If you click on the picture, you will see our favorite fact about each animal!  

A zebra’s stomach is often full of gas which leads to a protruding belly and a very “musical” gallop. 🙂

Every three years (on average), after an 18-month pregnancy, the female white rhinoceros gives birth to one young.

Last night’s dinner: to ensure larger animals and hyenas do not steal its prey, a leopard will carry more than twice its weight up a tree. Pound for pound, it is the by far the strongest climber amongst the cats.

The lilac-breasted roller gets its name from their impressive courtship flight, a fast, shallow dive from a considerable elevation with a rolling motion.

One of our favorite safari moments was watching this giraffe drinking water – an incredibly vulnerable (and awkward) position.

The black crake’s legs will become bright red when it is breeding season… 😉

A baby elephant does not learn how to use its trunk until it is about 8 months old. Before then, the baby will swing it around and suck on it, just as a baby would suck its thumb.

Though not particularly graceful or beautiful, the warthog might be our favorite animal.

Rhinos lay down “middens” or piles of dung to mark their territory. Other animals add their deposits in these middens basically creating toilets around the savannah.

The leopard tortoise is a solitary animal except during mating season where the male will pursue the female by butting her in the back of her shell with his head until she “gives in”.

Female lions do 85-90% of the pride’s hunting while the males patrol the territory and protect the pride.

Grey heron standing on hippos

We saw these guys out in the wild, but by far our favorite experience was learning about them on the farm. 1 ostrich egg = 24 chicken eggs!

Honey badgers really don’t give a s***.

This little genet came to dinner with us. Not only are they nocturnal and extremely cat-like; they also apparently enjoy a nice pasta dinner. 🙂

The Cape Buffalo is one of the “African Big 5” most dangerous animals to hunt. If shot at, they will circle back to attack the hunter…

The African Fish Eagle is the largest bird of prey in Africa.

African wild dogs have a playful ceremony to “pump up” prior to a hunt. They start circulating among each other, vocalizing, and touching until they are excited and ready to start the hunt.

The name giraffe means “a camel marked like a leopard”.

The woodland kingfisher, contrary to its name, is rarely found fishing. It prefers munching on bugs and seeds instead.

Perfectly camouflaged

How the wildebeest came to be: After the creator had made the animals, he did not want to waste spare parts. So he decided he would use some left over stripes from the zebra, a warthog shaped head, a neck shaped like a buffalo, and some left over lions mane to create one last animal – the wildebeest.

The saddle-billed stork will swallow that fish whole and chase it with a swig of water.

The warthog has to kneel to drink because their neck is too short to reach the ground. They also run (or prance) with their tails high in the air – look up a video of one running if you are having a bad day!

These southern ground hornbills are impossible to photograph but are over four feet tall and weigh over 13 pounds! They scared the **** out of us when they ran in front of our car!

The African Darteris commonly known as the snakebird as it often swims with only the neck above the water.

It takes a cape water buffalo bull at least eight years to fight his way high enough up the dominance hierarchy to secure opportunities to mate.

The dassie is, amazingly, the closest related animal to the elephant!

Hippos eat nearly 90 pounds of grass each night and are most dangerous when they are crossing from water to land and back again. They also kill the most people in Africa. Gulp!

Baby rhinos are adorable. Fact.

Most dung beetles create “brooding balls” by gathering animal dung (the fresher, the better) and rolling it into balls. The goal is to attract a female by rolling the prettiest and sturdiest ball for her to lay her eggs in. To orient themselves as they roll their ball home, the dung beetle will climb on top of their ball and look to the sky to use the sun and stars for guidance. When researchers placed little hats on the beetles, preventing them from seeing the sky, they were lost and wandered about

This young male bushbuck will most often be found around water and is an excellent swimmer.

The Giant African Millipede… ewwww

The majestic kudu has incredible spiral horns and though standing perfectly still for this picture, they can jump over 9 feet high!

The leopard is the most elusive and secretive of the large cats. They are incredibly difficult to track and locate in the wild.

Impala are jokingly referred to as the “fast food of the savannah” as they are nearly everywhere making popular dinner choices for the big cats.

This crocodile, with a kill, has the strongest bite of all the animals in the world, however, one their mouth is shut, a human adult can easily hold it closed.

Baboons are fighters. If a preditor comes along, unlike monkeys who will run up the trees for safety, baboons will come down from trees to scream and fight. They also create a bit on an uneasy feeling when you are walking down the road next to them…

This is a female waterbuck – identified by the ring around her booty.

The African Elephant is either right or left”tusked” with the dominant tusk becoming shorter due to frequent use.

These guys, appropriately named the African Penguin, are the only penguins found on the entire continent of Africa.

The African Common Toad… I just feel like he probably never makes it into photo books so I am giving him his time in the spotlight.

Returning to South Africa and showing Jonathan a country I fell in love with ten years ago was one part of this trip I was ready for.  I was excited, proud, and not the least bit worried that I might be let down.  This was “the rainbow nation” full of exotic life, dramatic landscapes, and big toothy smiles.  This was a familiar place, and it was a extraordinary place.  So why do I feel disapointed?

Don’t get me wrong, we had a blast the six weeks we spent here with wonderful people and epic adventures!  But I left the country with a heartache that when talking to Jonathan about it, created teary eyes… multiple times.  This place, while still beautiful and full of sundowners and elephants is also still deeply seeded in racism and unchanged prejudice.

Where religion had been at the forefront of our experience in the Middle East, race played the prominent role in South Africa.  It was a part of nearly everything we did and was impossible to ignore.  It followed us from wine country where laborers were black and supervisors were white to seaside cities where race specific beaches sat next to one another.   When we told people our road trip itinerary, they looked at us with shock and asked us “why would you ever go there?” referring to the predominantly black region along the coast known as the Transkei.  Off the cuff comments were frequent from members of all generations and a fusion of fear, distrust, and bitterness lingered when race was mentioned.  I remember thinking 10 years ago that it felt like stepping back in time to 1960 in Alabama, and I regrettably must say, the feeling remained unchanged.  The progress I was excited to see had ceased.  It broke my heart.

Jonathan, Kathryn, and I had multiple conversations trying to sift and reason through the discrimination and prejudice we were witnessing.  After the initial shock for them and sorrow for me wore a bit, we started piecing together thoughts on how racism here was still so accepted and seen as only mildly obtrusive nearly 25 years after apartheid ended.  After hours of discussion in the car and speaking with Varun, one of our best educators in the beauty and complexity of being a South African, we settled on a few thoughts that by no means excuse the behavior, but perhaps start to explain it.

Nelson Mandela was and still is an icon to South Africa and the world.  He was loved by nearly everyone in South Africa, white and black.  Not only was he a politician and world leader, he was, most importantly, a uniter in a desperately divided country.  However, after a revolutionary leader leaves power, systems and people must be in place to keep the momentum and progress going.  Today’s government in South Africa is far from what Mandela had initiated, and the country is experiencing serious economic recession and corruption.  Older generations reverted back to their former thoughts, words, and actions while the newer generation who was too young during apartheid to develop extreme beliefs are starting careers and families at a time when things are starting to spiral downward.  Trust in the government and fellow men is waning and pessimism has set in.  It scares us to think about South Africa’s future.

Nostalgia is a tricky bug.  It is especially problematic when it is for a time when things were much easier, I was much more naive, and touched with optimistic ignorance.  When I studied in Stellenbosch a decade ago, I joined the school’s volleyball team.  It was a mixed bag of races with both natives and international students playing.  I saw teamwork and comradery between players and teams with seemingly no emphasis on race.  It was the place I felt the most comfortable, and blissfully watched Mandela’s dream in action.  Unfortunately, though on the court life was harmonic; I had no idea what it was like for my teammates of color once they left for home.  Now ten years later, it is setting in that racism was still very much alive and almost certainly experienced by my teammates.

There is a phenomenon in South Africa since the ending of apartheid known as “colorblind racism”.   It is the cry of many white South African’s that “the country must move beyond race” and that “they do not see color”.  Though nice to hear and easy for a comfortable white South Africans to say, it ignores the fact that for people of color, race still matters because they still experience it.  We found ourselves discussing the reality that, though unmistakable in South Africa, this “colorblind racism” is obviously happening all over the world with the United States being a prime victim.  Racial tensions have been all over the news in the U.S., and it would be completely inappropriate to assume only infrequent, extreme moments of prejudice occur.  We encountered multiple moments of frustration while traveling and discussing this issue. These problems are present at home and abroad, but we can never experience the subtle prejudice that is part of daily life for someone of color.  I feel mislead, disheartened, frustrated, and most of all… powerless.

Since South Africa, I have been doing some reading on proposed solutions for this global issue of “colorblind racism”.  Strategies range from promoting empathy, to increasing education and awareness, to focusing energy and empowerment of the minority communities.  They all seem broad and much too big for a privileged white American couple to completely tackle.  I suppose the conversations we had, the effort that went into writing this (it took me weeks), and the reflection it might promote to anyone who reads it, are a small place to start.

South Africa gave us beautiful land to explore, new friends who welcomed us openly, and a chance to grow in our thoughts and conversations. So, while not our most fun or light post, I hope it inspires some of the reflection and discussion in you (and future us, when we read this again) that we experienced while writing it.

In a bold moment, the tripod (Kathryn, Jonathan, and myself) decided to road trip along the coast of the bottom of Africa in our little Spark after the wedding.  With minimal planning and quite the mileage to cover (about 1500ish), we set out along the Garden Route for a week of sing alongs, story telling, “would-you-rather” questions, and petrol station snacks.  There were hilarious moments, a few stressful moments, and most nights ending with the sentiment, “I think we deserve a bottle of wine tonight”.  It was awesome.

Stellenbosch: No trip back to South Africa would have been complete without a nostalgic visit to the university town I studied abroad in over 10 years ago.  My two goals were to take the tripod to my favorite winery and for pizza at my favorite dive bar, Bohemia.  It was hotter than hell, but Waterford Winery still does an epic chocolate and wine pairing (Shiraz with chai dark chocolate and desert chardonnay with lavender rose milk chocolate – yep) and Bohemia still rocks the bacon, avocado, and banana pizza combo.  Sounds weird I know, but it is delicious!

The Garden Route is a stretch of well-traveled road in South Africa filled with absolute beauty, quiet little towns, untamed countryside, wild exotic animals, and stunning panoramas around every turn.  It really is the ultimate road trip.

Boulders Beach and Cape of Good Hope:

After a morning cappuccino stop in Simonstown, a cute fishing village along the coast that begs you to stop for a walk along its docks, we headed to Boulders Beach.  Why this beach?  Two words: AFRICAN PENGUINS!  I had been before and remember watching these little guys for hours – excited to return was beyond an understatement.  Jonathan, Kathryn, and I stood on the dock watching them glide gracefully in the water and clumsily waddle the sandy beach as we voiced their interactions and tried to guess who was in charge and who was courting who.

With hearts full of penguin love, we happily headed for an afternoon hike along the Cape of Good Hope.  Though not the southernmost tip of Africa (a common misconception), this picturesque National Park gave us plenty to explore.  The scenery ranges from rocky mountain tops to beaches to the open sea and is home to over 250 species of birds and 1100 types of plants.  The Cape sits at the collision of two of the earth’s most contrasting water masses giving it an eerie history of shipwrecks… and plenty of pirate ghosts.

Oudtshoorn: Kathryn and I were roommates nearly a decade ago.  One of the most memorable moments for her during that time was watching me reenact riding an ostrich (after a glass or two of wine) in our living room one night.  Since then, it has been a goal for her to get on one of these birds.  Mission accomplished.  We visited an ostrich farm where we met the babies and tried our luck in the ostrich rodeo.  I think we decided Jonathan won, but I was laughing too hard to really know what happened.  Click here to see a hilarious video of Jonathan’s winning ride: https://vimeo.com/157837738#t=9s

Knysna:  Along the drive, Jonathan spotted a small sign with words he had been anxiously awaiting since leaving Colorado: “Craft Brewery”.  We stopped at this roadside wooden shack where a tanned Afrikaan retiree and his two buddies were bottling his beer on this rainy day.  We chatted away with them as we tried a couple of his brews and attempted to figure out a place to stay for the night.  He sent us to Knysna, a town about 30km down the road with ideas for restaurants, overlooks, and more breweries.  We dutifully followed his advice and had ourselves a great time!

Knysna is set in a gorgeous location protected from the rough water of the Indian Ocean by “The Heads”, two sandstone cliffs that form a treacherous entry into the Knysna Lagoon.

Surrounding the town is some of the best hiking along the Garden Route and it didn’t take the tripod long to choose an afternoon adventure of secluded beaches, sand dunes, and cape fur seals.  Sitting in the sand, looking around at this scenery while drying in the sun after being convinced to dive into freezing water by two of your favorite people is just… one of those moments.

REALITY CHECK:  Though these are the highlights, it probably should not be forgotten that we spent hours… so many hours… in our go-kart sized car.  Anyone who has done a roadtrip with friends knows how things go after the first few hundred miles.  Buttons get pushed, alternative endings to a certain Star Wars movie get created, and teamwork prevails.

The Drakensbergs: Veering off from the coast, we headed North to the Drakensberg Mountains or as the native Zulu people refer to them, uKhahlamba (meaning Barrier of Spears).

This is South Africa’s highest mountain range and the tripod used our time there to hike through green hills from waterfall to waterfall, watch the baboons, and enjoy a few restful, though stormy, nights of home-cooked meals, fresh bread, and board games.

Johannesburg: Our roadtip ended with a few days in JoBurg, South Africa’s largest city and business capital, where we were welcomed with open arms by Kathryn’s old friend, Varun.  Not only was Varun absolutely hilarious and full of ideas for our time with him, but he spoiled us with all night laughs during the most epic game of Cards Against Humanity ever played, a fantastic hollendaise sauce he created for brunch one morning, and tours to some of the area’s best attractions.

We ventured to the Cradle of Humankind where we toured limestone caves that contain fossillised remains of hominids from nearly 3 million years ago and had a blast in their newly constructed museum that though presumably was for children, gave us a solid few hours of entertainment.

Varun also gave us our first introduction to the South African safari!  Animal pictures are to come very soon!  Spoiler: a baby rhino might be involved!

With big hugs and a full camera, we said goodbye to Kathryn and Varun and headed North to Zambia for a few days of kayaking and camping on the Zambezi!