Our safari to South Africa was a thrilling and exhilarating experience, from the safari to the sightseeing in Cape Town. The 22 hour airline flight to reach South Africa is always grueling but well worth the experience of visiting this gorgeous country. The area where we hunted on safari vaguely resembled the state of Arizona, with its mountains and cactus. It was really amazing to see Aloe Vera plants, with brilliant orange blossoms, growing 8 to 10 feet high on the mountain side.
Our safari was action packed with my husband darting a White Rhino from about 20 yards, while I bagged a Black Wildebeest, Kudu, Impala, Gemsbuck and a white Spring Buck. Our great room at home has long since been re-named as our game room. Needless to say, our taxidermist also looks forward to our vacations!
The Kudu has been nicknamed the gray ghost for a reason. This large animal hides in treed areas, with only the tips of its horns peeking over the tree tops. My hunt for the Kudu could only be described as spiritual in nature. While hunting Kudu, it was necessary to climb down a mountainside in pursuit of this magnificent creature, only to have it allude us early in the day. This was a frightening experience since I am not particularly keen on climbing anything higher that a step ladder. Later in the afternoon, I was able to sight-in another Kudu with success. This animal weighed approximately 1,000 pounds and had 46 inch horns.
Each hunt required running, and climbing the landscape but was well worth the experience. It was eerie to stand on rocky elevations, listening to baboons bark like dogs, and see the rhinos roam the countryside. The impression of this countryside, from its wild animals to its uncomplicated people, is like taking a step back in time.
Our sightseeing trip to Cape Town was well worth the trip even though the weather was less that perfect. We visited a nature preserve to see the beautiful penguin population. These birds mate for life so it was interesting to see the family structures from mom and pop, to the babies in their nests. We were even fortunate to observe a seal doing the back stroke in the harbor near our hotel.
One of the most spectacular sights was seeing the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, simultaneously, as we stood on a cliff of Cape Point. This view of the Cape of Good Hope took our breath away while the cold winter wind blew in our face.
The most reassuring feeling came when we touched down at Tampa International Airport. In the words of Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz, "There's No Place Like Home!"
No comments:
Post a Comment