Krugar National Park

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October 4th 2008

Published: October 4th 2008

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Jan and Vix

Malelane Gate

SA version of Jurassic Park

So we arrived at Mpumalanga / Krugar airport after a whopping 12 hours flying and 10 hours of total stopover hours!!! (7 of those stopover hours were spent at a Starbucks cafe). Huge contrast from Singapore / Kuala Lumpur. From concrete buildings as far as the eyes can see to dry grasslands that span all the way to the horizon.

Vicky's uncle leant us his "bakkie" (aka ute) and sent us off to the Krugar Park (after a tour of the Greeff plot - it's been amazing for Vicky to get back to her roots!) Krugar Park is only about 45 mins from the Greeff clan digs. Krugar Park has some Jurassic Park action going on with electric fences surrounding the areas where you are allowed to get out of your car. Actually on our way to the restcamp we stopped to help some people with their flat tyre. Vicky was convinced we were being stalked! Think about it - in a lion's eyes human = food. Doesn't matter what species of mammal you are!

But we used the jetlag we're still suffering to our advantage - we've been waking up before dawn so have set out to do

Bakkie

Kindly loaned to us by the Greeffs.

some game spotting while the animals are supposedly having their early morning drinks at the waterholes. We managed to spot 4 of the Big 5 within about 3 hours of our first drive. (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Hippo and Leopard). We didn't have the privelage of spotting a leopard - apparently they're the most difficult animal to track down.

Forgot to mention that it was 38 degrees in Krugar Park!!! It was so hot - the lions we saw were parked under a tree just beside the road. They were so hot they couldn't be bothered about all the cars stopping to take pictures. Actually we saw lions twice - yesturday we spotted 3 lionesses and 1 lion lazying beside the river. They caused a huge traffic jam on the over hanging bridge and kept staring up at us curiously. (I'm sure they were marvelling at the buffet we would create!)

We're on our way back to the Greeff digs for a "braai". Vicky's uncle lives on a farm adjacent to the farm Vicky's dad grew up on. All the cousins have built their own houses on the same plot of land so it's very communal!

Pictures will