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The alarm went off at 5:45am as planned. We quickly threw ourselves together and were out the door with our little coffee mugs in hand and through the gate for some lion spotting. We got to see some more rhino and some hippos on the drive down to Lower Sabie but the lions remained elusive. We had a quick toilet break at the camp site and then it was back for the return trip.
As we were heading back there were a few cars stopped on the road which is always a sign that there is something good to see. We were looking around but couldn't see what they were looking at, there certainly wasn't a pride of lions in the immediate area. A young boy in one of the cars wound his window down to let us know that a crocodile had just snatched an impala and was making its way to shore with it. Poor impala, but we had to snap some pictures.
We kept moving on. Another group of stopped cars were ahead. This time there were a herd of elephants crossing the road. We thought, no problem we can wait this out. Then the biggest elephant we have seen comes out of the shrub and starts heading for a little white car on the road. The car moves forward and the elephant just keeps following it down the road. The elephant's tusks were so long they looked like they were only about 60cm off the ground. As it was walking along it kept resting its trunk on its tusk. Understandable, those things must get heavy hanging off their face like that. For 30 minutes this elephant walked down the road holding up cars and at one stage it had up to 5 cars reversing down the road to keep out of its way. It was a traffic jam Kruger style.
We ended up making it all the way back to Skukuza camp without a lion sighting again but still glad that we had gotten up early to squeeze in one last safari. I can tell now why people keep coming back again and again. You just keep wanting to go back just one more time to see what you missed. We were very lucky and got to see the big 5 and more but it would've been great to get a photo of the lion and we missed out on seeing any cheetah. Oh well, next time. In total we had driven over 650k's through Kruger National Park and rarely travelled over the same road twice. This place is amazing. Almost as amazing as the beautiful Elstub who has done all of the driving since we arrived in SA and hasn't once complained or refused any of my constant requests of having a look just down one more dirt road, just around one more bend or doing just one more safari drive at some ridiculous hour of the day or night. Although I'm sure there has been some eye rolling when her head was turned and internal questioning of herself on what she has committed to.
We said goodbye to Kruger and started making our way along the panoramic route. Our first stop was the pinnacle and god's window which are similar to the Blue Mountains. Then it was on to the Berlin Falls. A beautiful waterfall along the route. We then called in at the Burke Potholes which is at the beginning of Blyde River Canyon. This is the worlds 3rd largest canyon and the potholes are amazing but we are getting tired now and it's time to find our hotel.
We head down the road that leads to the place we are supposed to be staying. It's a dirt road and as we get closer we discover that part of it is underwater. This is not good but surely there must be another road into the place. So we head back and there is no second entrance that we can find. What do you do. Thanks to Elvis we have no phone credit so we can't call. A very helpful local guy tried to call them for us but was unable to get through. He said that he had tried to make it through the water and had gotten bogged and needed a tractor to come and pull him out. Great. He did say he could show us a good bed and breakfast nearby, we just had to follow him but he couldn't tell us where it was or how far away it was. Umm, no thank you kind sir we have both just finished reading the Jaycee Dugard book and I'm worried this B&B could be a series of tents in his backyard would his last name might happen to be Fritzle.
We decide that we will find somewhere else to stay and sort it out with the other place once we have a place to rest our heads. We drive and drive and then drive some more passing a few B&B's along the way that this little princess turned her nose up at until we find another lodge. When we are asking at reception about rooms available we happen to notice a brochure for the place we had booked and paid for. Turns out this posh lodge is owned by the same people. We had even looked at his place on the internet when we were booking our holiday and we decided it was to expensive. We explain our predicament to the owner and we can stay here and not have to pay any extra due to the inconvenience. Well don't mind if we do. Very nice indeed.
They give us a seat by the pool and bring us a complementary drink to calm our nerves. We must've been in quite a flap when we arrived. While we are sitting there collecting ourselves 5 zebra come clippity clopping around the corner and stand about 5 meters from us eating the grass. Apparently they come around for a visit every afternoon. Well of course they do, this is Africa after all.
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