Leaving Vancouver for Costa Rica

Hello again those of you who still read this blog! Today was the start of our Christmas "family" vacation. Family meaning twelve days with my dad's side of the family. So all sixteen of us will be moving around from place to place in Costa Rica!

Ok so today we woke up at 5:00am and drove to the airport only to be stopped by another setback (big suprise! I mean when don't we have a setback?) this time there was an error on a few of the boarding passes including mine and simon's. After this minor setback that then turned into a major setback when we saw the lign up (mostly caused by an elederly fellow having a heart attack on the floor who was being photographed by everyone in their spare time. Guess what my mom was doing? Just kidding.) Then realizing that there was no way some family members would be making the flight we did what people in that situation tend to do: skip the line entirely and move on. By the way, I don't really think the airport's new system will work for the Olympics but whatever it's not our problem. Anyway after we made it to the gate the remaining Wolvertons regrouped and after Starbucks we boarded the flight to Houston.

When we got to Houston we realized the family that had been left behind had rented a private jet and would be arriving before us. Go figure. Now we were stuck in Houston for three hours and we were hungry. Then next three hours went a little like this: eat, wander, eat, shop, sit around, shop, shop and sit around some more.

Three hours later we were on a flight bound to Costa Rica and during those hours spent on the flight the Wolvertons bonded and between battleship, (we found out you can play with anyone on the plane by using your little touch screen things) movies and chit-chatting, the time went by fast.

As you can see moms pretty happy that her luggage made it.

Now in Cost Rica we have been divided up into our rooms and will be in for a day of adventure tomorrow.

Good night

Soccer day

Hey everyone,
Ok well I know I haven't posted anything recently but I hope you all check anyway. Anyway Simon (my annoying brother) left on friday at 5:00 am to go on a soccer field trip to victoria. So Simon's school took a ferry to the island and while they were getting off the boat it caught on fire! I mean come on whats wrong with this family?? We have been attacked by lions, planes have almost crashed trying to land and now this! Well when Simon got there he scored most of the goals and had a great day! Ummmm.... ok sorry I dont really have anything to talk about bye!

Chloe

Kelowna 2

Hey everyone reading this!
guess what? (are you even supose to put a question mark at the end of that sentence?) Ok so we are now back at the Cove, safe and sound. The fire is pretty much out but a new one has started. Anyway we are good and i will be trying to get the pictures up ASAP. well talk to you later.

Chloe

Kelowna

Hi everyone,
We made it back from London safely and since then we have been staying in Kelowna. But Karen and Mark had to go to the manager's meetings back in London so we stayed here with are grandma, memere. Ok so on the eighteenth a fire started on the hill by our house in Kelowna so we were surprised by it but the police said it was safe to stay where we were. But two hours later it was a whole different story. The wind had picked up and changed direction so now the fire was coming down the hill heading right for us. So next thing we knew the man from the front desk (for those of you who don't know our place is part of the Cove a hotel where you can buy the rooms.) was knocking on our door saying we had to evacuate the building ASAP. So we grabbed our stuff and left for Vernon. So now we are in Vernon waiting for news on when we can go home. Well talk soon!

Chloe

Africa

Hi everyone,

Sorry i haven't been writing lately but we haven't had any Internet so far. Anyway we arrived in Johannesburg and stayed overnight at a little hotel. The next morning we went back to the airport and got on another plane which was about an hour long. When we got there Gareth was waiting in Polokwane (I don't know how to spell it) with a rental car to drive the rest of the way.

About three hours later (the car ride was longer because we had to stop for goats, cows and an Elephant to cross the road!) we arrived at the South African/Botswana border and had to leave the car in South African territory. Then we took a cable car across a huge river, and after signing some immigration papers we were on our way to camp.

A tour jeep met us half way to camp and took us out on a drive. We saw a few giraffes, elephants, impala and even some lion! Its was a lot colder then last time we went to Africa but we still had a lot of fun. As the sun started to set we got out of the car and had sun downers which is were you stretch your legs, have a drink and watch the sunset. But when we were having our sun downers the tracker saw something in the bush, it was a lion! Not to mention that that very lion had been collared so it had a grudge against humans. So we all stayed very still and one by one we all got into the car. Anyway when we got back to camp they showed us our rooms (room 8 and room 11) and then we went for dinner. Here is a bit of info for you: Dinner was served in what they call a bomma (again I don't know how to spell it) which is a big area fenced off to keep animals out. They used to be used for cattle.

The next day we were up before our ranger came for wake up call and after some coffee and hot chocolate we went out for our morning drive. We didn't see a lot but it was still beautiful.

When we got back we had breakfast and then hung out for a few hours till the next drive. The camp was surrounded by a gate so it was safe and Gareth had been there before so he showed us around. We walked on the paths, went to see the discovery center and the crocodiles outside of it, the lookout decks and the curio shop. While we were there I did a little exploring of my own and found a secret passage outside of the gate (woops!) so I decided to go back to the room.

Later that day we went out on the night drive, and other then some lionesses and there cubs, we didn't see much. But we did get stuck and we couldn't get out to push the car because we were surrounded by lions. So another car had to push us out.

When we got back we went for dinner and then we went to bed.

Then the next morning we went on our final drive and didn't really eat a big breakfast. On our drive we saw some warthogs, some jackal and we even got to see the rare wild dogs! A little more info for you: Although wild dogs are very rare they have the highest kill rate of animals in Africa even higher then lions. Think about that. Well after our drive we went right back to the border, and set off again.

back in Polokwane we had to wait three hours for the flight but Gareth had to keep driving. After the flight we all met up in Johannesburg at the Westcliff hotel.

In Johannesburg so far we have gone shopping a lot gone to the lion park an area were you can pet the lions, feed giraffes, ostriches and look at all the other animals. Karen was attacked by a lion and the trainer had to pull it off of her. The good news is other then some scratches and ripped jeans she was ok.

And so know I am here at the Westcliff about to go sit by the pool. So bye our plane leaves tonight at 10:20 pm and its eleven hours long and then we have to go get on another ten hour long flight to Vancouver.

Well have fun wherever you are!

-Chloe