Animal Interaction

      Since moving to Africa 2 months ago we have tried to go on several outings to places with animal interactions.  Because here in Africa, if you can't interact and touch the animals it does not feel worth the visit.  In America you are just happy to actually see the animal in the cage as opposed to it sleeping or hiding somewhere.  So many of the animal places have options where you can pet, take a picture with, or feed an animal.  Interacting with them is my favorite part and I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to do this every weekend.

      One of the first places we visited was Bester Birds and Animal Zoo Park  http://www.besterbirdsanimals.co.za/.  For only $7 each, Adalyn, myself and 2 friends enjoyed a long morning exploring.  They had a large variety of birds, but in true African hodge podge style, they threw in anything else they could get.  Panthers, cheetahs, turtles, monkeys, snakes, and of course farm animals.

 We enjoyed going from cage to cage, all while workers went in and out not afraid an animal would try a run for it.  Then before our picnic lunch Adalyn got to feed the bunnies and guinea pigs.

 No matter the size of the animal, Adalyn tries to pick them up so she can love them.....to death.  I find myself repeating, "Adalyn don't squeeze them so tightly".  It was a good first outing and so next up was more of a safari "like" experience.

      Having spent 2 weeks in January on a safari in Tanzania, I have pretty high expectations of what a safari should entail.  So when a place right across the road from us said they have "game drives", I thought we should at least see what it included.  The Farm Inn is a rustic, African style lodge that hosts several functions, has a nice buffet and of course a game drive. http://www.farminn.co.za/  The drivers were very knowledgeable, and answered every question we could come up with.  We were able to see lions, tigers, giraffes, impalas, hyenas, and cheetahs.  Most of the animals were still behind fences so not the same as a safari in the wild.

Wildebeest

 For only $22 per adult, children under 3 are free, which included a nice buffet lunch, we could also visit their small petting zoo for Adalyn to squeeze more bunnies.

We were able to see them feed the lions and tigers, a real animal treat to see.  Some of the lions were wild and others had grown up in captivity which made for interesting behavior differences.  The wild lions would roar and run at the cages of tigers as they were right next to each other.  The tigers would act afraid as they had only lived in captivity and seemed to lack the fighting instinct.  A bounce house and playground were a plus but I mostly enjoyed one particular caged tiger who would chase you.  If you ran laps around his cage, he would run along on the perimeter after you.  And the race was on but the tiger always won.
      Next up we tried out Mystic Monkeys and Feathers Wildlife Park, http://mysticmonkeys.co.za/.  For $10 per adult, children under 3 are free, we received a guided tour and talk about the animals.  I had no idea there were so many different types of monkeys, apes, baboons, and this place seemed to have them all.

And of course they had lots of birds, but no place seems to be complete without a few lions, leopards and tigers mixed in the bunch.  Interestingly they had a lion and a Bengal tiger that had grown up together in captivity so they did not know to hate each other and would lay together as friends.

 After viewing all the animals we had a picnic lunch and Adalyn enjoyed feeding the quite large chickens.

 Before leaving we thought we might as well take advantage of the $10 option to play with their 6 month old tigers.  We had watched a few kids go into it's cage and the tiger was a little too frisky so we just sent in Mark to test it out.  I pretty much volunteer him for about anything, he is such a good sport.

 With bottle in hand, he made an instant friend minus a few scratches on Mark's arm as cats do love to play.  Now if you want to take an animal home, that is an option as well.  For only $1,200 you can get a lion cub, and for $900 you can get a tiger cub, but if you want a baby monkey that will cost you about $2,500.  I don't know who is allowed to purchase the animals and what kind of laws there are about having them but the low cost was a huge surprise to me.  I never would have thought it was cheaper to get a tiger than a monkey.

      This past weekend we ventured to the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve,  http://www.rhinolion.co.za/home    The hour drive was well worth it as the interaction was by far the best we have experienced.  First up is your own self driven game drive, luckily their map was quite helpful, and most of the animals were right by the road.

Ostrich and Gemsbok

After driving through half the park we ventured into the animals interaction area.  At the front entrance were two very friendly giraffes who we were able to pet.

 Then a little further down was an area for about 8 cheetahs.  

These 3 were just sunning themselves, but when social they would come up right next to the fence.  I did get concerned one time when Adalyn was running down a path next to their fence and one particular cheetah seemed a little too interested in following her.  Even though he was behind an electric fence, the fact that he is still a wild animal made me pick her up and whisk her off.  I took the following picture right before she started to run not realizing what he was looking at.  Scary how intently he is watching her.

 We were able to view several jaguars, leopards, tigers, and lions.

Leopard

Panthers

 The option to interact with animals was abundant here.  For only $3 per person (this is only on top of the $13 per adult (children were again free under 3) to enter the nature reserve) you could play with either the cheetah, white lions, brown lions, or the serval.  I figured with that price why not play with them all.  I went into see the cheetah first and was a little scared as I have not have quite this close of an encounter before.  The 11 year old female was laying down and sat right up when I walked over to her.

       I had to pet it from the side or when it was laying down, from the back.  I was told to pet it from the head to the shoulders and sometimes it does not like it's ears petted.  It purred quite loudly like a cat, it's coat was not as soft as expected, more of a short, harsh texture but the mannerisms of a cat were very much present.  I kept thinking to myself, this is unbelievable I need to be present in the moment and not worry about Mark getting a good shot on the camera.  When I first went in Mark stood outside the cage with Adalyn which of course made her cry thinking I was leaving.  As soon as she started to cry a worker came over to help entertain her and only after I was done with the cheetah did she tell me that Adalyn's crying would draw attention from the other animals and they really don't want that.
      Next we went in as a family to see the 4 month old white lion cubs.  There were four in the cage and Adalyn thought they were just cute enough to try and pick up.

She would also grab their tails but they could escape pretty quickly.  There were not as fond of just lying around being pet so you had to chase them down.  Soft as a kitten, no purring (as I am told lions don't purr only moan, which we heard as well), and very friendly.  I would love to have spent the day with them.

      Mark ventured into the brown lions cage next which contained 4 cubs that were 7 months old.  Amazing the difference 3 months can make in size.  These lions were ready for a nap, so they were all sunning themselves which made for great still photos.

 They loved to be pet on the head and their paws were huge.  The lions would let you almost lay down with them and even though I would have loved to cuddle, I had to remind myself one again they are still wild animals no matter how cute they appear.  Once Mark had his visit, I decided that since we were there, and it's only $3 I better not turn down the chance.

One of the most amazing experiences I have had while living here.

After we finished driving through the rest of the nature reserve we went for lunch at a rooftop cafe near the main entrance.  While we enjoyed a nice lunch we could also feed 2 giraffes for free.  Adalyn enjoyed this until they tried to eat her hand, no worries she was not bit, but the experience was a little too different for her to be comfortable with yet.  Much like how a horse eats out of your hand, the giraffes feed the same way.  They were not as keen on you petting them, but then again who wants to be touched as they are eating.
Overall, it was an amazing day.  I will never forget the first time I was able to cuddle with a lion or pet a cheetah and I have a feeling it won't be my last animal interaction.  

Inside the gates

      The housing options differ much like they do back in the US.  There are single family homes, town homes, apartments, and everything in-between.  The main difference you notice when arriving in South Africa is that security is a main feature with each home.  Some people live within a security estate and others have their own security set up around their home.  Security is very important as the rate of crime is much higher than in the US.
      Most single family homes outside of a security estate will have an 8 foot high brick wall with 2 feet high electrical fencing around the top.

Brick wall outside a home with electric fencing

      Most will also have a gate to enter their driveway.  Security companies such as ADT are common.  Our relocation agent told me that there is no sense of "neighborhood" when living in a single family home because you never get to know your neighbors, nor ever see them due to the walls.
      The other option, which we are living in, is a security estate as Black and Veatch requires this type of housing.  Silver Lakes Golf Estate is the name of the community we live in. If interested I have linked their website. http://www.silverlakes.co.za  It is a 24 hour maned security estate with 8 foot high brick walls around the perimeter with 2 feet of electrified fencing on top of that (just like that seen in the picture above).  When first arriving in South Africa it took some time to get used to seeing brick security fences everywhere, but now they just blend into the scenery and I hardly notice them.  You only see these fences when driving, unless you live along the perimeter then you will have one in your back yard.  We are situated in the middle of the estate so we never think about the fencing.
      Silver Lakes has been a great place to live so far.  It is named Silver Lakes due to the fact that the golf course is built around many lakes and supposedly gives a silver shine when it's sunny.

       Besides an 18 hole golf course, it also has a clubhouse, 2 tennis courts, 2 squash courts, 3 playgrounds, many areas for fishing and biking, and a natural game reserve, all of which are included with living here.        Most people within the estate own their homes, but several are rented out to people just like us.  There are street signs, stop signs, crosswalks, and looks just like any other neighborhood street in the US.  There are approximately 1,600 homes within the estate.

Clubhouse

       When you live within the estate coming and going is very easy.  There is a front and back gate with entrance/exit marked for residents and visitors.

Front Gate

      To get the gate to open you simply press your finger on the scanner and it will register your name and lift the gate.

     If you are a visitor, you must first register with the security guards which can include giving them your drivers license so they can write down pertinent information, then they record your license plate number and make note of where you are going.  If you are going to play golf or eat at the clubhouse the process is a little different, but if you are coming to our home the security guards will phone me to verify that you are in deed a visitor and we have to say whether we allow access or not.  This includes not only friends, but any repair man or delivery service.

Security checking in visitors, always a line at the front gate in the morning

      If you work within the estate there is a separate walk through entrance.

      Prior to hiring our domestic, Joyce, we went up to the management office to get her registered and now when walking through she only has to show her South African ID and scan her finger.  Upon leaving she will do the same but will also have to open up her bag to verify what she is leaving with.  If there is anything in question the security guards will call me to verify.  This has happened when I gave Joyce a pair of Adalyn's shoes to give to her daughter, the gate called me to verify that she could have the shoes.  I felt horrible for her, but that is their procedure and will good cause as theft can be quite the problem.
       Another safety measure is our home's security system.  This system is a motion detected security system which is linked to the security at the front gate so if the alarm goes off, a guard will come to our house to verify that everything is okay.  We have set this alarm off a few times by accident, but it's nice to know that the system works.  We also have 2 panic buttons that look much like a key-less car door opener we can use at home if something happens.  I just press the little button and it summons for a guard to come to our home. Our garage door opener has the same type of button as well, so I have to be careful when opening the garage door to not press the wrong button.
      At the top of our stairs right before you enter our office and master bedroom is a Slam Gate.

 The idea of this gate is that in the case of a home intruder we can slam this gate shut and lock it behind us.  Normally it is contracted and sits flush with the wall so we don't even notice it.  If we shut it and the door in front of it we can lock ourselves in the office where there is a land line we can use to call for help if the alarm does not go off.  I am not sure how easy it is to pick a lock but all the doors in our house, including the front door, have keys such as this.

 South Africans are always surprised when I tell them our homes in the US would never have keys like this and ours look more like car keys.  Let's just hope we never need this slam gate.

     All of these measure seem extreme given the fact that in the US we would lock our doors, but anyone could come up our driveway, we did not have a back yard fence, nor a security system installed.  I feel quite safe living within the estate, but for that matter I feel safe almost everywhere I have ventured in South Africa so far.  I have gotten to know several of the security guards and we exchange small talk when leaving through the gates.  I love the feel of this community and it's amenities. It has been nice getting to know the locals who live here and calling Silver Lakes our home.    

Our South African Home

      Once arriving in South Africa, Black and Veatch set us up in temporary housing and scheduled a relocation company to shows us homes in the area.  Black and Veatch requires that you live inside a security gated community and there are several to pick from here.  But figuring out which homes are available and at what price is not so easy.  There are web pages that list a few homes but not all of them and the price can change dramatically day to day depending on who is calling to look at them.  The relocation company is not aware of all the homes available as each is represented by an Estate Agent who is not always open about what they have to show.  Then upon finding a home you have to get the owner to agree to the strict Black and Veatch lease which not all of them will do.  House hunting in South Africa is not as buyer/renter friendly as it is in the states where every home is well advertised and available.
      On our second day of house hunting we feel in love with our home.  Most of the homes in our community are Spanish style with a few contemporary and some traditional thrown in the mix.  Ours is a 2 story brick traditional with white trim.  It has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in the main house along with living areas, a bar, a scullery, and an office.  The guest flat above the garage is a nice addition with it's own balcony and entrance.

The main floor has a beautiful wooden staircase in the entry.  Tile floor throughout with carpet in the lounge and bedrooms.  I love our open floor plan and no two homes seem to be alike here.   

The living room has a bay window that overlooks the front garden (what we call a yard or lawn in the US) and when sitting on the couch you can see right into the back garden through the sliding doors that really open up the house.

The dining room has a nice wood burning fire place that is two sided so those in the lounge can enjoy it as well.  Windows are everywhere and all of them open, leaving the house feeling very breezy and warm this winter when the sun shines in.

It's nice to sit on the couch in the lounge (what I call a family room in the US), watch some American TV and enjoy a fire on the cold African nights.

The bar is settled between the dining room and the kitchen and looks right into the back garden as well. To our surprise there is an underground wine cellar below the bar that you can only get to through a secret door.

Next up is the center of any house, the kitchen.  I love all the cabinets, counter space and the walk-in pantry is a plus.  One aspect of the kitchen I fell in love with is the sliding window over the counter that passes through to the outdoor patio.  It feels like an outdoor kitchen when open and you can be a part of the party while cooking.

Passing through the kitchen is the scullery.  Prior to moving to South Africa I had no idea what a scullery was but now that I have one, what a great invention I must say.  Basically it's a room that houses the washer, dryer, dish washer and kitchen sink.  Why not have all your dirty items out of the way.

 

The sliding doors which open onto the patio and braai (BBQ in Africa) enlarges 

your home to invite the outside in.

A covered patio is a must during the rainy season and it's nice to sit in the shade

 as I am sure to burn in this African sun.  

When looking for homes one Estate Agent said to me, "you don't really need a pool in South Africa, you can only use it 7 months out of the year".  I of course had to tell him that where I am from we are lucky to get 3 months of pool time, so I am not settling for a home without a pool.

I look forward to using the pool in a few months and hearing the sound of the fountain splash.  It was not easy to find a large pool in Africa as most of them I have seen are only slightly larger than a hot tub.

We have made our own back garden paradise for Adalyn with a jungle gym and trampoline.  If you are going to live outside most of the time, I figured we needed a few things to help entertain her. 

 Of course our new dog, Dolly enjoys it as well.

Adalyn's room also overlooks the pool on the first floor.  She is thrilled to have bunk beds and it has become a nightly ritual for her to jump off the ladder to us.

 Across the hall and past a bathroom is a guest bedroom which overlooks the front garden.  The bedrooms in our house have light switches in the rooms like in the US, something most African homes have outside the door as you enter/exit.  

Passing one more bathroom you make it to the front entry and up the stairs. At the top there is a door which leads you out onto the back balcony and in the opposite direction is the office.  Through the office and the double doors is the master suite.

Having a balcony on both sides of the master bedroom is great for letting light and a breeze in.  The back balcony is quite a bit larger and has a separate entrance.










The exposed beams are quite unique and are found in every bedroom, the kitchen and the office.
Through the door on the left is our traditional walk-in closet without cabinet doors as most homes in Africa have.

The master bathroom has a great double walk-in shower, but not enough cabinet space as you can see all of our items spread out on the counter.  Bathrooms in Africa do not have outlets, so extension cords are a must for blow drying your hair.

Out the front or back door and around to the garage side of the home is a staircase which leads you up to the guest flat. 

 Complete with it's own kitchen, bathroom and balcony, it think it will be quite nice for when guests visit as they can have their own space.  

Overall, I am very pleased with the house we found.  The back of the home faces the north therefore letting in tons of light and I am glad the owners built it that way, keeping it warm in the winter months without central heat.  We have settled in nicely, giving the home our own personal touch and look forward to making many memories here.  

Who's up for a visit?