Went on safari this morning at Madike River Lodge. Saw lions, elephant, kudu, impala, giraffe, wildebeest, jackal, water buck, black-shouldered kite, and a yellow hornbill. Impala are the most commonly-seen animal in the game preserve. Vervet monkeys and a grouse-like bird called a Franklin are everywhere.
The image at right is of the two lions in a pride of about eleven. They are the oldest male lions in the park. We found them sunning themselves next to a water hole with a bevy of females and adolescents lying nearby. Our ranger said they had eaten recently and were sleep
ing it off. I'm adding an impage of a mother and young giraffe. We got to watch them for a half hour, as part of a larger herd.
The image at right is of the two lions in a pride of about eleven. They are the oldest male lions in the park. We found them sunning themselves next to a water hole with a bevy of females and adolescents lying nearby. Our ranger said they had eaten recently and were sleep
ing it off. I'm adding an impage of a mother and young giraffe. We got to watch them for a half hour, as part of a larger herd. Madikwe River Lodge is a beautiful timber-and-stucco lodge with a thatched roof and a giant center fireplace. The fireplace feels really good on a cold evening. The decor is African, with many interesting artifacts. Each room is its own little hut, with a thatched roof and no lock on the door. There is, however, a latch to keep the monkeys out.
Spoke with Tom on the phone; he said his courses are hard, but he has already been to Cape Town twice.
Spoke with Tom on the phone; he said his courses are hard, but he has already been to Cape Town twice.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Yesterday, Sibusiso picked us up at 9:00 to take us to our first World Cup soccer game, Slovakia v. New Zealand, in the platinum-mining city of Rustenburg. We arrived the recommended two hours early, which proved to be a good idea because of the complicated logistics of finding the park-and-ride lot and then boarding a bus for the stadium.
Someone had written the name "Thabiso" as graffiti on a low brick wall outside the stadium. It reminded us of Sam's friend and soccer teammate, whose mother is from Lesotho, not far away. We had an extra ticket, which we gave to Sibusiso. He was thrilled, and asked to have his picture taken, ". . . to prove he was at the game."
Although Slovakia was favored to win, they seemed nervous and unsure of themselves at first. New Zealand used their size advantage to keep things even for the first half, which ended tied at zero. Slovakia's coach must have said the right things during half time, because they came out playing much better, and it wasn't too long before they scored. All looked good for Slovakia, which led 1-0 after 90 minutes, when the referee added on 3 minutes of stoppage time. About halfway into stoppage, New 
Zealand scored to even it up. I've never seen a team look more dejected than Slovakia at that moment, and that's how the game ended.
Zealand scored to even it up. I've never seen a team look more dejected than Slovakia at that moment, and that's how the game ended.There was a great feeling of comaraderie in the crowd. We chatted with those around us about where they were from and how it felt to be there. We were on the edge of a group of flag-waving New Zealanders, who were ecstatic at the end of the game. Behind us sat vuvuzela-playing South Africans, who agreed to join us in a family photo.
There was a bit of pushing and shoving to get on the bus to go back to the parking lot, but I was able to use my size to our advantage to get all four of us on the same bus, Abby first. We had a two and a half hour drive to Madikwe game reserve, arriving less than a half hour after the gate had closed for the evening. After some negotiations, Sibusiso was able to get the guards to send for an escort from Madikwe River Lodge to take us to the resort. After a delightful meal of braised lamb shanks and eland filet, we retired for the evening, content.
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