19 July 2014 –
Here's to our glorious last morning in the Pilanesberg area. We're heading back to Debbie and Croydon's house today and early tomorrow morning we're flying back to Beijing. Has it seriously been two weeks already? Wow! I'm so sad that we have to leave…
This is one of the other kinds of cabins they have at MakinkyManzi (ours did not look like this):
Another lovely breakfast spread:
I'm in love with the rustic decor here:
The kiddos enjoying breakfast:
Croydon mentioned that there was a waterfall or something close to our lodging that we could try and visit before head off back to Jo-burg. Getting to this location was a wee bit bumpier than a normal drive (down a sandy, dirt "road"). But..wow! Just Wow! Check out this pretty location:
It looks like this area is set up for weddings:
Time to drive back…We passed by lots of PLATINUM MINES on our drive. So THIS is WHERE platinum comes from!
We stopped for lunch in Hartbeespoort (on the opposite side of the road from The Upperdeck Restaurant we ate at the previous day):
This area is a huge shopping area with tons of shops with interesting and unique items for sale:
Lunch!!! :-)
Passing by the amusing hijacking warning sign:
We're back in Johannesburg. Debbie, Fransie and I are heading into the city for some last minute souvenir shopping and seeing a different part of Johannesburg. We're at a beautiful shopping center right next to this famous statue (this is Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton):
I would have loved to have my photo taken with Mr. Mandela but we were short on time.
Do you know what's super stinky??? I did NOT get a photo with Fransie!!!! How on Earth did I not get a photo with her???? Darn it! We also ate a small dinner at Mugg & Bean (I wasn't hungry but I did enjoy being there). Fransie took us for a drive into parts of Jo-burg I wouldn't have gone to on my own but it was really neat to see something new. She also explained how some people in this particular area live…it's very community oriented.
Ah, did I mention that Croydon was watching the kids for us???? THANK YOU, Croydon!!!!
Just so I don't forget…here's Debbie's dining room:
Our friends have four dogs but we only got to see three of them (a family member was babysitting one of them). Here is one of their cute "puppies":
Sigh. All good things must come to an end…it's time for us to head back home to China.
Check in= ugh. Too early to be thinking clearly about flying. However, somehow (with our friend's help, of course!) we're here and checked in.
This Etihad Airlines flight from Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi was geared towards kids. I've never been on a flight like this one – they had an airline attendant solely for the kids! At one point during the flight she came around with paper and asked that the girls participate on a "drawing competition" on board. Both girls drew pictures based on our recent adventures in South Africa. What an awesome idea to keep kids happy and occupied!
That airline attendant requested that all the kids who participated in the drawing competition stay behind …because the captain and the crew wanted to meet them! The girls got to see the cockpit and talk briefly to the flight crew.
Hahaha!! Captain Annika!
THANK YOU Etihad Airlines for making an otherwise boring flight into something extra special that the girls will remember for a long time to come.