Well today is our last full day here and it began the same way with a 5am wake-up reminder from one of the staff that goes from cabin to cabin knocking on the door. By now, they do know that we are up at 4am with all of the lights on. Once we are set to go on the game drive, we even have some spare time to work on the thousands of photos piling up over the past couple of days. The emails we had sent late last night refused to go, so they would have to wait until later this morning.
By 5:45am, we were in the safari vehicle and ready to go, but we were the only ones there. The other folks were having coffee and snacks in the main lodge, which they might regret later on the drive, if you catch the drift. We noticed that the temperature was lower for a change. Almost chilly. Eventually the sun came out, and it warmed up. The nice thing with the cooler mornings is that the animals can be more active. Better for our viewing.
We have noticed there has been a new electrified fence installed that closes off the camp to the road on this side only. If we are first to leave, one of the guys has to get out and disconnect the coiled wires and leave it opened. This hot fence may work for smaller animals, but we highly doubt it would affect anything as big as a rhino or Cape buffalo for instance. We do hope that the leopards and lions have learned to stay away from it also.
The first little animal we saw was a duiker running across the road. These little guys in the antelope family are the perfect size for the big cats to take down. Joseph searched the tree for the previous leopard kill, but there were no cats around. By the time the sun appeared, we did see the two female leopards near the kill cavorting in the field. How funny to see such big animals playing like housecats, the same way you might see them ambushing each other as well as doing aerial stunts. Like a circus act for us, we all wondered what goes through their minds. While the mom and daughter team wrestled in the grass, two more vehicles arrived to watch. We could hear cameras snapping away the whole time we lingered there.
While we were being amused with the antics of the leopards, our guide Ben showed us a photo of another safari vehicle group that had a leopard suddenly leap up onto the hood of the jeep. This cat was eye-to-eye with the driver, who was able to take a picture of it. Suddenly we asked if that was taken here, and he said no. That's good, but it is a better thing to remember these animals are unpredictable. Luckily no one was hurt and the cat eventually ran off to torment someone else.
The whole time we were watching the playful leopards, the owner's dog, a Rhodesian ridgeback, was howling in his enclosed yard. Ben told us that last night, one of the leopards got over two concrete walls and tore up the owner's garden. Good thing his dog wasn't in that garden at the time, but he could still smell the cat and was agitated enough to howl most of the morning. Knowing that this brazen cat was lurking around the camp, they advised all of us to be most careful and keep an eye out for any sightings close to the lodge. We had better make sure we know how to use the walkie-talkie that is in our room. There are no telephones at all. In the past, we used to have a blow horn to alert everyone of danger or to scare away a predator. Those air horns are gone now.
Our ride resumed and it took us to the pond above the camp's backyard called Bambi's Pan. The current owners dug this pond and dedicated it to their grandparents, specifically the grandfather. He died in 2015, but grandma still comes and spends time at his pond when she visits.
Continuing on, we were on the lookout for lion prints in the sandy road. Both of our guides got out again to look for prints. These prints were from a different pride that wondered over from another property. Ben returned, but Joseph did not. Finally he returned with a carton of milk for our coffee break, because they forgot to include it in the cooler. We did not realize we were that close to the lodge as it is buried in the trees.
Then we proceeded on a long ride west, where newcomers Cecile and Greg were quiet as church mice. The only one talking was our original jeep mate who liked to chat incessantly with Ben, our young driver. Since she has been here the longest, she was in tune with the camp's inner workings and the employees that were having problems. Pretty much idle gossip, we all ignored it as much as we could, and concentrated on the game drive.
Passing some hornbills and the herd of impala, we came across two lions laying in the mowed grass. Then we saw more….actually a pile of lions, eleven in total. Nearby was a huge dark male lazing away in the morning sun. When he was rousted by two more vehicles, we could see he was having difficulty walking, much the same way we do these days. He was stiff and had a limp, revealing his age. He crawled into some bushes under the trees and all we could see was his head. The rest of the pride began walking away in a line as they often do. In time he followed, but a lot slower. About ¼ mile away were some ground hornbill birds, which are rare these days. They were roaming the fields but not flying. That's why they are called ground birds. We had stayed in this area until 7:30am, and it was time to move on.
On the way to our coffee break stop, we saw more impalas, zebras, and a Southern white shrike. These are the small birds that will hunt insects like grasshoppers, and stick them on thorns or barbed wire. It is like a pantry for the birds as the bugs dry and keep for later dining. Our coffee break lasted until 8:10am, then we took off to see more elephants, a pair of Wahlberg eagles, and a lilac breasted roller who was blocked in the sunlight. Figures.
Near the pond with the grey heron, there is a frisky elephant that prefers drinking water from a pipe that comes from a spring that feeds the pond. The owners tried cementing a base around the pipe, but the elephant crushed it in time. Then they dragged some dead tree limbs around it, but the animal pulled them away. So now this elephant has learned to be aggressive by sucking up a lot of water, and spraying the vehicles if they get too close. This happened this afternoon, and the guests with the nice safari clothes got sprayed. Knowing this, the driver should have been more thoughtful , but for some reason, he may have done this thinking it was funny. That spray of water was putrid, and we do hope the lodge gals will be able to clean their clothes. We do get one batch of laundry done complimentary during our stay.
Then we were on our way to check for leopards again when we spotted the owners on their motorbikes going this way and that. They were in search of the nighttime marauder that wrecked their garden. They mentioned that a resident banded mongoose was in the garage area, so we went to look. Lo and behold, this furry little creature appeared from a sewer drain and ran around our vehicle. It was more of a pet we think, as it almost climbed up Joseph's leg sitting in the front of the jeep. Then the mongoose went under the vehicle and they could not get him to move. Ben admitted that this cute little thing had bitten him on the finger and they had to have it checked for rabies. Not sure when this happened, but you don't mess with a wild animal.
On our way back to the lodge, we saw the roaming impala herd and the resident wart hogs. Finally saw a lilac breasted roller that had the right exposure. Hope we got a picture of it.
Time for breakfast at 9am, we started with fresh squeezed orange juice and cups of hot coffee. Yogurt in jars with granola and another jar of soaked fruit were served on a tray. We helped ourselves as we always do. We usually never touch the other plate of salmon, cream cheese, Baby Bell cheese rounds, or marmalade jam. However, we did have two flaky croissants that one of us doctored up with cream cheese and sliced Baby Bells. One of us ordered eggs with sides of bacon and asked if they had hashbrown potatoes. No they did not but said they would make something up like that. We waited longer for our hot meal, but when the plate arrived, they had sliced and cooked French fries, which went quite well with the eggs. Pretty nice we thought. The other one of us had the delicious French toast, which consisted of one slice cut diagonally. A banana was fried and added between the slices then drizzled with a thick syrup. It went well with a small side of bacon.
We had been invited to join the bush walk or a special birding hike, but we declined knowing that we needed to make use of our time keeping up with the reports and pictures. Of course, that activity in the heat of the day would leave us more worn out, so we were wise to pass on it. And besides, this is always the best time for showers (shampooing for one of us), leaving us relaxed and fresh for lunch and the afternoon drive.
Lunch was served at 2:30pm where we had salad with all of the fresh veggies and a tasty tangy dressing. Lettuce is the least ingredient, but they are heavy on the other veggies. The charcutier board came with two cheeses, crackers, lunchmeat, grapes, and a chutney. Two slices of wheat bread and butter are always served. Our main dish was a noodle-less beef lasagna served with a bowl of seasoned white rice in place of the noodles we suspect. It was a very good combination. Banana slices with a jam were served as were the little jar of gum drops.
Ready or not, the afternoon game drive commenced by 4pm. Two more guests from England had arrived to the camp, and they joined our group. We are a total of seven now. Off we went passing by the resident warthogs. Their strange heads and comical behavior are growing on us. Now we see them as pets as well. The mother leopard, Tengile, was resting under the "kill" tree. We pulled in to watch her for a while until she maneuvered to drink water from a shady stream under the tree. We do not know why, but we stayed there for up to ½ hour. We are getting the impression the drives are based on what other drivers are spotting at the moment. When they converse with each other, they make a plan of who goes first or second to the site. Checking the tree with the latest casualty of the leopard, we saw that most of the animal was devoured. All that was left was a leg, which the leopard was busy chewing on. Yuck…..
We saw a baby kudu, some more warthogs, the weaverbird nests, a lilac breasted roller, and eventually the "spitting" elephant back at the pipe. This is the moment one of the UK couples got sprayed with no apologies. We had spotted a cloud that looked like smoke in the sky in the distance. When we got to a better vantage point, we could see the plume of dark smoke. Obviously, it was a fire somewhere, but our guides did not know anything about it. The mystery would be solved later when at dinner, the owner said it was a controlled backfire, which every lodge has to do annually. Permits are required and the fire team has to be present in case the backfire "backfires". Every property has to keep a perimeter around their camp sites in order to control a wildfire.
Two leopards were spotted in an open field, attracting more vehicles from a neighboring lodge. They moved along not liking the attention. There were some lapwings and a few Cape glossy starlings hanging around a rhino pit where they "go". It is a way that most male rhinos mark their territory. Close by some elephants were in the bushes with one little baby. By now it was 5:40pm and the sun was ready to set. On a tall mound, a beautiful male kudu withy tall horns stood perfectly still as if he was a statue. What a picture that made.
We pulled over in a field where sundowners were set up once again. Sadly, this would be our final evening drive of this safari trip. Our entire group toasted the occasion with beverages of our choice. Ours was the Windhoek beer again. This can become habit-forming……
On our way back to camp, a different type of pickup passed by us with some camouflaged local fellows with rifles. As we got near them, they sat down in the bed of the truck and hid the artillery. They looked like military police, but they were actually private hired anti-poaching guards fully armed and prepared to do what they are hired for. That was a chilling moment making us realize all is not perfect in this part of the world. But is it anywhere???
Finally we passed by a pride of lions from the Singita area where they had migrated here about four months ago. Skiddish, the lions took off, leaving one male behind. Eventually, he followed the group. Time for us to head back.
Dinner was served at 8pm, where we enjoyed another beer at our table. A carrot and squash pureed soup was brought first, which we topped with croutons. An appetizer of salmon on a piece of toast followed, although it was not smoked as they has promised. The entrée this evening was roasted chicken with gravy, rosti potatoes, with zucchini and carrots. One slice of whole wheat bread and butter was just right. Dessert was a half of a poached pear topped with whipped cream. Amarula shots and a handful of chocolate candies ended our meal. Then it was off to our room to rest up for another game drive in the morning…..our final one.
Bill & Mary Ann
