Kruger Game Park, South Africa - Part 4

Friday 25 November 2005
 

Our vehicle and guide, Joy

With so much driving and sitting Joe’s back has totally frozen up on him and the pain of it really shows on his face. We set out early again and saw several lions walking down the road, very exciting. We could have reached out and touched them they were so close, but we didn’t, of course!

Joe had been taken so many pain killers for his back that they have caused a nose bleed.

The following were met on the road to Satara.

Our next camp is Satara and after we had booked, because he was in so much pain with his back and is also still having nose bleeds,  in afternoon he decided to stay behind to lie down.

There were still a couple of hours before dinner and Joy took me on a drive when, at a river crossing, we saw a heron, close up and a small crocodile.

Green backed heron

I won‘t go into the details or show a picture of the elephant we passed on the way who was standing by the side of the road in a state of arousal!! I will say that Joy and I joked about it and relayed the details back to Joe when we arrived back.

Saturday 26 November 2005

 

Getting ready to leave at about 4 am.

We drove to Oliphants. The river is very dry because the water is being taken for the sugar factories which is considered much more important because it brings money into the country.

Southern Ground-Hornbill

Joe had another nose bleed but not nearly as bad as yesterday’s. On our return journey to the camp we passed someone who told us there was a lion up ahead on a road off to the right. This we took just as a lightening storm brought the rain down in torrents. The dirt road was flooded for a while and we parked and waited for it to stop and then continued on, skidding all over the muddy track. Eventually we saw the male lione lying in the long grass a little way off the road. We watched him for quarter of an hour or so while he looked round at us and decided we weren’t worth bothering about. Then we had to make tracks back to the camp because the gates would soon close.
With little time to spare we were delayed by a herd of water buffalo crossing the road. It took a good 15 minutes for them to pass.

We made it with minutes to spare.

For more pictures of our trip go to Our Kruger safari   and go to the Kruger set.