Start to finish - a 7 month adventure

 

Seven months of camping will change a person. 😉

We had a tremendous time seeing old friends and meeting new.  I’ll try to capture some of those memories.

The Lanham’s

Nic & Gill, Phillipa & George, Camilla, Zoey, Olivia, SIri, and Lucy 

Jan & Rina Lotter

BTW - President’s cup score:  USA 2.5  RSA 1.5

The Newlyweds: Alyssa and Chris Womac

 

Michel & Estelle (sorry Estelle, you were taking the photo)

We had some great dinners together and must have forgot the photos.

Jani - the best ranger in Kruger

The other newlyweds 

There were many more wonderful experiences and people along the way and hopefully they were depicted in the previous posts.

Very sad to go but excited by new adventures. Stayed tuned for the Baysides go to Europe.

Love,

Richard & Lisa

Already Missing Africa

 There is still so much to share! We've only posted part of this amazing journey. On Thursday we take off for Paris and start our travels in Europe. Looking back on some photos (in order through seven months in South Africa, Botswana and the Mabuasehube in the Kgalagadi, Namibia, back to South Africa): 

(If you have trouble viewing, go to the web version of this page or our YouTube channel.)

Hyena Eats Vehicle

Hyena and wild dogs in the riverbed. This hyena couldn’t stop chewing on things — grasses, sticks, then the bumper, the grill, the door….

One of the interesting things we’ve  learned is that big animals don’t generally perceive vehicles as a threat (though you can really piss an elephant off if you’re not careful, car or no, so that statement needs some qualification). It’s totally different on foot where you’re seen as a predator and a challenge. On foot, an animal will charge or attack if you don’t keep a significant distance. In a car, they might, but it’s much less likely. 

Apparently the animals see the vehicle as a single entity, even though they can see people in it. When you’re in a vehicle the animals stay nearby and are relaxed if you’re quiet and don’t make any sudden movements. The vehicle doesn’t seem to bother them, hence some of the great pictures we’ve gotten. However, if you poke an arm or a camera out the window, you’re in trouble. (We’ve seen a couple of people foolishly do this and the result is always the same—snarling, trumpeting, coming forward toward us, or running away, luckily no charging so far in our experience.) Given all of that, this hyena is so interesting. He’s just got to chew on the safari vehicle. He was obviously curious. It was fascinating to watch him. Go figure.

On Safari and in the Bush - Part 1

We have been so lucky to spend time with family and friends in the Kruger. Here are some of the amazing things we saw and learned. 

Lions and Leopards - 

One of the 3 remaining cubs

This first part is sad. Of the nine baby lions we saw in  November, only three are left. Two of the lionesses were first-time mothers and apparently they didn’t know how to take care of themselves and the cubs, so it seems there was little food to go around in the beginning. The good news is that the lions got a kill the second day we were there and the moms and cubs looked much better after their meal. 

Relaxing with full bellies:

The cubs were full and playful and fell asleep in the sand:

You never know who’s in the bush—

The boys showed up the next morning:

A day later:

We also had leopard sightings almost daily, which is incredible. We looked and looked for leopards in November and only saw a couple in the distance. This time, we saw leopards in the riverbed, in the road, and up close in a tree just above us. They are so elusive, it was amazing to see so many in a week.

Next up: Hyena Eats Safari Vehicle