South Africa Tues 1 - Thurs 3 Dec '09

South Africa Tues 1 - Thurs 3 Dec 09
Tuesday I fly from Durban to Phalaborwa via Jo'burg.
Phalaborwa is a small town in the NE of SA, very near an entrance to the middle of Kruger National Park. I am staying at Sunbird Lodge, owned and run by cousins of Jill. It has excellent rooms in beautiful gardens. Breakfast and evening meals are superb.

Wednesday, nothing organised, so walk into town, around the (quite large) shopping area then back for a swim in the Sunbird pool. No lines and can't see where bottom meets sides so swim into end wall and stubb my finger.

Thursday I am met outside Sunbird at 5.45am by a canvas roofed cattle truck driven by Ben for safari in Kruger park. Me plus 3 English girls.
The landscape is scrub and small trees, Ben tells us lots of interesting things, the girls are good company.
We see lots of impala, in small family groups, dainty animals but not particularly nervous or wary of us. Pretty creatures in their natural leafy surroundings.
A very strange looking red beetle marches along the road near where we are stopped. It obviously owns this part of the park.
A Black Crested Eagle is majestic, perched high in one of the taller but dead trees. Beautiful.
A Hornbill hops around the branches of a tree, hiding from us. It is surprisingly graceful when it fly's away.
Three Rangers, pushing their bicycles in the opposite direction, stop to talk to us. They are big guys, young, healthy and black, and have rifles strapped to their crossbars. The girls are thrilled.
Next we see some zebras, some distance away in the scrub. I first thought they were giraffes, and the girls did agree that they were quite tall for zebras.
And almost at the same time, we catch a glimpse of two elephants partly hidden by trees. After watching them for a while, we drive on and find a single male elephant standing very near the road in a small muddy pool. An imperious animal in its natural environment. He is sucking up muddy water and squirting himself all over. He has a big willy and the girls are thrilled again. I will try to email, to you all, one of my photos of this huge animal. We have several more sightings of elephants in 2s and 3s. We are very lucky to see so many.
Now, after a very late snack breakfast in a park lodge overlooking a wide river and beautiful landscape, we head back to Phalaborwa. A truck driver passing in the opposite direction stops to speak with Ben. He has seen a pair of lions near the road and we are headed towards them. Ben drives on and we gaze out at the bush expectantly. A car stops and they tell Ben that they have also seen the two lions. The girls are even more excited than when they saw the three Rangers and the elephants willy. We drive on further, then Ben slows to a crawl. Suddenly, one of the girls spots the lions. Ben stops in a perfect position for us to admire these beasts. They are magnificent animals. The female is partly hidden, but we have a fine view of the male, fully grown and resplendent in his big bushy mane. We stay for a long time, with Ben moving our truck slightly when the lions move for more shade under a tree. Fantastic, amazing, wonderful to see these animals in their natural habitat.
And then we're driving through the gates and out of the park. Another great day.
All the Best,
John