The South Coast

Here is a picture of the South Coast. It was pretty windy and the water was really rough. Here is a picture of the tidal pool.

Nicola & Kirsten

There were tons of bananas down here. They put blue bags around so they ripen quicker and to keep the monkeys away.

Here is a weaver bird. The males weave nests with palm fronds and if the females don't like them they rip them down and make them do it again.

Amanda, Nicola & Kirsten

We spent a lot of time beading Kirsten's wedding dress. It is so pretty!

Daniel Rhyddid

Bex and Daniel

Keira and her baby brother, Daniel. She loves him to bits!

Dance Winner!

I was invited to participate in a dance contest sponsored by Abbot Laboratories for the drug Humira. We trained for about 10 weeks and had the final contest today in Durban. There were 4 of us competing for the top prize of continuing dance classes and dancing in Jo'burg in December.

Here is our teacher, Chantel

The competition--Cornelia, Nerisha & Adele

The dancers and our instructor

This is Harold Van Buuren, the choreographer and professional dancer & judge. He is a South African celebrity! He judges the South African reality dance shows--apparently he criticizes similarly to Simon on American Idol. (Watch the hand buddy!)

My trophy and certificate.

St. Lucia

We went on the hippo and croc tour in St. Lucia in the pooring rain.

The baby loved to get his picture taken, he smiled for the pics.

Here is a fish eagle--similar to the bald eagle, but the white on is head extends further down his body.

This croc is around 12 feet long.

He looks mean and hungry.

Zulu Dancers

Our hotel had Zulu singers and dancers for the evening entertainment. I had to go up and dance with them for part of the show!

This 'little' guy was the man in charge. He was posing for this pic--I am not really sure what it in his hands.

He was a dancing all over the place!

This guy let you take a picture with him for a small tip.

Here is the mailbox at the hotel...no big blue box like at home. But at home, the mail always makes it to its destination unopened--I can't say the same for over here.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi #3

Here is a picture of me at the entrance to the game park. I tried to get a 'local' rate, but since I don't have a South African ID I had to pay the international rate.

A map of the park

I love those stripes!

Yes, it was that cold...I did need a hat, scarf and gloves to keep warm!
There is a lion hiding in the bushes. Can you see him? Neither could I.

This giraffe is checking out the zebra with the huge white stripe. Supposedly a lion attacked the zebra but not enough to kill it. So, they called in a vet to keep the bugs from eating up the wound. They usually don't call in vets, they let nature run its course. I am not sure why they did in this case.

Buffalo
Here is a male and female buffalo. The males have thicker horns and the females have thinner ones.

Here is a pregnant baboon. The hemorrhage while pregnant because the baby is using up all of their internal space. It looks disgusting.

Here is a picture of a hyena. It was getting dark so the picture didn't really turn out. They are very strange looking in person.
We saw tons of rhinos.

We even saw a rhino giving birth (not this one.)

A dirty warthog

Spier Winery

There is a Cheetah Outreach at the Spier Winery in Cape Town.

The cheetah is the world's fastest animal. It can go 0-80 km/hr in 3 seconds (equal to the speed of the Formula 1 Ferrari in 1999.) Their top speed is about 110-120 km/hr.

The cheetah has a stride of 7-8 meters

An adult cheetah has over 2000 spots

The oldest cheetah fossil remains have been found in Wyoming, Texas and Nevada

This baby cheetah has the King Gene. It is a recessive trait that makes their spots bleed together.

Me petting Joseph, the cheetah

Family friends Anita and Charlene

Boulder's Beach

Driving to the Cape of Good Hope, we stopped at Boulder's Beach. We could see whales off shore, none coming out of the water--we could only see their spouts.

Who would have thought you would need a sign for this?