We got up at 5:00 AM to go for an elephant ride. We got yet another 'African Massage' on a bumpy ride out to the preserve where orphaned elephants are cared for and trained. Our safari guides at the safari camps had called the bumpy rides on the sandy roads through the bush an African Massage, an appropriate euphemism... I guess! We were served a nice outdoor breakfast along a nearby river and then made our way over to ride the elephants. Two of us rode with a trainer for about 45 minutes. Our elephant was an orphaned 15 year old named Meinos, and our trainer was named Jabu. They use a reward system to train the elephants... the elephants are onto them though and constantly stick their trunks up and back to receive a treat from the trainer... to the delight of the tourists of course. Meinos and Jabu were both gentle souls and we enjoyed this experience even more than we thought we would.
Alas, all good things must end. In the afternoon we flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, the homes of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, instrumental figures in the struggle to end Apartheid... and then on to Cape Town, South Africa. The trip wasn't over, but now we were to experience the modern city of Cape Town, the most visited destination of International travelers in the world. The flight to Cape Town went quickly as our seat mate on the flight was an interesting fellow, the publisher of the travel magazine, Go!, who kept us entertained with stories of this wonderful country.
Our guide was not at the airport to greet us in Cape Town... imagine 14 weary travelers late at night in an unfamiliar airport in an unfamiliar city. Jan and I kind of got a kick out of it and, after an hour or so, the guide showed up and got us to our hotel. The hotel overlooks the renowned Greenmarket Square in the middle of Cape Town.
YeeHaw!
Jan likes animals if you hadn't noticed...
A stall outside our hotel in Greenmarket Square...
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