Happy New Year and Kwa Zulu Natal

Oh right, we have a blog.  I had to go back to look at the last post to see where we left off.  Time is passing so quickly.  Happy New Year is in order.  We had a lovely Christmas holiday in Swaziland with Sarah and Armand and their new baby girl Lila, as well as Armand's mom Kate and friends Emily and Ryan who came over from Mozambique.  We cooked and ate and ate some more. Santa found us and the boys were both very happy with his ever thoughtful gift giving. We rang in the New Year lighting off fire works on a flat rock at the edge of the property accompanied  by dozens of fireflies which the boys had never seen.

Sarah and Armand's Christmas tree. 

Welcome to the world Lila Hope!

We shot off fireworks from here New Years Eve much to the enjoyment of the whole valley.

We have been travelling for 5 ½ months now.  I had a “holy cow” moment the other day when I realized that we have been in near constant company of one another for over 6 months. Let me tell ya what, that is a whole lotta family time.  But just when I thought I was going to need a vacation from our vacation we discovered summer camp here in Swaziland.  The school calendar runs mid-January to mid-December with summer break falling at Christmas time.  So, every afternoon this week the boys are going to spend 4 hours at the house of a Montessori teacher doing crafts and playing with other kids. 4 hours away from Chris and I.  4 hours that Chris and I can go rock climbing, swimming or just sit in peace.  4 hours…everyday…for a week.  Can you feel my joy? 

We just got back from an awesome 9 day trip to Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa.  This is along the northeast coast of South Africa also called the elephant coast.  The area is a UNESCO world Heritage site which means something about it being really amazing.  And it is.  Grass covered dunes meet the ocean with lakes just on the other side.  We spent the first 4 days in Kosi Bay which is just a few km south of the Mozambique border.  The mouth of the estuary is here where the ocean meanders inland and when the tide drops you can walk out to some great snorkeling in quiet water.  The ocean is really rough just on the other side of the rocks.   We went there to teach the boys to snorkel and it was just perfect for them.  The water was warm like a bath.  The sand was soft and the fish were tropical.  There were angelfish, zebra fish, parrot fish, eels, and even some scary but beautiful lion fish.  No pictures of the fish unfortunately since we don’t have an underwater camera.  The highlight for me was a brief encounter with a blue spotted ray.  I say brief because I was in shallow water barely 2 feet deep peering over the edge into a deeper lagoon when the ray flew up passed me and scared me straight out of the water.

fish traps

We spent hours exploring underwater and George and I have the sunburns to prove it.  My Irish skin is just not made for the beach even slathered in sunscreen. No surprise there. After that I was in the water fully clothed and much more comfortable.

Driving back to our campsite from the beach one day we came upon a couple who were literally hopping their way back to camp shoeless in the scorching hot sand.  Chris was kind enough to offer them a ride. Lucky for them he was driving because I was like “nah just keep going”. Good thing Chris is such a good guy because they turned out to ne super nice and told us about the turtle watching tour happening that night. They even made arrangements for us to come along.  We set out around 5 o clock and drove for an hour through windy sandy roads until we got to the right part of the beach.  We were high up on a dune and the waves were crashing below as the sun was setting.  We were so excited.  A guide from the local turtle research center walked us down the beach looking for either logger heads or leatherbacks which come out after sunset.  We walked until it was dark and the stars were incredible. Once he spotted a logger head turtle we waited nearly an hour in the dark for it to make its way from the water up the dune.  Once it dug its hole and started laying eggs we were allowed to get right up next to it and watch without fear of disturbing it.  They are on auto pilot at that point. It dropped around 100 eggs and then spent 15 minutes using its powerful flippers to cover the nest, spraying us with sand in the process.   Finally once satisfied it turned and dragged itself back down the beach and into the dark water.  Lucky for us we were able to watch 2 laying their eggs. It was unforgettable and magical. 

After Kosi Bay we drove south to the town of St. Lucia which sits just on the edge of the isamangaliso wetland park where we did a game drive to the ocean. Here is the description of the place from their website:

“The iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in December 1999 in recognition of its superlative natural beauty and unique global values.

The 332 000 hectare Park contains three major lake systems, eight interlinking ecosystems, 700 year old fishing traditions, most of South Africa’s remaining swamp forests, Africa’s largest estuarine system, 526 bird species and 25 000 year-old coastal dunes – among the highest in the world. The name iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder, which aptly describes this unique place.”

We drove by loads of wildlife including rhino on our way to the beach where we played in the ocean for hours. 

Another highlight from the trip I can’t forget to mention is our trip to Tembe Elephant Park.  Tembe is home of some of the largest elephants in the world called Tuskers because of their huge tusks.  Driving along a pretty narrow road we came across one of these tuskers and had the good timing to see it reaching up high into a tree to pull down some branches.  The clear view of his open mouth, trunk and tusks was something we had never seen so close.  Spectacular.  Further on we came upon several herds totaling at least 100 elephants.  We sat and watched them interact for a long time and after a while you could start to see personalities emerge.  There was a big bull who was clearly in charge and when any of the other males expressed interest in a female he ran them off in a fury.  For me these moments spent observing wildlife are what it’s all about.  I could sit and watch for hours.  The boys however were ready to go after 5 mins and so too soon we moved on.

Tembe was also the first place we had seen animal hides which are discreetly placed buildings near water holes where you can sit and observe animals out of your vehicle.   The paths to them are like a cattle chute or even a haunted house.  You hop out of your car in an area marked with warning signs of the possible dangerous animals in the area and then enter this locked gate and walk down a narrow passageway with high dark walls that meanders through the bush until you get to the actual hide.  Once there you sit quietly and watch the animals come and go.  The hide in Tembe has a camera showing the waterhole you can access 24 hours a day online.  http://www.tembe.co.za/webcam.htm

Oh this reminds me everywhere you go in Africa there are indemnity signs and indemnity waivers saying you know there are risks involved with the activity and you won’t sue them.  We have literally signed our life away 50 times since we arrived. 

We signed one of these at the Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Center before Chris and I entered an enclosure with cheetahs.  The boys were not permitted as they look too much like prey.  They were allowed however to go in with the servals and wild cats which was a real treat for Henry who had been asking to go there since we first learned about it.  It was cool being close to a cheetah and touching it but ultimately for me seeing them in the wild is the best.

stalking its prey?

George with serval

Henry with serval

African wild cat

this angry serval is "not tame" said the guide

luckily it was high up in a tree

To end our trip we stayed at Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Park which is the former royal hunting ground for the Zulu.  We got up and out by 5am one morning hoping to see some active wildlife and came across a cheetah lounging in a dried lake bed with an anxious hyena looking on.  In the afternoon heat the animals do such a good job of keeping cool in the shade that it can be nearly impossible to find them.  It was well worth it to get up early and see the cheetah in full view.  Hunting would have been even better but we’ll take what we get.  We gave up our tents that night for the comfort and safety of a chalet and got to watch a hyena sniffing around our patio where we’d earlier in the night been eating ribs.  Good thing we finished dinner early.  There are stories and photos of the hyena pulling meat right off people’s grill (called a braai here).

Braai is south africa's version of the barbeque which they do a lot

blind snake

This guinea fowl was really trying to get inside.

just outside our cottage in Hluhluwe game park

I believe those are scratches from a close call with a lion

or a plane

Rhino traffic jam

Back in Swaziland we are already gearing up for the next trip to the Drakensberg Mountains and down to Cape Town via the famed Garden Route. When we are not planning (perhaps because the internet is down again) we are back into the school routine.  Chris has taken over most of Henry’s lessons and I’m working with George.  Armand’s Mom, Kate, was kind enough to bring us a replacement book of 3^rd grade curriculum for the one stolen the first week of the trip and what a comfort having it to refer to.  Home schooling is not for the faint of heart as far as I’m concerned.  It requires focus, dedication and follow-through and thank god Chris has that.  For me however, one year is enough.  I’ll leave it to the pros.  The boys came home from their first day at summer camp yesterday and shared all the fun they had and all the projects they did.  They made wallets out of milk containers.  I looked at Chris and said “why haven’t we thought of doing this kind of stuff?” and before Chris could say anything I said “Oh I know, because I don’t want to.”  Thank you teachers!  Our appreciation for what you do is more elevated than ever.

And in sad news we lost our sweet Kenya recently. Many thanks to Chris, Sue, Josh, Kieran and Lucy for their tremendous care and support of her to the very end. Farewell dear friend. You are missed.