Sisters in Africa

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Originally uploaded by claireharkless

We drove and drove and drove, got passport stamps from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and saw a huge part of southern Africa. Animals, animals, animals. Hours on the road and hours spent talking and laughing.
We mostly saw Namibia. We visited an animal refuge, Harnas, where Brangelina has even been! Stopped in the capital, Windhoek, to take some pictures. Saw rock carvings/paintings in the desert. Climbed sand dunes. Chased flamingos on the coast. Saw baby seals at a huge seal colony at Cape Cross. Splashed our feet in the Atlantic. Saw lots of different animals in the Etosha game park. Tired to get some good pictures of warthogs, but could never catch them. We listened to books on CD and read another one together aloud. We slept on the banks of the Okavanga River where hippos swam. Saw elephants wrestling in the northern Botswana Chobe game park. Visited Victoria Falls for the day but left before we got any marriage proposals. I think next time I go I’m going to have to bungee jump there!
My favorite parts were seeing the flamingos and seals on the Namibian coast and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
The adventures included a flat tire inside the game park, trying to find our Johannesburg hotel, learning that you CAN mix unleaded and leaded fuel- if you are desperate, scary bathrooms, a lost license plate, a slip in the mud, snacks and a baby leopard jumping on Megan.
This part of Africa seems so different to where I was in GB. I was constantly surprised by electricity, flushing toilets and hot showers. The roads were, in general, in great condition. There were malls, movie theaters, Chinese restaurants, white people, even ATM machines! It couldn’t be Africa, right?!? But it was, and there were definite parts that looked so similar to my previous neck of the woods, I felt right at home. Being there reminded me of all my kids and friends from GB, and I miss them. A lot.
The highlight of the trip was being with my sisters. The low point was chugging my Nalgene full of water at airport security and having it come back up after 15 minutes! Gross.
It always takes a couple of days to get my body and head back in the game after a trip like this, and I’m thankful that I don’t have to go back to work for a couple more days.