African Safari

Doug and I took advantage of my mom being in town and decided to go to South Africa for a week. We shared a home with out great friends Steve and Sarah, at a resort located close to the Krueger National Park. It was a cute thatched roof, three bedroom home next to the Sabie river. Here we are outside the home. Thanks to the great AFV deal.



The first night we were there we ate at the Carnivore restaurant. It is like a Brazilian BBQ, except you are served all the African meats like crocodile, ostrich and Kudu. Our favorites hands down were the giraffe and zebra. How sad is that? They are so beautiful and tasty.








As we drove to the resort we passed many huge "shanty" towns. It is very sad to she how they live, with chickens and kids running around bare footed in the cold. Many of the neighborhoods of shantys were right next to nice big homes.





We spent two days in Krueger park. We were able to see everything we had hoped for: a family of lions, a leopard sleeping in a tree, with his dead deer in the branch next to him, giraffes, water buffalo, hippos, rhinos, warthogs ect.. My favorite was we had a couple herds of elephants cross in front of us while we were looking at other animals. It was so great , all of the sudden the trees would start shaking and the elephants would come out of nowhere. They would just keep coming and coming. The babies were so dang cute.


















We had a chance to visit a tribal village. We meet the chief, and medicine man, participated in dancing and had dinner in a mud hut. It was an interesting look in to tribal life.











As we were heading out to see the local waterfalls and lookout points, we can across an unexpected turn out that quickly became our favorite activity of the trip. We bungee/swung down a 170 meter cliff. Doug and I did it together. I am not sure I could have done it with out him boing tied to me. It was the strangest feeling I have ever had, falling backwards the 170 meters before the bungee caught us. WOW!!!






We are the tiny dot down there.


This is the bottom of the cliff we jumped off. It was beautiful.

We next visited the Blyde river canyon, Bourke's luck potholes, Lisbon and Berlin waterfalls " God's window" where on a clear day you can see all the way to the Mozambique coast. We were not there on that day. We also hiked through an area of rainforest.


















On the way home we stopped at a gold mining town, with the old charm still there.







One afternoon we crossed the Mozambique boarder. With the help of a couple locals, we waited in long lines on both sides of the boarder, but as the paper work and money just kept building up, we turned around before it got any worse. It was a very interesting experience.







The last day we were there we had a chance to go on a Microlight plane ride. It flew us over the local area and over our resort. It was beautiful. I am afraid it just fueled Doug's desire to own a plane some day.







This is our home we stayed on next to the river.



What a fun opportunity this was. One I will never forget!! I hope it will not be the last time.