The Earl had a successful trip to and from Haenitzburg yesterday.   He now knows how to set up the canopy so that it won’t hold water in the next downpour!  (Thank you, Keith!)

Oh, and he saw a lion just as he was leaving Satara.  There were no other cars around. “Why didn’t you take a photograph?”  I asked when he told me.   Of course, he had forgotten to take his camera with him and didn’t think to use his cell phone!  But anyway, he saw it and it was good to know they’re in the area!  

21 November 2019

Our morning began with light drizzle and a temperature of 22 degrees centigrade.  The S100 is famous for good sightings so that is where we started at 07:00. The birdwatching was pretty good but we saw very few mammals.  Our Kruger 2019 list stands at 100 species now. Photography was difficult because of the poor light.

A pair of courting coucals amused us.

 

After the S100 we drove the S41 then the S37 and H6.  It was great to see big herds of zebra, wildebeest and waterbuck on these roads.

We stopped for a break at N’Wanetsi which does not have a restaurant but like all the picnic spots they do provide boiling water on tap so we had a cup of tea and a rusk after taking in the view.

We also visited the Sweeni Dam and saw yellow-billed storks, green-backed herons, blacksmith lapwings and crocodiles.

Later, on the H6,  “What’s this walking toward us? ” asked the Earl.

It was a small four-legged creature and from the distance, I wasn’t sure but guessed it could be a warthog.  But it was not a hog, it was a dog!

A little further on we saw a traffic jam.  Now that could mean only one thing – a predator! Traffic jams are not our favourite way to find animals.  We prefer to be the only car or have just one or two others.  If we can, we try to get a glimpse of the creature and then move away as fast as possible.  But it just was not possible this time.  Jeep jockeys were blocking the way and other vehicles were jostling for position.

“Just go with the flow,” I told my frustrated hubby. “It doesn’t matter if we see it or not.   Just don’t try to push in or past.”  He wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

And all the fuss was about a cheetah on the move and quite a distance away.  We got good views of him and then the cars started to follow him from the H6 to where he was to come out on the H1-3.   I got lots of photographs but none of them was really any good.

We got back to camp at midday and had leftover Texan steak and salad for lunch, as we had missed breakfast!  By then the skies had cleared and the temperature had risen.   We only went out again after 15:00 and returned at 18:15 which is just before gate closing time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My darling husband is besotted over animals – any animals, both domestic and wild.  He believes they’re just as besotted over him and that they would never hurt him!   This evening while we were getting ready to prepare our evening meal, a hyaena walked right next to the fence that separates our caravan from the wild.  “Oh, how sweet, ” he said and called him with lip-smacking sounds one would use to summon a dog!”

Believe it or not, the creature responded and came right up to the fence to smell his hand!  Obviously, he was looking for a snack.  “No, Earl!  Don’t go too close!” I yelled in terror but still snapped the photograph.

The Earl thought I was overreacting!

To end our day we enjoyed a delicious braai of lamb chops and boerewors served with sweet potatoes, gem squash and of course the compulsory Greek salad.

 

 

 

 

18 November 2019

We were out all day again today. The weather was cool and overcast with temperatures between 21 and 25 degrees C.

There were long stretches of driving where we saw very little and others where we were pleased to see good herds of plains animals as well as birds and one or two predators.  We drove the H4-1, S20, S30, S128 and H4-2.

We were driving quietly along the S128 and were looking forward to breakfast at Lower Sabi.   There were no other cars in sight until we saw one parked up ahead.  He was facing us.  I took my eyes off the bush and kept them on him wondering what he’d seen.   There was a single wildebeest to his left – our right. It was standing dead still, staring into the bush.  “Is it only the wildebeest you’re looking at or is there something else?” asked the Earl.

He explained that he and his wife had watched a lioness stalking the wildebeest but had dropped down into the long grass when the wildebeest saw her.   She was still there and we managed to spot her.

The man went on to tell us that he’d also seen a cheetah on the opposite side of the road and drove on to show us the exact spot.  We reversed no more than 150 meters and there she was!  I’d missed here when I took my eyes off the task at hand!

Now when we looked right, we could see the lion.  When we looked left we observed the cheetah!   This was just too much!   We remained where we were looking left and right while the other chap went back to his original spot to see if the lion would try to chase the wildebeest.

After a while, the lion stood up.

This left us with just the cheetah who sat up straight as soon as she saw the lion move.

“That was awesome,” I told the Earl, “But now hurry to Lower Sabi – I need the loo!”

That was the most exciting part of the day.  At Lower Sabi I wanted to take a walk from the restaurant along the path next to the river but this chap prevented me from passing.

So we left and continued our drive.

 

 

We soon came upon a traffic jam.  “What do you see,” we asked a jeep jockey as we stared into the bush.

“A leopard in that tree!”

Well really!   What was it thinking?

We left the poor creature to sleep and hoped not too many tourists would disturb him.

Before going back to camp we visited Lake Panic and spent an hour there.  We have had many wonderful experiences at this hide.  It was not as awesome as usual today but it was still great to be there.

I was reluctant to leave the hide but the Earl insisted.  We were back in camp by 4:30 pm.

We had a delicious braai of lamb chops and boerewors, sweet potato, gems, whole garlic and salad.

It rained hard during the night!  Oh no – would we have to pack up in the wet in the morning?

 

 

Sunday 17 November 2019

The day started with the temperature being in the low twenties as the skies were overcast.   We left camp at 6:30 after enjoying an early morning cup of coffee and planned to have breakfast at Tshokwane Picnic Site.

The first excitement was on the H4-1 when we saw a row of cars stopped ahead and their occupants looking left.   Oops – a few hyaenas came loping onto the road.   We counted seven in all and followed them as they turned onto the S76. When they disappeared into the bush we continued on our way.

Our route took us next to the river with lots of little crescent turnoffs and on one of these, we spotted a blue-eared starling with a feather in his or her mouth.  He/she was obviously lining the nest.

Later we came across an interesting interaction with two Jacobin Cuckoos

Another interesting bird was a white-browed scrub-robin.  Thanks to De Wet’s Wild for correctly identifying him for me.

Also please help me with this little chap.

My favourite animal has to be the giraffe!  They are so elegant and graceful and always elicit a thrill when I see them on the African landscape

At breakfast time we stopped at Tshokwane a really lovely picnic site in Kruger.   The restaurant is a boma created around a huge tree.

You can, if you wish, cater for yourself at the picnic area but we usually buy breakfast as you can get something to eat for a really good price and the coffee is excellent.

After breakfast, we continued our tour stopping to look at various interesting creatures including this elephant.

Around midday, we stopped to stretch our legs and get an ice cream at Lower Sabi Camp.  After that, we spent a few minutes observing life at Sunset Dam.

The temperatures rose to 35 degrees C today so we did not expect to see too much on our return to Skukuza.

Our most exciting spot of the day was these lazy lions.  As I mentioned, it was hot so they chose a nice shady spot to spend the day doing what lions do best – sleep!

There were other creatures out and about but mostly near the river.

The Earl took some lovely bird photographs

It was quite late when we finally returned to camp and we were hot and tired.  The Earl did not feel like doing a braai so suggested we go to the Skukuza Cattle Baron for dinner.  This was a real treat as the Cattle Baron is expensive but awesome.   Wonderful gourmet food is on offer and the service is superb.  One doesn’t expect to have fine dining in the bush but in colonial times they took their crystal, silver and fine china on safari and had their meals served on a table covered in a white table cloth, so why not now?

We both had chateaubriand served with mash potato, salad and vegetables.

It was a lovely end to an awesome day.

 

16 November 2019

This morning we packed up and were ready to move to Skukuza by 6:15 am.  Because we were towing we stuck to the tar road.  Berg en Dal to Skukuza is about 67 km.

We had some interesting sightings before arriving at Skukuza at around nine.

At Kwagga Pan we found a pair of knob-billed ducks

 

We found a suitable campsite at Skukuza and then the Earl cooked us a delicious breakfast.

At 2 pm we left for our afternoon drive.  The temperatures today got up to 35 degrees C and the skies were clear.

The red-chested cuckoo or Piet-my-vrou is a very vocal bird.  You hear him all the time but spotting him is next to impossible as he hides in the foliage of the trees.   So when Earl said, “I can see the Piet-my-vrou”  I trained my binoculars into the tree and saw this.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

“It’s a kingfisher!” I said, “not a cuckoo!”

“This is not a kingfisher – it has a red chest and a cuckoo shape!” he insisted and then took this photograph.

 

Indeed, it was a red-chested cuckoo!

(Cousin Wayne – Please note – It’s not a kingfisher!) Sorry, dear readers, private joke!

Our drive was lovely as it took us alongside the Sabi river and had little semi-circular turnoffs from the road so you got good views of the river and the bank.

Near the end of our drive, we crossed a bridge over the river bed and scanned for animals that might be grazing or crossing to the other side.   As we drove along slowly I heard a crunching sound and leaned closer to the window to look down.  I got the fright of my life when just inches below the window was this guy!

 

To end our trip we went to Lake Panic which is usually a fabulous place to watch birds.   However, being the weekend, it was full of tourists.   It was hot and we did not relish fighting for a place to sit in the hide so we left and promised ourselves we would return on Monday.

We enjoyed a lovely braai of pork chops, sweet potato and gems as well as the compulsory Greek salad and were asleep before 8 pm!

 

 

 

 

 

Friday 15 November 2019

As I stepped outside the caravan at 4:30 this morning, I heard something running toward our campsite.  I turned to look and almost wet my pants when an enormous hyaena loped at speed past me, toward the neighbours and disappeared.   He must have found a hole in the electric fence and slipped through it!   The Earl wouldn’t believe me.  “It must have been a bushbuck,” he said.  Like I wouldn’t know the difference!

Half an hour later, the Earl left for Nelspruit to have the Ford Everest serviced and I was left to spend the day alone in the camp.  Only, I wasn’t entirely alone.  There are two couples camping next door to us and coincidentally the men also had to go to Nelspruit as one of them had needed urgent repairs done to his vehicle.  It was now ready for collection and not long after the Earl, they too set off for Nelspruit.  Their wives stayed behind and as they busied themselves with camp chores and I was doing the same, we chatted to each other and grumbled about the baboons and monkeys that were constantly trying to steal food.  They’re particularly bad at Berg en Dal Camp. I told them about my hyaena and Julia said she’d seen the pawprints next to her caravan.

I achieved quite a bit during the morning – cleaned the caravan and did the laundry which required a bit of walking to and fro – urgently needed when you sit in a car for hours on end.   I was busy working on the computer when Julia called to me to join her and Jan for a cuppa.  And of course, that took over an hour!

Then I noticed monkeys trying to get into my caravan.  I ran to chase them.   All but one scattered but the leader had no fear and ran at me.  “Help!” I yelled and turned tail and scarpered.   Julia and Jan came with catapults and shot at him.  Thankfully he turned and ran up a tree!  Don’t laugh!  It wasn’t funny! Lol.

The Earl returned at around three and by then I had completed the computer work and was feeling that it had been a day well spent in spite of the little dramas I’d experienced.  Honestly – hyaenas and deviant monkeys.  What is the park coming to!

I thought the Earl would be all driven out but he was keen to go for a game drive straight away, so off we went.

 

A word about Berg en Dal for those who plan to visit one day.

The campsite is beautiful.  During the offseason, it is easy to get a site on the perimeter with views across the veld.   All the sites are under trees and there is plenty of shade.

The ablutions are okay.  The showers work but it takes a long time for the hot water to come through.  There is also nowhere to put your soap and shampoo etc.  so you have to work from the floor.   I found that this time they were not cleaned regularly throughout the day but they were reasonably clean.  If you shower early in the morning you will have to deal with dead insects before you start.

The staff at reception were friendly and helpful.  When I went to get coins for the laundry I was greeted by a deaf employee.  She handed me a piece of paper and indicated that I should write down my request.  I did and she went off the fetch the bag of coins, counted the required number out – enough for a washing machine and a dryer.   I handed over my two R20 notes and gave her a thumbs up in thanks.  She smiled broadly.  How lovely that Sanparks are employing people with challenges!

The restaurant has a view over the dam. It is well worth taking this Rhino Trail walk. It starts at the restaurant and takes you right around the perimeter of the camp.

 

 

 

 

Everybody who knows me is aware of the fact that The Kruger National Park is my most favourite place in the entire world.  I love lots of places and I would be happy wherever I found myself but if I could live in the Kruger National Park, I would be in heaven.

Our stay at Elangeni was lovely.   The caravan sites are grassy and under beautiful shady trees.  The ablutions are old and could do with an upgrade but the showers were hot and they were clean.  We left this morning at 8 o’clock, stopped in Nelspruit to shop for supplies and entered the park before midday.

Getting to Kruger a day earlier than planned was an extra special bonus for me.   At something past 11 o’clock this morning we arrived at Malelane Gate and I joyfully went into reception to announce myself.  I was just bursting with smiles and enthusiasm and didn’t mind at all that there was a queue.  As I entered a lovely, young, tall,  woman greeted me and handed me the indemnity form to fill in.  She also helped me do it!  What fantastic service!   I then stood in the queue for not more than two minutes.  The young lady who processed me seemed a bit serious at first.  “I’m a day early,” I said.  “Please, can I book another night at Berg en Dal”   She stared at the computer screen and then did the necessary.   “We drove here very fast so we could have an extra day,” I enthused.

This seemed to tickle her.   “You need to have as much time as you can get it seems.   You’re here for a month!”

“Yes,” I replied.  “We took four days to get here so we must make it worthwhile!”

She laughed. ” Seri-ous!  Then you must have a wonderful time! If you come so far from the southern tip – then you must stay long!”

I left Malelane Gate in the best of moods and rejoined The Earl in the car. Oh, the joy that filled my heart as we drove into the park at last.

Now when you’re towing a caravan you can’t reverse or manoeuvre the car to the perfect position when you come upon a sighting.  And nothing too exciting happened in the beginning.   First up were warthogs then a few interesting birds, impala and the usual stuff.  Then we noticed two cars staring into the bush.  We pulled up next to the first one and he shrugged his shoulder and said, “We’re just looking.  We haven’t seen anything!”

The Earl pulled away and then I yelled, “Stop! Reverse! Leopard!”

“I can’t reverse,” he said

“Okay – then go forward a fraction and look back.”

He did and we had an awesome sighting of an alert leopard under a tree.   Then she started to move.  We could not reverse or turn around to see where she went.  But at least we’d seen her.  And it was just 200m outside Berg en Dal Camp’s gate!

Well, not half an hour in the park and already a leopard on our list!  It was certainly a good omen.

After checking in at reception we chose a suitable campsite and settled in.   It was a cool 25 degrees C, it was overcast but it only started to rain when we’d finished setting up.  The drizzle only lasted a few minutes.

Later in the afternoon, we went for a drive.  It’s not usually very productive in the afternoons because of the heat but being overcast and cool we were lucky to see a number of birds and animals.

In the evening we braaied Texan Steaks for dinner.

It was an awesome start to our trip.

 

We planned to take it slowly to get to The Kruger National Park but this morning we were awake at 04:00.   Dawn had broken and we could not get back to sleep.  So we decided to just get up and leave.  Our plan was to stop and camp in Ermelo but we were making good time and after our breakfast stop at Ventersburg we decide to change our route and go to Elangeni Caravan Park between Waterval Boven and Nelspruit.  This would mean we would have plenty of time the next day to shop in Nelspruit and get to Berg en Dal in good time.   There would be no problem getting in a day earlier than planned.

The weather was warm but we did have a spit and a spot of rain along the way. Some of the roads were good but on others, we had to dodge the potholes.   Welcome to Africa!

There is not too much to report about today as most of it was spent travelling the through Free State.

We arrived at Elangeni Caravan Park at 17:30.   It is a really beautiful spot among leafy trees and next to a trout-filled river.   At first, we were the only campers there but half an hour later two girls from London arrived in a hired campervan.  They had already done Blyde River Canyon and The Kruger National Park and were on their way to Storms River.

I cooked a chicken casserole in our electric Remosca Pot for dinner.

 

 

 

Here are my answers to this weeks Share Your World from Sparks

Is copying and pasting images or information off the Internet plagiarism?   Do you credit those whose work you ‘borrow freely’ or do you think the idea is repugnant?   (Credit for this question goes to GC and Sue)

I only copy free clip art.   If I take something off the internet I will place a link to where I got it from.  If it’s from Wikipedia I will put the information in my own words.

I seldom quote other people’s work but if I do I certainly give credit to that person.

Do you let sleeping dogs lie?

I usually do unless I’m really upset and then I’ll wake those dogs and let them have it!

What’s the strangest pet name (for adults) that you’ve ever heard someone called?

I thought Toast was a strange pet name.  I never found out why this person was called that.   Budgie is another odd name for a guy I know.   No idea where that came from either.

Do you like to dance?   If yes, what’s your favorite and if no, why not?

I have two left feet and am not very co-ordinated but I enjoy dancing with my husband.  He is very good at leading and I just follow.  I can’t dance with anybody else!   I tried line dancing but couldn’t remember the steps as I was unable to attend the classes regularly due to all my travelling.

Gratitude Question:

November brings Thanksgiving to Americans.  I know Canada celebrates Thanksgiving too, but I believe it’s in October.   Does your country celebrate a similar holiday?   If you’d like, share some traditions you observe around Thanksgiving or if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, what are some traditions you have?

We do not celebrate Thanksgiving in South Africa.   South Africans are all about Braaivleis, Rugby, Sunny Skies and Chevrolet.  (This was how Chevrolet used to advertise their cars in SA)

A braaivleis is a traditional way of cooking your food over an open fire (almost like a barbecue but better)   If you don’t braai – you’re not a real South African.

Rugby is the national religion.   We just won The World Cup – so don’t knock it.

Most of the year the skies are sunny and so is our mood.

We’re a simple lot and in spite of all our problems, most of us remain positive while we enjoy the South African Lifestyle.   Those who for one reason or another have left, never quite get Africa out of their systems.   If there’s one near you, you’ll recognise him by the smell of braai on his clothing.  He is probably wearing khaki and veldskoene.

 

 

 

Day one and two of our caravanning trip to The Kruger National Park is posted on Stream of Consciousness Saturday

Monday, 11 November 2019

We left Willowmore Caravan Park at 6:15 this morning.  Our first stop was Graaff Reinet where we had breakfast at The Blue Magnolia.  What a lovely stopping place this is.  There is space to park the caravan in the one-way street and it is safe.  The Blue Magnolia is a nursery and you can sit outdoors on a good day. This morning was still a bit chilly so we sat inside and ordered eggs and bacon.  It came with mushrooms, cheese grillers and tomato.

There were no problems on the road to Gariep and we arrived at 12:15.   We have a lovely shady site with a view of the dam.  The dam is very low at the moment and there is a desperate need for rain in the area.

It is pretty hot here.  After settling in we went for a swim.  There is a lovely recreation area with a big pool as well as tennis, volleyball and netball courts. There is also a kiosk where you can get drinks and snacks.

On our way back we crossed a grassy patch where a crowned lapwing began looking nervous and making warning noises.   Then I noticed why – there were chicks.  Mom and Dad were desperately trying to distract our attention away from the babies – four in all.

The birdlife was quite active and I got a few lovely photographs.

At one stage during the afternoon the wind became quite gusty.  The Earl decided to move to a more sheltered spot so that we could braai safely.   I stayed in the caravan while he towed it a short distance to the new spot.  It was scary!

The wind dropped completely in the evening and as the light faded the views became more spectacular.  The moon was awesome.