This is the sixth time in our lives that we’ve followed the events in Rome as the Cardinals gathered to elect a new pontiff. This time has been historic in many ways. It’s the first time in more than five hundred years that a pope has been elected while his predecessor still lives. It’s the first time in more than a thousand years that the pope was from somewhere other than Europe. And it’s the first time a Jesuit has been elected pope. We pray that Pope Francis I, with his humility and his warm smile, has the grace to lead our church.
Queen Mary 2’s arrival in the Port of Dakar, Senegal was heralded in the local press and greeted with ceremony. Our own excursion took us on a coach journey through the streets of the capital city to visit a Wolof village and the shore of Lake Retba, the salty lake famed for an intense pink color.
Today’s safari adventure transported us out into the Dorob National Park to have up close encounters with little creatures that are well adapted to the extreme heat and lack of water in the Namib Desert.
With a UNESCO World Heritage Site, two national parks, dozens of museums, and hundreds of tours offered in the Cape Town area there is more than plenty to do. For our two day visit we opted to concentrate on African wildlife visiting the Aquila Private Game Reserve and the Boulders Beach Penguin Colony for a wonderful chance to these fabulous animals in their own habitat.
This is the sixth time in our lives that we’ve followed the events in Rome as the Cardinals gathered to elect a new pontiff. This time has been historic in many ways. It’s the first time in more than five hundred years that a pope has been elected while his predecessor still lives. It’s the first time in more than a thousand years that the pope was from somewhere other than Europe. And it’s the first time a Jesuit has been elected pope. We pray that Pope Francis I, with his humility and his warm smile, has the grace to lead our church.
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