Day at Pilanesburg

January 3, 2017

We had a very nice day self-driving through Pilanesburg National Park. We saw more elephants, zebras, impalas, and wildebeest. We spent some time in two different blinds just to see what sort of animals would wander by.

In addition to the animals we saw yesterday, we also saw black rhinos, waterboks, hippos, and a leopard in a tree. Many birds were seen as well, including the yellow weaver bird that builds its nest upside down.

We came to an intersection of two park roads and were about to turn right when we saw an elephant lumbering down the road we were about to turn onto. We backed down the road we were on to give the elephant a wide berth. A park ranger vehicle came and did the same. As the elephant approached and we saw how big the elephant was, we backed up further, behind the ranger vehicle. It seemed a good idea to give the elephant at least as much room as the ranger did  (and to put a ranger between us and the elephant).

There is a very nice ethic in the park. Other drivers will stop and share what they've seen and where. For example, "There is leopard in a tree 1/2 kilometer down on the right," or "There are two lionesses in the grass near Mankwe Dam."

We also finally succeeded in finding sunscreen. When I asked yesterday, a shopkeeper said (with a big grin) that he didn't have it and that I wouldn't need it if I had black skin like his.

I had Kudu Steak for dinner. Kudu is an antelope species common in the Park. 

Morning at Paris

January 11, 2017

Morning in Paris

We had a long layover in Paris, so we took the train to the city center and poked about Notre Dame Cathedral. There is also an archeological site just in front of the Cathedral that was interesting to visit; they have a lot of coins from the Roman era there. There was a photo machine in which you could take your picture, and see what it would like on an ancient coin. This photo booth was a great way to kill some time until our connecting flight.

Morning at Ukutula

January 10, 2017

Morning at Ukutula Lion Lodge

We took a tour of the facilities at Ukutula this morning. They have captive breeding program for many of the big (and small) cats and a gene bank is currently being built as well. They even have some black-footed cats, which weighs less than 5 pounds. They also have hyenas, which are matriarchal. We then played with lion cubs and a baby hyena.

They let us stay for a late check-out, which allowed for a quick swim and shower before our evening flight to Paris en route to home.

Walking with lions at Ukutula

January 9, 2017

Walking with lions at Ukutula

We left our hotel and stopped for lunch in the town of Cullinan. The town in named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the local diamond mine. The largest gem diamond ever discovered (3106.24 karats) was found here.

We then drove on to the Ukutula Lion Lodge in Brits. After checking into the lodge, we went for a walk with 3 lions (and with 3 guides).

Zip lining at Malolotja Nature Reserve

January 8, 2017

Zip lining at Malolotja

We went to Malolotja Nature Reserve to see if the Canopy Tour would happen in the rain. The tour was on and there were with 6 physicians assistant candidates from Kentucky who went on the tour with us. They were in Swaziland doing a clinical rotation at a local hospital and were surprised to learn that I also went to graduate school at The Univeristy of Kentucky 

Our guide told us that the tour will go in any weather if the visitors are willing. In the winter, he says there is sometimes a thin layer of ice in the morning on a bucket of water left outside. He said he has never seen snow, however, except in the movie "Home Alone" (1).

The tour has 10 zip lines over the Majolombo river canyon plus a suspension bridge. I think the scariest parts of the canopy tour were the platforms (with no railings) screwed into the rock on the sides of the canyon. The whole tour was a blast. (Official overview video here: https://youtube/ps_jUttg50Y).

After ziplining, we had planned to visit the Nsangwini rock art site (2) and spend the night at Bulembu Lodge (3) with a hike to the top of Mount Emlembe (Swaziland's highest peak). Both of these places are at the end of long dirt roads, which we were advised against driving down due to the recent rains. So, we returned to South Africa instead and spent the night in Witbank.

(1) The only place you're likely to see snow in Africa is the High Drakensburg mountains in Lesotho, where there is actually a ski area called Afriski. Wool Basotho blankets are an important part of Lesotho culture and are worn wrapped around the body for warmth.

(2) There are cave paintings located here dating back 4,000 years.

(3) There was an asbestos mine at Bulembu until the early 1980s. After the mine closed, the town was abandoned. Subsequently, the town was made into an orphanage for Swazi children whose parents had died of AIDS. Staying at the Lodge helps to support the activities of the orphanage.

Namibia to Swaziland

January 7, 2016.

Namibia to Swaziland

We took a morning flight fom Windhoek, Namibia to Johannesburg, rented a car and drove to Maguga, Swaziland. This was our first rainy day and the temperature was only in the low 60s F.

Crossing the border into Swaziland, I greeted the first Swazi official (1) with one of the three words I know in siSwati (2). She smiled and laughed and seemed quite pleased.

In the high veld of western Swaziland it was foggy and rainy and there many cows (3) wandering on and off the road. We stayed at a nice lodge at Maguga Dam. Due to recent droughts, the lake behind the dam was quite low.

I heard a rumbly, roaring sound from down near the lake. I wondered whether it might be the sound of the Hippos wallowing in the lake and my daughter and I went to investigate. It turned out to be the sound of cars driving over the rumblestrip on the road that warns them to slow down before crossing the dam!

(1) Upon leaving South Africa, there is a four step process (a) stop at the first booth and get a gate pass with your license plate number; (b) go to immigration for a passport stamp and immigration stamp on your gate pass; (c) go to customs to get a customs stamp on your gate pass; (d) go to exit gate and hand in gate pass with immigration and customs stamps (sometimes customs officials will look in the trunk). After exiting South Africa, proceed 10 yards, then repeat the process to enter Swaziland, with an added bonus step (between steps b and c) of paying a road tax (about US $4.00) when entering Swaziland with a car registered in South Africa.

(2) These three words are all variations of hello: (a) hello to one person, (b) hello to multiple people, and (c) hello in response to someone who has said hello to you.

(3) Cows are an important part of Swazi culture. When a man wants to marry a woman, he must pay the bride's family lobombo (The bride price). Lobombo is typically 10 cows, but the best brides can be worth up to 17 cows. (My wife would have been a 17 cow bride.)

Morning at Okonjima

January 6, 2017

Morning at Okonjima

We tracked leopards at Okonjima in the morning. Unlike with cheetah tracking, we did not get out of the truck; leopards are more dangerous than cheetahs.

Hiked 6 km on the giraffe trail at the reserve to the top of a ridge for a nice view over the reserve.

Driving back to Windhoek, we were stopped at a traffic checkpoint. The officer had never seen a Massachusetts license before, and said he would like to visit America some day.

At the Airport Lodge, my daughter was attacked by an ostrich who perceived her to be a threat to the baby ostriches. We tried to give a wide berth, but it was not enough for momma ostrich. No significant injuries occurred, but ostriches look pretty big when they are right next to you (and they are angry).

Okonjima Nature Reserve

January 5, 2017

Okonjima Nature Reserve

There were lots of flies this morning. As we were leaving Okahandja, the rest camp manager told us to "Open our boot (1) so she can put all the flies in and we can take them away."

We drove to Okonjima and tracked cheetah. We tracked her (the cheetah) as she tracked some impala. We ran, crouched, walked, stood still, and hid behind bushes so the impala would not see us. Even the tracker had great fun; he said that normally the cheetah just sits around. Unfortunately (for the cheetah), the impala spotted the cheetah, so it was not a successful hunt for her. (Official overview video here: https://youtube/_64xcW5e4jQ ).

We spent the night at Okonjima lodge, which was quite fancy. Roasted Oryx for dinner.

(1) In case you don't speak English, "boot" means the trunk of a car.

On to Namibia

January 4, 2017

We left Manyane early in the day for our Noon flight to Windhoek, Namibia. Google maps has been underestimating the time to get places here in Southern Africa. Adding 50% to the Google maps time seems to be a better estimate.

Once on board the plane, the flight was delayed due to controller radio problems. The pilot came back to talk to each row of passengers to express his regret and ask if we were all comfortable. This was rather unexpected, but quite nice. We got to Windhoek about 3:00, collected our car and were on our way to Okahandja.

Our accommodations were quite nice. Since our arrival in southern Africa, we have moved from a small tent, to a big tent, and now to an actual structure (with our own bathroom!) at the King's Highway Rest Camp.

We had dinner at a Western themed restaurant (1). I had schnitzel; We are in Namibia after all (2).

(1) As in the Western United States of 1950's movies, with placemats featuring teepees and Indian chiefs in feathered headdress.

(2) Nambia's history is complicated, but it was a German colony until World War One.

Mokolodi to Pilanesburg

January 2, 2017

We left Mokolodi and drove to to SA border at Romatswa, Botswana. At the border a Botswanan traveller asked if we were going to play the trumpet. I did not understand, so he mimed playing a trumpet and asked if we will play the "Trumpet" for Trump?" I said "no" and we shared a laugh.

We stopped at a chicken place (which are ubiquitous in SA) for lunch. An older man in shirt and tie approached us and said something in a local language that I did not understand. He thought I was a local and was wishing us a good afternoon. We returned the greetings with a Happy New year as well.

We arrived at Manyane and checked into our tent and arranged for a twilight game drive.

The twilight game drive was amazing. We saw a herd of elephants, a dazzle of zebras and a journey of giraffes. A pride of lions crossed right in front of us. After dusk, we saw another herd of elephants. The jeep driver turned off the motor and all the lights. The herd was about 30 feet away and all you could hear was stomp, chomp as they made their way. A mother turned around to a younger elephant, stuck our her trunk, and the baby took hold of the mother's trunk for encouragement.

Mokolodi Nature Reserve

January 1, 2017

We started the day tracking rhinos. We walked about 2 hours through the bush following fresh tracks, etc.(1). We saw 2 White rhinos, a mother and her son. (White rhinos are not actually white, apparently the name represents a mistranslation of the Dutch word for wide, because the white rhino had a wide mouth. When another rhino species with a narrower mouth was found, they called it the black rhino. Both species are actually grey in color). 

On the way back, we also saw a giraffe, zebras, kudus, warthogs and oodles of impala. Nice lunch in the bush. A student from England accompanied us. He was born in Botswana and had lived until he was 7 on the edge of the reserve.

Next up was a close encounter with a cheetah. Cheetahs are critically endangered and there are active breeding programs for release to the wild. Some cheetahs would not survive in the wild, so they go to places like Mokolodi. The cheetah licked me and had a sandpaperish tongue, just like a housecat.

(1) This was old school tracking, where we found fresh hoofprints and followed them. Some other sanctuaries radio-tag the animals to find them. That's cheating (although we used this technique to find cheetahs and leopards later in the trip).

Joburg to Mokolodi

December 31, 2016

We got a car and took a pleasant ride through the rolling hills of Northwest Province of South Africa to the Botswana border. Lots of animals to see (sometimes in the middle of the road), mostly exotic creatures like cows, goats, horses, donkeys and sheep.

At the border crossing to Lobatse, a guy saw our American passports and said (with a big smile) "from the land of Obama." Then (similng fading) "and now Trump." From there, it was a short distance to Mokolodi Nature Reserve.

We got our tent for the night (at Mokolodi Backpackers) and we saw our first of the African cats; they were house cats. 

We then went to see if the night game drive at the reserve had available space. No luck there, but they did have a table available for New Year's Eve braai (1) buffet. Beautiful sunset (and crescent moonset) overlooking the hills of the sanctuary.

(1) Braai is an Afrikaans word that has made its way into Southern African English and means meat cooked over a wood/charcoal fire.