A little cage time

One of the main reasons we went to South Africa was to dive with the Great White Sharks. This has been a dream for a number of years.

So we made our way to Gans Bay,  the great white shark capital of the world. On the way out to the dive site, Weston spent some time watching the Chum being prepared. All you need is a bucket, shovel, fish guts, oil, blood and water (at least that is what they shared with us). It smelled as sweet as it looked!

When we arrived at the site, we could see some sharks already swimming around another boat. They looked big!

With our adrenaline racing, we quickly got dressed and jumped in the cage. The water was freeing, but I hardly noticed it with the dry suit on. Rebekah was not so lucky. She had a big hole in her suit (hopefully not from a previous shark bite!)

We had a total of 4 sharks during our time there.

The crew would lure them close to the boat and cage with a giant Tuna head. 

We lost a couple of heads to the sharks during the day!

They were so graceful and elegant.

You could tell they were in complete control of their environment and did not seem anxious or stressed at all.

The water was murky that day, and visibility was poor.  From inside the cage, it was touch to see anything until the sharks were almost right at the cage.

Out of nowhere they would appear, rushing out of the gloom. It was a bit unsettling! It also made it difficult for us to get any underwater shots from the cage.

In addition, we were both a bit preoccupied while in the cage! There were some strict rules on keeping your hands and feet inside. Obviously, we tried to obey these rules.

As the sharks approached, the crew would yell "Shark!  Dive!" At that command we would try to duck under the water to view the creatures up close!

Shayne and Weston watched from up above (and may have taken a few of these pictures). We asked them if they wanted to get in the water.

They both felt that had great views from the safety of the deck!  Smart kids. Beautiful animals. Great experience!

Up Close and Personal

When the weather wasn't cooperating on our Shark Dive - we jumped in the car and drove across the cape to Outshoorn. It seemed like an interesting thing to do. It sits in the middle of the Little Karoo and in the heart of Ostrich country (farming). It is also home to Cango wildlife Center, a refuge for  animals. 

We spent almost an entire day an Cango, enjoying a number of the Ugly 5 (such as the Vulture)

We watched as the weaver birds built nests and waited anxiously for inspection by perspective mates. 

We even watched as our guide hand feed some Nile Crocodiles. 

However, the real reason we came to Cango was to see the big animals up close and have some personal experiences!

Rebekah has always had a soft spot for Cheetah's.  She was in heaven scratching this little girl, and listening to her purr!

And then we even got to play with the little cubs!

Rebekah and Shayne decided to head to the Lemur's next.  They were a big hit. 

But weston and I had come for something a little more dangerous, and a less furry!

We came to dive with Nile Crocodiles!

They lowered us (inside a cage) into the clear water. Within minutes two crocs slid over to check us out.

The whole experience was creepy. They seemed to just be waiting for us to make some kind of mistake, like sticking a hand or toe out at the wrong time. 

One got a bit impatient and stuck his snout in as far as he could. We were trapped with no where to go. It was an uncomfortable few seconds.

Weston did a great job. If he was scared, he did not show it.  

In the end, we all enjoyed our time at Cango. Despite the fact that it was a park with enclosures and cages, the personal experiences made it all worth while!

Paris for Two

Bret's been traveling a LOT lately. He is home for a few days and off again. I can tell he is tired and not enjoying all the time spent in airplanes. He has started searching for cheap flights and airline program mile award tickets to get us along on business trips that make sense. He gets lonely and misses us. Often, I'm a real stick-in-the-mud. I feel badly, but going to Prague again for three days (really it's at least a half a day in travel each way) doesn't sound so fun. It's hard to leave the kids, dog, responsibilities and arrange for people to fill in for me... Too often, I don't volunteer my enthusiasm when he asks me if I'd be interested in joining him.

And then, he had a quick 2.5 days in Paris. It was a technology conference, so he'd be gone during the day and free in the evenings. He had a great hotel room and we'd helped out a young woman from church who needed a place to live for 2 months while she was finishing her degree in English at a college in Dublin.

I called and made sure she would be willing to put kids in bed. My dear friend Claire said she would be willing to pick the kids up from school and feed them dinner. Bret got online and got me a round trip ticket to Paris on his flight for under $200. Done. We left for the airport 2 hours later!

The hotel was fantastic. We had a lovely late dinner and enjoyed walking along the Champs-Elysées and its the ridiculously high priced fashion retailers. I must say, however, at Christmas time--does anyone do nicer windows? It was gorgeous.

When Bret went to the conference, I walked along the Seine, ate a croissant at the Place de la Concorde, and made my way to Musée de l'Orangerie where I took my time enjoying Monet's huge Watter Lillies, words by Picasso, Derian, Cézanne and Renior. There was also a visiting exhibition of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. I'd read The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, on a recommendation by my mom which gave an interesting insight to their lives in Mexico, paintings and communist activity. I really enjoyed my time in the museum.

When Bret got home from the conference, we walked all over the city until quite late. Despite the rain, we explored the Christmas market, views and delicious macaroons at Carette. We enjoyed ourselves and an fantastic date night. I left early the next morning feeling refreshed AND spoiled, to come back to home and kids.  

Chocolate and Churros at the Christmas Market

Sneaking a photo of Monet's Water Lillies

A bronze cast of Rodin's 'The Kiss'

I do love Picasso in his Blue period. I was very moved by this L'étreinte or Embrace.

Macaroons at Carette with le chocolate chaud. C'était succulent!

Get-away

Rebekah and I recently took some time to get away from the kids! I had some meetings in Prague, so she decided to tag along. 

Her first thoughts?

Ahh.  That is better.

Actually, we had a great time. It was a lovely city (at least the old city center). So much history.

We decided to take a walking tour. We were the only ones who showed up.

The Guide was so happy to have us, and thrilled by the fact that we were interested in all he had to say.

So a two hour tour, turned into a 4 hour extravaganza!

This city has seen it all, wars, kings, communism, famine.. .you name it.

We had a great time hanging out with one another. No kids.

It was like a extra long date.

But almost before it began, it was over. I had to bid farewell to Rebekah, and made my way to a meeting in Greece.

I was going to Mykonos. Greece is much more dry then I expected.

But the Blues and Whites did not disappoint.

Of course, Mykonos is no secret, and the cruise ships and tourists were there in force. however, the narrow market streets still kept a bit of their charm and mystery. I think I will take Rebekah with me next time.... Now what to do with those kids!