Swimming with Sharks

This may very well have been the biggest adrenaline rush of my entire life.

Today, Dad, Keith, and I swam with great white sharks in Gansbaai, South Africa (Mom and Cheryl enjoyed the view from the boat). We took a short boat ride out to what is known as shark alley. The great whites love this stretch of water due to its close proximity to an island which inhabits approx. 50,000 fur seals (their favorite snack!). The waves were pretty rocky and the sea gulls (which made me more nervous than the sharks, no joke) were everywhere. I was slightly concerned that we were going to have to wait to actually see our first shark, but after maybe 5 minutes of chumming the water with fish guts and large tunas, one came right up to the boat- mouth open and hungry! Many people at this point decided to opt out of the cage experience...def not me though.

The view from the boat was amazing as the guides brought the sharks to the top of the water with the chum. The sharks varied in size from 10 to 14 feet long...Here is a picture my dad took before we actually got in the cage:

The experience of actually getting in the water was amazing! You go in 5 or 6 people at a time and wait until the guide spots a shark (there was very little waiting time). Once he spots it, he basically throws the tuna right in front of the cage and the shark comes and tries to eat it. I know I talked a big game of wanting to pet the shark, but after having it come straight at us, teeth and all, I changed my mind. At one point, the shark was so close that we all pushed to the back of the cage for fear that our hands would be the sharks next snack!!! So crazy!! Here is a picture of us in the cage (dad, me, keith) saying good-bye to mom and cheryl...brrr the water was cold!


The last 5 minutes of the dive were by far the most amazing 5 minutes of my life. We had a series of sharks pacing back in forth in front of the cage. There were many seals jumping around in the area and the sharks were hungry. I was a little nervous one was going to get snagged right in front of us, but fortunately it happened about 20 feet away. Those on the boat saw the thrashing and bloody water, poor seal. Anyways, after all the pacing there was one shark who kept charging the cage head on, then at the last minute (like 3 feet in front of us) would dart in another direction. I think he got sick of that game because on his last pass he charged right into the cage with his body and thrashed around hitting both my dad and I with his fin! I know I said I wanted to pet the shark, but I pictured it going down on my terms!

I can now officially cross this off my list... swimming with (and touching!) a great white shark- done and done!

Cape Town

Its the end of our first real day in Cape Town and I am still so confused about the time (if you didnt know, its a 9 hour time difference)... It was a little odd to not go to the airport today after 5 consecutive days of flying, but def relieving.

We saw pretty much everything there is to see in Cape Town... from the townships to cape point. It was very educational and exciting at the same time.

Here is a pic of the family (Dad, Keith, Me, Cheryl, and Mom) at Table Mountain. There were some amazing views of Cape Town and the surrounding areas. My favorite part was for sure the cable car ride up!

Until I get over my jet lag, I will jump right to the good stuff. So here are some interesting things I learned today:

Did you know you can pay a mere $12 to play with a cheetah...I want to take Joseph (the cheetah) home with me! Oh and his eyes are closed because he was purrrrrrrring when we were petting him :)

Did you know that when a male ostrich is "excited" his legs turn pink and he looks like he is wearing lipstick.... inappropriate, maybe, but kinda hilarious!

Did you know that the native Africans still believe in the idea of purchasing their wives. Many trade cows (typically 10) for the girl of their choice... my dad thinks he would be okay with giving me away for a winery. Thanks, Dad!

And just because we were being weird, here is a preview of our Christmas card for this year... ok, maybe not... BUT this was Keith's favorite picture from the day, so I had to include it:)

Hope all is well back home!! Miss you all, <3 Lisa

Finally here!!!

I finally made it to Cape Town after 46 LONG hours of traveling. I am beyond tired and ready to change out of my smurf suit (you know the one..). I do have to say the combination of red wine and Lufthansa's fully reclinable seats made it a much easier trip!!!

We are staying in Cape Town until Sunday at an amazing hotel right on the water. Tomorrow we are touring the city and heading to the top of Table Mountain! Should be amazing!!!

Anyways, I am falling asleep while typing... promise to keep it more interesting as the adventure begins tomorrow and beyong!!!

and so it begins...

I am officially off and running... I left LA at 10am and am now sitting in Ohare waiting for my next flight. Between now and friday I will be on a plane for approx. 24 hours and I have 14 hours of lay overs. Not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous that my a-d-d has kicked in only 6 hours into this journey!!

While on the flight to chicago I was flipping through hempisheres magazine and stumbled across the horiscope section. Most of you know that I don't really believe in this stuff, but I found my horoscope for the month very fitting. "...during the course of your travels, leave the door open for spontaneity: impulsiveness works to your benefit." How very intriguing...;)

To Blog or Not to Blog

So, after days of deciding whether or not I should try to create a blog for this crazy adventure I am about to embark upon... I decided to go for it. I cant promise that I will have internet access at all locations, but I will try my very hardest to update this as much as possible.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I will :)