Mamie meet Buddha

So....I managed to get this giraffe from Africa through 3 airports, about 6 security checks and into the overhead compartment. A lot of smiles and eyelashes helped get her home. And then I walked off the plan without her. Luckily I realized that my shoulders felt awfully light and realized I left her on the plane. Back on board there she was, waiting in the seat for me.

Mamie is special addition to my travel collection. She is named after one of the many amazing woman I traveled with to South Africa who wisely convinced me to not just get the giraffe, but to go and go big. I think she suggested that I may only get to Africa once in my life and I certainly do not want to have only a table top giraffe. I took a risk and it paid off. Mamie is seen here posing next to Buddha. They can be see in my APT gazing across the room at each other.

Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Woke up really early to catch a flight to Jo’burg. We then had a estimated 3 hour drive to the Game Reserve. Yesterday morning a park ranger was malled at Kruger National Park--reminiscent of the grizzly mallings when I was in Glacier National Park. Weird.

The animals were out and about as the temperature had dropped after a late morning rain. Prides of lions, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, gazelles, rhinos and hippos were all gracefully inter-mingling...for now as it apparently wasn’t dinner time. Really, really beautiful. Surreal too.

We stayed at the Bakgatla Camp in cabins and ended the day with a group meditation service under the beautiful southern sky. The milky way lit the sky enough that flashlights were not necessary. After some star-grazing a few of us stayed up to the wee hours of the morning enjoying the unique environment within the park and secretly hoping we’d see a late night/early morning visitor!