My husband dragged me with to a course offered by our church last night - 'Meetings with God' - and boy am I glad that I went. It was really an eye-opener for me.
I started understanding how important it is in all of our lives to have a purpose. We all have a calling and a greater purpose in life. This calling helps us understand the purpose of life, gives us energy and hope, helps us carry on during difficult times and helps us understand that our relationship with the Lord should be a personal relationship. We really need to know the Lord. It doesn't help if we only know of the Lord.
We are all called by our names to do something for the Lord. It is not necessarily church work, but work in our everyday lives - at work, at the gym, with friends. It is our responsibility to really meet the Lord and find out what our calling is.
It is my calling to be the best mother and wife that I can and to learn my little boy about the loving God that I know, but I am called for something more and I am yet to find out during the following weeks to come. I am really excited to really meet God and hear what He wants me to do for Him.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Juan's first outing to the Zoo
We took Juan on his first outing to the Zoo yesterday. He is 6 months and really transforming into a little person now. He is adorable and a very friendly littly boy.
The Tygerberg Zoo is the only Zoo in the Western Cape and approximately 39 km from Cape Town and 20 km from Paarl. Stellenbosch is about 15 km to the south east.
They specialize mainly in the breeding of rare, endangered and seldom seen wild life. They have about 150 enclosures which vary in size from large antelope camps to small aviaries. They don't keep larger animals such as elephant and rhino and their largest hoofstock species are zebra. There are 61 mammal species - 307 specimens, 160 bird species - 800 specimens, 63 reptile species - 320 specimens. They also have a large collection of primates - 22 species, ranging in size from marmosets to chimpanzees.
We had a very nice outing at the Zoo and enjoyed the primates playing on the ropes quite a lot. Even Juan enjoyed them playing around with each other. It is sad though to see the king of the wilderness (the Lion) in a cage and not free to roam in his natural surroundings.
There is also a lovely outdoor restaurant where we had a scrumptious lunch. For the younger children there is a farm yard with sheep and chickens, etc. - Juan is still a little bit too young to have enjoyed the farm yard, but hopefully when he is a little bit older we will be able to take him to a true wilderness area and teach him to respect and love the wildlife.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Shinde Camp - The Okavango Delta
On arrival at Shinde Camp, after a 2-hour power-boat ride from Camp Okuti, we were met by the singing camp staff. They gave us a warm wet hand towel and a glass of orange juice to freshen up and quench our thirst.
After settling in our en-suite tents, we had a scrumptious lunch in the main dining area - set high between the trees on a raised wooden deck. Lunch, as at all lodges, was more than sufficient and we got to meet the management couple of the camp.
I was very lucky to stay in the honeymoon tent. It is the tent furthest away from the main area. There is a local elephant that stay around that area and many honeymoon couples have seen this ellie from their tent. When I was there, the local ellie decided to come around at night time so I could hear him move and eat while I was laying in my bed - quite adventurous!!!
In the afternoon we could choose between going on an open vehicle safari or a boat ride on the permanent waterways. The guests who went on the boat ride could also catch fish in the delta on a catch-and-release basis. I ofcourse opt for the game drive.
When I go on game drives, I get quiet and absorb all the sights and sounds of the bush. It feels like moving into a different world - a world of peace and tranquility. A world where you can get close with the creator of nature. The Okavango Delta is also very special as there are no other game drive vehicles to be spotted on your game drives. All the camps are situated quite far from each other so you have a huge portion of the wilderness all for yourselve - no sharing with guests from other camps.
After our game drive, we returned to the camp for a boma dinner. We sat around the outside camp fire and exchanged stories of our day. Our rangers and the camp management couple joined in on the dinner and boy did they have some interesting bush stories. We could hear lions roar not too far away from the camp - there was a killing and the lions were feasting. The roar of a lion at night time is the most awesome powerful sound that there is in the bush!!!
The following morning I did a mokoro ride in a dugout canoe on the lilly-padded channels of the Okavango Delta. It was truly an amazing experience. The polar boy rowed us through the waters - pink, lilac, and blue water lillies were everywhere to see. The papyrus lined channels were still and quiet, but at times we were moving fast in order to avoid the crocs and hippos. Yes, a bit of adnrenaline flowing through the vains at these times. We could see all sorts of birds from the mokoro - it felt like a birders paradise.
Shinde is one of Ker & Downey's camps and high recommended. The camp offers land and water activities. I would recommend at least a 3 night stay at this lodge. Shinda Camp is a wonderful honeymoon destination.
After settling in our en-suite tents, we had a scrumptious lunch in the main dining area - set high between the trees on a raised wooden deck. Lunch, as at all lodges, was more than sufficient and we got to meet the management couple of the camp.
I was very lucky to stay in the honeymoon tent. It is the tent furthest away from the main area. There is a local elephant that stay around that area and many honeymoon couples have seen this ellie from their tent. When I was there, the local ellie decided to come around at night time so I could hear him move and eat while I was laying in my bed - quite adventurous!!!
In the afternoon we could choose between going on an open vehicle safari or a boat ride on the permanent waterways. The guests who went on the boat ride could also catch fish in the delta on a catch-and-release basis. I ofcourse opt for the game drive.
When I go on game drives, I get quiet and absorb all the sights and sounds of the bush. It feels like moving into a different world - a world of peace and tranquility. A world where you can get close with the creator of nature. The Okavango Delta is also very special as there are no other game drive vehicles to be spotted on your game drives. All the camps are situated quite far from each other so you have a huge portion of the wilderness all for yourselve - no sharing with guests from other camps.
After our game drive, we returned to the camp for a boma dinner. We sat around the outside camp fire and exchanged stories of our day. Our rangers and the camp management couple joined in on the dinner and boy did they have some interesting bush stories. We could hear lions roar not too far away from the camp - there was a killing and the lions were feasting. The roar of a lion at night time is the most awesome powerful sound that there is in the bush!!!
The following morning I did a mokoro ride in a dugout canoe on the lilly-padded channels of the Okavango Delta. It was truly an amazing experience. The polar boy rowed us through the waters - pink, lilac, and blue water lillies were everywhere to see. The papyrus lined channels were still and quiet, but at times we were moving fast in order to avoid the crocs and hippos. Yes, a bit of adnrenaline flowing through the vains at these times. We could see all sorts of birds from the mokoro - it felt like a birders paradise.
Shinde is one of Ker & Downey's camps and high recommended. The camp offers land and water activities. I would recommend at least a 3 night stay at this lodge. Shinda Camp is a wonderful honeymoon destination.
Monday, February 5, 2007
The Okavango Delta - a true unspoilt wilderness
I had the opportunity to spend a few days in the Okavango Delta - a place of ultimate serenity. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is the world's largest inland delta. Botswana encourages low impact tourism and therefore the wilderness resource remains unspoilt and uncrowded - a true African wilderness!!! The perfect destination for a memorable honeymoon.
I visited the following camps: Shinde, Kanana, Camp Okuti, Chief's Camp, and Stanley's Camp. I will write about my experiences at each of these lodges in the following days. It was an unforgettable experience!!! All these lodges are perfect honeymoon destinations.
I will also share the most amazing experience in my life with you - a walk with the Elephants. I spent 4 hours walking and interacting with 3 elephants (Jambo, Tembi, and Marula) in the heart of the Okavango Delta.
I visited the following camps: Shinde, Kanana, Camp Okuti, Chief's Camp, and Stanley's Camp. I will write about my experiences at each of these lodges in the following days. It was an unforgettable experience!!! All these lodges are perfect honeymoon destinations.
I will also share the most amazing experience in my life with you - a walk with the Elephants. I spent 4 hours walking and interacting with 3 elephants (Jambo, Tembi, and Marula) in the heart of the Okavango Delta.
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