On top our believed 16 year old female cat Noriko was ill for a longer period already and even died in the night before we were scheduled to board the aircraft so we were extreme sad at least the comfortable thing when talking about comfortable at all that she slept peacefully in on her favourite place and went over the rainbow bridge but we were and are still that sad that we lost her but she must have been with us during that trip as the title might reveal and is still with us.
Overall we never felt uncomfortable during that trip as everyone either at the airport, in the lodges or in Kruger itself did their very best to took effects and worked out concepts that are logical and made the best out of the present situation to keep either staff or customers healthy and to continue at least a “normal” life as far as possible.
Friday, 12. February 2021 – O.R. Tambo – Malelane
It was in fact a strange and so totally different start to our trip but we finally made it and also the forms we had to fill in and negative covid tests we had to made prior to our trip worked out well so that the passport check was done in no minute and also at the car rental station we were through in record time and we already thought that we might made it also in record time to our lodge in Malelane this year but we were so wrong…..First we had been held up in a traffic jam due to a car accident for half and hour and then on the N4 prior and after Nelspruit there were several road works within a very short distance which nearly took endless with even stop and go in between but we somehow made it and even had time for an excessive shopping marathon at the Malelane Spar which was packed with people on that Friday afternoon….for sure we then arrived only around 17.00 o’clock at our lodge but it was unbelievable that we were here so that I was not that unhappy when Timon simply grabbed his camera to stroll a bit around in the garden of the lodge to the river until it would get too dark whilst I was busy with the un- or better to say repacking of our luggage and stuff for our Kruger stay although I would have loved to spent a bit time as well with him close to the river but I enjoyed the view from time to time from the balcony.
The Crocodile river was full after the recent heavy rainfalls and the flowers were flourishing as also during the previous years
but this year we unfortunately did not detect any sunbird on top of the flowers.
On the other side of the river a bush acted as resting spot for white breasted cormorants
and the more carefully we watched to the bush the more we discovered.
A couple of Egyptian goose were hanging around on some sand islands in the river
and also a large crocodile enjoyed taking a sunbath.
The black smith plovers were plentiful and stood in perfect V formation.
The views into the nearby landscape were not that bad either
but it already looked very much as if heavy rain clouds are about to arrive.
As not much more was hanging around Timon decided to pay also the small pond at the parking area of the lodge a visit and here lots of weavers were busy in building
or refurbishing their nests.
Needless to say that the noise level was ear-splitting but how we missed that – Sigh!
Also the pond itself was full of water and so the trees and bushes around the pond attracted all the birdies
although must say that this year we only spotted weavers there.
Meanwhile it was already late and Timon went back to the river for a short visit there before the rain might set in and there a spur-winged goose just took off a bird we unfortunately had not seen that regular in Kruger over the past years.
Timon now joined me at our balcony and from there we had a nice view onto a group of spreckled mousebirds at least onto one of them as the others stayed too much hidden
indeed another lovely sighting right at the beginning of our trip
and meanwhile the rain started slowly and got within seconds more and more
and we already thought that we might come drenched to the restaurant but shortly before we had booked our table it was dry again and so we enjoyed dinner from the deck with a view into the riverbed very much and as already our previous visits here revealed that the food and service is always excellent and so it was today and we fell nearly right in bed when we were back at our room where the ordered breakfast packs waited already for us.
to be continued…..
Obviously you made it as you are back home 
A good thing that you left and had other things to think about 
