Monday, November 3, 2008

November 3

We're still here! We had a marathon storm. You couldn't even count to 4 before another lightening strike would hit, and it lasted like 13 hours!!!! It was absolutely amazing! Needless to say the internet was down as well as the phone lines.

I don't even know where to start we have seen so much in the last 48 hours. we have now moved to the game lodge. The views here are awesome. Please send parkas. It must have been 105 degrees and 100% humidity yesterday and the day before and on tonights game drive it was probably in the upper 40s and misting.

But we had our best drive yet. We saw the 3 elephants-they are 2 females and the baby. The baby was nursing and soooo cute. We got pictures. I am hoping to get some to you on Thursday. We saw about 20 baboons, the momma rhino and her baby also nursing. We have now encountered 2 green mamba snakes, one slithered right past us on our pathway at the lodge, a labamba snake, also poisonous, and our friends saw a brown bufala? snake right at the entry of our new lodge this afternoon. The lodge was very concerned with this one and made sure to remove it. The birds, insects and the lizards are extremely colorful. I will have to catch you up to speed bits at a time as we are so far behind.

We went to visit a rural village today. Went into a children's classroom, and they sang to us. I think they were about 4-5 years old. The town is extremely poverty striken and the aids rate is at 34%. They are just so undereducated. One guy would sleep around, knew he had aids, but would tell them he was ok because he took a shower. We toured a homestead where an 82 year old grandma was raising her 6 grandchildren. The father was killed in a car crash from Jo-Burg, and when the mother found out, she died of a heart attack. I can see why Angelina adopts children like these. They have the biggest smiles and they warm your heart.

Our manager at the lodge was at the casino by Richard's bay the night before last, and 10 robbers with machine guns entered. He said he ducked and ran out. The robbers left with nothing and 6 of them were shot to death in the parking lot and 4 were caught by a roadblock.

We have met some great people that we share our game drive with every day, most from the Seattle area, one couple from Ohio and one from Boston.

The computer is beeping and don't know what it means so I will send this now and catch up later!
Love to all!
Julie

1 comment:

Lou Ann said...

Wow Jules, that all sounds thrilling and exciting and sad all at the same time if that's possible. I'm kinda glad not to be there with the snakes as I'm sure I would have freaked out causing the snake to strike me. Then I would have had to experience their medical system and I'm not sure witch doctors are covered on my plan;) Anyway, it sounds like the trip you hoped it would be with a few little bonuses along the way.

I can hardly wait to see the pictures.

Be safe.
Love
Lou Ann