#237: Tangier's Medina (2nd Ed pg 388)

This is now my 3rd post (1st in Africa) of a place that is listed in the 2nd Edition that I have done that is not in the 1st Edition.

In November 2004, I went with my sister and 3 friends to Gibraltar, then boarded a ferry and made our way to Morocco!

Tangier is located just 8 miles from Spain, across the Strait of Gibraltar.

While there, we ate the local food.

And went in all the shops.

And explored all the city had to offer!

Verdict:  No.  I'm actually surprised this city was added to the 2nd Edition.  I loved our day here and I'm so glad we did it.  In my opinion, it's a shame to be in Gibraltar (which is an absolute must do!) and then not make your way to Tangier since it's so close.  I mean, why not check out a new country?!  But honestly, it didn't seem all that much different than a lot of other middle eastern cities and, due to the location of it, it's super crowded and touristy.  I want to go back to Morocco, but I want to go to Fez and Marrakech - I hear they are both much better than Tangier!

#119: Cage Diving with the Great Whites

September 2011: When we started planning our itinerary for our 3 days in Cape Town, swimming with Great White Sharks was first on my list. I'd seen documentaries about it, I'd read about it, I'd heard about it..... I was determined to do it! After doing quite a bit of research, we settled on going out with Brian McFarland, who has been featured on several documentaries and has spent his entire life around Great Whites.

Verdict: It was AMAZING!!!!! Absolutely one of the most fantastic, incredible things I have ever done and I absolutely LOVED it! And as I was eye to eye with one of the most magnificent creatures in the ocean, I thought to my self, "How in the world is this not listed as one of the 1000 Places book????" Well, it absolutely should be! Yes, we had terrible choppy seas and high swells and yes, we got crazy sick, but it was so worth it. We saw 9 sharks and saw them time and again, so it seemed like we saw many more. And this is one of those things you can't just explain. You have to do it. You have to experience it. It cost ~$250 per person. And, although I don't have any personal experience with any of the other shark diving operations, I would HIGHLY recommend this one. Brian and his team were incredible. As for logistics, they take off from Gansbaii, a two-hour drive from Cape Town.

#118: Sabi Sand Game Reserve (Page 382; Listed as Greater Kruger Park Area in 2nd Ed, pg 421)

September 7 -10, 2011: We flew into Nelspruit Airport the morning of September 7th. We then drove 2 hours to our Lodge in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and got there in time for the afternoon Game Drive!

At sunset, our driver pulled over and served us snacks and drinks while we watched the beautiful sun set over the brush.

And what does everyone hope to see on their Safari? The Big Five, of course! And we were so happy that we were able to see them all within 24 hours of being here! We went on 6 drives in total: Three morning drives and three evening drives. We saw lions....

Elephants....

Cape Buffalo....

Leopard....

And a Black Rhino, the best sighting of all! And we saw much, much more!

Verdict: Yes, Yes, Yes!!!! Of the #118 posts I have done thus far, this is #1 on the list. Of everything I have ever seen and done, this was the most amazing. We booked our tour through Lion World Tours and stayed at the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve. I was totally impressed with both and would highly recommend both.

#117: Constantia Wine Region (Page 385)

September 6, 2011: The famed Greenhouse Restaurant at Cellars-Hohenort.

The beautiful dining room with a beautiful view

The grounds....

Verdict: I was totally impressed by this place. The hotel was beautiful, the restaurant (with your choice of either a four or seven course meal prepared by an incredible chef with many ingredients grown right here on the grounds) was impressive and the staff was very friendly. But, what I really loved were the grounds. There are acres and acres of path ways, foot bridges, gardens, ponds, trees, etc, etc. What a delightful way to spend an afternoon! But is it something you have to do before you die? No. And if you only have a few days in Cape Town, I would recommend staying closer to the heart of the city.

#116: Table Mountain (Page 380; Listed as Cape Town in 2nd Ed, pg 414)

September 6, 2011: Welcome to Table Mountain! You can hike to the top of Table Mountain, if you wish, but we were trying to pack as much as we could in to the day, so we decided to take the cable car to the top. It was fabulous! We bought our tickets ahead of time on-line, so there was no wait and the tram is shaped in a circle and the floor moves so that every couple of seconds, your view changes. And, best of all, you're at the top (~3500 feet above Cape Town) in a matter of just a few minutes!

There is a restaurant at the top and we decided to have lunch while enjoying views like this...

The site of last year's World Cup

View of Robben Island (where we were earlier in the day)

Me and my hubby. We couldn't have asked for better weather or better views!

Verdict: Yup. You gotta do it!

Note: I am writing this edit on 2/10/19; the new edition simply lists "Cape Town" and includes Table Mountain as one of the things to do while in Cape Town.  I agree with this change.  Cape Town has SO much to offer!  And I was disappointed that Robben Island was left out of the first edition as well as Boulders Beach and the Cape of Good Hope, both pretty awesome experiences.  So I was glad to see them all mentioned in their own rite under the Cape Town entry.  We did all of these things while there (although only Table Mountain is pictured here since that was my original post).

#115: Ellerman House and Mount Nelson Hotel (Page 379)

September 5, 2011: The Tea....

The Spread.....

What made it on to my plate....

The View....

Cheers!

(My husband, Dave and my in-laws, Rita and Larry)

Verdict: We recently returned from a trip to Cape Town, South Africa and made it a point to have high tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. As you can see from the pictures, the spread was delectable, the view was splendid and the experience was delightful. Am I glad we did it? Yes. Is it something you absolutely must do in your lifetime? Well, no.

#114: Hermanus (387)

Sept. 2011: We just got back from a week in South Africa. I've been on a lot of trips, but this is absolutely one of my favorite places I have every visited. I absolutely loved it.

Hermanus is a ~2 hour drive east of Cape Town. It is one of the best places for land-based whale watching. There is a 7-mile cliff walk, which is fabulous because if you see a whale, you can continue to follow that whale down the path. You can even go kayaking in the whale-filled waters.

Verdict: Absolutely, you must visit Hermanus. We only stayed there a brief time, but I absolutely loved it. There are nice places to stay, lots of places to eat and just a great little town surrounded by stunning scenery. I could have easily spent a week or more here!

#33: Luxor (pg 352; 2nd Ed pg 381)

June, 1997: The Temple of Karnak was built over a period of 1500 years and is, according to 1000 Places to See Before You Die, "one of the greatest architectural achievements ever executed." The site covers 100 acres. The Temple of Karnak is linked by a line of sphinxes to the Temple of Luxor, on the South.

Here I am sitting down in front of this ancient structure; it gives you an idea as to the size of this unbelievable creation.

Circling around one of the many columns.

Memphis - Ramses II

Verdict: Egypt is absolutely one of the coolest places I have ever been. There is so much to do and all of it is completely fascinating, ancient and truly remarkable to see and experience in person.

#32: The Sinai (pg 349; 2nd Ed pg 379)

May, 1997: We headed into the desert in search of the nomadic Bedouins. Here I am with a group of small children. I made a note in my journal that it looked as if they had never bathed or been groomed in any way their whole lives. I also made a note that of the few children pictured here, three of them couldn't speak and one of them was also deaf.
Here I am with a small girl in front of her "home."

They lived and traveled with livestock and here I am holding one of the several baby goats.

Pictured here is a 15 year old girl who was making bread. There were several sticks holding up a piece of fabric which served as her only source of shade or shelter.

I volunteered to help her make the bread. She used flour, water and salt, then placed it on top of a round metal sheath on top of a fire that she started herself.
Verdict: Considering this 2-month study abroad to Israel, Jordan and Egypt was my first time leaving the USA, aside from venturing into Canada to see Niagra Falls, you can imagine my fascination seeing how the Bedouins lived. I had no idea anybody lived like that, much less had the opportunity to meet them and visit with them. This was one of the most memorable parts of the trip!

#31: The Red Sea

Okay, so technically, it's "Diving in the Red Sea" according to 1000 Places to See Before You Die, but since I went there (here I am on the right posing with my friend Kelly) and snorkled there, I figured that was close enough! Getting scuba certified is still on my list of things to do before I die!
I went to the Red Sea on May 20, 1997. I'm on the left here; you can't see us because it is totally dark outside. We got up at the crack of dawn for a sunrise snorkle. It was amazing. I saw all kinds of beautiful fish and also saw an octopus.

I had so much fun in the morning that I headed back for Round Two in the afternoon. So, it turns out, getting up at the crack of dawn is the way to go! When I went back in the afternoon, the water was cloudy and there were tons of jelly fish (or something else along those lines that kept stinging me!). So, Round Two didn't last quite as long as Round One!

The unique and beautiful beach of the Red Sea.
Verdict: A great way to cool off while visiting Sinai!

#30: Museum of Egyptian Antiquities (pg 347; 2nd Ed pg 377)

June, 1997: Here are my ticket stubs to the Egyptian Museum and to the mummy exhibit within the museum. As 1000 Places to See Before You Die states, "...the museum houses such an unparalleled collection of treasures from 2700 B.C to 1200 B.C. that, allowing just one minute to examine eaco of its artifacts, would take a visitor 9 months to see it all." It truly is amazing.

Verdict: An absolute must when you are in Cairo.