Signs, Signs..... Part 2

Yes, this is the largest bunk bed in the world!
Doesn't look too comfortable. It needs the biggest mattress in the world as well.






























































In Cape Town, the white government forcibly moved all the (black) people from their homes and bulldozed everything flat. The area was up on a hill with a nice view. The white people wanted that land for themselves to build their own nice homes on. The move was opposed by so many nothing was ever built on the land. Only just now, years later, the previous owners or their surviving family are being compensated.




Billboard in Swaziland








Ostrich riding to the left!

I sent this postcard to Shannon from South Africa.

Then while driving we saw an abondoned van very similar!

we couldn't resist!

Rhino encounter

In Zambia Suds and I went on safari in Mosi Oa Tunya National Park. It was a spur of the moment decision made 5 minutes before we were to leave. The night before on a sunset cruise we met a couple'a Canadians who were going and asked us along



We sure are glad we went! Our guide took us on the cruise the night before as well. He had some friends in the park so we got a small discount on park fees and got to meet the rhino's! The rhino's are a couple and have 2 rangers with them at all times. The rangers carry machine guns.
We were so close we heard them chewing!

We are smiling, but really we are afraid!
We had to walk slowly to the log to sit. Then make no sudden movements. Once in awhile the rhino would get too close and the ranger would say its name and tap on his gun. That's all the animal needed to back off, I guess.



It was crazy! He said we were very lucky because usually people have to pay $80US to get this close but we were getting it for free!


Tip for the Day:
It is not a horn on the rhino, but actually hair that's formed together and hardened to make it. Weird.




The happy couple







We only saw white rhinos on the trip. Apparently black rhinos are more violent and territorial and you can't get close to them. White rhinos are called that because they have a wide mouth for grazing and wide turned into white somewhere along the way. Also, white rhinos young walk in front of them and black rhinos young follow behind them. This is similar to people (as we heard a few times). White women push their babies in a stroller in front of them and black women have their babies on their backs behind them.

Here's a picture of a woman carrying her child on her back. This was a common sight. We would even see women working the fields with children strapped to them in this fashion.

Gouda Factory

Just outside of George on the Garden Route in SA we did a cheese tasting. Of course we thru in a couple extra bucks and had wine with our cheese!




This is the owner/tour guide. We started off with the big mixing vats where they mix milk and bacteria culture. Then when it is ready they form the cheese, cover it in wax and age it.


This cheese is aging. They can tell the different types apart by the colour of wax.


We tasted 10 different types of Gouda. Some flavours were really unique like thistle. There was also pepper, chili,herb and smoked.


On the property they had a "dam" which was really a stagnant pond.





But after we had a
second glass of wine, it started to look rather charming. They will even make up a wine and cheese picnic for 2 to share here.




These are their cows that make the milk for the cheese.

white water rafting

Suds convinced me to go white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi river in Zambia.
I was fine with it until we got the safety talk. By the end of it I was so scared I couldn't speak! The Zambezi is a class 5 river, the most dangerous class of river tours are allowed on.
The trip started with with a long hard rocky climb down to the river . Then we loaded into the boat.




Our second rapid was a class 5, apparently that means really bad. The third rapid was a class 6 so we had to get out of the boat and walk around it while our guide Potato took the boat thru it.


Suds is the fool with his arm up mugging for the camera on the other side. After being so thoroughly scared I took my safety seriously. When the guide yelled "DOWN!" I hit the deck and held on for dear life! That's me in the pink shirt and blue helmet holding on!


I don''t know why everyone else is not holding on. They must not care for their own lives.



Suds wasn't satisfied with just rafting, he decided to river board, which means he
went down the rapids on a boogy board and flippers! (not the stage 5 one, though!)












Because we hadn't had enough adrenaline rush already, there was rock jumping. I of course did not participate. I had had enough excitement.


We rafted rapids 7 thru to 23. It took about 4 hours to raft thru it all, then another HARD vertical climb to lunch and beer!

These guys had to pack the rafts, kayaks and other equipment down the the river then hike back up and drive more than an hour to meet us at the end. They then hiked down, deflated the rafts, packed everything up and hiked it all up the mountain. It was a TOUGH climb up carrying only a life jacket and my fat ass. I can't imagine these guys doing this everyday! No wonder they are pure muscle!

Swaziland

After Kruger Park we decieded to skip Mozambique and instead go to Swaziland.
We expected the drive to Swaziland to take
maybe 3 hours. It took 9.

This is our lunch stop at a dam. Around to the left are summer homes and trailers. The water is infected with Bilhazria, which is something you do not want to catch.



Our first stop in Swazi? Get money of course!
Swaziland is its own country inside the country of South Africa (like Quebec will one day be!) They have their own currency but acccept the SA Rand as well. They are worth the same.




Our hostel was in the middle of a protected park. Swaziland had all of its animals poached and has now been restocked. That little round hut is ours!






As soon as we entered the park we were met by animals! This is a young zebra colt.






Our first night we went to see a free show with Swaziland traditional dancers.





The next morning I opened our huts door and was greeted by a family of warthogs! A momma and 3 little piglets.




We took a tour of a cultural village and were able to see how villages lived together.





These huts were really complicated to make with strings of braided grass knotted together sort of making a net and covering the dome.





After the village it was a picnic at the waterfalls.






Cows have the right of way here.
Suds was so worried one would attack us and scratch the paint!




Our little hut.






There were avocado tree on the property! I had never seen one before.
When I was little we would try to get an avocado pit to sprout and grow. Thankfully we were not successful because they grow into a HUGE tree!