I know its usually flashback Tuesday, but in lieu of that we shall this week enjoy a flashback Friday.
In case you are in need of a non-flashback update: I need chocolate. I honestly think I could eat an entire bag of chocolate chips today. But you know, I am doing well at restraining myself, especially considering the chips are in the freezer at home and here I sit taking a lunch break at the office. Thank goodness for distance between me and them, otherwise the battle would be lost. : )
So on to the next leg of the journey through South Africa. Our next stop was Hluhluwe (pronounced hlu-hlu-we just like it looks). Actually, we don't have the sound in English that that particular letter combination makes. If you would like a verbal pronunciation, please visit me in person and I will do my best to demonstrate the sound. Anyway, more to the point, Hluhluwe is a game reserve. According to the pamphlet, it is the oldest reserve in South Africa. It was lovely. Ridiculously cheap - like 5 dollars a person. We got a map and a car and a look out for elephants warning and were on our way.
Our car, more accurately described as a large roller skate, was not meant for the rough roads in the reserve. I would recommend and SUV or a car more than 6 inches off the ground if you are interested in visiting the elephants and other critters living in Hluhluwe.
In a previous post I showed you one of my favorite signs. Here are another couple that crack me up we saw along the way to the reserve. All make you seem quite safe while careening at break-neck speeds down the wrong side of the road in a "car" the size of a matchbox (don't let the 4 doors fool you).
In case you can't figure out the sign's meanings, the are (in order) WATCH OUT FOR THESE ANIMALS, High Accident Zone, and Watch out for Cows.
We did enjoy seeing 3 out of the Big 5. The big five are elephants, lions, rhinos, water (cape) buffalo, and leopards. Unfortunately our timing was poor and we didn't get to see any of the large cats. But we saw girrafes, zebras, monkeys, elephants, rhinos (black and white), wildebeasts, buffalo and hundreds of birds. Here are some of the lovely examples. (if you want them bigger, click on them.)