Checking off places on our SA Bucket List and starting Elaine's Anti-Bucket List

The kids had half term break so we headed for the Sani Pass, which is a mountain pass between KwaZuluNatal in South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho, the tiny mountain kingdom that is entirely land locked by South Africa.

It is a long drive from Pretoria so we tried to break it up with some stops.  Stops are hard to find because along the main highways its not built up with hotels like you would find along interstates in the US.  I'm still in the doghouse for a place in Durban that I booked through an internet site, so our family was pleasantly surprised by my first pick called the Lourenza Wildlife Reserve.  It was this little slice of paradise down a long, muddy dirt road.  A huge rain storm blew through while we were driving, the cottage we were supposed to stay in was flooded so instead we got to stay in the huge main farmhouse that had 5 bedrooms! There was no power due to the storm so the kids served us a candle light dinner of tuna fish sandwiches...very much like scene in the Parent Trap!  The highlight was having our own Emu that wandered around the entire night & morning.

Kelly called him the "Creep Ew" which made Charlie mad!  What we learned is that Emu's make a noise that sounds like a drum-it was pretty cool.  This guy was very interested in everything we were doing, he would stick his head in the windows and he even watched TV with Kelly and Charlie in the morning.

Charlie got a four wheeler ride from the nice manager of the place, his name was "Wimpy" which is a real South African name, there is even a chain of burger restaurants called Wimpy. (makes me think of Popeye)

We headed for the Southern Drakensberg Mountains where we would spend the next night.  We stopped for lunch at Van Reenen's Pass at this beautiful tea garden. (note the teenagers who won't look at the camera for the photo-too cool)

 The restaurant was next to the smallest Catholic church.  It was built by a man in memory of his son who died saving 8 people during an accident at a coal mine.  The church had seating for eight.

Appropriately after we visited the little church we saw a real "praying mantis" at the table next to ours.  I don't think I've ever seen a real one before!

After a drive through Zulu land where little huts are everywhere, we arrive at the town of Underberg, grab a few provisions and head for the place Charlie was most excited about.."The Little Wing Teepee Camp".  Yes, we got to stay in real Native American Teepees...in Africa!

A view of the entire camp...this was another place I found online but wasn't too sure of, it turned out to be a winner!

 It even came with friendly dogs...this one (we thought of her as Annabelle) we didn't catch her real name, spent the entire night with us, here she is on the cupboard in the outdoor kitchen, a lightning storm was brewing so I think this was where she felt safe.  The lighting storm was incredible.

The kids loved the floating dock, they swam off it and just laid on it and read books.

 Katie could probably have stayed there for a week reading, we could have just fed her occasionally and she would have been happy!

 They didn't want to leave!!  They said they wished we could have come here with Anya & Jake 

(our buddies who came last summer)

Our tee pee named Eagle, it had a double bed, and extra mattresses for the floor, and a full size couch!  Quite luxurious for a tee pee!  We headed off for the Sani Pass which was about twenty minutes past the town of Underberg.

 Sign saying you must have 4 wheel drive, however a mini bus taxi passed us that was coming down, I hope it had really good brakes!

 A car heading up ahead of us.

 The runoff from a waterfall, we got out to dip our feet.

 We cross out of South Africa, then into "no mans land" until we get to the Lesotho border post at the top.

 A view from the car, here is what Wikipedia has to say about the pass..
"The route up Sani Pass starts at 1544m and climbs 1332 vertical metres to an altitude of 2876 m. The road is a steep gravel road with gradients up to 1:3, which can be difficult to drive in bad weather and may be covered with snow and ice in winter. By South African law only 4x4 vehicles are allowed on the road.^[1] The pass lies between the border controls of both countries and is approximately 9 km in length.^[2] Caution must be exercised and drivers or riders must be alert while navigating the pass as it has claimed many lives.^[1] Occasionally the remains of vehicles can be seen that did not succeed in navigating its steep gradients and poor traction surfaces."

 After many hairpin turns- we make it!!  It actually wasn't as hairy at the top as we thought, we learn that all the work that has been done to widen it at the top and re-grade it has made it much better than it was in years past.  We were still happy to not attempt it with snow and ice.

 Looking down from the top...

Lesotho is known for its beautiful blankets and the locals wear them like jackets to keep warm.  Katie didn't pack well (no shock to anyone that knows Katie) and we buy her one to keep warm.  The wind is howling at the top.  Reminds me of reading about base camp in the book "Into Thin Air".

Another view..of the road we came up...

 We hiked a bit at the top..

 Sheep right outside our door...we stayed the night at the top.

 Later the wind dies down and the clouds move in.  we had been sitting inside the "Highest Pub in Africa" playing a cool card game with a group of American Missionaries who were on an around the world adventure.  Charlie was getting squirrely so I offered to take him outside.  The clouds were rolling in and it looked amazing, he decided to turn into Spider Man and climb rocks.  We moved to bigger rocks after this one and when he was up high on one he said "Mom, I feel like I might fall back, will you get me?"  So I had him jump down onto my back, I took one step and rolled my ankle-BADLY!  I sent Charlie running to the pub to get Greg- sounds like an Irish joke, right?  Greg and Kelly helped me up the hill, that night everyone at the pub rallied to help me out.  The waiter prayed over my foot...a sweet couple from Switzerland started giving me pain medicine and brought their tool box size first aid kit to wrap it up...a girl from Belgium who was a medical student in SA asked if she could look at it, she wrapped it for me.  It was pretty painful, and I hopped back to my room for the night with Kelly and Katie helping me, they called me Peter Cottontail.

 I was waiting in the car for this photo...with my foot up high.  We decided to drive straight back to Pretoria instead of staying one more night along the way, wanted to get me to an x-ray machine.  Charlie said we could stop in one of the little towns to find a doctor for me...stand by for town photos...

 Driving through Lesotho, we saw shepherds herding their sheep, these guys are wearing the traditional blankets...

 Saw tons of donkeys too, some carrying supplies.

 These little villages were all through the mountains...here is where Charlie would have had me get my ankle checked!

The blankets are airing out to dry.  The drive through Lesotho was beautiful, even with a bad ankle, there were waterfalls all around us and gorgeous mountains.  We even stopped by the ski resort called "AfriSki" as it was right on our way, there are just a few runs down the side of a mountain...no trees though so it seems like it would be strange to ski there.

We made it back to Pretoria by night (long drive) and headed for the ER where they confirmed I had broken my ankle.  So as I write this I've got my foot elevated and have some interesting pain killers coursing through. That is my first broken bone and a big number one on my personal Anti-Bucket List! 

Lucky timing on a visit to the Lion Park

This post is a bit tardy, we went a few weekends ago and had some technology trouble with getting the photos loaded.  This is the famous Lion Park near Johannesburg. We went on a Sunday and timed our visit perfectly to see them get fed!

We opted for the guided tour where you ride in a big caged vehicle, we can't believe that after what happened a few months ago, people would still choose to do the self-drive option!  However the area was packed with cars!

This guy certainly doesn't get paid enough to be out directing cars (among the lions)!

This is the truck that drives around throwing out hunks of horse meat for the lions to eat!

My shot for National Geographic!

There is a family of white lions, a recessive gene, the babies were so adorable, one baby started climbing the tree right by our truck.

The Mom and babies were sharing the same piece of meat, we loved when another adult lion came over she growled and told him to beat it!

You can go in and pat a few of the cubs in a special area, we caught them during nap time!

Charlie touching a soft paw!

They also have a raised platform where you can climb up and feed a giraffe, it was pretty neat to feed one!

Here we are standing by the wooden logs that make the fence to the giraffe's area.  We saw a dumb guy go in there so he could get a better photo with the giraffe.  When the workers told him that he had to come out he got a little angry and took his time coming out.   I wanted to tell him about a local lady who got kicked to death by a giraffe a year ago in a Nature Reserve here after her and her dog encountered a giraffe on a hike- you really can't save some people from themselves!

We look forward to taking some of our future visitors to the Lion Park and hope we can time it again for the feeding!

Celebrating Australia Day & A Fabulous Movie Recommendation

The Australian Ambassador hosted a wonderful evening at his house.  We were lucky to get invited by our friend Edward.  It turns out the Ambassador's son also goes to Charlie's school and is one of the big boys in Grade 7.  They had a giant movie screen set up in their beautiful backyard and although it is the rainy season here it was a perfect night for an outdoor movie.

The Ambassador gave a very funny speech and talked about how South Africa can learn things from Australia, like how to handle a great white shark.

In case you missed it a famous Australian surfer punched a Great White shark during a surfing competition off the coast of South Africa;  here is a link if you want to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4w9-K3GVbs

The staff of the High Commission then sang Waltzing Matilda (I was proud to sing along because we learned that in music class in 4th grade-good the girls weren't there or I would have embarrassed them by singing)

Then they played a funny commercial about Australia Day and how Australians have to eat lamb.
Here is the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i15OPuFvmA

We all ate really good lamb, then the Ambassador again spoke and introduced the film, called The Castle.  We hadn't really planned to stay for the movie, but he told us how it was a low budget film in Australia that has this big following and Australians quote lines from it all the time.  One line for example is, "This is going straight to the pool room".

I couldn't stop laughing the entire movie and I would put it in a league with Napoleon Dynamite & My Cousin Vinnie.  I checked and you can get it on Amazon..not sure where else.  Here is what the DVD cover looks like.  If you love a good laugh, this movie is for you!

The next morning we were at Charlie's school early for his bell ringing ceremony, where the Grade 1 boys get to ring the bell with a big Grade 7 boy.  Here is Charlie and his big buddy that walked him through when he rang the bell-another of the very wonderful traditions that they have at his amazing school.

Charlie went to a birthday party of one of his classmates on Saturday, Greg and I tagged along too.  It was at the boys farm near Pretoria.  The coolest part was it was a game farm (not a dairy farm like we had growing up in Illinois), So there were zebra, eland, waterbuck and a few other animals wandering around outside the fenced part with the beautiful house.  A zebra came to the gate to walk us out. Where else do you get to go to a birthday party with a real zebra?

Girls are well, loving being in the Senior School together, they are now on the tennis team and got to play doubles together the other day...we were asking them if they play like Venus and Serena!  Kelly of course said she is Serena, "because she is better"...we will see!

My big dilemma has been solved...I am going to a Mom's Valentine's Tea at Charlie's school next week and the invitation says...Dress:  Colorful with a morning hat.   

What the heck is a morning hat?  I had to ask my South African friend and after digging in my closet I and a little bedazzling, I think we found a hat that will work!

Trying to help our orphanage...

For all of our regular blog readers you have seen many posts about our visits to the orphanage here called the Leamongetswe Safety Home, it is about half an hour from our house.

A generous friend of my parents (Jim) back in Illinois had heard about our trips to the orphanage and wanted to send them a donation.  I called the orphanage and they said, please buy us more bunk beds. We set up delivery of the beds and coordinated a linen drive with a bunch of families here so we could be sure they had linens for the new beds. When we visited to drop off the linens, the orphanage director was telling me about the increase in children they have had the past year.  She can't say no when new children come, so they are quickly running out of space and need funds to complete building two new bedrooms.  When you talk to this lady, you feel like you could be talking to Mother Theresa.  She started this entire place on her own and it is her life's work, she can tell you the story of how all the kids came to be there and I believe her when she says she can't say no, she has an amazing heart!

Katie with one of the little ones

Katie with a boy her age

The linens for the new beds

My neighbor Dawn made a follow on trip to the orphanage with me to bring her camera and photography skills.  She took amazing pictures which I used to build a You Caring Website.  We hope to raise enough money on the site to help them finish the bedrooms.  If that campaign is successful, we would then hope to do a follow on one to upgrade the playground, which is in rough shape. (as you will see in Dawn's photos)

Here is a link to the You Caring Website.
https://www.youcaring.com/leamongetswe-safety-home-south-africa-503575#.VqH2OUax-SQ.email

The main picture on the You Caring site shows the bunk beds purchased by a couple with a big heart in Illinois!

Here is a link to my friend Dawn's blog where she explains more about the orphanage and about the fundraiser and walks you through all of the photos she took.
http://dawngreensides.blogspot.co.za/2016/01/the-leamongetswe-orphanage-needs-your.html

Please share our fundraiser with anyone who might be willing to help us reach our goal!

Back in Africa & Dressed for the First Day of a new school year

We were sad to leave our family and friends, but thankful for a wonderful trip to the US and also that we survived the long flight.

We arrived Tuesday AM and here are the kids Weds AM, jet lagged but sporting their new uniforms.  Kelly (Grade 10) and Katie (Grade 8) have the straw hats which are new to the uniform this year, Katie also now wears a blazer as part of the Senior School.  Charlie( Grade 1) is wearing his tie, dress shorts and knee socks and black dress shoes. 

Today we listened to the radio to see if the winning powerball ticket was purchased at Logan Airport...but sadly it was not...that was one final purchase Greg made before we flew out!

Kids all are happily telling us about their new teachers and they are excited for a new year, we hope the excitement lasts!

Nuremberg & Back to Munich & Home-Yippee!

Our other highlights in Nuremberg included walking to the big castle, and again strolling through the Christmas Market it was a crowded place but the decorations were amazing and the stalls each had neat things to buy.

 Charlie & Katie driving the Christmas Train.

 One of the many booths behind us, this one sold pizzas but I loved the snowmen on top.

 We saw the glockenspiel perform at noon, the trumpeters were a little lackluster but the rest was neat.

 Katie gets a new friend to help her out...you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose..but you can't pick your friend's nose...or can you?

 Charlie loved the door to the castle and the key, he is trying to figure out how to get this installed on his room!

 A view from the castle street looking down, all those crowds were for the Christmas Market, we heard lots of American accents and heard quite a few Italian tourists, tons of tour busses were bringing a constant stream of people. Even with the crowds I would give it an A+ rating, not to be missed!

 Charlie and Katie on the rocks leading up to the castle.

 Very proud of Greg here, he gets in the blogging spirit and captures this photo so everyone can appreciate this lady's makeup.  We were a bit to the left in the photo below!

 The house in the back looks like such a Bavarian place! We loved wandering the streets and seeing all the shops and houses.

 Charlie being Snoopy...

 At the apartment we stayed in they had some games, our family fell in love with this one...all in German, but thanks to a youtube video we figured out how to play it.  No reading involved so even Charlie could be his own detective!

 This was the cool game, we looked in a giant toy store in Munich to buy it but the girls have decided they can make it themselves.

 Last ride on the ferris wheel.

 We stopped by the Nazi Documentation Center and Parade Grounds on the way out of town.  Here is the spot where Hitler would give his speeches and the troops would march.  My favorite part was reading about how at the end of the war the US Army marched there instead.  Also how they blew up the giant swastika that used to be above the top center of the building.

 We got to Munich and headed out to see the market and find the famous Haufbrau House.  Munichs famous glockenspiel is behind the kids we are in Marionplatz.

 Girls suggested I could submit this for Parent of the Year...

We found very neat Christmas windows at a big toy store on our walk back, Charlie was enchanted.

In the morning before we left it was raining but we had seen a cool outdoor skating rink the night before so we walked back in the rain to see if we could skate.  There was a layer of water on the ice, so we decided to wait until we got back to the airport where they also had an outdoor rink but it was under a giant cover.  This was only a temporary-but beautiful ice rink!!

Katie, Charlie and I skated at the outdoor rink at the airport-we forgot how much fun it is to skate outdoors!! Here is Katie doing one of her spins!

Everyone was excited to get on the plane..here is Kelly with like 50 things plugged in, Greg and I were cracking up watching her in action!

We had a great flight, not too many people and happy kids...we arrived in the evening and stayed at Molly & Mikes house...so exciting to be back in the states and I can't believe how fast the internet is here! 

We look forward to seeing all our family and friends!