GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!
MAXMOM here....
Hello there everybody!
I hope all the wonderful "mommies" out there had a wonderful weekend and a happy mother's day yesterday. My apologies if I've not got to your blogs recently. We too had another very busy weekend here in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Its Autumn weather here at the moment and the trees are losing their leaves at an alarming rate. The above two pictures were both taken on Saturday (Before and after)...that tree had a good dump in a matter of hours!
This is what our garden looks like at the moment!
mmm...I think I have some raking to do!...
We were out quite a bit this weekend and the Maxpack was relegated to the patio for the time we were away...
On Saturday we got a taste of what the shopping centres are up to in the preparation for the Soccer World cup next month. At Northgate shopping centre there were quite a few attractions.
Stalls of South African souveniers were strewn all around the walkways. Take a look at that lady behind the counter...she has a dress on made out of the SA flag!...
The South African National Parks board were also there - educating the public about our parks and our wildlife The lady is showing the child what the teeth of a warthog look like...
There was a very interesting display of sculls. (Below)
The larger sculls in the front row are (LtoR)
A baboon, A lioness, a wild dog, and a male lion. You will recognise the tortoise shell in the back row. On its right is the scull of a hyena. On the left of the picture you will notice the porcupine quills and an Ostrich egg...
There was an interesting write-up about some famous large tuskers...
Below: The scull of a rhino and a fibreglass model of its horn...
Antelope horns (Below):
Back left are the horns of the largest antlope (Eland). The long straight horns are those of our beautiful Sable antelope.
The scull of a crocodile...
---xXx---
Yesterday (Mother's Day) we took the family out to
"MAROPENG"
(The Cradle of Humankind)
Our flag is flying high on my own car.
With the build up to the Soccer World Cup there are many cars on the road who are sporting flags...we have to get into he spirit!...
"Africa is the birthplace of humankind. This is where our collective umbilical cord was buried."...
This is the entrance to the Maropeng exhibition centre...
Inside it has about four/five floors...
...We welcome visitors from all over the world...
Our visit to Maropeng was primarily to have lunch at their restaurant, so we didn't go on a wide-scale tour. These are just a few interesting things on our way to the restaurant...
Many rocks on the pathways are engraved with interesting information...
This is the other side of the Maropeng exhibition centre. The restaurant has a outdoor deck (next to the railings)..
These are life-scale (or fossil scale) replicas of the early homonoid species...
I was most amused at a parent who was standing next to me who explained to their child:
"This is what happens if you don't eat your vegetables!"
The view over the 'cradle' and the Magaliesberg Mountains from the deck of the restaurant...
The walking paths are lined with 'thatch' grass - typically South African and used to make thatch roofs for houses...
It's good to be cautious!...
Famous "Mrs Ples" replica...
There are a few shops to explore too...
Well that was my mother's day...
besides all the wonderful gifts from my two beautiful daughters!
Thank you, family, for a great day!
With love to all my friends across the globe
(I hope you enjoyed my 'touristy' post?)
14 comments:
we LOVED your post. we find it most interesting because you show us things that maybe we otherwise would'nt see if we were to vacation there. the inside good stuff.thank you so much and we luved the view from the restaurant. so much beutiful sceneary always.
The Maropeng building looks most impressive. I'm sure the exhibits are too. (A fascinating area of science, particularly appealing to those who like to speculate boldly on the basis of relatively few facts!!!) But you would not be the first person to visit a museum primarily for the restaurant - when I studied at Imperial College in London, I must have gone in the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert a dozen times, to eat, for every once that I stopped to look at the museums' contents. Hope the food was good!
Best wishes,
Gail.
PS: sadly, only a brave or foolish person would put an England flag on their car in my part of the world..)
Really enjoyed your post, we learn more from your Blog then we do anywhere else.
Glad to see Max is enjoying the fall weather with his girlfriend Tammy.
Keep posting we will keep checking in.
Sheila & Bob,
Mom & Dad to
Hamish & Rescue Sophie
I'm glad you had a good Mother's Day. You know, my friend keeps her tree leaves in plastic garbage bags and just piles them somewhere and it makes the best black mulch for her flower beds. I like so far out in the country the I never rake but since I saw her free mulch last week I'm gonna this fall.
Gosh, I feel like Im right there! Thank you for the grand tour!!! And the energy must be contagious for the World Cup! Yahooo!!!! Hugs Joey and Kealani
I'm so glad you had a great Mother's Day=it looks like you had a fun, interesting Mother's Day weekend, Caryl...Happy week sweet friend.
Oh I LOVED reading all about your life in SA! What a cool museum - wow - who was the architect? Most interesting, but can't believe it has 4 or 5 floors! The paths are lovely, the view from the top is absolutely stunning and it sounds like you had a great time and a good break from stresses in your life. Love the flag on the car as well - SA is ready! We'll be rooting for you! (Well... after ourselfs, of course!)
Hugs xoxoxo
Sammie and Ma
We really enjoyed that post - most interesting and informative and we loved all the photos.
Happy Mother's Day to you - glad you had such a good one. Mother's Day here was in March so we were interested to see that SA celebrate in May along with the US.
Lots of love to Max from Murray especially!
- Fiona
What a wonderful way to spend the day! I don't enjoy reading about history but I do enjoy seeing it.
I thoroughly enjoyed my tour! Thanks! I had to laugh at your "Beware of snakes" sign. We have those here, too, but the snake silhouettes are of rattlesnakes. And although rattlesnakes are dangerous in their own right, the cobra silhouette is so much more...attention grabbing. Ha!
Happy Day,
Amber (Mayzie Mom)
Thanks for the tour. I'm glad you had a nice Mother's Day, and I enjoyed your post and photos - especially the "Beware of Snakes" sign because I live in a country with no live snakes (except in our zoos) so watching out for snakes is something I never think about.
I loved the tour! I've always enjoyed going to places like that. I feel that I need to go and eat some vegetables now, though!
That is really cool. Would love to see that!
Hugs
Jamie and the texassundogs
This post deserves to be read once, twice, three times and more. Oh, how I wish I had been there with you to see all of these wonderful exhibits!
Two years, just two years of saving and I will be knocking at your door!
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