This morning, someone took me shopping into the city with his helicopter.

I have to admit that this was a pretty decadent way of going shopping. We just went to town, which is an hour away, and there I was going by helicopter, literally door to door.

We took off from just outside the safari lodge where I’m staying, and in 18 minutes we were landing in the center of the city of Kimberley, just outside The Big Hole.

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The Big Hole is the famous diamond mine of Kimberley, owned by De Beers.

And this guy has his own helipad right in the city center. I think he’s the only one in Kimberley with such a private helipad.

As we were landing, I asked him: “Why do you have your own helipad in town?“

He replied: “It’s convenient for shopping and errands, or for picking up people.”

And for taking me shopping for curios to bring back home.

The view over the desert

Meanwhile, the ride over was very scenic and nice.

We passed over desert and farms before reaching the city.

That’s Northern Cape’s second largest river over there

When we got to Kimberley, we flew over the Big Hole so we had a good view of it from right on top.

CHEAP SHOPPING AFTER A HELICOPTER RIDE

As for my shopping, I ended up skipping the taxidermist shop I’d intended to visit.

Instead I just went to a pretty touristy shop that sold nice things.

I came out with 2 sets of barbecue skewers — the kinds with animals at the end, to remind me of Africa — and shot glasses with pewter African animal figurines on them.

The city of Kimberley,  Northern Cape right ahead

Obviously, I’m planning to replicate the African experience when I entertain back home.

So, yes, it was a helicopter ride across the dessert to pick up some barbecue skewers for 200 rand (about 800 pesos) and shot glasses for 100 rand (400 pesos).

The Big Hole of Kimberley

Relatively cheap shopping.

But it was certainly a priceless experience for the books, in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

Notice the giraffe in the background. He almost ran into me, as I was so busy looking at all the other giraffe on the other side…

PS: Here’s a photo of me on a quad bike this afternoon. I actually went on a game drive by quad bike and this was absolutely amazing.

I saw so many beautiful wild animals, and it was such a wonderful and unique experience to see the animals up close and personal, by myself, on a quad bike.

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