Aat&Elly 12 - GOOD Morning(s) *

[aat]

*** NEW Travel Tales ***

01 - Arrival and first day...

It’s May 23 2014 and finally I can start with writing our Travel Tale (Aat & Elly) We visited Kruger from April 21th till May 8th.
Travelday…. From home to Bruxelles, good weather and nice flight to London. There we had to wait a few hours before the long flight to Johannesburg. When we booked the flights we saw we were going with the new airbus A380 , dubble deck for 500+ passengers. I was thinking… that will be a nice line-up in Johannesburg. But… we were flying on Eastern , never seen it so quiet at London Heathrow .
Then boarding… I was asking myself , this is it ? looking at the number of passengers.
We checked in by internet and made reservation for a two-seater at the upperdeck.
Sitting, waiting and then… message about leaving…etc… Next to us many many rows for 4 seats completely empty !!
So…. I took a 4 –seater and Elly the two seater …. Believe me, we had a wonderful flight. I felt asleep near south of france and woke up 2 hours before landing in J’Burg.
A380… such a quiet airplane.
J’Burg, picking up luggage and checked in with Airlink for flight to Nelspruit. All so nice and on time… picking up rental car and driving to Komatipoort (Crocodile Bridge). Stopped at SuperSpar to buy meat, drinks and many other things.
Getting closer to Kruger and special feelings back in our vaines. Crossing the bridge and yes… we are there where we like to be.

We always play the game : What animal do we see first… I won with the Wildebeast , just 10 seconds before Elly’s guess Zebra…. Smile….

On our way to Skukuza for the first night in wildlife paradise. Then 4 nights in Satara, 4 nights in Mopani, 4 nights in Shingwedzi , 4 nights again in Satara and last night in Skukuza.

Wish list ? Me….guess… tuskers ? and Elly … cats , all kinds

On our way we saw this nice raptor
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I heard that a special team in Kruger are just monitoring tuskers, how they do it..? Here is one of the team members checking all passing elephants or was it RP we saw... early for the mites-meeting

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First full day in Kruger… April 22
All packed and heading to Satara. We took the S36 (one of our beloved roads) so many memories here, like Sable, Lions, Leopard, Rhino, Painted Dogs etc… and now, starting with a Hyena calling.

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Just getting in shape for photographing and enjoying this sighting we moved on… ehhhh, just 100 meters and then at the righthandside Lions ! 4 Lions enjoying sunrise…
Looking at each other and saying yesssssssssss…. Giving high-five and big smiles…

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Because of the grass is was not easy to make good pictures but first day and early morning and 4 lions so close… nice welcome by kruger

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A bit later and our first elephant. Trunk in position “do I know you” ?

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Driving slowly the S36 and near junction with S125 a roadblock
I must say , roadblocks by animals …I love it and this one … not bad
Boy
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A love couple…
And girl

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and

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With your girlfriend you have to take care of yourself , cat – wash….

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Suddenly they decided to walk to the riverbed next to the S125, disappearing in the thick bush, so bye bye couple… waiting to see your cubs.

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End of a wonderful first day
More to come….


Aat & Elly

[aat]

Thanks all for the warm welcome to our TT , really appriciate all the nice comments and to all

@ Pumbaa - curious what Satara was offering us ? well, let's go on with day 2 and and find out


*** NEW Travel Tales ***
We visited Kruger from April 21th till May 8th.

02 - Breakfast with ...........


Day 2, it’s April 23rd , we are staying in Satara for 4 nights. 5:15 am and music starts playing, it’s wake up time since we like to go out early.
6:00 am and gate opens… many many cars, it’s holiday and it’s busy. Normally I decide at last moment where to go… Orpen, S100, Olifants or Tshokwane. So many options.
But…. I made my plan yesterday , talking to my 6th sense and decision was made. Plan: Following the road to Tshokwane and then my beloved S33. Last trip it was closed and did not like that at all. Re-opened and would like to go there… why ? Smileeeeeeee 6th sense…

On the main road towards Tshokwane we could say good morning to this rhino.

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Following the plan… turn-off S33 , first part nothing to see and getting closer to the Vutomi dam (or what is left) suddenly a nervous Hyena in front of us.

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From a distance nothing to see and I started doubting my plan. Just 1 km ahead and doubting was gone Elly jumped in the car, she really woke up completely in a split second. A big smile at my face from door to door.
That will be a very nice breakfast with ……….

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7 Lions , 6 adults and 1 cub. Parking the car a bit on higher part of the “old” dam, windows down…. and time for watching lions in a beautiful scenery and just for ourselves. What else do you need ?

Lions eating a wildebeast and at the other side of the Vutomi leftover dam an Impala… take care …. Lions are looking at you

I invite you to share our sighting… no much comments needed I guess

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Drinking our milk, eating some breakfast, enjoying sunrise with beautiful light and watching lions eating their breakfast…. Life can be so great

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As a statue…

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Mhhhh tongue ? breakfast seems to be nice

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Socializing , always so lovely to see mother and cub doing this…

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and

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Specially for the ladies … cub … so cute and funny dirty face

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A half our with them , all relaxed , eating …

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and drinking some water…

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And telling your family you like them ……

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And yes…. Still eating…. Why not

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You should have seen Elly… eyes blinking and then with this scene… a special Ohhhhhhhh
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I can’t better end this part then leaving you behind with another cute scene… mother take care of your child….

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Day two just started, we stayed an hour with these lions …. So I guess I have to write a bit more about this second day.

Thanks for joining and see you next part.

Aat & Elly

[aat]

Stay on the bus dup, got "some" more nice encounters to post here. And the other subject, the 3 documents / tuskers etc, let's say we are doing well here at Africa Wild and even being more busy with tusker entries then before. About the documents, I am working on a diffent lay-out, but not decided yet, but will present them soon I hope. This just between you and my, don't inform the other mites here....

Thanks aat, also on the bus and can't wait for the rest
Don't want to get sentimental but about these" monitors", I look at 3 flip files with data about north ,central and south and these files give me hours of pleasure,.. but that's a story for a other day..

[aat]

nan,
there was water in the vutomi, just not that much as before. the impala was walking near the part with the water.
I already can tell that Elly won with the cats... I could find 7 tuskers and Elly's cats , multiplied by 8 at least.
The cub was really stealing the show

S33... also one of my favorite

the Elly's day
how beautiful is to watch those big cats take care of their little ones

well done, wonderful images

just one question how the Impala can reflect... without water

[aat]

Very true, it was just great to see them doing their own thing, eating, going for a drink, socializing...it was like a slow moving film... and just to be there alone , no other cars , was really special way of enjoying.

Thanks Aat. A lovely pride - nice to see them going about their business and not just lying around sleeping and occasionally raising a head.

[aat]

There were some vultures around, one of the lions was chasing them , but loaded with breakfast she did it only two times with a look like ...pffff enough is enough... your feeling is right, that day had another nice surpirise for us...

They all actually look a bit scrubby from the meal.
And I see a vulture is already awaiting its turn.
Great sighting to start the day off with! Got the gut feeling this one is gonna
be an extra special day for you and Elly.

[aat]

Vutomi is not vutomi anymore but still a nice place and it's great this road has been re-opened.
Waterbuck ? I am not that good in ID;ing carcasses , tuskers are easier (I think) but believe you and Flutterby immediately...

So nice to see Vutomi with a lot of water still! The dam is very long...maybe it will last through the season?

The lion are eating a waterbuck!

[aat]

Thanks all for the nice comments and Pumbaa.... a bit more about these roads this part.

03 - Day 2 part II Puffff and Wowwww

Still day 2, April 23rd ,
We had a very nice breakfast with lions near Vutomi along the S33. As I said before we like the roads S33, S36 and S34.
To give you an impression what we have seen along these roads on day 2 I like to show you a number of sightings we had, very different ones and that’s what we like so much here.

On the S34 later on we met these gentle long-legged family

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A bit further this ground hornbill. Every camp was “advertising” about this bird and funny enough we have seen a lotttttt of them. This one at short distance and willing to be photographed.

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Back on the S36 we were just driving a few km’s and met this nice bull

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Because of the time we turned again at the junction with the S34 and suddenly we saw this beautiful snake…. Pufffffff puffff pufffff

The good thing with this snakes is…they are slow… they don’t spit at you so getting closer to capture him (or her) well.

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Elly wanted to see the puffadder too so a bit turning and giving her a good view. A nice way to have a good look for a moment.

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Turning again to make some last shots… think “puffy” smelled my aftershave… tongue out…

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Variety on these roads , still talking about the snake we found this rhino.

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Love to see them, specially in bad times for them.

Then driving the S36 and the…. Wowwwwwww… between the junction S33 and “Lugmag” dam this beauty not far from the road but a bit hidden after some bush…
Hoping he did not run away and showing himself better

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After Tuskers one of my very very favorite animals. A male Sable

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He was relaxed and not really in a hurry and “walking” with him I could capture him

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End of the afternoon… light was beautiful and walking away from us but then standing still and turning his head watching us.

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Last picture of him… just after this “shot” he really took off into the thicker bush.

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End of this part and end of a wonderful second day







Thanks for being with us again and much more to come, joining us “tomorrow” ?

Aat & Elly

[aat]

*** NEW Travel Tales ***
We visited Kruger from April 21th till May 8th.

Took a bit longer then planned but had some severe problems with PC, but it’s all solved now

Day 3 - From Satara to Lower Sabie

Day 3, April 24th ,
Early weakup call, ready for day 3. Are you joining us ?

This time no doubt where to go from Satara. We decided to have breakfast at Lower Sabie, trying out the new restaurant.
So, leaving Satara and on the main road towards Tshokwane and just after a few K’s we saw 4 lions on the road

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3 of them left the road into the grass and bush, the big male took his time and showed himself a bit more

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Moving on and closer to Tshokwane we found a pack of Hyena’s , walking fast , even running.

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Pfff…finally one was standing still for a picture.


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We passed Tshokwane and turned left to the H10… after the hills we spotted these Reedbuck.


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Reedbuck… antelope you don’t see that often so we watched them for some time.

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They were curious too. Nice sighting, we love to see these antilopes. Thinking about it, you see more lions then antelope like Reedbuck

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Following the H10 and coming closer to Lower Sabie we took the S29.

Suddenly big rocks at the righthand side, rocks…? No 8 rhino sleeping and just waking up.
So good to see them… and 8 together…



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Ok… you asked for a picture specially for you…

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Showtime on the bridge just before Lower Sabie
A large number of Crocodiles having breakfast. A dead Hyppo was on the menu

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Here some crocs taking their part…

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With big full belly trying to find a nice spot on the Crocodile Beach…

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After having breakfast at Lower Sabie (food is good !) we took the S28 and spotted this tortoise

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Turning left to Crocodile Bridge for a nice coffee (breakfast service is not longer available , another wrong decision made by SP !)
We wanted to cross this little bridge but … lions in the tree. Think they watched a leopard doing this and copied it. Snoozing in a tree. The good thing about it is, you can see them better then try to see them laying down in the high grass.

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Sleep…sleep…watching …sleep…

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and ..sleep…what else ??

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Elly is scoring and scoring with the cats…. So on the way back I was happy with a potential tusker spotten between Croc Bridge and Lower Sabie…. Mhhhh finally a halp point for me

Nice way of showing… no bush, ears wide…

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and more frontal… not bad

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End of this part and not a bad day again….


Thanks for joining and will be continued.

Aat & Elly

[aat]

First of all thanks for the lovely comments.
PC mail-crash resolved, handling more Tusker entries then ever and Dutch soccer team nog in the final so a bit more time for next episode of our TT



*** NEW Travel Tale ***
We visited Kruger from April 21th till May 8th.


05 – Leopard on the run and Leopard in the mist


Leopard on the run

Located in Mopani, we went to Phalaborwa for shopping. The way back was Phalaborwa to Letaba and from there back to Mopani.
Between Letaba and the bridge Elly spotted “something” behind a bush… so stop.. turn..en see wat’s there

A Cat ? Elly started something like ehhhh Yeppppppppp…. A leopard ?

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It was a leopard…so unextected. What was his/her plan ? moving into the bush or ?
She did what we hoped for, showing herself.

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It was all in just seconds…. She walked towards the road…. So could make this shot of her

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And then….. first time ever I have seen a leopard taking off so fast…


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It was our first leopard this trip and Elly was very exited since it was her first “find” of a leopard. It was incredible she saw this cat behind the little bush.


Leopard in the mist.

One of the drives we regularly make is from Satara towards Lower Sabie. Following the main road and going left to the H10 (Tshokwane > Lower Sabie).
That morning is was real foggy…some parts we had to drive very very slow. Towards the hills we suddenly saw something coming our direction… first thought “a hyena” but after some seconds we could say loud “Leopard !!!!”

Leopard in the mist
First shot and made this was a bit more clear.

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She was walking towards us… looked like her nose was injured.

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Wowwww… a leopard not running away or hiding fast…no… she was relaxed and not at all in a hurry and coming very close

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Sometimes standing still, looking around….



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My camera ? or my blue eyes…what did her make looking this way to me ?

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We stayed with her some time before she left the road and dispappeared in the bush and high grass. A last shot before she left…

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End of this storie…


Thanks for joining and will be continued.

Aat & Elly