Kruger National Park, Part 2

More animals for you all to enjoy!

These lions were really far away, but with the power of all of my zoom, I managed a photo. Still they were too sleepy to care about us, one way or the other.

Look! An elephant crossing the road.

A (male) baboon. I considered giving him a modesty patch for the web, but I figured we all have to learn basic anatomy at some point. :)

Some grooming. Fun!

A huge baobab tree. Possibly the coolest tree ever. 

Giraffe tongue is amazing! And that's just a very small part of it. 

And then a giraffe crossed the road.

Cape buffalo, chewing on some grass.

This is a female buffalo.

This is a male.

A zebra face!

A lilac breasted roller, which is such a pretty bird! Look at that coloring!

I couldn't resist another shot.

And then another elephant crossed the road!

With a baby elephant following close behind.

Another giraffe, a lady this time.

Another baby elephant.

A jackal.

More zebra.

And a view of the road as we drove out of the park at the end of a long, amazing amazing day. Kruger, you were incredible. Evan, let's go back!

South Africa - Kruger National Park, Part 1

I went back and forth over splitting this into two posts, because I didn't want to make it seem more important than it was (really just two days in our packed trip), but ultimately I decided that really, there were just too many photos for one blog post, and there's a limit to the amount of scrolling that one human being should be expected to do in one sitting.

So, this is part one. Part two is coming soon. (Probably tomorrow, but I have to leave you all in some suspense.)

After we spent a couple of days in Johannesburg adjusting to the time change, trying to wrap our brains around the fact that we were really in Africa, and also doing our best not to get mugged (we succeeded!), we met up with our tour group.

At this point I have to mention that I've never really been on a group tour before this, although I've traveled maybe almost every other way. Usually I avoid group trips where everything is planned out beforehand, because you lose the possibility for spontaneity, you don't interact as much with the locals, and you're not figuring everything out for yourself. It's kind of like being spoon fed when really you should be eating with your hands and dripping sauce all over everything.

That being said, I loved the way we traveled in Africa. It was perfect. Because everything was planned out for us, we were able to do a lot of things in a short time and enjoy every moment without worrying about what came next. We also had a built in multinational group to hang out and make friends with, and when we were allowed a bit of freedom we got good advice about what to do on our own.

Anyway, I digress a bit. In Johannesburg we met up with our group (22 travelers and 2 guides) and we left early the next morning for the long drive to Kruger National Park, a vast land full of acacia trees, grass, and a multitude of animals. We were lucky enough to take a few photos on our drive into the park to camp there (oh yeah, did I mention this was a camping trip? yup!) and then we had a full day game drive across the park the next day in open jeeps.

It was incredible. Which is why I have so many photos that they can't really fit into one post! And there were so many things we saw that I didn't manage to photograph, as well as those I did that just didn't capture the majesty of what we saw so I decided not to share them with you. This is the edited version. But I think it gives you a pretty good idea.

Ok, I'll shut up and let the animals tell you for themselves.

Probably a Chapman's zebra.

I think you can guess this one, but is it male or female? 

Female impala.

Young male impala.

Our friend from the other day!

It's Pumba! A male warthog.

Cape glossy starlings waiting for someone to drop some crumbs in the picnic area.

A closer view. Aren't their yellow eyes just incredible?

Time for some rain! (Actually, most of the park was quite lush.)

A male giraffe and oxpecker, who helps rid the giraffe of insects, along for the ride.

This monkey stole someone's cookie at lunch!

A brown snake eagle? I think. 

And my favorite, an elephant. 

Hello! This elephant was checking us out with his trunk. He decided we weren't a threat.

Baboons. 

And some buffalo to finish up with!

That's part one! Part II coming soon.

Out of the Window

A long shutter speed driving through some forest created this abstract motion blur, which I kind of liked.

Barrie and Ed - San Francisco Engagement Photographer

There's really only one thing you need to know about Barrie and Ed: they're awesome. This one little fact explains so much. Trust me, you'll see.

We started off in their killer apartment (literally the nicest place to live I have ever seen in San Francisco - and I added 'in San Francisco' just so you wouldn't think  I was exaggerating, but it might be the nicest place I've ever seen).

I debated leading off with this picture, but I figured it was the best way to introduce Ed to you all. This is Ed, everyone. He makes amazing faces, and dogs just can't even compete. He's also brilliant and funny, so much so that it sometimes seems unfair to the rest of us.

And this is Barrie, one of my best friends going back forever. I love photographing friends (that's why they all keep hiding from me!) and I can't wait for their wedding next April! I know it's going to be amazing.

Lupe is their delightful dog, just a bundle of wonderfulness.

And this is Killer, named for his youthful hunting prowess. These days, he mostly naps and attacks shoelaces.

Of course I couldn't post without a photo of the ring! That's a 'party sapphire,' for those who want to know.  

Killer keeps watch.

Then we wandered into Golden Gate Park and to one of my favorite places, the dahlia garden. The light was just sublime!

Doesn't Lupe just have the best ears?

These two always crack me up.

I think this is when Ed tried to eat Barrie's head . . . .

Aren't they the most gorgeous couple?

Barrie, Ed, Lupe, and Killer, thank you so much for being so amazing in front of my camera! I'll see you all in April!

A Rhino

Rhino in Kruger National Park. 448 rhino were killed in South Africa in 2011, and over 450 have been killed so far this year. Prior to 2007, only about 15 rhino were poached each year. 

We were really lucky while we were in South Africa, because we managed to see (and photograph) quite a few rhinos. Increasingly, all kinds of rhinos are facing seemingly imminent extinction because they are being poached for their horns faster than they can reproduce. Some estimates say that they will be extinct by 2015; I really hope that won't be so.

What you can do: donate money to anti-poaching efforts (poachers have lots of money for technology from the sale of stolen rhino horns - they fly in on helicopters, shoot the rhino, cut off the horn, and then fly away again - anti-poaching teams have a hard time competing). You can also educate anyone you know who might be willing to pay for rhino horn (it's lauded as an aphrodisiac, but is really just made up of keratin, the same substance that makes our fingernails and hair).

I know this might sound a little preachy, and I usually try to avoid that on this blog, but it's sad to know that I may have seen some of the last of this beautiful and majestic animal.