Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian Friends and Relatives. We have lot's to be thankful for, that is for sure.
Well, we made it safely to South Africa. From what I've seen so far, this is an absolutely fantastic place. The people are so very friendly. I only wish it wasn't such a long flight from North America.
From Winnipeg to Johannesburg we had to take three flights. The last flight was almost 16 hours long, which is a killer.
Here is the first glimpse of the African continent, flying in over Namibia towards Johannesburg:
Once we landed in Johannesburg, we went to our hotel for one night. The next morning, the group came to pick us up at the hotel, that's when we met up with my mom.
We went on right away on a city tour of Johannesburg, and the tour guide gave us lots of very interesting info on the history of South Africa. Below you see a picture of one of the sky scraper in downtown Johannesburg. It has been 20 years since democracy came to this place, and it is being celebrated everywhere.
This is downtown Johannesburg. There are 2 1/2 million people living in Joburg.
Crime used to be a huge, huge problem, but it has all gotten much better, and the city is seeing a revival.
Once we were finished with the city tour, we drove out to the Heia Safari Ranch, where we are spending two nights. It is a private hotel and game park.
As we walked down towards our rondavel (our hotel room) we almost walked into two giraffes. They were hard to see, as they blend into the surroundings.
This is our rondavel. The whole house is our room. Note the giraffes in the back.
Next we went for a little walk around the park, and came across a herd of Zebra's.
As very interesting fact I learned about Zebra's: Baby Zebra's recognize their mothers not by their smell, but by their stripes. Each and every Zebra has a different pattern, just like our human finger prints.
I couldn't get enough of the giraffes.....
This is how our "resort" looks like. Everybody has their own rondavel.
Another interesting fact about South Africa: TV was not allowed at all until 1975, because the government was afraid that the people would not go to church anymore and not read the bible long enough. What a place!
More next time. Not sure when, as internet is very slow and difficult.
Holy giraffe! You're in another world! Love the blog,
ReplyDeleteWow! It's not everyday that you can step out of your hotel room and see giraffes and zebras. Squirrels just won't do anymore. Interesting comments about Joburg. I would be curious about your observations about the people: Were you out on the street at all? Did you hear people speaking Afrikaans, English, one of the native African languages? How about the ethnic mix of the city? And what about your tour members? Where do they come from?
ReplyDeleteWow! The giraffes and the zebras blow me away already. And what a beautiful day it is, nice blue skies. I especially like your rondavel. I am curious how it looks inside. Good to learn bits and pieces, it's like National Geographic in action. Anyway, keep blogging, I'll be your avid follower. Take care and enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving from Canada!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, Carine, well done! I am now getting very excited myself, just another three and a half weeks and I hopefully will be circled by giraffes as well!
ReplyDeleteBooked the flight, the car, the safari and some golf...it's coming along! Will still check out best way to stay in touch, i.e. if I shall buy a local prepaid as well...will let you know.
Greetings from Switzerland! Tamara
Room 19 at École Robert Browning wants to know:
ReplyDeleteDid you see a lion?
How did you get so close to the giraffe?
Do giraffes have skin or fur?
Which animal do you want to see the most?
Do giraffes have skin or fur? That's a fantastic question!
DeleteBonjour Ecole Robert Browning
DeleteThank you for following our blog.
We did see one lion, he was sitting under a small tree, He was feeding on a giraffe, which was lying near by.
Giraffes have nice soft fur.
I don't know which animal I want to see most. Everytime I see an Elefant, I like them the most. Then I see a Giraffe, so I think they are the most fun to see. So it goes with almost all the animals we see. But I think I like the Elephants the most.