Rhinos

White Rhinoceros
At the beginning of our safari we spotted 2 other Rhinos, but they were in amongst the trees, the towards the end of the day we came onto these 2 that were right on the road. We followed them aways, but made sure to keep our distance. Anytime we got a little too close, they would turn around and give us a "look", we knew what that meant, so we backed off.
SpringbokAll this animal watching made Daniel hungry, so he munched on a cheese bun as we kept going. I tried feeding him little bits of the bun, but he would have nothing of it, he wanted the whole thing! Was he and his car seat ever a mess after!

Lions and Cheetahs

I spotted the lions up in the hills while we were driving. They were just enjoying a leisurely walk, so we decided to turn around and follow them. They started walking towards a herd of wildebeest. The wildebeest caught smell of them and took off running. It turned out to be mating season for the lions, so they weren't interested in eating, so they just carried on on their walk. We told some others about the lions so we all waited at the road and watched them both cross right in front of us. Then someone told us about the cheetah. It was sure camouflaged in the tall dry grass, but we were able to get some good shots and some video too.

Birds

Daniel and Mommy birdwatching
Daniel birdwatching - check out the view in this picture, it was unreal!

We stopped at the lodge for lunch, we weren't the only ones enjoying our lunch! The birds here were Daniel's favorite part of the day, because he wasn't in the car and he was free to chase them.

Can't remember what this one is called....I will post when Dan gets home.
2 out of the 5 Hippos we saw
Warthog - so cute, yet so ugly
Crimson-breasted Shrike
Violeteared Waxbill - this has to have been the most beautiful bird I have ever seen.

Lion Park

Not much to say here, except for SPECTACULAR! oh and wow Dan, you got some great shots!

Dan and Daniel in the wilds of Africa! Yes, always a smile on Daniel's face.
Daniel with the tour guide, January, oh and an ostrich on his way over.

Some other animals at the lion park

Two Springbok fighting.
Yes it is...a meercat...this is Dan's favorite animal and we were so lucky to see one!
And a couple of laughing hyenas. Definitely not a favorite!

The baby lion cubs

Mmmmm....a sleeping lion cub.
This was just before he tried to bite my hand off.
Meow.....

Some of the baby lions were in a separate part and we were able to go in and pet them. They were so soft and fuzzy, but I was a bit afraid that they would eat Daniel. The lady there assured me that he would be fine as long as I held on to him. Note the picture with Daniel close to the cub and mommy holding his hands down....he sure wanted to touch him!!

Giraffe

At the lion park they had a couple giraffes there that you could stand on a platform and feed them. I think I was more afraid than Daniel when that long black tongue came shooting out! It was sure an incredible feeling being so close and seeing how tall they really are. I am just glad that Daniel didn't grab onto his tongue like he would a dog's tail!!

Lesedi Cultural Village

Daniel playing with a little friend. They were moving so much that the pictures were all blurry, but I think you will get the idea.He loved the feeling of Daniel's hair and wouldn't stop rubbing his head. Daniel admiring the flowers.

Daniel with the African Warrior! hehehe

About an hour out of Johannesburg there is a tourist attraction called Lesedi. They have set up there 5 different villages of tribes. You can walk around and see how the houses are built, how they cook and make weapons and even learn some of their greetings. After looking around they put on a dance show with different tribal dances. Daniel LOVED the drumming during the dances, which part of me wasn't surprised, but it was really loud and I thought that it might scare him. But no....he kicked his feet and even clapped his hands for the first time during the show. After we took him over to one of the drums and let him play around. After that he was hooked....so needless to say, Dan and I bought him a drum for his birthday.

In the hotel

This is actually a rare moment to find Daniel with a soother....though it seems he likes to have it with him when he is away from his own bed. Sometimes I wish he would take it at home!

We were lucky to get a pack n play for Daniel to sleep in at the hotel. His trusty stuffed bunny at his side and his soother were all he needed to feel at home.

Trumps

We went to a restaurant called Trumps. Dan had the rack of ribs. We had never seen such a large portion....yet there wasn't any left over after the meal. Even Daniel got to dig in a little.

Nelson Mandela Square

June 2008

Funny hair

Poor Daniel, I like to play with his hair and make funny hairstyles and it makes for less boring car rides! I guess it is soon time for a haircut!

At the pool again....

This one is for you Auntie Sharon...note the "College of the North Atlantic" waterbottle!

Normally when you go to the pool you either lay in the sun, or swim, right?? Well not Daniel, he likes to play with his car and RICE it up. Ok, well not all the time, we do get into the pool most of the time, but a lot of it is spent outside walking around and chatting with all the other kids.