Blogs from Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga , South Africa, Africa - page 17

I had a blast in Jo'burg, seeing 2 matches and meeting a lot of people at our hostel, but it was time to see some wildlife. So, we left Johannesburg for for the 5 hour drive to Kruger National Park. Daddy had been there a couple times before and had actually done some research on malaria in the park and was looking forward to showing it to me...the park, not malaria. We arrived pretty late in the day so only had 2 hours before we had to make our way to Pretioroskop Camp. We drove around, and the first animal I saw was a giraffe. It was sooooo cool to see one in the wild.....I had seen them before at the zoo, but this one was crossing the road in front of us! This place was ... read more

Day 5 Up early again and saw loads more animals, including briefly a lion carrying a carcass behind a bush - but the highlight was in the afternoon when I booked myself in for a bush walk; fortunately I was the only one who had booked, so I got my own 3 hour walk in the bush with 2 rangers (with rifles). It was great to be out of the car and looking around and learning about the animals and they tracked some buffalo first on some cliffs, but then went round and ‘met’ them and got close enough to get the adrenalin pumping - before some bird flew up out of the grass and spooked them so they ran off - wooses ... read more

The fourth day of our safari and its definitely everything I expected and more. I mean... I'm not even phased by seeing zebras and giraffes anymore because I have already seen so many. Its a really sad thing to think about - but its true. Today's plan was to visit the Rehab center and do another bush drive in the afternoon. The rehab center serves two purposes: to treat injured animals and to educate the public. Let me be clear, the point was made abundantly clear to us that it is not conservation. They save single animals, not entire species. But through those animals and education, they try to save species and promote awareness. Whether its with the locals (and telling them not to kill the animals) or through tourists (by raising awareness). The fact highlighted ... read more

Just to put it in perspective how incredible this place is, while I was typing this blog from the patio of our lodge, I had to take a break because I saw a giraffe walk by the deck I was sitting on (10 feet from me), and had to run to get some pictures. Now back to the details of the day... We were up for coffee and out into the bush by 545 for our morning 4-hour walk. Seriously? I thought this was vacation. We are not following the rules as it relates to staying away from certain foods or drinks. Everyone here does it, and they all seem healthy. Its all part of the experience and the reason Cipro was invented. I have religiously been taking my meds relating to the disease that matters ... read more

We just completed 3 days in Kruger National Park. We traveled hundreds of kilometers in an open jeep shooting animals with the Cannon G9 Camera. One of the guides said that 10 to 20 people a year are killed by the lions in Kruger Park. Mostly unarmed people traveling to South Africa from the north on foot to find work. In addition to driving, we hiked amongst the animals for 4 hours with armed park rangers. We walked in single file with two rangers at the front, Kim in the middle, and me at the back. During the walk I was a bit bothered that the guides never seemed to look back to see if we were being followed. So I kept a keen eye towards the rear as we walked. Later I asked the ... read more