Day 9 To Aquila Game Reserve Center

 Lions (Mufasa, Leila, Lula- the cub), elephants, zebras, springbok, eland, baboons, giraffes, ostriches, hippos, white rhinos

Today was another really great experience. We woke up and got ready to leave Cape Town and said goodbye to the Cape Town Lodge. Then, we drove to the Aquila Game reserve. The drive took around 2 hours and went over and through several hills and mountains. Some kids were sleeping or playing games on the bus, but I spent most of my time looking out the window and listening to the radio. 

When we arrived in Aquila, we had a buffet lunch and unpacked our bags. We also saw 3 lions in 2 enclosures up close. Their names were Mufasa, Leila, and Lula (who was a cub). It was really awesome to see lions from up close. We learned Mufasa and Leila were separated from the pack because they were the leaders and would kill off the other lions, and we also learned that Lula was rejected by her mother, and they were hoping to raise her and reintroduce her back to the pack when she was older (she is around seven months old). When they lied down and sat there, they reminded me of my cats at home. A bit later, a few of us went to the spa. I sat in a sauna for the first time for around half an hour.

Lula, 7 month old lion cub; it is in recovery

Afterwards, we went on a safari and saw several animals on our drive. We saw a dazzle of zebras (one male and several females and foal), a springbok who was “banished” from his community, several eland, a few giraffes, ostriches, four rhinos, the heads of hippos poking beneath the water, and a couple of baboons trying to steal our food. I love my two cats at home, so naturally, my favorite animals to see were the lions who were snuggled up on some rocks. We finished up the day by taking pictures of the sunset and going to eat dinner together back at the hotel. Today was a really special experience, and I feel very grateful to have seen all the animals and have spent more time together as a group. I have had so much fun today and on this trip, and I am also looking forward to seeing my family shortly.

Also I just wanted to say “Hi Mom and Dad!”

Sincerely, RS