Day 4 Africa

So let's just start with some of the animals that we saw on Day 4

 Dude - you have GOT to be still! 

 This is called a dik dik and it is really tiny. They got their name because of the shrill sound that the females make to warn of danger. Our safari guide said they are like a little tiny appetizer snack for a bigger predator. Almost not worth hunting. 

 Hello big Crocodile. We discussed on this trip that my oldest called a Crocodile a crockacackle when she was little and my middle daughter called them frocodiles. None of us can remember how my youngest said Crocodile. 

 Catching a ride

 Little man

 um excuse me - this is a private conversation

 Baby crocodile

 There is a story about these trees but I can't remember it - something about them being palm trees that are tall and v off or something. I will look back through my notes and see if I find it. 

 This was cool because we watched them cross

 What was awesome was the  baby in the middle kept laying down and splashing around and the elephant in the back was kind of pushing her along. I so related to the Mom in the back. 

"Yes yes I know that you are having fun. Come on we have someplace to be."

Probably some eye rolling and smiling going on.

The baby was having a GREAT time. 

 Peekabo

 We got really close to the animals. Really close

 Coolest thing about elephants. They travel in male and female groups. When the male babies reach maturity and don't need Mommy's milk anymore (about age 3) they kick him out and they have to be mean to him to get him to leave. (I thought that was sort of sad.) They also really protect their own. They watch those babies like hawks and move them inside the circle whenever anything makes them nervous. 

 When one of them dies they all circle the dead elephant and use their trunks to try and lift them up. Then they get sticks and try to beat him back to life and have a sort of elephant funeral and grieving process. The way that our safari guide described it made them seem like such soulful animals. 

 Sometimes when you spend hours in a car you gotta come up with games. Take silly pictures of each other was a very popular game. 

 This was us the morning of day 4 outside of our tent. 

 I look a little cold. That is because I was. ;) 

 Pretty awesome morning view

 They do this when they are hot. 

 This is called a grevys Zebra. His stripes do not meet under his middle and he has mickey mouse ears. 

 Getting ready to check in at our next camp. This one wasn't a camp but more of a resort type place seriously in the middle of nowhere. It was interesting. No wifi. No TV's. You still brush your teeth with the bottled water but so so posh. They even turn the electricity off in your beautiful room with hard wood floors at certain times during the day to conserve energy. It was a very cool place. 

 My oldest helping the safari director pass out keys.

 The table where we ate every meal. Monkeys were everywhere and my mother in law had a roll stolen off of her plate! Much chaos ensued. My kids thought it was great. 

 Basically the most awesome pool 

EVER

Oh yeah - back to the animals. That is pretty much how every day went. Get up, drive around, look at animals, eat lunch, grown ups go nap, kids and parents of kids go to pool and swim and blow off steam, go back out and drive around and look at animals. It was set up really well. 

 If you are a kid you gotta learn to nap in the car and not pool time.