(Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Masa Mari and Nairobi)
Written by Whitney Bromberg Hawkings |Edited by Pops
We got the package! We picked Pops up from London Heathrow after the first of his two red eyes in a row and he looked no worse for the wear despite not having slept a wink on the first flight. We spent the day at our house in London with the kids and the dogs and eagerly awaited takeoff for our African adventure. Pops had checked his luggage from Austin directly to Cape Town which we all thought was dicey but Pops felt confident his bags would greet him upon his arrival in South Africa.
We arrived at Heathrow for the second time that day with plenty of time to have a drink in the lounge. Pops was concerned about not being able to sleep a second flight in a row so started in the lounge with a whiskey and topped it up with another two on the plane. “I wasn’t taking any chances.” Needless to say, he slept like a baby and arrived in Cape Town in tiptop condition. Upon arrival we were missing one bag and we all laughed and rolled our eyes at Pops’s grand plan to check his bag all the way through. After extensively tracking Pops’s bag in the system, it appeared it actually had made it to South Africa. The joke was on Whitney as her bag was nowhere to be seen and randomly did not make it onto the flight. Luckily, there were an abundance of Safari clothes between us, so she has made camo her sartorial choice even in town. Just call it “Fashion.”
We checked into the Cape Grace hotel where Peter and I have the fondest memories of our trip with Gwap, Kemp and Spence 20 years ago, excited to make new memories with Pops and the kids. After checking in, we set out under the most glorious sunshine imaginable to explore the waterfront. Pops took the kids to his favourite burger and milkshake joint on the wharf, Gibsons,where he has taken almost all of the grandchildren as a right of passage. Michael recognized it immediately after one snapshot of a chocolate fudge brownie milkshake (Pops’s lunch). Peter and I turned a blind eye and ate at the neighbouring restaurant on the water.
We headed to dinner in a trendy neighbourhood called Kloof Street and the restaurant incidentally was called Kloof Street House. Pops surprised us all by ordering ostrich with mustard which was delicious and, after a fondant with 6 spoons, we headed home. We all fell into our beds very early with full hearts and an abundance of gratitude to be able to make these special memories with Pops.
We all woke up bright and early to a beautiful Cape Town day. We had a delicious staggered breakfasts at the hotel (Pops had a few breakfasts). When we left, we realized we were missing the walking stick Pops has been using since his Punta Cana off-roading muscular injury, so we returned to the hotel restaurant half an hour later to ask the staff if they had seen it. Two of the ladies in the restaurant said they saw him leave with the walking stick earlier after breakfast. Pops joked “good thing I didn’t take any silverware from breakfast.”
We met in the hotel lobby and awaited our guided tour by a lovely South African native, Chris. The tour began on Signal Hill where we had epic views of Lion’s Head, Tabletop Mountain, the Twelve Apostles, and Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 incarcerated years). It was quite emotional and powerful to see and to understand Mandela’s impact on the entire nation and the world. We had a 360 degree view from Signal Hill, in many respects better than Pop’s previous views from the top of Table Mountain.
We next went to the Iziko Museum. Iziko means “hearth” in Afrikaans and is symbolic of where history and culture are shared around the fire. It was a wealth of local art and culture. The Iziko Museum is surrounded by the historic Company Gardems where we have a beautiful walk taking in all of the incredible and diverse vegetation and animal life. In the gardens is a prominent statue of Cecil John Rhodes the controversial figure who established Rhodes schlorarships and still remains a central topic of conversation today due to the vast fortune fortune he made off of South African diamond trade. The back of the statue had a large cut made by an angle-grinder as apparently there has been a big movement to “take it down,” along with the history it represents.
After hearing our guide speak passionately about the history of apartheid and colonialism, it is very clear that the history is very complex and deep rooted and still very apparent today, despite the fall of apartheid.
Following a beautiful lunch alfresco where Pops was watching the people (especially the ladies), we had a quick visit to the Sixth District Museum which Pops had visited with Bebe on previous visits. It was another somber reminder of the division this beautiful nation had felt so recently and so acutely. Following this serious and important destination, we had an afternoon of light relief in the beautiful and affluent beach towns of Camps Bay, Cliveden and Bantry Bay which felt almost like the Med, but prettier and with fewer people. Barron has already started looking at properties and trying to understand income tax in South Africa for the first international branch of his business. Needless to say, we are all totally smitten.
Dinner was Indian. Not at Bakhara which Bebe and Pops and we had been to years ago, but that the hotel concierge said was rubbish now. Instead, we went to Bombay Brasserie in the Taj hotel and ate our fill of delicious Indian food before falling into bed for a deep, happy slumber.
We all slept like babies and woke up hopeful for a day of fun at the Cape of Good Hope. Our guide told us that the south southwestern most point of South Africa was initially called the Cape of Storms. However, as news of this travelled to sailors back in Portugal, they were less eager to travel to the east for the King. So the King of Portugal renamed the cape as the Cape of Good Hope to remove the stigma of the prior name to get sailors to venture East for goods and spices.
On our way to the Cape of Good Hope, we stopped to visit the penguins in Simonstown. They were beyond adorable but it was sad to see in the 20 years since Peter and I last visited how the number of penguins had diminished. Chris explained that they were nearing extinction due to our overfishing the waters. It was very sad to see so tangibly how we are damaging nature. As a bonus whilst we were visiting the penguins, we had an unexpected visit by a troop of baboons. The penguins were quite alarmed by these intruders and the tourists, including us, and were both wary and amused by the baboons and their antics. Luckily they left us all alone and climbed up the rocks into the fog.
We had quick stop at the incredible Museum of Man which was the size of a tiny house but so rich in history and beautiful storytelling. There was an interactive animated map which showed how 70,000 years ago all of humanity originated in Africa, and how it is, therefore, home to all of us.
Onward we went to the Cape of Good Hope which was true to its original name today with gale force winds and drizzle. To arrive at the Cape, we passed through an incredible nature reserve where we were lucky to be visited by some ostriches and another family of baboons. We persevered despite the weather out to the tip and got the famous picture for Pops to add to his collection of similar pictures from prior visits- a wonderful memento of an unforgettable day.
On the way back we stopped for a delicious lunch in Simonstown. Upon entering the restaurant for lunch we noticed a statute of a dog. We were told the dog was named Just Nuisance, the only canine naval officer. The pup used to accompany the naval officers out drinking and was the only one who could find the way back home. When the bar sought to limit attendance to naval officers, they named the dog a naval officer and Just Nuisance carried on as their loyal escort and guide.
We headed back up the coast on the other side of Table Mountain with a quick stop at the Silo Museum across from our hotel and adjacent to the wharf which was in the coolest building, made within silos of an old grain factory. The interactive exhibit of contemporary art was fascinating and the building even more so.
We then headed back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner at the Pot Luck Club. Turns out we hit the jackpot with this restaurant recommendation. The menu was “global cuisine.” Each dish was served with a clean plate and a new and different sauce more delicious than the last. It was truly a wonderful and surprising culinary experience.
What better way to start the day then with a double header of wine and cheese tasting and with some billtong too for the meat eaters amongst us? Pops kindly arranged a guide to take us through the famous and extremely charming wine regions of Stellenbosch and Franscchoek. Incidentally, he was called Chris too and gave us a slightly different insight into the South African culture.
On our way to the wine region Chris explained a little bit more about how the “Townships” work (also known as the shacks along the road where the less fortunate South Africans live in extreme poverty) . He also pointed out, in particular, the township across from the airport as we passed and mentioned it is one of the most dangerous in South Africa. Apparently a tourist had taken a wrong turn driving from the airport and ended up within the township and let’s just say he never left. It was a badge of honor in that township to have the number 28 tattooed on one’s face. One could only get that “honor” after one’s 28th kill. It is hard to imagine that there is this level of violent crime given the extremely kind and gentle nature of all of the locals we have encountered.
The first vineyard we visited was called Zevenwacht – which means the seven expectations. It was pretty, but the wine and cheese were fair and Pops said he would have paid to opt out about halfway. The second vineyard we visited was called Marianne with a heavy French influence both in aesthetics and in the wine in the best possible way. We sat around a cozy fire and tried five different wines, the last of which was the wine that Queen Elizabeth served to Nelson Mandela when he was in London for his 90th birthday. That wine was exceptional.
We spent the afternoon at leisure wandering around the wharf after a few action-packed and extremely full and fulfilling days in Cape Town. Dinner at the hotel that evening was appealing, as we all looked forward to a day of travel to begin our safari experiences.
Our next stop was Zimbabwe. We were picked up from the Victoria Falls Airport and transferred to an area outside of town where we were met in a Land Cruiser by our driver Shepherd (who turned out to be our guide for game drives for our entire stay) for the hour long drive along the shores of the Zambezi River downstream from Victoria Falls to our “game camp,” Mpala Jena. It turned out we were the first occupants of Mpala Jena, a 3 bedroom villa with a staff of 9 on the shore of the Zambezi River in the Zambezi National Park ..
After settling in, we were off to see Victoria Falls (which Pops had seen on 2 prior occasions from the Zambia side). A business associate of mine from Zimbabwe graciously treated us to a 22-minute helicopter ride over Victoria Falls.
Shepherd, our guide, spotter and driver, had previously spent 17 years working for the Park Service (12 of which were spent on the anti-poaching task force). He was an expert tracker and all-around good guy with a great sense of humor.
Day 3
For the first time ever, the Hawkings children woke up before the alarm clock for our final Zimbabwe game drive. Our wonderful guide, Shepherd, had thoughtfully packed felt lined hot water bottles on each of our seats – making it even more comfortable and more difficult to leave this magical place. After lunch, we headed to the airport full of love for this wonderful place and these wonderful Zimbabwean people.
Our flight into Nairobi was delayed by about an hour resulting in a landing near midnight. We arrived at our hotel, The Hemingway, within an hour of landing and were all in bed shortly after 1:ooam . It could have been much worse.
We woke up early to take our tiny plane from Nairobi to the Masai Mara with excitement hiding any feelings of fatigue we might have had. Pops and I both were satisfied when we saw the small 20 seater plane knowing that the kids were about to have a very authentic Africa safari experience. The first dirt runway landing of three confirmed our wishes were granted as did our greeting at the Masai Mara “airport ” by two Masai Warriors and a big truck destined for Richard’s River camp. As we arrived at the camp, the kids were quite dubious and probably a bit apprehensive to have left the lap of luxury at the Mpala Jena. We were greeted by a lovely couple Prince and Hannah who immediately told us they were good friends of the managers of Mpala Jena- the camp we just left- funny small world. We were guided to our tents by a Masai warrior, Sylvester, who wielded a club and a sword and told not to leave our tent without supervision which illicited a frisson of excitement and fear in all of us. After a delicious lunch we headed out on our first game drive which also confirmed the authenticity of this amazing Kenyan experience.
Within 10 minutes of setting out from camp, we saw four lions sleeping underneath an acacia tree then proceeded to see an exquisite cheetah with a three week old cheetah cub. We were all transfixed and enchanted immediately. Dinner under the tent was delicious. After dinner we asked to see the guest book to look for Bebe and Pop’s 2021 visit with my brothers and their families. The 2021 visit was during covid and the Kenyan government, in retaliation for action taken by the British government, barred people from Great Britain from entering Kenya. In reviewing Richards River Camp guest book we found years 2021-2023 missing and asked the manager what happened. She said an animal had gotten into the guest book and a few pages had been ripped out. She retrieved the missing pages from a nearby cabinet and we found notes from my brothers and Pops. In addition, we found a photo of the 2021 dining table in the same configuration with all of the Bromberg Goggia families from 2021 in the same spot; and we were all amused to find that we have the same spotter that that group had four years ago. We fell into bed with full hearts and amazing memories of our first day in the Masai Mara.
We were greeted at 6 :00 am by the lovely Ruth with a pot of piping hot coffee and another pot of hot chocolate and no one balked at being awakened before the sunrise. We set out on our game drive to be greeted with another group of lionesses – this time three of the four were heavily pregnant and they were mesmerising to watch. We waited and watched the cheetah with the cub prepare for a kill for a couple of hours before lunch, but hunger got the best of us and we headed back to the camp with excitement on what the afternoon would hold.
The afternoon was filled with giraffes, elephants, gazelles, impalas, and elephants and we were spoiled by the abundance of animals. Pops became the official photographer and captured all of these animals in their amazing glory with discipline and skill. Dinner under the stars at Richard’s River Camp was wonderful and we went to bed with full and happy hearts grateful for this incredible experience with Pops.
We all woke up promptly at 6:00 am the next morning for our morning game drive at 6:30. We soon saw a pride of hungry lionesses who were looking ready for a kill, but the kill never materialized; and the sun came up which our guide told us meant we had lost their chance. We then went to go and see if hunger had gotten the best of the cheetah who was struggling with finding food while also caring for her newborn cub. The cheetahs had 24 hour surveillance of park rangers watching them day and night because the past two times this cheetah had had cubs, the cubs were eaten by hyenas!! Like the Lion King for real. We actually saw a hyena trying to get to the cub and the Park Ranger had to throw stones at it, after unsuccessfully trying to shush it away by shouting and driving towards it. We waited for the cheetah to emerge as it had been three days since she had eaten, but we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited… till Pops finally called time, mercifully, at about 12:30. We all secretly sighed an exhale of relief. It was a great exercise in patience for the TikTok generation in our vehicle looking for constant adrenaline hits, but watching the cheetahs sleep did not make for the most entertaining of game drives.
We arrived at back at the camp to be told we were the only ones at the camp along with another couple and their children. Turns out the couple in question was someone I know quite well from the London art world who also, incidentally, went to Barnard. Funny small world incident, take two.
Our afternoon game drive was more fruitful than our cheetah watch, and we saw a beautiful pride of lions, also hungry and ready for a hunt. We were hoping to see a kill but our timing was a bit off. They were as fascinating as ever to watch and learn about. We had another beautiful night at Richard’s River Camp and again replicated dinner at the same table that Bebe and Pops had eaten at with all of the other Bromberg kids four years ago.
Our last day in the Masa Mara was as action packed as one could have dreamt up. Pops moved to the front seat to act as the spotter today, as we were crossing very rocky terrain. Turns out we saw more action on our final day than any day of the trip. Pops noted that, fortunately, amateur spotting was adequate. On our way to go and see the hippos and crocodiles, we arrived to a large open plain that was the definition of animal action. There were a pride of lions feasting on a large cape buffalo they had just killed, with jackals lurking in the sidelines stealing the bits they could here and there. The hyenas were having none of it and they were stealing from the jackals, and all of this led to an action/comedy show that kept us entertained and riveted for hours. We then crossed a small incline to have breakfast by the Mara river gazing at the noisy hippopotamuses and dodging the menacing crocodiles. Our last day in the Mara was everything we had hoped it could be so far.
We skipped our afternoon game drive after an action packed morning and decided to brave a night drive as we didn’t have an early wake up the following day. It did not disappoint, and we were so lucky that we got to watch and witness the elusive leopard on our final night in the Mara within inches of our vehicle. It was a rare and exceptional spotting, and we all felt privileged and lucky to have had that opportunity. What a place. What a time together. What an experience.
We left the Masai Mara with full hearts and amazing experiences and headed to the airport (landing strip) with William and our real spotter, Sedara.
The plane was almost commercial size and the flight to Nairobi was uneventful. We drove an hour from the airport through a nature reserve to arrive at the Emakoko Lodge. As Pops said, this was meant to be “a soft landing” and a gentle re-entry into the normal world. We had been quite jaded by the amazing wildlife in the Masai Mara, but we’re excited to see black and white rhinoceroses which are the only animal of the big five that we had not seen yet on our trip. After sundowner cocktails in the jeep, we headed back for woodfired pizza under the stars and fell asleep with monkeys crawling around our rooms and on our roofs.
We all awoke from the haze of our Masai Mara come-down, and were cheered by our visit to the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi. I think collectively we could have taught a course on Kenyan elephants, but it was good to hear all of our learnings consolidated in the wonderful presentation.
We all noticed the beautiful roses everywhere in the Emakoko Lodge. With an afternoon in Nairobi to kill before our midnight flight, I had the hare-brained idea to go and visit a Kenyan flower farm that the hotel owner had mentioned in passing. The hotel owner knew the owner of the Kenyan flower farm and made arrangements for us to visit even though it was Sunday. In theory, it was a wonderful idea. In reality, however, maybe less so?! We started on the journey which we were told would take approximately one hour. After almost 2 hours through the Nairobi ghetto on completely unpaved extremely bumpy roads in a truck with no shocks, we arrived at barbed wire fencing with an armed guard and were told that this was our flower farm. I had spent most of the past hour apologising to Pops and my family for dragging them through this, and was even more apologetic when we arrived at the so-called farm. That said, we were given badges and greeted by a lovely man called Andrew (who turned out to be the owner) who proceeded to walk us through his incredible greenhouses filled with the most aromatic and beautiful Kenyan roses. He was very generous in his explanation of how the flowers were grown where they are distributed and was very keen on the idea of working together with my flower company, FlowerBx. Before we left, he showed us the packing station, staffed by numerous workers, which was mesmerising to see. This small farm ships 35,000 flowers a day, so you can only imagine how beautiful, meticulous, and impressive the packing room was. Mercifully the trip home from the farm was on predominately paved roads and took about half of the time as our journey to the farm.
Later in the day, enroute to dinner, we shopped a little at a tourist trap with the magic combination of poor quality and high prices. We then headed to our last African supper together at a buzzy, international, trendy, and totally delicious restaurant called Cultiva-great choice.
Nostalgic, content, grateful, and happy we filled our bellies and headed for the Nairobi airport. Pops had organized the airport meet and greet so seamlessly that we checked in and made it to the lounge in record time and with minimal hassle after the customary 3 security checks. The long-haul flight (the first of two for Pops) was uneventful. Upon landing in London with the heaviest of hearts, we said goodbye to Pops. We hugged and kissed goodbye with the happiest memories of a completely unforgettable and totally perfect trip together to Africa.
{Historically, brombergblogs have been written and sent daily; however, with a new group preparing the blogs, we simply weren’t able to do so for this trip. Hopefully, future blogs reporting on future trips will be sent if not daily, every few days.]
Whitney Bromberg Hawkings
John E. Bromberg (aka Pops)