give their horny “helmets” a smooth and
shiny appearance.
On an evening safari we spotted hyena
pups in a nest built into an abandoned
termite mound. The pups “laughed” (called)
until their parents returned. It was nearly
dark and the hyenas danced about, smelling
one another to confirm their family ties.
On another evening ride, we saw a
leopard sleeping in a tree. He had cached a
dead antelope in the branches above. Our
guide told us leopards can track antelopes
by the scent secreted from glands in
their hooves.
One morning, we learned that a group
of female lions had killed a wildebeest the
night before. The nighttime guards (who
guard against poachers) said two bach-
elor lions had tried unsuccessfully to take
the meat from the females. We saw the
bachelors, as well as the female lions. One
female was licking the torn ear of another
and the rest lay side by side, their bellies
full, soaking up the sun.
Our next stop was Cape Town. South
Africa’s Mother City is widely regarded as
one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
We stayed at Whale View Manor, a nearby
boutique guesthouse perched above the
historic suburb of Simon’s Town with
sweeping ocean views framed by the distant
Hottentots Holland Mountains. It was a
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
beautiful place reminiscent of the coastal
pines, golf links and winding drive through
Monterey/Pacific Grove.
We boarded a boat to Seal Island with
Captain Ned at the helm in order to view
Great White Sharks. It is here that Southern
Fur Seals come to breed. We watched them
bob and play in the waves, with no sharks
in sight. Our boat and two others dragged
rubber decoys, giant fish heads and smaller
fish in the hopes of attracting the sharks.
It seemed like an eternity while my friend
suited up in her scuba gear so she could
take her turn in an underwater shark cage.
I remained onboard watching for sharks
and seabirds.
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