A Runway on Stilts – Madeira, Portugal
We left the Canary Islands for Madeira, Portugal, an island located just north from the Canaries, our flight was pretty straight forward.
However, the approach into Madeira is quite an experience. With a visual approach, and singular approach, we came in to land on this impressive runway. In 2000, Madeira rebuilt its former runway, known for its short length, which, surrounded by high mountains and the ocean, made it a tricky landing for even the most experienced of pilots, to double in size. And how did they do this? Why over the ocean, of course! Instead of using landfill, the extension was built on a series of 180 columns! – making it one of the most extreme airports in the world.
After our exciting arrival into Madeira, the group transferred to Reid’s Palace, our hotel for the next 2 nights. This historical property offered beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean below and was one of Winston Churchill’s favorite places to relax.
We set out on our tour to Porto Moniz, located in the northwest corner of the island of Madeira and famous for its natural pools and rough seas. On our way, we were very impressed with Madeira, specifically it’s cleanliness. Also the number of tunnels on the island, it seemed as we were driving that we passed through tunnel after tunnel. The tour later brought us through the Madeira’s downtown area, as well as a fisherman village and the islands valley.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Madeira and all agreed that we would be back!
Tomorrow its off to main land Portugal for Lisbon…
Good Bye Africa – Canary Islands, Spain
We left Accra, Ghana for the Canary Islands with a technical stop in Bamako, Mali. We were very much impressed with the efficiency of Bamako airport and within little time we were back in the air waving goodbye to the African Continent.
Our next stop was Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, these 12 islands, that make up the Canaries, are recognized as a nationality of Spain and are the outermost region of the European Union.
We flew into Tenerife, the largest island of the Canaries and yet again were greeted with open arms. We breezed through refueling and immigration and were on our way to our hotel in no time! Our home for the next 3 nights was the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque, where pure relaxation was on the itinerary!
With the weather not as sunny as we had hoped, Tenerife offered the perfect down time to catch up on some emails.
The following day, we rented a car to tour the island. We had hoped to take the cable car to the top of the Teide Volcano but due to rain and wind, the cable cars weren’t open. We did however see the snow from where we were! After our quick volcano visit, we headed back to the hotel.
Our only regret in the Canaries was the weather. Unfortunately it was rainy or overcast our whole visit in Tenerife but on the upside we were able to take it easy and catch up won our emails and work.
Our Last Stop in Africa – Accra, Ghana
Our next flight took us to Accra, Ghana – formerly known as the Gold Coast – and our last stop in Africa! This bustling city lines the Atlantic coast while extending north to the country’s interior and would become our home for the night.
Our stop in Ghana was very short, more of a technical stop, in continuation to the Canary Islands.
Upon our arrival, we transferred to the Labadi Beach Hotel. We took some time to relax and soak up the sun before setting out to discover what Ghana had to offer. We arrived at a busy beach and watched the locals frolicking in the ocean. The beach was sprawling with people and liveliness – it was a pleasure to see.
While at Oshkosh in July, we met a couple that mentioned the work they have been doing with Medicine On the Move (www.medicineonthemove.com) in Ghana. Their mission is to provide healthcare education and regular medical services to rural communities in Ghana by training local Ghanaian people. Medicine on the Move takes it one step further, in that, they teach Ghanaians how to fly as well as, educate them on proper healthcare, so that they may return to their villages and spread the knowledge to the locals, in hopes of making a long term change to rural Ghana.
During our stay, we met up with Jonathon, the owner and visionary of Medicine on the Move, and heard all the incredible work they have been doing there. Seeing the potential and need for general aviation in West Africa, and hoping to make a long term change, Jonathon and his family moved to Ghana 17 years ago with their light-sport aircraft, a Zenith CH701 and the idea of making a long term difference.
They focus mainly on educating women because women are more likely to remain in Ghana and will therefore be more likely to pass on what they’ve learned.
It was a treat meeting with Jonathon and hearing all the incredible work he and his family have done – it is truly inspirational.
It’s Back Across the Equator – Sao Tome
Our next stop up the Eastern side of Africa is Sao Tome of Sao Tome and Principe, a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, that consists of two islands: Sao Tome and Principe, situated just north of the Equator. This island nation is the second smallest African country after the Seychelles.
With over 1,225 nautical miles scheduled for our flight, we had expected to land in Pointe Noire, Congo to refuel before continuing on to Sao Tome. But luckily the wind gods were with us that day and we were able to fly direct from Odangwa, Namibia to Sao Tome.
We weren’t sure what to expect when arriving in Sao Tome but we were greeted with open arms, fueled, and processed through immigration with ease! In no time we were on our way to our hotel, the Pestana Ocean Resort. The group opted for a deep sea fishing outing and tried their luck at reeling in a big one. The surrounding sea has a variety of fish such as Tuna, Sailfish, Wahoo, Barracuda and so on. The fish weren’t biting at first, but then, Steve reeled in a 150lb Marlin!
The following day we rented a car in order to discover the island on our own. We toured around seeing the local villages and people interacting in their everyday lives. Driving around the island gives you a glimpse on the people’s normal actions.
We are making our way up the eastern coast of Africa – tomorrow it’s Accra, Ghana!
One of the Driest Places on Earth – Sossusvlei, Namibia
The group left Cape Town for one of the oldest, driest and most pristine places on earth – Sossusvlei, Namibia.
Sossuslvlei’s massive red sand dunes are considered to be some of the highest in the world! Set within the far northern portion of the NamibRand Nature Reserve, the largest conversation area in Africa, we were excited to experience the vast open spaces and jagged mountain heights this unique landscape had to offer.
After landing in Namibia, we boarded 2 Cessna 206s that would take us closer to our lodge – the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. On the agenda, fascinating nature drives, dune walks, and quad biking! The guys jumped at the quad biking opportunity.
The landscape was incredible and the unspoiled desert seemed endless. These dunes were unique in color – displaying orange, creams, pumpkin and sienna colors; a photographers dream.
Our next stop is one night in Odangwa before heading to Sao Tome and Principe…
The Southwestern Most Tip of Africa – Cape Town
After being surrounded by wild animals and living the “bush life” for the past couple of weeks, the idea of civilization and tall buildings had escaped our minds – that is until we flew over to Cape Town, South Africa!
There was not a cloud in the sky with perfect visibility of Cape Town and Table Bay. The beautiful mountains outlined by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, tall buildings filling the sky – a spectacular view! We landed at Cape Town International Airport and proceeded to Signature FBO – our first FBO since we entered Africa – it was like we were back in the States!
We transferred to the One&Only Cape Town, our luxury hotel for the next 4 nights. This exquisite hotel is located within walking distance of the Victoria & Arnold Waterfront bustling with people and entertainment. Since we had the afternoon free, a few of us headed over to explore on our own.
The following day we slept in and enjoyed a leisurely morning catching up on our emails and touching base back home before heading out on our afternoon tour to Table Mountain. Yet again, there was not a cloud in the sky, it was beautiful and the perfect day to see the view from the top of the Mountain. Warned that there might be huge lines for the gondola ride up, we took our chances and, with our luck, there was no line at all!
We boarded the gondola, when all of a sudden a voice came over the speaker saying to hold on because the floor will start moving – excuse me? it ended up being very neat – the gondola floor rotated 360 degrees so that everyone was able to see the full view on the way up and down, plus it had opened windows! Once on the top of the mountain, the views were incredible! You could see Cape Town below with, on one side, the Atlantic Ocean crashing on its shore and, on the other, the Indian Ocean. We could see for miles. We made our way along the different paths seeing all the different views. We even spotted the airport and good news..the planes were still there!
We headed back down the Mountain, by gondola of course, in hopes of making it to the District Six Museum before closing. This museum was resurrected with the memories of the former District Six, people’s experiences and with the history of forced removal in general. In 1901, Cape Town officials started to force over 60,000 people to move to barren outlying areas, flattened their homes by bulldozers, and declared the area a “white area.” It had originally been a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, laborers and immigrants, District Six was a vibrant centre. By the beginning of the twentieth century, however, the process of removals and marginalisation had begun and everything changed.
Upon our arrival, we met Noor, the museum curator who had experienced the forced removal first hand. We wished we could have heard his story first hand but we were out of time so he sent us off with his book instead. We all agreed that we would have loved to spend more time at the museum and listened to Noor and his experiences. It was a very interesting yet disheartening stop.
After District Six we continued the tour through the Bo-Kaap area, known for its brightly colored homes, to Victoria and Arnold waterfront for a boat tour of the marina – it was nice to see Table Mountain and the waterfront from the water.
Our afternoon of touring ended with a delicious dinner at Sevruga in the waterfront before walking back to the hotel. It was truly a great day.
The following morning we headed out early for a full day of touring around Simon’s Town and Stoney Point – we were headed to False Bay and to the extreme Southwestern-most point of Africa. Arriving in False Bay, we boarded a boat to see the many seals at Seal Island. Located just outside the bay, this island is filled with cape seals relaxing on the rocks or playing in the water. We didn’t see any great whites but we can only imagine their delight for this spot! There were tons of seals and the smell in the air was proof enough that they were there!
We headed back into the bay after our photo opp and set out to Boulders Beach to see the world famous African penguins. Down at Foxy Beach there were a bunch of them, all nice and plump, due to them molting – when they shed their feathers yearly. They were too cute.
Our next stop on the tour was Africa’s most southwest point – the Cape of Good Hope. Fog was moving in, and moving in quickly, so we had to shuffle our schedule around. There was no sense in going to Stoney Point since we wouldn’t see anything
with all the fog, so instead we headed straight to the Cape of Good Hope. People often confuse this point to be the southern most tip of Africa, since it was previously believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, but this isn’t the case. We stood behind the sign to get our photo taken, saw the waves crashing against the large rocks, and then headed back towards Table Bay for the botanical garden. Along the route we encountered ostriches and baboons…who were participating in some inappropriate actions…in the middle of the road I should add!
We arrived at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden just as the sun was setting, casting a beautiful orange hue on the sprawling gardens. The Botanical Garden expands all the way up Table Mountain show casing only plants that are indigenous to South Africa. The background was gorgeous, a multitude of bright flowers with Table Mountain peering over. We walked the loop around the garden, running into birds of paradise, medicinal plants, herbs, and vibrant colored trees and flowers- it was a very relaxing end to the day.
A visit to Cape Town is not complete without a visit to its wine country! So naturally, we headed out, at 9am, for a day of wine tasting. On the agenda was a stop at three different vineyards for a taste of their premium wines. First stop, was at Glen Carlou for their Quartz Stone Chardonney 2009 and their Gravel Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 – there’s nothing better than wine tasting at 10am – its 5 o’clock somewhere, right? After Glen Carlou we headed to Fairview Winery, founded in 1693 – where we enjoyed wines paired with cheeses. It was very interesting to see how the taste of the wine altered when combined with certain cheese.
From there we went to KANONKOP Estate, a fourth generation family estate, for our taste of Pinotage. Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut and has become South Africa’s signature variety.
We returned to the hotel for an afternoon of relaxation before our pilot briefing and dinner.
Our stint in the developed world is over..tomorrow its off to Namibia! as we make our way up the eastern side of Africa and begin our return home.
Tshukudu Lodge – Pilanesburg, South Africa
Today we flew south from Zambia to South Africa. We first landed in Lanseria to pass customs and then continued on to a small airport in Rustenburg before transferring to Pilanesburg National Park.
We were staying at the Tshukudu Lodge, located within the gates of Pilanesburg National Park. Known as the “Place of the Rhino,” the lodge sits 132 steps above ground level (which we enjoyed climbing up and down numerous times a day – only reminding us of the effects of all the fabulous meals we had consumed since the beginning of the Journey)overlooking a watering hole and an open plain shuffling with zebras, jekylls, wildebeests, dassies (closest relative to the elephant), baboons and more.
Just as we arrived, a male lion and two females were spotted on the side of the road! We quickly changed our route for the sighting. Different from previous game drives, Pilanesburg National Park is open to the public so safari land cruisers are accompanied by everyday cars, making for a crowded game drive. Yet, that was the only time we felt the crowds. Our other game drives were off the beaten path and not surrounded by a ton of cars, or any for that matter.
We arrived at Tshukudu Lodge just as the sun was setting. This luxury lodge hosts small cabin-like rooms, on stilts, with comfy fireplaces and a nice balcony. We were greeted by our bush guide, Zander, who offered unbelievable knowledge on the wildlife we would encounter…information we hadn’t heard yet. The lodge is small and only offers a total of 6 rooms. We filled the majority of the lodge up but met a mother and daughter from Germany; coincidently they were members of earthrounders and had done significant flying in their Seneca. Here we are in the middle of the bush amongst fellow general aviation pilots; the aviation stories never stopped.
The following day, we woke up early for a 5:30am game drive; yes, 5:30. Still dark out, we headed out into the bush as the sun was rising. Within minutes we had spotted 2 white rhinos grazing, giraffes, zebras and several antelopes. We watched the sun rise over the hills and open grasslands of the park. One thing was certain, it was freezing!
We returned to the lodge for a gourmet brunch and had the afternoon free until we headed back out on a game drive at 4pm. As we headed out, we came across a small herd of elephants playing in the mud. As we got closer we realized the number…at least 25 elephants! not a small herd after all. The sun began to set, casting this amazing yellowish light, with the blue water of the watering hole, and this herd of elephants (who really knew how to work the camera) made for an amazing photo opportunity..it was spectacular!
We continued our game drive knowing that nothing would top what we had just experienced with the elephants, but proceeded to see more and more beautiful animals before heading back to the lodge for dinner.
We enjoyed all our meals at a large dining table with all hotel guests and our game driver. One of our favorite parts was hearing Chef Nicholas describe the menu for the night. With his theatrical voice, he listed off the ingredients…he could have made anything sound good! We had our taste of local delicacies; Kudu and Ostrich – both delicious! and what better way to enjoy it than accompanied by fellow aviators and aviation stories.
Tomorrow we are off to civilization…Cape Town, South Africa!
A Tree House Above the Hippos and Crocodiles – Livingstone, Zambia
Our flight today took us to Livingstone, Zambia. It is safe to say that Livingstone airport was one of the more efficient airports we have landed thus far. The fuel trucks were right there waiting for us and in no time we were in the car for our transfer to Royal Chendu Zambezi Lodge.
Located right on the Zambezi River, separating Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Royal Chendu Zambezi Lodge offers superb accommodations with all villas overlooking the river below. The whole lodge gives you the impression of being in a tree house, a luxurious one nonetheless, with hippos and crocodiles nestling below.
The lodge has a lot to offer in terms of activities. We all opted to take the “canoe trip to the Maluka Village” – we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into! We headed out on the river with our “canoe” guides for what started off to be a very peaceful stroll down the river…until we hit the rapids! This was no canoe trip but rather a rafting trip…we were soaked! Our canoes were filled with water and us sitting in them drenched. We were laughing the whole way and had a blast! It was so unexpected but a fabulous time nonetheless. We then beached the canoes on the riverbank for a surprise lunch, where we enjoyed our first cheese burger of the trip! Then it was back in the canoe until we docked back at the lodge. It was fabulous outing.
That evening we were heading back out on the river for a sunset cruise and to try our luck at tiger fishing. With our cocktails in one hand and a fishing rod in the other, we made our day down the river, by the hippos and crocodiles, taking in the beauty of the sunset casting its light on Zimbabwe’s riverbank. 
The tiger fish weren’t biting, even though they have those massive teeth, until we headed back towards the lodge, where, finally, a tiger fish took the bait. After a couple photo ops, we released the fish back into the river.
The following day, we had a lot on the schedule. We were headed to Chobe, Botswana, for a water safari. Livingstone is located very near to the border of 4 countries; Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, allowing easy access to all of them. As we approached the ferry, we passed an astonishing number of trucks waiting to board the pontoon boat over to the other side; there were at least 50! We quickly passed through Zambia customs and boarded our short ferry (about 5 minutes) before we were in Botswana. We had already done numerous game drives but it is safe to say that every drive is different. You never know what you are going to see. We saw a bunch of hippos, elephants, water buffalos, crocodiles, and so much more.
Then it was back to the border to pass customs and head back to Zambia, where we were headed straight to Victoria Falls; the famous waterfall at the end of the Zambezi River. It is currently the dry season in Zambia, so water levels were low, but it was still impressive to see this magnitude of water crashing into the gorge below. As we arrived it was pouring rain but luckily it cleared up and made for a nice walk through the lush rain forest with occasional openings to see the falls.
That evening we were treated to a typical celebration from the Tonga tribe, the most popular tribe in Zambia. Shining light on a small portion of their lives, we were impressed by the fun beats, chanting, dancing and intricate costumes.
The following day was another flight day. We were off to our first stop in South Africa – Sun City – but not before some of us tried our luck at tiger fishing again (with no success) and a pilot briefing.
As we departed out of Livingstone Airport, we said goodbye to Zambia in the best way possible, with an overflight of Victoria Falls – an even more spectacular site from the air!
The Spice Island – Zanzibar, Tanzania
After all our safaris we were ready for some relaxation by the beach….and we were in store for just that! The group was heading to Zanzibar, Tanzania…the Spice Island.
Located off the mainland of Tanzania, Zanzibar is considered the middle man connecting Africa with the Middle East. The island has been greatly influenced by the Middle East, even being the capital of Oman at one point, where the streets are lined with men in their “kuma” hats and women completely covered from head to toe in their burqas. It was definitely a change from our previous stops in Africa.
We landed at Zanzibar airport, the PC-12 first followed by the TBM850- N850SJ was the first TBM to ever land in Zanzibar! We were headed to the Baraza Hotel located in the Michamvi Peninsula for the next 3 nights. This beautiful hotel has influences of Middle Eastern architecture mixed with the decorative doors for which Zanzibar is famous.
Our stop in Zanzibar was meant for relaxation, so not much was planned. A couple of us opted to walk out to the reef and explore. The beach, on which the hotel is located, has large tides, allowing guests to walk their way, with the proper shoes, through the coral and sea urchins to the reef, which lies about 600 meters from shore. It took forever, but we finally reached the reef, where locals were spear fishing for octopus and snapper.
The following day, the group took a half day city tour of the Stone City section of Zanzibar. This area is famous for its maze of small walkways lined with ornate doors. By foot, we made our way through the city, interacting with the locals and exploring their everyday lives. We could not leave the city without visiting Zanzibar’s historical background in regards to the slave trade. It was quite a shock for us to see but it played such a integral part in the city that it was a must.
The rest of the day we just relaxed at the pool before heading to the pilot’s briefing for tomorrow’s flight – we’re off to Zambia!
Zebras knocking at my door – Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Today was going to be a long travel day. We departed Masai Mara by way of commuter flight, making 3 stops along the way, before finally arriving at Wilson Airport in Nairobi to pick up the planes. The group then flew to Kilamanjero International Airport in Tanzania where we took another commuter flight, only 20 minutes, to Lake Manyara.
Yet again our fellow passengers questioned our pilot uniforms but after a good laugh we were on our way. We were greeted in Lake Manyara by Vicki, our game driver, for our transfer to Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, our home for the next 2 nights. Driving up the side of the crater was exciting, with slight fog, it was hard to tell which side of the car would reveal the crater. Then suddenly, there it was, our first glimpse of the crater, below the clouds, lit by spots of sunlight.
We continued on our drive towards the rim of the crater, where our hotel, the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, sat perched overlooking the crater below. The hotel is beautiful, with individual bungalows lining the tree tops decorated with asian/indian inspired decor. The camp is not fenced off, so the animals are free to roam around as they please. A couple of times, the entrance to our rooms were blocked by a herd of zebras grazing. It was quite interesting.
That afternoon, we headed down to the Crater floor for our first game drive of Ngorongoro Crater. From our view above we had noticed that there was a severe drought in the crater. The lake, usually filled to its depths with water and sprawling with flamingos was now resembling a large puddle. As we drove through the land, we saw lions, rhinos, flamingos, wildebeest in migration, baboons, ostriches, and so much more. Each game drive is different, you never know what you will encounter. We spotted hyeenas plotting their attack on a herd of zebras and wildebeest but to no success. The crater is bustling with hyenas, 550 of them, compared to only 60 lions! As we were exiting the crater, we came across a large elephant with massive tusks working its way through the trees…an incredible spotting!
The following day, we woke up early for a visit to the Oldupai Gorge and the Shifting Sands Dune. It was still before sunrise and fog had engulfed the caldera making it impossible to see the road! Not sure what to expect, we made our way through the twists and turns and bumps!, cautiously, before sunlight gave us visibility. We spottied giraffes and Kortis Bustards, the heaviest flying bird, along the way.
Shifting Sands is a small dune made from magnetic sand, that gained its magnetism from an erupting volcano hundreds of years ago. Every year this sand dune moves 17 meters, pushed by the winds but sticking together due to its magnetism. After our visit we enjoyed a delicious breakfast overlooking the gorge and the many different layers of the archeological site. In 1978, Mary Leakey found hominid footsteps of a family (mother, father and child) along a track of roughly 25 meters – this represented some of the earliest information on the human species.
We returned to camp by late morning and took the rest of the afternoon to relax. We were heading back out this evening in hopes of snapping some great sunset pictures overlooking the crater. Just below camp, on the slanted side of the caldera, blankets, pillows, fire pits, and most importantly cocktails were waiting for us. Unfortunately, clouds and light fog moved in so our sunset pictures were nonexistent, however the views were amazing! As we were admiring the crater below, we heard chants coming up from behind us, as we turned around we saw torches peering above the bushes before the members of the Masai Tribe became visible. We were treated to the traditional chants and ceremonial celebrations of the Masai people.
As the sun came down, it was time to head back to camp. There are no gates protecting the grounds of the hotel from the wild animals that make their way up and down the caldera wall. When the sun sets and darkness moves in, you are on high alert and accompanied by a guard with a gun, spear, or bow and arrow. Its an incredible feeling walking around not knowing what surrounds you.
Tomorrow its back to Kilamanjero Airport to pick up the planes and fly to Zanzibar, Tanzania!!
