Africa Wild

Day 6 Afternoon Drive

To answer the burning question, I did indeed add the Sheila on BBM But the blonde Sheila was only likely to accept the invite once she is in the land of cell-phone reception. At any rate, it was time to visit sunset dam I thought!! This was my last afternoon in the Park!

Day 6 Afternoon


The Blackberry updates were indicating leopard and lion near Skuks, but for my last afternoon in the park, I was not going to follow the crowd. I wanted rather to just cruise along on my favourite afternoon route

Stopping over near the still, serene, sunset dam, all the usual suspects are there to greet me! The crocarocks baking in the sun. Nile cold blooded killers of a few hundred kg's that are about as scary as they come! Hippster blobs were surfacing with a spout whilst others blobbed around on the far river bed. And Mr Gosling was attempting to direct the waters!


Sir munchalot was a pleasantfant!!

I nestle my camera down on the passenger seat and shift my sitting position to look properly at the lad! There was a sense that as much as I was observing him, he was observing me too! When I look at the others in the herd, munchy turns his attention back to the green leaves. But the second I look at him, his eyes focus on me once more! I wonder what wisdom he could share with me.



Onto the s28where the croaky singing announces the presence of our visitor!
What a joy!!


Zappidy Zeebs stood in the road giving me the bizarre look!
Okes are just standing around up in this place. I slowly edge past the striped lovelies! Looking left and right at slow pace I find the next peeping Tom staring me down!
Mr Legolas was surveying out the grasslands below near Duke's waterhole!

I come back to the open plains and park of by a dancing Willie!

Swinging his head, and stomping his hooves every now and then, this Willie was as happy as could be!! The European Bee Eater also watched the dancing show but decided against joining
Perhaps the Willie was in love?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Giants were passing through the grasslands!

He did not mind my presence at all. He just went about his business as per usual.

Another one bites the dust!

Well we do not need to dwell too long on the topic of poop. It is a voodoo topic! More of the land mine placers swooped in for an afternoon swig of water!

There is not a better end to a day, than spending it with our precious

When I was tiny, my father would pick me up, and take me outside when I was being a tearful brat. He would say look at the moooon! Then I would repeat: moooon! And there we would stay until I was content and over myself. Even when I was an emo teenager, I would run outside and lie on the trampoline and look up at the moon and happy memories. But now the therapeutic effect of old is replaced by fear. I cannot help but wonder if our beautiful Rhonnies are safe when I see the full moon. What would we not do, to keep every one safe? And what would I give to look at a full moon and smile once more. These animals have caused the tears to run down our cheeks. But seeing a rhonnie now means a lot more than it did before. There as added dimension of treasuring the animal so much more! now And I was grateful to spend as much time as gate closing would allow with my friend here :D


Next up - The drive out (all good things come to an end)

The final Night!

The final night at Lower Sabie was an 'interesting' one. A February Kruger night where rain is absent, is a sweaty one! The best idea is to just accept this and become friends with sweat!] Removing unnecessary clothing is also a solid plan! So I settle into sleeping position saying goodnight to my tent-mates. Peter And Parker When I felt myself waking up, I thought it felt like my sleep was short lived. I woke up slapping my legs I shone my torch down beneath and found a huge ant infestation!
The photo does not pick up the beasts very well!

I dash out of the tent and drag the ground mattress out and shake it like like a crazy man! After some effort I take another look with the torch … Hardly a difference!! I started taking personal offence to the ants persistence on clinging on to the mattress!! So I decided to get committed with the shaking! These flippin Ants started crawling up onto my body! So the shaking was joined by some heavy metal head banging! Once I thought most of the ants were now safely off the ground mattress and had made friends with my body instead, I tossed the mattress back in the tent! This was followed by some loony ant shaking dance accompanied by some weird tribal sounds!
I ran off to an ant free patch and it was then for the first time, that I looked around and saw my German neighbours looking quite shocked at the performance by the hairy lad in boxers Totally embarrassed, I get that sheepish expression on my face and realise I need to converse with the grumpy looking Germans But of coarse I do not even know how to say sorry in German! So I just settle for “Alles Gut”. And even that did not bring on a German smile!
Well, It was not long after falling asleep again that my alarm went off!

Day 7 - The Drive Out!



Wake up! Wake up lad! One last drive!



I better keep it down! Lest I wake the fury of the grumpy Germans from their slumber! They must just know that I am Switzerland
Right!
Find the torch between the ants!
Get the flask of coffee ready!
Pack up the tent (in pitch darkness)
Pack the car!
Get to the gate half an hour early!


In the darkness I trip over a bag I placed there moments ago! Face down in the dirt, the ants were given a chance to acquire sweet revenge as they scurried as quick as they could on to my body!

The milli-second when I felt my foot touch that bag I knew what would be required of me ... now all that could save me was the 'Shake it, shake, shake it off ant dance'!! This dance move might yet become internationally recognized as cool! Or even become the new National Sport. Starting with a group of billy goat grumpy Germans at Lower Sabie!

Back to reality, where a fully packed Casper pulled up behind Bornfree's 4x4 behind the Lower Sabie gate. It was time for another lekker pre-drive chat with the legend. Apparently, she comes to Lower Sabie every time, and stays there for 10 days at a time! Somebody who knows what they like As I turn right and she turns left, I imagine that we will someday meet again for an early morning chat. Since Lower Sabie will certainly see me again ;) The traffic and attitude of drivers in the South is the negative, however the game viewing makes up for it! I have never seen so many lazy horses in one trip before! I usually see one leopard on every second trip and now this trip I have seen 7 individuals!! ]

Also In Lower Sabie's favour, is the variety of routes one can drive! And two of my favourite roads in the Park, the S28, and the H10 being on LS's doorstep! Yet that morning I was driving the famous H4-1 highway. I was a good 10km's out of LS and had been over taken numerous times already! I could not meander too slowly on route home either. I was keeping up a 35km/hour pace which is quite fast if you are the only eyes in the car having to look left and right into the tick February bush! It gives me only enough time to glance into the bush momentarily and hope to spot something out of place, before the neck rotation to the other side proceeds. It was a relief therefore, when I reached a rare open space on my right where I can take more with the sidewards glance than normal. It was on this occasion, that the corner of my eye did detect a texture ever so slightly out of place. And upon stopping my car I had realised that my sharpest spot of the trip was saved for the last day!

There Leana Leon lay looking at me as if to say “Oh you see me do you? The others didn't even care to stop!”
Leana thought it right to impress me with a yawn!

I recognized her brown collor around her neck meant she was marked as a Lioness in good condition with cubs! Yet I could not see any other leons in this grass. She sat up

Then it happened! A playful little Simba said “Good morning mooooom!”

After some persistent nagging

Leana Leon eventually agreed to move on!


What a stunning sighting I had to myself on the most unlikely of roads!!

Soon after take off one of Heksie's spies was peering into the car from above the trees as if to watch that I do not sing off keyin my morning joy!


I parked next to Socrabob on the H12 bridge who was engaging in his usual philosophical hermeneutics contemplation. The Socrabob method is a story for another Travel Tale. Today Socrabob was putting forth the point of our “historically effected consciousness” and how deeply our understanding is founded in our particular history and culture. Socrabob calls for a humility to learn from others. To allow a 'fusion of horizons'. Perhaps my travelling alone has made me completely loony! But I will always enjoy a philosophical encounter with the wise leader on the H12 bridge!

The Giant among the Kingfishers was also listening I'll have you know! Although he seemed less concerned about fusing horizons, and more concerned with catching a fish!


Tomothy TesticleBuff did not seem impressed by me disturbing his morning peace!


I had just passed Skukuza now and the Ena lads were having a race!
Left Ena


Right Ena


Farewell lads! See you next month!


The woody was also singing his beautiful farewell song!


I decided that I had enough time to cut across the S65 and go out at Numbi gate. Although I must admit my thoughts were completely elsewhere! Thinking of where I'm going to stop for petrol and a bite on the way back to Jozi. Thinking about checking my tyre pressure and clearing the visibility out my rear-view mirror. All these thoughts making me forget I was in the park, when I found a Jeep parked off at the river crossing on the S65. After pulling up alongside them, I saw what they were looking at;
A young Rosetta!










I do not know exactly how long I sat there for … but it was so long that I entirely forgotten about the objective of reaching home! Rosetta was just so beautiful!


It was only when I zoned back in to reality when I noticed about 7 cars around me! Transfixed by Ros I did not even notice the roaring car engines behind me! I set off for home, but was first greeted by Smileyfant

Despite the tear marks on the cheek, a broad smile could be seen.
A lot like me at that very moment.


I knew that what awaited me in the city was a question regarding my future plans. Indeed it was not long before my father asked me for a verdict after my pilgrimage to Kruger. It reminded me of the song Pilgrim by Enya.

Pilgrim, how you journey
On the road you chose
To find out why the winds die
And where the stories go.

All days come from one day
That much you must know,
You cannot change what's over
But only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,
One way leads to gold,
Another leads you only
To everything you're told.

In your heart you wonder
Which of these is true;
The road that leads to nowhere,
The road that leads to you.

Each heart is a pilgrim,
Each one wants to know
The reason why the winds die
And where the stories go.

Pilgrim, in your journey
You may travel far,
For pilgrim it's a long way
To find out who you are...


This trip was certainly my most memorable to Kruger! I had many a conversation with the aMiNals! I was blessed lazy horses and other delights! And an epiphany looking over Nkumbe as the highlight! I hope you enjoyed the trip Report!

And what of Aussie babe??



Well we were in contact via Blackberry. And it turns out she once lived in SA! And she will be in town for a while! And what's more, we have a mutual friend, Ash from my class in Varsity! (small world). So we met up at the pub near me!

Drum Roll
Drum Roll
Drum Roll

AUSSIE BABE!


She is an eccentric and bonkers girl!


Ash and Aussie

Myself and Ash

I'm not going to share the pic of Aussie and I later that night! The pub had its toll on at least one of us //\0--

Check out the vid I made for the trip
(I don't know how to do the neat vid upload)