Favorites: The Animal Edition

In honor of the conclusion of my time in Africa, I've compiled a few of my favorite photographs over the past several years.
Here are my favorite animal photos!

For my favorite photographs of Zimbabwe: go here!!

For my favorite photographs of Senegal: go here!!

A lilac breasted roller in Chobe National Park, Botswana - Hope is a Thing with Feathers

A baby elephant of the Presidential Herd, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe - The Ivory Lodge

A crocodile sleeps on the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana - Snapshots from the River: The Chobe Crocodile

A giraffe in Chobe National Park, Botswana - The Chobe smorgasbord of animals!!

I originally captioned this photo of a donkey in Palmarin, Senegal:
"Hello, donkey, the rains must feel like a wonderful break from the heat." - Hello, donkey! Hello, pelicans! Hello, white flamingo?!

A lion at Antelope Park in Gweru, Zimbabwe - ...and then the lions charged!

Elephants along the Chobe River, Botswana - An ode to elephants

A penguin in Boulders, South Africa, on the Cape of Good Hope - Penguins...in Africa! Woohoo!!

A bird searching for food on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe - The Lake Kariba smorgasbord

Two lions cubs in Hwange, Zimbabwe - I was not the lion, but it fell to me to give the lion's roar.

A herd of bison in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States - Yellowstone: Animals Part II

A mama giraffe in the Save Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe - Giraffes!! (An Ode to ALDB)

Traffic in Rufisque, Senegal, the only real road off the Cap-Vert peninsula where Dakar is located - Passing Through Rufisque

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The Signs of Zimbabwe (the southern Africa Edition)

One of Africa's most amusing and endearing features?  Its (creative) signs!

Like this one from Boulders, South Africa--I had no idea penguins bite and I admit it sent me into giggles.

(Check out the penguins here.  Be ready for an avalanche of ridiculous adorableness.)

(For the Senegal/West Africa edition of creative signs: go here!)

All over Zimbabwe are animal crossing signs (elephants, wild dogs, cattle...).

I was so shocked to see the actual animal being warned about near the sign!

Nothing like an (inappropriate) pun to sell some eggs in downtown Harare.

Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe -- I think it should more correctly warn you that the deadly hazards are lions, elephants, etc...

The ex-pat in me found this one particularly amusing in a very junior high type of reaction.

Cape Town, South Africa -- totally made my morning when I drove past it.
Nothing like a Chuck Norris reference to make you chuckle.

Well, well, Gaborone, this is a bit risqué! Apparently Botswana has a certain type of humor. 

Nandos, the South African chicken food chain, has a history of pushing boundaries in its advertising.

It aired a commercial called "Last Dictator Standing" (see video below)
that was never aired in Zimbabwe after Nandos workers in Zimbabwe began receiving death threats.

During Zimbabwe's presidential elections, I thought this was one of the more clever ads.
It shows the leaders of the MDC-T opposition party examining the election manifesto of ZANU-PF, the ruling party of Robert Mugabe.


Approximately 30 feet away from this sign was an entire braiding extravaganza in Gaborone with approximately 20 woman getting their hair done.

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The Zimbabwe Traffic Smorgasbord

Traffic starting to build up in Harare behind a tractor.

Harare is a wonderful mix of rural and urban, changing from block to block. 

Bet you didn't think this was in the city proper!

Living in Africa can mean some interesting traffic experiences for ex-pats.
Sometimes trying to get anywhere can be very....well, frustrating! It is always an adventure.

Vehicles going in multiple directions, people hanging out of vehicles, and naturally a truck barreling toward you.

(Patience and a good sense of humor gets me through it!  It's definitely the biggest culture shock in Africa for me.)

And an aspect of Zimbabwe I hadn't guessed? 

The amount of people who film the procession for a wedding celebration---outside the window!

I've seen some crazy things in traffic all over Africa but possibly the most endearing and scariest of all? 

The amount of people who ride in the back of vehicles. For an expat, we immediately think seat belts! car seats! etc!

While it seems a little dangerous (and scary!) to me, it is also such an endearing aspect of many African cultures: the community aspect of helping one's neighbor get somewhere so of course he'll be offered a lift.

One of my favorite things of Africa?
Its street vendors, especially when they get creative. Every day these guys sell their flags, their sports balls, and swimming pool toys.

Makes me think of this guy, my favorite type of Senegalese street vendor.

And what do you do when you see 20+ minutes of waiting at each repaving construction site in Mutare?

Wisely sell the hot, disgruntled people stuck in traffic cold soda! Brilliant.

Why yes, let's just haul a trunk full of skulls of assorted animals.

Thank you, Gaborone, Botswana, for this gem!

There is something always burning in Harare.
It took me awhile to get used to the raging fires at night that people set, often to burn trash, that then just go left unattended.

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An Ode to the Elephants

While on safari in Botswana's Chobe National Park, my love affair with elephants continued.

How can you not love these animals?

It's amazing how well such ginormous animals can hide.

These beauties didn't care that we got to admire them.

Eating away without a care for our presence.

Check them out:

This is how close we get! That boat replaced our little spot.

Why, hello, adorable baby elephant.  Je t'aime!

After a lovely visit to Botswana, we returned to Zimbabwe.

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The Chobe Smorgasbord of Animals!

Why, hello, giraffe!!

I love the attitude in this giraffe's look.

These beautiful animals are all over Botswana's Chobe National Park.

So stunningly beautiful!

An African buffalo in Chobe.

An African buffalo cub.  How can an animal be so cute and ugly at the same time?

After rolling in the mud.

Why, hello, you beautiful elephant, you!

A pod of hippos sunning along the Chobe River.

A hippo cooling in the grass.

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