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After falling one step short of the World Series, I needed some time to relax and get away from it all. My wish was granted when one day after I arrived home, I received a call from my college professor, Vukan R. Vuchic, (VOO-KAN, VOO-CHIK) giving me a few days to decide if I wanted to assist him in an engineering class in South Africa. I said "WHERE!!?!!"

The view from South Africa's Cape of Good Hope where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.

Not exactly the Caribbean spa I had in mind, but it turned out to be the perfect getaway. A country rich in history, blessed with beautiful landscapes, rife with wild animals, and abundant in good food. Home of the Big Five, which is basically five animals that if you see at any time, you should either run the other way or just put salt and pepper on your head to spice up his dinner.

Over the five days at the University of Stellenbosch, I did manage to socialize with many of the students in the seminar. I passed out baseball cards in between slideshow presentations and often engaged in conversations comparing American sports to South African sports. In fact, at one point, the entire city of Cape Town was practically shut down to watch the international rugby World Cup match against New Zealand. An event that most likely would not have registered a blip on the ratings scale in the United States.

Everyday during the seminar, it was required that we take two tea breaks. Each for about 20 minutes a piece. The break featured Rooibos tea, which is like tea without the aftertaste or the caffeine. We discussed everything from politics to soccer. Considering apartheid only ended 10 years ago, it stood out to me that the students culturally integrated their lunch tables as if they had access to each other for decades.

Once the seminar ended, I had four days in Cape Town to myself, which is a city in the Southwestern part of the country. I visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 18 years of his sentence, and I walked the plateau called Table Mountain, which sandwiches beautiful Cape Town between it and the Atlantic Ocean.

I also was able to go on a mini-safari where I witnessed a wildebeest hanging out with zebras and I felt what it is like to be stalked by a female lion. When I came home and looked at my photos of the lioness, I realized that they hide so well in the brush that I could only see an ear or one eye. It was more like "Where's Waldo?" than a lion photo gallery.

Doug Glanville was happy to mingle with part of South Africa's non-Big Five population.

I did strike up some conversation to see how much the South Africans knew about American baseball. After all, South Africa did have a team in the 2000 Olympics. I was encouraged by government engineer and surfer dude, Leigh Stolworthy of East London. He described baseball as "a sport that is steeped in tradition and history and is more a way of life than a sport."

Of course he also added "Nice outfits! Skin tight pinstripes are just one small step away from leotards."

So I tried the approach of comparison. Since cricket is big there and I saw a few students playing it in the courtyard, I asked people to compare the two sports.

During a cultural exchange work visa in the Poconos, South African planner/engineer, Athol Moore found himself in a game of baseball. Upon overrunning second base because there is "no need to get gravel grazes by sliding," he found that the "Americans were amazed, how could I not know the rules to baseball? Didn't I play it at school? Didn't I watch it on TV? Didn't I play it with my Dad in the back yard? NO, we played cricket."

That explains it.

So if their baseball knowledge doesn't float your boat, maybe a list of the most deadly animals known to their world will tickle your fancy.

THE BIG FIVE, SOUTH AFRICAN STYLE:

(In no particular order and nothing to do with Philadelphia college basketball)

Leopard (Panthera Pardus) -- Stealthy and nocturnal, surveyors during the day, hunters by night, extremely agile and fast runners. Led National League in stolen bases six times since 1995.

Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) -- Weight in the tons, six pairs of molar teeth, upon aging, loses its teeth and dies from starvation. Elephants are fascinated by their own skeletons of the dead. For fun, they scatter the bones of their lost friends all over the land. WANTED: Elephant dentists.

Rhino (White: Ceratotherium Simum; Black: Dicerus Bicornis) -- Bad eyesight, loves to charge when threatened. The horn is more similar to hair than bone. For marking his territory, the male creates three dung piles and fills this triangle up with more dung (would be a baseball fan with one more dung pile). White Rhinos are more passive than black. Blondes DO NOT have more fun in Rhino World.

Lion (Panthera Leo) -- Nocturnal hunters. A pride consists of three to 30 lions. Males are relentless hunters at night, sleep up to 20 hours a day. They eat, hunt and procreate the other four hours (all this without beer). Will kill cubs of other males when he becomes King of the pride. Lionesses do the dirty work. Often responsible for stalking enemies and protecting the nucleus of the pride.

Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer) -- Herbivore, very quick-temper, travels in massive herds, loves to wallow in the mud to control parasites. Known to be friendly, unless shot and wounded or the butt of a Super Bowl joke.

I must say South Africa is a fantastic place to visit for all tastes. They say it is the "world in one country." Two thumbs up for South Africa. You may not find a lot of baseball, but you may encounter the Big Five. Just be sure you are in a very large vehicle. Preferably a tank.

With help from Wildnet Africa at www.wildnetafrica.co.za/bigfive

ESPN.com contributor and Phillies outfielder Doug Glanville is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Science and Systems Engineering.