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Thursday, November 16th, Berg En Dal Lodge, Kruger Park, South Africa
It seems like an age that we left Zim, but it was only 5 game packed days ago. On the 11th., we got up early, caught a few sunrise shots, and headed off (at 5:45AM) to the Zimbabwe ruins which open at 6:00. This way we hope to beat the heat of the day, and avoid the other tourist (what a novel concept!). The ruins are on the top of a kopjie - there's lots of them in this area. Why this one, no one is sure.
We have a guide book for the site, but it seems to limit itself to "At point M2, there are special signs of early habitation" and that's it. We make it to the top and are sort of impressed - this is the most impressive ancient monument in Africa south of the Equator after all. The closer look does show that although very large, it's also fairly chaotic, with very little plan or concept through out the site. The blocks also vary in size, with not a straight line to be seen on any of the walls, some ow which are 6 metres high.
After 2 hours, we've seen all that we need/ want to, and head down for a refresher before the "Great Enclosure" section. It's Saturday, so we take our Malaria pills early. These are the local ones, Kayla gags on hers, and withing 20 minutes, we are all (except Aiden) feeling like shit - must be the local processes/ ingredients.
We do due diligence to the photo ops, and with the heat rising, by 11:00AM, we are all trekking back for our pre departure showers. The Beit Bridge road heads South back to SA. It's a hell of a way to Kruger Park,
our hoped for destination tonight. Fat chance! We are also looking for our take away's of crafts, and stop in lots of places to check out the local produce. Once again, it's very sad at these stops. These people are so poor, and tourism is so down that they will barter anything. We stop at one place, and we exchange old T shirts, odds and sods for crafts - some very nice ones too! On top of this, the prices they ask for the pieces are so low. We refuse to bargain with them at these prices. The South Africans we meet at one of these places however, haggle over everything. At one stop, we eventually get overwhelmed by the sheer number of supplicants asking for anything from pens, to bra's, a plastic bag! to seeds for planting, to toothpaste. These people are desperate even for cloths, let alone food. Aiden exchanges a bag of chips for a carving! It's chaos - poor buggers, I feel so sorry for them, but also feel that we have to escape. A little further down the road, there is a single wooden craft store, and we get some wonderful wooden carvings. We exchange our plastic fuel containers, T shirts, camping tupperware containers, sugar salt - you name it. We take 4 large carvings and stack them around the kids - somewhere inside the van are two children! After 4 hours, we have moved 100Km. We decide to stay at Runde River Lodge for the night. This is still 180Km from the border! Kayla is now fairly sick, what with early rising and lots of wandering around in the sun, so we stick her in bed for the night at 5:00PM. Aiden and I go to the bar, while Ilge nurtures. There is a 21st birthday party for some twins in the neighbourhood. The owner tells us that instead of partying, the guests have been fighting a fire. Seems that the invaders locally, set the farmers house alight earlier today. What recourse do they have? "None" of course - silly me. Everyone is incredibly pragmatic about it, and optimistic and confident enough to carry on regardless. These people are incredible. I finally meet an "IT" guy at the bar who has not only heard of Progress - the database stuff I work with, but also sells some of the products too. We chat for a long time. Maybe this trip will be deductable after all! :) Food here is pretty good, and Aiden and I dine into the late hours. It's bloody hot even at midnight, but we all get a good kip. Sunday November 12th, and Kayla is cured when she finally wakes up after 15 hours sleeping. After breakfast, the manager of the hotel shows us his snake collection - he keeps them in tanks and oil drums in his room. Cobra's, Puff Adder, boomslang (all nasty!). There is a note by his bed that says "Craig, don't forget to lock up the snakes". Another day on the crafts trail, there is nothing on the road down to the border and we hope and pray that there will be something at Beit Bridge.
Now it's time to off load all our bits. The two camping chairs go for bowls and carvings (they also get some cash as well) and we finally offload just about everything imaginable for crafts. Toothbrushes, more Tupperware containers, bags, any clothes, a Polaroid camera (with no film) was exchanged for a beautiful carving. Pens, pencils crayons and drawing paper - absolutely anything will be exchanged (except one of my old sweat shirts Aiden touted for an hour with no takers). Once again, totally honest and friendly banter. Totally amazing people.
Being Sunday, as is usual, we have a huge distance to travel. Its at least 250Km from here to the park, and we have some admin stuff to do too. We got through just about all of our Rands (and Botswana Pula) in Zim on the crafts stuff, so we are too short of cash just to run. Luckily, we see a Standard Bank auto machine in Messina - these machine have a much higher limit than the rest, so if you are brave and willing to carry (gulp!) $C500.00 around with you, then this is where you get it. (Most other banks only allow $C200.00 per withdrawal). So, gas up, and get the phone activated again - you need to keep pumping money into them to keep it going) and we head back to the land of hijacking, murder rape etc etc....... 100Km south, is our old stomping ground of Louis Tritchard - we were here four months ago. We stock up with Kentucky fried chicken (Yeugh, but even I ate some), fruit, veg a Sunday Jo'burg paper and our regular favourite, not seen for months, Greek Yogurt, and head out. The park closes at 6:00/ 6:30. It's still a long way, plus it's through a homeland with miscellaneous animals and not so miscellaneous potholes and robots (traffic lights) along the way. Somehow we do the trip in record time, using the cell phone to book ahead, and arrive at Punta Maria about 6:25: 5 minutes before the gates close. There is usually not much game around here, so it's usually pretty empty - sure enough, there are only 4 cabins in use.
There is a big display of the flood and the damage caused at this camp. Kayla is eventually convince to take some notes. Check out the current river level, with the flood level. As we head south, we pass through the Tropic of Capricorn - for the last time overland. There is also more signs of the flood damage here.
The night drive is pretty disappointing - the ranger seems to be long on information, but short on spotting - I think she is driving too fast. There has been a storm brewing all afternoon, and the rain and lightning is concentrated over the mountains which are the Mozambican border. As the light fades, and we switch on our high powered flashlights, the Spielberg special effects department provide an amazing spectacle of sound, light and shapes in the sky. Plus, thanks to (so we are told) Mozambicans crossing the park illegally, there is a huge fire which is out of control a few kilometres ahead of us. Pretty spectacular - the drive was worth it just for these effects, but very few animals. I spot a serval, and that's about the highlight of the night. In the park, once again, we fell (thankfully) cut off from the wider world of South Africa. The paper we got is mainly pap - strange when you consider Zims press, but horror stories of HIV/ AIDS are splashed across the "life" section. Odd eh? The government is in denial here - even after the AIDS conference in July. This attitude will eventually devastate - this country. Tuesday, south via Letaba (stop in here for great pies folks) to Oliphants camp. On the way, we meet a Zimbabwe couple who we invite to take our stock of Polaroid film back to the guy who swapped the camera for the carving. We get the film to this guy, the guy gets the film, and the couple can take a carving in exchange for the film - everyone wins! Up here on a high ridge, we overlook a wide fast flowing (Sabie) river. There are a few hippo playing, but not much else can be seen. The night drive is much more informative and successful. Just before dark, suddenly the woman in front of me literally SCREAMS "LEOPARD". Needless to say, the leopard high tails it out of vision, and said woman is very embarrassed. It turns out to be the best night drive we have been on to date, lots of stuff all through the evening, including (I'm told) a side striped jackal - very rare here.
The night drive is fully booked, there is however, plenty of room on the morning drive - we leave at 4:00AM! As there is no restaurant here, and we are no longer into self catering, we dine outside of the park. The service is excellent but the food is pretty well the worst since Drifters - we all hate it. November 16th - Aiden's birthday, thanks to those who remembered it and e-mailed him. It can be pretty lonely here on a birthday with just the same 3 people you have been stuck with for 4++ months you know. Somehow, Aiden & Kayla are raring to go at 3:45AM!!!?? Shock Horror! It's still an hour before DAWN! Our guide tells us we are the first to make it on time for weeks, usually he has to get them out of bed himself.
At 7:45 we are back, and I snooze for an hour before we head off to here. On the way, yet more lion - skinny rancid ones, but they will do. At the camp, we have to take a "family" hut as we are four. It's probably the most expensive place we've ever stayed in $C120.00. It is however very nice, and a great place for a farewell braain g session, (we don't) Our evening game drive also provides, yes, more lions, (twice) black rhino and elephant. All in all, including our count or 19 lion today, Aiden is quite happy with his birthday. We return and, pausing only to identify two baby bats, stuck to our overnight bag, we just collapse - it's been a long day again and we are not even interested in eating. Distance travelled this entry: 930 Km. Distance moved on trip this entry: 930 Km |
Finally, lions, leopard, rhino - big 5 stuff.
There are several paths up and we take the 
There are some 
Luckily, there is a huge one, and we take about 3 hours to go over everything.
Finally, we are back across the border - "red alert" as I call it, lock doors, close
windows and break out the cell phone - I charged it last night.
Monday, Nov 13th, and we head off to Mopani. En route, we stop at 
At Mopani, we get a splendid rondavel, with a great view. Time for a laundry
catch up and a swim. It's incredibly hot and humid - even the pool seems an
extension of the heat. I get through to Mike of Mike and Kerry, and ask them if
we can still stay in Durban - everything is A-OK. Good - now we can have a
base to depart from, something we will need.
We leave Oliphants heading for Lower Sabie. Not much action on the way.
Bearing in mind the state of the tyres, I am trying to drive on tar - probably
missing untold lions, tigers and leopards. The bridge here is 
I'm feeling pretty tired, but we do see FINALLY!!
