Our trip to Southern Africa was like a dream. We drove along the southern coast of S. Africa along what they call the garden route. Flew in Johannesburg. Stayed at the home of new friends Odette & Frans (relatives of new friends here in San Juan) in Joburg. Flew down the next day to Port Elizabeth on the coast. Drove to and stayed the night in Jeffrey’s Bay, Knysna, Stilbaai, Stellenbosch, and finally Cape Town for 2 nights.
Then off to Botswana for safaris. Mechenge safari lodge on the Chobe River for 2 nights followed by 3 nights at the Mapula Safari lodge in the Okavango Delta (we had Mapula to ourselves for 2 of the 3 nights and truly felt as unplugged/relaxed as you can).
Finished with 2 nights at Victoria Falls. The good part of being there when the water is low is that there is a spot on the lip of the falls that forms a small pool where the current is weak enough to sit on the ledge. That got the heart pumping …
We drove, saw, talked, learned, photographed, ate, relaxed, thought, discovered, remembered, missed, read, flew … A LOT. We felt grateful. We’re grateful to Troy Bourne who let me borrow his telephoto lens. We were especially grateful to Mom and Dad Jewkes for watching the kids the whole time (their ability/willingness to do that made this trip happen)! We can’t thank them enough. Also to Emily and Claire for helping out with them. We also felt blessed that our kids had the chance to deepen their relationship with their grandparents in GA and some of their cousins there too. They came home, it seems, more grown up/developed/united than 3 weeks ago.
Some of the memories that will stay with us …
- Learning about the Apartheid struggle in S. Africa from our Cape guide, Norman who was a police office fighting against the ‘terrorists’ like Mandela.
- The kindness & generosity of S. Africans
- Each new town we stayed in along the garden route
- ‘Hunting’ and finally finding the lions in Mapula
- Forming new friendships with Odette, Frans, Dereen, Joseph (and having Joseph accurately interpret my dream), Dudu
- Sharing the gospel/representing the church to so many as the ‘first real mormons they’ve ever met’ :)
- Swimming in the ‘devil’s arm chair’ on top of victoria falls
- Meeting such interesting people at the safari lodges (other guests)
Click on HERE to go to our gallery of pictures from this trip …
