Our 5th safari trip was to Aquila reserve, around 200 km north from CT. We drove again through some amazing scenery, high mountains of 1500m or more, climbing up from the sea level to a dry, semi desert like countryside. I forgot to mention the temperatures all these days were very hot, officially 38 C but in the sun just scorching over 40 for sure! We went through many bottles of water each day and seeked shade and air con whenever possible. But we were very happy to see parts of Africa that we would not have seen on our own...Mike has finally seen elephants, lions, male and females, and again hippos that were showing off in a water hole, baboons, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, springbok antelopes etc.And after that we had a delicious lunch at the lodge, a wonderful place for a safari holiday. ... The Saturday morning saw us saying goodbyes to some of our remaining cruise friends, exchanging emails and promising to visit each other, at least few. Mike and I took off to watch an all day rugby tournament, the Sevens, that was very exciting. South Africans are crazy about rugby and go all the way out, dressing up for the occasion in crazy costumes. When their team played, the 47 thousand crowd went balistic ! Canada played well, winning 2 out of 3 matches and qualifying for quarter final on Sunday. I was glad we could not get the tickets for Sunday, one day of noise and craziness was enough for me, but I enjoyed it as well as Mike who follows it all the time... The atmosphere was different from North America, here this is their most popular sport! There were very high winds all day again , everything was flying, though when sitting in the sun, you had to cover yourself from the scorching sun. Today we are resting, being lazy, going for walks and to the waterfront to see the sail away of enormous sailboats leaving on the ace from Cape Town to Melbourne. No wonder the hotels are so busy, but glad that it all brings in money and emloyment....Mike and I are flying out Monday night,Dec.11 for London and Prague, climate change for sure! This trip was surely amazing, trip of a lifetime! We learned a lot, saw a lot, made friends and have a new appreciation for our clean air, peaceful, respectful and comfortable living. I will be sad leaving but I am looking forward to seeing our families again and sleeping in our own bed! I hope you had fun reading my blog, getting a glimpse into our adventures! No X mas cards this year, so we wish you all Merry Christmas and all the best new the New Year of 2018! Love Mike and Zora