OK, OK, OK!!
Thanks for all the replies guys and my reply to you guys is the next installment because that is all what you want - I am sure! -O
Sept. 29 – Johannesburg to Orpen – Part 3
We approached the next traffic jam slowly, scanning the bush. We assumed it was a leopard from what that man had told us earlier. I was the one who spotted it…..in a tree right next to the road.
Our first view...
We were quite far from it at first, but people kept leaving and we got closer and closer until we were virtually underneath it!
Not sure if it was male or female but it was so beautiful so I will call it a ‘she’! She changed positions a few times but seemed quite unconcerned with all the mayhem below. Although, it did look as if she wanted to get down a few times, and probably would have if there had been fewer cars.
We had had a fantastic leopard sighting on our last trip of 3 leopards in the road but in terms of photographic opportunity this was even better! By this time Rex and Johanna were almost speechless – lion, cheetah and now leopard!! What are the chances? We stayed with her for about 45 mins, and then decided we had better move on. We had been in the car all day and still had to check in and unpack, and who knows what else we might still see!
We made quick trip back to the cheetah but they were still in the same place. Moving on we turned off to show Rex and Johanna the baobab tree and then carried on to Nsemani. There was a croc out the water and an ellie who had just finished drinking and was heading back to the road. When we caught up with him, we noticed he had a floppy left ear.
We eventually arrived at Orpen at about 5.20 after a very long day. Check-in was quick and efficient. This was our first time at Orpen , and we found it utterly charming. We were in Unit 13 – a family bungalow - which had 2 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a lovely big verandah. We could see the waterhole quite clearly and lots of animals came down to drink throughout the evening.
We lit the fire and settled down to enjoy our first night in Kruger, and Rex and Johanna marveled over their first day in the African bush. My mom had made a potato bake, thinking there was an oven (there was one in the pic on the website ) but there wasn’t! So we filled a pot with water, put the lid on upside down, put the potato dish on the lid and covered it with another lid – voila - “’n boer maak ‘n plan”! This was accompanied by pork chops, boerewors and avo salad – delicious.
After dinner, we decided to take one last walk to the waterhole before collapsing into bed. Not a minute after getting to the fence, something came to drink – at first we thought it was a lion, but then realized it was a leopard!!! More unbelievable luck!!
Although, even with everything we had seen, we had not found the Big 5 – no rhino!
My mom went to shower and when I got out I gave the waterhole another peek, and saw a hyena!! Everyone was in bed by now, but of course I had to check it out, so it was back to the fence in my PJ’s!! I now wanted to stay up all night but I was finished, so it was off to bed. Tomorrow was another day!
