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We woke at 5 am for our first game drive. We share a Land Rover with a farm family from South Africa. They live 2 hours north of Cape Town and are 9th generation gentry farmers of citrus, pecans and table grapes. They own a "small share" of the lodge so they safari rather often. Our guide is called Rex and our tracker is Daniel. The terrain is hilly, grassy and brushy. Because this is rainy season, there is plentiful cover for animals even though the weather has been dry. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust and begin to see animals well-camouflaged in the brush or in the distance, but soon we all began to spot animals and birds. The first thing we saw was a little family of wart hogs digging in a termite mound. They were covered in termite dust and almost blended into the background, but as we approached, they hopped up and ran off, making it easy to see the mother hog and her two babies.
Next we heard on the radio between ours and other safari vehicles there were lions in the distance so we took off in that direction. There were three young males and a female lounging just off the road. We got some fantastic photos of these lazy guys—lions can sleep up to 20 hours a day. We heard that yesterday, these lions had been challenged by another pride seeking to take over their territory. They viciously attacked one of the intruding young females. Folks who saw the terrible event say it was very unnerving.
Later we found a white rhino sleeping - Stan and I have never seen a rhino at such a close distance in the wild. That beast was huge. Rhinos' eyesight is said to be very poor, but its sense of smell and hearing is acute. Even while sleeping the ears move, each in a different direction listening for threat.
We saw numerous impala, steenbok and kudu (yikes, we had kudo for dinner last night). And we saw several varieties of pretty birds, but our morning drive was topped off with three giraffes feeding on bush willow just off the road - we got great pictures.
Tessa's taking all this in. She's a bit quiet but very observant and is getting better and better about choosing good photograph opportunities and good times to use binoculars. I have not asked her yet, but I think here favorite moment of the morning was at breakfast after we returned from the game drive. Cute little Vervet monkeys started appearing on the roof of our open-air dining area. We took pictures of them. They were so cute; we wanted to scratch their little heads. Little did we know they were waiting for a chance to snatch packets of sugar from our table! But they did - quick as lighting! It was only later that we learned not only had they snatched our sugar packets, but they took my new sunglasses I had folded on our table as well. Rascals!
So here is how the typical day goes. We wake at 5 am, and start the game drive at 5:30 am. We drive in an 8 or 9 passenger Land Rover with tiered seats one row higher than the other, over rough, very rough dirt roads and trails throughout the reserve searching for wildlife among the bushes, scrub trees and the sky. It is a little like a 4-D Disney experience. When we find game, we stop, quietly observe and take pictures. Around 8 am the drive stops at a wide-open safe place and we all have a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and a biscuit (a cookie, in USA vernacular). The morning drive ends when we return to camp around 9 am where a made-to-order breakfast awaits us. Afterwards, we enjoy a long break in the day for rest, relaxation, a good hot shower, lunch, a dip in the pool and whatever a soul wants to do. This is when I work on the "blob." About 4 pm the evening game drive begins. At sunset, the drive stops for drinks and a toast to the day. We return to the lodge a little after 7 pm to prepare for dinner at eight - it's a terribly rough life!
That afternoon, Stan's tummy was a bit upset so he stayed at the lodge and only Tessa and I went on the evening game drive. Soon after we left the lodge, we found a big herd of elephants. There were two babies, one of them was trumpeting or "blowing" as our South African family called it. Later we discovered a rhino and then realized he was not alone. He was following a herd of female white rhinos who wanted little to do with him and did not allow him to get close. We got fabulous pictures of these huge giants as they grazed!
We saw big colorful long-legged spiders on webs stretched between bushes or across the trail. We saw more impala, steenbok and waterbuck. But the day's real highlight occurred as we were making our way back to the lodge. Darkness had settled in and stars were out. Suddenly our guide stopped the vehicle and jumped out to a small bush by the side of the road. He turned around to show us a Flap Neck chameleon he was holding in his hand. The chameleon was a fairly-good sized guy and changed colors from black to white right before our eyes. We were also intrigued watching him watch us with his protruding eyes that rotated independently a full 360 degrees. Above all, we simply could not believe that the guides could actually spot him in the bush from a moving vehicle in the darkness. He was magnificently camouflaged, but then again, like the eyes of the skilled hunters I know, our guides' eyes are keenly trained to see things the rest of us cannot.
Dinner was served outside in the boma around a big fire pit. The air was warm and dry, the sky was full of stars and the fire was beautiful. We had steak and our wine and then went to bed!
- comments
Shea Sounds incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Teeeee heeeeee!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!
cody I bet Tessa is a little bit overwhelmed, but i'm sure she's really enjoying this. it's a trip of a lifetime!
Marcela Hi Janie, I know a lady that is going to take the same safari July 9. She wants to know if you are taking any tours and where do you stay in capetown? I guess if it is OK with you she would like to talk with you whe you are back from the trip.