Day 6 we started slowly as the mission for today was to roam the countryside to see what was outside the park. Vicki did not warm up to this program but off we went anyway. We spent about 4 hours roaming dirt roads. "Sabie" the GPS may or may not have been right. Depends on whether you are driving an all terrain vehicle or a Toyota Corrola. Some roads were OK, some led to the cemetery, most were washboard to washed out. We passed through one town that obviously was a town of unrest and the government had tried to appease them by paving the road through the little town. Evidently it had not worked, as at some time the road had been blocked with old trees, rocks, anything that would stop traffic. Fires had been set and broken bottles thrown in the street.There were about 20 of these road blocks in about 1.5 mile stretch. I do not know if this happened months ago or was part of the recent unrest when over 30 miners were shot in another part of the country.
Eventually we found our way through to a paved road and headed for Graspok, up in the hills. We did our shopping there as the grocery store was not very crowded, but a lot of the shelves were empty from the mad shopping done yesterday on pay day. This is a crossroads tourist town extending maybe 3 blocks in each direction from the stop sign at the crossing of the roads. We decided to stop and have lunch and a beer at a "biker" bar. Since pictures were in short supply today, picture 6 old very skinny men with long gray hair, droopy gray/white mustaches, dressed in the outlaw requisite uniform of black denim and leather, seated at a table. Their skinny faces were heavily lined from age and the harsh sun of Africa and they eyes were bloodshot and/or gray. Drinking tea.
Though I had bought the best map I could find in the U.S. I realized I needed a better map and in the bar was a old, often thumbed, thick road atlas. I asked the bikers if they knew where I might find one. There was a hazy, confused sounding answer, probably coming from drinking to much tea. They continued to discuss it among themselves throwing out various theories of where I might find one and lots of statements of fact of where you "used" to be able to get one. In the end the owner said "just take that one" and despite repeated offers, I declined.
The waiter had told us earlier that we might find one at the little tourist information office in the grocery store. We went back to the store and they did indeed have one. Not of the detail of the biker one, but what we hope will be good enough for us.
Day 7 we are off to safari Kruger National Park on our own. Entry is pure 3rd world. You cross the Sabie river to the main gate. You park outside the gate, walk up to the gate house, fill out paper work, go inside where you pay and they process the paper work, walk back and get in your car, drive up to the gate. At the gate, the same person that gave you the paperwork, checks the paperwork and searches your car. "Do you have any alcohol?" "No sir". Despite there being a bottle of wine and gin in the back seat of the car. We had sort of checked out of the Sabie River Lodge, but more on that later. "Open your boot (British for trunk)". He comes back up to the window. "You sure you don't want to give me the bottle of alcohol under the front seat." "If you can find it, it is yours" I say. "OK, enjoy your stay"
So off we go.
Lets just say a big time was had by all. Vicki, the non-driver, was the spotter and a good one. In a dry river bed, in the distance, she
spotted two female lions.
After that I said "all I want to see now is a big elephant in the road". About 10 minutes later she says, "well, are you going to stop?". "What for?". "The big elephant in the road!" "There was no elephant in the road." "Back up", she says.
I back up 50 meters and there, about 2 meters off the road, was a big damn elephant! We stayed about a half hour watching him as he worked his way around a tree eating. Soon, he looked at us, crossed the road and we moved on.
....and I missed the elephant in the road. Actually he was in the bushes beside the road, but really? i must be old.
Day 8 the big event was a night "safari". This was like a bunch of rednecks in a pickup riding around with spot lights looking for deer.
We were missing the guns and the beer, but we were about as successful. We did get a good look at some rhino, but basically we just rode around, cold and seeing squat. I had the job of one of the spotlights and I just rested in the side of the jeep. The two on the other side took it seriously and kept the lights waving back and forth making Vicki sea sick. They kept getting excited, thinking they found something, when it was just some of the 150,000 impalas in the park. They look like deer and are everywhere. Even the lions do not consider them big game, just a snack.
Eventually we found our way through to a paved road and headed for Graspok, up in the hills. We did our shopping there as the grocery store was not very crowded, but a lot of the shelves were empty from the mad shopping done yesterday on pay day. This is a crossroads tourist town extending maybe 3 blocks in each direction from the stop sign at the crossing of the roads. We decided to stop and have lunch and a beer at a "biker" bar. Since pictures were in short supply today, picture 6 old very skinny men with long gray hair, droopy gray/white mustaches, dressed in the outlaw requisite uniform of black denim and leather, seated at a table. Their skinny faces were heavily lined from age and the harsh sun of Africa and they eyes were bloodshot and/or gray. Drinking tea.
Though I had bought the best map I could find in the U.S. I realized I needed a better map and in the bar was a old, often thumbed, thick road atlas. I asked the bikers if they knew where I might find one. There was a hazy, confused sounding answer, probably coming from drinking to much tea. They continued to discuss it among themselves throwing out various theories of where I might find one and lots of statements of fact of where you "used" to be able to get one. In the end the owner said "just take that one" and despite repeated offers, I declined.
The waiter had told us earlier that we might find one at the little tourist information office in the grocery store. We went back to the store and they did indeed have one. Not of the detail of the biker one, but what we hope will be good enough for us.
this is the best road we would see all day
this is the only sign we saw all day that meant anything to us
thatched roof factory
looking for any shade
"i love you" in the window and lots of fruit with few leaves
interesting door to the outhouse
So off we go.
Lets just say a big time was had by all. Vicki, the non-driver, was the spotter and a good one. In a dry river bed, in the distance, she
spotted two female lions.
After that I said "all I want to see now is a big elephant in the road". About 10 minutes later she says, "well, are you going to stop?". "What for?". "The big elephant in the road!" "There was no elephant in the road." "Back up", she says.
I back up 50 meters and there, about 2 meters off the road, was a big damn elephant! We stayed about a half hour watching him as he worked his way around a tree eating. Soon, he looked at us, crossed the road and we moved on.
i spotted this cobra 50 meters out.....
i spotted this hippo 100 meters out.....
....and I missed the elephant in the road. Actually he was in the bushes beside the road, but really? i must be old.
Day 8 the big event was a night "safari". This was like a bunch of rednecks in a pickup riding around with spot lights looking for deer.
We were missing the guns and the beer, but we were about as successful. We did get a good look at some rhino, but basically we just rode around, cold and seeing squat. I had the job of one of the spotlights and I just rested in the side of the jeep. The two on the other side took it seriously and kept the lights waving back and forth making Vicki sea sick. They kept getting excited, thinking they found something, when it was just some of the 150,000 impalas in the park. They look like deer and are everywhere. Even the lions do not consider them big game, just a snack.
