Yes, I made it home...

For those of you still wondering if I am still in London, no, I have made it home. Been home from South Africa now for a few weeks. At the moment I am living in Coeur d'Alene with Rebecca. Just got my bed set up the other day and I am still unpacking. It's so good to be out there. Rebecca looks great and the babies are still cooking and getting ready to make their appearance in the next seven or so weeks. I got a traveling nursing job at a hospital in Spokane and will be starting there on the 9th of September. I just wanted to post a few pics of highlights from my trip on here so you may all see some of my adventures! The one of me holding the bucket is me drinking the tribal beer. The next is at the wedding with Mampho and Henry. The picture that I made too big because I am not good on computers is me at Cape Point, the southern most point of Africa. Can you guess which on is of me with the Rastafarians? And of me walking the elephant? And of a lion...well there are a few pics to get you all started. I'll put more on as I can. I can't download or upload at camp so I have to come to coffee shops to do it. It gets me out though...

Waiting in London

Goodbye South Africa! I am now on my way home. Finished the first leg of my trip without any medical issues on board so that was a great start. I have a five hour layover here in London. Someday I'll have to make it out of this airport to see this city. I've been here to the airport enough times...

The last day in SA was great! The Macdonalds set up a wine tour for me which was amazing. The only other people on the tour were a family of four from Texas. Visited four vineyards and tasted some great wines. When you go wine tasting here they are more generous with their samples than in the states...Such beautiful country too. It was in Stellenbosch, for those who know Cape Town. I spent the night then in a Guesthouse, a Bed and Breakfast. BEAUTIFUL room. It was quite the way to end my time in South Africa, that's for sure.

I'll be home later this afternoon and spend a few days with Noah and Amy and Scout. My amazing nephew turns one next week but all the festivities are this weekend and then Sunday I'll head to Coeur d' Alene to Lutherhaven to see my ever growing family over there. Hoping to pick up a traveling job over there too for a few months. Thank you all for your prayers while I've been traveling. It was really a great trip and I'll show you all pics as I see you!

Amazing Safari!!!

I am back in Cape Town staying with the Simonne's family. Super great place to be. They are so welcoming and hospitable. Tomorrow I'll take a wine tour in Stellenbosh, stay at a B&B and then fly home on Tuesday! I won't get home until Wednesday though. 24 hours later...

So, about four days ago I flew to Nelsprit and took a two day, two night safari in Kruger. There really are not words to describe how incredible it was! Really. I felt so blessed to have had such a super group on my safari. Most were from Germany. It was a pretty small group which made it nice too. Being there for only two days I was a little nervous that I wouldn't see the Big 5, or much of anything because the park is so big and they can't promise that you will even see anything. Within five minutes of being in the park I saw two rhinos and I knew that was a good start. It just got better from there. The first day I think I saw it all, or about all that I had much luck of seeing. Tons of elephants. The first giraffe I saw was just incredible. It was right at the road eating. All day I felt like such a kid because when I would see something new I would gasp. Not on purpose. I couldn't help it! To see these animals in their natural environment was amazing! Hippos, crocodiles, LIONS, tons of crazy birds, hundreds of impalas, kudus, waterbucks, a monitor, monkeys, baboons, zebras, babies to many of these...so many more that I can't write about right now...OH, and the best: a leopard!!! My guide only sees one or two a month and to be able to see a leopard and to tell people you saw a leopard is very rare. Such a beautiful animal! We got pretty close to it too.

One quick story I will share: we found two lions, a male and female, and we were sitting watching them and watching this group of impalas that were grazing close by. It was funny because the impalas knew the lions were there but a few of them stood watch while the others ate. We were watching all this when I looked behind our jeep and there was a herd of about 15 elephants crossing the road. We turned the jeep around to get a closer look at the elephants. They started making their way up to where the lions and impalas were so we went back up there. Because there were about ten cars watching all this, the elephants couldn't cross the road when they saw the lions and you could tell they were starting to feel threatened. The lions stood up and one of the biggest elephants threw back his ears and all at once all the elephants just charged the lions and chased them into the bush! It was really an incredible sight to see. Who's the king of the jungle now???

So many more great stories from this time. Such beautiful landscape and sunrises and sunsets. Great food and wine and just time to sit around and talk. It really was one of my highlights of being here. I loved every minute of it.

On our way back to Nelsprit we visited the Blyde River Canyon. Yet another super beautiful place to visit in South Africa when you all make it here. I can't wait so show pictures when I get home!