Fly High Free Bird
On Saturday night at about 8:30, my husband and I arrived home from South Africa after a solid forty-five hours in transit, which included five flights, a jeep ride to an airstrip in Phinda forest, an epic seven hour stopover in London Heathrow, and, less dramatic but very nice, a half-hour drive from the airport in my older son’s Toyota. All that travel sounds more onerous than it really was, as we had lie-flat seats for the long-haul flights – eleven hours from Johannesburg to London, and nine and a half from London to Vancouver – and also fancy lounge access at all airports, which included, thankfully, showers.
Still, that is a lot of travel and when we got home I hugged my sons, unpacked my suitcase, showered, and fell into bed. I woke up Sunday feeling…fine? I feel like it’s a jinx to say I’m totally back to normal life, un-jetlagged, but I think I’m back to normal life. It feels strange to think that a week ago I was on safari, and now I’m back to thinking about the garden, thinking about the weekly meals, thinking about catching up with friends, thinking about exercise and dog walks and everything that makes up my daily world.
London Calling
The journey to South Africa was much less exhausting than the journey home, because we stopped off in London for five nights. London! What an incredible city. It was a wonderful experience to actually be in places that I have only read about for my entire life. I felt quite emotional, just being there. We were there for a heat wave, which was fantastic. We didn’t have a drop of rain, which meant that the city was alive with people, walking through the parks and spilling out of pubs, enjoying the sunshine and heat.
In addition to all the Big Sights of London, my husband created an itinerary in which I would be constantly surprised and delighted. I am, if you recall, the vacation GOER, while my husband is the vacation PLANNER. So while I knew the big-ticket sights we would be seeing, there were plenty of surprises he had planned for me. Like this:
The mothership is calling me home! I didn’t go to any classes, because they are all in the evening and the wait lists are a mile long, but it was a thrill just to be there.
After Peloton, we went to the Devonshire for the “best Guinness in London,” and then to Waterstones.
I have much, much more to say about London, but that will have to wait for another day. I did have a Very Exciting Encounter, though:
Elisabeth! She and I had a one-day overlap in London, so I was lucky enough to meet up with her and her husband at a pub. YOU GUYS. Her beautiful soul just beams out of her beautiful face. I could have talked to her for three days straight, but alas, we both had places to be and things to do. (HI ELISABETH)
This Time For Africa
Something I did not expect for our trip was the type of plane we would be flying on once we were in South Africa. We flew on a double-decker AirBus from London to Johannesburg, and I knew that we would be taking smaller, regional flights once we landed. When I heard “smaller, regional flights” I assumed that the aircraft would be a regular prop plane or something similar, with actual airports. I did not expect to be boarding an eight-passenger bush plane and to be landing on a tiny airstrip in the middle of the bush, an area patrolled by safari jeeps to ensure no large animals would be in the way when the planes flew in. It was quite the experience! We took six such flights, and it was so much fun. The roads, I gather, are not great and the routes to different safari lodges are long and indirect, so flying in was fabulous.
I also assumed we would be seeing animals from afar, using binoculars and just hoping for glances. What I did not realize was that we would be off-roading through the bush, and that we would be so close to wild animals. Honestly, those animals could not care less about safari vehicles, and of course the guides were knowledgeable about giving the animals the space that they require.
I got a feel for things on our first game drive, when a group of four male lions just casually walked by our vehicle and then calmly laid down in the road. If I reached out my arm, I could have touched them, that is how close they were. That first night we also saw African wild dogs, which is a rare sighting, hyenas, and giraffes.
Every lodge had rules that guests could not walk around by themselves after dark, because animals saunter in and out at their leisure. I didn’t feel overly concerned about this until our last lodge, in Phinda, where there are baboons and monkeys everywhere. Baboons are the most terrifying animal and I was petrified whenever I saw one.
It was also unnerving to be charged by a male rhino in the Sabi Sands. Fortunately we were on a straightaway road, and our guide just floored the gas to zoom away. All other rhinos we saw were pretty relaxed, although we did come across a group of mamas with babies, and it was incredible to see how they circled around the young ones protectively.
In each safari group, there is a tracker and a guide. When it comes to the big cats, the tracker – as the name would suggest – looks for tracks and other signs in order to find them. We saw several every day; lions, including cubs, leopards, and cheetahs. Different reserves have different concentrations of animals, depending on the landscape, and in Phinda forest, our final park, leopards are difficult to see. Although we had seen several in Ngala and Sabi Sands, we did not see any at Phinda until our last night, when the rest of the group had already left, and it was just me and my husband on our final game drive. The guide asked what we wanted to see and I said casually, Let’s just drive around and not bother trying to find any of the big cats. I don’t care if we see any, unless one walks in front of our vehicle. Guess what happened!
The elusive leopard walked right in front of our vehicle. It felt like a great sendoff from an absolutely perfect trip.
I love travelling, I love experiencing new things and places. We met so many wonderful people and we saw so many incredible things. I am so, so lucky. And although I love travelling, I also love my home. I was telling my older son – who is home now! – that when I am travelling I am so thrilled to be travelling, and then when I’m home I am thrilled to be home. So here I am! I have a three-week backlog of weeding to tackle, as well as catching up with all my friends. Currently, I have 206 unread blog posts in my reader, so it will take me a bit of time to get through them. Also, did I mention the weeds? In the meantime, tell me! How are you, friends? How have you been, what’s been happening, what are we doing these days? Tell me everything. xo
WOW. Those animals!!! I love this so much. I want to hear more!!! And- what incredible luck that you and Elisabeth were in London at the same time.
How is Rex??? Did he do okay while you were gone? I think we’re going to need some extra posts from you to get all caught up : )
Lol, yes, Rex was just fine. He stays at the “country club” and life there is pretty nice! He’s happy to be home, though, of course!
Welcome home! What amazing photos and how lucky to be able to meet up with a blog friend.
It was so lucky! Our timing was great!
I would have also thought one would be far back from the animals, so how amazing to be as close as you were! AMAZING! Your pictures are all stunning, I want to pick a favorite but I can’t…maybe the giraffe in the road? Maybe the elephant in the road? Maybe the lions with the cubs? Maybe the elephants with the baby? What wonderful memories you made.
Also, I’m so glad that you were able to meet up with Elisabeth! I’ll bet Rex is glad to have you home, I hope he didn’t party TOO hard while you were gone.
All of the animals were my favourite, but the elephants were a TEENY bit more my favourite than the rest! I could not believe how close we were to all of the animals – I figured it would be hard to make out who’s who, but we were SOOOOO close!
A truly incredible trip. Were you nervous on the tiny planes? How were the food options at your safari stops? Your pictures are fantastic. 🙂
I wasn’t nervous on the planes, I figured they do that all the time! The pilots seemed competent! The food options were fantastic. Every day they had a special menu for me that would be sort of based on the regular menu (i.e., they’d swap the meat for like butternut squash, or take out the egg, or what have you). It was really fabulous. The avocados there were to die for!
Wow! What a trip! London is my “heart home” so it gave me great joy to see some familiar spots and I can’t wait for more on that. The safari was a wow! Just seeing these magnificent beasts would be awe inspiring and to see them so close, all the more so. Your photos are just terrific. Welcome back!
This was my first time to London and I was just constantly amazed by it. What a great city!
Wow. So many animals. Did it all start to blend together? Were the tiny planes super loud?
(Also, I had to laugh at “everyone enjoying the sunshine and the heat” and then showing a photo of grey skies.)
Engie, I keep a travel journal so that things didn’t totally blend together (i.e., they probably would have if I didn’t check my notes!) It was just ANIMAL AFTER ANIMAL and it was pretty incredible.
Hmmm…I guess the planes were pretty loud. I put earbuds in for most of them so I guess it didn’t bother me too much.
You’ll just have to believe me, it was hot! I’m wearing a tank top!
It looks like such a fabulous trip, and those animal pics!! I especially love the casual leopard sighting. I too love travelling and love being home, and I think travelling enhances the coming home and being home experience. One day…one day… I’d love to fly on one of those lie-flat beds! Welcome back!
Pearl, I agree – travel DOES enhance being at home! It’s good to leave and it’s good to come back!
Welcome back! What an amazing adventure you had! I can’t get over all the animals you saw! And now you saw African and Asian elephants in the same year!! (I think your Asia trip was this year but time is very smooshy for me these days so I might be wrong about that). I’m glad everything went well and that you had great weather in London. And what a cherry on top to see Elisabeth and John! I’m so envious!
You have not missed much in my life. The boys start their summer program today. Phil and I go to Chicago in 2 weeks for our depositions so I am prepping for that (which is pretty awful since it involved reading through all my therapy notes and reviewing all the doctor appointments I had, looking at pictures, preparing to tell the story of what happened… would not recommend deposition prep for a good time…).
Yes! Asian and African elephants in the same year! I mean, it doesn’t get any better. PLUS ELISABETH AND JOHN!!!
Ugh, so sorry about the deposition prep. That sounds pretty awful 🙁
I can’t believe that you and Elisabeth were able to schedule a meetup with both of you traveling all over the darn world. How sweet is that? I love it!
Welcome home! You were missed, but I knew you were having such a time.
Seeing all those wild animals up close must have been thrilling; your photos are amazing. The leopard?! OMG! and the African wild dogs look pretty darn scary.
Only you would say flying in one of those itty bitty planes were fun, as it would scare the beejesus out of me.
Me? I’ve been doing nothing at all. *lies, all lies!*
Lololol “nothing at all” – I KNOW you’re doing all the things all the time!
Apparently African wild dogs are pretty vicious with their prey, just tearing it apart while it’s still alive. Yikes! Luckily we didn’t see that happen. We DID see lions eating more than once, and that…was kind of gross too. Well, I guess cats have got to eat too.
What a fabulous trip!! The sites of London are much prettier in the sunshine. Friends of ours did South African safari a few years ago and consider it one of the best travel experiences they’ve ever had. They unfortunately had rain the entire week they visited London and didn’t have quite the same feelings about that visit 🙂 I am like you in that I love to travel but I am equally happy to come back home. And, what a treat to meet up with Elisabeth!
It was such a treat!
I feel really lucky we didn’t have any rain in London. Now, of course, the tube was pretty sweltering as they don’t have AC but I will take that over pouring rain.
I really think this was also the best travel experience I’ve had!
Hi Nicole, welcome home, what an amazing trip! I’m impressed that you have escaped without jet lag, I never manage it.
Thanks Tamara, I’m kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. It took me a week to get over my trip from Asia, but right now I feel okay! Fingers crossed it stays that way.
I love that you were able to meet up with Elisabeth! Your pictures are great!
Weeds! Gah! I have so many and I didn’t even travel anywhere. Take your time.
Joyce
Thanks Joyce! I have made progress on the weed situation but I have a LOT to get through1
Welcome home Nicole! Just WOW! Your pictures are fabulous! You sure had an amazing experience in London and South Africa. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to more stories of your journeys.
Thanks so much Dulcie! It was a great experience!
Oh my goodness, what an amazing and terrifying trip! I didn’t realize you got so close to the animals on a safari. What a cool travel year you are having.
Thanks Hannah! It was a lot of fun!
You and I are two hearts beating as one: when I travel I love to travel, and when I’m home I love being home. Over the weekend I was exploring natural arches in Kentucky, and now I’m roasting sweet potatoes and looking forward to dinner. I also did yardwork today, but mowing my small lawn and 10 minutes of picking weeds out of the cracks in the driveway is a much lighter chore than your farm work.
A once in a lifetime safari and getting to see wild animals up close or meeting up with Elisabeth? Wait, you didn’t have to chose, you got both life changing things! I’ve already said this offline and on Elisabeth’s blog, but I will not rest until you both get to see the other’s side of the country.
The African wild dogs remind me so much of Doggo <3
WE ARE TWO HEARTS BEATING AS ONE!!! I look forward to hearing about your latest adventure, Birchie!
Nova Scotia has been on my wishlist for decades, and I will get there one day!
Yay! You’re back! What a great adventure you had! I love all your photos, especially the giraffe. The layback seats sound perfect for such a long flight. How cool that it worked out to meet Elisabeth in London, and of course, I’m super excited that you got to visit the Peloton studio. I haven’t done anything exciting, and I’ve been on a blogging break, so there’s no catching up there!
The layback seats are kind of a must these days, my varicose veins are worse and worse and it helps to elevate!
The Peloton studio…even though I didn’t take a class or see any instructors, it was just exciting to be there!
Welcome home! Wow, wow, what an incredible trip, Nicole! The pictures of the animals are stunning.. so close! I especially love the one of the giraffe walking tall in the road. So majestic. I bet this was the experience of a lifetime. The travel – with lie-flat seats. What?! – and bush planes sounds amazing, too.
And of course you had to visit the Peloton Studio London! How could you not! They should have really opened up a spot for you, coming all the way from Canada and all.
It was such a great trip! Definitely memorable on all counts. I was satisfied just going to the studio, I didn’t mind not going to a class! (all of the classes were in the evening and we had plans each night)
Africa seems like such a mythical place to me, I’d be geeking out at every turn. I can’t believe how many up-close-and-personal encounters you had with wildlife. Seeing that you didn’t end up in between any of their jaws, I’d say that was a good thing. Thanks for sharing!
I was TOTALLY geeking out at every turn! It never got old, and every game drive was different. Also, as you say, I did not get eaten or trampled, so win-win.
I knew there’d be stunning safari pictures, but my favorite was you and Elisabeth; what an amazing crossover! Seriously, what an amazing adventure, Nicole!
Such an amazing adventure, and seeing Elisabeth was such a great bonus!
Wow Nicole what a fabulous trip! And London – yes isn’t it fantastic? My childhood friend lives in Kent so I’ve been a few times and love it. The animals you saw – and soooo close. What an incredible experience. I for one would not be wandering outside at night! No way Jose!
I mean, mostly it was impalas and nyallas walking around, but a group of hyenas tended to zip through to see if there was any food…
I love both London and an African safari. I was like you and couldn’t believe how close the animals were. We didn’t see any leopards, though—I guess I will have to go back! I loved the African landscape (it is a bit like the Australian outback). It feels so expansive.
I also love to travel and love to come home. We have been booking accommodation for our trip to Germany, so that is exciting, but first we are off on a roadtrip to Queensland next Saturday.
You will definitely have to go back!
I have never been to Australia but my husband backpacked through there when he was young and he loved the outback!
Fabulous, Nicole!! I’m glad you enjoyed the safari!
I’m always in awe of how those trackers spot things, even in the dark. Did you happen to do any night drives as well?
I’m still slightly upset you didn’t make it to the Mother City, Cape Town though! 😂
And I really love that balance you describe – being completely blown away by travel, and then just as happy to come home and deal with weeds.
We did find ourselves out after dark in Sabi Sands – we were searching for a leopard and did find it in the dark, with a spotlight! But the drive back felt pretty crazy. We had to maneuver through a herd of elephants, and they were NOT happy!
Zomg, the weeds, Catrina. This will keep me busy for a while! I hope to be caught up by the weekend but that’s feeling wildly optimistic at the moment!
I love traveling so so much and I love being so so much! I can’t relate more Nicole, and I think having the chance to do both my choice is such a privilege!
I loved my safari experience in Tanzania as well, totally mind blowing to see the animals so close. I got scared once near the lion who was 1 meter away from our car but the guide was totally cool.
oh… what a long transit time back home, I feel like that’s the only part of traveling I am not excited about, thus we try to do travel in the continent we live, and then few years later go to live in another continent.
I’m so glad you relate! We are two peas in a pod!
The transit home was sooooo long, but it was as pleasant as it could be.
I think your life on different continents is so cool, Coco!!
You are ahead of me in recapping (I am still back in SWEDEN for crying out loud and you’ve just summarized A SAFARI), but meeting you in London was such a fun highlight in my whole trip. Still can’t believe we made it work.
The safari looks incredible. The trip of a lifetime and to have London “tacked on” and end up being such a wonderful adventure as well is just the cherry on top.
I’m sure you’re glad to be home and settled with those you love around you and to get back into a routine. But what amazing experiences to carry with you!!! Those animals. A safari has never been high on my list, but I’m thinking I need to change that stance.
I KNOWWWWWW!!! I kept my hopes low, thinking “there are so many ways this won’t happen” and then it HAPPENED!!!
I am glad to be back to a routine, it does feel nice! I mean, I have spent two solid mornings weeding and I’m only 2/3 of the way through ONE of my gardens, so things are a bit wild at the moment. But I’ll get it done!
Well my first thought is that I should have checked your blog before emailing you, lol, whoops. My second thought is OMG NICOLE WHAT A MAGICAL ADVENTURE. I am not brave enough to go on safari, and yet I am teary and choked up by all the photos of those incredible wild animals you encountered. They are so beautiful and they exist in real life in the real world and you got to SEE THEM. We are surrounded by wonders.
And baboons. I have to say that I am not a fan of ANY primates; I recognize too much of myself in them, I guess, not to mention that they are strong beyond measure and unpredictable. I read once that no one *really* knows how strong gorillas are, and yet there are gorillas living in zoos, mainly choosing not to exercise their full capabilities, and that terrifies me. Anyway. BABOONS, yes, they would scare me, too!
I just love that you got to see baby lions and rhinos! AND you had a leopard sighting! And an Elisabeth sighting!!!!! What a trip.
So very glad you are back safe and that you are settling back into normal life.
It was SO magical, and YES the baboons were terrifying. I think it’s because they are kind of jumpy and unpredictable. Also we saw two males fighting and that was absolutely terrifying. The noise, chaos, and SIZE OF THE ANIMALS AND THEIR TEETH. Anyway. I did not get killed by a baboon, so WINNING.
How wonderful!! The CUBS!!!!!! AWWWWWW.
I absolutely love the pictures… What a delightful trip.
In my neck of the woods… Not much but at the same time a lot. My baby boy graduated kindergarten and is going to first grade next year (HOW?). My big little girl will be in third grade. We switched schools for them, sending them both to a more rigorous school in the fall. Same district. I will be convalescing for the week after school – tomorrow is my last day.
Wow, lots of changes going on for you, Daria! I hope you have the most restful week – you deserve it!
It looks like you had quite the adventure! I am so glad you got to see some of the more elusive animals! That cheetah is gold, I tell you! I know what you mean about being glad to be home, even when that is a bit fluid for me at the moment. Even just knowing where the daily walk will be is kind of comforting! Good luck with your blog feed and your garden!
Thanks K! Both are slowly (slowly!) getting under control!
Amazing photos! Amazing animals! Baby elephant!!
My brother-in-law is South African, and he has A LOT to say about baboons (none of it pleasant).
Did you go with a tour that took you to several different game parks, or book the different locations separately yourselves? (And by “yourselves” I mean “by your husband’s self.”)
I feel vindicated re: baboons. THEY ARE SO SCARY.
Hahahaha you know me so well! “my husband’s self!” So he booked through a travel company called “And Beyond” which created the itinerary and booked all the accommodations. Basically he talked to a woman in this company and together they came up with those three places, and the planes, etc., to get there.
What an incredible trip you had! The photos of your safari(s) are fantastic. I’d probably have hyperventilated with all the excitement of seeing so many animals so close by. It’s vastly different than going to the zoo, right!?
We just got back from a getaway jaunt to Canada (Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake), and while I had a lovely time there, I was so glad to get back home. I missed my bed! I missed my cat! I missed my yard and herb garden–all of which is to say I Completely Understand.
Thanks Nance, yes – it was amazing seeing the animals in their natural habitat, just doing their thing!
Oooh I love Niagara-on-the-Lake! My husband’s friend – families have been friends for three generations – is winemaker at Vineland Estates there. Yum! Yes, isn’t it nice to go away and then come home again?
Oh man what amazing memories you’ve made. Elisabeth! London! Animals!
You certainly got more up close to the animals than we did when we were there last year, also our safari was only one day – those school trips cram a lot into 7 days so there were lots of other things to see. Our guide told us about camping safaris and I think I would love to do that some day. It’s funny, though my 14 year old (I guess she was 13 then) said she was bored after the first hour of safari – “All the animals looked the same after a while,” she said. What?!?!?!
Oh, that’s too bad – you’ll definitely have to go back! I have to say even though we were there ten days and went on game drives twice daily (3-4 hours each drive) I never got bored! There was always something different! But I guess we were close up and that makes a difference.
What a trip of a lifetime, Nicole! I know safari has been a dream of yours so I’m so happy you got to realize it in such style! How sweet of Rob to build the Peloton surprise into your London itinerary!
I hope you get to go back to London again and again, there’s SO MUCH TO SEE! (The emotionality you’re experiencing is something a lot of colonials document because we’ve been reading about London through the centuries, it feels like a kind of metropolitan home.)
Also, what did you READ on your trip?!?! Tell me everything!
Monday’s post is going to be about that emotionality! I was just writing it! So interesting…I met two brothers on our trip to Asia, they were from India but the family moved to England when they were teens. They described that exact thing but one of them said to me that with all the “rah rah England” they didn’t realize they were actually living in paradise. That has just stuck with me.
Safari was such a dream for my whole life! It came true!
Full post on books coming up soon!
I love all of this for you—the pictures are so beautiful. But what I think I love most is that your husband planned the things you were going to do, and you ended up going to so many thoughtful, interesting places. Like Peloton. I really love that.
You look so radiant in the London Bridge picture. Did it feel real being in places you’ve always dreamed about or read about?
Thank you for sharing all of this with us—it really does feel like we get to travel along with you. 🧳
Thanks Kari – it was a surreal feeling! Especially when I saw Buckingham Palace. I just could not believe I was actually there!
My husband is so thoughtful about making an itinerary he knew I would love. I was super excited to see Peloton!
What an incredible adventure! Wow..that’s a loft of traveling! Good for you for surviving all those hours, let alone, all those animals! London is the only country is one I would return to. I love it too. Glad you are home saft and sound with lots of good memories!
Thanks Judy! Such a great trip, I feel so fortunate!
London! We were on the same bridge at some point in our lives. 🙂 I loved that city and would go back in a heartbeat. We didn’t see nearly enough of it, on account of Mom getting sick. Womp, womp.
Your African safari sounds INCREDIBLE. The little baby elephant!! The leopard with the big feetsies!! I can’t. It sounds like the trip of a lifetime, and I’m glad it was a great experience. <3
Didn’t you love the Tower? It was so incredible to be there! I remembered your mom was sick on one of your trips but I forgot it was London – that’s too bad 🙁 well, you’ll have to go back!
What an amazing experience! I have a friend who was in Yellowstone for two weeks and talked about how seeing animals in their natural state just doing their animal things is revelatory and life-changing. So happy you got to live this.
It really is, one of the men on our safari grew up in South Africa and now lives in California, and he goes on safari frequently (like twice a year) because it’s a “reset” for him – I could totally understand it.
I hear you on the backlog fof posts – I’m playing catch up again too.
What an incredible trip, and some amazing photos. The animals are just so…hmm, how to describe it…jaw dropping? Amazing? Incredible? Both words I’ve used already… *facepalm
Glad to hear you had such a wonderful time. London is on my bucket list for one day!
Thanks so much Kel! It was really incredible!