Our first morning in Bergen. We slept way later than we meant to after 30 hours without any sleep. You’ll have to forgive my typos - I’m using my iPad with a wireless keyboard with pretty small buttons...

After we arrived, we found the light rail station and took that into Bergen - about a 45 minute ride. The sun as out and the countryside was beautiful. Everything is very Nordic, but I guess that’s appropriate. Norway doesn’t look like any other city - Paris, Frankfurt, Genoa. It truly does have a flavor all its own.

We had quite a bit of time to waste since we couldn’t get into the BnB until 2:30. So we headed to the tourist information center where we got info about what was open and what our options would be for Saturday. A lot more - museums that are open and tours at museums - were open than the guidebooks said would be open. Sept/Oct is out of season a bit, so lots of things close up. But there is a lot more available than we thought, thank goodness.

We had lunch at the fish market, an icon or sorts, where dried cod hangs from the ceiling and all kinds of fresh seafood is for sale. Right on a very busy quay. We both had hake which tastes like a classic white fish. Very good.

Then we finally took off, our two suitcase a piece bumping along over the largely cobblestoned streets. It was a bit of a jarring hike of maybe 1.5 miles from the train station but easy to find the right street thanks to the Bergen city guide map. Not too much traffic, so crossing streets was easy. The street we’re on - “Strand garden” means walking street, according to our host, Vegard, so a good
section of it bars cars. There are all sorts of little shops like several bike shops and even a yarn shop. It does not have the sophistication of Florence but rather a small town European flair.

We finally arrived at our BnB and Vegard was waiting outside. It’s a high rise and we’re on the 2 floor. Kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom and two bedrooms. Just the right size and well equipped. Plus - great wifi! Large windows looking over the Main Street which had quite a few commuters on bikes. (Later in the middle of the night when I was up I saw dog walkers, cyclists.)

After unpacking, we took off down the street to the shops and bought some essentials - coffee, fruit, milk, etc. And browsed in a girls’ “bike shop” as the proprietor referred to it. Lots of flower garlands I guess to decorate the bikes? Funky bells, girly helmets and a very cool work bike in white.

Next came dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant (Caesar salad and pizza  which we split as we were full from lunch). But the best part was the gelato in all kinds of flavors. Betty had mocha (my favorite which I’ll maybe try tonight) and I had pistachio chip. (Krista: it was as good as Italy!)

I took lots of pictures. I hope I can label them. If not, the one that’s all blue was the public bathroom that cost 10 NOK (just over 1 cent) and was lit by ultraviolet light. Maybe to de-germ the place??

Public bathroom

Sights along the trai line

Inside light rail car

Outside airport

Along the wharf.

One of the light rail stations

Itinerary

Getting ready to go to the airport after a nice breakfast at the Hampton Inn.

Here’s a map of our anticipated itinerary:

Almost to Norway

Four days until I fly from Columbus to Dulles to meet my friend, Betty and then on to Copenhagen before finally landing in Bergen. We'll be at an AirBnB in Bergen on Strandgaten (I'm getting a little bit good at these Norwegian names...) which is conveniently located somewhat near the light rail station, "Bybanen." I spent several hours yesterday organizing the information for getting from Point A to Point B.  I think I'm ready.

Bergen, apparently, is an extremely rainy city. (I didn't know that before I started following the weather in Bergen, Bodo and Kirkenes, mostly to see how cold it was or would be.) But fortunately, several days before we arrive the sun is scheduled to make an appearance. For how long is anybody's guess.

I'm trying to be prepared for all kinds of weather with many different layers - parka, fleece, raincoat, vest, etc. We'll see...

Our trip is about 17 days with time in Bergen on either side of the cruise portion. We're taking a Hurtigruten ferry/cruise ship from Bergen to Kirkenes and then back again hoping to explore a lot of Norway and also see the Northern Lights. The cruise is not a typical one as some passengers will be cruising, so to speak, and others will be hopping on and off the ferry to get to one of the many smaller towns. It reminds me a bit of the ferry system in Alaska, aka the Alaska Marine Highway. I think it might be a step up from that, but maybe not too many steps!

Stay tuned. I hope to be faithful with the writing of this blog, but I may get sidetracked by magnificent views or salmon.

Africa: Sabi Sabi LIONS!

During yesterday's evening game drive, we had seen two male lions which was exciting, but they were sound asleep having substantially filled up their tummies. At dinner back at the lodge, Voster our guide, said, "Let's make a plan. Instead of leaving at 6:00 AM for the next day's drive, let's leave at 5:30 and maybe spot the lions more active." Also, since the private game reserves have a two vehicle per sighting rule, this plan might allow us to get to the sighting quickly without waiting in a queue. 

Note - This is important to remember as national parks such as Kruger (which Sabi Sabi abuts) do not have this rule, so vehicle after vehicle arrive at a sighting. A bush traffic jam. 

We all had to agree on the plan because Voster could not change the time without all of us wanting to leave early. Unfortunately, one man said, "No way!" leaving us to the original departure time. 

So we were a little less optimistic as we set out because the earlier you go, the better, and we were leaving later. We did spot some rhinos and an impressive eagle, but everyone's mind was on the lions as this was our last chance to view them before we all scattered in different directions upon departure. 

Finally, Voster said there had been a fresh kill, and the pride had been spotted, so we could go have a look. When we rounded the corner (after going up and down the sand hills like a bush roller coaster), we spied a group of moms and their cubs. However, they were sprawled under a tree fast asleep like stuffed animals upon a child's bed. 

Suddenly, a lone vulture appeared, and one of the females stirred. Others soon followed. The message was clear: their larder was threatened and nap time would have to wait. As the females stood, many cubs also jumped up and began to frolic. It was a sight to behold. One cub was only a month old, while the others were at different ages under a year. 

A bit later, one mama led the cubs into the woods, and Voster said that she may be worried about males coming. They will kill cubs that are not their own, forcing the female into estrous so that they can mate. 

But back out onto the open plains they soon came, brothers and sisters running and playing. The youngest hopped on a reclining female for some cuddling. Once received, the little one then tried to race through a bush. He got stuck and his plaintive cries filled the air. A female came to his rescue, and we thought she would pick him up by the scruff of his neck to extricate him. This motion was performed several times but the little one had no time for such a rescue and soon got free on his own. Male pride even at one month old!

We repositioned so we could actually see the fresh water buffalo kill. Two moms decided to have a snack which was quickly investigated by an older cub. All too soon (even though we had been viewing for over thirty minutes), it was time for us to allow another vehicle to move into our spot, and we headed back to the lodge and breakfast. 

The safari sights we saw were incredible at each lodge, but I think Sabi Sabi was able to provide better close-up viewing. (We were so close, I did not need binoculars.) Voster said the animals were accustomed to the presence of vehicles with seated viewers from a very young age (as with the one month old cub), so they completely ignored us, and I never felt threatened. 

Africa: Morning bush walk

After breakfast, we set out on a bush walk with Voster and Jesse. Both had loaded bolt action rifles. Before we started, we were instructed to follow Voster's signals: a fist in the air meant freeze, a hand up meant stop and a hand parallel to the ground meant get low. Under no conditions were we to run as that means we are prey.

Voster started by showing us a huge indentation in the sand which meant an elephant had possible laid down. Elephants don't usually do that as it is hard to get up. When they do rest down low, they may lean against a termite mound.

Speaking of termites, we learned their colonies are similar to ants. Depending on the size of their mounds, they can be hundreds or thousands of years old. We looked at one that was six hundred years old. They build them with spit and one grain of sand at a time. Some termite mounds have holes at the top used for "air conditioning" as the hot air is released. Sometimes termite mounds are abandoned after the queen dies. Then they become dens for hyenas (such as the one in the video I sent) or wild dogs.

Voster pointed out some yellow thrashing grass which is used for roofing because nothing eats it. Other facts: Hyena poop is white because they eat bones. Then turtles eat the poop to strengthen their shells. You can count the lines on a shell to determine the turtle's age. Impalas can hold onto their babies for up to 28 additional days if there is no rain, and the babies might not survive in extremely arid conditions. It takes 8 years for a baby elephant to get skilled with his trunk. Elephants are left or right handed. The longer tusk shows the favored "hand."

Zebras run together to confuse predators. Every zebra has a different pattern. Mom and babies know each others stripes. They have stripes because they have to forage for food for long periods of time in the hot sun. The black and white stripes act like convection to cool them off. The stripes also irritate insects so they are less likely to land.

More facts later!

Africa: Sabi Sabi evening and morning game drives

Last night and this morning we went on two more games drives. I'm impressed by how close the guide is able to get to the animals. Apparently the configuration of the vehicle with passengers is familiar to them and not threatening. He urged us not to stand up as that creates a new configuration that could be threatening.

We spent some time watching a family of elephants. The babies are adorable especially as they tried to perfect the technique of grasping food with their trunks. One little male was using his legs and feet to aid his trunk in controlling the branches. A mother rhino and her baby and teenager were also enjoying dinner of grass. The baby was playful as it romped back and forth.

Later as twilight turned to night, Lucky the tracker (this is his nickname; his real name is pronounced like Thatha), spotted two leopards - mom and baby running through the grass. I wondered if they were looking for prey but the guide said they were just playing.

This morning we saw a rhino and hippo both relaxing in the bush. Then we were on the hunt for a pride of lions - two males, five or so females and cubs between the ages of four and ten months. We finally found them napping under a tree about 30 yards from an African buffalo kill. The youngest cubs were climbing all over their moms. Back at the lodge, a different group had seen the male lions, so I am hopeful we will see them this evening.

Africa: Evening safari at Tanda Tula

We gathered at the Land Rover and took off in search of lions. There had been a kill and Luke thought we might be able to see the lions feeding. But before we reached the lions, we found some African wild dogs sleeping beneath a tree. Luke was thrilled as they are very rare. Previously, before Charlene and I arrived, we had  seen them running across the road close to the gate for Tanda Tula.  We were happy we had seen them active as they were easier to see and more fun to watch.

When we arrived at the lions, the two sisters we had seen earlier were napping after their meal along with their brother. He had been in a fight (we didn't see that...) as his left front leg looked spotted with  closed sores, and he appeared to be unable to put any weight on his back right leg when he stretched.

We watch them stretch and flop down before before moving on to a rhino who was having an evening stroll. Soon we arrived at a dry river bed where we had "sundowners," any kind of drink at sundown along with some snacks.

On the way back to the lodge it was quite dark with a clear sky full of stars. Jack, our tracker, got out a spotlight and moved it back and forth from one side of the vehicle to the other. He was looking for "eye shot" or eyes. He wanted to see what was out there in the night in case there was an animal.

Sure enough, he put his hand up as a signal and soon we were on the trail of a leopard. These animals are extremely fast but we did manage to spot it several times.

Back at the lodge, we prepared for a typical African barbecue known as a braai. It featured food cooked over a very large grill including sausage, chicken and kudu which was especially good and tasted like very tender beef. There were sweet potatoes, small white potatoes and loads of roasted veggies.