You can check out pictures that relate to my blogs about our trip to South Africa on my Facebook page.
Pictures of Days 1-8.
Pictures of Days 9-13.
Enjoy.
And as always, thanks for reading.
Blessings,
Tony
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Leaving & Traveling: SA Trip Days 12 & 13
Thursday was our last day in South Africa and it turned out to be a busy adventuresome day. We started with breakfast, then headed to the church to meet some people who missed us on Sunday and wanted to meet us (mostly Josh).
After that we checked out a mall in Pretoria, then went back to the house to pack all of our stuff and load the cars. Before heading to the airport we hit one last market to get some souvenirs and gifts for people. After surviving the market and pushy sales people, we were off to the airport until the rental car got a flat tire. It would not have been that big of a deal, except that there was no owners manual, and the tools were missing from the kit to change the tire. After some ingenuity from Ryan and Dad, we got the spare tire on and got back on our way.
The delay caused us to hit rush hour traffic in Johannesburg, which got us to get to the airport with about an hour to spare for making our flight. Thankfully some of the flight crew got stuck in the same traffic, and so we made our flight with no problem. We would spend the next 11 hours or so on the British Airways Boeing 747. Lots of fun.
When we got to London Heathrow Airport, we had to go through three different security check points. First, normal security after we landed and had to get to a different terminal, then at the America Airline check in place, and then again at our departure gate. Sarah left the gate to buy a drink and they gave her a pat down when she came back in. They take their security serious in London.
Anyways, after and 11 hour flight from Johannesburg and two hour break we where on an 8 1/2 hour flight to Chicago. Once we landed in Chicago we had to clear customs and re-check our bags. It ended up being less of a hassle than I thought it would be. We parted ways Jess, Ryan, & Josh after going through security. As we were getting ready to board our final flight of our long trip home, Sarah noticed that famous country singer & actress Leann Rimes was on our flight from Chicago to Denver. That was kind of cool.
That flight was about an hour and half and seemed like nothing compared to the last two. Once in Denver a friend picked us up in our car (Thanks Jordan), we dropped him back at his house in Aurora and then headed home.
Once we got home Sarah and I took some much needed showers, which felt amazing after 35 hours of traveling. Once dressed and feeling better we headed to my Mom & Dad's house to pick up our kids and dogs (thanks Mom, Dad, & Chris).
It was a joyous reunion. We spent a quiet evening at home and once the kids went to bed Sarah and I spent time reflecting on the great trip and both crashed pretty early in the evening. I think I was out by 9 PM or so which for me is really early for me.
We had a great time and have memories and experiences that will last a lifetime.
FYI: District 9/ Prawn Update: Due to a lack of time I was not able to do enough investigation to confirm or deny the existence of District 9 and/ or Prawns living in Johannesburg.
After that we checked out a mall in Pretoria, then went back to the house to pack all of our stuff and load the cars. Before heading to the airport we hit one last market to get some souvenirs and gifts for people. After surviving the market and pushy sales people, we were off to the airport until the rental car got a flat tire. It would not have been that big of a deal, except that there was no owners manual, and the tools were missing from the kit to change the tire. After some ingenuity from Ryan and Dad, we got the spare tire on and got back on our way.
The delay caused us to hit rush hour traffic in Johannesburg, which got us to get to the airport with about an hour to spare for making our flight. Thankfully some of the flight crew got stuck in the same traffic, and so we made our flight with no problem. We would spend the next 11 hours or so on the British Airways Boeing 747. Lots of fun.
When we got to London Heathrow Airport, we had to go through three different security check points. First, normal security after we landed and had to get to a different terminal, then at the America Airline check in place, and then again at our departure gate. Sarah left the gate to buy a drink and they gave her a pat down when she came back in. They take their security serious in London.
Anyways, after and 11 hour flight from Johannesburg and two hour break we where on an 8 1/2 hour flight to Chicago. Once we landed in Chicago we had to clear customs and re-check our bags. It ended up being less of a hassle than I thought it would be. We parted ways Jess, Ryan, & Josh after going through security. As we were getting ready to board our final flight of our long trip home, Sarah noticed that famous country singer & actress Leann Rimes was on our flight from Chicago to Denver. That was kind of cool.
That flight was about an hour and half and seemed like nothing compared to the last two. Once in Denver a friend picked us up in our car (Thanks Jordan), we dropped him back at his house in Aurora and then headed home.
Once we got home Sarah and I took some much needed showers, which felt amazing after 35 hours of traveling. Once dressed and feeling better we headed to my Mom & Dad's house to pick up our kids and dogs (thanks Mom, Dad, & Chris).
It was a joyous reunion. We spent a quiet evening at home and once the kids went to bed Sarah and I spent time reflecting on the great trip and both crashed pretty early in the evening. I think I was out by 9 PM or so which for me is really early for me.
We had a great time and have memories and experiences that will last a lifetime.
FYI: District 9/ Prawn Update: Due to a lack of time I was not able to do enough investigation to confirm or deny the existence of District 9 and/ or Prawns living in Johannesburg.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Safari Time: SA Trip Days 9, 10, & 11
On Monday morning, we got up early to make the drive to Kruger National Park. It's an enormous chunk of land in the north east corner of South Africa left alone from development. There are lots of wild animals doing what they do in their natural habitat, it's like a zoo on steroids. As soon as we entered Kruger we began to see animals, it was awesome. We saw a lot of impala, giraffes, elephants, zebras, & various birds. This was all before even getting to our lodge or going on a game drive (safari).
Once we got to the lodge we would be staying at called, "Little Jock" (part of Jock Safari Lodge), we were greeted by our hosts David & Ilana. They had pretend champagne (fizzy apple juice) for us. They took our luggage to our rooms, and we signed a form that said if an animal hurt or killed us on a game drive they were not liable. They also took our lunch order. I had a Kudu filet that was very tasty!
After lunch and settling in, David took us on our first game drive. It was simply, amazing! We tracked some lions, but never saw them. However, we did see rhino, elephant, giraffe, impala, kudu, water buck, duiker, bushbuck, warthog all kind of birds (we saw one bird catch a frog), and we had snacks in a dry river bed.
As it got dark we saw a beautiful sunset over the bush. It was fiery reds & oranges, just awesome! The game drive doesn't end when the sun goes down, because our guide used a spot light to find some various nocturnal creatures like jackal, serval, African wild cat, white-tailed mongoose, some bats, and birds. Our first game drive had a good variety of animals and was an incredible experience!
It got pretty cold, and as we got back to the lodge after our first game drive they had hot chocolate and coffee waiting for us! Then it was dinner. We were all pretty tired and went to bed shortly after dinner, good thing too, because we had to get up early the next morning.
5:30 AM. That's when the wake up call came. Thank goodness for coffee! You get up early to see the animals as they get up and maybe catch a few of the nocturnal ones heading to sleep. This morning we got to see a male leopard stalk a warthog and almost have a nice big breakfast. Unfortunately, the leopard lunged into a bush and the warthog got away, but it was a thrill to see that!
It was a great start to the morning, and made being cold worth it. We also got to see a beautiful sunrise. As the game drive went on we got to see many of the same animals we already seen, and add hippo, crocodile, some dwarf mongoose, and many new birds to our list of animals seen. It was a good morning. When we got back to the lodge they had hot drinks and a breakfast starter buffet (fruit, yogurt, muffins, etc.) waiting. As you nibble on that they take your order for a hot breakfast. I had a delicious omelet.
After breakfast, just the guys (Paul, Ryan, & I) went on a "Bush Walk." We had three armed guides and walked around in the bush for about two hours. We learned about trees, dung, came close to a couple of warthogs, and saw a cape buffalo. It was a nice informative walk, and made Ryan and I want to camp or do a backpacking trip through the bush.
After the walk, we had a high tea, which is a smaller lunch consisting of finger foods and drinks. Then it was off for our evening game drive. We saw a lot of the same animals as other game drives, and added blue wildebeest, nile monitor, bushbaby, genet, steenbok, sable, banded mongoose, cape hare, pearl-spotted owl, eagle owl, and some other new birds to our list of animals seen.
We all really wanted to see some lions, we heard a lioness in the distance at one point, but never saw her. At one point we ran into several rhinos blocking the road. They are very territorial animals, and for a little bit it seemed like we might get charged, but it all worked out fine.
After the game drive we finished the day with an outdoor dinner under the stars and by the fire. It was another great day!
We got up at 5:30 AM again, and headed out for our last game drive. We added vervet monkey, spotted & brown hyaena, and a few new birds to our list of animals seen. It was a cold morning and our slowest game drive for animals spotted. Although we still got to see a lot of animals just not many new ones. We had no luck seeing a lion, although some were spotted that morning, they were way on the other side of Kruger. After the game drive we had breakfast and then had to pack up and head back to Pretoria.
Being at Kruger and the safari lodge was one of those things you get to cross off your bucket list. It was such an incredible experience, and we all had a ton of fun. I could have stayed for several more days, but time and money get in the way of that.
As we were leaving Little Jock & Kruger, we got stuck in the middle of a huge heard of Elephants crossing the road. A momma elephant got agitated at us, and we thought she might come after us. But we backed up to let her know we were not trying to get to her or her babies. After a bit of a tense situation, she moved on. As we got up to that spot we saw what seemed like hundreds of elephants at the river bed drinking and cooling, not to mention the several that had already passed in front of us. It was crazy. On the way out of the park we also saw a civet, that was the last new animal we got to add to our list.
Then it was about a four our drive back to Pretoria. Our time in South Africa is coming to an end and that's sad. It's been a great time and adventure, and I'm so grateful to get to have these memories and experiences! We have a few things to do in the morning, and then we start the long journey home tomorrow night. The time has gone by so fast.
FYI: Saw a guy possibly eating cat food, so I might have a "District 9/ Prawn," sighting. Still not sure though as further recon is required.
Once we got to the lodge we would be staying at called, "Little Jock" (part of Jock Safari Lodge), we were greeted by our hosts David & Ilana. They had pretend champagne (fizzy apple juice) for us. They took our luggage to our rooms, and we signed a form that said if an animal hurt or killed us on a game drive they were not liable. They also took our lunch order. I had a Kudu filet that was very tasty!
After lunch and settling in, David took us on our first game drive. It was simply, amazing! We tracked some lions, but never saw them. However, we did see rhino, elephant, giraffe, impala, kudu, water buck, duiker, bushbuck, warthog all kind of birds (we saw one bird catch a frog), and we had snacks in a dry river bed.
As it got dark we saw a beautiful sunset over the bush. It was fiery reds & oranges, just awesome! The game drive doesn't end when the sun goes down, because our guide used a spot light to find some various nocturnal creatures like jackal, serval, African wild cat, white-tailed mongoose, some bats, and birds. Our first game drive had a good variety of animals and was an incredible experience!
It got pretty cold, and as we got back to the lodge after our first game drive they had hot chocolate and coffee waiting for us! Then it was dinner. We were all pretty tired and went to bed shortly after dinner, good thing too, because we had to get up early the next morning.
5:30 AM. That's when the wake up call came. Thank goodness for coffee! You get up early to see the animals as they get up and maybe catch a few of the nocturnal ones heading to sleep. This morning we got to see a male leopard stalk a warthog and almost have a nice big breakfast. Unfortunately, the leopard lunged into a bush and the warthog got away, but it was a thrill to see that!
It was a great start to the morning, and made being cold worth it. We also got to see a beautiful sunrise. As the game drive went on we got to see many of the same animals we already seen, and add hippo, crocodile, some dwarf mongoose, and many new birds to our list of animals seen. It was a good morning. When we got back to the lodge they had hot drinks and a breakfast starter buffet (fruit, yogurt, muffins, etc.) waiting. As you nibble on that they take your order for a hot breakfast. I had a delicious omelet.
After breakfast, just the guys (Paul, Ryan, & I) went on a "Bush Walk." We had three armed guides and walked around in the bush for about two hours. We learned about trees, dung, came close to a couple of warthogs, and saw a cape buffalo. It was a nice informative walk, and made Ryan and I want to camp or do a backpacking trip through the bush.
After the walk, we had a high tea, which is a smaller lunch consisting of finger foods and drinks. Then it was off for our evening game drive. We saw a lot of the same animals as other game drives, and added blue wildebeest, nile monitor, bushbaby, genet, steenbok, sable, banded mongoose, cape hare, pearl-spotted owl, eagle owl, and some other new birds to our list of animals seen.
We all really wanted to see some lions, we heard a lioness in the distance at one point, but never saw her. At one point we ran into several rhinos blocking the road. They are very territorial animals, and for a little bit it seemed like we might get charged, but it all worked out fine.
After the game drive we finished the day with an outdoor dinner under the stars and by the fire. It was another great day!
We got up at 5:30 AM again, and headed out for our last game drive. We added vervet monkey, spotted & brown hyaena, and a few new birds to our list of animals seen. It was a cold morning and our slowest game drive for animals spotted. Although we still got to see a lot of animals just not many new ones. We had no luck seeing a lion, although some were spotted that morning, they were way on the other side of Kruger. After the game drive we had breakfast and then had to pack up and head back to Pretoria.
Being at Kruger and the safari lodge was one of those things you get to cross off your bucket list. It was such an incredible experience, and we all had a ton of fun. I could have stayed for several more days, but time and money get in the way of that.
As we were leaving Little Jock & Kruger, we got stuck in the middle of a huge heard of Elephants crossing the road. A momma elephant got agitated at us, and we thought she might come after us. But we backed up to let her know we were not trying to get to her or her babies. After a bit of a tense situation, she moved on. As we got up to that spot we saw what seemed like hundreds of elephants at the river bed drinking and cooling, not to mention the several that had already passed in front of us. It was crazy. On the way out of the park we also saw a civet, that was the last new animal we got to add to our list.
Then it was about a four our drive back to Pretoria. Our time in South Africa is coming to an end and that's sad. It's been a great time and adventure, and I'm so grateful to get to have these memories and experiences! We have a few things to do in the morning, and then we start the long journey home tomorrow night. The time has gone by so fast.
FYI: Saw a guy possibly eating cat food, so I might have a "District 9/ Prawn," sighting. Still not sure though as further recon is required.
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