Friday, 8th March
Early at the gate at 5am, just in time to hear the impala outside camp snorting with alarm. Again, the sky is cloudy but clear on the eastern horizon. I am the only one heading north today and after about 10 Km’s I come across these lovely lions in the road.
They give every indication that they wish to hunt but at the critical moment a car at high speed travelling from the north interrupts things and the lions scatter for cover. These +100KPH speedsters that one encounters quite regularly are never tourists but civilians driving private cars. As so happens in the real world outside of the Park, these people are laws unto themselves. I am writing to the head of Kruger tonight about the problem.
Continuing, I turn off on the S127 gravel road to Timbavati just as the rising sun brightens the scene.
The baobab tree near the Picnic spot marks the beginning of this quite outstanding road.
Today is just one of those days when everything is just perfect. One does not have to see the Big 5 to be richly entertained. Little snippets of interest are constantly popping up and I am enthralled by it all.
I come across a herd of impala and sit for some time enjoying the youngsters which are understandably filled with “joie de vivre” on the beautiful morning.
Near the end of the road I come across a Tawny Eagle enjoying his meal nearby.
At one point he his food falls to the ground and he follows to retrieve it and then scrambles back up onto his branch.
What a magical morning and I return to camp most satisfied.
With an autumnal feel to the air, I enjoy my midday swim and then later in the afternoon travel a short distance up the road north stopping to watch the zebra in the evening light.
Kruger Park is a most happy place. The staff are appreciative of their working environment and the tourists are generally well behaved – particularly the campers whose relaxed enjoyment is palpable.
