Enlightened Journeys with Mary-Anne

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We started today at 4:30 for our final morning safari into Kruger National Park. Today's goal: rhinoceros and leopard. Today's actual hits included: elephants, hyena, cape turtle doves, emerald-spotted wood doves, duiker grey antelope, tawny eagle, battaliers, vultures, wild dogs, RHINOS on 3 occasions(!), vereaux eagle owl, warthogs, and LIONS(!). We saw so many impala (antelopes) they felt like part of the family. Though we never found the elusive leopard, today's "hunt" was very successful. The highlights were the rhinos and the pack of wild dogs. Our guide, Mary-Anne, was super excited to have found these two species for us. Though many attempts have been made to tame/domesticate the wild dogs, even those reared from birth, none have been successful. We should also mention that during our breakfast break at a picnic area, we were being stalked by a barrel of monkeys. Mary-Anne would not tolerate this and set up a zone of protection by swinging her purse like a sling and threatening them with rocks. Eventually, they moved on.

From our last exit of Kruger Park, we headed to Matsamo Cultural Village, a Swazi village located in "no man's land" on the border between South Africa and Swaziland. We were given a tour of the village by the chieftain's daughter, one of his many children from one of his two wives. Following the tour, we viewed a vocal, dance, and drum performance that was beautiful.

After our tour of the village, we headed back toward Johannesburg. From leaving the beautiful mountains, we traveled through dense pollution and smoke, first from the coal fired power plant, and later from wood being burned for heat in the townships outside of Johannesburg. During the journey, Mary-Anne finished her narrative history of South Africa which started when we first met her in the pre-1600s, and ended this afternoon in the post-apartheid era. She was a treasure trove of knowledge.

Our last South African night is being spent at a casino complex, where we enjoyed a tasty dinner of steaks and a burger. Tomorrow we set alight for Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and are excited about sleeping in until the late hour of 6:15 a.m.

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