South Africa: Stay Safe

Here are some precautions you should take when visiting South Africa:

• Avoid ostentatious displays of expensive jewelery, cameras, laptops and other valuables
• Plan your route beforehand, and the type of transport you're going to use.
• Keep your doors locked at all times and wind windows up
• If renting a car, rent one with a closed trunk (called a “boot” in south Africa), as opposed to a hatchback. Lock valuable items in the trunk
• Be aware of whether any vehicle or people are following you (being followed from the airport and robbed on arrival at your hotel happens).
• Never pick up strangers, no matter how friendly they appear
• At night, park in well-lit areas
• Explore in groups rather than alone, and stick to busy, well-lit streets
• At night stay clear of dark, isolated areas
• Avoid isolated beaches.
• Never carry large sums of money around. Travelers cheques are your best bet
• Always carry a map with you in the event that you do head off course (although being seen with a map is a giveaway that you're a tourist)
• Also keep your passport, plane ticket and other important documents in a safe place

If in any doubt about the safety of an area, phone a police station for advice. Don't let these safety precautions scare you or deter you from having great experiences. These rules apply to anyone in any city. Always think about your safety and the safety of those with whom you are traveling.

Is there anything that was NOT included on this list that you think SHOULD be?

Top 10 Attractions in South Africa

©South African Tourism		KRUGER NATIONAL PARK Experience the bushveld and romance of 'real' Africa in this extraordinary park, indulge in a holistic spa at a luxury game lodge or get your pulse racing on a cycling safari... More info
©South African Tourism		CAPE TOWN Table Mountain, the Waterfront, Cape Point, Robben Island, Beaches, the Winelands, wonderful things to do, don't miss attractions like whale watching, fascinating history and culture, the fynbos of the Cape Floral Region in Kirstenbosch Gardens... More info
©South African Tourism		DURBAN An invigorating blend of India, Africa and the Colonial past spices up this sub-tropical city with a strong beach holiday and surfing culture... More info
©South African Tourism		BEACHES There's a beach for every season and every reason, from the beautiful, long, lonely beaches on the West Coast or the sultry North Coast to the most hip and hot in Cape Town... More info
©South African Tourism		GARDEN ROUTE Gorgeous beaches, rocky headlands, leafy forests and dramatic river cut gorges, world class golf resorts, so much to do and an abundance of great places to stay... More info
©South African Tourism		WINELANDS A World Heritage Cultural Landscape, the classic Winelands of Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek is a sybarites delight with a plethora of delightful restaurants, coffee shops and fantastic places to stay... More info
©South African Tourism		EASTERN CAPE Golden beaches, the Garden Route, Port Elizabeth, East London, great surfing, malaria free game and bird watching, Addo National Park... More info
©South African Tourism		THE KALAHARI & NAMAQUALAND Bright carpets of wild flowers in Namaqualand, the black maned lion of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park... More info
©South African Tourism		CUTURAL VILLAGES & TOWNSHIPS Visit fascinating and colourful cultural villages, experience traditional and contemporary culture in a rural or urban homestay, township tours, music festivals in Soweto... More info
©South African Tourism		DRAKENSBERG Cloaked in emerald green in summer or golden and snow capped in winter, this dramatic mountain range is an awesome scenic destination with beautiful rock art, great places to stay, fly fishing, golfing... More info

Thank you to South African Tourism and safarinow.com for the great information for this post. Have you ever been to one of these places? We'd love to hear the tale and see pictures!

South Africa- African Zulu History

While the history of South Africa is full of hardships and apartheid, there stands a tribe today that has left a major impact on the history of South Africa.

Zulu Warriors
A famous fearsome warrior was the mighty King Shaka. Prior to King Shaka, the Zulu consisted of numerous related but disorganized clans. As a mighty warrior and intellectual, King Shaka united the clans into a single and powerful tribe. By introducing new military tactics and strategies, in just 11 years, King Shaka built an army of 1,500 to 50,000 warriors. When the British decided that South Africa was their land, they fought the Zulu tribe in fearsome battles. The Zulu warriors fought with the strength and courage of a lion; however they eventually fell to the shield piercing British gunpowder.

The Zulu tribe in that time were more than a group of fearsome warriors; they were also a vibrant culture full of exquisite costumes, and soul enchanting music.

Zulu Dance



Zulu Music
A singing style that originated from the Zulu tribe is called Isicathamiya. People from the Zulu tribe were taken from their homes and families to work in the mines of South Africa. Poorly treated, these men decided to sing together in unison to keep themselves busy and entertained. Today, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a group that represents this type of music.



Here is a link to some more Zulu inspired music
http://www.rhapsody.com/ladysmith-black-mambazo

South Africa- What to Pack

South Africa has many different climates based on the various terrains. This subtropical country has mountainous areas, beaches, safari locations and wildlife reserves.

The east coast cities have higher temperatures and more rainfall than the west coast cities. Generally, the coasts and low lying areas are the warmest areas while the mountains can have below freezing temperatures! The best time to vacation here is the months of April and May. The rainy season has yet to happen on the Western Cape (which has its rainy season in the winter months) and the rainy season on the east coast has just completed.

The seasons in South Africa look something like this:
• Spring: September, November, December
• Summer: December, January, February
• Autumn: March, April, May
• Winter: June, July, August

It is important to remember that in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are exactly opposite of the Northern Hemisphere.

Attire:

It is a common misunderstanding that South Africans dress in tribal wear and more historical indigenous attire based on African culture. The dress in South Africa is much like ours in the U.S! The people are extremely fashionable and modern. South Africa imports the popular brands of fashion from the West and Asian countries. They have designer clothing available as well.

It is important to keep in mind that SA is generally a hot country, so bring some light, airy clothes! The dress is casual so wearing jeans, tees and skirts will allow you to fit in. Packing clothes might be easier than you think! However, it is important to remember that South Africans are generally conservative, so dress appropriately.

Like all countries, it is not a good idea to wear expensive clothes and jewelry in certain areas of the country. Having a responsible and knowledgeable tour guide will help aid in your safety during the trip as they should know the areas in which to be careful. You certainly wouldn’t want to lose your nice gold watch while on a safari or visiting an indigenous tribe!

Additionally, here are some key items that should be on your Checklist:

- plenty of sunscreen
- sun hat or other covering for your head
- sunglasses
- water bottle with filter (staying hydrated is important on your trip)
- power adapters (make sure your electronics are compatible)
- traveler guides/ maps
- a camera
- insect repellent (although most of the safari areas are malaria free, it is important to stay protected against other insects living in SA)

… And don’t forget to stop at your Passport Health location to pick up a mosquito/sun kit which includes appropriate repellents containing DEET, as well as a kit for traveler’s diarrhea including antibiotics and re-hydration powders.

Ark La Tex 7 on 7 Tournament

Congratulations to Loyola Prepatory (TFS client) for winning the Championship over Parkway High in the first annual Ark La Tex 7 on 7 tourney












Great showings by Homer, Haughton, North Desoto, Lakeview, and Mansfield, as well.
I think I won the Triple Crown for successfully pissing all their coaches off throughout the day as well.

Love Summer BbQs!

Last week Colby's parents invited us over for a BBQ and it was so fun. I love that even though Colb is away for the summer they still want me to hang around! Brock made some delicious burgers and they even opened the pool up for us. My mom was babysitting Lincoln for Taft and Lesha so he came along with us, He was such a happy baby and kept us laughing!
It was so good to sit back and enjoy great company, hopefully they aren't sick of me at the end of the summer! :) Thanks Carter's for having us, let's do it again soon!

Graduation day!

Me and Logie ... I can't believe he's graduated, I feel so old!

Little Linc is growing up so fast, I love this smile!

Most of the family ... We were thinking of you Peterson Family! Jon is holding Lincoln and it makes me so excited for them to have kids! Some day ... Abby's cute dress makes her look a little pregnant but she's not, it's just the way she's standing!
Logan graduated on the 28th and we're so glad it's over! My Mom has worked so hard to get us all through school so we thought she deserved some flowers to let her know how much we appreciate her. It was fun to get everyone together and it's always nice to have an excuse to party!

Logan got in a car accident right after we left the Dee Event center and that made for a little bit longer day but we're just glad everyone is safe, hopefully everything turns out okay with that!

We had everyone over for pizza a little bit later and we had so much fun. We have some pretty funny little cousins who love to entertain. This picture is of Logan and Marley with their pony tails, Logan cut his hair into a mullet for graduation and he cut it soon after but it was funny while it lasted. Hopefully we'll never see this hair cut on him again!