South Africa Day 5

We were up bright and early - the earliest we've gotten up since arriving.  Perhaps the jet lag has finally passed.  We appreciated the heat in the rooms which made getting out of bed earlier a bit easier.  We made it to the lodge in time for coffee and hot chocolate before the drive and then met our guide and drove out into the game reserve.  It was freezing and we were given hot water bottles and lined ponchos to wear - those hot water bottles are the best thing ever!  The first animals we saw were the elephants.  There were 2 males that were playing in and around the watering hole.  The larger Silanti is about 3.5 tons (and still growing) and the smaller is Moya.  We learned that these elephants are not as large as some of the African elephants in Kenya which grow to 6-7 tons and it was hard to imagine a creature twice Silanti's size.  We then saw some zebra, water buffalos, giraffes, a cheetah (eating his morning meal), lions, hippos, eland, impala, and then on our way back we actually saw a springbok pronking.  We had seen this on Planet Earth and laughed at how funny they looked.  And sure enough one was running and then just leaped with all 4 feet in the air.  It was fantastic!

We arrived back hungry for breakfast and were greeted with a buffet of options including homemade omelettes and flapjacks.  We left full and happy and went the the reptile center to see the snakes.  We learned about the different ways snakes kill (constrictors vs venomous with 3 different kinds of venom - cytotoxin, neurotoxin, and hemotoxin) and everyone held the ball python and the corn snake (both constrictors).  We learned that the Black Mamba is the most deadly snake in Africa - huge (up to 15 meters), venomous (neurotoxin) and aggressive and considered the world's deadliest snake - but more people are actually killed by the boomslang which is a bit smaller and has a hemotoxin.  We also learned that after hippos crocodiles kill the most people and met a few crocodiles (we didn't hold those) and met a few tortoises.

Then the boys desperately wanted to go swimming.  Even after feeling the water.  So first Mr. 4, Mr. 7, and Mr. 11 and then Mr. 13 and even Dad joined in the fun and did a bit of polar bearing.  We warmed up, ate a bit of lunch, and the older boys and I headed off for the kids program - tracking.  We went back into the bush with our guide and saw zebra tracks.  We found a giraffe and followed him.  We didn't catch his track but we saw him getting down to drink.  And spotted a track later!

By the time we were back and refueled it was time to grab our jackets for the evening drive.  There was more driving to find the animals and it made me appreciated what a real safari must actually be like - and to know that there is no way our family is ready for that.  Two hours is more than enough for us.  Mr. 4 fell asleep for the first half and woke up as we found the lions.  Luckily we came back around to see the rhinos again so he didn't miss too much.  The drive ended with getting to meet Moya and Silanti and feed them a treat.

We finished our night off with another delicious dinner and another episode of Scooby Doo and Batman (the kids watched a bit of Tin Tin too so their cultural diversity was complete).  Another early morning tomorrow!

South Africa Day 4

After a bit of a rough night, I woke up feeling not quite so well and it took us a bit to gather the troops and pack up.  We were returning to visit A and J but we weren't sure about the temperature on safari so basically took most of our stuff with us (we left the shorts though - maybe it's warm in London or maybe it was just too much wishful thinking).  A and J were joining us for our drive down to Hermanus so we could see the shore and maybe a few whales.  I still was a bit under the weather so I napped on and off while the boys happily did puzzles together (we love puzzleyourkids.com) and Mr. 4 asked how to spell various things (the brothers were writing words so he needed to as well).

We arrived in Hermanus, found a place to park, and set out along the cliff walk.  The first thing we came across was small furry creatures on the cliffside.  Thanks to Google we discovered that these are dassies and related to the elephant and not actually a rodent - so cool!  The weather was gorgeous and the view of the ocean amazing.  We sat down to watch the waves while the younger boys played on the playground.  It was about that time that David thought to call and ask what time we needed to be there for safari - oops 4pm!  We would just make it if we left right then.  We gathered everyone up, got a few snacks for the drive, and jumped in the car!  

We turned on an audio book and enjoyed the scenery but the kilometers just weren't going down fast enough.  We called when it was clear we would be about 15 minutes late.  They said maybe but the cars actually left promptly so unlikely.  Then we were stopped for going too fast (with 4 other cars - they said there was a change in speed a bit back but we missed it just as many others had) but just received a warning.  And then a bathroom stop was needed.  They called a few minutes before 4pm and we had to tell them that we actually weren't going to make it until closer to 4:30.  There was quite a bit of sadness but in the end it allowed us to arrive, check in, explore the room, take a walk, and get to dinner.  If we had rushed and made it, we're not sure everyone would have been in the best shape for a 2 hour drive across the bush.  So perhaps it was just what we needed.

The Garden Route Game Lodge is beautiful and we had 2 adjoining rooms so everyone was quite comfortable.  There were impala standing by the lodge when we arrived which was a great greeting.  Everyone had recovered at that point and happily exclaimed over it all.  There is a pool which is "heated" but that just means not freezing cold.  It is not a comfortable temperature for the winter.  We took a walk down to the watering hole and saw hippos.  Dinner was a buffet with a grill where the meat choices included eland and ostrich - both of which were tried and enjoyed by our clan.  Tea is plentiful (rooibus which is everyone's favorite) and there was a selection of movies available for borrowing.  We couldn't pass up showing the kids Scooby Doo and Batman - the old 1970s edition.  Everyone thought it was hilarious despite some initial reluctance.  Then it was to bed for an early start to our safari