Lions, and tigers, and giraffes ... oh, my!

Cape Town's exquisite Waterfront Harbor came into view as we sailed into South Africa early last Sunday morning. From the ship we could see Table Mountain (object of many hikes by students during the week) and we spent the day exploring the town -- the fort, the Company Garden, the natural history museum.The object of many of our side trips, however, were the multiple safaris offered throughout the country. Janna and I did an independent trip up to the luxurious Ivory Tree Lodge in Pilanesburg (2+ hour up to Johannesburg, where we stayed the night, then a 3-hour drive to the game reserve).My expectations were relatively low; after all, we've been to the zoo, we've seen animals, no big deal. WRONG!! It's a VERY BIG DEAL to see these gorgeous creatures in their natural habitats, to see them close up, and to learn from the expert guides of their life in the wild. We were both thrilled and impressed. Here are just a few of the pix I snapped during the four game rides we enjoyed.It took two days of searching in the bushes and trees and mountains and crevices, but FINALLY we spotted the rare and shy African Leopard!The Archbishop celebrated his 79th birthday while here, and he invited some staff, faculty, and students to his home for lunch on Tuesday; then, on Thursday, the ship hosted a fabulous party for his many friends from Cape Town.
We spent our final day shopping, clearing up some ship details, and then going on a tour of two lovely wineries nestled in the hills outside of Cape Town, where we learned about wine production, distribution and marketing. Nice way to end a very enjoyable visit to a welcoming country.We sail now toward the island of Mauritius (a five-day trip), where we will be for two days docked in the capital, Port Louis.