the island where we also saw several types of birds, impala, warthogs and some hippos before we got back for brunch.

Out for a game walk

Giraffes in the morning

Zebras and Wildebeasts

Zebras

Elephant skull

After eating and relaxing for a while, we were taken over to the swimming area where we jumped in the water and learned to “pole” the mokoros. It’s MUCH harder than it looks!! The guides make it look so easy to use the stick to move around, but it was quite challenging. We played in the water for a while before going back to camp.

Out for a swim in the Okavango Delta

Swimming in the Okavango Delta

Swimming!

Adam learning to pole

Hayden learning to pole

Carrie learning to pole with Hayden instructing

Back at camp, we prepped for dinner and Hayden had to do some homework!

Homework at the campsite

That evening was the highlight of the trip, we took the mokoros out to the Hippo Pool for sunset hippo viewing. There were 11 or 12 hippos, including at least one baby, in the water that night. We got a ton of great pictures of the hippos. We also saw a small crocodile near the boats.

Watching the hippos

Yawning Hippo

Hippo

Yawning Hippo

Hippo

Yawning Hippo

Once the sun was down, we had to get back before the hippos started coming out of the water. They come on land to feed at night and apparently, they are grumpy if their path is blocked on the way out, so we needed to be well out of the way! After dinner that night, the ladies that were our polers sang some local songs. After they were finished, Hayden even sang a song for them (it was a Minecraft parody song – lol). They thought it was very good. 🙂

The next morning (Tuesday), we took one more quick walk before it was time to pack up and head back out of the Delta. We saw a few more hippos, and then made our way back. We took the Makoros back to the village where our truck met us to take us back to our other campsite for the afternoon.

Bridge for when the water is high

Local village

Overall, it was a really neat place to see. Before we left, we had watched something on National Geographic about the tribes in the Okavango Delta, so it was cool to see the area for ourselves. We are back at camp now and getting ready to leave for Chobe National Park tomorrow. We will spend two days there before we go to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe on Friday.

May 14, 2015 by carrievijil

Game Drives in Etosha National Park, Namibia

May 14, 2015

We have had an absolutely outstanding last 2 ½ days. We spent two full days on game drives in Etosha National Park in Namibia. We camped right near the park, so we got in just after sunrise on both days. The first morning we had good luck seeing animals right as we entered the park. On the way to the first water hole, we saw a couple of giraffes along with several kudu, tons of springbok and quite a few zebras. We got to the water hole and there were a few kudu there for the morning. After watching them for a few minutes, we moved on further into the park. Within just a few minutes, we came on some oryx right along the road.

Zebras and Wildebeests

Male Kudu

The highlight was a while later when we spotted a male and female lion right next to the road! It was slightly embarrassing because it’s mating season, so we caught them in the middle of some action. Lol We spent quite a while watching them because they were very active and moving around. There were several bouts of mating during the time. Apparently, lions spend about two days mating to ensure the best possible chances of offspring. It also looked like they had a recent kill because both animals had blood on them and there was a pack of jackals nearby who were picking at something on the ground. After a while, it was time to move on from the lions.

Male Lion

Lioness

Male and Female Lions

Male Lion

That same day, we continued to drive around the park where we saw two white rhino, a total of four lions (two male, two female), about 30 elephants at the watering hole during lunch, and countless kudu, oryx, zebras, giraffes, springbok, impala, and more that I can’t remember!

White Rhino

Zebras at the watering hole

Giraffe

At the water hole

Elephants at the watering hole

Elephant going for a swim

As we were finishing the day, we were heading toward the exit where we were stopped by a herd of elephants crossing the road after leaving the water hole for the day. It was really cool to see them come right in from of the truck. One of them even tried to get his trunk into the truck, but luckily Benson, our co-pilot, was quick to roll up his window! That night we headed back to camp to eat dinner and get ready for another day of driving.

The next morning wasn’t quite as exciting as the previous morning. We did see some animals as we came into the park, but it was mostly zebras, giraffes, and a bunch of smaller game. We did have good luck seeing lots of babies during the day! We saw baby zebras, giraffes, elephants, and springbok.

Zebra and Baby Zebra

Giraffes and Zebras at the watering hole

Giraffe

We saw a couple more lions, but unfortunately, we didn’t see a cheetahs or leopards during the trip. We still have a few parks to go that include big cats, so hopefully we will see them at some point on the trip.

Male Lion

I think Hayden’s favorite part of the trip was that he got to be the co-pilot for the afternoon part of the drive. Our cook stayed back to make dinner while we were out, so Hayden was promoted to the front of the truck to be the “spotter”. He did a good job and found us some giraffe, flamingos, and another elephant.

Moyo and Co-Pilot Hayden

After our long day, we got back to camp for dinner and then went off to bed pretty early. At some point during the night, a group of hyenas had a kill very close to the edge of the camp because we heard a HUGE commotion and the noise lasted on and off most of the night. The hyenas were super loud and they were calling out to the other hyenas which then came over to get a part of the action. At some point (at least one) lion was also there because we heard it roaring as well.

After a not so great night of sleep, we made one more quick trip into the park this morning before taking off for our new camp further to the east.

May 10, 2015 by carrievijil

Sandboarding in Swakopmund

May 10, 2015

We have spent the last few days in Swakopmund, Namibia. It has been nice to have a little break and down time during the days here. We are staying in a hostel instead of in tents, but we actually kind of miss the tents! They are really comfortable with the sleep mats and we like having our regular cook better than going out for meals. The first day we got here was mostly running errands. We stocked up on water and found a doctor and pharmacy where we could get Malaria medication. The clinic in the States didn’t think the Malaria pills were that big of a deal (plus they were insanely expensive because they’re not covered by insurance), but they told us here that we really need them. The total cost for 10 weeks of pills, plus a doctors visit for the three of us was a whopping $80…we would have paid 10x that at home!!

Our big day was on Saturday…we went sandboarding just outside of the city. It was awesome! Hayden was super brave and went completely on his own. We did seven different runs, and had a great time. The company put together a really cool video of the day, but it’s a huge file, so I can’t upload it…we will have to have a screening when we get home. lol

Hayden and Steve after a practice run on the sand board

Sandboarding…Adam hit 73 km/hr

Sandboarding…I hit 73 km/hr

Hayden hit 70 km/hr!!!

We had two runs where they clocked our speeds. The first run, we were at about 45 km/hr on the first run and 73 km/hr on the second run. Adam and I tied for the fastest speeds and even Hayden casme in a 70 km/hr! He said it was SO AWESOME! 🙂 After a day of sandboarding, we had LOTS of sand in our shoes!!

Lots of sand in the shoes!

That afternoon, at Hayden’s request, we visited the Crystal Gallery. It turned out to be pretty cool. The museum was all about the local gems and stones that can be found in Namibia. They had some beautiful types of stones that we had never even heard of and a ton of huge Quartz clusters on display. Hayden has decided that he wants to start mining for gems (especially diamonds) when we get back home. 🙂

Largest Quartz cluster on display in the world!

That’s a lot of Quartz

In the cave

MIning for treasure

We are sitting in the lobby of the hostel now and getting ready to depart for our next destination. We are getting pretty excited to get into a few of the game parks over the next few days. We are working our way to Etosha now where we expect to see the “Big Five” (Elephants, Rhino, Lion, Cape Buffalo, and Leopards)…the adventure continues!

May 10, 2015 by carrievijil

Dunes and Desert in Namibia

May 7, 2015

Namibia has been an unexpectedly beautiful country. We didn’t really know what we expected to see here, but we are definitely glad to have come through. The desert landscape is beautiful and there are plenty of animals to see. So far we have seen Mountain Zebras, Oryx, Springboks, Wildebeests, Jackals, and plenty of different birds.

Mountain zebras

Mountain zebra

Oryx along the road

Wildebeest along the road

We visited another canyon, the Sesriem Canyon. It was smaller than the Fish River Canyon, but because it was a dry river, we could go hiking along the inside. We made it to the back where there was a pool that has fish and where the baboons and hyenas come to drink in the mornings. The fish that live here will remain in the pools until all of the water has dried up, then they will dig into the mud and can live for YEARS without any water. There are actually stories about the mud being used to build huts and then when it rains, the fish come back to life and will swim out of the side of the hut…crazy!

Canyon in Sesriem

Rock climbing

Canyon in Sesriem

I think the best part about Namibia are the beautiful sunsets and night skies. The stars are absolutely amazing. I don’t think I have ever seen the Milky Way with the naked eye before, but it is clear as day out here without any light pollution. We got the constellation app for Hayden and we can pick out nearly every constellation because they are so clear. Unfortunately, out camera is not quite nice enough to get pictures of the sky, but I could get some good shots of the sunset.

Sunset over Namibia

After getting into some canyons, we made it into the actual desert the next day. We spent the day at Dune 45 where we climbed the HUGE sand dune. It was really cool to make it to the top and to see all of the sand dunes around us. The sand was really red, so it’s different than you might picture for the desert. Hayden was a great sport and made it to the top without even a complaint. Actually, he was faster than me on the way up…lol.

Dune 45 in Namibia

View from the top of Dune 45

Hold on!! 🙂

Top of Dune 45

Sand dune conquerors

On the top on a sand dune

We had a fun (but tiring!) day climbing to the top. We went back to camp that night for dinner and will take off tomorrow for Swakopmund where we are going to go sandboarding in the dunes!

May 10, 2015 by carrievijil

Through South Africa and Into the Namibian Desert

May 5, 2015

We are 4 days into our 42 day overland safari and it has been awesome so far. The scenery is beautiful and we are having a great time with our group.

We have lucked out and there are only 6 people in our tour. The bus is made to fit 24, so we have tons of space to spread out and we are not a bit crowded. We started the trip on Sunday when we left Cape Town first thing in the morning. The first thing we did was to stop outside of town so that we could see a view of Table Mountain in the distance. Unfortunately, it was pretty cloudy, so we didn’t have a great view, but as we drove for a while, it cleared up for the day and we had fantastic views of the vineyards and other great landscapes. That first night, we camped at Highlanders Vineyard. The owner had two kids, so Hayden had a great time playing with them on the trampoline and swing set. We did a wine tasting (Hayden had soda…lol), and we watched an amazing moon rise. It was our first night of camping, so we had to practice putting up our tents. They are really comfortable with the sleeping mats, so I think we will be good to go for the next 42 days!

South African landscape

Sunset over South Africa

Moon rise in South Africa

Our home for 42 days

After spending a chilly night at the vineyard, we packed up and started to head to the South Africa/Namibia border. We spent the night on the Orange River just across the border from Namibia. We had a nice early night after all of the driving, then got up in the morning to cross the border. Once across into Namibia, we went to the Fish River Canyon, which is the second largest canyon in the world (the Grand Canyon is the first). It was really neat. We were there at sunset which was beautiful. I wish the sunset pictures had turned out better! Back at camp, Hayden was designated as the camp first starter, so he got us up and running so that we could have marshmallows after dinner…his favorite part! As far as the food goes, it has been fantastic! We had hoped to lose weight while we were here, but I don’t think that’s going to happen with our cook…he is amazing!

View from our tent

Cool desert tree

Fish River Canyon

Tour group at Fish River Canyon

Fish River Canyon

Setting up to make the campfire

Campfire!!

Time for marshmallows!

From Fish River Canyon, we will be continuing up the coast of Namibia for the next few days.

May 8, 2015 by carrievijil

Cage Diving with Great Whites in Cape Town

April 2, 2015

Here are the videos from our cage diving expedition in Cape Town. It was an awesome experience! We saw quite a few sharks of all different sizes.

The first video is under water from inside of the cage.

The second video is from the top of the boat.

May 6, 2015 by carrievijil

Welcome to Cape Town, South Africa!!

May 2, 2015

We have spent the last three days in Cape Town, South Africa and we wish we had more time here! (Although that has been true just about everywhere!). We arrived to Cape Town from Phuket after a very LONG flight. We came through Doha, Qatar…it was quite a long trip, about 17 hours in the air. It wouldn’t have been too bad except that we were delayed on both flights; leaving Phuket, there was another plane stuck on the tarmac, then in Doha, there was a medical emergency on board so we had to wait for medical personnel to come on and check the guy out before we took off.

Once we arrived, everything went smoothly. Our shuttle was waiting to take us to the hostel and we got all checked in without any issues. That first day, after checking in, we took a train to go to Boulders Beach where they have a penguin sanctuary that was really awesome. Hayden has loved penguins for quite some time, so this was really cool for him. The penguins live on land here, this is one of the only remaining places in the world with a colony of land dwelling penguins. There were penguins in all stages of growth…eggs, baby chicks, older chicks and full size penguins. Some were playing in the water, but most were just hanging out on land. It was really interesting because some of them had nests in the sand where others had nests back in the trees or under bushes.

Penguins at Boulders Beach

Penguin with an egg

Penguins at Boulders Beach

Coming in from a swim

We also saw a couple of penguins getting a little amorous…lol.

LOL

The next day, we went to take the gondola up to Table Mountain. We decided to be adventurers and hike up to the mountain which turned out to be a nice, but long, walk. From our hostel it was only a few km to the base, but it took us about an hour to get there. Unfortunately, as we were arriving, we noticed that the gondola was stopped and it turned out that there was an ongoing rescue mission on the mountain so they had to shut everything down!! We waited for it to get going again and we were on in about an hour. The ride up was really cool. The mountain is about 3,100 ft tall and it just comes straight up from sea level. The views were amazing. We could see all of Cape Town all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope, the Southernmost tip of Africa.

Cable Car up Table Mountain

Top of Table Mountain

View from Table Mountain

We had lunch up on the mountain and then headed back down for the rest of the afternoon. That evening, we just HAD to go see The Avengers 2. 🙂 The waterfront was beautiful, and they had a huge shopping area where the movie theater was located. Adam and Hayden were very happy to get to see the movie, we were a little afraid that we wouldn’t be able to find it in English.

After a great night of McDonalds for dinner and the Avengers, we spent Saturday going Great White Shark Cage Diving!!! It was SO COOL!! The actual experience was really neat. There were a bunch of sharks and we had great views from both the top of the boat and inside of the cage. My only complaint is that it was windy and rainy while we were out on the water. The waves were very large and both Adam and I got a little queasy. We got some great videos of the sharks from both the top and the bottom. Unfortunately, the minimum age was 10 to get into the cage, so Hayden had to watch from the top. Realistically, it was just as well because with the waves, it would have been tough for him to balance in the cage without going under water.

Ready for some sharks

Our boat for the day

Great White Cage Diving!

In the evening, we had our meeting for the safari and met everyone that is going to be in our group. We have lucked out and there are only 6 of us traveling together! We’re pretty sure that it’s because of us that the group is so small…the tour company had to let people know that there was a child on the tour and apparently several people switched to different dates to keep it adults only. This works out great for us because we will have the 24 PAX bus pretty much to ourselves! 🙂

We take off first thing in the morning to spend the next 42 days on the road traveling through Africa from Cape Town all the way up to Nairobi, Kenya…it will certainly be the adventure of a lifetime!

Vijil Family World Tour

Our Amazing Family Adventure

Overlanding in Africa

Camping in the Okavango Delta

Game Drives in Etosha National Park, Namibia

Sandboarding in Swakopmund

Dunes and Desert in Namibia

Through South Africa and Into the Namibian Desert

Cage Diving with Great Whites in Cape Town

Welcome to Cape Town, South Africa!!