What says I love you better than travelling over 13,000 kms to visit your kid? Not much. I was super lucky to have my parents come and visit me recently. They spent a total of three weeks down here and they saw all the highlights.
I picked them up at the airport on a Saturday and after a long flight they settled in and slept off the jetlag. That night we went the best steakhouse in the city, Wombles, where they were able to try their first kudu and springbok - so yummy!! They also got to experience a Joburg power outage when the power kept going on and off at the restaurant.
We chilled the rest of the weekend, but come Monday morning we were off bright and early to Kruger National Park. I was a bit nervous about what we would see, because the only thing left on my wish list was to see some big cats and with such a huge national park, animal sightings can be hit or miss. But, maybe chalk it up to beginner's luck, we saw all of the "Big Five" (rhino, lion, buffalo, elephant and leopard) in just our two day stay, including FOUR leopard sightings. Leopards are really rare to come across so we were beyond excited. We also had an epic experience with a pride of 13 lions. We came across a mama and her three adolescent cubs laying right on the road. We got lots of close up time with them before moving on but little did we know what was wandering towards us just a couple hundred yards down; nine lions all walking down the road. A few of them stopped right beside our truck and seemed to be tasting the air around them and as they passed right beside me they would stare right at me; I was a wee bit frightened, too scared to pull my camera up in front of my face to snap a pic at that close a range. A little later on our drive we also saw a hyena family, including a couple of cubs who were only a few weeks old. They were so cute, especially for an animal that grows up to be pretty ugly; one of the "Ugly Five" (hyena, wildebeest, vulture, marabou stork, warthog).
After a long drive back into Johannesburg, we hunkered down for the night because the next morning we were flying out to Zimbabwe. After a quick flight we arrived in Victoria Falls, which was hot as ever. Ma & Pa went on a sunset cruise down the Zambezi and I walked over to the Victoria Falls Hotel where I spent the afternoon reading my book and drinking beer while overlooking the Zambezi. It was delightful. Ma & Pa eventually joined me for dinner there. The next day, we got up and headed straight for the border. We crossed over into Zambia, walking across the Victoria Falls Bridge and to the Livingstone Hotel. From there we took a quick boat ride over to the edge of Vic Falls. During this time of year, in the dry season the water levels are low enough that in one particular area of Vic Falls, the Devil's Pool, you can actually swim at the edge without having the current sweep you over. So that is exactly what we did - swam atop Vic Falls! It was epic!! After our super cool swim, we had a nice breakfast and then headed back across the border. We spent the heat of the afternoon in the hotel pool, having drinks and chatting at the swim up bar and then went out for dinner in town that night. The next day Ma & Pa went to walk along the Falls but I had a migraine so I stayed at the hotel and then once they got back we went to the airport and came back to Joburg.
When they arrived back in Joburg, they settled into a nice little lodge in the city. I picked them up the next day and we went for brunch and then shopped around in Parkhurst as well as the Rosebank Market. During the week I was also working, but Ma & Pa did a couple touristy things around the city and enjoyed the sunny weather by the pool in their lodge. In the evenings, I would come over after work and we had dinner every night, going out to a couple of my favourite restaurants in the city or eating with some of the other guests at the lodge. It was quite delightful. But then alas, the end of their three week adventure arrived and they headed back to Canada in time for Canadian Thanksgiving with the rest of the family.
All in all, it was a great time and I think I can safely say, the trip of a lifetime for these two!
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