We met again at 8:00 the next morning to head to Kruger National Park. We hit the interstates in our three vans for the drive across the countryside to Kruger. We made the normal stops at travel stops (gas stations with Steers (similar to Burger King), restrooms (the loo), for lunch, and to buy groceries for 20 people, etc. Kudos to our drivers, John Paul, Steve Croucher, and Rich Keener for getting us to Kruger safely at 5:30 p.m. We were then divided up to sleep in our rondavils and tents.
Our first day out in Kruger, due to God's grace, we managed to see all of the Big 5 while we were out on our drives. The Big 5 are the animals who are decreed by nature as the strongest who live among the weakest. They are the Cape Buffalo, Elephants, Lions, White Rhinoceros, and Leopard. Unfortunately we never did get close to lions but we were really close to two leopards and the others.
We also saw many giraffe, zebras, impala (an over population), warthogs, verbit monkeys, kudu, elephants, vultures, eagles, mongoose, meerkat, bushbabies, waterbuck, porcupine, crocodiles, and many birds. We also were amazed at all of the stars that we were able to see at night and to be able to see the Southern Cross.
Tuesday morning John Paul and I drove into the small town of Komatipoort to find an internet cafe and send a blog. It was a small African village near Mozambique. We found the internet cafe, but there was no electricity, so alas (ag shame) no blog.
On Tuesdays we got to see a hyena and watch him eat his kill (very fresh) with vultures or eagles flying overhead for their portion. We then saw a leopard kill (a impala that was hanging in a tree). Unfortunately that time we did not get to see the leopard but knew that he was around. At our picnic spot that day while we were being trained by Naas and Heather a hyena circled through, was scared off, and circled through again. We were really close to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment