SOUTH AMERICA - JANUARY 24 - MARCH 25

This is the start of our South America 60 day experience.

KRUGER - SELATI CAMP 2

April 13th -   We saw the usual assortment of animals including a dazzle of zebras, kudu, wildebeests and impalas.  After a short drive we went off trail and I do mean off trail.   We were mowing down trees and bushes, going over rocks and logs but we came upon a large herd of elephants.  There must have been a dozen of them, eating to their hearts content and having dirt baths.  They throw dirt all over themselves to control parasites.  It took us a while to find our way back to the trail and have our sundowners.  There was a great lightning display as we were having our gin & tonics. 

On our way back to camp Sydney spotted a puff adder - a snake that is quite dangerous and is responsible for most of the snake bites in S Africa.  He then spotted a scorpion on a tree trunk.  This is all in the dark with his powerful lantern but they are 6-10 feet off the trail and he can still pick them out.  It baffles the mind how he can do that.

We sat down for dinner and had the first course before the storm clouds we had seen earlier made good on their promise.  A strong wind came up forcing us indoors.  We barely made it inside before the rain poured down.  The rain, thunder and lightning continued for most of the night but we were assured by Terry that only lightning would cancel our last morning drive.

APRIL 14th -   Due to the amount of rain, Terry told us he would not be allowed off trail this morning so we weren't sure what we would see.  Our last drive got exciting before we were 5 minutes from the camp.  We heard the raucous noise of hyenas, rounded a corner towards a dry river bed.  Here were 2 hyenas with a kill.  They were fighting over what was left of an impala and almost ended up under our jeep.  They keep bashing into the door.  We looked forward and here was a mother leopard who was probably responsible for the kill.  She and her cub had a good feast prior to the hyenas arriving and stealing their food.  They were up in a tree and stayed there or in the deep grass until the hyenas left the area.  We have now seen what the guides refer to as the Royal Family of leopards.  The female leopard in the mating scenes is the daughter of the male we saw yesterday and her mother was there this morning with her younger sister.

We drove south to the Sabi river which is the border of Kruger National Park.  Along the way we saw another herd of elephants including some very small ones.  After a break for tea and hot chocolate we made our way back to camp, coming across kudu, impalas, our second duiker which was again too fast to capture on film and several different birds.

We are now packing up for the long flight back to Arizona.

Pictures - 1 - hyenas with their stolen kill
                 2 & 3 - the beautiful leopards
                 4 - one of the many monkeys around Selati

I couldn't include the videos we have of the leopards and lions.  If anyone is interested in seeing and hearing them just email us and we'll email them to you.
There will be another posting after we get home - just a variety of things we forgot to put in the blogs.

KRUGER - SELATI CAMP

APRIL 12th - The rhinos moved on before we did our afternoon drive.  Sydney, our spotter, tracked them by foot until he saw them.  They are massive and decided to have a mud bath just after we caught up to them.  These are white rhinos although you wouldn't know that by their color.  We may go south by the river tomorrow and look for black rhinos.

We carried on and came across a huge elephant tearing up trees and eating them.  We have now seen all of the big 5 at Sabi Sabi.  There was the usual assortment of animals as we drove around.  Time for our sundowners so we moved on to a quiet place to see the sunset.

On our way back to camp we had a flat tire so we all had to jump out of the vehicle while Terry and Sydney changed it.   A very short distance after we pulled back on the trail we encountered a hyena moving quickly towards us.  We turned to follow him and realized he was meeting up with his fellow hyena who must have been watching us while the tire was being changed.  Further along we came across another hyena.

APRIL 13th -  Our camp was visited during the night by the female lions and a male leopard.  One of the lions got separated from the pack and we could hear her calling them as we left on our drive.  She was very close to the camp so we changed plans about searching for black rhinos and decided to follow the lion.  As we were coming upon her we passed the male leopard but he was camouflaged so well it was hard to see him.  We watched and listened to the lion for a while.  One of the other trackers spotted the rest of the prides tracks and it was determined that they had moved out of the area so we gave up the search.  We then came across the male leopard who is the father of the female one we watched our first day.  He is a magnificent specimen.  At one point we were parked by the trail and as he passed the jeep I could have touched him - he was that close.  We moved on to give other jeeps a chance to join the view.  We came across a herd of buffalo and there were several very small ones in the crowd.

It was getting close to 9 am so we started back to camp but the chef had a surprise for us.  Just outside the camp she and her staff provided us with breakfast in the bush.  We were greeted with champagne, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, muffins, juice and all sorts of fruit.  A great way to have breakfast on our last full day on safari.

Terry, again with a loaded rifle, Len and I went on a trail walk while the Barcelona crew went to visit the village.  Then it was time for siesta, lunch and showers before our afternoon game drive.

Pictures -1 - the rhino
                2 - the elephant destroying a tree
                3 - video of lion - no lion roars in this but I'll attach others next time
                4 -6 - leopard on the move

KRUGER - SABI SABI

APRIL 11th - After a 2 hour drive from Grootbos we flew from Capetown to Skukuza a lovely new airport at the entrance to Kruger National Park and  were met by Terry our guide for the next 3 days.  We were joined by a couple and their 14 year son from Barcelona.  It was a  40 minute drive to Selati Camp and along the way we saw zebras, giraffes, kudos and impalas.  There are 4 lodges in Sabi Sabi including a contemporary one with a gym and is the lodge we expected to  visit.  We are in the oldest lodge but we have to take what we get.  Supposedly, we have the "honeymoon suite" and the nicest view of the 6 units.  I think the only difference between our unit and the others is we have both a shower and a bathtub on an open second deck - not that we're likely to show our bodies to the whole world.  Unlike the Botswana lodges, Sabi Sabi has electricity (not a generator).  The unit has 4 lamps and lights which are supplemented  by several kerosene lanterns something I've not seen since I was a young girl.

High tea was served at 3:30 and we left on a 3 hour game drive at 4 meaning that the last hour is in darkness with a powerful lantern to light up the area.  We spotted kudos, and a nyala before coming upon a male and female leopard.    It is mating season and they were having a grand old time.  It is apparently very painful for the female when the male withdraws so he bites her neck to keep her from swatting him away.  She has a short memory as she is back for more in a matter of minutes.  We must have watched them for 45 minutes.  During their 4 day mating season that is all they do - no hunting for food.

There were a lot of clouds so no sunset but we had our sundowners and proceeded back to the lodge.  Along the way our spotter found a chameleon, zebras and the usual impalas.

APRIL 12th - Left on a 3 hour game drive at 6am.  Compared to Botswana it is quite warm in the mornings and becomes hot and humid early.  We found a pride of 6 females lazing on the road.  They were only about 100 yards from a herd of Cape buffalo but must have been tired from traveling most of the night and were paying no interest to them.  Again, we were lucky to get so close to the female lions.  We saw wildebeests, bushbucks,  zebras, warthogs, etc on our way back to the camp.

After breakfast Terry, armed with his rifle for our safety, took a couple of us on a bush walk.  We expected to see small animals, birds, flowers, etc. but we came across 2 rhinos.  We had to backtrack around them and get to a safe distance.  Hopefully, they will still be in the area for our afternoon drive.

Pictures - 1 - the leopards
                 2 - the lions
                 3 - the buffalo

GROOTBOS

APRIL 8th -  it was goodbye to 3 of our fellow travelers and the rest of us left Capetown for a 2+ hour drive to Grootbos which is a National Geographic site.  Here we expect to see marine and plant life prevalent in the area.  We arrived to blue skies and sunshine in time for lunch.  There are 3 types of accommodation here - the Villas which are very exclusive, the Forest Lodge which is adult only, and the Garden Lodge which is family oriented.  This is quite a different lodge than those in Botswana.  There is no set time for meals and you order off a menu.  There are not a lot of activities included with our package and we are in the family lodge.  The suite we have includes a nanny's room below us accessed via the main veranda.  There is also a veranda off the bedroom and bathroom.  It has an outdoor shower.  Of course,  if anyone was using the patio off the nanny's room you would be visible while showering. 

We did a forest walk in the afternoon.  Not a long or fast walk.  The guide, Jo, was knowledgeable and had a million stories about her life and the surrounding  area.  The trees are predominantly milkwood,  a very hard wood that work as a natural fire break.  They are protected and, if you should buy land with any of these trees, you cannot remove them and must build around them.

APRIL 9th - we woke to a foggy, cool day but it cleared off by mid-morning.  We did a 4×4 desert safari with Jo our guide.  She really is very entertaining and we learned a lot about her life and the plants growing in the area.  There are not many animals in the area due to the vegetation.  They have 4 varieties of antelope and various snakes but we've not seen any sign of them other than some old antelope tracks during the forest walk yesterday.

We went for a horseback ride in the afternoon.  It was a very slow gentle ride for about an hour through the fynbos which just means short shrubs.  Both our horses liked to stop to eat the grass but we were able to get them moving and it was an enjoyable experience.

APRIL 10th - We had hoped to do an eco boat tour but decided against it due to significant swells.  The whales are not present at this time of year but we might have been able to see sharks.  Instead, we did another 4×4 safari drive with Ross.  There are over 800 species of plants in the area and he found and described a good number of them.  The national flower of South Africa is the protea - a beautiful flower that we are used to seeing in Maui.

A major fire tore through the reserve in 2006 destroying the lodges and the fynbos.  The lodges were rebuilt and opened in 2007.  The fynbos regenerated itself with many new species of plants.

We had a lazy afternoon and packed up for a 7 am departure back to Capetown for our flight to Kruger.

Pictures - 1 - a beautiful sunset
                 2 - Jo our entertaining guide.
                 3 - protea bouquet

CAPETOWN

APRIL 5th - we had an early flight so decided against a morning game drive.   All guests at the resort (10) were leaving so we all got on the same plane and had a 50 minute flight to Okunago - another lodge in the delta which has a lot of bird life.  We dropped 2 passengers off and picked up 2 for the 35 minute flight to Maun.  This was a grass landing strip.  From Maun we boarded a flight to Johannesburg  to pick up our heavier bags prior to catching a plane to Capetown.  There was a screw up with our flights to Capetown so 1 member of our party flew down herself and the rest followed an hour later which meant it was after 10 pm when we arrived at the Table Bay hotel.  There was a dinner planned for us but we changed it to lunch the next day.

APRIL 6th - Len was sooooo happy to finally have a gym to use.  It was small but after so many days of only getting small walks as exercise it felt like the best spa in the world.  The hotel has 2  rooms for breakfast and has the biggest buffet we've ever seen.  There was a juice room, many fruits, yogurts, sushi, cold meats, oysters on the half shell, hot dishes, waffles, wonderful muffins, cheeses and special coffees.  We had lunch and then went on a 4 hour city tour.  There were gale force winds at the top of Table Mountain so we couldn't take the cablecar to the top.  A lot of people walk it - the shortest route (there are over 300 paths) takes at least 2 hours so that was not a possibility due to time constraints.  We went to Signal Hill and saw the island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for so many years.  The city is very cosmopolitan.  A lot of investments have been made by Asians, Europeans and Americans. We drove by the soccer stadium which seats 70,000 built for the World Cup in 2010.  Sadly, it is not used much now except for concerts by big international stars.

Dinner was at Reubens - food with an African twist.  Very good.

APRIL 7th - After the gym and breakfast we left for a full days tour..  The first stop was a visit to an African penguin colony (known as jackass penguins due to the braying sound they make),.  We encountered a human chain of protesters as we proceeded to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope.  It was so windy at the Cape of Good Hope that we had problems standing up.  Lethbridge winds do not compare to what we encountered.  Incredible surf and white caps.  We carried on to Cape Point where we had lunch at the world famous Two Oceans Restaurant.  We then visited a couple of wineries for wine tasting and had to make a purchase.

Dinner was at La Bon Vivant in Franschhoek with a 5 course secret menu.  It was french cuisine by a Dutch chef.  We started with a palate cleanser - mousse with peas (not a course).  Then we had tuna 3 different ways - raw, cured and a tuna pop.  2nd course - duck breast, duck terrine and a quails egg.  3rd course -  prawns , fish balls.  4th course - a small filet and pork belly with potatoes and veggies.  Dessert  - 3 mousses - chocolate,  mocha and vanilla.  A different wine was served with each course and they did not skimp on the servings.  We all skipped the dessert wine.  The servings were not huge but we were all stuffed for the hour and a half ride back to the hotel,.

It was a long and tiring day but we saw incredible scenery and learned a lot about the Cape.

Pictures -1 - Table Mountain from Signal Hill
                 2 - jackass penguins
                 3 - Cape of Good Hope from the safety of the van

RANDOM MUSING

It's been a busy  and interesting 21 days.

ZIMBABWE - There is high unemployment in Zimbabwe.  We heard as low as 5% but most put it at 25% employment.  The people we talked to seemed very annoyed at those who have left Zimbabwe for employment even though no jobs are available for them.  This means that unemployed people get together, form a band and provide entertainment wherever tourists are prevalent.  We seemed to see the same group wherever we went.

BOTSWANA - Most of the staff at the Botswana lodges are in their 30's and 40's.  Many are not married but have future plans.  The men have to pay a dowry of 8 cows so no plans can be made until they own that many.  There is a 2 day wedding festival and everyone attends whether they are invited or not.  Sometimes they don't even know the couple.  This means the man has to have not only the cows but also enough money to pay for all the food, etc.

Both camps in Botswana are surrounded by high electric fencing which keeps the large animals out but not the small ones.  Due to this all guests are supposed to be walked to and from their rooms during the dark hours.  They get quite upset if you try your bypass the escorts.

Savute purified it's water but also provided bottled water.  Leroo La Tau used only bottled water.

Botswana is prosperous- diamonds, beef industry and recently tourism.

CAPETOWN - We had a husband/wife combo for our guides in Capetown.  Hilton, the driver, has an aunt living in Regina.  There is a lot of British influence in Capetown.  I was surprised to see Smarties at the breakfast buffet and our guide talked about Hot Cross Buns for Easter - neither are US staples.

La Bon Vivant had the most interesting chandeliers and light fixtures made out of graters and egg beaters.  The coat rack was a tree branch.

GROOTBOS - 2 nights would have been sufficient here.  Unless you're really interested in plants there's not much to do.  When the whales are present it might be more interesting but you could easily do both the boat tour and 4×4 safari in 1 day.  The reserve has 195 staff and is the biggest employer in the area.  Grootbos has its own wells, purifies and bottles the water.  Because we are quite far south sunset is 6:45 rather than what we experienced in Botswana.

KRUGER -  This was the only camp that used trackers.  Both our guide who they call rangers and out tracker were exceptional.  They work the same schedules of 42 days on then 14 days leave.  They only allow 3 jeeps at a time get close to the animals.  There are several different reserves outside the park.  It seems that all reserves are allowed to enter other reserves but are restricted to the trails except on their own property.

In all our postings I've referred to the vehicles as jeeps but they are Toyota Land Cruisers.  They take quite a beating and are able to knock down small trees and go through large amounts of water.