Cat Chiappa

Floating Paradise

2011-11-04T06:11:00.000-04:00

After two nights in a tree house, we were ready for a change of scenery. On the morning of the 1st of November, we were picked up by Deang and taken over an hour away to Cheow Lan Lake, another part of Khao Sok National forest. Originally we only planned to spend one night at the lake, but in a last minute decision we opted for a package with Limestone Lake Tours that gave us two, and boy are we glad we did! It turns out that Daeng would be our personal guide the entire time we were there. He accompanied us to the lake regaling us with information about Thai history and he and our driver took us in a long tail boat an hour deep into the center of the lake.

Words cannot adequately describe how beautiful Cheow Lan Lake is. This is a lake the was made larger by man when a huge dam was built to control water flow several years ago. It is surround by deep jungle foliage and dotted with gigantic limestone karsts (large limestone rock structures) and small islands as far as the eye can see. The reflection of all of the plant life creates a greenish color to the water that adds to the beauty of the scenery.

There are about nine raft house camps on the lake and we stayed at a privately owned one in the middle. Upon reaching the camp, we were told that we had been upgraded to the better lodging and we were led down the docks to these adorable white houses with a small porch facing out into the lake. Bathrooms were shared and contained rustic westernized toilets and showers that consisted of a barrel of water and a bucket. Meals were served family style with huge portions and several sumptuous main dishes each lunch and dinner. Among the options were green curry, Masaaman curry, a type of river fish caught fresh, fried and served with the head still on, sweet and sour chicken and many others. Each meal was delicious.

As a guide Daeng was knowledgeable, funny and had a passion for conservation that he was eager to share. He took us on guided boat tours, jungle hikes and cave explorations and told us about the larger animals we saw and worked hard to show us all of the small surprised the rainforest has to offer. As a result we saw tarantula holes, snapped a great shot of a scorpion and found the largest and loudest cicada in the world. It was so loud, we honestly thought it was just a planet flying overhead. We saw four kinds of monkeys including the gibbon (or at least its behind as it swung through the trees away from us) and the incredibly cute dusky langur monkey which sits high in the tree chomping on leaves.

The first day with Daeng we hiked through the rainforest and then took a bamboo raft to the well named Coral Cave. Now, this cave doesn't have coral in it, but formations of the stalagmites and stalactites make it look like an underwater coral garden. It was like something from another world and very beautiful, though our favorite moment was a sign posted outside that said "no drunk people in the cave."

The following day Daeng took us to another cave, one that I had stressed out about the evening before. Now why would the adventurous Cat Chiappa be stressed about something like a cave...because it was called Snake Cave and he usually sees several snakes in there. However, he also talked about how you could see thousands of bats and hear them overhead flapping their wings like a windstorm and that sounded too cool to pass up. So, I gritted my teeth, hiked up the long, steep hill, donned my head lamp and entered the mouth of the abyss...of course I held Joe's hand the entire time! As we went deeper we stepped carefully and looked for snakes at every angle (specifically cobras) and smelled the acrid stench of bat guano. We slogged through hundreds of chirping crickets, saw spiders as big as your hand, heard thousands of bats flapping so hard it sounded like a fleet of helicopters,and then encountered...a snake! However, it wasn't a cobra...it was actually a really neat looking bat eating snake sitting high atop the rocks with its stomach full of bats. It has a whitish green color and is not venomous. Deang said he was surprised to see only one, but surmised that the King cobra must have eaten the others. He told us that is the reason why the King cobra can be found in the cave. Turns out it wasn't in the cave though...but instead was the raft camp!

Three hours after we arrived at the rafthouses a three meter King cobra was found hiding under the staff housing lying in wait for tasty rodents. The staff shooed him out and didn't think anything of it...until he was seen again that night. Apparently Deang was the only one who missed it as they didn't wake him up...even though it slithered very close to him. As he told us this story my eyes got big and I resolved to be even more diligent with my frenetic snake checking methods...but he kept insisting that we were staying in the nice houses where the snake wouldn't go. I don't know if I fully believed him, but I appreciated the sentiment. It certainly made me feel better than when we were in Snake Cave and he told us to look on the ground and above our heads as he explained how the snakes could slither up the walls of the cavern! Gotta love the jungle!

Steamy Jungle Days in Thailand

2011-11-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

After eating our way through Singapore, it was time for the next leg of our SE Asia adventure, so on we flew to Phuket, Thailand. There, we were picked by a man and his family which included two small children who were unaware that one should sit in the front seat and not stand staring at the strange looking passengers in the back. The kids were cute, but I just wanted to put a seat belt on them!

Two and a half hours and a giant rainstorm later, we reached Khao Sok National Park. The driver took us to Art's River Lodge. Unfortunately, that wasn't where we ended up staying. Instead we were taken across the river to the Khao Sok Nature Resort for our stay in a tree house. This place was also nice, but I had my heart set on Art's. I guess it wasn't available for the days we needed it. Well after getting over my slight disappointment we were led deep into their property to our own tree house in the sky. Now, I knew we were staying in a tree house, but I guess it never occured to me how high it would be! We had to go up two flight of rickety stairs to get to it! Luckily one of the workers hefted our large bag onto his shoulders and Joe and I watched in awe as he sprinted up the stairs, unlike us who gingerly tried each step first before placing our weight on it.

The accommodations were rustic, but fun. There was a porch with two chairs on the outside facing a steaming Jurassic Park inspired landscape. Inside was a bed covered in a fortress of mosquito nets, another chair, a rod for clothes hanging and a small mirror. Past the mirror was the door to our outside toilet and simple rock shower with a sparse trickle of cold water. As it was open to the elements it was also open to the possibilities of scorpions, frogs and snakes which made using the bathroom quite an adventure and made you debate internally at three in the morning whether you really needed to go or not. In addition to the possibility of creepy crawlies in the bathroom, getting out of the mosquito netted bed was an obstacle course unto itself as it had to be un-tucked and tucked quickly to keep the mossies out, and I had many laughs at Joe diving in and out of the bed with Olympic worthy gymnastic moves.

Meals were taken outside in the main lodge that was open on the sides but covered to protect from rain. Our first night the power was out for quite awhile and we share a meal by electric candles with small lizards crawling up the posts beside us and bats swooping in and out over our heads.

The day after our arrival we left for what can only be described as a crazy death march through the jungle. We'll chalk it up to "it sounded like a good idea at the time." Of course "the time"we were considering it, we were in cool, breezy Monterey and not melting in the hot steamy confines of the jungle. We met our guide Dom and hiked a grueling 6 kilometers through slippery trails in the rainforest to a "waterfall." I use the term waterfall loosely as we were expecting a tall gushing flow of water with a pristine pool glittering in the sun inviting us to swim. Unfortunately, the "waterfall"was a river with some rapids that formed some still pools underneath....not a waterfall in the traditional sense. The cold water still felt good after the hike...too bad we had another six kilometers to get back!

Throughout the hike we did encounter some cheeky monkeys (macaques) and were lucky enough to spot a civet cat. However, we didn't learn that much or see a lot of life. Our guide wasn't very animated and I think it was due in part to a language barrier. He was very nice and spoke some English, but was a little hard to understand and gave up information sparingly. We were hoping to see some elephants but luck was not with us that day. Good thing we get an up close and personal encounter in a week!

I touched a snake!

2011-10-29T23:44:00.003-04:00

Last night brought Joe and I to the famous Singapore Night Safari. On the other side of Singapore it is a very well built zoo next to another zoo...with another one being built right next to it! My biggest regret is that we didn't have more time. We booked what we thought were tickets and transfer but ended up being a tour that meant we had to leave at 10:10 instead of closer to midnight like we had planned. It was a whirlwind of animals and LOTS of people queueing for the 45 minute tram ride (due to the Deepawali and Halloween festivities) but we had some great close-up experiences. The tram ride itself was OK, but we really enjoyed our walk through the park. We had a giant flying squirrel run over our feet, got face to face with adorable flying foxes and watched them squabble over food. They also had several binturongs (gotta love an animal that smells like popcorn and is also called a bearcat) cut slow loris', tarsiers and bat eared foxes!!! I love those animals! I even touched a snake (and there is photographic evidence to prove it) a sweet boa constrictor...didn't even freak me out! Perhaps I am growing up! We wish we had more time, but it was still a fun experience.

This morning we woke up early and had breakfast at the famous Raffles Hotel and it is gorgeous as advertised. As we weren't a guest we couldn't partake in the Sunday brunch but we did go to the on site bakery where we had an Eastern breakfast. I had tasty dim sum with BBQ'd pork and Joe had something called Nasi Lemok (I believe that is what it was..need to double check) which consisted of coconut rice, chili sauce and a salty fish all wrapped in a banana leaf. It was pretty good and a nice cap to our Singapore eating experience...though we are eager to come back in two weeks and try some more delicious cuisine. Raul...eat your heart out!

Now we are waiting in the incredible Changi airport which is hands down the best airport I have ever visited. They really know how to do things right in Singapore! Swimming pool, jacuzzi, gardens, shopping, movie theatres, spas, napping area...this is a well thought out airport!

Well, my time is running out on the Internet clock so I have to run. Off to Phuket for a true rain forest adventure. Hope I don't see any swimming cobras!

Cheers!

Cat & Joe

"Tastes good...yummy yummy!

2011-10-29T05:25:00.004-04:00

If I had to sum up Singapore in a few words I think that "tastes good, yummy yummy!" would say it all. These are the words we heard as we visited our first hawker stand (street food) yesterday afternoon. Singapore is a city whose citizens don't eat to live...they live to eat...my kind of people! A melting pot of cultures and cuisines, Singapore is a gastronomical delight and Joe and I were determined to make every minute count.

We arrived around lunch time but weren't able to make it to our hotel until about 2pm. The Pan Pacific Singapore is a gorgeous hotel located right in the center of everything. We were met by out personal concierge and brought to our room where a beautiful bouquet of red roses and purple hydrangeas was waiting. Apparently Joe had called ahead and booked a couple of surprises for me which were very much appreciated. We were upgraded to a deluxe balcony room with a breathtaking view of the city, flowers and a special anniversary cake. Joe is definitely a keeper!

After freshening up we left the hotel and made our way to the Esplanade and the Mankasutra hawker stand. There we tried Char key Teow a spicy Chinese noodle dish and rojak- a doughy concoction of breaded potato and egg mixed into a sort of salad. We topped these off with fresh squeezed lime juice and sugarcane juice with lemon. Delicious! From there we walked down the Esplanade and past the famous Merlion Park. The merlion is an iconic figure in Singapore and consists of a mermaid with a lion's head spouting water. These statues can be seen in several locations around the city.

From there we went to La Pa Sat another famous hawker stand. This place was a veritable emporium of smells and tastes. Each stall served up sumptuous dishes from all over Asia. We chose roti prata a famous dish that is sort of like a pancake filled with spicy chicken with chile sauce on the side. After that we were exhausted and found our way back to the hotel where took in the night view of the city and then used our remote control to lower the blinds before falling into dreamland.

This morning we woke up and watched the news (yes Bangkok is flooding..but we think we will still be OK to get out to Cambodia on the 3rd...we'll see. Otherwise we'll just do something else!) and prepared for the day. We booked a hop on/hop off sightseeing bus and made our way to Chinatown which proved to offer up an incredible travel experience.

Upon arriving to Chinatown we made our way to the Maxwell Center (another treasure trove of street food). As we were taking pictures outside a man came up to us and said "you have to try the chicken rice." We said "we know Tian Tian right...it's supposed to be amazing." Well we got to talking for a couple of minutes and he said "follow me, I'll show you my favorites." From there he told us his name was Eric and became our personal culinary tour guide. We learned that he used to study in Oregon and when I told him I worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium his eyes lit up and he said he had been there three times! He then took us to Tian Tian's chicken rice (a place I had read about in two books and seen on Anthony Bourdain) and helped us order chicken rice, half a chicken and upon his insistence bean sprouts with cuttlefish. (Yes Aquarium coworkers...I did eat a cuttlefish...and it was tasty). While we ordered he told us how to eat our food and bought us lime juice and coconut juice, served in the coconut. Joe was a little wary because he was spending so much time with us but I had read that Singaporeans were very friendly and loved to share their food.

After about an hour of eating and chatting he said, wait you have to try this and then bought us Tanglin curry puffs, one chicken and one sardine. I said "well I'm not sure about the sardines...I feed them to the penguins..." He said "trust me...this is not penguin food." He was right...it was one of the best things I have ever tasted. We offered to repay him but he wouldn't hear of it!

After filling our bellies he asked us how much time we had. We told him we were pretty open and he took us to the Buddha tooth relic temple across the street. He walked around with us through all five floors and explained a lot of what we were seeing. After that he offered to take us to the National Museum but we declined as we wanted to move on. I gave him my work info and said if he was ever in Monterey again I would be happy to show him around and after the personal tour he gave us, I hope he takes me up on the offer. Meeting him and getting that personal touch, just because he felt like sharing was one of the best travel experiences I have ever had and will always have a place in my heart.

After that we went to the Sri Mariaman Hindu temple to take some stunning pictures and then made our way back to Maxwell Center and had a famous banana fritter before moving on to Little India. At that point we were drenched in monsoonal downpours so we went to the Banana Leaf Apollo to do what else.....eat of course! We had a delicious dinner of chicken kurma, samosas and lime and watermelon juices before making it back to the hotel.

That's all for now. We have to run...I hear the animals calling and it's almost time to pick up our bus for the Night Safari tour!

Time to dust off the old suitcases....

2011-10-27T19:15:00.003-04:00

You probably thought I had disappeared never to be heard from again and certainly not in blog form. There were times that I kind of thought that too. However, after a wonderful trip to Africa, a nine month job search with a fabulous ending at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a cross country move and over two years of very hard work....the time has come to cross another continent off of our list.

After a lot of adjustment to our new environs and job, Joe and I found that we had a serious case of wanderlust. After much discussion, we decided to conquer Asia. Now, you may not realize this...but Asia is HUGE and full of infinite possibilities. After several arduous months spent pouring over travel books, web sites and old episodes of the Amazing Race..we finally narrowed our choices down to SE Asia. What did we learn from this? We learned that SE Asia alone is HUGE! Back the old drawing board we went and finally came up with a whirlwind sampler of SE Asia and in true Chiappa fashion...it is going to be epic.

Our journey began in San Francisco last night where we boarded the Cadillac of planes hosted by Cathay Pacific. Things were rocky at first as we realized we hadn't been assigned seats together (three years ago when we went abroad we couldn't check in online ahead of time...but now you can). Over 14 hours of flying on one plane and not together...I have to say this redhead was quite distressed. Luckily a kind flight attendant put in a seat request and we ended up with some of the best seats of all....bulkhead seats! We had nobody in front of us and I could actually rest my long limbs on the wall in front of me from time to time. Cathay Pacific also has these great seats encased in a shell that slide forward which means you don't disturb the person behind you.

The food was pretty good (and we enjoyed our Cup of Noodles snack about 8 hours in) but the best part was the Entertainment system. We have flown a lot, but never has there been a better system to stay occupied. They have over 100 movies, entire TV series, language lessons (Joe has now learned that the word for Cat in Thai sounds like "meow"....you can imagine what he is calling me now...) and loads of games. Joe and I even played trivia against each other (though we decided we were too young for some of the questions). Of course we got a little antsy..how could you not when flying for 14 hours...but overall it was a great experience.

We landed in Hong Kong about an hour ago and I am writing to you via the free internet station in the airport. Gotta love technology! It is very overcast (turns out we didn't leave the Monterey fog behind) but it looks like a fun place to explore. So many places...so little time... It will have to wait for another trip.

For now, it's onward Singapore..and almost four more hours of flying! Remember....Asia=huge. See you soon!

Cat

Old Dreams and New! Welcome to my Blog!

2009-03-30T14:12:00.010-04:00

If you had asked me the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" ten years ago my answer would have been hands down, "I want to be on Broadway." Performance whether vocal or instrumental has always been a large part of my life and always will be. However, while singing on Broadway is still a dream of mine it is no longer the dream. Would I still love the opportunity--absolutely, but it just isn't where my focus is anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'll still perform whenever I can, would still like to have a music room in a home one day complete with pianos and various other percussion instruments including a marimba and a xylophone, and will still jump at any opportunity to get paid to sing. However, pursuing performance as a career is no longer my main focus. It's an interesting realization to have since it has always been such a big part of me, but I also know that it always will remain a part of me.

Pursuing a professional career in music or theatre is perhaps one of the hardest tasks anyone could undertake. It requires hours of practice and single minded dedication. If I were to go down that path right this minute I would need to hire a new voice teacher, a vocal coach, take endless refresher dance lessons, prepare monologues....the list goes on and on. It would then be followed by hours of standing in line for a chance to be seen let alone to be heard by a panel of critics and endless calls of rejection peppered with the occasional acceptance....hopefully. It is more than a full time job and while worth it, just isn't where my heart is. I have always had trouble with that single minded dedication because I have always had a million other things I have wanted to do as well. For those of you who know me well, this will not in any way be a surprise to you! So, while I will always jump at the chance to perform and still have many parts I intend to play one day, I probably won't make a full time career of it...though you'd be surprised how well the skills I have learned from performing translate into all kinds of vocations.....

Over the past couple of years I have realized a new dream from which goals are starting to take shape. Now my passion revolves around travel, education, and wildlife conservation and the desire to get people to go out into the world to enjoy, learn, and protect what is out there. I have been very fortunate in the adventures and experience that I have had, and I want to share them so others can feel that joy that I have. Some of my new goals and ideas are:

1. Visit every continent...hopefully multiple times! I've already hit N. America, Australia, Europe and Africa.....3 more to go! I think Asia or S. America will be next...though I do love Australia and Africa...who knows....

2. Start a travel company that gets people out there travelling...especially those who wouldn't normally be able to afford it. I can't go in to too much detail because someone might steal my idea..and then where would I be.........:-)

3. Obtain a position in a Zoo/Aquarium or wildlife organization that allows me to educate the public about wildlife conservation and all the animals that I love. Being able to get involved with the Special Events and Travel depts. would be a bonus too! Hire me...please.....:-)

4. I saw Jack Hanna yesterday and told my husband Joe that I want to be "Cat Chiappa." He told me that I already am.....because I married him......That wasn't quite what I meant......I'd love to be like Jack Hanna and Jeff Corwin and get paid to travel the world teaching people about wildlife and geography, and voluntourism...but I'd like to bring other people with me!

5. Continue to get paid to perform....hey maybe not Broadway...but I'll take it where I can get it....;-)

This blog will be an assortment of animal information and facts, travel tips and suggestions, topical books reviews and other interesting tidbits as I see fit. I hope you enjoy my insights into our "Wild and Wonderful World!" Enjoy!

Africa: An End to the Beginning

2009-03-11T16:05:00.005-04:00

It is hard to believe that is it has been six months since I left Africa. I had a wonderful adventure and I would encourage absolutely everyone to go. I know I yearn for it every day and would go back in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

Harnas Wildlife Foundation in Namibia is a magical place. I realized it while I was there but you don't fully appreciate it until you come home. Unfortunately I made the decision to come home two weeks early, which while I felt it was right at the time, in retrospect was one I wish I hadn't made. When I arrived it was a shock to my system. I missed Joe and was concerned because I couldn't get in touch with him for the first few days. I felt old as many of the people were 19 and 20 and taking time off from school etc. The first night there was a crazy party and people were drinking and vomiting etc and I just remember thinking "oh no, what have I gotten myself into." I'm not much of a drinker and I prefer small groups to parties, so it wasn't something I was used to. It also took a lot for me to get used to (and truthfully I never really did) cutting up fresh horse and donkey meat. So, I decided that while it was a place I was glad that I was able to visit, 4 weeks would be too long. Of course, as time went on I made closer friendships and fell deeply in love with the animals and was excited to return home to Joe but sad to leave after the 2 week period. I also found out later that the night I left the 4 lion cubs had been born and that the next day they had to take them away from their mother for fear that the father would kill them, so I could have spent my last two weeks playing with baby lions cubs!

When I arrived in the US is was really hard to adjust. I desperately missed Africa and everything was so different. The smells of the city were abrasive and the noise was so loud. It was culture shock I hadn't felt before and it was interesting that I felt it upon returning to surroundings of which I was familiar.

I think what I miss the most about Africa is the sounds. At Harnas I was lulled to sleep each night by several roaring lions and the occasional horse whinny, jackal call, and warthog grunt. On one night I was even lucky enough to sleep next to two beautiful cheetahs who soothed me to sleep with their thunderous purring. In Zambia we heard hippos "laughing" at each other throughout the night and in Kruger we listened for the haunting call of the hyena.

When I got to Africa I thought, alright this is nice, but I don't love it the way I love Australia. I knew it was something I would enjoy and could picture myself going back but I didn't feel the same heart wrenching tug that I do for Australia. However, after spending 6 weeks there I found that Africa had infiltrated not just my heart, but also my soul. A piece of my soul will always belong to Africa and it is a place I hope to return to many times throughout my life. I'd love to visit Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, travel through Namibia and take the Garden Route drive in S. Africa. I don't picture myself living there like I do Australia, but who am I kidding...I am always thinking up crazy ideas and usually execute them so I won't rule it out!

The bottom line is that while it was an expensive decision and a sometimes stressful experience (I'd probably have a job by now if I hadn't gone) I wouldn't trade it for the world and if I had to do it all over again, I would make that decision every time! As for Harnas, I think I'll go back. I hope that when I do find that perfect job, it is one that lets me take leaves of absence from time to time to volunteer with animals in places like Harnas, and I hope to be able to show it to others one day. For now I will just have to be content with my pictures and my dreams.

Cat's Animal Adventures...

2008-09-02T20:31:00.001-04:00

As far as I can tell, Cat is having some great animal adventures. Here are her comments:

Aug 29th

Wednesday afternoon was pretty funny though because they wouldn't let me get out of their cage! Unlike the other times when you stand up and they run, this time they decided that I was their human jungle gym and I had all of them running up my leg to my shoulder and jumping on my white hat! They didn't want to get down and I wasn't really sure how I was going to leave....

Today I went in with the squirrels and they were very frisky. I think one is in heat so they were chasing each other and making noises. I drew the line when two of them started to have sex on my leg though! So...I left.

Yesterday I went on a cheetah walk with Cleo and Pride. They walked for a bit and then just laid down for the rest of the time… Tonight I sleep with Cleo and Pride so I am mentally preparing myself to get peed on.

Aug 30th

Sleeping with Cleo and Pride was awesome. They are very cute though and come over right away and snuggle with you all night. However, wild dot dots are TERRIBLE bed hogs and both Dawn and I only had about 6 inches each for our mattresses and every time I moved Cleo would let out a big sigh. It was a really really amazing experience though.

Today I went into the caracal and wild dog enclosures to pick up discarded bones. I had to fend off 8 wild dogs with sticks! We were told to watch our backs so they don't separate us and try to eat us.....ah just another day at the office!

Aug 31st

I was on food prep in the morning and then spent the afternoon hanging out with the animals. I finally went in with Lose the leopard and Asem the vulture and Finn the one winged eagle. I also said hello to my cheetah girls too, oh and I met Zebe the zebra and saw the rabbits.

Sept 2nd

I played with the foxes again last night. One of them came right over and sat with me and then flopped over on his back so that I could scratch his tummy and he made fun grunting noises. They are officially my favorite animals at Harnas and I will be sad to leave them.

Today I thought we were going to have to go to the waterhole but we haven't yet. I got to go on a cheetah walk with Cleo and Pride, though it was more of a cheetah flop as they walk for a bit and then lie down under a shady tree. It was still fun, but I did sit on a bunch of burrs which I am still currently extracting from the butt of my jeans....good times....

--------------

Good times indeed.

Also, don’t forget that there are plenty of YouTube videos up from the first 3 weeks. We are at 13 and counting!

www.youtube.com/catchiappa

Thanks,

Joe

Update from Cat and First Videos!!

2008-08-27T21:08:00.005-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I heard from Cat today and things are going well. Here's her latest news...

Yesterday was fun. I got to go on tour as a guest and I got great video of a lion charging, 25 wild cheetahs attacking meat, and wild dogs going insane! It was pretty neat, but I sun burnt the tops of my ears....whoops!
"I have also fallen in love with some of Harnas' littlest residents...the round
squirrels. You can go into their enclosure and they run all over
you. It's pretty neat. I also hung out with the cheetahs and a blind
vervet monkey yesterday. However, like Jeff Corwin the monkeys freak me
out a bit because I am afraid they will bite...and they probably will."

Back at home I have begun going through pictures and video from the trip. Thanks to the magic of You Tube, I am proud to bring you our first video. See below!

I hope you enjoyed it. There will hopefully be more to come soon. Feel free to visit Cat's You Tube Page at: http://www.youtube.com/catchiappa

Thanks,

Joe

The Journey Continues...

2008-08-25T19:06:00.005-04:00

For those keeping up with the blog and the email updates, Cat is now in Namibia and my mother and I are safely back in the US. As promised, I will do my best to provide updates based on the spotty communications I am receiving and will try to fill in the gaps as well. I reserve the right to edit and/or add any information she sees fit upon her return :)

Franschhoek & Cape Town

When we last left Cat, we just finished a very pleasant stay in Hermanus. I think we were finally beginning to ease into what we consider "relaxation mode" for the trip, which is probably fast paced by other people's standards. Here is Cat's quick summary of the last few days...

"We had a great time in Franschhoek and ate some food/drank wine that was out of
this world. We stayed at a great bed and breakfast too... Yesterday was a
marathon shopping day, but I think we now have everything that we need."

I think the highlights in Franschhoek began with the beautiful guest house at which we stayed. The place was called the Coach House and it is run by a wonderful couple, who were friendly and very helpful. They recommended some of the wonderful places where we ate and organized a wine tour on horseback for our first morning. This was a special treat as it was only my second time on a horse and the first time for my mother.

This was another time where we gave my mother a great deal of credit. Never having been riding, we spent three hours, first going up the side of the mountain and then winding our way through trees and fields of grapes, she had the time of her life, even with a lopsided saddle. Overall we all agreed this is a fantastic way to experience the wine lands.

On the last full day, as mentioned above, we went on a whirlwind shopping tour through Cape Town. We got to see some different parts of the city from our first day, visiting the City Bowl area and Greenmarket Square, which was home to a myriad of handmade crafts. We finished up the day back at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. This time we visited the Blue Shed, another craft venue, where we were able to find an authentic African Drum to bring home. For for more details on what I got to bring home and the challenges of bringing items large and small on two airplanes over 20+ hours of travel, please contact me :)

The last day was capped off with a nice dinner on the Waterfront. This was a combination birthday dinner for my mother and send off for Cat. The next morning I drove her to the airport early so she could begin the Namibian Adventure part of her trip. My mother and I began our long, but pleasant trip home.

Namibia and Harnas

From all reports Namibia has been quite an experience for Cat. Here are some excerpts from her last email...

Here is what I like:

1. The animals are so fun (when they are being nice to you). I have been licked by a cheetah (good exfoliation) and the cheetahs purr constantly and will walk up to you purring. When you feed them you call to them and they run towards you. It is pretty impressive to have a giant cheetah run towards you.

2. I had 5 baboons crawling on me yesterday. I am a little skittish around them because they move quickly and suddenly and I know they can bite, but they are also cute. I had one up the back of my shirt for awhile, but not the one who knows how to undo bras!

3. The bat-eared foxes. We take care of the 7 young ones. You can't really pet them, but you can pet the 3 bigger ones and they are super cute

4. Lost the leopard. I want to go in with her, but I am nervous as she is getting more aggressive (they don't take her on walks anymore) so I am only going to go in with someone who knows her.

5. I have met some very nice people.

My group (1) takes care of: Cleo and Pride (cheetahs) 7 bat eared foxes, mice (which is weird cause one gets killed every Friday for the owl), Tumela the African Grey parrot, a bunch of cats (they are EVERYWHERE) Bubbles and Uma to white (when clean) fluffy dogs, Suki the 1/2 wild cat and Sule this rare spotted cat or sometimes called a black footed cat.

I will be sure to post updates as I receive them and will try to post a few pics in the near future.

-Joe

Swimming with the fishes.....

2008-08-16T15:21:00.003-04:00

It is official, I have now been in the water with great white sharks! Today Joe and I went on a boat to Dyer's Island to go great white shark cage diving. Joe wasn't going to come, but I really wanted someone to share the experience with so when he dropped me off we asked if there was space on the boat and there was, so he came along. We were both very excited (no really, Joe was too!) and we saw ELEVEN sharks!

I went shark cage diving in Hawaii and saw Galapagos sharks and that was very cool. Great whites really aren't as scary in person as they look in pictures, though if I were on a surfboard I think I would change my tune....These guys were between 9-14 feet and they are much thicker girthwise than Galapagos sharks.

The cage is skinny and long and fits 7 people in their own compartments. The boat flew out to the site (we went airbourne a few times) and then they began chumming for the sharks. They use a legal fish mixture, large rotting pieces of fish, and a black seal cutout. It took about 30-45 minutes for the sharks to come, but when they did they were very interested in the seal cutout. They hang out in the kelp at Dyer's Island normally because that is where the seals like to be. We saw their mouths a couple of times, and it was pretty impressive.

I was in the cage for about 15-20 minutes and it was cool. However, the seal was not staying tight on my mask so I kept having to pop up. We stayed on the surface, but when the shark was coming the deckhands would yell "down left" or "down right" etc, and we would duck down and hold onto the handrails to get optimal viewing. The seas were fairly rough though so we got thrown around a lot.

As a result of the rough seas, I am ashamed to say that I got seasick and added my own "chum" to the sea. I had to be in an enclosed space to put the wetsuit on and I think that is what did it. I took a motion sickness pill too, but the swells were pretty big and we were 9 kilometers from the shore. Luckily I got really sick after I saw the sharks and not before!

Tomorrow we were going to go kayaking, but we are really tired and after being on the rough seas today I think I have had enough ocean for a bit. However, we are going to walk on the Cliff Path (2 minutes from the B and B) to see the whales in the morning. We saw some S. Right Whales from the shore today as well. Hermanus is the best place in the world for land based whale watching.

Marie had a lovely day by herself and saw what Hermanus had to offer shoppingwise. Joe and I had a lovely dinner tonight as well, and did manage to do a bit of shopping ourselves. :-)

Tomorrow we are off to the winelands....

Overall it was a pretty cool experience. I was nervous beforehand, but getting in the cage

"Don't pee over there....there are fewer elephants that way...."

2008-08-14T11:26:00.006-04:00

These are the words I heard one of the days of our canoe trip down the Zambezi as I was looking for a place to answer the call of nature.....I laughed and found another bush. However, I learned later that it wasn't just our guide speaking from experience....there actually was a heard of elephants standing about 15 feet behind where I was going to go...:-) Who knew?

Our canoe safari was probably the craziest experience I have ever had, and if you know me you know that is saying a lot! Let's see.....

We made it to Zambia on August 8th, but it was definitely an experience. Our flight out of Jo'berg was delayed..the plane was broken, but then an hour later we got on the same plane as it was miraculously fixed...right........Our hired driver was there, and was very friendly. However, we had to stop to get diesel....and you know the saying "3rd time's the charm..." well it should have been 6th time is the charm as we had to stop at 6 stations before we found one with diesel. By now it was dark and the roads are bad in Zambia, so the trip that was supposed to take 2 hours took 4.....Ah Africa!

We spent the night at a very nice lodge right at the canoe drop off point. However, the next morning I got up and left my tented platform to have breakfast. The sprinklers were on and in my effort to avoid getting wet by running to breakfast, I sprained my right ankle! I was very scared as I didn't know if it was sprained or broken or whether I would do the trip, but I sat with ice on it for two hours (and had my breakfast) and then decided that I had come all of the way out there and was going to go!

After hobbling down the dusty road (everything is soooo dusty in Zambia) to the canoe drop off point we received some instruction and then were on our way. Marie went with one of the two guides and Joe and I were in a canoe towards the back of the group with the other guide. The current was fairly strong and as a result we narrowly escaped death (no really...we would have died) in the first five minutes as we drifted way to close to a pod of 20 hippos! Our guide confessed to us on the last night that he was very concerned at that point as we were in "grave danger" Great.....

The canoe trip as a whole was about 70 Kilometers in length and it was pretty hard. The 2nd day was very windy which made it hard to paddle, though we were going with the current the whole time. There are SOOO many hippos on the Zambezi, and they are really funny to listen to. When they make noise it sounds like a cross between deep laughter and an exhaling whoopie cushion. We teased Marie a lot because she snored at night (was very congested) and we joked that she was trying to communicate with them!

We saw over 100 elephants and had one run across the water right in front of our boat (I got pics and Joe got video) and lots of crocodiles. We even went wading/swimming in water that was about 15 feet away from some crocs....they keep to deep water though and we were in shallow....or so we were told....All limbs are still intact though!

I learned a few things about myself and Africa on this trip.....
1. It sucks to go on safari with a sprained ankle...very hard to get in and out of a canoe (Joe was great though!)
2. I'm not a camper......I have done it before and would again for the right experience, but I don't dig sleeping on the floor and being perpetually dirty...UGH!
3. Peeing in the woods is not for me.....especially near a herd of elephants!
4. Zambia is REALLY chilly at night (I lived though)
5. Baby wipes are key for camping!
6. Joe is the best....(but I already knew that....)

Marie was a trooper on this trip. She loved going down the river, but then she was with the lead guide who kept telling her not to paddle. Instead she put her feet up while her Sherpa like guide paddled the canoe...and she chain smoked down the Zambezi...(until Joe and I yelled at her and told her to stop as the wind was carrying the smoke smell to us) In all honesty though she was really good. She doesn't like peeing in the woods either (but it was very funny when she asked our group how to do it) nor does she enjoy being dirty but she loved Zambia and wants to come back. Joe and I liked Zambia, but feel like we can now check it off of our list. Our group ( 4 S. Africans, and 2 guides) made fun of her thick NY accent and her need for coffee at all time (they teased her by pronouncing it Cwoffee!) but she took it in stride and had a lot of laughs.

The drive back from the canoe end point was possibly more dangerous than the trip itself! We were in a 9 passenger souped-up jeep with a trailer full of canoes. The roads in Zambia are BAD! Imagine the worst road in the world....now cover it in dusty dirt and potholes and render it impassible without a 4X4 and then multiply that by 10. Voila! You have our trip. I swear, I thought the truck was going to tip over at some points due to the crazy angles we were on. I think my brains got bounced out and my nose and lungs filled with dust. The truck also broke down twice, once internally and once because of a punctured tire....go figure! However, we still made good time and got back to the lodge in one piece.

When we go to our final hotel destination last night there was a power outage....and then when it came back on there were no hot water! I was SOO sad..and cold....but right before we went to sleep, Marie was outside smoking and came in and told Joe and I that a herd of zebras came to visit. They were right outside out door!

We have been travelling since 4am this morning but made it to Cape Town around 1pm. Joe is relearning how to drive on the left and our Guest House is really pretty. Now we are wondering around the waterfront of Cape Town, shopping and looking for a place for dinner. I can't wait for a good meal! Until then......

Winter in Africa is still Winter....Brrrrrrrr!

2008-08-07T12:57:00.002-04:00

In my house we have an ongoing joke about how I can't dress for weather. At one point Joe drew me a handy chart showing me what I should wear depending on the temperature. The lowest temperature on the chart being 20 which show a picture of a bed..as in don't get out of bed if it is 20. On the Kruger safari, I learned a valuable lesson. Winter in Africa is still winter and when you are doing game drives in an open safari vehicle, freezing doesn't even begin to describe things. I was the only one who had gloves and a hat too.....hmmm...who's dressing for weather now!

We had a bit of a rocky start leaving for the safari (sat in the hotel lobby from 4:30am-6:30am) but after that everything was great. It took about 4.5 hours to drive up to Kruger National Park, and as soon as we transferred to our safari vehicle at the gate, we immediately began to start seeing animals. We saw 3 of the big 5 in our first 4 hours (rhino...didn't expect to see rhino so it was a nice treat, elephant...the park has 14,000, and leopard.....very lucky they are shy and not often seen). We also saw lots of giraffes and two 3mo old spotted hyena pups which were adoable.

Our first evening we went on a night game drive and saw a gorgeous sunset and were fortunate to see young bull elephants play fighting. It was cool to watch the diurnal animals go to bed and the nocturnal animals start to come out.

The second day we saw the rest of the big 5 including buffalo and a pride of lions (2 females, 2 males, and 4 cubs). They were laying around panting, fat and happy from gorging themselves on a giraffe that they took down the day before. On our last day in Kruger we were able to see them again, but this time they were eating and a little cub was sleeping inside of the rib cage. It was a truly amazing sight to see!

The most amazing thing about the safari is simply seeing the sheer number of animals. I have seen many of these animals in zoos before, but never in these numbers. We saw herds of 40+ zebra, tons of elephants and herds of giraffes running through the veld. We didn't see any cheetahs or wild dogs, but maybe we will on our next safari! We have seen a lot of babies though including lions, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, baboons, vervet monkeys, elephants and hyenas.

The camps at Kruger are fenced in and we slept in tents with twin beds. Right before dinner on our second night I saw an elephant walking and after dinner hyenas we patrolling the fence perimeter. It was quite exciting and hearing hyenas whoop to each other in the early morning is really a special thing.

Last night we stayed at a private game reserve which was basic but very nice. This morning at breakfast we all got to feed a nyala (a neat looking antelope) which had very wet lips and a slobbery tongue, but was very cute. We also watched monkeys steal apples from the table...cheeky monkeys!

We also saw Blyde River Canyon which is the 3rd deepest canyon in the world and was gorgeous. Even though this part of Africa is experiencing winter, the mix of browns and greens is still beautiful. The veld is teeming with life and there are aniamals everywhere you look...just they way I like it. In fact Joe has made it his personal mission to snap a photo/video of every animal that crosses the road in front of our safari vehicle...so far he is doing well!

Tomorrow we leave for Zambia. We have a 2 hour flight and then a 2 hour drive to our hotel/canoe drop off point. Our canoe safari is from Sat 8/9-Wed 8/13. I won't have any communication so make sure everyone watches lots of Olympic coverage for me!

Until then....

Cat

Jambo Africa!

2008-08-03T12:37:00.001-04:00

Jambo everyone!

The Chiappa family has made it safely to Africa! The flight was very long, but it was ok. The only bad thing is that the seats were made for midgets (Marie was quite comfortable). :-) Actually the plane wasn't full so it was nice. Marie got to spread out a little and I took her seat for the second leg. The first leg felt like it took forever, but I took a tylenol pm for the second leg and it went faster. They definitely give you a lot of fun options for entertainment though. They have video and audio on demand. Our plane even got in 1/2 hour early. I haven't seen any monkeys yet though...or groundhogs...;-)

We got went through customs and secured transportation without a hitch (though I think we got a little gauged on the price...but what can you do..) and the hotel is very nice. The rooms are clean and the bathroom has a nice shower and a tub.

I'm a little concerned because we haven't heard from the safari people so we don't have a time for pick-up for our safari tomorrow, but we should know soon. We are going to order food from a nearby restaurant for dinner tonight so we don't have to leave the hotel. I am looking forward to laying in the horizontal position...in fact after 19 hours in a plane I may never sit up again!

That's all I have to report for now. It seems surreal that we will be seeing lions and elephants and all other types of animals in this wild country tomorrow though!

Cat

The Adventure Begins...

2008-08-02T01:37:00.001-04:00

A few days ago I was going to begin this blog with a witty introduction...but a few days ago I hadn't packed yet either. After going to bed between 2 and 3am each morning this week, the packing sadly didn't happen as quickly as I would have liked. I should probably also tell you that I do many things well, but packing is NOT one of them! However, with that having been said, we leave for our great adventure in 16 hours... By we, I mean my husband Joe and my mother-in-law Marie. If you think that traveling with your mother-in-law and your husband to a far off land is not your ordinary vacation...well you're probably right, but I think we'll be ok!

The journey begins with a 17-18 hour flight from JFK to Johannesburg, South Africa...I mean who doesn't like being folded up like a pretzel for a million hours in a plane full of dehydration....A few days ago Marie asked me what first class was like and I told her. Heaven. However, I also told her that heaven costs about $5000-6000. She then replied..."Oh, I thought it would only be like $100 more and if that was the case I was going to suggest we go for it." Believe me, if first class were only $100 extra per person I would have already gone for it! Ah well...pretzel it is.

The Chiappa Family African Adventure as I like to call it is laid out like this:

August 4-7-Kruger National Park, South Africa (I want to see a bushbaby!)
August 8-Fly to Lusaka Zambia
August 9-13-Canoe Safari down the Zambezi ("I love hippos....which is fine as long as you don't love them too close.....I'm really excited to see elephants though!)
August 14-Fly to Cape Town South Africa, Try to go on a cultural tour with dinner and traditional dance in a township
August 15-Tour of Cape Town, self drive to Hermanus (whale-watching capital of the world..it is Southern Right Whale breeding season and you can see upwards of 50 whales right from the shore!)
August 16- (enter Jaws theme...) Cat-Great White Shark Cage Diving! Joe and Marie....relaxing and shopping...
August 17-Sea Kayaking in a Whale Sanctuary (how cool is that!) Then onward to the Winelands...
August 18-Sightseeing, Wine tasting, Food Coma....
August 19-Spa Day! Relaxation at last.....Joe goes biking and drinking...maybe at the same time
August 20-Travel to Cape Town..sightseeing and loose ends...
August 21-Cat to Windhoek Namibia, Joe and Marie home
August 22-Joe and Marie arrive at JFK at 7amish, Cat to Harnas Wildlife Foundation (check out the video...takes about 30 seconds to begin once it is loaded)
August 22-September 18-Harnas Wildlife Foundation (feeding baboons, sleeping with cheetahs and hanging out with all kinds of animals!)
August 19-Cat begins to head home...
August 20-Cat arrives at Dulles at 6amish...

I will try to blog when I can while we are all together, but once Joe gets home he will be writing about my adventures for me as communication will be spotty on my end.

Wish me luck!

Cat