Thursday 21 st April 2016.......two blogs for the price of one!!!

Had issues with the Internet and so you need a drink an easy chair and two blogs to read!!!


Boy did it rain hard last night one of those downpours but this morning everything looks dry...I took my time over my breakfast of fruit, cereal and yogurt and then packed a lunch ready for my little day excursion to Mount Zebra National Park which is about 20 minutes drive away!!!

Very well run park all roads mainly dirt were well kept, good signage for those like me who are direction-ally challenged and all day pass was only 160 Rand or about 14 Canadian dollars...
Did not take me long to spot my first animal

 This beauty is a Red Hartebeest

Next up was a flock or herd or bunch of Springbok!!!

This one I think is a Cape Buffalo

 but it also could be a Black Wildebeest, I am sure Delwin will e mail me and tell me....

Had to chuckle at this sign the park is approximately 275 square Km in size which is huge and there are three lions in the park...so what are the chances???

This is a very lovely park with varied and spectacular vistas...

I was beginning to wonder if they had mis- named this park because I had not seen any of the 750 zebra's that roam the park....I did see this mammoth critter

Do not know what happened here should be a photo of a squirrel!!!

and this bird that I do not know what it is

I really enjoyed the drive it was different and pleasant and only saw 5 other vehicles!!!

Now did I forget anything????
Oh yes turned the bend and there they are

They are such beautiful looking animals

At least I did manage to say that I saw zebra in the park!!!

So it was an enjoyable day and I think I cataloged all I saw....still laughing over the Lion sign!!!

You remember when I said that the chances of seeing the three lions in such a vast area were slim and almost none...well........welllllll.......what do you think eagle eye Pearson saw?????
Take a guess!!!

Not a great shot but it was fabulous to see them both and what a splendid way to end my journey to this continent to see animals in the wild!!!!!!

I was home by 4 pm and the sun was lovely on the back patio where I had snacks and drinks and started a new book on my Kobo.

Left overs were better than last night and then a lovely long hot shower and now almost 10 pm....

I leave tomorrow for another first....the sighting of the Indian Ocean!!!

This article was in the local Nanaimo paper and I know Kailen very well.....I dated his Mum, Inga for many years and Kailen and I got to do a lot of cool things together..he is great young man and I last saw him when Inga married Richard last year and I was invited to the reception and Kailen very kindly told me that he owes me a great deal and he wanted to thank me and also the respect he has for women came from me.....kind words indeed.

Glad he is safe!!!

Another happening tonight is the graduation of my Mexican students from last year in the English class I taught in San Miguel......I had them for a full year two nights a week and it was always the highlight of my time in San Miguel.....they were such wonderful adult students and to think of them graduating thrills me......and I actually received two e mails this morning from Christina and Gloria, two of my students, telling me how thrilled they were to be graduating and to thank me for giving them the confidence and support......how lucky I am !!!

Nanaimo man survives massive quake in Ecuador

An eventful end to a vacation for a Nanaimo man travelling through South America.

27 year old Kailen Makepeace was about 70km from the epicenter of an earthquake that killed more than 500 people in Ecuador on Saturday.

Makepeace says he was not hurt, but couldn't contact worried family and friends for two days following the quake.

He says he sent a few emails Saturday morning telling people he was heading essentially to the epicenter and his family was incredibly worried and it's a challenging situation to be in when you know there's something terrible happening and your loved one is in the area.

He says he is very lucky because he was planning on heading to a beach with really good surf that was hit very hard and buildings were collapsed and everyone there is in very dire circumstances, but someone at a hostel recommended a different beach so he changed his travel plans.

Makepeace was in a convenience store when the quake sent the building shaking side-to-side.

He flies home next week after a 2-and-a-half month trip.

Now Friday's blog!!

Left my comfy little house around 9am and delwin had plotted a course for me to my next destination taking the route less travelled and it was on a good gravel road for about 70km with some interesting sights which did not include even one other vehicle!!

Some wildlife!!

I must admit I did have some trouble here figuring which way to go!!!

Almost had a town maned after me!!!

Even a water tower throws some change into the ever growing lonely drive!!

But it is a lovely scenic drive

I know here I go again but just like in Mexico you drive along this lonely dirt road for miles see no one or anything of importance and suddenly you come across something like this seemingly leading no where!!!

I eventually got on a civilized road and continued the rest of the afternoon and on this highway I saw my Little Bluey's first cousin

I can hear some of you saying now what on earth is he talking about???
Well if you would have been reading my blog for years instead of getting on with your life you would know that I name everything I own and Little Bluey just happens to be the name of my car that is now on Vancouver Island waiting for me to return and drive her back to Mexico in October!!!
Alsmost at my destination and my first glimpse of the Indian Ocean!!!

I am staying in Jeffrey's Bay for two nights, will show a map tomorrow and the big house is in a lovely area and I have the big two bed-roomed downstairs apartment.

With a nice patio outside my bedroom with a view where I shall be walking tomorrow!!

So another lovely different day and now I can relax and take in the ocean and beach walks....
Yashi Kochi!!!