AFRICA

TJ was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Africa for 10 days with his MBA program at Westminster. Here is a trying to be quick but still rather long recap. If TJ were typing he would give great explanations about each picture, but since its me and it is late I am going to be short and sweet. call me if you want more info. ha ha

Downtown Johannesburg.

The first night he was there he ate: Giraffe, Crocodile, Impala, Wildabeast....

Look familiar? This is the Soccer City Stadium where the final World Cup game will be later this month.

Happy as can be, he feels right at home in a soccer stadium--or should I say football? Dont tell but he picked some grass to bring home.

The Apartheid Museum. (Apartheid is the separation of blacks and whites). This wall on the left is made of thousands of stones. Each one represents one of the people who was killed in the fight against apartheid. To this day the wall remains incomplete because they are not sure how many actually died. South Africa officially ended apartheid in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected as the first black President.

Can you belive how cute this kid is? Dont you just want to wipe his face and hold him? Me too.

This is someones house in an area called Soweto. Originally it was government mandated housing for black males. They wouldnt allow men and women to live together because they didnt want them to reproduce. Now its a home to 6 people. Families are now able to live in the same house, since 1994. It is a pretty average house for black South Africans.

This is a memorial built to honor students who were injured and killed during a non-violent protest against apartheid that turned violent when the white police started shooting into the crowd.

This house was once lived in by Nelson Mandela. He was an attorney and several friends and family lived here. He is TJ's new hero. TJ is reading his autobiography right now....all 750 pages. I read it passively through him. He reads it and then tells me whats going on. That is how I am so well educated.

Soweto.

Look at this little boys toy car. Homemade from a plastic bottle. I wish we would have filled TJ's suitcase with toys. We are so overly spoiled.

The kids loved their picture to be taken. "Shoot me!" they would shout to TJ.

Monkeys breaking and entering into a hotel room. They raided the fridge and ate all the yogurt and fruit. They also tried to eat TJ, but thats a long story.

The Chief of a local tribe. They still live in these huts with no running water or electricity. He has 3 wives and hasn't left the village for over 20 years.

TJ was able to go on 2 safaris.

He saw lions, elephants, impalas, crocodiles, zebras, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, water buffalo, & baboons.

Here is TJ at the Cullinan Diamond Mine. He brought me back this little gem. :)

This is at Mandela Square--huge mall in Johannesburg with a huge statue of Nelson Mandela.
TJ had an amazing time and would love to go back again.