Hitchhiker and wonderful birds

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Geo: -30.5595, 22.9375

night at Balule and wonderful birds and hitchhiking baboon~

Had a leisurely morning before heading out to Balule. Fixed a nice breakfast of coffee and cereal
with fruit. Unfortunately, the worker was emptying the garbage from the various chalets and put it
out on the road to be picked up by the cart. The vervet monkey's were paying very close attention and as soon as he moved on, they headed straight to the garbage. Robert went to run them off and Laura was getting ready to start the car. One of the larger vervet's made a threatening move toward me. Decided to jump into the car and not challenge him.

Drove the river road toward Balule but there was not much game out but it was nice ton f have the new bridge instead of having to drive all the way around. Got to the camp and took the same place as last time. Got set up and got some water purifying.

All of a sudden, the birds show up. Got to see the African paradise flycatcher and an orange breasted bush shrike right there in camp. We decided to go for a drive and it was a great hippo day at the overlook. There was a saddlebill stork with its legs bent and had its feet sticking out. Had our
lunch of wraps we had made before we left Olifants and watched the animals down in the river. You can save a lot of money by fixing your own food as you are out on your game drives.

Drove on down another road and there was a large baboon on the side of the road. All of a sudden, he stood up and walked in front of the car like he was trying to determine whether he wanted to join us. Came over to Laura's window and kept acting like he would like to get in and go for a ride with us.! Drove on but he did chase us for a bit. Glad the windows were rolled up!

Drive on a bit further and watched three kori bustards marching around together. Then Robert sees a raptor; snake eagle we think fly up with a monitor lizard in it's talons. Flew up in a tree but did
not seem to want to eat in front of us.

Saw a painted snipe on the road back to Balule. Fixed beef and brocolli for dinner and then spent the evening with our neighbors, Mark and Nicola. Think we solved all of the world's problems that night!

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