Short Day Trips

ADVENTURES WITH ELEPHANTS  (at Bela Bela)
We had a long weekend with holidays on Friday and Monday, but rather than trying to do some long trip, we just decided to take it a little easier and do some shorter day trips.  We started off by doing the Adventures with Elephants, which is 2 1/2 hours away.  You had to make reservations and we reserved for the 12:00 interaction for 1 hour, and then the 1/2 hour ride into the bush.  We headed out in plenty of time, and it showed a nice straight shot up the N1 Freeway and then some short drives after we got off the freeway.

We were heading up the N1 when suddenly we found ourselves on the N14. As we pulled off to try to figure out what went wrong and how to get back on the N1, we learned that the N1 had delays of over an hour.  Apparently, due to some very bad accident. Obviously, the Lord was watching out for us  and we were able to find an alternate route.  If we had stayed on the N1 we may not have been able to get off if it for a long time, and we could have totally missed out on our elephant encounter.  We got there 5 minutes before it started.  We paid and went immediately onto the encounter.

You got up close to the elephants and you really got to learn a lot about them.  We learned their sense of smell is a hundred times better than a dogs.  Someday they may be sniffing luggage.  We also learned they can learn your name and retain it for up to three years.  It was quite an amazing experience.  Then some of the missionaries did the ride out into the bush.  I was worried that it would be like sitting on your dining room table with your legs straight out, but it was not bad.  I was on the big bull and it is amazing how high you are off the ground.

Have you Hugged Your Elephant Today?

You put three pellets in their trunk and then they put them into their mouth.

Or if you are brave, you can put the pellets straight into their mouth and feel their tongue, like Sherry is doing in this picture.  They really are amazing and wonderful, gentle giants.

Or they will play soccer with you!

After an hour of interaction and learning about the elephants, you can go for a ride,
if you are not afraid of heights!

BUSH BABY MONKEY SANCTUARY

On Saturday, we went to Bush Baby Monkey Sanctuary.  It was up near Hardbeesport.  The Bush Baby monkeys are very small.  They had many other monkeys there and quite a few lemurs as well.

This is a baby Bush Baby.  They have cute little faces. 

Two mamas with their little babies by our guide.

Here is a mama ring- tailed Lemur, but she was not sharing any of the treat with junior.

Legal Conference in Kenya & Masai Mara

Every few years OGC tries to meet with the local counsels from the various countries.  It is a time for us to train them on specific issues we have encountered and discuss ways they can help us.  We also try to make sure that they understand that we are using the widow's mite and they need to be very conscientious in how they manage the projects and bill the Church.  Each of us prepared Powerpoint presentations for the areas that we primarily work in.  We also try to help them understand more about how the Church is organized, its policies and functions, so they have a better understanding of where we are coming from, whether it be for establishing the legal entities, for tax issues, for land acquisitions, for leases, for Visas or a dozen different legal issues.  The Conference was held in Johannesburg a few years ago, but many of the attorneys were not able to get Visas for South Africa.  As a result, we selected Nairobi since it is a major air hub, it is more centrally located among our 26 countries, and also Kenya is quite liberal on granting Visas.

We held it at the Intercontinental Hotel across the street from the Parliament.  We had an excellent turnout and a very good conference.  At the end of our presentations, Bryan Jackson opened it up for them to ask us any questions they wanted about legal issues or the Church.  It was excellent and you could feel the Spirit there.  That night we had one of the Area Seventies, Elder Artur Miranda who spoke to the group about standards and ethics.  He is one of the top Executives in Coca Cola in Africa.  He gave a great talk about maintaining our standards, whether in business, in the law, in Church, and in our personal lives. It was very powerful and several people could really feel something special when he was speaking. Two even had tears in their eyes.

The work does not stop when we are traveling so I did one lease and two contract reviews on the way from the Nairobi airpot to the hotel.  I did a couple the day of the conference and then did a major construction A&E contract the next day while waiting at the Wilson airport to fly to the Masai Mara.
The Broadbents who had lived in Kenya for three years said we really needed to take time to go see the Masai Mara while we were in Kenya.  Three couples decided to go to the Mara Intrepids camp for a weekend safari.  We stayed in tents that were very deluxe.  We got to visit a Masai village, and had an evening lecture in our camp from a Masai chief (in training.)  The camp people were amazing, the food was delicious, and the game drives were spectacular. It is mostly open and you can see animals for many miles. We felt like we were in a National Geographic movie.  Our driver was Raphael and he had a sixth sense when it came to finding animals and finding the best spot for viewing them.  The whole Kenya trip and experience was wonderful.

Overlooking the Parliament Building from the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi.

Some of the Attendees at the Conference.

The OGC wives at a local fabric store.

It was International Women's Day while visiting the Kazuri Bead Factory in Nairobi.

Artur Miranda from Coca Cola gave a great talk on Standards and Ethics.

At the Wilson Airport waiting to board our plane to the Mara Intrepid Camp.

We were welcomed by one of the local Pumbas (Warthog).

We were then greeted by the tall and stately giraffes.  I could watch them for hours.

 Our driver, Raphael drove up very close to the large Cape Buffalos.

We saw some Eland which are among the largest of the antelope family.

Our driver took us across the river, over the rocks, with the water racing by.

A Cheetah looking around to make sure no one was coming to eat her lunch.

Some beautiful crested cranes.

A mother lion and her cub.

A Topi antelope.  Their nickname is "Mr. Blue Jeans".

A beautiful Thomson Gazelle.

The Secretary Bird.

A big female lion 8 feet from our open vehicle!

A baby elephant decided it was time for a lunch break.

Grant Gazelle's.

A Brown Hyena and a spotted Hyena.  Often they do not get along but today they were friends.

A pregnant mother Cheetah.  We followed her for miles.

A Hippo came up from the river to eat some grass.

The Burchell or common Zebra.

The Gnu or  Wildebeest.

This ostrich dances about as well as me.

The elusive leopard in the thick underbrush.

A large green crocodile waiting for some lunch to come down to the river.

The Masai men wear plaids and they love to jump.
When greeting them you always have to ask how their cattle are first.

In the chief's home learning about their life.  It was very dark until my flash lit it up.

The day ends with a beautiful African sunset.

Michael and Anne's Visit

Michael and Anne Whyte came to visit us in February 2018.  We refer to Michael as our nephew, although technically speaking he is my second cousin once removed, since he is the son of my second cousin, Larry Whyte.  Larry and I have a fair amount in common. He is also an attorney and is also married to a Sheri Whyte.  Larry served his mission here South Africa, and now we are here serving a mission in South Africa.  We are both following in the footsteps of our grandfather, William Chapman Whyte, who was called to serve a mission in South Africa in 1914.  However, when the Mormon missionaries got off the ship in Cape Town they were put in jail until they hired a lawyer who got them out of jail, and put on a ship back to Liverpool, England where he served his mission.

Michael is an excellent dentist who attended school at VCU Dental School in Richmond, VA and has now opened a practice there.  They have bought a home and really seem to love the area.  When they came for a visit, we took them up to Pilanesburg on a Friday and a Saturday so they could see the animals.  We saw quite a few different animals and were actually chased by the most famous elephant in South Africa, Amarula.  He is identifiable because he has no tail and the rangers counsel you to stay away from him since he loves to play with cars and sit on them.  Obviously when a large elephant sits on you car, it is never quite the same.  A large dump truck full of gravel on top of your car has about the same effect.

After Pilanesburg, we took them with us to church out in the village of Etwatwa and they got to meet the people we have grown to know and love.  We took pictures of the dental clinic in Etwatwa and some of the Surgery centers as well.  One day, I was also able to run them out to Lion and Safari Park, where they got to do a guided safari out to see some of the animals.  Then they got to walk with the lions, then interact with a couple sets of lion cubs, and some full grown cheetahs.  Then I took them over to Lesedi Village where they got to learn about the various tribal cultures and Micahel got to eat one of the roasted caterpillers.  While they were visiting the two locations, I sat in the car and did my office work remotely, reviewing five contracts and leases.  Technology is amazing.

 They saw lots of white rhinos.  Many up close and personal.

They saw quite a few Burchell's Zebras. 

Often near the zebras you will find some wildebeests. 

A majestic Kudu buck with the incredible spiral horn.

A rare herd of Elands.

 Michael and Anne at the Bakubung Restaurant where we had lunch, and they saw

a family of warthogs,  and

some Vervet Monkeys.

Sometimes you just have to wait for the rhino and his hitchhiking friend to clear the road because he could easily poke a hole in the car, or puncture a tire, or if really upset, he could possibly tip it over.

We saw a car parked and looking across the valley with binoculars.  We asked what they were looking at and they said there was a lion about a kilometer away on the other hill.  Anne said she could see it so she used the telephoto camera and took this picture.  When we blew it up there was indeed a male lion there.  To the naked eye it looked like a tiny speck of dust.

As we rounded a corner we saw this elephant almost hidden between two large bushes.  It was his tusks that were so large that gave him away.  He was busy eating.  While Michael and Anne were busy taking pictures, I said there is one elephant we are supposed to avoid and that is one with no tail.

Michael said, "I don't think this one has a tail."

He backed up, so we backed up, and sure enough he had no tail, only a stump.  Suddenly we realized this was the second largest bull elephant in Pilanesburg, the most famous elephant in South Africa, and also the one you needed to be careful and avoid.

He started to come after us so I started to drive away.  I watched him in the rearview mirror so I could stay a comfortable distance ahead of him.  He picked up his pace and Michael and Anne said I think you ought to get a little farther head of him.  It was only later that it dawned on me that when it looked like he was thirty feet behind us, he was really more like 15' behind us.  No wonder Michael and Anne's hearts were beating a little fast.

Finally, he got tired of chasing us and trumpeted at us in disgust since we would not stay and "play", and he went off to get some more to eat.

The entrance at Lesedi Village.

Anne helping out with the children at Church in Primary.

Michael and Anne at our Apartment before they returned home to Virginia.  We enjoyed their visit and we hope they enjoyed their visit to Africa.