A giraffe crossing at Kruger National Park

11pm O’Hare International Airport Chicago. Our flight was delayed an hour as we board a hot and muggy plan. As we take our seats I feel beads of sweat run down my forehead. A strong odor of exhaust fumes fills the large 747 Boeing Plane. The captain apologizes over the intercom as we wait our turn on the runway to take off. I cover my face with a blanket and close my eyes.

Flying can be quite miserable…

In order to get to Africa we needed to take multiple flights. Our first one lands in Frankfurt, Germany around 4pm local time. We have a few hours before our next flight so we make our way through the maze of security and head to the city center. Our first stop is a must for an Art teacher the Stadel Art Museum. Hosting some of Germany's most important collections of art. The architecture of the museum building itself is beautiful and it brings back memories to last summer's travels abroad. The magic feelings that Europe has to offer. There's a special exhibition of Picasso's printmaking

Following the museum we wander across a bridge to Romberg a large public square and space surrounded by the Romer Building Complex. It’s how you think Germany would look in your mind even though most of the city is made up of modern architecture. My wife Allie is hangry and I catch the attention of a hostess quick outside the main square at an outdoor cafe. A couple large German beers and wurst sausage and our cravings our satisfied. As we people watch there has been some sort of large race or event as many people walk with numbers and different colored shirts like teams. Compared to Berlin and Munich this doesn't feel like a tourist city as most of the people we encountered speak to us in Germany before English. We make our way back across the bridge and find another spot to have a drink overlooking the river. We head to a restaurant on a boat and order large liter sized Radlers, the Bavarian word for summer shandys a lemon beer mixed drink. The weather is perfect I could stay here all day but it’s already time to go back to the airport. As we catch the metro back to the airport I am reminded of how efficient and simple German public transportation is. This in doubt was the best layover I have ever had anywhere but I prepare myself mentally for the next 12 hour flight to South Africa.

The flight dragged on for what felt like an eternity as we touched down in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its early morning here as we head out and grab our bags and look for our hotel shuttle. We booked a hotel nearby as this would be a full day layover before a flight to Hoedspruit, closer our Safari Lodge and Kruger National Park. As we struggle to find the shuttle an aiport employee waves to us saying he can take us to the spot. I’m immediately skeptical, but follow anyway, luckily as we head upstairs and outside we see our shuttle coming right by. Perfect timing as we jump in. The airport employee grabs the door and starts shouting for a tip. I laugh in my head i'm not even awake and i'm getting hustled. I have zero rand and no small bills in USD. Another passengers hand him a dollar and he closes the door. It’s around 9 o’clock PM when we check in to the hotel. It’s too early to go to our room so we drink coffee in the lobby, as we sit, the jet lag really starts kicking in. My brain has no idea what time or what day it is. As soon as we get to our room I take the most refreshing shower. I have been in the same clothes for over 30 hours. After the shower I pass out on the bed and set an alarm for dinner.

Waking up we head downstairs to the restaurant area it’s busy with what looks mainly like people who are here on business. We take our seats and the waiter brings us South African red wine. I am not usually a fan of buffets but this one is fresh, no heat lamps. There's a grill outside with a variety meats and veggies that's being brought inside. South African food is too hard to describe because it is such a mixup of different cultures and flavors. However through my limited time it is clear meat is very popular as well as different stews and rice sides. I fill up on a couple of plates and honestly have no idea what i've eaten but I feel happy full. We are both still exhausted and head back to the room and fall right to sleep.

Waking up the next morning i’m ecstatic that we are heading to our finally destination Vuyani Safari Lodge. We make our way back to the airport holding on to our bags tightly as multiple individuals approach us to help us with our bags. We make our way through security and head to our gate. Upon gate arrival our flight gets delayed an hour then another hour. I start doing the math and we get to the point where it would almost be quick to drive than to fly to our destination. Two girls sitting next to me begin to get concerned due to the fact that they are Observant Jews they do no use transportation or electricity on Shabbat. The time approaches and we finally board but we are sad because we know there is no way we can make our evening Safari. A day at the lodge we paid for that was basically wasted waiting at an airport.

As quick as the plane goes up it comes down, 35 minutes, as we land at Hoedspruit Airport. As we came down I could see baboons on the runway running into the bush. It was desolate surrounding area and I got the immediate feeling that we were in the wild. Our driver had been waiting since 1pm to pick us and another couple on the flight from Wales. I asked him why planes get delayed and his response was “this is Africa”.

On our way to Vuyani Lodge I gazed out the window as I could see the my first glimpse of wildlife. Herds of impala by the sides of the road. The driver told me I would get used to seeing them and to let him know I see any cape buffalo because there were none in the reserve. I grab Allies arm as I see three Zebras we are not even into the wild life reserve and we are already seeing animals. Vuyani Safari Lodge is located within the Moditlo Private Game Reserve an area of land near 36,000 acres near the Blyde River Canyon. This area is one of the many reserves in the outer areas of Kruger National Park. We turned right into a gated entrance checkpoint with a sliding electric fence. “Welcome to prison”, laughed the driver. As we drove down the dusty road into the reserve I was overcome with excitement. After over a day of travel we were finally here. As we approached Vuyani we were greeted by staff and checked in. This check in procedure was different from most hotels. One of the rules required us to not walk anywhere on the grounds from our lodge after dark. We were instructed to call for an armed guard to escort us to the main building for dinner. One of the tips that would later be helpful is taking a blanket and put it over your head to protect yourself from thorny branches and brush. We left dinner anxious and excited for our first game drive.

“MORNING!!!!” Followed by a knock knock on our door. It was 5:10 in the morning and this was our wake up call. Since it was winter in South Africa we layered up for the 50 degree Fahrenheit temperature that we would be exposed to in an open top vehicle. We make our way to the reception area where three Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicles are waiting. Each one fitting 9 passengers in elevated seats. I introduce myself to our driver Uyai, the person I would enjoy talking most with while in South Africa. Our tracker Chris also introduces himself he would be riding on a seat on the hood of the cruiser in order to have a viewpoint for animal tracks. I sit shotgun next to Uyai and Allie joins a Peruvian couple celebrating their honeymoon behind me. We take off and I wrap a blanket around myself as the engine whines and the wind hits my face. I strain my eyes looking at the dark landscape to the front and sides of me. The game reserve is made up of dusty roads but nothing is off limits. We make our way down to a dried out riverbed and Uyai turns on the four wheel drive. Our first animal sightings are a large herd of wildebeest. The engine is turned off as others snap pictures. This would continue during any spotting. Sitting next to Uyai I hear him speak frequently on the radio to the six other cruisers in the park for updates. He spoke in an African bantu language because he did not want to get ours hopes up for what we might see. However it didn't take me long to figure out that Ngala meant lion. It’s astonishing that South Africa has 11 different official languages. Around mid morning we take a break for coffee overlooking a large pond. In the pond are four hippos. Hippos despite their appearance are quite aggressive and quick. I would later hear a story from Uyai of growing up in Zimbabwe and playing a childhood game of throwing sticks at the hippos in the river and running up in trees as they chased them. He said if the hippos charge its not a mock it's for real and to run. We take a few photos near the water but not too close as crocodiles also occupy the pond. Chris makes the coffee and we drink in the African landscape taking in the ancient looking mountain range in the distance. This is everything I imagined when thinking about an African safari. We make our way back to the lodge around 9 am. Following breakfast we take a nap. this would become routine the next few days. It went morning safari, nap, lunch, evening safari, dinner, sleep, repeat. You might think it got old but it did not. There was something different every time you went out and the food was always different.

The evening of our first full day we had no luck spotting one of the Elephant herds that live on the reservation. After driving all over the park you could feel the mood and energy of the other guests. To work on a safari is a high pressure job to make guests happy. Being a high end resort I could tell quickly how wealthy some of the other guests were. Especially those on a short time frame that wanted to see a lion. At dinner we talked more with the Florida and Peruvian couple and looked at their photos from previous days. A photo of a Hyena dragging a giraffe's leg stood out to me. This was not a zoo, the animals despite looking docile at times killed each other and could easily be lethal to humans. We talked about the concern of malaria and if anyone has seen any mosquitos. I rolled the dice and being winter neither I or Allie took any malaria pills. Luckily the whole time I was in the area I did not see any mosquitoes. Even when I had looked at maps of Kruger it was only certain areas in the summer that had the disease. However there is still a risk involved when not taking the medications. The couple from Florida stopped taking the malaria medications because of the negative side effects, something I have heard from others. We go to bed excited and eager again for the next day.

The following morning the same routine follows as we head out in the bush. I love the smell of dampness and morning dew. There is still no sign of the elephants so we look for other tracks. As we make our way around a bend I wonder how many animals have seen us that we have not seen. On the perimeter of the park near power lines near the road Chris spots cheetah tracks. There are two cheetah brothers who live on the reserve. After over an hour or two looking, we find them. Going through trees with huge thorns Uyai gets us up close. The cheetahs could care less we are there they look right past us. I immediately notice how large their bellies are, full of impala from a kill days ago. Their behavior resembles nothing different than a house cat, even licking and purring. These might be my favorites of the big cats. There distinct black tear duct markings around their eyes just like an American football player. The cheetah markings make for the best camouflage and I am in awe of their beauty. It’s a great start to the day.

The evening safari would be just as successful. Crossing the road right in front of us is the herd of evasive elephants. I was so shocked on not only how fast they are but how well they hide. After seeing the elephants we get a notification on the radio that another group has found lions. We take off full speed going up and down the bumpy terrain. A large vulture in the tree is my first giveaway that we are close and that the lions have made a kill. It’s a group of three females and one young male lion no more than three. It takes years for their manes to fully grow out a useful adaptation to protect their necks from bites. The lions laidback nature fools many of its prey for when it moves it is strong and quick with purpose. One of the biggest rules on a safari is you do not stand up in the vehicle. Of course the person behind my wife almost breaks this rule, but is warned to take his seat.. The reason you do not stand is the animals then separate you individually, not as a group, being the vehicle. I could watch the lions for hours but It’s time to make our way back to the lodge. On our way out I help adjust the mirror for our driver. Three thorns puncture my middle finger. It’s so painful but I don't react for my own pride. It gave me empathy for all the animals in the bush with their many scars and cuts. I am not the only one who suffers a small injury. The UK passenger next to my wife gets a thorn right in the top of his bald head. The thorn is stuck deep and we have to pull over to the side of the road as Uyai gets out his tweezers and first aid kit. The joke would go on whenever we went through brush,” does anyone need first aid?”.

That evening we have a grill out and bonfire back at the lodge. I love it here, I keep pinching myself mentally wondering if this is real. I look up at the stars viewing the southern hemisphere for the first time in my life. The stars are bright even with full moon out. I sip multiple glasses of South African red wine it makes my mind and belly happy. The next morning will be a new adventure a full day safari in the famous Kruger National Park.

Morning, it’s 4 am we have to leave the reserve earlier to head up to Kruger. Kruger National Park is large around 4.8 million acres. We are greeted at the main lodge by Rico our guide and two other passengers from England. The others sleep in the car while I talk to Rico about just everything from politics in South Africa to Marvel movies. I would guess he is in his early 30s and learn quickly, like me, he is a birder. I feel when most people think of Africa they think of the big animals. Something I found completely amazing is the vast variety of bird species. Over 900 different types species in the country of South Africa. Rico shares this passion for me and even has a pet Grey Parrot he has had for years. As we reach the first gate to the park I am amazed we are the first ones here. Unlike national parks in the United States, Kruger is not crowded with cars waiting to go. In some ways it’s quite dissolute and throughout the day we were the only ones in eyesight on the roads in any direction. As we check in at the main entrance i’m reminded of the security and anti poaching units around the park areas. Even at the reserve there is an anti poaching squad. Armed with semi automatic weapons they patrol the reserve day and night. Poaching is such a huge problem we are asked not to even post photos of Rhinos to social media due to the geo tagging that can lead poachers to them. There are even dogs to smell for animal products that are often smuggled out illegally and sold on the black market. Our driver talked how the game reserve does a polygraph test on every employee every 6 months. Often times it's an insider who sells information to poachers who come in by night with helicopters. We also talk about the recent news made world wide of the elephants in Kruger that killed a poacher and lions who ate him. I question Rico with my skepticism that this is much more frequent than the news reports and he smiles. In fact many game reserves in the area will do anything possible to stop bad press from getting out to the world.

After we head through the main entrance we switch cars into a van with an open top. Our driver is a local resident and licensed driver for the park. As we head into the park for our 12 hour journey the view looks like that out of the Disney cartoon Lion King. The savannah seems endless as zebras, giraffes, and many types of antelope drink from rivers and watering holes. At one point I count close to 30 elephants in a herd, I always enjoy watching them interact as the little ones follow their mothers. I was told by Rico that a baby elephant does not have full control of its trunk until it is three years old.

It’s around late morning when we stop a rest stop for breakfast. Using a propane tank with a tray on top Rico makes a full english breakfast for everyone. An english breakfast consists of bacon, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, eggs, beans, bangers (sausage) and toast. The sun comes out and we shed our many layers. The plan for the afternoon is to go to any area where the parks popular white male lion has been spotted. Following breakfast we make our way across the park, at one point less than 10 miles from the neighboring country Mozambique. We talk of the challenges of the neighboring countries that are politically less stable than South Africa. Poor and poverty ridden drives the temptation to kill for the ivory trade. Even though it is illegal to take out animals goods from South Africa, hunters kill animals and fly them out of neighboring countries. Our guide says it's not just the Chinese who prize these exotic animals. Game hunting is still huge for Americans many top politicians and wealthy business CEOs fly to Africa to kill endangered animals. In the United States recent laws have made it legal to bring Elephant trophies back into the country. I would be questioned when returning to Chicago if I had any trophies myself. If you care about these animals you can do more than you think as a consumer to not support their businesses or politicians that do these types of things. After watching these animals in the wild it breaks my heart that others would kill them. I reflect silently if future generations will ever have the opportunity to see a wild place like this. As depressing as it is I think there is hope that tourism like the type my wife and I did is increasing as a sustainable future for this part of the globe.

We take a break for lunch looking over a river bed. There's a waterbuck below it makes the whitetail buck from Wisconsin look miniature. Waterbuck are known to have the worst tasting meat of any of the antelope species. Spending time near the river their glands secrete an oily smell. Our driver told us that not even lions eat them. I am exhausted from the day of driving but laugh as our guide does his best David Attenborough impressions in a British accent. We never end up seeing the white lion or any lions in Kruger, but we see so many more elephants. One in particular an old tuskers has the biggest tusks I have ever seen it looks like a prehistoric mammoth. We probably saw over 100 different elephants on the drive. We also saw a herd of cape water buffalo. I consider these the most underrated of the big 5. For those unfamiliar with the Big 5 it was originally used by hunters describing the most dangerous animals in Africa. The Lion, African Leopard, Rhino, Cape Buffalo and Elephant. As we head back and out of the park I gaze upon the sunset on the horizon. The glows of orange light up the sky and i’m reminded of the beauty of nature. We stop and I take a photo. This trip I was very conscious of not getting lost in my phone or camera. It's an epidemic with traveling thats increasing. I believe so many people are so fixated on getting the perfect shot they lose sense of the actual experience. As we arrive back to the lodge I make arrangements to have our dinner in our room. It was an exhausting day, but I will remember this day for the rest of my life.

The next morning I am back riding shotgun again next to Uyai. He's a very reserved man but opens up when I ask him questions. I love hearing about his home in Zimbabwe he goes back to every 6 weeks. We even share the same hobby, beekeeping, only he does it as a necessity as they use honey for all their cooking instead of sugar. Growing up Uyai wanted to be an engineer but he not opportunity in a war torn country at the time. He joined the army along with his girlfriend at the time. After serving time in war his uncle who was a witch doctor had a vision he would die in his next battle. He decided to flee the country and study animals in the bush and national parks. Soon nearly everyone from his troop was killed. He worked his way up in various positions for safari outfitters. Uyai said it was easy to talk to me because he could understand my english dialect. I said I had trouble understanding the scottish family. As we turned the bend and come up the hill we gazed upon a large 9 year old male lion. Next to him was a lioness, he was keeping her away from three other males she wanted to mate with. I could not believe how close we were. The male lion kicked up dust marking its territory. This was my favorite animal viewing of the entire trip. Following the lions we came across the cheetahs again this time I spotted them before the tracker or driver. It was a full morning and my favorite drive of the trip.

Back at the lodge we watched the monkeys scamper around nearby trees. There was no shortage of wildlife viewing from our from as a family of Nyala deer drank water out of the plunge pool by our room. Near the main lodge a large infinity pool faces the mountains. Even though it was not heated I cannon balled into the water. Many new travelers were arriving and we talked to them at lunch, we were now the safari veterans. Earlier in the trip I had said to Uyai, our driver, that I was an art teacher. He joked that I should draw a picture of him and a lion. To his surprise i made one of him at lunch with supplies I had brought with. I presented it to him before our drive for the evening safari. He was taken back and thankful. As the sky went dark on our evening drive we park the vehicle and Uyai used a strong laser pointer and pointed at the stars. Showing us the planets I was impressed with his astronomy skills as he showed us the scorpius star constellation. Chris uses a spot light and we see a white tailed mongoose one of the three different species we see on the reserve.

Back at the lodge we see a friendly African wild cat. Even though it looks like a domesticated wild cat it has longer legs, teeth and distinct black markings. It’s tame from being around people at the lodge and Allie coaxes it into our room. I laugh as it sits on her lap purring. Only my wife would invite a wild animal into our room. She would even feed it some of her fish that night. At dinner that night more new people join the lodge. A father and son from England being two of them. I immediately noticed the son around 16 wearing earbuds during dinner. His attitude and rudeness made me embarrassed to even be at the same table. His father had a camera that was probably worth 10k. He was the kind of traveler that name dropped all the places he had been. I am not even sure but somehow he named dropped Whistler mountain in Vancouver. I can tell a lot of the group is as turned off as me, but I focus on conversation elsewhere. Something I found humorous, the envy others had for certain animals people saw. Tomorrow morning would be our last game drive.

Waking up at 5am was finally getting more difficult as our bodies had adjusted from the time change. As the engine whined and I held my hands by the heater I could tell Allie was sad this was our last game drive. We both agreed we could leave right then for home and feel completely satisfied with our trip to South Africa. Uyai says we can stay another couple days, I will miss talking with him and hearing his knowledge of the animals. We say our goodbyes eat breakfast and we are off to the airport. Our driver on the way to airport is delighted to know we are from the United States. I laugh out loud as most of his questions are related to a conspiracy theory that the rapper Tupac Shakur is still alive.

The flight from Hoedspruit Airport actually is running on time to my surprise as we take off and leave the wild bush land behind us. As we land at the airport in Johannesburg and go through security a staff member asks me for a dollar after seeing my United States passport. This is the person that is checking the x-ray machine. There is no shortage of corruption in South Africa. We board our flight to Cape Town and touch down around 4pm.

I catch a taxi and give him the address for the Bliss Boutique Hotel. I found it online under good honeymoon spots on a South African tourism website. Even though we were paying under 100 USD a night it’s the first 5 star hotel we have ever stayed at. The reason for the low price is that we are in the off or winter season. Even so the weather is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I can't say enough kind things about how friendly and welcoming the staff was. At the top of the hotel was a patio viewpoint. By the time we got up we drank in the sunset with an enchanting view of the table mountains in the distance. Another couple ironically from Hoedspruit is there on their honeymoon. We have dinner at the hotel's restaurant and sleep in one of the most comfortable beds I have felt.

The next morning we start with breakfast after sleeping in. The safaris were great but it's nice to not worry about setting an alarm. For breakfast I order a scrambled egg with avocado chunks and smoked salmon. I absolutely love fresh fish when traveling outside the midwest of the United States. People who live on the oceans coasts are spoiled. We walk the beach and I feel the cold Atlantic waters of low tide on my feet. I wander in knee deep but fear going any further knowing I’m in shark infested waters. Allie collects broken smooth purple pieces of shells. The beach is empty and peaceful and I take deep breaths of the ocean air.

That afternoon we take an Uber to the Bo-Kaap neighborhood in the center of Cape Town. The colorful houses make it a prime tourist spot for those who want a colorful photo for instagram. The neighborhood is muslim and one of the oldest in the city. Originally slaves, many of the houses were painted bright colors once they were free and able to own property. We take a few photos before heading to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. The harbor with shops and tourist spots. We head to a traditional African goods store and i'm in awe of all the different masks. We then get lunch overlooking the main square as we people watch. I am surprised by the diamond shops and reminded of the movie Blood Diamond. I question how many of these diamonds are conflict free. We head back to the hotel and have dinner with the South African couple honeymooning in Cape town from Hoedspruit. It's great conversation to hear about their upbringing and getting a local South African insight. Both of them are educators as well, and those who know me well know how much I like to talk to shop and educational philosophy.

Going Great White Shark cage diving was a dream of mine before coming to South Africa. After months of planning and looking forward to going, the outfitter informed me they would have to cancel. They had to cancel for two reasons. The first being the weather, the ocean has been fierce the past few days. The second, two Orca whales are feasting on sharks, killing them and eating only their livers. This has caused the Great Whites to move elsewhere. I guess Great Whites do have something to fear in the ocean. We had to change plans which happens a lot when traveling. Going hiking at Lions Head Mountain seemed like a good idea. We arranged for an Uber to the base of the mountain. In reflection I had not done enough research before going on this hike. It was not a walk in the park hike. Around 45 minutes of going up it turned into actually mountain climb on the side of the mountain. Just as we were attempting this, gusts of wind blew sand and dirt into our faces making it impossible to see. We decided the view we got from that height was good enough and we turned around. At the bottom we heard other local south africans telling people to turn around. Back at the hotel the storm rained harder and the wind howled. It sounded like a hurricane outside, even the hotel staff was in shock, as chairs blew off the top deck into neighboring property. Allie had trouble sleeping that night.

This watercolor painting is as close as I would get to a shark.

The next day Saturday it continued to rain. After talking with the concierge we were saddened to learn that a hiker was blown off Lions Head Mountain and killed. I was even more relieved we had turned around, but reminded myself how important it is to do you research and know what you are getting yourself into. The concierge suggested we go to a local weekend market in the Woodstock neighborhood. He said it was cash only and to make sure we stopped at an ATM before going. We got an Uber and had him stop at the first gas station. The ATM was offline and not working. Apparently in South Africa some days they are all not working. I remember from the Airport that there were no ATM’s available. However we kept checking multiple ATMS until our driver had gotten away from the main road into an industrial neighborhood. I was so caught up in finding one that worked I lost track of the danger I was in. Crossing the street I made my way to an ATM with around 6 other people around it. In front and behind me were business dressed men. As I put my card in the machine it locked and I could not get it out. I would later learn this is a common scam that is used with tourists not familiar with foreign ATM machines. Before I knew it, the two men were up behind me. I have travelled to many countries and never encountered this type of encroachment. As I tried to enter to cover my screen and enter my pin to retrieve my card, one of them must have seen it. I would never retrieve my card as the one most likely had swiped it as I was desperately hitting the keys. In shock, Allie approached me and directed me back to the Uber. I quickly called and reported the card stolen but it did not stop the thieves from emptying my debit account. The driver said I was lucky the group did not take my wallet or hurt me as well. I worry about writing about this because I didn’t want this incident to define our trip. I spent the remainder of the day feeling foolish and sad. After reflecting more I think this is something that can happen in any country and I let my guard down. At the same time Cape Town is not a city you can freely walk. There are some extremely dangerous neighborhoods. When I hear other foreigners talk about the great exchange rate in South Africa I think about the poverty. The desperation and unemployment was obvious in my short time riding around the city. It was a disappointing day and I wished I was back home.

The next morning we had already made plans for a private tour of the cape. Our driver was a man who had lived in Cape Town his whole life. I told him about experience and he said it was common. He grew up through aparthied and was defined as coloured, based on his hair and skin color. He talked about the gangs and drugs in his neighborhood and how his church tried to help. Since he had brought up aparthied I asked him his thoughts on the future of South Africa. He said he feared the country was getting worse. Many of the young white people did not understand their privilege, since Nelson Mandela was freed they felt the problems of race were done. It’s a complicated issue and as a viewing the segregated city I am reminded of home and Milwaukee one of the most segregated cities in the United States. We take a moment from serious discussion and stop at boulder beach home of the African penguin. This spot in itself is worth the stop in Cape Town for any animal lover. As Allie and I walked the boardwalk we gleed in delight was we watched not only the many penguins but the baby penguins. I could stay all day and watch them.

We continue downward to the Cape of Good Hope. Upon entering the park I look out at the jagged coastline even spotting wild ostrich and antelope. Our driver takes our picture at the sign marking the latitude and longitude. I feel as if I am at the edge of the world and in some ways we are. Heading back up we walk up to the New Cape Point Lighthouse, along the path are curious baboons looking for an easy meal. Two run right past us on the pathway. Baboons can grow to be three feet tall and weigh as much as a small child. Their huge canines are terrifying. Many tourists go way too close to take photos and I watch as one baboon wrestles with a woman over her purse. The views at the top of the lighthouse point are stunning. On the way down I stop and take a photo of a baboon holding its baby.

Our driver take us back up the coast with False Bay on the right side view of the car. We stop in Kalk Bay for coffee and I walk the small street filled with a mixture of tourist filled shops. It has a hippie vibe as many surfers with dreadlocks and head for a late lunch at Groot Constantia. Before the winery we stop and walk the Muizenberg Beach I love the colorful beach huts used as changing rooms. Groot Constainia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa dating back to 1685. That's pretty mind-blowing when you think about it. I love the old wine cellars and view of the vineyards. We share a bottle of merlot with lunch and take in the view, it’s an amazing end to our last full day in Cape Town.

The last morning we took a long barefoot walk on the beach. Every time my wife and I travel I am reminded of how much she loves the ocean. Her happiness for it makes me happy. We say our goodbyes and head to the airport. On the way to the airport we pass the Langa township. I grip my wife's hand in the back of the car. The extreme poverty breaks my heart. Our driver tells us that poverty tours in townships are actually common for tourists. I have mixed feelings on this, on one point I want to help at the same time I feel as if the people are being exploited. As we wait for our flight at the airport I began writing and reflecting more on our experience. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to travel to South Africa. If I had to sum it up in one word I would say “surreal”. My wife asks me if I think we will return again someday. I am left thinking of the following quote “One cannot resist the lure of Africa.”- Rudyard Kipling

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