I have a few, but below is an extract from one of my TR’s and it rates towards the top of my list
About 5km from Mlondozi I was starting to feel green again and the familiar beads of sweat were starting on the forehead, 6km to the loo!!! A few minutes later I realized that 25km/h wasn’t going to cut it, so I was on the walkie talkie to Supernova, who was in front. “Best pull over, I need to pass now!!” Supernova pulled over and I was up to 40km/h.
With 2km to Mlondozi I said to the SO “I’m not going to make it”, she replied “Go in the bush”, which had Bushpiggy howling with laughter, but I didn’t share a joke. All I could think about was my butt on the gallery of shame, or even worse, getting chased through the grass naked by a lion, so I said “Dig your nails into my arm and distract me”
The SO then came up with another plan “Climb in the back of the bakkie and sit on the cooler box”, which had all the rats howling with laughter. Neither option appealed to me.
The next 1.5km were the longest of my life!!
I hit the ground at Mlondozi car park running, but to my horror no toilet paper!!! Sprint back to the car and steal the kid’s tissues, back to the loo.
5 minutes later and with a more stable blood pressure, I wondered who else was at Mlondozi and what they thought about me running backwards and forwards through the car park. Eventually I decided to slowly sneak out the loo and casually waddle down to the thatched boma, but I felt my head glowing the entire way down. Fortunately nobody seemed to have noticed, so my confidence returned and the skottel breakfast was under way, but the “green feeling” was still there.
Its a WILD life....
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
Nice one Bushcraft, glad you made it in time.
On my first ever trip to Kruger, we were staying at Sirheni. This particular morning, A decides she wants a lie in as we were due to leave for Shingwedzi later in the morning and wanted more time to pack. She promised J and I a nice breakfast on the stoep would be ready on our return at 8:00am. Off we went, first out the gate to find some exciting wildlife to watch.
As the light gathered and we started to watch for birds and mammals, we found ourselves on a very quiet loop along one of the dirt trails. A small flock of African Green Pigeons were feeding in a roadside tree. J said that they were A's favourite birds and she would be very jealous of our sighting.
After spending some time with them, J tried to start the (hired) bakkie......nothing, nada, zilch. Not even a click. Nothing turned.
"We are on a hill," says J, "I'll bump start it down the road."
Nothing, nada, zilch, S**t!
"OK, we need to check the electrics out." says J.
This meant getting out and going to the rear of our vehicle.
We found a slightly burnt wire and after some MacGyver like tinkering with a swiss army knife, some sticky-backed plastic and a lot of checking out the bush for wildlife, we jumped back in.
Nothing, nada, zilch, c**p!
"Ok, you push us back up the hill and I'll try to bump start it again." says J.
Have you ever tried pushing a VW combi up a sand tracked hill on your own? No? Well don't bother, I know it's not worth the effort!
We sat in the bakkie for what seemed like ages before two cars came around the corner. I ran out to push us out of the way and explained to the occupants our predicament. They promised to report our breakdown to the gate at Sirheni and we asked them to let A know where we were and that we were ok.
Later, much, much later, still no one has turned up. No ther cars had passed by, so we had no idea if we were to be rescued or not.
I was getting thirsty and started to root around for a drink when I noticed that my camera bag had something red and plastic caught in the strap.
"What's this?" I enquired of J.
"Looks like a key of somesorts. Where did you find it?"
"Under the seat, stuck to my camera bag strap." I replied.
We moved things out from under our feet and discovered where the offending red plastic thingy fitted.
We inserted it into where it was supposed to go then had a EUREKA moment when we realised that it was the immobiliser key to the vehicle.
The bakkie started first time and we headed off back to camp.
At the gate, we reported in and explained what had happened. We were told that the breakdown vehicle had not left Shingwedzi yet, so there was no problem there. Phew!
At out chalet, A was livid. No-one had told her that we had been stuck. She had made a wonderful cooked breakfast for us and was just about to throw it away in disgust at our being out enjoying ourselves. After explanations and a hurried packing of the bakkie. We ate our breakfast (cold) when A told us that as she was busy packing, a ranger knocked on the window and beckoned her outside.
He told her in that slow, unhurried way that only a ranger can..........
"Leopard........at the fence."
A watched in amazement as the Leopard walked along the trail the other side of the fence. An amazing view which was very close.
The Leopard proceeded to walk along the fence.....right past out breakfast which was laid out on the table.
On my first ever trip to Kruger, we were staying at Sirheni. This particular morning, A decides she wants a lie in as we were due to leave for Shingwedzi later in the morning and wanted more time to pack. She promised J and I a nice breakfast on the stoep would be ready on our return at 8:00am. Off we went, first out the gate to find some exciting wildlife to watch.
As the light gathered and we started to watch for birds and mammals, we found ourselves on a very quiet loop along one of the dirt trails. A small flock of African Green Pigeons were feeding in a roadside tree. J said that they were A's favourite birds and she would be very jealous of our sighting.
After spending some time with them, J tried to start the (hired) bakkie......nothing, nada, zilch. Not even a click. Nothing turned.
"We are on a hill," says J, "I'll bump start it down the road."
Nothing, nada, zilch, S**t!
"OK, we need to check the electrics out." says J.
This meant getting out and going to the rear of our vehicle.
We found a slightly burnt wire and after some MacGyver like tinkering with a swiss army knife, some sticky-backed plastic and a lot of checking out the bush for wildlife, we jumped back in.
Nothing, nada, zilch, c**p!
"Ok, you push us back up the hill and I'll try to bump start it again." says J.
Have you ever tried pushing a VW combi up a sand tracked hill on your own? No? Well don't bother, I know it's not worth the effort!
We sat in the bakkie for what seemed like ages before two cars came around the corner. I ran out to push us out of the way and explained to the occupants our predicament. They promised to report our breakdown to the gate at Sirheni and we asked them to let A know where we were and that we were ok.
Later, much, much later, still no one has turned up. No ther cars had passed by, so we had no idea if we were to be rescued or not.
I was getting thirsty and started to root around for a drink when I noticed that my camera bag had something red and plastic caught in the strap.
"What's this?" I enquired of J.
"Looks like a key of somesorts. Where did you find it?"
"Under the seat, stuck to my camera bag strap." I replied.
We moved things out from under our feet and discovered where the offending red plastic thingy fitted.
We inserted it into where it was supposed to go then had a EUREKA moment when we realised that it was the immobiliser key to the vehicle.
The bakkie started first time and we headed off back to camp.
At the gate, we reported in and explained what had happened. We were told that the breakdown vehicle had not left Shingwedzi yet, so there was no problem there. Phew!
At out chalet, A was livid. No-one had told her that we had been stuck. She had made a wonderful cooked breakfast for us and was just about to throw it away in disgust at our being out enjoying ourselves. After explanations and a hurried packing of the bakkie. We ate our breakfast (cold) when A told us that as she was busy packing, a ranger knocked on the window and beckoned her outside.
He told her in that slow, unhurried way that only a ranger can..........
"Leopard........at the fence."
A watched in amazement as the Leopard walked along the trail the other side of the fence. An amazing view which was very close.
The Leopard proceeded to walk along the fence.....right past out breakfast which was laid out on the table.
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
I felt like a total idiot about this one.....
It was our last night in Kruger (Skukuza)
There was about 3/4 of a bag of wood, and I was making our final braai.
Used the entire remains of the wood, made a rather high pile of wood in the braai.
The Mrs sees and tells me I am being silly. We don't need to make such a big braai. Just leave the wood I don't need. Yadda yadda yadda.
Of course I know better and ignore her.
So I light the braai, and go into the bungalow to get a beer when there is a loud noise outside.
The braai had toppled over.
There I was trying to turn it the right way and get the burning logs back in the braai.
Needless to say the Mrs had a lot to say........
It was our last night in Kruger (Skukuza)
There was about 3/4 of a bag of wood, and I was making our final braai.
Used the entire remains of the wood, made a rather high pile of wood in the braai.
The Mrs sees and tells me I am being silly. We don't need to make such a big braai. Just leave the wood I don't need. Yadda yadda yadda.
Of course I know better and ignore her.
So I light the braai, and go into the bungalow to get a beer when there is a loud noise outside.
The braai had toppled over.
There I was trying to turn it the right way and get the burning logs back in the braai.
Needless to say the Mrs had a lot to say........
-
Flutterby
- Posts: 44028
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:28 pm
- Country: South Africa
- Location: Gauteng, South Africa
- Contact:
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
I'm sure you've all already heard and seen my most embarrassing moment....mistaking a hyena for a wild dog! If not, here goes.......
View My Video
View My Video
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
Great stories!
I can't see with the shaky camera flutts. I take your word for it that its a wild dog
I can't see with the shaky camera flutts. I take your word for it that its a wild dog
-
Flutterby
- Posts: 44028
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:28 pm
- Country: South Africa
- Location: Gauteng, South Africa
- Contact:
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
You're not meant to be able to see...it's the commentary that's the embarrassing part!
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
Actually, this reminds me of another story.
2 years ago I took my in-laws to the KNP. They had never been, and I had been many times, and they kept referring me as an expert, even though I don't consider myself one by any means.
So.........
We were in the car driving up to Satara from Skukuza and it was a pretty hot time of the day.
Suddenly I stop. Out of the corner of my eye I had seen some wild dogs resting in the shade of a tree. They were lying quite still but it was quite hot. There I am telling the in-laws how rare they are and how lucky we are to see them.
A car pulls up next to us, and my father in law points out the wild dogs to them. About half a minute later there is a traffic jam. Then the man in the car who had parked next to us leans out of the window laughing and tells us the "wild dogs" are actually rocks. And he drives off.
So now I start praying. "Please move and prove me right" Not because I actually want to see the dogs. But because I don't want to look like a total idiot
But nope. All the other cars drove off. And there we were. Watching rocks under a tree.
At least the in-laws didn't give me too much of a hard time about it
2 years ago I took my in-laws to the KNP. They had never been, and I had been many times, and they kept referring me as an expert, even though I don't consider myself one by any means.
So.........
We were in the car driving up to Satara from Skukuza and it was a pretty hot time of the day.
Suddenly I stop. Out of the corner of my eye I had seen some wild dogs resting in the shade of a tree. They were lying quite still but it was quite hot. There I am telling the in-laws how rare they are and how lucky we are to see them.
A car pulls up next to us, and my father in law points out the wild dogs to them. About half a minute later there is a traffic jam. Then the man in the car who had parked next to us leans out of the window laughing and tells us the "wild dogs" are actually rocks. And he drives off.
So now I start praying. "Please move and prove me right" Not because I actually want to see the dogs. But because I don't want to look like a total idiot
But nope. All the other cars drove off. And there we were. Watching rocks under a tree.
At least the in-laws didn't give me too much of a hard time about it
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
Whahahahaha. I did the same thing to a convoy at Imfolozi, but drove off when I realized my mistake, but they all stayed looking at the rocks. I wonder how long they sat waiting for the rocks to move
-
iNdlovu
- Posts: 4319
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 11:58 am
- Country: South Africa
- Location: Lowveld, South Africa
- Contact:
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
Rocks should be banned in any game reserve, they have made a fool of all of us at some time.
-
Flutterby
- Posts: 44028
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:28 pm
- Country: South Africa
- Location: Gauteng, South Africa
- Contact:
Re: Your Most Embarrasing Moment
But they add to the excitement!!!
Years ago we took my gran to Kruger....we were stopping for almost every single rock, which she insisted was a lion or leopard, and she then got most upset when my dad eventually refused to stop again! She even saw angels on horseback!!
Years ago we took my gran to Kruger....we were stopping for almost every single rock, which she insisted was a lion or leopard, and she then got most upset when my dad eventually refused to stop again! She even saw angels on horseback!!