7 color bird
Wed, Oct 12
Animals spotted today: White Rhinos, Ground Horn Bill, Waterbuck, Blue Wildebeest, Chacma Baboons, Hippos, Kudus, Giraffes, Warthog taking a mud bath, Helmeted Guineafowls
Have I said I miss Moshe and Eric?! Our ranger and tracker at this lodge does not seem to click for me. They are not as warm and friendly. OK, I have to stop comparing and just enjoy the experience.
We started the morning drive by tracking down some White Rhinos. I must say, our ranger is pretty good. He saw these rhinos from a distance away, at least half a mile. I could barely see them even with my zoom lense and pretty much wrote them off. Wouldn’t you know it, 10 minutes later we are off roading through the thick brush and got right to them! It was a trio and they weren’t as skittish, got some nice pics. One of them had blood trickling down the side of his face. Rex said that they like to play and fight with their horns and sometimes draw blood. I didn’t notice until now that they actually have 2 horns, one main one and a smaller one right above.
I was happy to finally get some nice pics of the Blue Wildebeests. Saw them once in Timbavati but didn’t get a picture since we were speeding along the road to get to a leopard sighting. They are really pretty and to me looks nicer than a buffalo. The terrain is more hilly here and when we are driving along a ridge you get a nice view of the valleys. Our morning tea break was really nice. Rex parked the jeep and we walked down towards Olephant river where at least a dozen of hippos were hanging out. I finally got some nice shots of them with more of their bodies sticking out. We found some big rocks to sit on and it was a beautiful view of the river and all the green foliage along it. Had some tea and scones, yummy!
Got back to the lodge for a nice breakfast. It’s usually a plentiful spread of fruits, yogurt, muffin, juices. And as if that wasn’t enough they prepare to order a hot breakfast as well. I usually enjoy an omelette and sausage or bacon along with all the other goodies. I am in denial about any weight gain. So far I can still get into my pants so it cant be that bad.
After breakfast I walked out through the catwalk and to the isolated deck. It’s located right over a small waterhole so you are bound to see wildlife. First thing first, I plopped down on the leather couch and took a nice nap. The temp is in the high 70’s, a slight breeze and there’s about a thousand wildlife sounds to entertain you, what a life! There’s about 3 hrs to kill after breakfast and lunchtime but it’s not hard to pass the time. I took a nap, edited my pictures from the morning drive, started a book, wrote on my blog. The couple from seattle left this morning for the next leg of their trip which is further south of the country. So there’s only 3 of us today. I got the deck to myself for 3 hours and it was so nice to nap and read. At one point I looked up and saw some activities in the distance. Suddenly the area in front of me is alive with animals. On one side there were a few kudus and impalas, then a buffalo strolls along and plops down for an hour nap. Best of all a whole clan of baboons comes right in front about 20-30 yards away and start play. A few climbed up a tree full of new leaves and munches away. One baboon didn’t estimate his weight vs the weight of the branch he was on and promptly falls right down. They were there for less than 30 minutes but it was so entertaining to watch. The babies were really mischevious. I hope I got the picture of a baby baboon riding on his papa’s back. Once the baboon left a warthog came along. We had to stay absolutely still because it looked like he was heading for the waterhole right in front of us. Sure enough, he did! Except he didn’t come for a drink, instead he got to a shallow part and started to roll around in the mud, it was so great to watch! I’ve seen a lot of warthogs during the drives but they never stand still and they are small and run away as soon as we approach so it’s been really hard to get a picture. So glad I got this picture of him rolling in the mud.
This afternoon’s drive was a slow one. No big 5 animals but we did see some lovely birds and eagles and found the lions again. This time it was the poppa lion and the older kids out hunting and away from their normal spot. Mama lion was “home” with the baby cubs. Rex told us that eventually they will go back and give momma lion a break and watch the cubs while she goes out to hunt and eat. The lions are more active at night and will nap most of the day. I think Rex was upset that he didn’t find more animals for us but at this point I am relaxed and didn’t care. I was still enjoying the drive. It hasn’t gotten old yet!
Another lovely dinner on the deck with Marilyn and Louis from Houston. I though I was excited about being here, they are even more so. They had won this safari at a charity auction, otherwise this country was never on their list. Now Louis cannot wait to go back and tell people what a wonderful this country is. The scenery is great and the people are so warm and friendly. I am glad for them, they just got to SA 3 days ago and already they are quite amazed. At this rate I know they will continue to be amazed as they continue their trip to other parts of the country, including Cape Town.
I drank too much wine which means I drank more than half a glass. The local wine in S.Africa is excellent. A glass of wine is the same price as a soda, very cheap!
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