?? Freedom Day ??

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Freedom Day

Freedom Day is the celebration of the first post-apartheid elections held in 1994. I expected that not only would businesses be closed, but that great celebrations and festivals would be occurring. Maybe we missed some of the excitement by being at Acquila for most of the day, but I was underwhelmed. It seemed almost an afterthought as we moved about our day. Was this because we were in Cape Town in a huge tourist area? Or were the celebrations more subdued? I just didn't feel the love and nostalgia that I would have expected. Maybe because social progress is moving at a snails pace, there isn't too much to celebrate.




Safari at Aquila Game Reserve

This is a very well run business and resort. With a fairly decent range of animals to view, conference center, several levels of chalets and a children's entertainment area, this is a great destination. Their online marketing is snazzy while still conveying the sense that you will have a rugged yet luxurious experience. Yes...these two things seem to contradict each other, but the staff at Aquila pulls it off very well.

As we began our tour at the rescue area, I began to feel a bit of disappointment at seeing a leopard in what appeared to be a small cage (compared to the wide open pens of some other animals). But upon further clarification by our guide, Mark, I understood that this animal was living a far better life than it had in the past. Apparently the "people" that had been raising him were fattening him to slaughter him for his fur. He had been raised inside and overfed on a regular basis. When he was first rescued and brought to the reserve, his skin began hanging off of him as he became more fit. He also could not be released into the wild because he had no instinct to hunt and would soon become prey himself if left to his own devices.

The remainder of the safari was just amazing! We were able to closely observe Elephants, Springbok, Giraffes, Elan, Lions, Hippopotamus, Zebras, etc. the fabulous pictures say it all!

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