Greetings from South Africa: Our Epic Safari Adventure
July 14, 2024
HI FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!
The kids all landed in Johannesburg safely, and we began the trip at our airport hotel after a delicious dinner and fun first Moonup. The next day, after a yummy breakfast buffet and gathering our things together we headed off to our first campsite at the safari game reserve. We arrived after a short car ride where the kids all talked and played games together to pass the time. We arrived at our new accommodations, and everyone was amazed with how beautiful it all was and how close we were to all the nearby zebras, giraffes, and rhinos. We then had some lunch and began the afternoon with our first game drive where we got to see some zebras, wildebeest, and rhinos! Everyone felt so lucky to see so many animals on our first day, and by the time dinner came around and we reminisced on all of the cool things we saw, spirits were high for the next day.
The following morning began with a delicious breakfast before the rhino darting experience. Everyone got super involved with the medical aspects of the experience, making the most of this unique chance to get up close and personal with such an incredible animal in a way that not many get to do. McCall got to clean out the infected area of the rhino with Camilla, helping make sure that the treatment worked. Camilla also got to spray on an infected area, helping to make sure that the ticks left the rhino alone! Eliza got to remove and attach a new tracking collar to the ankle of the rhino so that the vets could continue to monitor it in the future. Eloise got to insert a gps microchip into the rhino horn and fill the hole with putty as a preventative measure against possible poaching. Cash got to insert an oxygen tube into the rhinos nose and continue to help with the important job of monitoring the oxygen intake and make sure that the rhino remained healthy during the sedation process. Margaret got to drill the hole into the rhino horn to insert the GPS chip and then collect the DNA of the shavings to be studied. Maggie got to draw blood from the rhino so that the vets could run bloodwork tests. Shelby helped with the rhino shots and medications that are necessary to help fight the infection and keep the rhino healthy. Beau assisted Maggie in the bloodwork and helped to push over the rhino and adjust its position throughout the entire procedure. Hayes got to administer antibiotics and measure the rhino horn and log the growth since the last darting.
After this we had a delicious lunch by a gorgeous pond where hippos floated nearby. We listened to some music and enjoyed the stunning view on this sunny day by the water, where reeds blew in the wind and the kids took amazing pictures. Later this afternoon, we all did some yoga stretching together during our free time and played cards before our afternoon game drive where we got to feed Cape buffalo, rhinos, and sables from the back of a truck with supplementary alfalfa that they need during the winter months in order to stay healthy. The kids got to throw the feed from the back of a truck as these amazing animals followed us closely behind, getting up close and personal with them. After this, we finished our game drive and had a sunset snack stop with some delicious fruit snacks and sodas, appreciating the beautiful orange skies over the expansive bush. We then had dinner and a delicious special dessert to celebrate Eliza’s birthday! We all sang happy birthday and celebrated her on this day, and she was so happy to be in such a wonderful place on this awesome day.
The next day after breakfast we had our morning cheetah walk! We got the chance to walk out into the bush and found two male cheetahs getting some much needed shade during the hot morning, relaxing after hunting earlier that morning. The common sentiment among the kids was that they wanted to go and pet and cuddle the adorable looking cheetahs. After this we had some free time and lunch before our afternoon lion game drive! On the way to the lions, we happened to see a rare grass owl, which amazed our guides since they are not often seen. Eloise even got an amazing action shot of it flying! Then, we got to see the entire pride of lions that live on the reserve, including the alpha male, the two adult females, and the seven baby lion cubs, all resting after a big wildebeest meal, rolling on their backs, playing, and napping together in the shade. We were within 10 feet of them, and we even got the chance to go back for a second sighting after the first one! After this we had a snack stop at Claude and I’s favorite spot for an amazing view. This spot was out in the middle of the bush with a gigantic fig tree that sits in the middle of an open plain in front of a stunning mountain. We all enjoyed our snacks, played games, listened to music, and appreciated the view. Meanwhile, an entire troop of over 100 of baboons, with babies and adults, did a perimeter sweep around us before climbing the tree we had been admiring. After this, we headed back to camp for dinner and Moonup led by our leaders of the day Eloise and Beau.
We woke up and had the ground hornbill educational experience. During this, we all got the chance to learn more about this not well known endangered species, persecuted for their love of breaking any surface they can see their reflection in and terrorizing towns. The kids all got the chance to see their nests, learn about them, and understand why protecting these animals is so important and why they are so interesting. After this, we had a delicious picnic brunch overlooking the bush on top of a cliff. We had fun conversations, took some amazing pictures, and ate yummy food while we sat on this elevated rock face and got some sun.
After this we had free time where the kids read, played card games, and talked while enjoying the amazing weather that we are lucky enough to have. A lot of summer reading was done today after this, we had our elephant game drive! We had an incredible sighting of the elephants today. We saw the entire group out in the open, with one female laying on the ground, the rest surrounding her spraying dust on their backs and cooling off. One female even approached us, swaying calmly back and forth and giving us a warning to stay back, protecting her family. This sighting was so incredible and everyone had an amazing experience seeing them.
After this we headed to another favorite spot with an insanely beautiful view overlooking the bush at Christmas hill! Here we watched the sunset slowly, Claude and I teaching the kids about how to track how much time is left in the sunset before the sun dips below the horizon by using your fingers to measure the time in 15 minute increments. Beau even balanced a hockey sack on his head for 45 of those minutes impressively, and during the other time the hockey sack was occupied by Cash practicing his skills. Here, we enjoyed the sunset, played games like don’t touch my rock, made each other laugh, and lived in the moment in the true Moondance spirit. Once we finished here and arrived back at camp, we had a crazy delicious final African feast prepared by the amazing staff at our campsite with a yummy chocolate cake dessert before having Moonup and hanging out around the bonfire together and trying to scare off the local bush pig who frequents us every night.
So far, this group has been absolutely amazing! Every kid here truly knows how to emulate the Moondance spirit, living in the moment with gratitude and knowing how to love one another to make this trip the best it possibly can be. We cannot wait to begin the next section of the trip where we will be doing our cultural immersion and service work section and then have some more incredible safari experiences!
With love and gratitude,
Anna and Claude
Safe Arrival in South Africa!
July 11, 2024
Hello South Africa 3A Families!
We have heard from our leaders that the group is all safely in South Africa and the trip is off to a great start. We can’t wait to hear more about their adventures!
Moondance HQ
