11/04/2016
Lower Sabie
We were heading back to camp when we saw a few cars stopped up ahead. There were some lions in the riverbed but they were hidden. We searched up and down the river, until eventually the Brat spotted one.
© Bush Brat
Another one walked onto a sandbank, looking very interested in some waterback on the other side.
We counted 3 lions, and a Hooded Vulture hoping for dinner.
We had to leave the lions otherwise we would be late for camp. But as often happens, a couple of kms further on we came across a big black-maned lion walking down the middle of the road, making lots of noise!
There were other cars in front of us so we had to wait until he eventually decided to leave the road before we got a pic.
© Bush Brat
We couldn't stop to get more pics as we were now running late but we made it through the gate with seconds to spare!
We then set about our normal evening rituals, with Mommo lighting the fire, the Brat filling in his daily diary, and me starting on dinner. I put some potatoes on to boil and made a salad, but all of a sudden I started to feel nauseous.
I tried to forget about it but just before dinner was ready, I felt really horrible and excused myself. I took some anti-nausea medication and got into bed, feeling freezing cold and sick.
I managed to fall asleep and woke up about 1 and half hours later feeling slightly better. Mommo and the Brat had finished their dinner of pork chops, boiled potatoes and salad, and the Brat had done all the washing up.
I decided that a hot shower would sort me out, so off I went to the ablution block. Inside there was a woman with two small kids looking in all the toilet and bath/shower stalls. She then told me that there had been a snake in one of the toilet stalls earlier but they didn't know where it was now!!
She and her kids left and I was trying to decide what to do when I heard her talking to someone outside who mentioned "python". I went outside where a young guy was showing the kids a python in a tree right outside the ladies ablutions.
I decided to call the Brat and Mommo, and get the camera. It was still a young snake, so not too scary.
A small crowd had now gathered and the guy who had found the python also showed us a scorpion.
Thinking the bathroom was now safe I said I was off to shower when the woman who had originally told me about the snake said the python was not what had been in the bathroom!
I then asked the "python guy" if he would take a look in the ablutions. He went into the stall where the snake had originally been seen, and said it was still there in a hole. I braved a look over his shoulder and saw this tiny little head poking out of the hole.
He assured me that it was a grass snake and completely harmless.
Now that I knew where and what the snake was I felt more comfortable about taking a shower...albeit a quick one!!
When I got back to our hut Mommo just shook his head and said my friends and family would declare me crazy for showering with a snake!
Later on, Mommo went to use the ablutions and reported back that the ablutions were now safe as he had seen the snake being caught and released over the fence.
However, the Brat was not happy with this whole episode and used the public ablutions only when absolutely necessary over the next couple of days.
You cannot have lions AND leopards every day
Thanks for the lovely comments. 
