Safari Time

The BAE twin prop lands ontime into Kruger Park Airport and we hook up with Stan the transfer man. British. In SA since 1971. He talks non stop on the transfer to the game lodge. Full of insight into contemporary South Africa. A voice of experience....and a steady driver. Surprisingly he avoids all the pedestrians on their way home from school and the hopeful sitting at street corners waiting for the offer of work. Kate and I arrive at Kapama River Lodge, a cup of tea and slice of fruit cake, introduced to Noel (guide) and Alfred (tracker) then we join   the Belgian family for our first game drive.

 

Update on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 06:32AM by Mark Bender

i have spoken to a few people who have been on safari. pretty much all of them rave about it but i had no idea what a majestic sight a herd of elephants, a journey of giraffes, a pod of hippos or a dazzle of zebras can be. kate and i have prize seats behind noel the american anthropology grad  safari guide with an unequalled passion for the african bush. she finds an eagle, leopard tortoise and cheetah just as fascinating as a dung beetle. in the mornings we are woken at 5am for a 5.45am drive....after a cup of strong black coffee that is...snuggled up with a fleece blanket over our laps. antelope gamboll, giraffes peer over their breakfast treetop at us. we get use to meeting the lions. over the 6 drives even get to know their personalities....the hippos frollic playfully at a waterhole and the buffalo meander, all 200 odd, down to join them. in the evenings we stop for sundowners ...my new favourite time of the day when the great white hunter makes a temporary camp to chew some biltong and sup a beer or pre dinner brandy deep in the bush as the sun goes down. one evening as the belgian chats with us we are disturbed by a young rhino and his mum crashing through the bush. heading straight for us... everyone slowly back on the landcruiser please.

Update on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 06:35AM by Mark Bender

my favourite time of the day is that easy midday siesta in our lovely room...on the terrace playing chess....in the bath looking out over the bush......a glass of rose...and kate’s smiling face.