going pro

i will be away for the entire month of september in phuket, thailand doing my first professional level scuba course – the PADI divemaster – with Sea Bees Dive Academy. i can be reached via email should you need to contact me. however, it may take me a while to reply as i will probably be underwater for most of the month! sending warm regards from sunny phuket, thailand. wish me luck.

African Safari – The Big 5…err, well, Big 3!

I just returned from my first trip to South Africa. Not only was it my first time in that part of the world but it was finally nice to be on an entire continent I’ve never visited before. The place is absolutely mesmorizing. You truly get a sense that this vast, but rich land was definitely among the first places that existed at the beginning of time. I went on a 2-day safari just around 2 hours north-west of Johannesburg and Pretoria – staying at Sable Ranch Thaba Khaya Lodge – run by a lovely couple (and new-found-friends), Storm and Ken. Shout out to both of you for a FANSTASTIC first-class stay! Highly recommended. The ranch has over 2600 head of game – among them leopard, buffalo, black and white rhino, giraffe, hippo, eland, kudu, and of course roan and the highly prized and rare sable antelope. Among the Big 5 african game animals (elephant, leopard, white rhino, cape buffalo, and lion) I was only able to see 3. I guess that means I’ll have to come back again! We ended our trip at Ukutula Lion Park where I was able to play, feed, and care for my own cub named Cash. You can see Cash’s photos and some of my other photos of the wild african game on my Multiply website (http://esguerra1.multiply.com/) Just click the photo album with Cash’s picture on it. You can’t miss him!