Posts Tagged ‘South Africa’

South African Scenic Drive

{ January 9, 2010 @ 11:01 pm } · { Travel, Travel South Africa }
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We took the eight-hour scenic route back from Sabi Sands to Johannesburg and saw some amazing landscape. The communal areas that we drove through were situated in the beautiful mountainous region of South Africa. From the face of it, you wouldn’t think that these areas were poor. There were cows that were grazing alongside the roads, with the lead cow wearing with a bell around his neck. Landowners would know the whereabouts of these cows by the clanking of the bell. The number of cows that each landowner had would was determinant of his wealth and how much of a structure he was able to afford. As we drove through the country, the terrain was very picturesque, with rolling hillsides and canyons. We visited Blyde Canyon, the third largest canyon in the world, and the Three Rondevals. The area was very pristine and clear, unlike certain areas in Asia, where the beauty lies beyond the smog. The Africaans were selling their wares, which included hand-painted woodwork and jewelry, which were beautifully crafted. Unlike in China, we were told that it wasn’t customary to bargain with the Africaans on the price of their goods. Our last stop en-route to Johannesburg was at Lisbon Falls, which is approximately four hours from our final destination. The waters were flowing intensely down the falls because of the heavy rains in the region. We watched the falls for a few minutes and found it to be somewhat mesmerizing, with the deafening noise caused by the water flowing freely from top to bottom. It was a beautiful view from the top. Finally, on approach to Johannesburg, we saw the sun setting over the South African skies. This was a perfect ending to an awesome vacation.

South African Safari #6

{ January 9, 2010 @ 10:40 pm } · { Travel, Travel South Africa }
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Our final game drive was nothing short of awesome, incredible and amazing. We couldn’t have asked for anything better on our last day. Our first sighting was of two beautiful male lions sitting on the road, enjoying the sun and drying out after two full days of non-stop rain. Our vehicle approached the lions slowly, and we got to within a few feet of them. We saw that their bellies were full and they seemed rather content. The pictures that we took captured their masculinity and battle scars. Look into the eyes of these lions. They have a certain intensity, unlike the eyes of the animals at the zoo. The lions were amazingly beautiful….and we wanted to pat them as they walked past our vehicle. We captured a hundred photos of the lions…click…click…click….AWESOME!

While driving, we saw the remains of a giraffe that was electrocuted at a nearby game reserve, but whose body was found on on the property of the Nkoroho Bush Lodge. Nearby, there were the remains of an elephant who at the time, was injured severely, but because she was nursing her baby, was kept alive to give the baby the best chance of surviving out in the wild. There was a lot of controversy about keeping the mother elephant alive, even though she was mortally wounded, but the Sabi Sands consortium thought it best to keep her alive for the sake of the baby.

We then stopped by ‘hippo pond’, where we had some coffee and crumpets and relaxed out in the fields. We saw a monitor lizard at water’s edge, but were told not to stray too far from the vehicle. While we didn’t see a hippo then, it was believed that one lived in the waters there. Should a hippo emerge from the water at that point, the slowest of us to get back to the vehicle would not stand a chance against these large fearsome animals.

Our next sighting was of the lioness and two generations of lion cubs, eight in all. They were very relaxed, but kept a keen eye on the vehicles approaching them. At one point, the lioness got up and walked around to protect her young. While walking, we noticed that her tail was missing. This apparently was an injury that she sustained staving off a savage hyena.

While making our way back to the lodge and out of the Sabi Sands entrance, we saw every animal imaginable, except the elusive rhino. We saw the warthog, the zebras, the kudus, the wildebeests and the impalas. It was an amazing day. While we were sad to be leaving the bush, we vowed that we would someday return.

Until you experience a real-life safari, you may never understand how different things are from visiting the animals at the zoo. The intensity of the animals; the natural habitat that these animals call home; and the beauty of the African continent, are truly amazing. Our safari is one that we’ll always remember. We saw life and death, and we learned a lot about how the animals exist and co-exist in the bush. Every living organism, animal or plant, has a role in the wild. And to preserve the wildlife for generations to enjoy, we need a stable eco-system, where everything is in balance.

More to come…

South African Safari #5

{ January 9, 2010 @ 10:13 pm } · { Travel, Travel South Africa }
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This morning was another wet and wild ride, but we saw a few dugaboys (crotchety old men aka very old buffalo) and many other animals that were brave enough to graze in the rain, including the kudu, impala, buffalo and elephant. We were most interested in the baby elephants because of their size and how cute they were. The mother’s were very protective of their young, keeping them safe and making sure that they had enough to eat. Most of the baby elephants fit comfortably under the legs of their mothers, standing no taller than two to three feet high.

While watching the herd moving through the bush, we saw two bull elephants fighting for dominance within the group. They were somewhat hidden from view, so we weren’t able to get any videos. However, they used their trunks to fend off the other, while other elephants grazed nonchalantly nearby. Although it seems unusual for the males to establish dominance within their own group, they do so to be able to woo the female of their choice. Once dominance is established, the losing male usually leaves the herd and tries to gain acceptance elsewhere.

After out lunch meal, we noticed that the rain was finally starting to abate. The cumulous clouds were finally starting to break and we were able to take a few photographs on the grounds of the Nkorho Bush Lodge. We walked around and enjoyed the scenery, happy that the rains had finally subsided. It was a very picturesque view, especially of the waterhole in the front of the lodge. We saw a jackal, a few wildebeests and some kudus in the distance.

That evening, we went on our first ‘dry’ game drive and what a difference it made. It wasn’t cold; the rain wasn’t sleeting at our faces; and our clothes weren’t getting soaked. For once, our cameras were also dry. We cheered our good fortune and had a great time on our game drive. The wild dogs were out and about, running after a cute little steen bok. Back and forth they ran, in and out of the bushes. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to follow the chase, as there are certain plots of land within Sabi Sands that we weren’t able to traverse. That evening, under moonlit skies, we stopped in the bush for a drink and some snacks.

When we got back to the lodge, we were excited at not having been rained on. Silently, we were hoping that the weather would hold up for our final game drive the next morning.

More to come…

South African Safari #4

{ January 9, 2010 @ 9:54 pm } · { Travel, Travel South Africa }
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After the prior night’s drive, we hung our wet clothes on every post and furniture in the room, hoping to dry it out before our drive the following morning. Our once immaculate room went from being a perfect 5-star accommodation to a shanty town, only after one night at the lodge. When we felt our clothes in the morning, we were surprised to find that it was as damp as it was the night before. Because of the of the humidity and apparent lack of circulation in the room, the drying process was very slow, if not non-existent. Having brought several pairs of pants and a number of warm shirts, however, we, unlike a number of visitors, didn’t have to get back into our damp clothes. Fortunately, we looked at the weather forecast before leaving on our trip, which prepared us for the unusual weather conditions that we experienced.

We woke up to pouring rain the next morning, but that didn’t deter us from wanting to go on the morning game drive. And what’s a little bit of rain? Rain, in and of itself wouldn’t stop the drive from happening; it’s only when lightning strikes, that the game drives are cancelled or deferred. That being said, our guide promptly knocked on our door at 5:30 a.m., 30 minutes prior to the start of the drive. Before that ‘knock’, no one is allowed to leave their rooms because of the possible danger from wild animals entering the lodge area. There’s an electrical fence surrounding the lodge, but that would only prevent elephants from entering.

This morning, we started our drive with a wild dog sighting of the same pack that were playing together the night before. Because of the rain, they were all huddled up, trying to keep warn in the rainy weather. After seeing them together the way we did, we now understand why these dogs are so closely inbred. The older dogs were huddled in one group and the younger dogs in another. They seemed very content and as close as we were to them, they didn’t try to approach the vehicle.

We continued our drive, drenched through and through, until we came across an elephant with a yellow tracking device brightly fastened on his head. Upon seeing this elephant, we were told that he was the largest animal in the bush, weighing approximately 6,000 pounds. Because it has been illegal to poach elephants for their tusks, there are now over 12,000 elephants within the Kruger area. This is in excess of the 7,500 elephants that the land can support for a stable eco-system. We followed this elephant, who methodically negotiated his way through the Savannah, swinging his trunk from side to side. All of a sudden, the elephant plowed slowly into the tree and with the force of his head and trunk, bull-dozed it down. The mature tree was at least a foot in diameter and 20 feet high. The elephant skillfully pulled the semi-exposed the root from the ground and stripped the nutrients from it. This all happened in a matter of a few seconds. We were told that in the rainy season, the root structure of the trees are weakened and the elephants often push them over to get the nutrients. This causes a lot of destruction and wreaks havoc on the eco-system. There has been some talk on how to control the elephant population, but it is currently a big problem that remains unresolved.

While we wanted to follow the elephant a bit more, our guide was told that there was a giraffe sighting at a nearby location. Since many of us had not seen a giraffe in the plains, we hurried to the site before the giraffes burrowed back into the bushes. When we got to the sighting, the mother and her baby were walking the plains along with a few elephants and the white-backed jackel. It would have been a beautiful landscape shot had the weather cooperated, but even with the mist in the background, it was cool to see them all together. Further, had the land been drier, we would have been to off-road and follow the giraffes into the bushes.

The game drives were incredibly ‘wet’. In addition to the rain jackets that we brought with us, we used the ponchos that were provided in the open-air vehicle, primarily to protect the cameras. These ponchos were so smelly, that if you were in a poorly circulated room with these ponchos, you’d throw up. These ponchos had not been washed or dried since they were purchased years ago, and it smelled like 1,000-year old sweat reconstituted in the rain. Nasty!! Word of the wise — For those going on safari, Bring Your Own Poncho!!

Before our game drive that evening, we realized that due to the rain, one of our cameras was no longer working. While we were disappointed, we didn’t panic since we were still able to capture the highlight of the evening…the lion pride. Although the lions were miserable in the rain, they huddled together and braved the inclement weather together.

More to come…

South African Safari #3

{ January 9, 2010 @ 9:29 pm } · { Travel, Travel South Africa }
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We started our morning game drive at what is known as the ‘bird hide’, where we quietly observed the birds in their natural habitat from behind a camouflaged structure. The standout moment came when an African Jacana made his stage debut and walked nonchalantly from one lily pad to the next, similar to a ballet dancer tiptoeing across the stage. Such elegance, such serenity! We aslo caught a Kingfisher with a smelt in his mouth. I’m sure that he didn’t think twice about sharing his prized catch with us, especially since it was no bigger than a tiny earthworm. Our safari then took us through the wilds of Kruger, where we caught the tail end of 500+ buffalo traversing the plains and a pack of kudus being de-ticked by a red-billed oxpecker. To maintain a stable ecosystem in the bush, we’re finding that every creature, big and small, has a purpose, some as predators and others as prey.

Today was the transition day, where we did our morning game drive at Kruger and our afternoon game drive at Sabi Sands. Although Kruger and Sabi Sands are neighboring parks, we had to travel three and a half hours through the communal area to get to the main entrance at Sabi Sands. We found the communal areas to be very interesting, as there were a number of cinder block houses that were partially constructed, but without any material left to complete the production. We asked ourselves why that would be the case, but couldn’t come up with a logical reason. We were later told that these houses were built block by block, and only when the owners had the resources to pay.

When we got to the Sabi Sands, and more specifically the Nkorho Bush Lodge, one of the resorts therein, we were amazed at how awesome the accommodations were. It was very luxurious, with all the amenities, including a private outdoor shower area, dual basin, dual indoor showers and a beautifully decorated king-sized bed. The grounds were amazing, with an infinity pool, clubhouse and covered outdoor dining and sitting area. We were greeted by Milo, a 16-year old Jack Russell Terrier. Since he was getting up in age, he spent most of the day sleeping in the clubhouse.

We arrived in the early afternoon, just in time for lunch, which some would call ‘lunner’, a combination between lunch and dinner, that was served at 2:00 p.m. To gather the guests for meals, we’d hear the sounds of the African drum that would reverberate through the bungalows. It was a very unique experience, but one that was relaxing and interesting. Looking out at the waterhole in the distance, we saw a number of animals traversing the fields. It was so apropos, given that we were in Africa. The meals were great and we feasted primarily on beef, contrary to what you’d expect. We had a preconceived idea that we’d eat some form of ‘big game’, but in retrospect, that wouldn’t be quite so appropriate, as that’s what you’re there to experience….and not to poach.

Our afternoon game drive started a 4:30 p.m. as planned, despite the heavy rains. Our guide received a call from a neighboring guide that there were wild dogs in the area. Without getting the full range of instructions that normally precedes the drive, we sped off in the open-air vehicle, with the rain whipping in our faces. Our guide skillfully negotiated the unpaved road, avoiding the many water puddles along the way. Those of us in the back of the vehicle were bouncing up and down and holding on for dear life. Could we have fallen out of the vehicle? Yeah, but we had travel insurance if the dogs thought that we were tasty enough. Was it a huge rush? Totally!!! It was exhilarating. It was thrilling. And yes, it was CRAZY!!! All told, we loved it!!

After 15 minutes of swerving from side to side in the sleeting rain, we finally saw the prize that we were in search of….25 wild dogs running freely in the Savannah. We were extremely fortunate to have seen these nearly extinct dogs, especially since there are only 250 remaining in the area. Since these dogs are closely inbred, the species has gotten weaker over the years and as a result, the sightings are far and few. The dogs normally travel in packs, and because of their lean structure and long legs, they’re able to chase their prey until they’re exhausted. They’re quite beautiful, but when they flash their canines, they look ferocious. That look, however, didn’t intimidate the spotter, that sits at the very front of the open-air vehicle,without any protection. To add some perspective, we were so close to these animals that we were able to get a whiff of their odor…..which would totally be enough to down a cow!!

Our journey then took us to the sight where a rhino was killed a few weeks prior. When we arrived, the savage hyena was tugging at the head of the rhino, eating whatever was left of the carcass. Our guide witnessed the actual killing and was still shaken up by what he saw. Apparently, two male rhinos fought ferociously for dominance in the group, one sustaining severe wounds that weakened him and made him unable to defend himself. As the group moved on, the injured rhino was left on his own. A hyena then took advantage of the situation and attacked the rhino’s open wound, eating his flesh and biting off his ear, all while the rhino was still alive. This gives meaning to the phrase ‘eating him alive,’ and it is also why the hyena has such a bad reputation in and out of the bush. The ghastly sight was witnessed by those that were on safari that morning, many of whom could not bear to watch the suffering rhino. Finally, after a hard fought fight, and the rhino having been in a lot of pain and bleeding profusely, he was still. It was a very somber moment and one that will remain with the guide forever. Even for those of us listening to the story, it was heart wrenching and sad.

Since our trip began, we were wondering about the possibility of seeing a leopard and were told that our chances were quite good, especially at Sabi Sands, where the focus is on the ‘big five’. We had heard that of the big game, the leopard was the most elusive because of his shy nature. On our first game drive at Sabi Sands, however, we were lucky that the spotter saw him lying in a bush near the roadside, miserable in the pouring rain. His skin glistened in the rain and surprisingly, he looked a lot smaller than we imagined. We watched him for a few minutes as he fell back to sleep, not caring that we were right next to him with our lights shining directly on him. Before turning in for the night, we circled a ten mile loop and again saw the same leopard crossing the road. While he didn’t stand still for us, he looked much more muscular and much bigger than he did in his curled up position.

After returning to the lodge, dripping wet and cold, we were greeted with hot towels and a glass of blue curacao. At that point, we knew why we had such a burning desire to go on an African safari. Despite the rain, it was a near perfect drive.

More to come…

South African Safari #2

{ January 7, 2010 @ 5:44 am } · { Travel, Travel South Africa }
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On our first full day on safari, we were told to be ready at 5:30 a.m. for our morning game drive. We thought that we misunderstood what the guide had said, so we repeated the time and made sure that we were hearing things properly. We asked, “isn’t that a bit early?” We generally wake up at the crack of dawn when we’re in the states, but we were on vacation and vacations are meant for rest and relaxation. We thought that we could control the schedule and go on leisurely game drives through the park. That obviously wasn’t going to happen, but it didn’t matter. When morning broke, our adrenalin was running and we were rearing to go well in advance of our wake up call. The possibility; the suspense; the drama; the unknown. It was an exciting and exhilarating feeling. Further, since most of the predators are nocturnal, we understood the need to go on these game drives at the crack of dawn.

Driving through the park as early as we did, we were able to capture the beauty of the African sunrise and to take a few mysterious photos of the Kruger landscape. Although the drive was considered ‘quiet’ as to predator sightings, Kruger is known for its diversity of wildlife, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Having spent six days in the fields, we are now able to identify a number of birds that are indigenous to the area as well as other wildlife, including the water buck and kudu. We felt as though we were on a scavenger hunt every time we went on a game drive, knowing that we had to find a few animals, but not knowing which ones would be lurking in the bush and the adjoining rivers. These drives would last anywhere from two to four hours, but as far as we were concerned, the drives could go on forever and we’d never get tired of them. Every drive is a different adventure, one that would open our eyes to a new frontier and one that would teach us how the animals exist and co-exist in the wild.

While crossing a bridge overlooking the river, we happened upon a hungry crocodile, lying in wait. Along came a family of baboons that assessed the situation and with a hop, skip and jump, with a baby in tow, crossed the river without incident. The baboons were definitely not shy about showing their ‘stuff’, as you can see from the pictures that we’ve included – they let it all hang out! Within seconds of seeing the baboons, we were fortunate to see two nearly extinct Southern Ground Hornbill crossing the road, one with a kill (s-q-u-e-a-k!!) in his mouth. At the same time, we saw a dung beetle extracting the nutrients from an elephant’s poop. Unsuspecting visitors to the park would kill the wildlife by running over the poop along the roads. The dung beetle is also a part of the eco-system that makes Kruger so rich in wildlife.

We then made our way back to camp to get a bite to eat and the rest up for our afternoon drive, during which we saw a carcass of a giraffe that was killed by the lion pride a few weeks prior. Normally, there would have been nothing left, except the skeletal structure. However, because the kill happened so close to one of the main roads into Kruger, the exposure was too great for the predators, including the savage hyena, which in our opinion, is a shadowy, heinous creature that we saw crossing the road later that evening. About an hour into our drive, we saw an incredible number of white-headed and white-backed vultures perched high on a dead tree to be able to assess the landscape clearly. At that moment, we knew that there was a nearby kill, for which they were waiting to get a piece of the action. Although you constantly refer to those who want something as vultures, you don’t fully comprehend the meaning of the word until you’re in the bush and these vultures are chomping at the bit. We traversed back and forth along a quarter mile stretch of the terrain, trying to see what these vultures were looking at. Finally, two lionesses emerged in the distance and we knew then, that the vultures wanted a piece of their kill. Unfortunately, when you’re on safari in Kruger, you have to stay on the paved roads, so we saw the lioness’ at a distance and couldn’t get any closer. This is in contrast to being on safari at a private game reserve, which we were fortunate to experience, where the guides are allowed to off-road and follow the animals into the bush. Nevertheless, for us, it was a thrill….yet another lion sighting…

More to come…

South African Safari

{ January 7, 2010 @ 5:36 am } · { Travel, Travel South Africa }
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Having seen the Battle at Kruger on YouTube, we wanted to go to Kruger to learn how animals co-exist and survive in the wild. Recently, we were fortunate to have had the opportunity to go on an African Safari, which took us through Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands.

We traveled on South African Airlines on a direct flight from JFK to Johannesburg. The food was great and the entertainment was good, considering that we were in economy class and had our own television screens, unlike on a number of domestic US airlines. While en-route to Johannesburg, however, we were faced with the possibility of being arrested upon landing at OR Tambo International Airport as a result of an altercation that we had with one of the flight attendants on the use of the iPhone over international airspace. The exchange between us got louder and louder, with a final blowout echoing through the cabin. The flight attendant, then, threatened us, asking us for our sir name to report to the pilot and the lead attendant. We take it for granted that the rules are the same as over US airspace, but it isn’t so. The use of ‘smart phones’ are not allowed over international waters, even if the airplane mode is turned on and you’re using the device as a MP3 player. We thought, then, about the possibility of having to go to the US Embassy in South Africa and negotiating bail in a country that we were not familiar. The task seemed daunting. To quiet the matter, we apologized profusely to the flight attendant, who apparently got his feathers ruffled during the rather loud exchange that ensued, but who definitely had a ‘self-rightous’ attitude as well.

Upon landing in South Africa, there were a number of natives that wanted to help us with our baggage. We were warned in advance to travel lightly and to ask questions of the authorities only. Generally, it’s customary to tip the natives. However, we were told that this seemingly innocuous act could be misconstrued and cause us to have further problems downstream. The advice was well taken. We got to the Metcourt Hotel without incident. Since we were very tired from the trip, we relaxed at the hotel and for dinner, ate at a seafood restaurant that was quite good. After a good night’s rest, we were picked up in the morning and were on our way to Kruger, stopping at a local eatery for lunch. The drive to Kruger took approximately five hours from Johannesburg, but the countryside that we passed through to get there was amazingly beautiful and seemingly untouched. We read about the beauty of South Africa in novels by Wilbur Smith, but having driven through the countryside, it was much grander than we ever expected.

On arrival at Kruger, there was a certain rush that we experienced. Upon entering the park gates, we were very excited to see the impalas in their natural habitat, grazing on the side of the road. At that moment, it hit us that we were on safari and looking forward to our six days in the ‘bush’. Thirty minutes later, we got to the campsite and checked into a bungalow that we would call ‘home’ for the next two nights. It was quite rustic, yet comfortable. And we loved the thatched roof on these bungalows. We walked the campsite a bit only to find 10 or so vervet monkeys scavenging for food and playing in the nearby tree. These monkeys weren’t afraid and came within a few feet of us in the open. After our brief walk and once we had a chance to clean up a bit, we went on our first two-hour game drive through Kruger, a drive that we were looking forward to since our arrival in South Africa. It did not disappoint!

While on safari, we experienced something unique and at the same time, exhilarating. A herd of elephants, while feeding their young across the river, started to trumpet and make their way towards something that they smelled in the bush. The trumpeting was so loud that it echoed through the bush and caused the earth to tremble. We waited patiently to see what the commotion was all about, only to see the lion pride retreating from the edge of the river. The timid cubs were first to appear, making sure that their parents were following closely behind. The lioness then appeared, and finally, we saw the king of the jungle, the lion king. While it was only a fleeting moment that we saw these amazing animals before they retreated back into the bush, we knew that it would be an amazing six-day excursion.

After arriving back at our campsite, we were treated to a moonlit dinner out in the wild. The chicken stew was delicious and we shared the meal with two travelers from Spain, a couple from the US and the crew from Outlook Safaris. All sated, we were taken back to our bungalow to rest up for our 5:30 a.m. call the following morning.

More to follow….