For some of us, the day started at 5:30 to watch the sunrise! Others chose to sleep in as long as possible because it was COLD! It was much colder than it was in Irene. We had a delicious breakfast of omelets and porridge and started our adventure to Pilanesburg.
We left at 8 for our 1 hour drive (which turned into 2 hours) to Pilanesburg. Pilanesburg is located in the North West Province, just adjacent to Gauteng. It is actually in an extinct volcano and is one of the largest parks in South Africa. Most of the animals appear at sunrise, but there was no way that we could get up that early to drive out there. There are actually quite a few animals that can be seen in the afternoon as well, so we decided to take our chances. The girls were a fun group to ride with- they sang along with the radio the entire ride. I must, however, say that by the end of this trip, I will be sick of the Lazy Song (Bruno Mars), Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO), and On the Floor (J. Lo) because that's all that they play here!!!
Mrs. Klopper made OUTSTANDING guides for everyone with a wildlife checklist and gave us mammal guide books to help with our safari hunt. We turned it into girls vs. boys and we were very competitive! Little did we know that the boys weren't quite as intense as we were- we still take pride in the fact that we won :) We saw tons of impala and other antelope, blue wildebeests, giraffe (with some little ones!), warthog families, springbok, zebras, and several white rhinos. Unfortunately, no lions or elephants! Everyone enjoyed seeing all the animals in the wild and looking at all the pretty birds.
When we got back, it was very dark and very late. We quickly ate dinner and had an astronomer come visit. He gave us a presentation on the planets and the stars, then we got a chance to observe through a telescope. The sky is so clear in the country! We looked at Saturn, the "Jewel Box," Alpha Centuri stars, Southern Cross, Butterfly Nebula, and other points of interest. It was beautiful.
In the morning, we will wake up early to head back to CHC. We will have the afternoon to say goodbye to our host families, then be on our way back HOME to the States!!!
For some of us, the day started at 5:30 to watch the sunrise! Others chose to sleep in as long as possible because it was COLD! It was much colder than it was in Irene. We had a delicious breakfast of omelets and porridge and started our adventure to Pilanesburg.
We left at 8 for our 1 hour drive (which turned into 2 hours) to Pilanesburg. Pilanesburg is located in the North West Province, just adjacent to Gauteng. It is actually in an extinct volcano and is one of the largest parks in South Africa. Most of the animals appear at sunrise, but there was no way that we could get up that early to drive out there. There are actually quite a few animals that can be seen in the afternoon as well, so we decided to take our chances. The girls were a fun group to ride with- they sang along with the radio the entire ride. I must, however, say that by the end of this trip, I will be sick of the Lazy Song (Bruno Mars), Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO), and On the Floor (J. Lo) because that's all that they play here!!!
Mrs. Klopper made OUTSTANDING guides for everyone with a wildlife checklist and gave us mammal guide books to help with our safari hunt. We turned it into girls vs. boys and we were very competitive! Little did we know that the boys weren't quite as intense as we were- we still take pride in the fact that we won :) We saw tons of impala and other antelope, blue wildebeests, giraffe (with some little ones!), warthog families, springbok, zebras, and several white rhinos. Unfortunately, no lions or elephants! Everyone enjoyed seeing all the animals in the wild and looking at all the pretty birds.
When we got back, it was very dark and very late. We quickly ate dinner and had an astronomer come visit. He gave us a presentation on the planets and the stars, then we got a chance to observe through a telescope. The sky is so clear in the country! We looked at Saturn, the "Jewel Box," Alpha Centuri stars, Southern Cross, Butterfly Nebula, and other points of interest. It was beautiful.
In the morning, we will wake up early to head back to CHC. We will have the afternoon to say goodbye to our host families, then be on our way back HOME to the States!!!
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