Home sweet home!

flights all done... woohoo! back home! 

great trip - thanks south africa for being awesome. but now it's just nice to be back.

Time to come home!

Boarding for the flight to Zurich. Then, SF!

Oh South Africa

You were so close to defying my expectations. But no. Just as I pull into the airport a cop on foot stops me and says I missed a stop sign. The fee for that in South Africa is apparently R500. But I'd have to go to Tue police station if I wanted a receipt for paying the fine. And the station is quite far from the airport, and with traffic and all...  But! Conveniently, he can let me pay the fine on the spot! How helpful. But, he warns, no receipt if I pay it here, but it is much faster. And, upon hearing that I don't have R500 on me and I'd have to go to an ATM, he conveniently lowers the price to R150! What a helpful guy. Ah, the price of going to a country like this, right?
Oh well, no matter. Safely at the airport and checked in and waiting for 3 hours for the flight to Zurich. Then another seven hour layover before going home to SF! I should be in at about 4:30 pm on Wednesday.

Last night in South Africa

For my last dinner in South Africa, Michelle and I went to the same place Dennis and I went to the first night in South Africa, so this trip has come full circle for me. We were recommended by a friend here to leave early for the airport as rush hour traffic gets really bad. So we will probably check out, the head to the Apartheid museum and back to grab our bags before heading out.
Now, time for bed!

Last night in South Africa

For my last dinner in South Africa, Michelle and I went to the same place Dennis and I went to the first night in South Africa, so this trip has come full circle for me. We were recommended by a friend here to leave early for the airport as rush hour traffic gets really bad. So we will probably check out, the head to the Apartheid museum and back to grab our bags before heading out.
Now, time for bed!

Lions!

I saw lions! Woohoo. The detour was worth it. Now onto Joburg.

C'moooon lion and cheetah

You guys have one more chance to show yourselves to me. A sunrise drive and then the drive to leave to park. Give me a nice gift of a sighting before I have to drive straight for seven hours to Joburg.

More Kruger

Yesterday was our drive from Lower Sabie to Letaba. It took a pretty good portion of the day as we took is slowly and stopped for animal sightings. Nothing we hadn't already seen but it was still a fun drive.
Caught some of the Brazil/Netherlands last night - Hup Hup Holland!
Today we got up to do a morning walk starting at 530. we mostly saw animal tracks, trail, and feces and birds, but it was enjoyable.
Now to drive around a bit, check out Oliphants camp and try to find lions!

A leopard!

I saw a leopard - the rarest of the big 5! Not on the sunset drive, no. That was three hours of rain and cold. But at dinner, the waitstaff alerted us to a leopard we could see from the balcony. Amazing! A lion and then my big 5 is complete!

To Swaziland and back again

It was quite a long drive to swaziland, we got in the dark. But first we had to go through this was the border patrol where i was mistaken for a doctor from japan. I have realized on the strip that many people around the world have not seen a camelpak before and have no idea what they are. This particular guy thought it was a stethoscope. The roads in Swaziland are fine. Well paved and one lane in either direction. By the time we were closer to our destination it had gotten quite dark and made the turnoff hard to find. After a bit of a struggle we found the exit and made our way in. Phophonyane ecolodge and resort is very nice. Alongside a river and waterfall, it sits on a hill overlooking a valley. Our beehive room was an individual straw thatch roof unit, clean and modern, yet quaint. We finally got to look around in the morning and it has some amazing views and probably good hikes. We drove to Kruger this morning and so far we have seen Springbok, elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, hippos, a water buffalo, and rhinos. We are departing for the sunset drive here in our rest camp at lower sabie shortly. I hope we finally see a lion!