Wild African Animals

Prior to going to Africa, I had Amber's blessing to buy a 300 mm zoom lens for my camera. Oh, I wish I had made a better effort to actually go and buy it. Anyway, I got these shots of animals in the iMfolozi-Hluhluwe Game Reserve in South Africa. Thanks to the Waldron family for taking me along!!


elephants - didn't see many, and all from a distance


giraffes - very fun to watch in herds




baby zebra - note that it isn't "zee-braw," but rather "zeb-raw"








white rhinoceros - we saw a total of 32 of these, often on the road, so we had to turn around in this instance, we didn't see any of the rarer black rhinos








leopard - cool sighting since it is rare to spot during the day, not sleeping


leopard tortoise - it was moving


cape glossy starling - very pretty


warthog - lots of these in groups, they kneel when they eat and their tails go up when they move, like a flag on an a banana bike


baby warthogs


guinea fowl


vervet monkey - they are like squirrels


wildebeest - among my favourites, so wild looking






cape buffalo - this one was super old and haggard looking




dung beetle - very fun to see it working


impala - very prolific


baboons - a family with red butts


showdown - cape buffalo vs. white rhino, the rhino backed down


nyala - this is a female, the males are darker and have long horns

Football (50mm f/1.8 AF)

I brought my camera to my friend Carl's son's football practice in Amanzimtoti, SA. I had a blast photographing these intense 8-year-olds.

An Evening in Durban, SA

Despite my assertion that I didn't have to be treated like a tourist, Carl decided that I must experience an evening in Durban - I think he just wanted an excuse to show off this super gorgeous city and get out for an evening. For this, I am very grateful.

We headed out after 7 pm, already nearing my bedtime, and drove the 30 or so minutes into downtown Durban (which appeared a strange fusion of Guatemala City and New York City). He parked at John Ross House, a tower, and we shot up the elevator to the 32nd floor where the Roma Revolving Restaurant sits. Roma is very tacky. Very. I'm sure the food and service are very nice, but the decor... eek.  But we strolled through and scooted up a narrow stairwell and emerged onto the roof, the location of Gino's Sky Bar.

The 360° view of a lit up port city is quite stunning. I would have brought my better suited Nikon and probably would have stood trying to capture the dazzle if I had, so I grabbed a bit of media with my iPhone and sat down for a drink with Carl. I had a Castle Milk Stout, a local South African beer - served far too cold, but it went down well enough.



It was quite windy at the top of this building next to the Indian Ocean. Carl was beginning to get cold, so we didn't hang out any longer once our drinks were done. Plus we had some food to go buy.



We drove a few blocks down the road to the Britannia Hotel where according to National Geographic, the best cultural culinary experience can be had. We ordered at the take out window - I had the Mutton Bunny Chow (see photo below) and Carl had the Chicken Kebab Bunny Chow. I went into the bar to pay for the food and was very impressed with the waitress's acute ability to recognize talent: "Are you a model?" she asked.

Presenting the receipt, we grabbed our sweet smelling bag of food and headed to the shore. The beachfront in Durban is lined with shops, a waterpark, aquarium, hotels, eateries, etc. just like any ocean city worth its salt. We walked until we came to a pier with an open air food court and after assuring the guard that we would clean up our mess afterwards, we unwrapped our bunnies.



Bunny Chow is a traditional dish originating in Durban. It is a 1/2 or 1/4 hollowed out loaf of bread which forms a container. It is then filled with delicious curry - I'd wager that the curry is better is South Africa than it is in India thanks to the fusion of cultures and ingredients. You then tear off bits of bread and eat your curry with it.

Delicious.



Great chat during the chow, then we checked out the pier and saw the tankers and freighters waiting to be called into port and the massive waves crashing into the base of the continent.

So thanks Carl, I think I may have an overwhelmingly positive view of Durban now, but I have an idea of it at least.



"Are you a model?"
"Yes, yes I am."

Tutoring Calculus in Bhekulwandle [Seed of Hope]

Carl hooked me up at Seed of Hope with one of their after school programs led by a great guy name Musa. Musa leads tutorials and discipleship programs with jr and sr high students living in an impoverished area between holiday town Amanzimtoti and Durban township Illovo.

The students who showed up were told to bring questions and questions they did bring. The junior high students worked on multiplying fractions and I showed them how to break numbers down to their factors. Four grade 12 boys arrived with curve sketching questions from their calculus class - a unit I am in the middle of teaching to my class back in Calgary.





One of the challenges that I could see the students are faced with attempting to complete rather complex math operations and tasks without very clear understanding of the roots of these operations. Fortunately, the boys are very diligent and bright, but I fear a lack of access to a willing teacher hampers their ongoing understanding.





Very fun to help out, but I'm not fooling myself into thinking that they will be impacted long term by this. I do hope they were able to get through the week with a little less stress.

Big Bird Snack

Just enjoying a little ostrich jerkey - product of South Africa - to supplement my lunch today in Bhekulwandle.

Ingredients: raw ostrich meat, spices (salt, irradiated spices: nutmeg, black pepper, cloves), sugar, yeast extract, preservative: potassium sorbate, vinegar (with caramel colorant).

3 continents in 24 hours

Amber drops me off at Calgary airport with some kisses.

I am tagged for chemical testing before entering security (gotta be the goatee).

No chemicals have made contact with me.

Eat home made donuts Amber packed in my laptop bag.

Read about what I can learn from the poor.

At the gate I overhear a conversation between an Arab father and a KLM agent as to why his 1 week old son can not fly - no documentation - the wife is in tears, so is the 6 yr old son.

On the plane, an amazing story in Calgary Herald about 2 people surviving a winter plane crash for over 40 days in Yukon 50 years ago.

Drink, yes, a free Heineken please. I can do this.

Chat with my seat mate, Margot, a middle aged French teacher from Saskatchewan who lives in Turkey with her Turkish husband - she has political views.

Another drink with your meal sir? Yes please.

My visit to the loo lets me see a bit more of the 8 seat wide plane. At the front of both economy sections there are little beds for babies. Brilliant.

I get a high score on the inflight Tetris game.

Blaise's card is opened over the Atlantic.

I watch a Dutch movie about some mechanics who train for a marathon (De Marathon) and then The Bourne Legacy.

Not sleepy, so I don't sleep, but I develop a headache after eating breakfast at what is 11 pm for me.

The view of the ocean waves and the transport freighters as we approach the Netherlands are awesome.

My connection in Amsterdam involves waiting in 3 lines: get a boarding pass, go through security, and finally board the plane. 

I am barely awake. I crumple into my window seat (on the wing), cover myself with the blanket and try to sleep for the next 5 hours.

I skip the first inflight meal because of nausea.

I get intermittent naps in and feel refreshed enough to chat with the London couple next to me who are visiting family in their native South Africa.

We chat amicably about community development and education.

I saw the Sahara from 10 km in the air. Barely.

I read some more from my book.

Spend some time praying behind my sleep mask.

I crack open the chocolate treats from Amber.

Wreck-It Ralph entertains me.

Acadia's card is opened over Chad. The flight map shows that we have flown over Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, The DRC, Zambia and Zimbabwe before entering South African airspace.

Amazing lightning storms as we descend into Johannesburg.

Customs is quick and easy. Yes, I am here on holiday.

OR Tambo airport is dead. Internet ain't free, but nice to read kind wishes from folks on facebook.

I find a corner with seats where I can park myself for 7 hours until my flight to Durban and I blog.