The last visitors to this place go to get back for the 6:00PM curfew at the lodges. We take out huge quantities of bedding, lights and cutlery and set up for the nigh in our own domain in the bush.
I think of the folks back home, it's a bit before lunch there and phone a friend so she can listen to the sounds of Africa going to bed. The line is perfect, and so is this setting.
We have been in Kruger for 3 days now, and hope for maybe 2 more before we test our mettle with the Zim border. We still have little or no idea of the current situation there. This however is quite a familiar situation.
From the last post, we had three more day at Hazyview. I used the free internet almost exclusively to get all my pix and several journal updates out. Yes, I know I had been remiss in the remit of these, but hey, what the hell, I'm on vacation, you folks probably do not even want to hear about what we are passing our time at anyway. Fear not, we are making use of our time here, and will have lots of exciting adventures to bore you with, whether you like it or not, upon our return.
While still at Hazyview timeshare, Ilge wanted to do a bit of local culture (apart from braii's) and not stopping on highways, so we booked into at a local "Shangaana" village, where we met the medicine man (Sangoma), and the village chief (his brother actually). We had a great evenings entertainment: lots of dancing and singing. I walk into a chicken in a basket at eye level (no light here except wood fires). There is a lot of traditional greetings and culture; singing and dancing which also included one of my all time favourite African dance: the Boot Dance" have not seen it for nigh on 25 years, and it was a real nostalgic trip back in time for me. Cultural activists would point out that this is really a non traditional dance as it was created by the mine workers who only had their new mining boots to dance in, and had to make do with whatever they could, but I love it either way. We also had a fantastic traditional meal.
Beef stew, spinach with peanuts (careful with those alergies folks), squash, salad, all in a guess what, traditional African hut. Incredible stuff.
Aiden has met some (other?) "cool" types at the timeshare, so he stays to improve his pool skills - we typically do not see him till morning these days. Glad he has found some mates here.
The week passes by with a loose routine of shopping, avoiding various animals and Hippo watching at the hide, Aiden, Kayla and Ilge have a round of golf. We notice that all the "activities" advertised at the lodge, never actually happen. What the hell? Beer in the shade, reading our books, tennis - the kids love the trampolines here, pool, bridge with the kids (they're hooked), more internetting (can't seem to get it out of my system), checking on our next destination. Relaxing. There will be more nights in the dirt ahead of us, so this is exactly what we need.
There is no interaction here with any of the Africans. We buy stuff on the roadside occasionally, but no one speaks English. Our maid in the lodge, has limited language skill we can use, so we are again restricted to other guests here. Most people now feel guardedly optimistic about SA now. I warn them that as soon as they get the crime rate sorted out, i\the place will be invaded by European and North American soon to be retirees buying up their desperately cheap property for retirement homes. Now there's an idea!
We have brunch one day - totally pig out (I will be wobbling around on the squash court when I get back, another year of overweight ahead), however, brunch here includes unlimited Mimosa's - a really professional touch I think. On the last night, we wanted to eat at the restaurant, but its "Mongolian" cuisine..... we pass and have a braii. Aiden spends a long night out with his new buddies.
Eventually, on the 11th, we are off to our next stop. Thankfully, the guys Aiden has made friends with are from Durban, and we manage to off load a whole bagful of books and misc crap so we can collect it in September, now maybe I can get everything into the van without swearing.
Our next overnight stop is Graskop, only about 45Km up the road (literally up the road as it's back up into the Highvelt again). By 10:30 we are having breakfast, pancakes, bacon and coffee milkshakes in the high street. It is still school holidays, so accommodation appears to be a bit difficult, however, for R420 (about $CAN75, we find a B&B for us in town, and we head off to explore this beautiful area. As it's on the Highvelt again, there are lots of beautiful valleys and precipitous drops into seemingly bottomless gorges. Millions of years of weathering have molded the entire area into a huge vista that goes on for 150Km north and south of here.
There is a local loop: The Pinnacle, Gods Window, complete with it's own rain forest, WonderView and the Berlin Falls. Aiden passes out probably due to his late night, so we leave him at the hotel, and head over to Pilgrims Rest. It's up and over a mountain pass. Lots of black smoke from the cruiser and 25 - 40 Km per hour all the way up and down. It's an old town - early Gold Rush but pretty much a tourist place now. Postcards and back to base.
Saturday, and the weather is CRAP! Now what? we are supposed to do a hike at Blyde River Canyon, but with rain and mist it would be worse than useless. We meet an ex Brit who thinks that the Sudwala caves are worth a view. "40 minutes" he tells us. Well, yes, in his Mercedes perhaps it was, but 65Km in a fully loaded Land Cruiser, up and down mountains, takes up the better part of 2 hours. The caves are interesting, and certainly are not susceptible to inclement weather, as we are given the cave tour. However, now its nearly 2:00PM, and we have not only the "hour and a half" to our next hotel, but also this same distance back where we came from. About 5 hours. The weather is still crap, and we leave Graskop for Phalabora at 3:00. Somehow this "One and half hours" turns into nearly three. I hate travelling at night.
On the way, we stop for a few views of Blyde River Canyon. It is certainly spectacular. Fantastic vertical drops and mountains. The weather maintains its miserable status, so we just have a couple of photo stops.
The great South African Pie sees us through yet again. We arrive more than an hour after dark, and once again, I'm glad to find the place and sink into my statutory beers while contemplating dinner being prepared by the rest of the family. HEY, after this trek, I deserve some pampering!.
I have been here before back in 1976, but only for about 2 hours. Maybe its because we are staying in a hotel this time, but it looks a lot better than I remember it.
Back into Kruger on the Monday, and we hope that we can get accommodation in a bungalow, rather than schlepping back in a tent again. There are still a pile of people getting in - we have to queue to pay.
The drive to Letaba is totally uneventful, hardly anything around here, maybe it's the time of day? Early morning & dusk are optimum times for viewing. The vegetation is still green here too, too much rain. This means that unless the game is on or bye the road, we have no chance. So boring drives will be the norm here.
Thankfully, it's not as crowded as a few weeks ago, and we get a family cottage that is a no show. The evening game drive is worse (terrible guide) than any we have ever had. Last time we were here, there was a driver/ commentator guide, and a scout. Now we appear to have a driver + guide + scout as one person - cut backs I assume, - the passengers now are the spotters, and we are not very good at it. We make use of the restaurant as everything else is locked up. It's not bad, a bit pricey, but certainly far more recognisable as food than the lodges south of here.
Another frigid game drive at 5:30 Tuesday morning- it's bloody cold - about 5 degrees, and blankets are a necessity in the open viewing truck. Dawn finds us shivering and blue with the cold - regular ski lift stuff. We see the usual stuff for Kruger - see, we are already blase about this stuff..
Letaba is a beautiful camp, almost custom made for hanging out in. This time its really well organised and brilliantly managed. The day is spent playing cards, reading, eating pies (Buffalo, Impala or Steak & Kidney? hmmmmmm.... ), milk shakes and just lazily watching the wildlife move in and out of our field of vision on the river directly in front of the lodge. Again, we hear mostly South African accents, very few foreigner here. Another slightly more successful night drive, back to our place around 7:00 and pepper steaks, a decent bottle of plonk and the ever present brilliant starry skies, which still makes me gasp, see us to bed.
Now, we have a morning drive followed by a "Bush Breakfast", even now I can still see it. Once again we are up at 5:30(AM!) and have the same guide as last night. There is just the four of us, so this is our own personal game drive. Some stuff, including hyena on their way to breakfast, a rotting hippo, just off the road. God it stinks. Probably be reduced to a skull by this evening. More elephant of course plus the assorted regulars.
This time we are prepared for the drive, even if we do look like refugees, 5 layers of clothes plus 3 blankets each plus a cuddle from Kayla.
It's the same guide as last night, as he is covering for someone on holiday and he's not sure where our breakfast location is set up. So, after the drive, we spend about 40 minutes looking for the right spot. Eventually, we find it, pretty damn hungry now. Whatever ideas we had about what we were getting were all under estimated by reality. Before us, in a little glade (yes really!), with a full breakfast ready, laid our, just waiting for us. Bacon, eggs, sausages, boerewors, steak, toast, vegetables, fried tomatoes, coffee (good stuff), fruit juices, soft drinks of all kinds. In the river about 40 metres away, we see elephant, various buck and crocs. What a great way to spend a morning. This is a knock out. Even if we were not madly hungry, the grub was great. Totally pigged out, we able around, doing the tourist bit. Shots with our guide, chef, us, them, need I go on?
On one of our morning game drives, we pass through the tropic of Capricorn. Last time it was just a sign post, now it's a tourist hangout. We do the photo op deeds.
Back at our cottage, we ready to head north to the next lodge Mopani. We have booked a camping site, to be safe, but expect a cancellation. There is not much around on the way, too hot, and I believe too far north in the park now. The real place for game is in the south. This is probably why we get a place here. Still no game walks available in the morning. We've had it for drives, not enough around to justify it. There are two lodges available, time to relax with the laundry, game spot on the various decks with a few beers and do the statutory post cards.
It's great to just walk around the lodge, it is well designed, overlooking a fairly large dam. About 30 crocs on the shore, lots of hippo's elephant over on the other side. (This is getting rather repetitive). There is also a pool here - warmer than all the others we have tried, but still pretty damn uninviting, but what the hell? As bona fide Canadians, it leaping time.
Still only South African accents around.
Aiden invests in a new map, ours is about 15 years old, there are a few more camps and other updates. On our evening drive (ours this time - we seem to do just as well on our own), he spots this overnight hide, so we drop in and check out the facilities. Real drop down beds, a "boma" - kitchen and eating/ living area complete with table chairs and braii. It's all here. We book it for tonight. Now we are back.
More regulation evening pepper steaks and brilliant sunsets and starry nights. Not much in the way of game around here, Kayla even wants the mosquito windows shut to keep out the night. Not sure how we will cope in Mana Pools if we need mosquito netting here.
Tomorrow is another day, and we are happy to face it and adjust our requirements and plans to suit it. I think again of the activities of our friends and cohorts back in Toronto, finishing off another workday as we indulge in this peace and unbelievable views of the Milky Way directly overhead.
We have the answer to give our friends when they ask us why we would ever want to do this............
Odometer: 308300 Distance Travelled: 700Km Trip Distance: 560Km. Total Distance: 3623Km
