June 2010, South Africa

Okay so I have finally figured out how to work this blog thing. Since Brandon is so busy now I am taking on the challenge to update our blog for our friends and family out there in the big wide world. Our last blog was in May 2010 so I'll just to do quick catch up posts.

June 2010: World Cup Soccer (Football) in South Africa. That's right Brandon loved SA so much we had to go back again, and what better time than the world cup. This time we got a few more people to come too.

Brad, Ashley, Brandon's dad Kirk and his friend Gary all Canadians willing to travel half way around the world with us. Just a side note that traveling took us two days, and DO NOT travel on Iberia they have no TVs! Luckily we had late night flights so we could sleep...but talk about being bored.

We did a lot on this trip, of course went to the Kruger national park. Some of the major sightings that took place where:
1. A leopard just crossed the road right in front of us in the middle of the day. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. 2. We saw 10 rhinos, we could not believe it, after a while we just kept driving past them. I thought that they where endangered? 3. My dad (who is a safari and golf tour guide, who took us on this awesome trip) has amazing eyesight, he was able to spot a lions ear twitch about 100 meters away while driving.
4. Probably my favorite this time round was the lion stalking the impala. We stayed and watched for 4 hours, but it was so intense! Can you see the lion in the picture?

If I could live anywhere in the world it would be in the park. Have a house next to a watering hole. Magic!

Anyway another activity that we participated in was the FIFA world cup. We had tickets to the Germany/ Australia game in Durban. All I can say is that it was loud all the time with the buzz of vuvuzelas. I had ear phones in the whole time and I still felt deaf at the end. But of course I had to have one, even if it was only a little one. The game was great too, we where sitting in a mostly Australian section so we supported them. They played hard but unfortunately lost.

We also got to scuba dive in Aliwal Shoal , one of Jacque Cousteau's top ten spots to dive in the world. I have never seen so much underwater life before. It was amazing. We even saw ragged tooth sharks, scary looking things. But I suppose that was nothing compared to our next adventure...

One activity that Brandon was so glad that we could finally do (thanks to Kirk) was a Great White shark dive, we missed ours last time due to weather and Brandon was so disappointed. It was an experience and a half. The water was pretty murky so you only saw the shark once it was right on top of you. I think being in the cage not knowing where the shark was was pretty terrifying. I was the last person in, I'm happy I did it in the end but my nerves where dancing when I finally stepped in. These sharks where only about 100 meters from the shores where people where swimming. The little seal island was way to close to humans for my liking, but I think there has only been a shark attack on humans once in a blue moon. Maybe because there are those juicy little baby seals just waiting to be eaten.

A major activity that we planned and I think would do again in a second was the extreme 19th. This is a golf hole that the tee is set 400m up on a Mountain and played to a green the shape of Africa some 400m below. The hole is in an animal park, there was a giraffe right next to the hole. The only way up to the tee is by helicopter, which the pilot was crazy, going 90 degree turn from the ground and dropping the helicopter straight off the cliff. Better than a roller-coaster I remember just screaming my head off and hearing the pilot laughing in the headphones ! It was so cool hitting that ball and watching it fall for the next 30 seconds. I didn't make it on the fairway but Gary, Brandon and Kirk did. I can remember the final scores but its up on there website. They have a weird way of adding up so don't ask me.

We also got a chance to stop off at an elephant park. There we learned all about them and got to touch and got to ride them. Such majestic animals. There tails hairs are exactly like plastic. Brandon bought me a necklace with a hair in it. Since it was Kirks birthday he got a special "surprise" from the elephants. What that means was them sucking on his head for a elephant kiss. Complete surprise to everyone and a very big shock to Kirk. It was so funny though. His head almost jerked when the suction was let go by the two. Ours were about the same. I don't think I will hurry to get kissed by them very soon. It smelled so bad afterwards but what a memory.




That's it for the major events of our big trip back to South Africa we golfed (regular and extreme) although there where wild animals on both courses, travel half way down the country, saw amazing sites and fell in love with the country again. It can be the most beautiful place on earth just wish it was a good place to live. Thanks to everyone who came along and hope that they had as much fun as us. And a BIG thanks to our tour guide Anthony Botes from Bohlale Safari & Golf Tours.