Walter Family on Safari: Take 1

Safari is a word that means AWESOME.  I just made that up.  I have no idea what it really means, but the safaris that we have been on the past couple of days were really so amazing!!!  The tour we booked has kept us going 24/7 so everyone is just beat to heck.  We all smell like a safari as well...totally ripe!  It all started yesterday morning after a lovely breakfast.  Themba, our guide for the day, picked us up at 8 and we went straight to the iSimangoliso Wetlands Park.  The park is huge...goes all the way up to the Mozambique border and is now protected by the government so it is really well kept.  Although it is large in size it really doesn't have a huge amount of the predatory animals found in most other parks.  There is plenty to see, but it's mostly about the landscape here.  There are lakes and wetlands and the Indian ocean within the park boundaries.  We were able to see lots and lots of hippos and zebras, also a few Cape Buffalo, many Bush Bucks, bush baby monkeys, and blue butt monkeys, Kudu (like an impala), wildebeasts and tons of cool birds.  The highlight of the trip was during the half way point when our guide dropped us down on a beach called Cape Vidal.  There is a reef where we were able to snorkel and swim in the tropical waters.  It was heaven!!!  By that time we were all so hot and sweaty that it was just a treat.  There is an endangered Somango monkey down that coast that is super cute and super naughty...it stole our cookies right before lunch.  Evil monkeys!  Our guide was very knowledgeable and was from a Zulu tribe so we had a great time asking him many things about the animals and Africa in general.  By the end Jake was smitten with Themba and followed him around whenever we left the jeep.  There is also another couple on tour with us, Sebastian and Bobbette, who are from Zurich and are very nice and have tolerated our children very well.  The trip ended around three or four in the afternoon so we had some time to shower and relax before dinner.

Dinner is a whole post in and of itself.  The place we are staying cooks breakfast and dinner for us then the tour group provides the lunch.  The food in SA up to now, except for a couple of yummy meals in the Cape, has been underwhelming.  But the owners of our hotel are true blue Afrikaners, so each meal has been superb.  Dave almost peed himself the first night because the guy brought out all of his most favorite dishes from the past.  We ate gem squash (just a sqash but so tasty), bobotie (meat with curry sauce, rice and chutney), cucumber salad, and for dessert: a pudding Dave has spoken of with reverence for the 20+ years since his mission.  Tears were forming as it was brought out...and it really was delicious.  The kids were real troopers, tried it all and really liked it.  Especially the malva pudding dessert.  We topped the dinner off with a nice cup of rooibos tea...yum!

Next on the agenda was a night safari.  That evening, after dark, our guide named Theo picked us up to take our family, the Swiss and some Durbanites back into the wetlands park.  This was really the coolest experience, even though it was a bit unnerving.  We were taken through some large back gates that reminded me of Jurrasic Park...double thick with all kinds of fencing and wires.  Both of the other gals were really nervous to come and spoke openly about their reservations.  A couple of my children were a bit freaked out as well.  Hippos can be very dangerous and there are just loads and loads of them in this park.  We drove for what seemed like forever without seeing much except for hippos (Ben was working the spotlight on one side of the truck and Theo was on the other).  Theo stopped at a little road on the side and said he spotted some cat tracks...there are no lions in this park so it would have to be leopard tracks.  He starts down the road and soon it becomes very bumpy and hard going because it is so sandy and rocky.  And then we got stuck...really stuck in the sand.  He tries to back up like a thousand times...until there is a smell of burning rubber and we all start getting concerned.  You could tell that Theo didn't want us to get out of the jeep but by then it was obvious that we were going to have to help push.  We had just seen a hippo who was bloodied from fighting something and Theo had also just pointed out small poisonous spiders that make their webs in the reeds right on the sides of the road.  So...with those things in mind we all hop out of the jeep.  Then Brooke tells me she needs to pee...really bad.  Allll righhty then!!!  Don't worry...it all ends well...Brooke pees in the woods unmolested, the men push the jeep out and we go on our way.  We have almost given up hope for seeing anything of real interest when all of a sudden a leopard jumps right out in front of us an on to the road!  What a sight to behold!  We followed him around for a bit, coaxing him into view a few times, then lose him in some tall grass.  To see him in all his glory was a real treat and pretty rare according to our guide.  We left that night super pumped for our big safari the next morning....and very glad to be alive as well!

Which leads me to today and our safari at HluHluwe iMfolozi Park. The oldest safari park in SA.  Our Safari started at 5am....so I've been up since 445 and had insufficient sleep the night before...so I will leave you here with this cliffhanger until tomorrow.  Does the Walter family get to see the Big 5?  Is their truck nearly tipped over by a rhino?  How many times does Robynn mistake a tree or a bush for an animal?  Stay tuned for answers to those provocative questions and more...tomorrow!

Our crazy hotel...it's so wrong that it's right, ya know?  From the albino geckos that slither all over the place, the feral cat situation, and large/flying/birdlike insects...we almost feel at home!

Cape Buffalo...one of the Big 5, considered to be the most dangerous of all the African animals to hunt.  I don't know why this photo cropped out the hippos and zebras that were drinking on either side....you'll just have to take my word for it!

Tripple selfie at Cape Vidal

Delicious lunch overlooking Catalina Bay...hippos swimming in the distance...awesome!

Ben with the zebras...that's his impression of them i guess?

Jake with his new friend Themba and the rest of the fam

Lost in Translation

So...do you want the good news or the bad news?  The good news is that we are all alive and well on the eastern coast of South Africa.  I'm going to stay with the good news here for a little bit...save the bad news for later as to be dramatic.  Yesterday was our last day in the Cape and it couldn't have been lovelier.  The weather was nice and warm...not hot like it has been.  We took a trip back over the garden route to Simons Town for a fun little tour of a rock factory.  Jake is obsessed with gems, minerals and rocks so this place was a dream come true for him.  We toured the area where they had loads of huge rock tumblers...very intense and very hot!  Afterwards, kids could go pick from gobs of polished rocks that were spread all over the ground.  Jake was a maniac!  He wanted all of them but we had him stop at two bags...yay for us (we get to carry those around the rest of the trip)!!!  

It was time to head over to the north side of the peninsula...cuz it needed to be explored.  We made it over to Muizenberg where there is a super cool beach lined with colorful huts from back in the day.  Since we were so fried from the day before I didn't think to pack suits cuz I didn't think the kids would want to swim.  I can be dense sometimes.  Once they felt the warm Indian ocean there was no stopping them from getting in.  We had to get creative with their swimwear....but I assured them that at least half of the people there were swimming in their undies (or what look an awful lot like undies)...so they went for it!  Good times were had by all!

We left early this morning and hopped on a plane to Durban (about a 2 hour plane ride).  Durban is beautiful...not as impressive as Cape Town but beautiful just the same.  It's SUPER green with rolling hills...a lot greener than I thought Africa would be.  Though as it should be, for we are still on the coast where things are nice and moist!  It was a three hour drive to the Safari and what a drive it was!!!  We laughed... cried..and screamed in fear for our lives!!!  It tears at my heart strings to see the townships and the poverty...very humbling to have so much when so many others have so little.  The kids couldn't believe it...it just wouldn't compute for them for the longest time.  We had to stop in one of the cities for some food...it didn't look too sketchy from the exit but once we were in the shopping area we noticed that it was crawling with security and men carrying large weapons.  It was the first time I felt unsafe since we arrived.  Once we got out of the cities it was more of the Africa that Dave remembered...very similar to the villages that he served in.  The villages dot the hills...small homes and huts clumped together.  Some homes are painted in the most festive colors...turquoise, pink, orange...super fun!  I wish I had pics but it never felt safe to pull over...but I will find some soon and post them.

South African driving rules are that there are no rules!  If it looks like a two lane road, don't worry because it isn't.  There's a thing called shoulders that we are forbidden to use in the States (unless we beak down) BUT here in Africa it's a freebie lane!  BEST THING EVER!!!  The only problem is that a shoulder on the highway is also a sidewalk.  KIDS...little kids...walk home from school (in their adorable uniforms) on the highway. I wanted to yell...Does your mother know you're walking on the highway?  But half the time their mother was with them...crazy!  I really want to know why so many people walk on the highway...I'm going to get the answer before I leave.  People are not the only danger on the roads...there are no fences so cows and other livestock just walk on out like it's no big deal.  What a crazy, awesome place this is!

So we make it to Hlu Hluwea (sounds like shlew shlewy).  Dave goes up to check in.  We see a warthog and some cute deer looking things.  Dave comes back to the car...so bummed!  We are not staying in the park...since we booked our tour with a company it was not in the package.  Needless to say some details got lost in translation.  We had not told our kids about the safari plans up to that point so basically it was only Dave and I who were disappointed.  Once we got to our new digs and told them what we were doing the next few days they were really excited.  So don't feel sorry for them one bit...just us old people:(  boo hoo! So...that's our drama.  Oh wait..there's more fiasco where that came from.  One of our bags got left somewhere...don't know where yet.  It contained a math book, all of Jakes homework and Emily's camera.  So we came out with two cameras and two phones with cameras.  My phone and one camera died in a beach accident and now Emily's camera is gone!!!  Sigh.  Any-who...pray for Dave's camera phone...that it will continue to survive the rest of the journey.

Every day continues to be an adventure!  I am loving it here...love all the crazy, fun characters we have met along the way.  The people here are a hoot!  One last thing...I have so much more to tell but am too tired and don't want to assume people will stick around for six whole paragraphs! The place we are staying is called St. Lucia...very tropical but not an island.  It is surrounded by several parks and some wetlands.  There are elephants and rhinos and hippos that roam nearby (the next best thing to staying IN the park i guess).  Hippos in the neighborhood and we saw one tonite just up the street.  HUGE!  Could definitely eat us if it wanted to.  We were keeping a safe distance when along came a group of inebriated men.  They were loud and not paying attention until they were pretty close to the hippo...one of them noticed and boy did that sober them up.  They were practically jumping into our arms!!!  It was nice to be the ones laughing for once:)  Until tomorrow!  Cheers!

Jake and the biggest geode ever!!!

Okay...this pic doesn't do the size of this hippo justice!

Shark flags line the beaches of SA...this sign explains what each color means for that day.  Today was a black flag day meaning...you won't see the shark til it's too late!

The Scratch Pad...the floor is covered in polished rocks!

Me and my love at the love shacks:)

Muisenberg...love the cute and colorful beach huts!  They were once used as changing rooms back in the day.  Now they seem to be just for show.

Emily and Brooke in the common room of our mostly out of doors hotel.  The only doors are on our rooms...other than that it's all outside.  It's a mashup of Swiss Family Robinson and the Jungle Cruise.

Heat Wave

Holy moly...it's getting hot over here!  The past few days have been in the 90s...and Africa 90's feel a lot more intense than California 90's!  We woke up early yesterday morning to clear skies and little wind so it was time for an assault on Table Mountain.  One can get up to table mountain by either hiking it or taking a cable car.  One takes most of the day...the other a couple of minutes.  We chose the cable car.  It's a cool way to climb 1000 meters!  The car goes almost straight up and the inside rotates so you're always getting a different view.  Table mountain looks long and flat from the ground, but once we got up there it's pretty evident that there was some serious lava flowing when this thing was formed.  It's like someone squeezed the lava through their fingers and left tons of overflowing rock formations on the surface.  Almost looks like another planet up there.  The views from the top are amazing on a clear day!  After being up there for about an hour it became obvious that my kids and Dave were becoming zombies.  The past week of non stop sight seeing and travel had finally taken it's toll on our family.  I'm pretty proud of them for hanging on as long as they did...especially Dave who was still feeling the affects of "intestinal distress."  We had other plans for that afternoon but instead decided to go back to our place and take a much needed rest!

The kids have been waking up with nightmares about returning to school and not having any of their homework done.  It's kinda funny because I don't see them worrying about it during the day:)  They all got a bunch of homework done that evening so we decided to go out and visit a cool little beach we passed on the way back from Cape Town.  The name is Llandadno, I think?  We could see the beach from the top of a cliff and there's only one little road down to it.  That road twists and turns through beautiful beach homes...expensive beach homes!  It turned out to be a gorgeous night and the kids made us promise to come back the next day.

That leads us to Sunday.  We had our own little church service then off to the beach.  Lladadno was extra beautiful today because it was so stinking hot!!!  It was either sit on a beach or be miserable!  So we sat.  Like I mentioned earlier, the water is FREEZING...but today it was almost refreshing.  On most of the beaches here they have people who help you find a parking spot and rent chairs and umbrellas. Sometimes there are even dudes walking around with coolers full of cold drinks and ice cream.  It's pretty awesome.  However, it always seems like no matter how hard I try to reapply sunscreen, it's never enough.  Jake is a mess!  Brooke is crispy!  Nobody was left unscathed today from the sun.  Heaven help us sleep tonite and peel sooner than later.

We headed back to the waterfront for a sunset cruise this evening.  The weather was perfect and it was a fun way to say goodbye to the sun...thankfully it's supposed to cool down tomorrow.  We hear from  JP (Dave's companion from his mission who lives in Durban) that we are in for some serious heat when we go to the other side of the country on Tuesday.  This information scares me.

Sorry that there are no baboons in this post to make you all laugh...JP promises that baboons are plentiful and terrifying where he lives so we are sure to have more interesting and humorous experiences with those evil beasts in the near future!  Hope you are all staying warm at home...just know that we are missing all of you and wishing you were here with us!  Tot siens!  Robynn

If I look a little stoned in this pic it's because I had to down a couple of  dramamine before I got on this pleasure cruise.  Lucky I did cuz the boat was a rockin!

Dave and I with the Twelve Apostles in the back drop.  We almost look too relaxed in this pic...like we're not  sharing this romantic trip with our four children...ha!

More 12 Apostles....Dave and I keep trying to count them...there seems to be 14 ?

Jake...loving the trip!  Said he went up top  of the boat with all the boozers by himself and  the whole place went quiet so he came back down.  LOL!!!  He's a mood killer!

Brooke with  Table Mountain in backdrop (it only looks flat).

Llandando Beach at sunset...Ben 's photobombing skills are legendary!

Dave and kids playing on the beach...what a good dad!

Indian ocean on the left...Atlantic on the right...stand up...sit down...fight fight fight!  Can you see the glistening sweat on my neck?  Gross!!!

Capetown in the background.

Kids and crazy rock formations

Notice how the cables look almost straight up and down...barf!  Lions Head peak and Robben island in the background.

I forgot to mention that there's one more way to get off the mountain...Abesailing.  Maybe next time! HA!

BEST. Valentines. Day. EVER!!!

Too bad we didn't take this sign seriously when we first saw it...maybe
Ben would still be alive:)

Ahhhh...where to begin?  Happy Valentines Day for starters.  Totally forgot about this special day until we went looking for a place to eat this evening!  One waitress looked at me like I was insane...so we had grilled cheese and plums for din din.  With a Cadburry chocolate bar for dessert...of course!

Dave had a bit of a tummy bug today so he was a serious trooper cuz today was the road trip of all road trips.  There is a drive here known as the "Garden Route" that starts here in Hout Bay and ends at the southernmost tip of the African continent known as the Cape of Good Hope.  First, just let me say that the drive was AMAZING!!!  Sheer cliffs and views to die for at every turn...it was really the best day ever!  The road itself is lined with walls of limestone brick that glimmer in the sun.  Some of the walls are carved out so the road is covered like a half tunnel.  

Half way to the Cape we stopped in a little town called Noordhoek Bay for lunch.  Jake wanted some McDonalds so, ya...we ate there:(  Anywho...as we walked in guess who we saw?!  The missionaries!  Three from Utah and one from Madagascar.  It was super fun to talk with them.  I actually got a photo with them but my phone is dead (more on that later).  Again...small world over here!

After lunch we headed over to Boulders Beach on the Indian Ocean side of the area.  This beach is special because it  has a colony of Jacka## penguins that roam around.  Yes...that is their real name.  Yes, my kids tried to use their name throughout the day. You can hike into a little swim area and hang out with them.  My kids were super pumped to see them.  They are really cute but are super smelly and will hiss at you if provoked.  The Indian ocean is a lot warmer than the Atlantic which made for a great day of swimming.  We are all so seriously fried...not even funny!  Unfortunately, a rogue wave came and drenched my phone and camera...so no instagram for a couple of days.  We have backup cameras thank goodness!!!

Next we drove into one of several Table Mountain National Parks to go see Cape Point and the Cape Of Good Hope.  There is a falsity that has been spread over the ages that the Cape of Good Hope is the southernmost tip...it's really not.  That is on the other side of the bay which we may go see tomorrow.  Anyway...about half way up the Garden Route we started seeing warning signs for baboons.  We discussed them at length...how big we thought they would be...are they really that aggressive to warrant such a huge sign AND so many signs...etc.  We looked and never saw any so by the time we got to the parking area at the Cape we didn't think they existed.  Oh...let me tell you...they EXIST and they are terrifying!  It was crazy windy there so we all got out and looked over the edge and almost blew away.  Ben was eating a granola bar and the next thing I knew he was running and screaming like a girl...because a baboon was chasing him!!!  Then we all started screaming and running into the car.  Luckily Ben threw his granola bar cuz it saved his life!  The workers all had a good laugh at the expense of our family...but seriously, those things are NOT cute!  Unless they are babies...which we saw...which made us sad because they turn into evil baboons with gross butts!!!  There were a ton up at the parking area..sitting on peoples cars and harassing innocent tourists.  I hate them!  Ben says he now has a new fear...baboons!!!

After the incident of the baboons we made it over to the Cape of Good Hope which was a spectacular sight.  The currents churned and frothed...it was an overwhelming amount of foam and spray!  There was a lovely little hike up to a lookout point where we saw a bunch of over sized rodents that live in the rocks.  They scared me to death.  They were everywhere!!!  We also saw some Sprinboks and Ostriches roaming the hills.  It was a magical place.

On the way home the Garden Route was crowded with lovers who had pulled over and were sitting on the cliffs, enjoying the sunset.  Some were drinking champagne, some were having a Brai (BBQ), it was the coolest sight to see.  The sunset was a lovely end to one of the best days ever!!!

Here's a photo for Kitty of our rental...pretty sweet!

Hout Bay in the background...the tall peak on the left is called the Sentinel.

Pulled over to take this phone while on the Garden Route

Emily and her new BFF at Boulders Beach.  They would actually get in and swim right next to you...then hiss at you if you got too close!

Jake and Brooke frolicking at Boulders Beach.

Rejected on Valentines Day by a penguin!  Forever alone!

This photo does not show the ferocity of the waves and wind enough...this place was wild!

Pure EVIL!  These guys are huge and their butts are UGLY!

Wild Ostriches

Ben and Brooke at the tippy top lookout point

Dave and Emily with beautiful green mountains in the background...on our drive.

Sunburns and Sandburns

Table Mountain covered in it's table cloth...bummer!

Another beautiful day in SA!  We called the people over at Table Mountain this morning to see what the conditions were and they said it was open...so we took off and by the time we got there the wind had picked up and the fog had rolled over the mountain (what the locals call a table cloth).  The wind and weather can be quite unpredictable here so we have to be prepared to change our plans when necessary.  So...plan B was to check out the Atlantic coast.  There are a ton of beaches along the coast with scenic drives (similar to cali hwy 1).  We first went to check out Camps Bay Beach which is very popular with all the guidebooks. Its beautiful but the wind was cray cray so we stayed for a picnic lunch and hide and seek then took off for the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.  The Waterfront is similar to Pier 39 but more geared towards upscale European types.  Lots of fun shops to get souvies and such. It had the coolest food court that was filled with different "local" gourmet vendors.  Dave got all excited to mix with the locals and tried out his Afrikaans and tribal lingo on them.  Turns out he's pretty rusty!  Whilst we were there we saw some couple missionaries and chatted with them for a bit...they were excited to see some people from the states.  They are serving in the JoBurg temple.  Small world!

On our way back to Hout Bay the wind had died down and we had the most beautiful views of the 12 Apostles...a mountain range connected to Table Mountain.  I wish I had a pic to show but can't find one...next time.  We stopped in to one of the other popular beaches called Cliffton and had a great time.  It was covered in the softest white sand and had the coolest climbing boulders dotted around...tide pools too.  The crowd was interesting...lots of model types, foreigners, buff beach bodies...they all stared as we walked on the beach and we felt a little...American...felt a little malibuish.  The water on the Atlantic side is FREEZING due to the fact that it comes straight up from Antartica.  Looking forward to going to the Indian side tomorrow!  

After the beach we watched the sunset on our drive back and pulled into a nasty fish n chips shop for dinner (came highly recommended by JP).  Soooooo...basically we are all fried from the sand and sun!!! Dave forgot to put sunscreen on his face so he is in a world of hurt!  Everyone else is just mildly pink.

The food here is super interesting.  It's like the food at home...but somethings always a little off.  Instead of BBQ chips they have sweet chutney chips.  Instead of Root Beer they have Iron Brew...very tasty but different.  Even PB&J tastes like it has some crazy spice added to it.  All of it is yummy and adds to the adventure that is traveling somewhere different:)

Cheers until tomorrow!  Robynn

Brooke and Jake at beautiful but windy Camps Beach

Ben at the Waterfront...Table Mountain in the backdrop...he's wierd!

The crazies at Cliffton Beach...the family side.  There's also a gay beach and a couple of fancier ones.

Fish on the Rocks makes me sick!!!  Ben has fallen in love with fish n chips...yuck!

Brooke at Chiffton...you can see the homes and hotels in the background.  It has a riviera feeling to it.

Views along the morning drive...fantastic!

Crazy couple of days!!!

Hello from sunny and warm South Africa!  First of all...I hope this all makes sense cuz I'm going off very little sleep (about 8 total hours in the last 48).  The last few days seem like a total blur.  Dave and I left the kids this evening to get groceries and when we got back found all kids (except Jake) sleeping.  We woke them up and Brooke thought it was breakfast and that she had slept through the night (we had been gone for about an hour).  HA!  Looking forward to some serious sleep this evening!

Our last day in London was spent at Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace.  I think everyone enjoyed Westminister...I know I did!  The history connected to that church is phenomenal. Poets corner was a spiritual experience for me...some of my favorite authors were burried  and celebrated there. It was a rainy morning as well so it was a perfect time to be indoors.  The Palaces were fun and touristy as well.  We had to hurry back to catch our flight and were running a bit behind.  We really began to panic when the bus driver kicked us off cuz our route was cancelled.  Apparently a biker lost his life on one of the London roads.  We had to literally run to the Stephensons, throw our clothes into the bags, and run out the door.  Not sure what we left behind yet!  Once Becca dropped us at Heathrow we breathed a sigh of relief, only to be stressed once again because everyone had accidentally packed some sort of liquid in their bags!!!  We made it on the plane with minutes to spare...whew!  The flight was long...long...long!!!  But once we stepped off the plane it was all worth it:)  Dave is finally back in his homeland!

We rented a van and were almost divorced by the time we made it to our rental in Hout Bay.  The whole driving stick shift, on the left side of the road, with a doggy GPS was a little too much for our marriage today.  BUT...we made it and are still alive (and married).  The place we rented is just beautiful!  The photo is of the lush back yard with the little cabana in the background.  All the windows open accordion style so the breeze flows through the house.  It's kind of amazing.  The security is also as tight as fort knox...videos all over, bars on windows, electric gates, sensors, and panic buttons.  The rental gal assured us we would have no need for them...but it kinda freaked me out!

We had a lovely lunch of all sorts of seafood dishes this afternoon.  It was at a restaurant overlooking the bay...Jake calls it the sweet life...and it really is.  Have to pinch myself that we're really here after all these years of dreaming.  The down side to it all is the incredible poverty.  People begging for money and pushing homemade trinkets...Dave and I were surrounded by peddlers for a couple of blocks and this was AFTER I bought some things from them already...just so sad:(  It was interesting for the kids to see it...I think it was a real eye opener for them.

So excited to wake up tomorrow and go exploring!  Thanks for reading!  Robynn

Greetings from Cape Town!

I don't know why I posted this lame pic of some hioty toity guy getting a carriage ride?

The Two Bens

Buckingham Gates

If Jake completed a kids tour at Westminster Abbey he received a huge gold chocolate coin!  

Beheaddings and Bus Tours

Jake the Beheaded

Brooke and the London Eye

Rainbow at Trafalgar Square

Today we planned to get an early start...only to find ourselves dead to the world at 10am!  Oh the joys of jet lag!  Had a super fun and full day regardless of our late start. The weather cooperated once again and we saw the sun most of the day.  We started off at the Tower of London...amazing place with such a fascinating history.  The Beefeater tour was super cool...he even demonstrated how people were beheaded using Jake as an model.  It was hilarious!  Afterwards...we had our first taste of real English cuisine, fish n chips.  Mmmmm...which we fought to keep from the pesky and aggressive birds that reside in these parts.  Next we took a bus to Trafalgar Square and saw some crazy street performers along with more aggressive and pesky birds.  At dusk we took one of those open top tour buses and saw most of the sights drive-by style.  It seems as though we picked the perfect time to come...the weather has been beautiful and the sites have been relatively uncrowded.
Our friends, Chris and Becca Stephenson, have been sooo helpful and have made our trip extra fun and special.  When we got back this evening they had super legit Indian food brought in and we watched "Cool Runnings" on their big screen.  Seriously the coolest people ever!  I am bummed out of my mind to be leaving tomorrow...already planning our next trip back (without the kids)!

Tower of London in the Evening