Crunchy Meat Pie and other culinary delights!
Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:40 am
Day 0, Saturday 8 November : Home -> Pretoriuskop and
Day 1, Sunday 9 November : Pretoriuskop -> Maroela.
It was our second two week trip to the Kruger this year and we were hoping for a few more cats than in May when we didn't see a single Lion.
It was also our first Kruger trip with the Off-Road Trailer which proved to be a big change from our usual camping routine.
We had a variety of good days and bad days, including a five day stint at Balule which had us both champing at the bit to see anything other than the usual herbivores.
We also had a very special sighting, which involved the "Crunchy Meat Pie", that we'll talk about for years to come but I'll get to that at the appropriate time![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/asmile1.gif)
Our first night was at Pretoriuskop on the 8th of November after a journey without any drama apart from a detour in Mahusu, the town near Numbi Gate, which had us traveling around in circles for a while.
After checking in, finding a camping spot and setting up we still had plenty of time for a drive around the Pretoriuskop loops. Unfortunately, the light wasn't much good and there was, as usual for the area, a dearth of subject matter. The only thing worth getting the camera out for was a gorgeous Pygmy Kingfisher - a lifer for the SO and only the second time I've seen one.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/f5c8ad3ebbf841e3d36432e860104b7a.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/d71550190b422495d6ad47468fc3577e.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/af50ba90be8725322df422072cb95f38.jpg)
Back at camp I found a beautiful moth. EDIT : Toko has identified this as a Cream Cake Moth, which fits perfectly with this TT's theme!
: EDIT
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/c9051ac0a6047b930f5162637dd31666.jpg)
We didn't get up at zero-dark-thirty the next morning. Instead, we woke up when it was light, did a unhurried pack-up and went to the Wimpy for breakfast before setting off on the long journey to Maroela.
While we were packing up, we spied a gang of Dwarf Mongooses in the open area between us and the laundry so I crept up on them and took some pictures.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/180cc09f2161839599f31f3a6cd8c43b.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/04ed68ee5b533e8875cd20c24bf5840f.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/cd7aece522759a4d74c137fb275e4b5b.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/2e62a2742b696e6def22cd205c37a2eb.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/b632dab6077144dc45895b1188fb5125.jpg)
I also spotted a Laughing Dove taking a sand bath.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/18de0518061d1aa77d1af16ca276282c.jpg)
Then we were off for what turned out to be a leisurely drive along the S36 instead of the H1 with only a few things worth getting the camera out for.
Mocking Chat
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/fa753e031dff2268de9b1bc9d06880ba.jpg)
Vultures in the river bed.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/1385f5488ab3d5237e8dcb6b8f60ed63.jpg)
And assorted other animals.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/6ccb3cdab7b26960b9ad88b7f3986814.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/85ce351b20e884306086f3705a5ad2b1.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/1b8af0d2c8e8df22f6b0f563459eb836.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/8f5e69f08ff8af4625cd15a4ae23eb1b.jpg)
We stopped at Nhlanguleni for a coffee break and I found what I think is a Chafer Beetle.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/71a92155b876455cbf1662aff05346f4.jpg)
Back on the road, some more regulars including an enormous Giraffe.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/72dea048e0ef3c47574f5082e515cbb6.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/7a46b5063d771ac76d80ef5f534e3653.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/ae5acd263be28c9b9a5261f9d19827d9.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/124c8dd851720eb5700eaae748f5c7eb.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/d412c513b763456550060831097a0476.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/ee0c5ef97e7514f9cfecf809c12dced0.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/52310e394d9c59ad1579d576ec6c5abd.jpg)
We got to Maroela, set up and decided we'd had enough driving for the day so we stayed in camp for the rest of the afternoon.
All I found that night was a Cicada.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/251ee62a8647d6ffe0257427be09f798.jpg)
Day 1, Sunday 9 November : Pretoriuskop -> Maroela.
It was our second two week trip to the Kruger this year and we were hoping for a few more cats than in May when we didn't see a single Lion.
It was also our first Kruger trip with the Off-Road Trailer which proved to be a big change from our usual camping routine.
We had a variety of good days and bad days, including a five day stint at Balule which had us both champing at the bit to see anything other than the usual herbivores.
We also had a very special sighting, which involved the "Crunchy Meat Pie", that we'll talk about for years to come but I'll get to that at the appropriate time
![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/asmile1.gif)
Our first night was at Pretoriuskop on the 8th of November after a journey without any drama apart from a detour in Mahusu, the town near Numbi Gate, which had us traveling around in circles for a while.
After checking in, finding a camping spot and setting up we still had plenty of time for a drive around the Pretoriuskop loops. Unfortunately, the light wasn't much good and there was, as usual for the area, a dearth of subject matter. The only thing worth getting the camera out for was a gorgeous Pygmy Kingfisher - a lifer for the SO and only the second time I've seen one.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/f5c8ad3ebbf841e3d36432e860104b7a.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/d71550190b422495d6ad47468fc3577e.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/af50ba90be8725322df422072cb95f38.jpg)
Back at camp I found a beautiful moth. EDIT : Toko has identified this as a Cream Cake Moth, which fits perfectly with this TT's theme!
![Dance O/\](./images/smilies/dance3.gif)
![Yay O\/](./images/smilies/icon_hurra.gif)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/c9051ac0a6047b930f5162637dd31666.jpg)
We didn't get up at zero-dark-thirty the next morning. Instead, we woke up when it was light, did a unhurried pack-up and went to the Wimpy for breakfast before setting off on the long journey to Maroela.
While we were packing up, we spied a gang of Dwarf Mongooses in the open area between us and the laundry so I crept up on them and took some pictures.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/180cc09f2161839599f31f3a6cd8c43b.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/04ed68ee5b533e8875cd20c24bf5840f.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/cd7aece522759a4d74c137fb275e4b5b.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/2e62a2742b696e6def22cd205c37a2eb.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/b632dab6077144dc45895b1188fb5125.jpg)
I also spotted a Laughing Dove taking a sand bath.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/18de0518061d1aa77d1af16ca276282c.jpg)
Then we were off for what turned out to be a leisurely drive along the S36 instead of the H1 with only a few things worth getting the camera out for.
Mocking Chat
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/fa753e031dff2268de9b1bc9d06880ba.jpg)
Vultures in the river bed.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/1385f5488ab3d5237e8dcb6b8f60ed63.jpg)
And assorted other animals.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/6ccb3cdab7b26960b9ad88b7f3986814.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/85ce351b20e884306086f3705a5ad2b1.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/1b8af0d2c8e8df22f6b0f563459eb836.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/8f5e69f08ff8af4625cd15a4ae23eb1b.jpg)
We stopped at Nhlanguleni for a coffee break and I found what I think is a Chafer Beetle.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/71a92155b876455cbf1662aff05346f4.jpg)
Back on the road, some more regulars including an enormous Giraffe.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/72dea048e0ef3c47574f5082e515cbb6.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/7a46b5063d771ac76d80ef5f534e3653.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/ae5acd263be28c9b9a5261f9d19827d9.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/124c8dd851720eb5700eaae748f5c7eb.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/d412c513b763456550060831097a0476.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/ee0c5ef97e7514f9cfecf809c12dced0.jpg)
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/52310e394d9c59ad1579d576ec6c5abd.jpg)
We got to Maroela, set up and decided we'd had enough driving for the day so we stayed in camp for the rest of the afternoon.
All I found that night was a Cicada.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/251ee62a8647d6ffe0257427be09f798.jpg)