It rained all night but we were safe and dry in our little Rondawel. Never heard that appellation before but, apparently, it refers to the bungalow we stayed in at Satara Camp: a circular hut with a conical thatch roof that is a typical, southern African dwelling. We set our alarms for 3:00 am. We had to get up early enough to be on time for the Sunrise Safari that would be departing the reception area at 4 o'clock. It was quite cool and black as pitch as the bus made its way out of the camp's fenced-in perimiter. Last night the bus had been filled with perhaps 15 or 20 people. This morning the four of us were all alone (It was 3:30 a.m., after all) with our tour guide, Jock, who was friendly and very knowledgeable. A private tour for the price of a public one. What a treat!
The goal of a sunrise safari is not only to watch the sun rise but to also catch a glimpse of various animals starting off on their daily hunt for food or the constant search for good grazing spots. Our expectations were fulfilled because pretty soon we came across a pride of lions nonchalantly sauntering down the road. There were six females and one King and they paid absolutely no attention to our bus, flashlihgts or us, for that matter! Jock drove back and forth, making u-turns so we could stay alongside and finally this got to one little grouch who gave out a snarling growl that scared the daylights out of us. (I'm sorry, photography was very difficult - it was dark, the lions were in a bit of a hurry - they might have been hungry - and so our photos are a bit blurry and dark).
This is what our Rondawel (bungalo) looked like - very cute, no?
Our searchlights shine on little kitties walking down the road. Hello!
Say hello to Leo. (photo by Lori Press)
El Rey, walking silently at the side of the road. (Photo by Stacey P. Weinstein)
The sun was just starting a new day -- a beautiful sight out on the veld.
As we continued our safari we came across many more animals. Each time, Jock would stop the bus and expound, in detail, on the animal we were looking at. Nothing escaped his trained eye: animals, birds and flora. It was a fabulous tour.
The impala blend almost perfectly into their background ... except for their tushes. Jock told us they were "here I am" markings so the youngsters can easily follow the adults when fleeing through the bush.
This guy was no laughing matter. A hyena scavenging for food can travel 80 kilometers (about 65 miles in an evening). Known primarily as scavengers, they've been given a bad rap. They only eat carrion 40% of the time, killing their own food the rest of the time. A serious predator.
A little bird balances on the tip of a dead leadwood tree. The leadwood is emblematic of the veld. Its silhouette stands out against the brilliant sky. It can live for many hundreds of years and, because the wood is so dense, the dead tree can stand for hundreds of years more after it's dead.
Even though we saw them quite often, I think the zebra was my favorite of all the animals: the stripes are so perfect they seem to be painted on. Jock pointed out that a straight-up mane is a sign of good health and that no zebras have identical stripes - just like fingerprints!
The zebra's best buddy: a blue vilde-chaya, er wildebeast. The zebra likes short grass which the wildebeast gladly "mows" by eating the tall grass down to the proper lenghth. Now that's a true friend.
Stacey snaps, Peter looks, Jock drives, Geoffrey poses.
Yo! You talking to me?? This giraffe was very old and scarred, probably from lion attacks.
Three hours passed quickly ... this was what we had come for. We returned to camp and the dining room for an early (or was it late now?) breakfast. The heat was building up and the pool was beckoning. We had one more tour, scheduled for sunset. Tomorrow we start our drive back to Jo'berg for a flight to the hip, cool and interesting city of Cape Town. Check it out ... in my next blob.
A South African breakfast at our camp's dining room.
We were sure glad that this camp had a pool ... it was blisteringly hot!
1 comment:
Dear Safarians: We are so enjoying your vivid descriptions and incredible pictures. It is truly a trip waiting to be transcribed to a travelogue.
I hope that we get to read some more before we fly away on our very timid trip to Fla.
Love, Carol
Post a Comment