We are lucky enough to have more family in town and have a number of different fun adventures planned, some involving the whole cohort and others limited to the past preschool set (which means that *some* people who I won't name saw a bunch of lions and leopards today while I drove back and forth between playdates).
We kicked things off by heading to the local water feature. Unfortunately it is a 6 hour drive to get there and it isn't a particularly interesting one either. If it weren't for the total lack of places to stop for food, the scarcity of places to stop for gas with adequate toilet facilities and the not infrequent goat or cow wandering into the road you would think you were somewhere in the midwest. Ok, so the frequent brush fires are another tip off that you aren't in Kansas. And the termite mounds. And the fact that traffic might cruise along at a nice clip or you might suddenly find yourself behind a truck filled with 30 people moving about 20 mph. So there are a few differences, but for the most part the drive is unremarkable and long.
At the end of your trek you find yourself very obviously entering the first real city since leaving the capital. And then after you go through town (which isn't really all that big) you are back out in the bush and then you see what at first looks like more smoke from a brush fire and then you realize it is actually the mist from the falls. And that is pretty cool! Once we were settled into the resort (which of course took much longer than it should have, you would almost think that they don't check people in and out of their hotel all day every day... sigh...) it was a beautiful 5 minute walk and there was the waterfall in all its splendor. The water is still pretty high for the dry season, though clearly lower than it was at our visit a month ago. We all got some nice photos and watched the beginning of the sunset before walking back to the resort.
I should note at this point that to get from the resort to the falls you walk out a gate and have to sign in and out of a little book so they can keep track of everyone. Fine, perfectly reasonable. We dutifully signed out on our way out and were waiting to sign back in when I look up and realize there are a bunch of zebras right through the gate hanging out, probably about 50 yards away. We did not see a single zebra last trip. My parents saw a few, but we missed out so I was all excited to show the zebras to K, but this required getting through the gate. And the stupid woman in front of us could not find where she had signed out to put down the time and sign back in. She is flipping pages, the guards are trying to help her and I am practically jumping out of my skin because ZEBRAS! Over There! I want to see the ZEBRAS! I mean, my kid wants to see the ZEBRAS! And stupid woman is continuing to fumble with the sign in sheet so I finally grab K (no easy feat since I am also wearing T in her carrier) and push past, telling the clearly irritated guard that C would stay and sign us back in (which was also news to him) and we scurry out to see the zebras. Which was cool! But, as it turns out, my haste and anxiety may have been a bit overblown as we ended up seeing tons of zebras during the trip. They were wandering all over the place. We were practically tripping over them. To the point that by the last day I was almost irritated to see them since it meant I had to wrangle K, who had been happily running around like a maniac. We also ended up seeing several giraffes, who are special, in K's words, "because they have long necks and polkadots!" Overall, it was a great trip.
Afore mentioned zebras.
Ummmm, related much?
K really liked hanging out on these big rocks and watching the zebras and giraffes at feeding time. Feeding time that happens twice a day but somehow no one managed to mention that to us on our last visit. But now we know!
K showing off her new Afri-crap jewelry. Her Aunt had on several bracelets and K totally fixated on them and declared that she wanted her own brown bracelet (I don't know why brown). Easiest request every to satisfy! A few minutes at the junk market and she had a brown bracelet, plus a couple of necklaces made of seed pods. She was happy as could be and declared herself done with shopping. Clearly not her mother's daughter in that respect!
Well, hello there sir!
Pretty!
Evil, zombie zebras!!
"Same Same" courtesy of Granny J
We stayed at one of our favorite lodges for a few days and the highlight is the boat safaris. You get just silly close to the elephants and hippos, and we saw ample numbers of both.
K is starting to really get into watching the animals, and it is amazing watching her watching them.
We saw more crocs on this trip than previously. This big guy was not the slightest bit scared of our boat. Usually, as you get close they startle and slither into the water. He just stared right back at us.
We rounded a corner and a whole family of hippos was sunning themselves on the sandbar. The hopped up much more alacrity than you would think a basking hippo capable of and were watching us carefully while considering whether to go into the water or not. 
