Don't Say You Weren't Warned!

We live in  a country where people read, know and love their Bible.  So, one Saturday we are cruising along the Tema Motorway and I snap this picture of a billboard.

Now you know.  We would all be wise to take heed.

Game Drive in Botswana at Chobe

From Zimbabwe we took a one day trip to to Chobe National Park in nearby Botswana for a Game Drive.  Our tour included a 3 hour morning river cruise (in a big, nice boat) on the Chobe River and a 3 hour Game Drive in a safari rig in the afternoon. Taking pictures of big game from the comfort of a nice boat with sodas and snacks was a real treat compared to a bumpy safari ride.

During our float trip, we saw tourists in canoes on the river and Gregg and the guide agreed that they looked like "hippo bait."  The guide said hippos will attack for no reason at all.  You would never ever catch us in a canoe in Africa.  We saw lots of hippos and crocodiles.

The park is probably best known for its spectacular elephant population.  It contains an estimated 150,000 elephants, perhaps the highest elephant concentration of Africa.  Elephants living here are Kalahari elephants, the largest in size of all known elephant populations.  We were lucky enough to see a tiny baby elephant, still wobbly on its legs and weak enough to need to lay down and rest often.  Our guide estimated this baby was just a couple of weeks old. 

If you are an elephant, there is probably nothing better than an afternoon swim.  Right after Gregg shot this picture, the elephant on the left fell over backward into the water making a huge splash.  They also dunk each other just for fun.  I could have watched them all afternoon.

There are no fences and the elephants migrate as far as Zimbabwe.  But they always come back to the Chobe for water. We also saw giraffe, sable, cape buffalo, greater kudu, baboons, impala and puku antelope (puku are only found here).  This picture is the majestic Greater Kudu.

Birding is also excellent here.  Our favorite was the African fish eagle.  As we came near a marshy area, hundreds of Whistling Ducks took flight.  They can really whistle!  Thank you Santa for these wonderful binoculars.  I love them.  

Victoria Falls - the Smoke that Thunders

Sometimes birthday wishes come true.  Mine did.  We recently visited Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe for my birthday.  It was a very fun birthday trip.

Victoria Falls is a waterfall in Southern Africa on the Zambezi River between Zimbabwe and Zambia.  The local tribe call the falls Mosi-Oa-Tunya which means the smoke that thunders in the Tonga language.  We were told by the locals that the Tonga tribe "owns" the Zambezi River.  

While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width (5604 ft.) and height (354 ft.) which form the largest sheet of falling water in the world.  The visual impact took my breath away.  The mist is amazing, shooting up 1300 feet into the air.  You can only capture a clear photo like this (that we were lucky enough to get) if the wind blows the mist to the side.  The mist of the falls can be seen from 30 miles away.

During the flood season (now) it is impossible to see the foot of the falls and most of its face, as the walks along the cliff opposite it are in a constant shower and shrouded in mist.  For $12 US you can rent 2 extra long raincoats and 2 pairs of flip flops (your walking shoes stay safe and dry).  Because the mist blows sideways, you still get soaked - but it's fun and not at all cold.

We stayed at the Elephant Hills Resort with a great view of the Zambezi River and the mist of Victoria Falls.  Outside our 4th floor room, we enjoyed watching grazing impala and warthogs and the antics of the vervet monkeys.  There are signs on the sliding glass doors warning that the monkeys love to come in and "make mischief." 

Another wonderful part of this trip was the food; it was great! Gregg had hamburgers and steaks that rival what we enjoy in the US and something we don't often find in West Africa.

Gregg has now seen all 3 of the "big falls" (Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, and Iguazu Falls).

Moving Day March 19, 2013

We have loved our home in Coco Palm Villas, but got the opportunity to move into the new, church built "Temple View Villas," as we call them.  They are located behind the Accra, Ghana Temple and the Area Office Building. This offers us great proximity to Gregg's work and the Temple grounds.  He now has a 3 minute commute on foot!

There are 6 apartments; 5 have 2 bedrooms and a study and one is a smaller one bedroom unit for a missionary couple.  Our neighbors here are the Africa West Area Presidency, the Accra Ghana Temple President, and the Executive Secretary to the Presidency.   

Groundbreaking occurred during our first year here and we got to participate.  We've been part of the entire, somewhat slow, construction process (kind of like watching your new home get built).  It's almost hard to believe that it is a reality.  As Gregg says, "Nothin's ever easy in Africa."  And this project was no exception.  But, the quality of construction is very good.  And yes, I swim every day (but Sunday). 

  

Another Mango Harvest

It's hard to believe that it has been another year since our last mango harvest.

 

This year I was much more cautious and only picked the ones I could reach, which was about 20.  And then I called in an expert.  Nicholas removed his dress shoes, climbed up the tree and retrieved the other 30 mangos.  We shared the bounty; he was perfectly satisfied with the arrangement and so was I.  





These mangos are big, beautiful and sweet.  Lucky me!

Florence, Italy

While we were in Rome for Christmas we got the chance to visit Florence for a couple of days with Scott and Melita Dunn.  We had never been there before and had a wonderful time.  We loved the churches, the festive holiday lights, and the amazing sculptures. 

Most famous is the sculpture of David by Michelangelo.  There are several outside replicas like this marble one in the Piazza della Signoria.  The original is on display at the Accademia Gallery, but the line was huge, so the replica worked for us.






In the city center is the Duomo or Basillica of S. Maria Del Fiore, which is breathtaking. This is one of the largest cathedrals in the world and can hold 30,000 people. The stained glass windows, multicolored marble, huge bronze doors, and paintings inside the dome by Brunelleschi are spectacular.    












There was a festive feeling in the air; the Christmas lights and shoppers made it a fun place to be.  

Christmas Party in Ivory Coast

I had the chance to join Gregg for the Employee Christmas Social/Devotional in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.  I really enjoy going to Abidjan... the skyscrapers, the wide multilane roads and a beautiful lagoon.  It is a breath of fresh air.

The employees wanted to surprise us and planned the social to take place at Coconut Village on the beach.  It was a great surprise.  We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas program under palm trees next to the beach.  We sang Christmas carols in French (their national language) and enjoyed some local cuisine.  A great trip.      

When in Rome... do as the Romans do!

We've been to Rome before.  On that visit we tossed a coin in Trevi fountain and it worked!  We came back!  So.... we tried it again.  It would be wonderful to return.

It's a great place with great food.  And for those of us who don't have a McDonalds, this find was a real treat.  But what to chose?  I chose the Leonardo.

Penne pasta al dente with arrabiata sauce and lasagne.  Magnifique!

The perfect ending to a perfect day... gelato.  Scott and Melita Dunn were with us.  Melita found a cone that was just her size.  And yes, he's having Nutella gelato.   

Joseph's First Day at High School

It has been an unbelievable journey helping Joseph Apoya get a room and get accepted into high school here in Accra.

Suffice it to say that miracles do happen and prayers are answered.  

Here in Ghana, no one rents month by month. Landlords require 3 years rent up front.  Some even make you pay a fee to see the room they are renting!  Some require a down payment on a room that isn't for sure available yet.  And many make you pay an "agent"  which can easily turn out to be the owner of the land or building.  After many disappointments, Joseph finally did succeed.

Here's the happy picture of Joseph and me in his single room.  If you ask him about this room, he will tell you that it is "just perfect."  It is about 8 feet by 10 feet.  It does not have an indoor bathroom, shower or kitchen.  There is no running water.  But,he no longer shares a sleeping room with 20 other people.  And he is still very grateful to the man who let him sleep there for the last few years rent free.  For the first time in his life he is sleeping on a bed instead of the floor. And his rent is paid up for the next 3 years; that's how long it will take to finish high school.

Because he never dreamed he would be able to go to high school in Accra, he applied for admission in the northern region where it is less costly.  However, with the help of several Obruni (white) ladies and a teacher from his junior high school who felt he had potential, we were recently able to get him into a good high school here in Accra.  This required myself and this teacher taking him to the Ministry of Education.

His former teachers all liked him because he was a "self made" student.  He was chosen as the Head Prefect of his junior high because of his scholastic ability and hard work.  He will freely admit that he was a poor student until he realized that he could look up every word he didn't understand in the dictionary as he prepared for school each day.  And this he did without parents or family support of any kind.  He did meet a compassionate American tutor who passed his name on to us and sent money to make sure he had food.  He had a weekend job all through junior high to earn money for school fees and food.   

The drama of actually getting him into school was an intense few days.  School started October 22, 2012, and no word about a spot for Joseph.  We were really worried about his chances.  But, on October 30th, he got a call saying we must come to the Ministry and then go pay fees at the school immediately.  I dropped everything, borrowed a car and off we went.  At the ministry we received the paperwork for his admission to St. Thomas Aquinas High School.  We met the Assistant Headmistress and then set off for the bank to pay the fees.  Here is a picture of Joseph in his uniform on his first day of high school.  

God really does work in the details of our lives.  He knows and cares for each of His children; even a little orphan boy in Acrra, Ghana, Africa.        

Babies of the Year

We saw some very cute babies on Safari.  We thought we would share our favorites.

baby Zebra

baby Oryx

baby Cheetahs

baby Lion

baby Elephant

baby Giraffe

baby Vervet Monkey

baby Warthogs - as Gregg says, that's a face only a mother could love...

Serengeti - the Endless Plain

Ah, the beautiful Serengeti.  If you only had the time or money to visit one place on Safari, I would choose the Serengeti in Tanzania.  Just be forewarned that these are extremely bumpy roads, to be rivaled only by the roads of Masai Mara.    

This was the first time that we have seen an animal skeleton hanging from a tree branch (a young wildebeest).  That's a sure sign of leopard nearby. We drove on.  This was the magic moment when we got to see a leopard!  She was sleeping up on the ledge of a rock formation in the middle of this Endless Plain of dried golden grass.  She woke up, stood, climbed to a higher ledge, looked out at her adoring fan club and went back to sleep.   

Although most of the wildebeest and zebra have crossed over the river and are in Kenya, we saw plenty.  We watched a group of over 200 zebras running somewhere.  

We also saw 50 Masai giraffe.  They are everywhere with many young ones.  What amazes me is that this branch is completely covered with big thorns.  Somehow, they are able to  enjoy the leaves while not getting injured.  

We visited 2 fabulous hippo pools.  There were at least 50 hippos.  They grunt, snort, and have skirmishes in the water.  But when they come on land they are perfectly quiet.  I was amazed at how big some of the females are.  

We also saw a 6 foot long black snake cross the road; our guide said it was either a black mamba or a black cobra.  My first snake siting in Africa.  Luckily I was in a vehicle!!  Almost all snakes in Africa are venomous.  Somehow, the rattlesnakes back home don't seen so threatening.  At least they give you some warning that they are there.


It was an amazing Safari.  I'm so glad we went.  Thank you Gregg.

Tanzania - Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania is a large ancient volcanic caldera and a great place to see African animals.  This conservation area is surrounded by Masai villages.  We passed many Masai warriors with their cattle, which graze around the crater.

Our tent camp was at the top of the crater.  Since this camp is in the bush, we had to be accompanied to and from our tent (for our safety) by a Masai.  It was cold here (altitude), but they supplied a space heater in the tent and a hot water bottle in the bed (which I needed more than Gregg did).  

In the crater we saw 4 of the Big 5 animals.  The Big 5 are the five most dangerous African animals to hunt on foot; elephant, lion, leopard, cape buffalo, and rhino.  We lacked only the leopard.  However, we saw the shy and elusive black rhino here.  We were told that there are not many left and it is rare to see them in the wild.

Here is Gregg's favorite lion picture of the safari. This male and his pride of lionesses had just killed and eaten a Cape Buffalo and he seemed quite proud of himself (although I'll bet the lady lions did all the work).

The lionesses looked like my boys after a Thanksgiving meal!

Hippos seem to live a life of leisure.  They are dangerous and we needed to be in a vehicle to get this close.

Masai Mara and the Great Migration

Masai Mara is the Kenya side of the Serengeti.  Right now the great migration is happening  there.  On our game drive we saw zebra and wildebeest everywhere.  All it takes is one to start a race to the river.  There were too many to count, thousands, all running full speed toward the river.  As they got within 50 yards a lioness suddenly appeared walking toward the river and everybody came to an immediate halt.  As Gregg would say, "live to cross another day."  To be honest, I didn't want to see the crocodiles get any of them.

Our favorite sighting was a mother cheetah and her 3 cubs sitting on a bushy mound in the middle of the savannah.  We were able to drive quite close for a photo.  She didn't seem to mind.  Some of these encounters made us feel almost invisible.  

We also saw a male ostrich seated on a nest of eggs.  I had no idea that both parents take turns sitting on the eggs until they hatch.  We could see 3 eggs; look straight down from his neck.  Our guide said that he would probably sit there all day and she would sit there all night.  There could be as many as 20 eggs in the nest.  

We visitied a Masai village.  Very fascinating.  Both the women and men danced for us.  The warriors can jump amazingly high!  

The Mount Kenya Safari Club

In between our "tent camping" we stayed at the beautiful Mount Kenya Safari Club, easily a 5 star resort.  With magnificent views of majestic Mount Kenya, the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club Resort is set in over 100 acres of landscaped gardens.  Originally the retreat of movie star and Club founder, William Holden, the Club's illustrious former members have included Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby.


After roughing it in a tent, we were quite happy to be spoiled.  It was cold and rainy (altitude 7000 feet) part of the time and we were grateful for the fireplace in our room and the hot water bottles placed in our bed each night.  

I must admit that we never saw an elephant with tusks this size.  Amazing!  

There were remnants of hunting days and roses throughout the resort.