Cape Sun Inter-Continental Cape Town

... to watch a video of our day and I bought one of these dvds.

Today was one of those once-in-a-lifetime events.

15th - Had an early morning pick-up (6am) to drive to Aquila Private Game Reserve, which can be found 10km form Touws River on the N1.

On our 2-3 hour game safari with our guide/ranger Gabriel we managed to see: hippos, springbok, both of the elephants, zebras, giraffe, ostriches, all 5 of the rhino, eland, oryx, black wildebeest and ...

... t be too sad when we leave Cape Town. Spent the best part of a morning packing up the hotel room and organising some boxes to be sent home, or rather to my lovely sisters house - thanks Breezie. Ended up with a little more than expected... 5 boxes full of stuff. In total probably weighing in excess of 30kg. Hahahaa Only cost US$100 so not too bad. By sea so will hopefully be then when we arrive, if in fact it does arrive. Fingers crossed!!! Besides from enjoying ...

... disbelief that i was walking an elephant. I kept looking back at her with a huge smile on my face and her handler was telling me to walk faster or she might walk on me. She wouldn't do that to me right? We walked a long way and i loved every second of it. I kept looking back and saying "hi jabhu". At 16 years of age, she is not fully grown but god she was gorgeous! It was sooooo amazing! I walked an elephant and i liked it J In the forest area, we all got a chance ...

... it barely had its eyes open and it chirped a few times before falling asleep. the middle one was super active and climbed on the older chick's back a few times. her flipper was too narrow to put an ID tag on so AP020 will just have to grow into that. the older chick was so funny looking. the feathers on its head were in patches so he had black and white areas. his eyes were wide open, he was active and very bright and he ...

... surfed and had an awesome dinner at Olympia Bakery. Then the rents went home and we all went out for drinks. Lots of drinks. We stayed overnight at a pretty nice guesthouse in Kalk Bay. I love that place. The end has crept on me really quickly here. I'm leaving in four days and I'll be very happy and sad to leave. I can't wait to be in the United States, but I'll miss South Africa a lot, too. Fortunately, what I think I'll miss the most are the ...

... hers had no reception after 5pm so there would have been no way of contacting her! So we headed out on the town to celebrate her birthday and had a great, although very drunken, night. The next day (and with a bit of a sore head on us) we headed up to table mountain (after a stop in a cool aquarium where we got to see the feeding of the penguins). We climbed to the top of the mountain in the heat to some quite spectacular views over Cape Town - a tough climb but well worth it ...

... times, bits of South Africa seem entirely in the same league as many other western countries in terms of infrastructure, conveniences such as over the top malls, top not restaurants etc... But, a quick look around at every single house or business and you are snapped back to reality. Every structure is compounded by high walls and security gates. It is just an uneasy and bizarre feeling. One thing I know for certain: security companies must make an absolute killing in South Africa!

Neptune Day. A day when apparently they wake you up early in the morning by marching through the halls banging pots and pans and knocking on your door, and if you go outside they throw fish guts on you. It's a day when you can abandon your previous life as a pollywog and become a scale back (I think that's what it's called) if you are worthy. Well, they certainly woke us up early with the pots and pans banging, but the fish guts throwing was optional ...

... the couple we hit it off with during a game drive at Hluhluwe Game Reserve. We are much indebted to Albert who did his best to make the best of the bad situation we had created for ourselves by giving Cape Town just a day and a half. Taking us on a brief, but intensive motor tour, his considerable knowledge of his beloved home town accomplished what we never would have been able to on our own. A fine dinner of home-cooked Cape cuisine included babootie (I love that name), a baked ...