The Ultimate Safari

There are safaris, and then there is THE safari experience, where you have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to nuzzle a white lion cub.

While in Zambia on our elephant ride, we were told by an avid animal lover about a stellar park close to Johannesburg where one could not only see lions (our small safari park near our lodge did not have them because they would decimate the population very quickly), and actually handle young lions. 

Since we were going back to Jo'burg, Andrew took us to the Lion and Rhino Park about 45 minutes outside the city. We were in for a delightful surprise. Not only did we find many species we had not previously encountered, but, I did indeed nuzzle a white lion cub, and pet two others. Here's the video to prove it. Towards the end, the cub licked my forehead, and grabbed my bangs and pulled! It reminded me of the way our two cats play, so I wasn't afraid. Maybe I should have been??

Two adorable white lion cubs

                                                                                    Wild Dogs . . .

Ostrich. . .

                                                                Ibex. . .

Zebra. . .

                                                               One of my favorites. . . Warthog. . .and her young!

The Terrain . . .

Andrew's car and the end of the journey. . .his car is black!

A beautiful end to a fabulous journey!

An Afternoon Safari

We took a dip in the pool overlooking the Zambezi River, and then moved on to our next adventure: a safari through the smallest game park in Zambia, close to our hotel.  The adventurous trio. . .

It was the habitat for the major African animal groups, except the lion and leopard. Due to its proximity to our lodge, and the probability they would eat the creatures systematically in this small park, the keepers decided against keeping them.

                                                     

     Our first encounter: Cape Buffalo

                           

                               Bok (or buck) of all varieties. This one is an Impala

                                                                   Giraffe, of course. . .

                                      

                                           Couldn't resist this guy. . .

     Baboons. . .our flight's landing was delayed because of mischievous monkeys!

                        

                              Zebra (the "e" has a short, not long sound in Afrikkans)

                                                  

                                                The elusive Guinea fowl, who scattered each time our jeep approached.  

      About 8-10 elephant crossed the road in a parade, coming from the river at dusk. The perfect time        

      to see wildlife!

                                    

                                          What a treat to see the white (or wide-mouthed) rhino, which were     

                                          sequestered in a fenced off area for safety. We were yards from them, out in     

                                          the open!

                                    

                                           These guards were monitoring them 24/7. . .

     Years ago, these were the barracks of officers who guarded the entire park. . .

                             

                                    Now it's the hideout for the monitor lizard!

      The day ended with a brilliant sunset . . .but not before we returned to our 'gated community'.

                                 

            Stay tuned for our continuing adventure: Victoria Falls and the border crossing . . .

Bad Hair Day for Penguins

Today we ventured forth to a Pottery Craft Fair in the rain. Obviously all who attended were die-hards. The weather did not dampen their quest for the best pot. I found a fabulous one to match my dishes. Of course, it had a British feel instead of African. Well, I couldn't help it . . .

Next stop, the African penguins of Simonstown, a suburb outside Cape Town. These jaunty creatures are unique to this area, and were in the midst of their 21 day molt in preparation for summer.

This poor guy was having a bad hair day. Which inspired another title for my future picture book projects. I can think of a title and get it started, but it's the middle I struggle with. 

Here are a few more views:

Gorgeous terrain . . .

This fella looks like he's wearing a fur coat!

Afterwards, we went for a coffee . . .

And took a few photos of these crazy, whimsical metal sculptures:

And saw a bird of paradise in the wild. . .not since Papua New Guinea have I seen these!

The next morning, before taking off for Johannesburg, we worshiped with our black sisters and brothers at Kayamandi Baptist Church. Wow! Those ladies sure knew how to sing praises to God! They danced around in a circle as the Spirit led:

One sister reminded us from Hebrews to 'follow God's pattern' in all we do:

All in all a lovely day to say goodbye to our dear friends the DuBerts and head to the East.