Game Park! Hot Springs! Carmen's B-day! UPDATED

Post from last night after the first 2.5hour safari ride:

Oh my gosh, something exciting and heart pounding just happened so I will start today’s blog with the end of the safari tour.  There we were; the two safari trucks with half the chorus in each.  I was sitting with Carmen (my daughter) and I was looking over at my son Carlos who was in the other truck.  We had just entered the lion’s area and, as BCS magic would have it, the lions were all there just waiting for visitors.  We were silent, mesmerized, watching.  Most of the lions had started walking away from us.  They sauntered very close to the trucks in the most graceful and powerful way.  And then….the largest female stopped by the other truck.  It went a little closer and stopped again.  I was spell bound.  I could see my son sort of hanging out of his truck and I was thinking, oh my Gosh, what an amazing picture.  The lion was only a few feet away, her face completely turned toward Carlos.  I was comparing the sizes of their heads and just staring in awe and amazement.  It was silent -40 people watching.  Then I saw movement and caught the driver of the truck kind of in an urgent way turn on the truck and slam it into reverse.  That’s what drew me out of my ‘watching a movie’ trance.  What kind of a mother am I?  Comparing the size of their heads??  This was a wild lion staring at my baby. 

A welcome drink - sparkling grape juice

Pool was freezing, which didn't stop most of the kids from jumping in

Aquila Entrance

Aquila is a beautiful resort and the pictures will blow you away.  We arrived around noon, and had a delicious buffet lunch.  The rooms are so beautiful – little cottages.  There are mostly two kids per cottage.  Each has its own fireplace, an outdoor shower enclosed with beautiful rock tiles, and a large 2 person soaking tub.  I’ll stop here and let Anna and Meghan fill you in on the details of the day. (A very sincere thank you to all the friends and families who raised the funds to allow us to stay at this amazing game reserve.)

In middle of safari, we stop for snacks and photos

Water buffalo

Hippos coming up for air



Sprinkbok - South Africa's national animal

Carlos in his new safari hat

The "chaps"  ...as the kids call us

Hippo

Cold and exciting safari 7am morning



They don't have teeth, but it's still intimidating

Great smile Emily

Renee and baby

Ostrich eggs are strong enough to stand on!

A flat on safari, luckily not in the lion area!

Maya rides an ostrich

B-day girl Carmen (17) with baby

Anna and Meghan:

Right now, we are sitting by the crackling fireplace, enjoying a wonderful night. We just came back from an extraordinarily filling buffet dinner; as all of the other singers are in a food coma, we came out of the food-induced haze to tell you about one of the best days EVER! First, we were woken up from our slumber to the dulcet sound of Ellen’s voice. After a breakfast fit for champions, we hopped on a luxury bus, complete with reclining, plush seats. Anna and I scored two seats next to each other—prime real estate. Along the road, we saw a plethora of vineyards and.. wait for it: BABBOONS! Yep, you got it, the ones with the red cabooses. After a quick candy pit stop at a rest area, we arrived at the most beautiful and luxurious resort we have EVER seen. We entered the patio where two beautiful pools are located. Some were even brave enough to bear the nippy weather and take a dip. At four o’clock, we boarded the safari caravans. First, we saw a single ostrich, then we arrived at a seemingly dull watering hole. Suddenly, a hippo popped out! Next, by the side of the road, we saw three rhinos (a mommy, a baby, and a poppa). It was AMAZING seeing their rough skin and horns incredibly up close and personal. We also saw South Africa’s national animal, the springbok, bouncing on the side of the road. If you didn’t know, the springbok is the name of South Africa’s rugby team. Meghan is currently sporting her new Springbok rugby shirt. Anyways, we also saw zebra, wildebeest, and antelope. By far, our favorite part of the entire safari was the elephants. There was a single moment when an elephant crossed a few feet—oops, sorry metric system—a few meters in front of our caravan. With a few slow steps, the elephant got close enough so that we both were able to look directly into its eye. After we saw the elephants, we really felt like our trip to Africa had proved to be even better than we could ever imagine. As Patti explained above, seeing the lions was equally awe-inspiring. Oh, we almost forgot! In the middle of the safari, we all stepped out onto the actual grounds to wet our palette with some dried fruit and sparkling grape juice. Photo opp! After the safari, we were once again treated to an enormous buffet. WE LOVE AFRICA!

‘Night! Anna and Meghan

A note from Jennifer about Tuesday's township tour:

What an experience! Seeing the townships reminded me so much of Haiti. Although people that lived there weren’t as wealthy as others, they all work together as one big family.  The best part was that it seemed like a smile was plastered on each person’s face. 

The preschool was one of my favorites because the kids were just full of so much energy, and were enjoying what they were doing. The children gave us a dance performance. They were just amazing! One of the dancers reminded me of myself and how I used to dance when I was their age. 

The high school that we visited was the best that I have seen during this whole trip.  They sang so loud and beautifully, and I could tell that they loved what they do, singing.  At first I didn’t realize that the school was capable of amazing me, but they definitely did more than amaze me, they astonished me. There are no words to describe how fantastic they were. -Jennifer

Preschool kids perform for us