Advertisement
Published: June 28th 2017
Edit Blog Post
Lioness Spotted
Limping severely, and alone..? Geo: -23.926, 31.4209
#For the first time with my travel blogs, I find myself posting blog entries retrospectively. Unlike previous journeys, oppertunity to use the internet was extremely limited. More accurately, aside from a minute here or there on wi-fi on my mobile, I was not able to use a PC for the entire duration of our Sunway Safaris Tour. What I did, was keep hand written journals from day to day. So here I go, wistfully (already missing Africa on my first day home) reliving my holiday. Starting with Day Three, at the awesome Kruger Park. All copied directly from hand written notes.
The alarm went off this morning @ 5.45am. The gates of our chalets at our Camp @ Lower Sabi opened at 6am, allowing us to explore Kruger before sunrise on a morning game drive. An exciting prospect, on the basis that it offers a completely different game viewing oppertunity, with many animals being more active at dawn and dusk. The morning drive proved to be somewhat dissappointing and uneventful. Breakfast came around 9am, at one of many designated rest stops in Kruger. Bacon, eggs & fish was on the menu, under the watchful eyes of Birchall's Starlings and Yellow
Critically Wounded
Now we can see why this lioness is in such bad shape.. she's been in a tussle with a porcupine, you can see a quill stuck in her jaw.. looks starved as likely not able to eat properly. Billed hornbills.
If the morning drive was to be dissappointing, the rest of the days safari by contrast was most thrilling and memorable, spotting dozens of animal species, zebra and wilderbeast some new sightings to be spotted. There were two particular sightings that were clear highlights. The first, and Natalies favourite, an encounter with a massive herd of 20 elephants. Coming from the shrubs to the right of the road, they crossed and stood before our vehicle, blocking our path. Spooked, moody, or defensive among the presence of several baby elephants, they stood together, trumpeting, flapping their ears, raising their trunks in an awesome spectacle. In time, they eventually passed us by. Another great sighting was of a male lion, emerging from the grass to pace right up along the road side, coming within a couple metres of our truck. What a thrill viewing the big cat through the open roof, almost within touching distance!
After a couple hours free time, we headed out on a sunset safari drive from 4.30-7.30pm, an optional extra at our own cost, catered for by the lodge, rather than our tour group. The idea again here, was to hopefully see more active animals at dusk. After
spotting some water birds, and an elephant and group of buffalo crossing a river, some more unusual and exciting things. First, a little chamleon, the size of your hand, only visible, driving, and at night, as they glow a bright green under torch/ truck headlights. Also incredible was another duo of lions up close and person, the first roaring, strolling along the road, the next, sleeping right in the middle of it!
Dinner followed, late being spaghetti and meatballs, cooked up by our guides Jonathan and Shanli, both being incredible chefs. Nat and I watched a bit of Olympics at the small camp bar, made use of the communal showers, and went to sleep around 10.30.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.262s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 7; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0491s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Nele
non-member comment
she often says her husbands name "Valjeer". Poor guy.