Let the Fun Begin

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Today our trip begins in earnest. We were up early and ate at the breakfast buffet in the hotel. At nine am we met our ranger outside of the airport to begin our journey to Hippo Lakes Safari. As we drove north from Johannesburg, we detoured to visit the Elephant Encounter. This preserve is home to a number of elephants that have been injured and are not able to live in the wild successfully. The elephants are trained to show the visitors their skills and capabilities. Also housed in the preserve were zebras and at least one ostrich that came by to check out all the people. Two of the elephants had young that were born in the preserve as they were pregnant when they arrived. Some of the injuries were a missing tusk and a shortened trunk.

After leaving the Elephant Encounter we made our way to our home for the next five days, Hippo Lake. Our tent sits out into the lake and provides us with photo opportunities of the birds and other critters that live along it. Our tent is well outfitted with full bathroom, king size bed, coffee making station, sitting area, and a large covered porch along the lake. With a little time before dinner after we arrived we sat watching the birds fly along the lake and building their nests in the trees.

Dinner was served at 7 pm with salad, pork wellington, and decedent chocolate cake with ice cream.

Tomorrow is an early morning heading out for our first game drive.

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