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We left our lodge and proceeded to climb to a summit near Pilgrims' Rest at 1778 meters. Descending to Hazyview we drove through banana and avocado fields. Around White River we were again in far-reaching forest plantations. At Nelspruitt we hit sugarcane country. As we turned off the main highway toward Swaziland, we hit about 25 km. of road construction. Wasn't bad since we seemed to hit all the through traffic while seeing the oncoming traffic stalled. Our big delay was at the Swaziland border. We were just behind a large tour bus and a mini-bus. Everyone had to go through immigration individually. That took up the better part of an hour. Our entry point was Jeppe's Reef. Swaziland is quite scenic and mountainous in the North. Some small scale (family) plots of corn and massive forest plantations in this area but otherwise it is hard to fathom how people make a living here.
Our lodge is Reilly's Rock, a 100+ year old farm house owned by a wealthy farmer. It has been turned into a lodge with about 8 rooms. Very quaint and rustic but quite well-appointed. Well worth the 4-star rating. The only issue is the 3 or so km. of rough unpaved road to get to it. Oh well, that is the price to pay for a great place in a wildlife reserve. Prior to dinner one of the staff (and the guests) fed bananas to small monkeys called bushbabies. Dinner was served around the open pit fire on which much of the meal was cooked.
It is hot (40C). We may get some rain in a few days but so far nothing has interfered with our travels. We notice the courteous nature of drivers in South Africa. For, example, slow drivers will pull over to the shoulder to allow others to pass. In appreciation, the passing driver flashes his or her hazard warning light.
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