safari #2

January is halfway over and our time in South Africa is winding down. We are in the process of planning our final big African adventure to Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world and is also one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the world. Pretty cool! I'll keep you posted on the activities we have planned during the trip.

Today I am posting photos of the safari that Mom and I went on during her visit. She loved it as much as we did the first time! Her favorites are the elephant and the leopard. Seeing the animals in the wild is surreal and exciting. Hope you enjoy our photos…

{baby giraffe} 

{baby kudu}

{dung beetle}

{female kudu}

{giraffe bending its long legs to get a snack}

{i love their faces. just look at those eyelashes!}

{hippo}

{young hyenas watching giraffes at the end of the path}

{hyenas on the prowl}

{impalas with tiny baby}

{impala with a cool bird on his back}

{jackals}

{male kudu. do you see him?}

{male leopard - the only one we saw}

{lioness giving Mom the "I will eat you" stare}

{male lion opened his eyes for a split second}

{mom and baby cape buffalo}

{mom and baby vervet monkeys}

{monitor lizard}

{vervet monkey scoping for food in the dining area}

{disgusting giant millipede. iPhone is there for size reference}

{owl we saw on our night drive}

{our game ranger loading his rifle before our afternoon bush walk}

{my favorites - rhinos!}

{enjoying sundowners on our evening game drive}

{giant thorns on the acacia (fever) tree}

{warthog family. do you see the babies?}

{waterbuck with the heart-shaped nose}

{weaver bird nests}

{male wildebeest marking his territory by rolling around to disperse his scent}

{wildebeest taking a break from rolling}

{zebras}

Love,
Jess & Mat

cape point & cape of good hope

Happy New Year!!!!!! Can you believe it’s 2014? 

The next stop on our tour is Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Both of these historic landmarks are at the tip of the Cape Peninsula and nicknamed the “Cape of Storms” for the notoriously horrible weather that routinely hits the area. 

Aside from the view, we went to Cape Point to see the old lighthouse, which was built in 1859 on Da Gama Peak (the summit of Cape Point). We parked at the bottom of the Peak and had a 45-minute uphill hike to get to the lighthouse. We were pretty tired by the time we made it to the top, but it was very cool to see the lighthouse

After the lighthouse, we hopped back in the car and drove about 10 minutes to the Cape of Good Hope. Many people think that the Cape of Good Hope is the southernmost point of Africa and also where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. But they’re wrong!! Cape Agulhas is actually the southernmost point. The Cape of Good Hope is famous for the thousands of shipwrecks that are just off the coast. The Flying Dutchman is the infamous ghost ship that is rumored to be seen on foggy days!!! I wish we had seen it! 

Here are a few photos from our day:

{look at the greens and blues of this water. gorgeous!}

{before our 45-minute uphill trek to the lighthouse}

{the lighthouse}

{my beautiful mom}

{charming little beach we spotted on the way up to see the lighthouse}

{view from the top of Da Gama Peak}

{thank God we did not see a cobra!!!!!!!!}

{baboon chilling on the roof of the gift shop}

{the 5 most important South African lighthouses}

{ostrich and her 3 babies. look closely for the babies}

Love,

Jess & Mat