Travelog for: Abeeku

Today my new Mom Izzy saved me from the thrift store! Her friend Pollunga actually is the one who found me, and will also be my first host! I can't wait to see the world! I would like to help my fellow giraffe's and other wild animals some day, maybe someone can help me do that.

Today was a looong day. Izzy got Toby, Filia, Samantha, Twilight and Pearly and I togther and we went to the library to help her study. We all read magazines though! After that we had lunch in a beautiful park right next to the library! it was so nice.

Luau! I was invited to attend our friend's Bon and Kate dance in a traditional Hawai'in Luau! It was put on by the Hui of Sacramento. They had a long boat out to show, and so much food and dancing! Those Polyniasian dancers are really good! I wish i could move my hips like that! I also got to meet some other voyagers, Toby who was found in the same thrift store as me, Samantha turtle from Australia and Filia from Polland! So many adventurers!

After a great show, we went to a resterant for some water to help hydrate our dancing friends. We had so much fun and were so full when we came home!!

Today is the day I got to go to my first host! Before Im off though, Izzy took me to meet her farm animals, who are really neat! I got to meet a horse, some very nice sheep and goats! the sheep and goats are like little giraffes! Everyone is very friendly. I hope my hosts will be just as nice!

Hi Mom! I am safe all the way across town! I got to go to work with Ishah and visit all of the animals! It was fun. I had breakfast with iguanas.
Today I made banana bread with the other TV's. While we were waiting for it to finish cooking, we cleaned up the kitchen and I fed the fish. I snuck a taste and those fish pellets are delicious.

I would have posted sooner but the other TV's have been hogging the computer. Last weekend we went to windy San Fransisco and I got to see China Town! There were tons of people there! Since we have gotten back I have been totally lazy. It's been somewhat hot so time in front of the fan is a must. This week Ishah is taking me all kinds of places with her since her school is out for the summer and she actually has free time now. I am excited!

Hello! Hello! I have arrived. It was a long journey but I am here now and ready to have an adventure.



After showing me around a bit, I was introduced to the other visiting TV's. Grape Ape has been here the longest and Gilbert and Purple Bun arrived a while ago. Apparently I just missed Emil, he moved on to his next host last weekend.



Juanita (Vicki's daughter) quickly showed me some of the art that she and Nicholas (Vicki's son) had done.





I spotted all these carved African walking sticks (Vicki's husband, Ken, collects them) and took a closer look.



Vicki took us with her to work. She teaches Art and English at the school that her children attend. The Primary School children have a lot of fun in Art.



The Grade 4 classes are buiding 3D figures of themselves and the Grade 5 classes are busy making 'Cities'.





The Grade 6 classes are having great fun creating carnival masks. Vicki was a bit nervous to put me in the picture in case I got full of paint or glitter!!



It was an exhausting day but I had a lovely time!
Love
from me.

Hello again after sooooo long! I am sure you thought I was lost forever!! We have just returned from a wonderful holiday in the Eastern Cape but before I go on, Vicki says she is so sorry but there are still photos from before we went away that need to be updated, so here goes.....

First some pics of me in the garden, it is winter here but still quite warm during the day.





We all posed with the beautiful flowers that the students gave Vicki when the school closed for the holidays. Sputnik and Holiday Harry have arrived too!!



We all went for a visit to Northcliff Ridge to see the views of the suburbs of Johannesburg from the water tower.



It was quite high up there, I was holding on tight....



Ooooh, don't look down!



Here's the whole gang again.



The tall buildings in the distance are the Sandton CBD.



This is the view of Northcliff Hill (where we had just been at the water tower) from Vicki's back garden.





We all relaxed at the poolside, water is too cold to swim though.





Jumping on the trampoline with Juanita was great fun too!!



And the view from the back garden by night. The lights are lovely.



The Thursday before we left on vacation, we visited Johannesburg's theme park called Gold Reef City.
http://www.goldreefcity.co.za/home/index.asp




It is small by overseas standards but the visitors enjoy the fun rides built around the gold mine shaft and the old gold mining city.

I'm back! Vicki says she is sorry but she has been having trouble with Flickr and couldn't access her photos! Anyway, we can carry on with our visit to Gold Reef City...

First we went on the 'Dreamboat' which turned our tummies upside down! Nicholas' (Vicki's son) face was a picture!!



This was the only ride that Vicki braved, otherwise she volunteered to hold jackets and cellphones, etc. Good excuse! As she said, someone had to take photos!





The view from the top...





Unfortunately the 'Tower of Terror' ride was closed for revamping. This was a drop down the mineshaft in a coco-pan!!



We went on some other rides and checked ot the map of the park.



The runaway train was great fun...



.... and after that we needed to catch our breaths!



Here we are together with the other toys that the children won from various ball games, etc.



Can you see me hiding in the sign with Sputnik and Grape Ape??



We had a wonderful time and were sad to leave.



And we did enjoy our day!!

Today we visited a museum at Witwatersrand University called the Origins Centre.

It told the story of the origin of mankind and about the early tribes, such as the San people or Bushmen, that occupied Southern Africa before it was colonized.





The Eland is an antelope which has strong significance in the beliefs of the San people and the 'Trance Dance' was inspired by it too. The San danced themselves into a trance, for rain and to get strength from the spirits.





We went into a large hall with wall hangings telling the myths and legends of the San.



The museum was also full of rock paintings and carvings and there were replicas of the carvings in this cement floor.



This is an example of Khoe engraving.



Holiday Harry and I needed a quick rest!



Poems and messages were recorded in books and on these bones so that people might read them, remember and not allow history to repeat itself.







My brain is exhausted after all that, please take me home...

Today we visited Mrs C to fetch Jubilee Bunny. We were going on holiday and she was coming with us. We all posed for a group photo!



Sooo many toyvoyagers visiting in South Africa at the same time, it's great!

We packed our bags, there was great excitement, everyone talking together.... we got on the plane and almost two hours later we were in a town called George, situated on the beautiful Garden Route in the Western Cape.



Our first stop was the Wilderness Beach. It was beautiful but unfortunately the water was very cold!







Nicholas and Juanita took us to feel the water which was freezing! We decided to sit on the car bonnet and admire the scenery rather.



Holiday Harry and Sputnik were hiding from the rest!! Hopefully Vicki spotted us...



This is the view from the top of the hill. Just hold on tight Juanita please! It is a looong way down! A really pretty place though.



The Keurboom's River flows into the sea here and the railway bridge goes over it.



The Wilderness is a stunning place!




Sitting by the toasty fire at Vicki's step sister, Melinda's, house. It's quite chilly outside.





I could just doze off right here....

Woke up to this beautiful view of the mountains.



Watched some of the Olympics on this huge television.



We were off to Oudtshoorn for some sightseeing. First stop the swing bridge. Nicholas was shaking the bridge as we walked across and making it swing and Juanita was shouting at him, we were all laughing. Jump Nicholas,jump!!







Went to buy ostrich biltong for Vicki's stepfather. Biltong is a dried meat that is eaten all over South Africa as a snack and here it is made from ostrich meat. This meat has become very popular as it is cholesterol free. It apparently tastes very nice too. Can't say I'm crazy about meat anyway...



Oudtshoorn is full of beautiful old buildings built during the ostrich feather boom.



The weather in Oudtshoorn was glorious and we drove through the Outeniqua mountains to get back to George, through the clouds.





We stopped at a viewing point but it was so cold nobody wanted to venture out of the bag. We were all cuddled up and warm!





I couldn't see a thing out the top of the bag, so I volunteered to get out and see the view.

And what a stunning view! Whew! Pity is was so misty and cloudy, you couldn't really see George in the distance. The dirt road is the old Montague Pass road which was the first road made to cross over the mountains.

We loaded up the car and together with Vicki's mom and Juanita and Nicholas (the men had to stay behind and work!), Vicki drove us along the Garden Route to the Sunshine Coast and Port Alfred.

We drove over many rivers with beautifully designed bridges. The Storms River Bridge is one of the famous ones with it's deep gorge below. The story goes that the Italian architect who designed the bridge commited suicide by jumping off it because when the two sides were lowered they didn't meet exactly in the middle, there was a gap of a few centimetres!! It was pouring with rain, so we didn't venture out of the car.



We finally arrived (500km later...) at this most beautiful hotel. It was called the Fish River Sun



Here we are getting some fresh air and admiring the fish pond at the entrance of the hotel.





This is where we were staying for the next week, yay!! I could manage this luxury, I was sure!!

The Fish River Sun is actually 27km away from Port Alfred, so we took the little drive (after yesterday's 500km, it was little!!), and went to Port Alfred to do some sight seeing.





The whole area is very picturesque! And Vicki took lots of photos...

We drove down the East Bank and the West Bank of the Kowie River, which the town is built around. Hey! The beach!! Stop! We want to get out! I bet this water is freezing too...



 



Vicki did some fancy photo stitching. This is the beautiful marina. There are five islands with stunning homes on them and people get around by boat.





Vicki said she could get used to this life, she wishes she could win the Lotto. Pity she can't become a toyvoyager!!