South Africa - Kruger

May 30 Wednesday

Today was another transition day. We had to book out of our rooms at the Utopia by 10AM. It was a nice sunny day, but not super hot. A cool breeze blew. Despite being able to sleep in, I was awake by 4:30 and only dozed a little after that. We were able to keep one of the rooms until we were leaving for the airport, which was around 2:30 or 3PM, exact time was not listed on our itinerary. We spent the day sitting around. Some read books, while a few of us spent a lot of time looking for birds in the trees on the property. There were many varieties including mousebirds, bulbuls, blue waxbills, canaries and more. “For lunch we went to the restaurant on the property that we ate dinner at the night before. The food was delicious. I had lasagna which was different but very good. By 3:15 we were still waiting for our shuttle and getting a little nervous. Our flight to Joburg was for 5:30PM. I had the front desk check, and it turned out there was a big accident which closed the highway and our driver was stuck. Another driver was sent and we were soon on our way. The section of highway we were on was very light in traffic and I think he made it the 40 km. in record time. We checked in and in no time were boarding. The flight left 15 minutes early, because everyone was on board I suppose. It was a 90 minute flight and in that time we again got top service. Westjet and Air Canada take note! We were immediately served beverages including alcohol. As soon as that was distributed, they served dinner. Then they cam around a second time with coffee, tea or cold drinks. They cleaned up and it was time to land. Very hard working and efficient.

We were seated on the last row of the plane and were the last off. Because Tina needed a wheelchair and a few people ducked into the washroom, we were also the last to clear customs. Our bags were the only ones left on the carrousel. We picked up some wine at the Duty Free, and came out after a very long walk. Almost everyone else was gone and there was no sight of anyone with a “Gerry Meyer” sign. I looked around outside as well but saw no one. My heart sank. Not another glitch! Then Re spotted him off to the side. We got to our lodging, Outlook Lodge, a huge old house converted into a lodge. Very nice! We were even offered a free glass of wine and since we were to return here after our safari, the manager said we could leave behind anything we did not need on safari. Despite having spent a whole day just relaxing and waiting, it was very trying and we did not last beyond 11PM.

May 31 – Thursday

By daylight we discovered that our accommodation was actually in a very nice end of Jossie, as the locals call it. We were beside a golf course and the neighbourhood had a security controlled entrance. The houses were large and gated. After a breakfast that contained a little more fruit than necessary in my humble opinion, we were picked up for our drive to Sabi Sands, a private game reserve just outside of Kruger National Park. Two Norwegian fellows joined us in the van. One, a professor who was here to give a lecture, sat in the front, while his friend, who was a huge man in red pants took the single seat by the sliding side door. Between the two of them, their bags took up all the extra room by the door. I sat across for the big fellow, and he spent much of the drive sleeping or doing things on his cell phone. He never spoke to us and I did not feel inclined to start a conversation either. They got on our nerves when we stopped for a 20 minute break and they took 45 minutes, going for coffee and then strolling around leisurely while the rest of us were in the van waiting for them. Our drive was over seven hours and took us through Nelspruit and Hazyview, a city of over 700,000 people. We drove through some foggy stretches and a fruit growing area. We had lunch at Nandos. Upon arriving at our camp, Tydon Safari Camp, we were greeted by staff and the camp owner and assigned our permanent tents. They were very cool, with full bathroom facilities, and large veranda. 20 minutes after arriving we started our first game drive in an open jeep. Fortunately our Norwegian people were not part of our camp. Our guide, Tryson, the owners son, was very good. He stopped for everything of interest, moved to give us the  best angle to see things and gave us a great deal of info on the birds and animals we were looking at. Apart for some birds I was interested in, we also saw a steenbok, South Africas smallest antelope, a cape buffalo, some impalas, several giraffes and ostriches. We stopped by the ostriches and one came so close that at one time her head was perhaps a foot and a half away from mine. Then we stopped and were allowed out of the vehicle to enjoy sundowners, basically a drink while the sun goes down. Tryson got a call that another group had found a pangolin, an extremely rare animal to see. Tryson had never seen one. We hurried over there, and along the way came across three spotted hyenas. The poor pangolin was surrounded by people taking pictures and posing. Its head was covered, and when we all got back in our vehicles, he lifted his head and began walking away. Very cool. This was on my “Hope to see but not very likely” list. Few people ever see these and most people have never even heard of them. Look it up on Google. By now it was dark and we did a night drive, using a big light to see. We did come across some rhinos, buffalo, zebra and impalas. We returned to a prepared traditional dinner of beef stew while seated around a fire. Very nice. Incidentally, while driving along the fence that surrounds this part of Sabi Sands, we saw a male and female lion lying in the grass but could only get photos through the fence.

June 1 – Friday

Wake up call was at 5:30 and coffee and a rusk was at 5:50. It was a beautiful, clear day, but it was very cool riding in the open jeep for the first 20 minutes. Before my coffee was even finished it was time to pile in the 11 man open jeep for a drive into Sabi Sands. There those who did not want to walk went on a game drive while the rest of us, 6 from our group, got a guided walk with Stephen. While waiting to start, a hyena walked by. We strolled through the area learning about conservation, the rhino and ivory trade, how organizations like WWF and Greenpeace misrepresent and defraud the general public in order to gain sympathy and funds, few of which have any positive impact on wildlife. While standing around a family of elephants rambled towards us. We had to retreat to a safe location and they walked a ways away past us. Very cool. We heard reports that lions had been spotted by the other group, and after our walk we went to the site to see 9 lions lazing around. The guides said lions are the most boring creatures to watch during the day, because all they do is sleep. The other group also saw a leopard but this will have to wait for another time. We returned by 9:30, which felt like it should be noon, for breakfast. We had the rest of the day off to laze around until our next drive at 3:30. Good time to shower and do laundry in the shower.  At 3:30 we were off on another game drive through Sabi Sands. We saw a few birds like the saddle-billed stork and a coucal, and the same steenbok we saw the day before, but there was no sign of other animals despite my request to see an aardvark. Just after sunset we saw a small herd of zebra and three giraffes. A few minutes later we came across a common gray duiker, a small antelope. We stopped for sundowners before heading out by spotlight. We drove for quite a while, seeing only bush hairs scurrying along the trail. Then we saw eyes in the light and came across two hyenas which loped past our vehicle. One came so close and looked up at Joanie she was scared it would jump up at her. A short while later we found another hyena. Our goal was actually to see a leopard. The spotter saw a bushbaby but it leaped away before we could see it. We found a white-tailed mongoose though. The as we came around a corner we almost drove over several lions on the road. The pride of nine young males we saw earlier in the day were here, right beside the road. We pulled in and were within a few feet of them. They were sprawled out napping. The a female lion approached. All the lions raised their heads to see her and as she laid down in the middle of the group, many of the males came to nuzzle and lick her. A second female lion was lying nearby. These females had joined the group of nine this afternoon. Again some of the lions came so close that Joanie could probably have touched them. We were in awe of this moment.  The evening ended with the spotting of a barred owl in the middle of the road. A slow drive turned out great! We returned to camp at 7:30 to a braai, an African BBQ.

June 2 – Saturday

By now we were into the daily routine. We were woken up at 5:30AM, have 20 minutes wash, dress and take care of business, the 10 minutes for a quick cup of coffee and an African rusk, and then climb into our safari vehicle at 6AM precisely for our morning drive. For the first hour or so when the sun is not up yet it was very cold while driving in these open vehicles, and Joanie and others covered themselves in scarves, blankets, etc. to keep warm. By 7:30 or so the sun had risen high enough to warm things up and by 10AM when we return to camp, it was hot. We had breakfast, consisting of tomato, scrambled eggs, bacon, tiny pancakes, muffins, brown beans, fruit and yogurt. We had relax time until lunch at 1:30. Those going to Kruger leave at 2PM because they must exit the park before the gate closes at 5:30. Those doing the Sabi Sands drive had until 3:30. The Sabi Sands drive was from 3:30PM until around 7:30. When everyone is back, we sat at individual little tables arranged around a fire, and eat dinner together. The owners, Gavin and Vangie, liked to hold court during dinner and explain the menu, which is always based on traditional South African meals, and tell little stories., After dessert, at maybe 9PM, each person was personally escorted to their tent. The permanent tents were wonderful. Each had a veranda with two chairs and a table. The beds were large singles. A fan was on during the day to keep it cool. Air conditioning was installed be we did not use it at this time of year. There was a bathroom with sink, shower and toilet sectioned off from the rest of the tent.

Today was Kruger day. The drive to Kruger was only about 15 minutes. Inside the park we soon saw three white rhinos. Then we saw three bull elephants in the distance. This was followed by a hippo in a pond, several types of snake eagles, an old giraffe very close to the road, large herds of impala, kudus, both female and a male, and then several male lions, with nice dark manes. The guides tend to talk to each other when they pass, usually talking in Afrikaans or what is called a Black language, so we could not understand. This morning, a cold morning, the lion males had been sited. When we arrive, there was a line up of safari vehicles, waiting for a view of the lions sleeping by the side of the road. Further up was some rock outcrops and 5 klipspringer antelopes on top of them. Another outcrop had a huge herd of impala, with one male looking after his female harem. Beyond that were 3 large bull elephants. We returned to the lions to find a family of elephants, with two babies, across the road. We watched for a while to see if there would be an interaction between the elephants and the lions but there was not. There was a report of a very large bull elephant on a road who was in heat, and very, very ornery. We were driving when the huge, huge beast stood right on the shoulder of the road. It startled a few of us. It was massive and sauntered in a swaying fashion. We saw aa few cars behind it and a fellow hanging fully out of his passenger window. The ellie was not pleased and started towards it, ears flopping and spewing up dust. Fortunately the car backed up in time and retreated or there may have been casualties. Quite a great first drive of the day.

We had free time from 10AM to 2:00 PM so there was time to lounge around the pool, (too cold to swim), and I spent some time walking around the driveway and road looking for birds. I did see a few new varieties. Right after lunch we were off to Kruger again with Lyssel. We concentrated on finding leopards but had no luck. We saw more elephants, etc. and while the rest were shopping at a store, I did see a few exotic birds outside. On our way back, several small animals streaked across the road. They were dwarf mongooses. We stopped and I tried taking some photos of them darting around in the bush. Several cars stopped, expecting that we were looking at something exotic like a lion or leopard. We got out of the park just on time and returned for an hour of relaxing before dinner. The other group returned from their Sabi Sands drive with reports of seeing 2 leopards. The morning drive also produced two leopards. So now our group of eight was the only one not to have seen leopards in the last few days. I am not complaining though. We had some great times in the parks. Dinner was delicious, a bobotie, a pulled beef pie concoction.   

June 3 – Sunday

Another beautiful, sunny day, although a colder morning. Everyone was bundled up in toques, extra layers of clothing and blankets as we set off at 6 AM for Kruger a second day. We had another couple from San Francisco join us. Son after we left and were driving along the fence that separates the game reserves from the open land, I saw what looked like a serval cat, but by the time we stopped and back up, it was gone. We drove for a long time without seeing anything at all. Finally we saw a few eagles. About 8 o’clock we ran into a guide who said a leopard had been spotted. We raced to the area only to find a massive traffic jam. Cars, safari vehicles and a bus were spread all over the road, jockeying for position to get a glimpse of the leopard, which was lying in the grass about 100 yards from the road. It took us at least 10 minutes to even have a shot at seeing it, and you could not get a clear shot of the whole animal because of the branches in front of it. We did finally get a bit of a view, but the road was a zoo. We finally left about a kilometre later found a beautiful male kudu and his mate. I think then Lyssel started concentrating on birds, and we found several, including a nice kingfisher. There was not much else exotic except a brown hornbill at the gate leaving the park. Lyssel promised we would pursue waterfowl and bee eaters after lunch, if she did not get distracted by other animals.

The temperature climbed to 31 degrees in the afternoon. Following our morning drive we ate breakfast at 10:30, and lunch was at 1:30. At 2 PM we were off again to Kruger. This time we drove a route that followed the river for quite a ways. We did see a waterbuck female first, and a male near the end of the drive. We also stopped at a large water hole which was being watched over by a fish eagle, a beautiful eagle with a white head. In the water there were at least 8 hippos, including a mom and baby across the bank. There were also a few crocs, two turtles, and some shore birds including a darter, a black stork, a stilt, Egyptian geese and some sandpiper type birds. After that there was little to see, especially when you start becoming complacent with seeing the very common impala, or zebras or elephants in the distance. We did find a few birds of interest, but not the bee eaters we were looking for. At one time we were interrupted by a large herd of elephants that came up the banks of the river and stormed into the bush. There must have been 30 to 40 of them running across the road. I did manage to get a quick photo of a dwarf mongoose at the side of the road before it and a whole lot of others scurried across the road. They were so quick and small, that once they crossed the road they could run under the loose underbrush and disappear. The elusive leopard also was a no show. We rated our morning sighting as a ¾ sighting, so we were still waiting for one in the open. Six of us were therefore below one in leopard sightings, while the rest of the camp this week were at one or two. Today only our group of eight and another couple were the only ones in camp. Like the day before, Lyssel got us to the Kruger gate at 1 minute past 5:30, the closing time. For dinner we had a braai of chicken skewers and boer sausage, along with African pap with a tomato sausage and cooked veggies. The sausage was excellent except the last bite, which I think might have still been near raw. I took the bite as my last mouthful of food, and my plate was taken away, so I was sitting with this mouthful of meat that I just couldn’t swallow. I started to gag, which I had to cover up as a burp, and I took the meat out of my mouth inconspicuously. I held it for just the right moment when the attention was away, and I hucked it behind me. (We always aqte outside around the fire in the dirt.) The owners had a Jack Russell puppy so in no time at all he was wondering around under the table looking for scraps and suddenly found my meat, which was the idea. Unfortunately the woman beside me, Jane, noticed and remarked that the dog had found something to eat. I had to ignore it like I had no idea where he got whatever it was he was eating. At least the evidence was gone. I asked Gavin and Vangie why they always escort us to our tents after dinner and zip up the tents. They said it was for safety reasons. They have had hyenas and leopards in the camp before, and in the summer (December to March) they can have giant red spiders and snakes to contend with. That, along with the 40+ temperatures is enough reason never to go to South Africa in our winter.  In addition to other things, I let Lyssel know I was still interested in seeing a bushbaby on our Sabi Sands drive. At dinner today we learned that while we were on our drive, the dog, Luna, was chasing about four bushbabies in camp at around sunset. Apparently they have a nest behind tent 4 somewhere. Something to explore during our mid day break tomorrow.

June 4 – Monday

There was a change in weather today. There were reports of wind and rain overnight, though we were fast asleep and did not hear it. For the last two days we were in bed with lights out by 10:30. It was partially cloudy today for the first time and cooler. We headed off to Sabi Sands at 6 AM. Like most mornings, we saw very little the first hour, confirming my suspicion that just like fishermen who insist on leaving before sunrise, safaris do the same thing and yet, there are few rewards for the early start. Being our last day here, we were on the lookout for a clear shot at leopards and bee eaters. We found neither. Lyssel was striking out. After 7 AM we came across some kudus, and then sat among a family of white rhinos. Then we passed some zebras to see a large family of giraffes. There was the a male and females and two young ones. Two more males wandered over to try and join but after flirting with one of the females, they were driven off. 8 giraffes in total all around one tree.  Very cool. Later we came across a bull nyala, our first sighting. That was about it except a few small birds. The only saving grace was that the other couple, who were on their walk with Stephen did not seen any leopard either. They did however see a spitting cobra cross the road. (They were in a vehicle at the time.)
At 3:30 we were off again for our last game drive in Sabi Sands with Lyssel. We drove and drove  but animals were scarce. Apart from some impalas and a few wildebeests we saw nothing. According to the radio, no one else saw anything either. At sunset we stopped for our sundowners and then continued our search for the elusive cat. Lyssel took out the spotlight as it was now dark. We did find something in a tree that we thought might be an owl, but then realized was a genet. Right after that we got word that the other vehicle had found a leopard. Lyssel stormed over to where they were. Her driving through the bush in the dark was impressive. We got to where there were two other safari vehicles with lights on a leopard lying nearby eating a hare. Lyssel crashed through the bush as the others moved aside and soon we were up front with the leopard not more than 10 to 15 feet away. With headlights on it, we were able to take a few photos and video. Actually, probably a few hundred photos. The cat was oblivious to the people and lights. We could hear the crunching as she chewed through the bones. Finally, she had enough, and picking up her half eaten meal, she walked off. We were all ecstatic, none more so than Lyssel, who let out a whoop. She wanted so bad for us to see a leopard, especially since we were giving her a hard time that maybe there were no leopards in Sabi Sands. A dud of a game drive became an amazing game drive. We returned to a great chicken and veggie meal in the dining room and some final words of good bye from Gavin and from the American couple we had shared the last few days with. Gavin seemed to appreciate our group and was sorry to see us go, as were the other couple, who we gave honourary Canadian status because they did not want to be seen as the typical demanding American tourists. It was a great ending to a fantastic part of this vacation.

June 5 - Tuesday
Today we could sleep in because we were not having breakfast until 8 AM. So, after going to be at 10:30 last night I was wide awake at 5 AM. The rest of the people staying left for their drives at 6AM and I waited for that before I got up. I enjoyed an quiet morning on the deck of our tent, watching the sun come up. At breakfast we settled up our accounts. The accom. were paid for, but we had to pay for the drinks we had, plus tips for the staff. It was a little awkward because you had to fill in a form allotting the tip between the staff members, including guides. The good part was that you could put it on Visa. There was a lot of good byes and hugs from Liesl our main guide and from the owners, Gavin and Vangie. It seemed they really liked our group. We were sad to leave. We took a scenic route, called the Panorama Route. We stopped at a few scenic lookouts along the way. It was sunny but there was a cool breeze. We did not arrive in Joburg until 5 PM. Francois, the manager at the Outlook Lodge greeted us with an amarula. He also offered to make us dinner, lamb stew. I was not so sure as I have yet to enjoy lamb, but gave in to group consensus. We went to our room and I went to pick something up and my pants ripped right up the butt!  Down to only two long pants. And the lodge, a big old house, was very cold inside. The doors were often open and the were large gaps at the bottom of the doors.
The lamb stew confirmed my suspicions that I really can't eat lamb. The chunks of meat on the rice and sauce was very marbled, i.e. every mouthful of meat had fat in it, and my throat refuses to allow fat through. I had to leave the lamb and eat the rice and sauce. Francois had a friend help him cook and serve. R asked him if he was a twin because he looked identical to the fellow we saw earlier. He said yes, I don't wear green. He had taken off his green sweater and R thought he was a different person. We had a good laugh about that. R and R also learned that they got a new grandchild today, so Francois gave us a liquer to celebrate. Today was the first wi fi we had in 5 days, so much of our free time was spent posting pictures on Facebook, reading emails and trying to connect with home. Tomorrow it off to Nairobi.