Day 3: Cheetah Walk at Tshukudu & Botswana
Happy birthday! I got it sung to me in 4 different languages that day (English, French, Danish and Swanna). It was awesome to say the least. So the day started off with a cheetah walk, another topic of conflict. I absolutely loved it. We drove out to this cheetah, which we found laying in the sun on a clearing, and we got to go up to her and pet her. I know this is wrong on so many levels and that cheetahs are wild animals that shouldn't be taught to be friendly, but she was so lovely. She purred, which was loud enough to hear 15 feet away, and she was incredibly soft. She was friendly too and would rest her head on you. She was raised by hand after her mother was killed by lions. I liked how she was friendly and welcoming to us, but she wasn't fed by us. She lives on the reserve on her own, hunts on her own and sustains herself. She knows the owner and comes when he calls, and you can tell she likes him because she will go straight to him and push her head into his hand and sit for him. She was absolutely amazing! It was incredible, but again, I was the only one who had that opinion. I know that Kelsey and Christine weren't as fond of the place as I was, but I wasn't shunned or looked down on for it, which was so nice. After the walk, we headed out and spent the rest of the day on the road. It doesn't sound like much, but South Africa's countryside is stunning. We took the scenic route that lead us up windy roads, through the mountains. I stared out the window for most of it, memorized. I hope I never forget what it looks like, as pictures don't really do it justice. We then landed in Botswana after a uneventful border crossing (good thing... I really didn't want to be stuck there for hours). We lost a little time travelling, so we camped just across the border in a small tenting area. I froooooze my butt off (I'm not the smartest and I forgot a proper sleeping bag, but I'll have one tonight), but we got to slackline and I was able to take a few steps on it, which I have never done yet! AND, KG got me a cake with candles. I was so happy I almost teared up. It was certainly a fantastic birthday, and probably one that I won't soon forget.