Sunday, March 21, 2010

Air conditioning in the Kruger Park


These two shots of the same elephant were taken a few seconds apart. It give one an idea of the size of their ears that serve to help keep the animal cool. They gently flap them in a rhythmic manner as the they move along and graze. On this particular day the temperature was about 32 degrees Celsius.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Colourful Huts

These colourful Ndebele huts are situated inside the Botanical Gardens east of the city center. These traditional huts with thatch roofs are often painted with an attractive array of creative patterns. I always enjoy looking at them when driving through the country side. The inside of the huts are amazingly cool even on a very hot summers day thanks to the thatch roof.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Thirsty Elephants

This group of Elephants in the Kruger National park found a water tank and proceeded to drink from it. A large elephant requires 200 liters of water a day and consumes about 250 kilograms of vegetation. That is rather industrious and one observes that constantly grazing.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Moses Mabhida Stadium

I was in Durban last week and took a shot of the Moses Mabhida stadium where several soccer world cup matches will be played. It is a magnificent marvel in architecture and construction. I had the opportunity to take the Sky Lift to the top of the arch. It offers a splendid view of Durban.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Zakumi

Meet Zakumi, the official mascot for the Fifa 2010 soccer world cup. The tournament starts in South Africa on the 11 th June. All the stadiums are ready and South Africans are preparing to greet all the visitors to our beautiful country.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

During a recent visit to the Kruger National Park I managed to get a shot of this large lion dozing at the side of the road. He wasn't too perturbed by our presence just a few meters away.

The Kruger park is a large game reserve where many animal species roam in a natural habitat. Just 450 kilometers from Pretoria it is a great place to visit. Here you can see the big 5 - Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhinoceros. I was lucky to see all 5 on this trip. The leopard in particular is elusive and difficult to spot.