Well, Zimbabwe's elections are over. Thankfully, the polls were peaceful, although the credibility of the results is in question due to allegations of voting fraud. Nikki and I worked some long hours keeping up to speed, and I had the opportunity observe the voting. Mugabe's presidential inauguration took place last Thursday, so now we are waiting to see what initial steps his government takes; the next few months should prove interesting.
We were definitely ready for a vacation after the election so we decided to take advantage of some local holidays and fly down to South Africa for the weekend. We've grown quite accustomed to the potholes and non-functional robots (traffic lights) in Zim, so driving in South Africa was a pleasant surprise. Despite a couple of wrong turns, an unintended detour down a rural dirt road, and accidentally ending up in the middle of a township, we fared pretty well on the byways of the RSA.
We started out with a tour of Blyde River Canyon, incidentally the 3rd largest canyon in the world (who knew?). We checked out some amazing vistas and waterfalls, and sampled some local cuisine. Apparently, "pap" is South African sadza (a corn-based thick mush-like standard). Then it was on to the wildlife of Kruger, where one can explore the park on well-maintained roads from the comfort of your private vehicle. For us, the park's world-renown reputation proved accurate – we saw the "big five" (elephants, buffalo, lion, rhino, and leopard) on our first afternoon. Each was a unique experience, with the elephants fighting, the lions devouring a giraffe kill, and Nikki having what she claims to be a "moment" with the leopard. Ok, the cat did come right up to the road and pose for her…. The amazing-ness continued on the second day when we happened upon a couple of cheetah, a pack of painted dogs, and a baby rhino. It doesn't get any better than that. In true form, Nikki also sought out some incredible animal interactions outside the park, finding time to pet a cheetah and kiss a hippo.
Kruger wasn't too far from the Kingdom of Swaziland, which we visited for some relaxation, cultural tourism, and shopping. We started out with a leisurely hike to some 4000 year old cave paintings in a rural valley overlooking a beautiful river (Ryo was clearly impressed!). Next we loaded up on handicrafts (xmas presents!), the majority of which supported programs for women, youth, and disadvantaged groups. Finally, we toured a traditional-style village, saw a pretty incredible dance performance, and enjoyed sundowners in the picturesque Ezulwini valley.
Our trip to South Africa and Swaziland was definitely a highlight of the past few weeks, but we've been having fun at home too. Barbeques, brunches, and other social events seem to occupy many of our weekends, and we are both working to exercise as regularly as possible. Ryo is making friends too, and has had a couple of play-dates with a Zimbabwean hapa baby. Still only two teeth, but that's not stopping baby Ryo from gumming her way through a wide range of fruits and veggies. Talking, walking, and competitive sports are surely just around the corner.
We were definitely ready for a vacation after the election so we decided to take advantage of some local holidays and fly down to South Africa for the weekend. We've grown quite accustomed to the potholes and non-functional robots (traffic lights) in Zim, so driving in South Africa was a pleasant surprise. Despite a couple of wrong turns, an unintended detour down a rural dirt road, and accidentally ending up in the middle of a township, we fared pretty well on the byways of the RSA.
We started out with a tour of Blyde River Canyon, incidentally the 3rd largest canyon in the world (who knew?). We checked out some amazing vistas and waterfalls, and sampled some local cuisine. Apparently, "pap" is South African sadza (a corn-based thick mush-like standard). Then it was on to the wildlife of Kruger, where one can explore the park on well-maintained roads from the comfort of your private vehicle. For us, the park's world-renown reputation proved accurate – we saw the "big five" (elephants, buffalo, lion, rhino, and leopard) on our first afternoon. Each was a unique experience, with the elephants fighting, the lions devouring a giraffe kill, and Nikki having what she claims to be a "moment" with the leopard. Ok, the cat did come right up to the road and pose for her…. The amazing-ness continued on the second day when we happened upon a couple of cheetah, a pack of painted dogs, and a baby rhino. It doesn't get any better than that. In true form, Nikki also sought out some incredible animal interactions outside the park, finding time to pet a cheetah and kiss a hippo.
Kruger wasn't too far from the Kingdom of Swaziland, which we visited for some relaxation, cultural tourism, and shopping. We started out with a leisurely hike to some 4000 year old cave paintings in a rural valley overlooking a beautiful river (Ryo was clearly impressed!). Next we loaded up on handicrafts (xmas presents!), the majority of which supported programs for women, youth, and disadvantaged groups. Finally, we toured a traditional-style village, saw a pretty incredible dance performance, and enjoyed sundowners in the picturesque Ezulwini valley.
Our trip to South Africa and Swaziland was definitely a highlight of the past few weeks, but we've been having fun at home too. Barbeques, brunches, and other social events seem to occupy many of our weekends, and we are both working to exercise as regularly as possible. Ryo is making friends too, and has had a couple of play-dates with a Zimbabwean hapa baby. Still only two teeth, but that's not stopping baby Ryo from gumming her way through a wide range of fruits and veggies. Talking, walking, and competitive sports are surely just around the corner.
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