Yesterday we toured Table mountain - took a cable car 3000 feet to the top and it was freezing up there and really windy!  15 minutes was definitely long enough.  The views of Cape Town were unmatched!  Then we headed north east to the Indian Ocean, Cape of Good Hope and we even saw some whales blowing in both oceans! Today, Monday we visited South African wine country!  It was a beautiful day.  All of this I would love to come back and spend more time exploring. 

Victoria Falls - The Kingdom Lodge

Back to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe - the Kingdom Hotel was like Vegas, but the room was very cold and the bed like a rock!  Once again we ate in a partially open venue, but good food.  There was a casino but no one obviously gambles in VC.  This was an interesting shopping experience where we used a tourism police guide to shop in the Craft Market - which is an experience similar to the straw market in the Bahamas.  The falls were fabulous and so natural which I really liked versus the commercialism at Niagara.  Sorry all the falls pictures on the good camera.

Chobe National Park and Safari Lodge

This hotel in Botswana was much better!  We had a nice room with warm beds and great food in the open air restaurant which was cold most of the time so dressing for dinner was not a very good photo op!  Pictures of the lodge, animals - we saw most of the big 5 here, except for the rhino which we saw in Entabeni.  Ron in the mosquito net, Cape buffaclo and the Jesus bird - named that because it can "walk on water."

Africa from Zimbabwe to South Africa Cape Town

Well, tomorrow we leave for our long trip home.  Unfortunately, we searched and could not find the cable to upload the good (?) pictures from Ron's camera so I am going to upload some more animals from Entabeni including PG and George, pictures from Chobe and Kingdom in Victoria Falls and finally from here, Cape Town.

Entabeni, north of Johannesburg, had the most rustic accommodations and there were to  drive areas - one was relatively flat, the other we had to traverse a mountain pass and enter through the Jurassic Park gate!  The giraffe pics here were from there.

Cape Town

Yesterday, today and tomorrow in Cape Town - big and lively city with a waterfront similar to Chicago!  And weather windy and cold like Chicago too!  Today we are heading to Cape Hope where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.  Will post pictures tonight.

Entabeni South Africa July 13th

If you are reading this post then you know that we have not been able to post any news since we left.  I am sitting in the lobby of the Kingdom Hotel, finally a connection that works - I hope.  We are having a blast!  Freezing!  Seeing the Big 5 animals and eating impala, kudu, whorthog etc.!  I am going to try to catch you up the next few days as we head for Cape Town tomorrow.

July 13th I think - after we had a wild toads ride at 2 AM through the woods, freezing cold in

land rover jeeps!  That is a whole 'nother story!  Our main lodge building at Entabeni was quite a distance from the rooms which were down on the sides of the ravine - we could not walk to them due to the fear of animal attack!!! Or at least that was what we were told and believe me we obeyed.

The first game drive which started early took us by huge rhinoceros!  This one below with the cute baby came soooo close to the jeep right on my side that I held my breath and did not make eye contact until it move away! Whew!  Then our guide Emil, picked up some dung and described how he knew which animal had left it by the ingredients - then he passed it around the jeep and I ended up with the dung last, so I ask, "what do I do with it?"  He says "chuck it."  I love the south african accent!  ha!  Luckily in my backpack I had some wipes along!

SH_T Happens, Right?
So today, July 11th, we take to the air for many, countless hours.  I believe in total around 17 or so!  We got up early in anticipation and with a few last minute items to pack - like our hats! Then it is time to clean the house (how many of you had mothers who taught you to tidy up everything before a trip?).  So I vacuum which is really necessary because we are taking care of Adam's dog, London, and she has fur (ask Lauren).  So Ron lets London outside, Adam style, which is without a lease and then using his commanding voice, she will return. Okay so London runs back into the kitchen awaiting her treat, when I say "what is that smell?"  "Ron, did she roll in the grass somewhere?"  "Yes, why?"  It must have been more that grass because I was literally gagging from the odor.  Why do dogs do that?  Is it a lack of vitamins or something?  "No treat for you London, get outside"(said in a calm voice, ha ha) and so I continue my cleaning with mop in hand!  Lucky Ron gets to take the dog outside and bathe her and uses the furminator too!  Good thing I was already cleaning.  These things happen in life, just so we know that we have no control and yet we carry on, c'est la vie!