Day 19-Hluhuluwe National Park

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We were up & in our Safari jeeps by 5:15,and headed to Hluhluwe national park. The reserve opened at 6:00 and we had a freezing 35 minute ride in a open jeep. The sunrise was beautiful. Hluhluwe is a much larger preserve with elephants and cats in it. We saw some beautiful views in the park from the lookout. There were herds of elephants wandering to the east. And then we saw zebras, more nyalas, and more and more elephants. We spent about 3 hours searching for the elusive lion pride that was spotted here yesterday. We stopped a picnic area in the park, and had our huge lunches that were packed for us. Two sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, cheese, sausage, muffins, nuts, a chocolate bar, and juice. And then there was the cooler full of soda, water, and beer. The monkeys looked on and waited for the spoils. There was about 2 hours left of our 6 hour tour, and we continued to search for the lions. Unfortunately that was not to be. We were told they are very rare to spot. We were exhausted when we returned , so we took showers ( as it decided to jump to 100 degrees. ) and took a little nap , laying under the fan. We were scheduled to take another tour at 4:00, and we were sleeping so hard the McGinty’s had to pound on the door to wake us up. We made it to the bus in time to go to a rehabilitation center for cats. There were serval, caracal(lynx), and cheetah. They were caged, but we were allowed in the cages with them, but only after they were fed. We were allowed to pet a serval that had been raised in the center. Mike went in with the cheetah, but I have to admit that I was a bit afraid. I’m sure it would of been fine, as we are too large for a cheetah’s prey. It was a great experience, as the guide was a wealth of information. We headed back for another unwanted meal, but forced ourselves to be social. Ha,Ha

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