Panoramic Route

Mark and I took a short weekend trip that showed us the beauty of the country. We drove along the "Panoramic Route" of Mpumalanga and stayed in the Flycatcher Castle in a town called Graskop. The scenery on the route was amazing. It took us along the Blyde River Canyon which is said to be the 3rd largest canyon in the world. Each attraction along the route had a market. We were able to do some bargaining and get some great deals on South African crafts! At the castle, we were treated like royalty! Each room had decor from the 17th century, there was an art gallery displaying the owners work, and there was a chapel with seats and decor from an original church in Bethlehem. The food was also amazing and over whelming! We can't wait to go back (hopefully with family and friends!).

To see more pictures from our June adventures around South Africa, use the link below!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2183948&id=63901203&l=e624999ecf

Amy's experience so far

Hello! I am going to have to admit that Mark has been doing all of the updating of our blog so far. Surprisingly, time has been going really fast for me. I love being able to be here with Mark. The country is absolutely beautiful and it is such a great feeling to make the people here smile! During the day, my favorite thing to do is sit on our balcony reading a book and looking at the beautiful mountains in the distance. I also enjoy going on walks in our development looking at the other amazing houses. There are several other wives and their families that live close by. Often we will get together during the day to do our grocery shopping and lunch. I have met a lot of great people here so far! I also have mastered (well maybe not completely) the art of driving here! A favorite thing for Mark and I to do is cook on our new grill and then have a fire afterwords. We also just purchased a ping-pong table that will be arriving on Friday. I am also in the process of setting up volunteer opportunities for me that would start in September. I believe I will be getting involved with the Down Syndrome Association and going out into the community with the SLP students from the University of Pretoria to get exposed to the culture.
More to come....

FIFA - USA vs Italy

On Monday night we had the opportunity to go to Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria to watch the FIFA Confederations Cup (South Africa 2009) USA vs Italy. It was nice to here the national anthem of the United States of America in South Africa. Amy really enjoyed the blow horns and wished we didn't ban them in the US. However, they sure can do the wave! USA lost 3 to 1 but it was still fun dodging soccer balls behind the goalie.

Apartheid Museum

We went to the Apartheid Museum this weekend and learned
the history of Mandela, the rise and fall of the Apartheid, and
the first democratic election. What a great history experience.

Skype

Do you miss our stunning faces and voices? Want to talk to us and see us in person? Download Skype and make free calls over the Internet to us for as long as you want. It is free to download!!
http://www.skype.com/

Rhino & Lino Park

We had a great Sunday hanging out with the lion's, wild dogs, and cheetah's. It was exciting to see them being fed in the safety of our car. After seeing the animals being fed we drove around and spotted many zebra, antelope, ostridge, and rhino. Next time we go we will have to go into the cave, see the reptile show, and be part of the Cheetah run!


No worries about safety here!