South African adventure

We went to South Africa in June 2018. Here are some of our animals in South Africa.

Vervet Monkey

Researchers have identified 38 words in the vervet monkey language.  They were everywhere and not afraid of people.

Baboon

The canine teeth of a baboon are longer than those of a lion. Can you believe that baboons sometimes kill leopards?






                                                           Giraffe                                         

                                                               A giraffe has a tongue of about 46cm used to pull leaves off branches. That is one and a half rulers. When they need calcium they chew on bones.

Impala

An Impala can jump far enough to clear 3 cars parked behind each other. We were lucky one day to have the Impalas give us a show of running and jumping. Many of them had twists, kicks, and double jumps.

Warthog

The heaviest warthog recorded weighed 130kg. They were so cute! When they run the place their tail straight up into the air.

Water buffalo

Buffalo have killed more hunters than any other animal. Want to hunt one, no did not think so.
These animals are one of the big 5.

Leopard

A leopard can see 6 to 8 times better than a human at night. So can your house cat. These animals are hard to find. They are often in trees. They are also part of the big 5.

Zebra

When a group of zebra runs away from a predator, the movement of the stripes confuses the predator. Zebras are often found with wildabeast. We noticed the zebras would be in the front and back of the pack. 

Rhino

The white rhino is the only mammal that can't swim because they can not lift their head above the water. This is the most endangered animal in the world. The future of the rhino is very sad. They are also one of the big 5. 

Hyena

A spotted hyena can walk up to 70 km in one night, searching for food. That's more than 150 times around a rugby field.  Hyenas always leave one adult behind to watch the babies while the rest go hunting. We would often see the babysitter next to the road with the babies. 

Hippo

A baby hippo can drink milk from its mother underwater. Hippos are very dangerous and can move very fast.

Cheetah

This is the best picture we got of a cheetah. Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals, sprinting from 70kmh in 3 seconds, reaching speeds of more than 110 kmh.

Elephant

An elephants trunk can hold up to 12 liters of water.  That is the same as 36 soda cans. We saw lots of elephants. They are also one of the big 5. Elephants can be dangerous. You should never get too close while in a car because they can flip the car. 

Wildebeest

Wildebeest are also called gnu because one of their communication calls sounds like gnu. They are hunted by all predators but try to stay safe by sticking with the zebras.

Jackal

Jackals often follow lions around eating the big cats poo. Gross. But it gives them vitamins and minerals.  This was a good find because they are often hard to spot.

Guineafowl

Guineafowls are very common birds. We saw lots. They run like velociraptors. Their predators are caracals and almost everything.

Corybusterd

This guy was taking his time while crossing the road. Then he disappeared into the grass.

Ostrich

People use ostrich feathers to make lots of things. Carpets, necklaces and even brooms. Ostriches eat rocks to keep in their stomach to help with digestion.

Crocodile

This guy had something he kept eating. He kept lifting his whole head out of the water and was chewing. Hippos often step on crocodiles and that is how they die.

Hornbill

Some people know these birds as Za Zoo from the lion king. These birds sometimes stay on top of a rhino and pick the dead skin off.

Agamid

This lizard was super camouflaged with the bark of the tree. That is to keep away from predators.

We saw more animals than this but these are the best pictures we could find. Everyone should visit Krueger National Park.

Buying a Car In The Land of Sand

This past month we decided to sell our really nice Chevy Traverse and buy something that could easily take us off the paved road.  We sadly know we may never again own a car with all the plush options of that car:  cooling seats (which is needed when temps get above 100 degrees), DVD player, 7 seats with ample room, low road noise, electric everything, storage everywhere, and the list can go on and on.

Bryan's recent hire to the Kaust school had us sign a 2 year contract, so with 2 (or more) years here we decided that we must buy something that is a 4x4.  We have been stuck a few times and just staying on pavement is not the Johnson style.  This country has so much to explore and we have been held back a few times because of the rocky or sandy terrain.  Not anymore!

Buying a car in Saudi at a car lot is quite a different experience.  You can walk around the car lot and it feels like it is closed.  No one will come out and greet you in the lot.  In fact, you have to go in and sit at a desk and ask to see a specific car.  You will then be escorted to the car and are able to turn it on.  You are not always allowed to test drive the car, which is really hard to spend that much money without a drive around the block.

Our first stop was the Ford dealership, which made us feel like we were back in the States. Well, almost back in the States.  There are a lot of rules for expats in this country when it comes to owning a car and one rule is that we cannot own a pick up truck and the other is that our family cannot own a vehicle over 5 seats.  This ruled out most of the cars at this lot. The rule seems to be in place for fear that an expat might start a business hauling materials or becoming an Uber taxi! 

 Now, this Ford dealership only had brand new cars/trucks and we were looking for a used car.  So, we sat down at the desk and the salesman called the warehouse asking about used Fords.  When he found a match he hung up the phone and asked if we would like to buy the used Explorer from the warehouse.  He was a little surprised that we would like to see it first before buying and told us we would need to come back tomorrow if we would like to see the car.  It isn't very easy for us to come back the following day, since the drive is over an hour away.  We decided to leave, and if it was meant to be we would return the following day.  

At the next place no one ever came out and greeted us in the car lot.  We walked around and looked at many vehicles but could not find anyone that was available to sell us a car. However, we could have saved some money if we bought the ambulance!  (Yes, I had to wear my abaya because I was outside of the compound.) 

Shopping for a new car can be exhausting and Bryan was determined that we would find something, so he drove the family to Southern Jeddah to an area that I don't think sees very many Western expats. We found an indoor car lot called "International Cars." It was a hot and smelly place but it was full of used Fords.  This place caught our attention so we decided to take a stroll around.   

Carter loved exploring all the cars in the lot.  He was hoping we would buy the Hummer!

Right away an older Ford Explorer (2010) caught our attention so we approached the salesman and asked if he could open the car.  He did not speak English so we had to work around the language barrier with the few Arabic words that we know and the few English words he knew.  We couldn't believe the great shape of this car inside and out and knew that this was what we needed to buy.  Bryan communicated with his hands that we wanted to test drive the car, which caught the man by surprise.  He had to move many of the cars out of the way in order to get the car out of the building but he allowed a quick test drive down the road and back.  Everything checked out so now it was time to make a deal.  

Now, in this country you pay the price shown and you do not offer a lower price.  It is actually a nice way to buy a car and it saves a lot of hassle.  Our only problem was that women cannot drive in this country and we had our old car with us.  How could we get both cars home?  Bryan had to communicate that we would need to come back tomorrow and buy the car, which required us to find a translator whom was working in a garage down the road.  It was difficult to tell if the salesman was pleased with our plan to come back the next day and he became quite grumpy.  

Bryan working on making a next day deal with the salesman and translator.  Women are not involved in this conversation.

In the lovely waiting room.

We were not fully sure when we left if the car would be there the next day.  We took a chance leaving but we didn't have a choice since I could not drive and they didn't take bank cards either.  This was a cash only purchase! 

However, our story has a good ending because the next day the car was still there, Bryan had cash, and  a driver.  We are now the proud owners of a little Ford Explorer and we can't wait to take it out in the desert.  They also let us buy a 7 seater without too many questions.  It was our lucky day! Our new car even has a few great options and one of them is heated seats!  I am so sad I will never need a heated seat in this country! Well, maybe if it drops below 70 degrees. 

 Usually it takes people weeks to buy a new car and we did it in 24 hours. We are glad to have this experience in the Land of Sand since many cannot say they bought a car in Saudi.  We can now check that off of our list of experiences while we live here.  

Our new car. 

Al Wa'ahba Crater

Yes, we do road trips in Saudi Arabia.  I know that surprises many of you but you really need to stop watching Fox News and read my blog. This weekend we went camping to Al Wa'ahba Crater.  It is about 3 1/2 hours from our home and is found in the middle of the desert.  Nothing like this exists anywhere else around it and it is considered a natural wonder that has left geologists mystified.  This is what I found in the Arab News:

The enormous crater, two km in diameter and roughly 260 m deep, is located on the western edge of a lava field called Harrat Kishb. As for its origin, there are two prevailing theories. One is that the crater was caused by the impact of a meteorite, as its appearance resembles that of other meteoric craters. Most geologists, however, now agree that an underground volcanic eruption led to the formation of the crater. The fact that the crater is surrounded by a vast lava field seems to support this theory. Nevertheless, a third, less common, explanation is that the hole was initially caused by a meteorite that resulted in volcanic activity in the region, which in turn increased the size of the crater.

Of course, an adventure is never complete without the famous desert baboons!

We surveyed the crater the night before planning our path for the morning. 

These kids wanted to hike it right away!

These boys were always wondering around and having adventures.  They called it survival camp!

We enjoyed our campfire before bed.  We even got to make s'mores! 

These boys used the moon, sun, and venus to ensure they wouldn't get lost.  However, Tallon brought his backpack just in case they would be lost for the night. 

It was quite windy peering down into the crater. 

This doesn't even look real! 

The Lennons finally did a camping trip! 

The Force was strong!

Good times with good friends. 

Our handsome boy! 

The Dark Side!

We really miss having a dog!  I feel like Bryan might have given in after this weekend.  He is weak at the moment, so we must pounce on this opportunity.

The hike begins and this was not an easy hike.  In fact, I think this trail would be closed in the USA.  However, we were not going to travel this far and not put ourselves inside the crater. 

Getting Closer!  The research says it used to be a giant lake but it is now covered by phosphate crystals.

Cameron getting ready to tackle "Hilary's Step."

It was important to have mountain goat instincts in order to make it down safely. 

"Hilary's Step"  Clare is coming through. 

He made it!

Carter leaving his graffiti in the mud.  Don't worry: The afternoon rains would be washing it away. 

Look we found coming down the mountain!  The Kiwis!

I forced these two to take a break.  They only had one speed up and down: fast!

It was so impressive to be inside the crater.

The ground felt like permafrost.

Cool Dudes

One last look.  Another adventure with great friends and making great memories!