Bungle In The Jungle (Part Deux) - Day One

"...Cause I want to live like animals,
Careless and free like animals" (Savage Garden, The Animal Song)

KRUGER - DAY ONE

Kruger Park is enormous; it is one of the biggest game parks (for viewing animals, not hunting them) in the world; it is approximately the size of Israel.

We entered at the Kruger Gate near the Southern tip and headed to our first night's camp, Olifants, located on the Olifants River (clever name, no?). It was brutally hot and humid, I think it said 35C (95F plus humidity).

The Orange Icons Are The Camps In The Park

First stop are the baboons. Nasty little buggers, but the babies are so darn cute:

It's A Hobbit!

Figure-Four Death Lock

Cruising along the main road, we saw a giraffe off to the side:

"Hello There, Stretch"

And a video of him!

Then off by a watering hole, we saw a huge number of elephants, just chilling out:

"Who Brought The Beer?"

Then we saw a couple of them either kissing each other, or probing each other for ticks:

Next we saw Cape Buffalo. These are big creatures, and although they look stupid, they are actually clever. If you try and kill one but don't succeed, it will lure you into the brush/forest, circle around, and attempt to kill you with the help of fellow herd members. They definitely work in groups; if you haven't seen the video of "The Battle at Kruger", you should check it out by clicking this link.

Here's a snippet of video of some Cape Buffalo. Can you spot the males?

While Abby and Candice were checking us in to the Olifants Camp, Rob and I mindlessly stared at the river. Suddenly we saw two hippos climb out of the water; the only time we saw them out of the water during the entire trip. Funny looking in the water, and out of the water.

And lastly, sunset over the Olifants River. Quite a successful Day One. Up early tomorrow to try and see the animals at the watering holes.

It's Good To Be The King

I Can See Clearly Now...

It's a beautiful day,
The Sun is shining,
I feel good and no one's going to stop me now... (Queen, It's A Beautiful Day)

On the road to Kruger! But before hitting Kruger, we were driving through some of the most impressive scenery I have ever seen (and "I've been everywhere, man..." (Johnny Cash, I've Been Everywhere)).

First stop was a series of hills (mountains?) called the Three Rondavels ("Three Houses"), which look very close to the houses built by members of the Xhosa tribe.

This Really Doesn't Do The Vista Any Justice

So Damn Excited, It's Time To Break An Ankle

Mickey Has An Interest in Abby...

Next, it was off to The Bourkes Luck Potholes. South Africa is the only country I've visited where they have actual highway and road signs warning of "Potholes next X km". I guess it takes them a long time to repair them (actually, it does take them a long time, and when they do fix them it's usually a half-ass job).

But these are nature-made potholes. Take a gander!

Kinda Like a Dali Painting

Very Similar To South Africa's Roads

Next it was off to "God's Window", which provided a view from the High Veld (Valley) area to the Low Veld. These views were amazing; when I stitch the photos together it will give a better idea of how amazing the view is.

Quite A Deserving Name (i.e. God's Window)

Continuation Of Above Photo

"...And On Your Left Side..."

Sunset As We Leave The Blyde River Canyon Area

Details On The Above Photos

The next day, we are in Kruger Park, on the lookout for animals from the safety of an enclosed vehicle. Getting stoked!!!

Bungle In The Jungle (Part One)

I was standing in the jungle, 
I was feeling alright,
Mmm Hmmm, Mmm Hmmm... (Electric Light Orchestra, Jungle)

Sorry it took so long to update, but we didn't have internet part of the time.

After seeing the dam, Apartheid Museum, etc. we took off from Jo'burg with Abby's childhood friend Rob and his girlfriend Candice and headed to Timbavati Game Reserve (see web site), where Abby's friend Wendy and her husband Grant have a Game Farm.

It took ten hours because we had some delays; some two-legged (we missed some turns) and some four-legged (we saw some eyes reflecting in the distance, and Wendy's son Michael said based on their color it's probably impala; except it was a small herd of elephants, with the baby on one side and the mom on the other. We decided to wait for them to meet up. Then we ran across a group of buffalo, who seemed to be afraid of the headlights. Oh, and a hyena).

The next morning, it was time for our first sojourn into the reserve (it actually connects to Kruger Park, it acts as a buffer for the western part of the park).

Our first spotting!

Hungry Hungry Hippos!

We then drove along, and saw various eagles, impalas, etc. then we ran across this guy :

I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

A bull elephant in rut (in heat). They get quite temperamental during this time, and he was no exception. We were driving on the path, came around the bend, and he was right there. We were deathly silent waiting to see what he was going to do (I knew that WE were going to do, and that was change our underwear later when we got back to the camp). The following video I taped shows what happened (grab the popcorn, kiddies!)

Whew! But wait, there's more to the story...

Could anything top that? Possibly! About 15 minutes later we ran into these "deviants" chilling in the late morning sun...

"Oh Damn, It's Humans"

"Yup, definitely humans!"

Synchronized Ignoring

Next was the night drive, where you drive and can't see anything except in this case we were sober. We saw a mongoose and more impalas, and even saw a honey badger (but he didn't give a sh*t). We also saw this guy, wandering round on his own:

"Where Are All The Chicks?"

The next day, scuttlebutt around the camp was that a pride of lions had killed a buffalo, and they were having a Fancy Feast. So we made surreptitious plans to check it out. Success!!! (Note that shadows on bottom of photo are from the car window, plus Abby was taking the photos in rapid-fire fashion).

"Who Dares To Bother The King of the Jungle"?

Next is a snippet of video of his lordship (NOTE: it includes a bit of the carcass, might not be for the squeamish):

Well, that was pretty cool. We felt much safer being in a Land Rover that wasn't open.

Next, we knew there were rhinos about, because, well, they leave large piles of rhino poop (they are BIG animals). So our mission was to find the rhino without the poop. We drove around for several hour, when suddenly...

Those suckers move real fast for such hulking, lumbering dinosaur-like relics!!!

That ended our excitement at the Game Park, because the next day we were off to stay at a hotel near the Kruger Gate, at the South end of the park.

But before I sign off, a side note. When Grant & Wendy were leaving the Game Park with their kids Michael & Lauren (after we had already left), they ran into the same elephant you see above. Grant floored it in reverse faster than he ever has, because that pachyderm had a score to settle with us. Happy to report both people and car escaped unscathed.

Dam(n) It, or Rock The Cradle of Love

Water You Waiting For? (Gwen Stefani, Water You Waiting For?) or better yet,

I Can See For Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles... (The Who, I Can See For Miles)

So we improvised and decided to head to Hartbeespoort Dam, a weekend getaway spot for many Johannesburg residents. On the way, I saw road signs which I never saw anywhere else in the world (and I bet you haven't either). I would have had Abby stop the car so I could take a photo, but you'll understand why I didn't when I tell you the sign said "Warning: Carjack Zone Next 7 km".

Flat tire, no problem, we'll ride on the rims.

Anyway, we get to the dam. It is quite old, as you can see by the photos below:

Who Didn't Turn Off The Faucet?

Modeled After The Arc d' Triomphe, for no reason.

Obviously Not a Weekend When We Were There

Near the dam is a mountain that one can take a cable car up to. Since I have yet to spend enough money, we hadn't been carjacked, and it was a very pleasant day, off we went!

Very Trustworthy, made by the Swiss!!!

I can see the End of the World!!!

"I am Sailing, I am Sailing..."

Then it was off to the Cradle of Humankind. Not an actual place, mind you, but a general area where many bones of early man were discovered. But they do have a museum there to check out, which we arrived at 15 minutes before closing. So we did the special "Jogging Tour" of the museum, where we kind of bounced around looking at the different things. One bonus was all the schoolkids were already heading home. They even had a ride at the beginning about the four elements (no kids, not John, Paul, George & Ringo); that's right, Water, Fire, Earth, and, er...Jell-o©. I mean Wind.

Here is  photo from the ride:

I Feel So Blue

After, we walked outside, and as a bonus, we saw numerous locusts copulating. The male was on top of the female, and he was holding on for dear life.

Naughty Naughty

Reminded us of a song: 

Sex is natural,
Sex if fun,
Sex is best when it's one on one... (George Michael, I Want Your Sex)

We had more photos, but you get the idea. And if you don't, well then get your mind into the gutter.

The next day we went to the Apartheid Museum, which was quite interesting and had huge amounts of information (but no photos).

We then left for the Timbavati Game Reserve & Kruger National Park. Photos and videos should be up in the next couple of days.

Until then,

Enjoy your braai, and everything here is "Lakker" (great)!

-Steve

My Trunk Is Overstuffed

...Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band... (Credence Clearwater Revival, Looking Out My Back Door)

Well, there we were in Knysna (Nize-Na). It's peculiar in that the city surrounds a lagoon. After eating at a restaurant (East End Cafe, highly recommended), we went to the top of the cliffs where the water enters the lagoon from the Indian Ocean. Pretty "angry" waters:

The West End (Taken From The East End, duh)

The multi-million dollar mansions bored us, so we went down to the shore to get a close up of these angry waves:

Don't Get Caught In a Dark Alley With These Waves

The next day, it rained buckets as we headed further East, where we found the longest concrete arch bridge in the world that also was the highest bungee jump in the world (no, I will cage dive with sharks but I will NOT bungee):

216 Meters Down

Good Luck, Buddy

Then we went to an Elephant Farm out side of Knysna (also all orphaned, not stolen from their parents, etc.), where we got to meet the big pachyderms. They are quite funny; they know the only way they can get fed is if they stand behind this post. It was quite humorous to see them literally run to get behind it so we could feed them:

Feed Me!

Then, because we were the last group of the day, we got to escort the elephants back to their pens for the night. It's not easy filming while walking and trying to avoid elephant land mines, but I think I pulled it off ("I love a parade..."):

The next day we flew back to Jo'burg, and today we went to Hartbeespoort Dam, and also took the aerial up to the mountain overlooking the dam and mountains (photos to follow in next post). We also went to the Cradle of Mankind, the area where some of the earliest fossils of man's ancestors were found.

Tomorrow we head off to Kruger National Park for a week, where we hope to see the Big 5 (lions, buffalo, elephants, rhinos, leopards), and the runner-ups (giraffes, hippos, cheetahs, and any other animals that saunter by). No internet access while there, so it will be a week until my next transmission. And I promise to make it funnier.

Until then, remember to eat your braai, as we will be doing everyday at Kruger.

-Steve

Train Kept A-Rollin'/What's New, Pussycat?

On a train, I met a dame, I was handsome, she kind of looked the same... (The Yardbirds, Train Kept A-Rollin')

Well, we made the drive from Gansbaai and landed up in George, an extremely boring town of 180,000 people. The good thing is that it's a central point to do things more interesting than visit the George Museum (though I'm sure my dad would visit it in a heartbeat, being that's his name).

But George does have a railroad museum, which was quite cool, and something called the "Power Van", which is a retro-fitted version of those miners trams. Yesterday we rode it to nearly the top of one of the Oteniqua mountains. Not recommended for those with bad backs, but good for those who want to speed up the digestion of their meal.

All Aboard

It was a gorgeous day, but we didn't know they stopped for a picnic near the top, so we improvised with banana pecan muffins & warm water. Ummm, I have had better picnic food in the past.

I'm going off the rails on the Crazy Train...

See? Quite the gorgeous day

We ate at a Turkish Restaurant in George, which was surprisingly good, considering nobody who worked their or owned it was Turkish, let alone they find it on a map. But Abby had a Rose Water Milkshake, which was quite tasty.
____________

We move like cagey tigers, we couldn't get closer than this, the way we lovecats, the way we talk... (The Cure, Lovecats)

Now they call her the cat, and that's a stone fact... (Elton John, They Call Her The Cat)

What's New Pussycat, woh a woh a woh woh... (Tom Jones, What's New Pussycat)

Well, we went to the Cango Wildlife Ranch, where we saw some awesome looking cats, as seen below:

Brother & Sister

Lazy white lion sleeps 21 hours/day

Oh, and here's a snippet of Abby & me petting the male cheetah (orphaned and raised since they were mere deadly kittens). It's purring sounds like a vacuum cleaner, not sure if you can hear it on the video (47 seconds). Apparently they don't like eating men with white legs and growing foreheads...

Well, that's all for now, we are next off to Knysna (Nize-na), another town on the Garden Route.

Until then, Eat your braai!!!

-Steve