Another day, and another game drive….number 6 to be exact. We were out early by 5:30am, noticing that it was partly cloudy, but not raining. Our guide had noticed that two leopards had been spotted very close to the camp, more than likely the two that have stuck around for the last week. A mother and son…..and it was the feisty son that took off with a chair pillow from our balcony the night before we had arrived. He spent the night sleeping there since the cottage was empty. And we had been warned to watch out for him.
We drove incredibly close to the cats, one of which was on the tree stump, and the son hidden in the grass. Spending considerable time there, the cats took off, and we followed. Tinyiko knew their route, so he drove to the coffee break area where the chairs were set up. He found them hiding in a dense tree across the creek. Never expecting it, Tinyiko proceeded to drive straight down the embankment to cross the mostly dry creek. We could see the leopards clearly, but they were having none of it, and continued onward. Now, how are we going to get out of this creek bed? Recent rains had softened the banks, and they were giving way to our attempts to climb out. The third attempt was the charm, as we made it up the side crashing between thorny trees along the way. What an adventure….
We picked up the leopard's path and followed them until more vehicles came along. Giving them a turn at this sighting, we continued on. We were off and running to the open savannah to see zebra, wildebeests, and even more impala. We inquired about the presence of gazelle and were told they are not here, but further north in the park.
This was the perfect stop for coffee with biscuits and biscotti. And Amarula in the coffee. On the ride back, we saw a troop of baboons, actually two separate groups. The large males are quite intimidating but the small ones are cute as could be as they played on the trees branches like little kids. Two warthogs greeted us before we entered the portal of the camp. They are so tame, we feel that the staff has names for them.
Just in time for breakfast, we enjoyed the usual starters and added one omelet and one egg benedict. While eating our food, we tried downloading data on the Kindle, but the connection was spotty, shutting down every 5 minutes.
We skipped the bush walk, since a new group of folks had arrived, and we knew the walk would be repeated. The good thing was that most of the camp was empty now, and the internet should work better. We worked on reports and photos while witnessing an elephant stroll by us, as well as several female nyala.
Lunch was at 2:30pm with coleslaw, bread, cheese and fruit with crackers and lunchmeats. A bacon and onion quiche was served for us to share. We have to say we have really appreciated the meals here. We hung around the camp for the afternoon until it was time for game drive # 7.
Gosh it felt like rain at 4pm, but Tinyiko said no, it would stay dry. But he says that everyday to keep on the positive side. The hippo was not at home in the pond…..seems he has left the building, so to speak. We headed towards a herd of Cape buffalo, because someone in our group was obsessed with getting more photos of them. We were too in the beginning, but they are so prolific, we see them everywhere.
We wanted to stop by to see if the leopard was still in tree…he sure was. Now he was knawing on the leg bone that he had separated from the impala. More specifically, he was chewing on the knuckle. We could hear the bone crushing, but Tinyiko said he would not eat the actual bone, just the knuckles. Continuing on, we saw 5 rhino, a nice sunset, and a brief rain shower. It was time for sundowners with small bags of chips and beer for us. One of the guests, the single fellow, took the bags of chips as if they were all for him. Really…our guide took them back and gave them to everyone.
By now, it was dark, so on the ride home we saw one brush hare, a small owl hawk, and a nightjar that flew like a helicopter catching bugs. Back at the camp, dinner seemed to running late, because some of the new guests were slow in arriving to the Summer House. They seem bent on getting those cocktails, which they did, but the rest of us took our seats at our tables. We could enjoy our drinks there. Starters were a squash soup as well as a cold plate of asparagus and fried cheese with a special white sauce. Lamb chops were the main course, but as tasty as they were, they were a bit tough. Roasted potatoes and cheesy cauliflower was served on the side. Dessert was a half of a poached pear with a dab of whipped cream. We were so tired, we fell asleep immediately once back to our cabin. We have to mention there is no television or radio here. And you know what? We haven't even missed it.
Bill & Mary Ann
