May 16 - Safari

 May 16 Safari

On the way to our resort, we got a sample of the park seeing some impalas next to the dirt road.   At 3:30 we had afternoon tea and snacks accompanied by Vervet Monkeys, then our first game drive at 4pm.  

  

We were assigned a driver guide, game tracker and jeep, six to the jeep comfortable seated in three rows, each one higher than the other so everyone has a great view.  Access to the jeep was via a nice set of steps, like a loading dock.  The goal of the game drive is to see the ‘Big Five” Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Cape Buffalo and Rino.  These are revered as they are the hardest to find and the most likely to kill you if they get a chance.  We only wanted to shoot them with the camera.

 

Kruger National Park has over 500 species of birds and almost 150 mammal species, totaling hundreds of thousands of individual animals in the park measuring 220 miles north to south and 40 miles wide.  We would be exploring Kapana Private Reserve which is connected to Kruger National Forest and animals can come and go freely.  This park provides a more intimate game experience.

We saw lots of Impalas

Merry took lots of pictures like me.

As we set off, it was still daylight, but it started to get dark after an hour or so.  We spotted lots of Impala.  We saw African Buffalo, with birds constantly on them, picking off the bugs, so they do not mind them.

 

We saw zebras.

 

and a large group of elephants with a baby and younger elephants coming down the road towards us.  We stopped to watch but soon needed to back up as they were not intending to change direction.  Eventually they turned off towards their favorite watering hole.

   

Our driver stopped at this muddy puddle, then decided to try to drive through it.  No luck, we got stuck in the mud.  No problem for our expert driver and four wheel truck, she managed to back out of it after a few tries.

We stopped in a wide-open space and met up with the two other jeeps of our group for refreshments including Jack Daniels, liqueurs, beer and snacks.  It gives new meaning to an “Open Bar”.  We spotted some hyena’s as we chatted and marveled at the dead black sky illuminated with millions of stars. 

 

We then headed out using spotlights and found a lone giraffe.  As we headed back towards the resort, we saw a spotted eagle owl, a spotted signee bird and other small creatures scampering around in the darkness.

   

We arrive back at the resort at 7pm after a wonderful three-hour game drive, with a dinner feast waiting, followed by an early night, ready for an early call the next morning.

 

May 17

Our phone in the room rang at 5am, so we would be ready for morning coffee and snacks at 5:30am and our morning game drive at 6am.  We headed out just as dawn was starting.  This is the time when many of the animals are most active.  We found two white Rinos, a mother and baby.

 

Our guide explained that impalas eat many small creatures, and larger animals eat impalas.  No food is provided to any of the animals; they rely on nature, eating vegetation and each other.  The balance of nature. 

We saw two older water buffaloes that spent their days by this water hole, as they are no longer able to keep up with the herd.  

Next, we found two lions – male and female.  What a thrill. 

 

After a while, we found two hippo’s who we understand spend their days in the water.  We were told these are the most dangerous of all animals, causing the most deaths.

We stopped for coffee and a snack with Dragon's Head Mountain in the background,

  

Then back to camp for breakfast.

In the afternoon, we gathered at 3:30 for afternoon tea, then the next game drive at 4pm.  Right off, we found this glorious giraffe, my favorite.

 

This is a Vodou, the largest of the antelope family.

  

Several zebras

 

We watched this lion who gave us a demonstration of his roar, communicating to his brother who was just sleeping across the meadow.

  

Rinno with some impallas.

I had wondered what would happen if we got a flat tire in this rugged terrain?  I soon found out when our partner Jeep did just that.  They radioed our driver, and the third jeep and the passengers transferred onto the good jeeps.  We all took off, leaving the driver to change his tire, which left him very exposed with lions in the area.  Fortunately, we were all reunited a few minutes later without incident when we stopped for snacks.  I tend to call them jeeps, but they are 4x4 Toyota Land Cruisers.  They give a very comfortable ride and handle the gullies and rough terrain well.

After our break, it was now dark, and our spotlight was not working, so we headed back to base for the day.

 

May 18

Another early morning for the 6am game drive.  It was very chilly, and coats, hats, and even blankets were needed as we zipped around the dirt roads.  They are quite well maintained, but it is clear that heavy rains create gullies, making the ride rough at times, and that there is a need to be careful around overhanging branches and bushes with very sharp prickles.

We did not have a lot of luck as the sun came up.

We watch this monkey as he keeps a lookout for his friends foraging in the undergrowth below.

 

And lots of birds.

  

Finally, we found these two hippo wallowing in the watering hole.

After a relaxing afternoon, we were ready for more adventures.  Our drive started by sighting a bunch of Kudu

 

Next, we found lots of Cape Buffalo, the more aggressive kind.  This is part of the big five.

  

The other jeep found some lions, so we came and joined them.  A male lion is lying near three females.  One of the females kept parading in front of the male, but he was not interested.  The female even walked around the jeep, very close to us.

    

The next treat was a herd of elephants, Merry’s favorite.  The group included young elephants.  They moved into the dense brush, just pushing through anything in their way, and eating anything green in sight.

   

On the way back to home base in the dark, we surprised two large porcupines, who ran as quickly as they could ahead along the road with their quills in full defensive mode, then they dodged into the brush.

We were warned about the terrible bugs in this area, but so far, we have seen NO bugs.  First thing in the morning and late in the evening, it is quite cold, especially when the jeep is going.  We wrap up in lots of layers, and I bought a beanie hat to keep the cold wind out of my ears.  We were also warned about malaria, but the locals said there is no malaria in this area, thank goodness.  

 

May 19

Morning game drive.  Our driver provided each of us with a hot water bottle and a blanket.  This was very nice until the sun came up.  We stopped to watch the sunrise, from a tiny speck peeking up in the distance until it was fully up.  It has been a long time since I have seen a sunrise, and never so spectacular.

We soon came upon a group of zebras.  Our guide explained that every one of the zebra stripes is unique from each other, like fingerprints.

Next, we discovered a large group of Chacma Baboons, at first climbing all over the power pylons, then running off into a tree and entertaining us with their acrobatics.

 

We saw plenty of Impalas, some Geese, and a warthog.

Warthogs 

Next, we came upon lots of Giraffes, my favorite.  They have the advantage of reaching the leaves in the high trees.  They are so impressive.

We found three Hippos, sunk deep in the water.

The daytime temperature has been a very comfortable 75 degrees F.  Two more game drives to go before we fly to Cape Town to rejoin our cruise ship.

 

May 19 pm

This is the last evening game drive with one more in the morning.  As we gathered, a very light sprinkle was starting.  Ponchos came out, but the drizzle soon stopped, and the rain gear came off. 

We found lots of Elephants to Merrys delight. 

Then two Rino are marching through the forest and along the road towards us. 

As we came around a corner, we were faced with two giraffes, a mother and baby.  The mother quickly guided herself and the baby back to safety in the thicket. 

We found the three female lions in the same place as yesterday, but the male was off doing his duties.  

 

We were surprised to see a lone Crocodile in a watering hole, with just part of its head showing.  I don’t know how the tracker spotted it as we passed by.

Our guide showed us the river, reservoir, dam, and water treatment plant before rendezvousing with our team in a clearing.

 

On the way back, the guide spotted a chameleon in a bush. 

As we stopped, it quickly turned green to blend in, but it was too late; he was busted. However, it seemed to put a spell on our jeep; it would not restart.   This is a problem in the pitch dark with potential wild animals on the prowl.   Our guide put out a call, and within five minutes, several jeeps came to assist, and before we knew it, we were finishing our route back.  Apparently, the jeeps always work as teams for exactly this reason.  

 

May 20

This is our last day and our last game drive.  We quickly found several giraffes hurrying to or from something.  It was interesting to see such long-legged creatures elegantly crossing the landscape.  Note: Giraffes make no noise but seem to somehow communicate with each other.   They came and went too fast to get a photo.  Next, we were surprised by several wart hogs.

 

And a red-billed hornbill bird in a tree. 

The trackers are constantly looking at tracks, fresh dung, and scanning all around, listening and smelling for the animals that are expert at camouflage and stealth.   The cape buffalo were a little easier to spot. 

 

We found four Wild dogs, a pack, and one was fitted with a tracker on its neck.  Two of the four were limping, but that did not stop them from suddenly setting off chasing something.  We followed the dogs as they hunted as a pack, but when we caught up with them, they had given up that chase.  This was lucky for the group of exposed Impala grazing nearby. 

  

We came across several zebras, but with just one hour left on our last drive, we were one animal short of the Big Five: the elusive leopard.   The three jeeps in our team put in an all-out effort to find one, drawing on all their knowledge and experience.  

We hopped around the dirt roads, constantly communicating with each other.  Then, one of the trackers found fresh leopard tracks, and we all closed in on our hunt.  With 15 minutes left, a call on the radio, they had a sighting.  We all converged, and right in front of our jeep marched the infamous leopard as if to say, “hear I am”.  With my video rolling, I got it all on tape. He crossed the road, stepped into a bush, marked his territory, and went on with his route.   We were all elated, our mission was complete, and our guides were heroes.   

 

We arrived back at camp, traded photos via Airdrops, and told our stories over a large breakfast.  Then back to our room to pack and check out.  

The guides took us on a short trip out of the park and into the Air Force Base airport.  This time we took a scheduled flight 2-1/2 hours directly to Cape Town.  We were literally on cloud nine.  

Once we landed, a guide was waiting with a bus to reunite us with our mothership, which was exhausted.   The modern city clearly has a serious class divide.  We saw sections of the city with deplorable housing conditions close to wealthy housing.  Arriving at the port, we were glad to see our ship waiting at the foot of Table Mountain.  Our ‘home away from home’ felt good, but we were greeted by a terrible foul smell of rotting fish at the dockside, filtering into the ship. 

A welcome hot shower and a table for two at our favorite polo grill completed our day. 

 

Mar 21

Cape Town is a modern city with a population of 7 million.  We only had a few hours to explore the city before our ship heads north up the west coast of Africa.  While in port, we have no internet access.  Today is the end of another segment.  About 200 passengers got off, and 100 guests arrived, bringing the total to 661 out of a capacity of 1,200. 

 

While this was happening, we took a tour.  The main part of the tour was to take the cable car up Table Mountain, but we could see from the ship that the mountain was socked in by low clouds and fog.  It seemed futile to spend our valuable time on what seemed like a hopeless venture, but it was paid for, so off we went. 

Our bus took us through the city and pointed out some of the sights, and when we arrived at the foot of the mountain, our guide warned us it would be very cold on top. 

   

This added to our reluctance, but on we went.  The cable car was large enough to hold our entire busload.  As we ascended, suddenly, the sun appeared, and we were above the clouds to a cheer.  Once at the top at 3,500 ft, our breath was taken away with the spectacular view and the warmth of the sun.

        

We walked the 20-minute path, taking in the view from all sides.  The top was not at all flat as expected, but a model at the top shows how it looks flat from ground level in the city.  We were mesmerized by the views and beauty of the experience and were so glad we made the journey.  We could not see the city from the top, but that was not so important.  I am not good with heights and stayed away from the edges,

After walking the five-minute ride descent, we met up with our bus and headed to the Cams Bay beach for a photo stop, then back to the ship.

 

After a leisurely lunch, we needed to report to passport control.  They wanted to make sure everyone who entered South Africa left again.

May 22 seaday

 

May 23

As we moved up the west coast of Africa, we arrived at Walvis Bay, Namibia.  Namibia is a large but sparsely populated country with a population of three million.  The west coast of Africa is very smooth on a map, meaning there are few natural harbors.  Walvis Bay is one of those natural harbors, creating an ideal location for a city.  It took me quite a bit of practice to pronounce Namibia. It seemed to be a tongue twister.  Namibia became a democratic independent from South Africa in 1990. 

West Namibia is desert all the way down to the Atlantic Ocean, except for the city of Walvis Bay, with a population of about 100,000 and modern homes.  The desert is about 1,000 miles long and up to 100 miles wide.  It is raw sand dunes [like the Sahara] with no vegetation or animals.

Before we could leave the ship, we had to pass a ‘face-to-face’ inspection by the local passport agency and pay a fee.  They were very disorganized, and many of us had to wait in line for over an hour.  Our tour took us north to Swakopmund, a city with a population of 75k.  From there, we went a few more miles to Mondesa township.  Immediately, the neighborhood flavor changed.  The homes were much smaller, with many street vendors, no traffic, and many residents walking the streets.  A few blocks further, we arrived at the Democratic Resettlement Community.  People there live in a shantytown of crudely built, makeshift dwellings made from scrap metal, plastic, and wood from the local landfill.  It has a population of around 20,000 residents, no electricity, limited sanitation, and no running water other than a central tap.  Unemployment is over 40%, and those who work earn very low wages.

   

Our guide told us it is almost impossible to upgrade from the DRC.  It takes at least two generations.  The parents must find a better-paying job to pay for the kids to attend private school, leaving little money for themselves.  The kids must work hard, including higher education, to get a better job.  Only then can they move out to government housing.  The life expectancy in Namibia is 70 years old.  This is exactly what I wanted to see in a country, not the fancy highlights.  I was heartbroken to see this, and I understand there are hundreds of similar settlements across Namibia.

Our tour continued to the nearby government housing project.  Basic homes are built to modern code to help with poverty, but they cost $100,000 USD or more to purchase, and most cannot qualify for the low-interest loan.

Next, we visited some homes.  The first home was a lady who inherited the home, and she shared information about her children and grandchildren.  Her granddaughter interpreted for us.  Merry bought two handmade dolls she had made.

At the second home, the owner told us about the local home-grown medicines they use, then gave us a lesson in his local language, called ‘click language’.  Many of the words include one of four tongue clicks that function as consonants, producing an unusual popping sound.  Each click, while very subtle, modifies the word's meaning.  It is an official national language spoken by the Nama and Damara people.

The third stop was a modest community building where we were offered local snacks.  It is risky to eat local foods as our stomachs are not accustomed to them, which can cause problems.  One man in our group tried the fried caterpillars and said they tasted good.  I did not try anything.  A group of local singers came and sang local songs.  They were very good.

 

In the field nearby, the local older boys were playing a competitive game of football [soccer] with a referee [their national sport].  They played hard and showed good skills.

Upon returning to the ship, we again needed to see passport agents to ensure everyone entering the country also left.  This went smoothly as guests returned gradually.

Back on the ship, we all received a letter with safety instructions while traveling up the west coast.  Apparently, piracy can be a problem.  The ships' exterior lights were turned off except for the mandatory navigation lights, and we were instructed to keep our curtains closed after dark and to make sure our balcony door was locked.  Navy Seals were on board, keeping a sharp lookout using night vision.  They were discrete, but I caught a glimpse of one on the stairway [face not showing on purpose].

Check back next week for the next episode