Germany / Netherlands - June/July 2013

Our visit to Koblenz, Germany was very short – really a chance to break-up the trip from Arusha, Tanzania to Utrecht, Netherlands.  Especially since we had an overnight flight into Frankfurt with a quick refueling in Saudia Arabia enroute (we really didn’t sleep a wink on the plane) and then immediately took a train to Koblenz.

 

Koblenz is a wonderful city situated at the convergence of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers.  Its history dates back 2000 years although much of the older buildings are circa 17^th to 18^th century.  Our arrival was spent enjoying a stroll through the old town and then taking in the café culture in one of city squares. 

To further blend in, we did what the locals do on a Saturday night – drink beer, snack on a ‘wurst’ and listen to the ‘oom pah pah’ bands.  And Sunday we were out with the crowds walking along the Rhine, admiring the scenery and taking note of all the cyclists and their touring bikes – quite a few with a small battery for assistance up the hills (hmmm – what a concept for our move to Kelowna).

 



We did finally make it to Utrecht, and being ‘homeless’, we had decided to rent an apartment here for 7 weeks before returning to Canada.  The location has turned out to be ideal – right along one of the main canals in the old city. 



The atmosphere is lively with people everywhere – outdoor cafes/bars/restaurants, and on foot, bicycles or in boats/kayaks/canoes/anything that floats plying the canal.

 

Our first week we concentrated on getting ourselves oriented to our surroundings.  A couple walking tours took us through the alleyways, along the canals and wharves and buildings dating back to the 1600’s that used to provide housing for the poor and needy.  Then there’s the mini ‘Red Light District’ right around the corner from our local grocery store. 






And you would think that grocery shopping is a mundane task.  Well…think again.  We are in the store and Gilbert laughs at something I said.  This huge Dutch guy looks at Gilbert and says something in Dutch to him.  Gilbert tells him he only knows English so the guy says – ‘Are you laughing at me’ in a voice and body language that says he’s ready for a fight.  The incident took us by surprise but fortunately we did not end up with an altercation in an alley.  In general, the people have been extremely friendly and helpful so maybe we caught someone just having a bad day.

 

Truth be told - the real reason we are here in the Netherlands is to get a couple of bicycles and take day trips around the countryside.  And without delay that is what we have done.  We are starting out with shorter rides just outside the city and working our way up to more long distance riding – Gouda (36 kilometers one way) and  along the Vecht Canal to Amsterdam/Bussum/Naarden (40 kilometers one way)

 

The country is ‘cycling heaven’!  It is so flat with cycling paths that crisscross the country everywhere.  It is virtually impossible to get lost – routes and directions are clearly marked.  And it is so safe – the paths are separated from the cars and pedestrians – so we don’t need helmets.  There are people of all ages out on bicycles, ranging in age from 4 to 80 years, or on a variety of wheels – use your imagination – its been thought of and it’s out there.

 

When possible, we choose a route along a canal – fairly easy to do since there is water and canals everywhere. 

 

West of Utrecht - Haarzuilens and De Haar Castle – our first ride (about 8km one way) giving us an indication of just how enjoyable riding is.  Our first stop upon reaching Haarzuilens is an outdoor café which seems to be popular with cyclists.  Everyone has a cappuccino and home baked Dutch apple pie which is just too tempting to pass up.  This will set the stage for future riding – always a stop for a ‘cuppa’ and treat which we feel we have earned.  The town itself is small and charming – the buildings and houses all have shutters painted in a red and white diamond pattern.  We came across a mini castle replica but the real De Haar Castle is impressive to behold from the cycling path.

 

North of Utrecht - Vecht Canal – by far, cycling along this canal is our favourite route.  It is extremely scenic with beautiful houses and buildings ,including well manicured lawns and flowers in bloom.  Often there is the scent of roses as we pedal on by.  Some of the house boats are quite upscale, although to our surprise, there is a large ‘red light’ house boat district along the canal as well.  We will ride this route numerous times eventually making our way up to Markermeer (Lake Marken) near Amsterdam.  A bit of trivia – Brooklyn, New York was settled by the Dutch and named after Breukelen, one of the cities we frequent along the canal.

 

South of Utrecht – Houten to IJsselstein – we decided to ride to Houten as it has the distinction of being chosen ‘bicycle city of the Netherlands’ in 2008.  We could certainly see why as most of the streets around the city and centre have been converted to bike paths.  From there we took a round-about-way through Schalkwijk, Tull en ‘t Waal, Nieuwegein to reach IJsselstein.  It was interesting as we must have seen every kind of drawbridge that has ever been made – ‘ye olde’ hand cranked models to the more modern day push button electric ones.  We even took time to watch some ships passing through a lock on a canal.  Then at IJesselstein, the unthinkable happened – the pedal fell off my bike and could not be put back on.  Somehow I managed to pedal one footed, with Gilbert sometimes pushing me, the 10km back to the bike shop where we traded it in for a better model.  That sure was exhausting for both of us, to say the least

 

East of Utrecht – Theehuis Rhijnauwen (Rhijnauwen Teahouse) – what could be better on a sunny Sunday morning than a 20 minute ride to the countryside to enjoy a traditional pannekoek with apple and kaas (Dutch apple and cheese pancake).  It was Delicious (and yes it deserves a BIG D).

 North-East of Utrecht - But the competition is stiff for the ultimate pannekoek as we came across another Pannekoek Restaurant in Lage Vuursche.  They get my vote, hands down, as the best pannekoek  - it was cooked to perfection.  A local bike rider told us that the former Queen Beatrix lived in the neighborhood but was vacationing right now in Italy.  He said he would tell her that we had been in the vicinity and maybe we could visit her next time – Ha!  Even though Lage Vuursche is small (pushing 200 inhabitants?) it is popular with cyclists, hikers and horse riders alike as it is located in a forest with paths everywhere.

 

West of Utrecht - Gouda – as its name suggests, it’s all about the cheese.  Every Thursday during the summer there is a re-enactment of a traditional cheese market as took place during the 17^th century. At that time, the Dutch cheese farmers brought their cheeses to market where buyers and sellers negotiated a price. Today it’s a beehive of tourist activity with locals in costume and an organ grinder belting out music, but fun to see all the same.

 

West of Utrecht – Woerden – another town known for its cheese market.  I had read that their market is on Fridays so we rode there only to discover it is on Wednesday.  We were hardly disappointed as there were some excellent shops for browsing.  We were able to sample a variety of local, homemade cheeses (extremely tasty) and brought ‘home’ some delicious pesto and tapenade spreads.  Yes – we have found a bit of Italy amongst the ‘cows’.

 

North of Utrecht – Naarden – we had a goal in mind when going to Naarden – check out the 2 houses that Gilbert’s mom lived in during part of her childhood in the Netherlands.  The first one is at 36 Juliana van Stolberglaan.  We had heard the World War II stories of the railroad tracks behind the house and how her family helped some of the Dutch boys on the trains escape from the Germans through their house/yard.  The house and tracks are still there giving us a sense of history coming to life.  We did try to speak to the owners but unfortunately there was no one at home.  The other house is at 65 Rembrandtlaan.  We had seen this house years ago but enjoyed seeing it again.  We met the current owners who have been in the house since 1971.  They purchased it from a couple whose last name begins with an S (Gilbert’s mom’s last name begins with an M).  Since the house was built in the 1930’s (either 1933, 1936 or 1939 – we can’t quite remember) we think Gilbert’s mom and family probably were the 2^nd owners.

 
But there is an aside to the house at 65 Rembrandtlaan – I am convinced it is cursed.  Years ago when we first saw it, we had the address wrong and took pictures of the wrong house.  Well, it happened again.  I inadvertently wrote down the wrong house number and we took pictures of the wrong house.  We had to make a trip back to Naarden the day before we left to correct the mistake.  But the journey gave us another chance to stop over in Lage Vuursche for one last pannekoek and another tasty Dutch treat – poffertjes with strawberries and whipped cream.


 

 



 South West of Utrecht – along the Lek River – our intended goal was the town of Schoonhoven which we never made.  Maybe it was the fierce head wind that kept us from our destination but we made it as far as Lopik before bailing.  However, the ride was amazing.  Just before Lopik, at Jaarsveld, we came across a World War II memorial.  It is to commemorate the crash of a Halifax-bomber (Canadian aircraft) at this sight and has the remains of one of the engines and a list of the crew – 5 who died and 2 that survived.  Well, one of the survivors was a close neighbor of Gilbert’s family when he was growing up in Kitchener, Ontario and they have kept in touch throughout the years.  Call it a fluke or perhaps destiny that we even saw this memorial as the previous day we had decided we weren’t going to attempt this bike ride.  Our return took us through Polsbroekerdam, Benschop and Montfoort (gorgeous farmland, houses and canals along the way) where we stopped for lunch and our usual cappuccino.  Having been on bikes for a good 4 hours we decided we deserved some dessert – of course, homemade Dutch Apple Pie.  Gilbert claims it is the best one to date but I’ll argue the one we had in Wijk bij Duurstede was better (it’s all about the shortbread crust for me!)

 

Our biking days and the Netherlands are quickly coming to a close.  We figure we have logged about 1000 km over 5 weeks and hopefully shed a few pounds along the way.  We are not too saddle sore anymore although we do still experience some tenderness if we are on the bikes for extended periods of time (3-4 hours or more).  We have enjoyed the bike riding so much that we plan to come back another time.  However, we will rent in another city just to see a different part of the country and we’ll bring our own touring bikes equipped with better suspension and softer seats!  (And maybe a battery for extra distance.)

 

During our 7 week stay in Utrecht, we rented a car for 3 days and drove to Berlin for a brief visit.  We have heard positive things about the city so wanted to experience it firsthand.  It also gave Gilbert a chance to reconnect with a childhood friend, Mike, who he has known since they were both 7 years old.  We had a wonderful visit with Mike, his girlfriend, Nele and his 2 boys.  We caught up with old times while learning all about Berlin and some before and after history of the Berlin Wall and its effects on the citizens and city.  There is construction everywhere so Berlin is a changing city.

 

A detour on the way back from Berlin took us through the town of Breda in the south of the Netherlands.  We had also been here before as Gilbert’s dad spent his childhood here.  Our memories of a wonderful old town with cafes spilling out onto the cobblestone streets still ring true.  And the family home at 16 Wilheminapark is intact, as is the old tank in the park that Gilbert fell off as a youngster, resulting in a concussion at the time.  We hope to spend more time in the area if we do indeed return to the Netherlands, as is our future plan.

 

We are back in Canada for most of August and then it is off to China once again.  Not much blogging from Shanghai since we have been there many, many times.  But if something interesting does come up I’ll be sure to post it.

Serengeti - Tanzania - June, 2013

We have made it to the Serengeti in Tanzania via a plane trip from Johannesburg to Nairobi to Arusha and at long last, the Serengeti – with one moment to catch our breath, if you can call it that, at a brief overnight stay in The Arusha Hotel.


 So yes, I’d say we are continuing on the hectic safari pace.

Our driver picks us up at the airstrip and immediately we are off to see the wildlife – leaving the check in at our camp for later.  This safari experience is quite different in the National Park as opposed to a private game reserve.  Off-roading is strictly prohibited so we must stay on the beaten path.  At first it is an adjustment as we spy the dangling legs of a leopard in a tree.  We’d love to get closer but will have to rely on Gilbert’s telephoto lens to give us a better view of the big cat.

But patience has its rewards. 

We soon have a mother elephant and her baby crossing the road in front of us.  Further afield, we come across 2 male lions lazing under a tree for their nap.  Lions can spend up to 20 hours/day sleeping so it is no wonder we find them in their usual prone position.  And then off in the tall grass we spy a lioness and 4 cubs.  The mother is gazing at something - so intent is her stare we think she might be stalking prey.  She begins to walk towards us, never losing her focus, with the cubs playfully in tow.  They cross the road in front of us and suddenly, another lioness, the sister of the first one, emerges from behind the group.  At once there is a heartwarming and very affectionate family reunion amongst all the lions.  So it was one sister looking for the other – not the stalking of prey - that had the one lioness so focused.  We watch the pride enjoy a refreshing drink at the nearby watering hole and then once again, head off into the tall grass, leaving us awed by having been in their presence.

But the wow factor with the Serengeti doesn’t end there.  We cannot believe the number of animals we are seeing.  The Serengeti is teeming with wildlife.  The herds of animals are huge (ranging from 50 or so into the thousands) and we don’t need to ‘hunt’ for them as we did at Sabi Sabi. 

Instead, they are often near the roadside or crossing just in front of us so viewing is quite close and unobstructed and we quickly realize the need to off-road is really not necessary.

But the Serengeti is more than just animals. 



The landscape is right out of the ‘Discovery Channel’.  The grassy plains extend as far as the eye can see with Acacia Trees dotted here and there to offer respite to the animals during the heat of the day.  It is as though Marlin Perkin’s, ‘Wild Kingdom’ has come to life right before our eyes– everything seems almost surreal.

I can tell you what is real - our accommodation.  We will spend 2 nights in the Serengeti in an upscale tented camp.  Our tent comes complete with our own private port-a-potty and shower. 

We tell the staff when we would like a shower, they come and pour hot water in the tank, and we relish cleaning off the dust and dirt from the day’s drive.  And we are hardly sitting around a campfire eating ‘wieners and beans’ or ‘spam’.  The chef is cooking up gourmet meals, including soup for a starter.  It is truly amazing what someone can prepare with limited resources in a tented kitchen.  So all in all, I wouldn’t say we are really roughing it.

One surprise we have found with the Serengeti is all the controlled fires that are burning.  The air can be a bit hazy and smoky at times.  This is done yearly to rejuvenate the soil for plant growth, which in turn, the animals will feed on.  Our first night in the camp and we have a fire glowing a mere 150 feet away.  We are assured that the fire is controlled but it could only take a bit of changing wind direction to blow an errant burning ember in our direction.  And guess what - our tent is nearest the fire so we are the ‘first line of defense’ if anything were to get out of hand.  As you might imagine, I did have trouble falling asleep but as I’m still blogging it is obvious we must have made it through the night.  Fortunately, the blaze had been extinguished by the following evening so I could welcome a sleep that came effortlessly.

But the real reason we chose this camp in Tanzania is to see the

wildebeest migration.  And to this end we were not disappointed in the least bit.  There are 2 million of these animals on the move, driven by the need for finding food and water.  I am not overstating the fact when I say we ended up seeing hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, more than we could have ever imagined.  The males butting heads as they protect their territories while the females, slowly and deliberately, continue along a trail in single file, sometimes nursing their calves which are about 3-4 months old. 

And the sound is impossible to miss – a constant low, grunt-like, cow-like bellow – at times almost deafening given the numbers of wildebeest.  Lucky for us, our driver found a little used path through the grass and took us right into the midst of the animals.  Unlike the lions, the wildebeest are not exactly happy with our presence.  But if we remain still they eventually settle down and tolerate us being there, although they do keep their distance.

It is not just wildebeest we see but also hundreds of zebras who

tend to hang around the herd.  Safety in numbers as they say?  And we’ll add to the mix some hyenas looking for an easy meal, a small band of warthogs, (actually quite cute with their radar tails straight in the air) a few ostriches, various kinds of antelopes and even a huge herd of Topi.  Let’s face it - there are just animals everywhere.  I’ll say it again - a truly amazing sight. 

I ask you - what could be better than enjoying a picnic breakfast while viewing giraffes off in the distance.  We’ll continue to see animals as we are in the vicinity for 4 days.

Our morning safari ends around 1pm – when the hot, Serengeti sun is at its peak and it becomes uncomfortable in the jeep.  So let’s talk about what happens on a safari in the late afternoon.  It is still hot but we now have this insect called the Tse Tse Fly.  And this fly just loves the heat and tall grass and trees and HUMANS!  And we humans, as in Gilbert and myself, are naïve as to their behavior and habitat.  We head out on the road with our driver, windows down, roof open.  Unknowingly, we enter ‘fly territory’ and immediately the jeep is filled with these ‘nasty buggers’!  We are literally being attacked and eaten alive.- These flies are invincible – they bite through clothing and when you whack and stun them, they just get up and fly and bite again.  We quickly roll up the windows, close the roof with 50-60 flies still with us in the jeep. 

I fashion a Burka out of 2 blankets, protecting my eyes with my glasses.  Gilbert wraps a blanket around himself, Burka style, and then tries ridding the jeep of ‘the plague’ by hitting them with his hat.  Our poor driver has about 20 on his head – these flies love the colour black and our driver is hatless and black – not a good combo.  He multi-tasks – swatting flies and somehow managing to drive the jeep to safety - where the bush has been burned so there is no grass or trees or flies.  For a few minutes, the whole situation was out of control as we were no match for the flies.  It was actually quite a hysterical moment - we are laughing even while Gilbert and the driver manage to beat all the flies out of the jeep.  Then we role up the windows, close the roof, put on the fan (not air conditioning so we swelter in the heat), declare our jeep a ‘no fly zone’ and try our best to safari.

This means driving back into the fly area with the insects pinging off the jeep.  They actually can fly faster than the jeep.  However, we are rewarded for the effort as we see Baboons (80 or so?) as they methodically and ceremoniously make their way through the grass, gravitating towards a group of trees, and then slowly climbing the trunks to find their resting place in the branches for the night.  It is such a silent retreat and once in the trees, the baboons miraculously blend in and fade away into the darkness.  There was just something about their slow march and lack of sound that had me mesmerized.  I could have watched them for hours.  In the morning, the procession is reversed as they climb back down and head off into the grass once again.

Of note – we did give an afternoon safari a try again.  It really was a feeble attempt as it was too difficult to survive the suffocating heat of the enclosed jeep.  And we refused to even think of being ‘eaten alive’ by flies again.  But in defense of the Tse Tse fly – if it wasn’t for them, the Serengeti and other game parks in Tanzania would have been settled by humans and there would not be the abundance of wildlife we see today.

After 2 nights at the one camp, we moved to a different site, just outside the Serengeti Park boundary.  The drive to get to the new camp took all day but certainly held our interest.  Here are some highlights:

We stopped to observe a large group of hippos, wallowing in a muddy, stagnant pool, with a couple crocodiles for company.  It is the only time in all our safaris that we noticed an overwhelming animal stench.  OK - Hippos stink!

We came across a group of giraffes moseying along right next to the road – probably the closest we have been to them to date.  Suddenly, they all stopped, stood tall and stately (as only a giraffe can do – and the very tall Dutch as well) ears perked, and stared to where a baboon began to issue a vocal ‘predator in the area’ warning call.  Try as we might, we could not see the danger but we trust in the animals instincts.

Next up was an Albino Vulture perched in a tree. 

Maybe he was keeping an eye on his ‘kin’ as nearby was a large group of vultures, hanging out by the watering hole.  Or maybe he was watching out for his chance to feed on a kill that was just over the rise on the hill.

 

  No matter, Gilbert and I concur that vultures are just as big and ugly in real life as on TV.

We drive a bit further and pass a recent wildebeest kill by the side of the road.  It was apparent that a lion had been recently feeding on the animal.  There was a huge gaping hole in its side where it had been eaten away so not a pretty sight. 

Our driver was certain the lion was lurking nearby but we just couldn’t see him/her.  Vultures were waiting in the trees for their chance at some leftovers.  However, they won’t attempt to feed until the lion has had its fill.  We decided to return to the spot when it was dusk, hoping to catch the lion enjoying its dinner.  About 2 hours later, we checked back and did find the lioness sleeping in the tall grass right next to her kill.  Her tail would continually twitch and every so often she’d stretch her giants paws in the air.  But she never did wake up and eat for our benefit.

Of note - our new camp site did not offer as much in the way of wildlife as we had anticipated.  We were higher up a mountainside so even the Tse Tse flies were gone.  Instead, the area has been settled by the Masai people who herd cattle on the grasslands.  We did do one morning hike through the area which we enjoyed but was fairly uneventful.  The following morning it was time to say good-bye to the Serengeti and the safaris.

However, we did leave early to drive to the airstrip for our flight back to Arusha, just in case we came across one last chance at some interesting wildlife.  And so it materialized – off in the distance a huge herd of animals. 

Our driver found a path and took us right up to Cape Buffalo – numbering in the thousands.  When in a group the Cape Buffalo turn and run, then stop and stare at you, then turn and run, then stop and stare.  This was our farewell and final memory as we eventually made it to the airstrip and boarded our flight out of the Serengeti.

We did stay 3 more nights in Tanzania near the town of Arusha.  I had decided we would need some R&R for a few nights before our overnight flight to Frankfurt.  I had booked us into the Twiga Campsite and Lodge but our airport pick-up inadvertently took us to the Twiga Lodge.  By the time we realized the mistake we decided to stay put – the distance between the lodges was just too far – at least 3 hours.  Turns out – we really enjoyed the company of the owners, Paul and Erika, at Twiga Lodge. 

They treated us to some delicious home cooked meals and delightful conversation.  A nature walk with Paul through the local village and area was a bonus.  All in all, it was the perfect way to end our stay in Africa.

We do hope we have a chance to meet up again with the people we have met – so be sure to email me wheneveryou will be in our neighborhood.  In the meantime, we’ll catch up with everyone when we reach Germany.