This is the longest I have ever gone without making a post, and thus I am the most behind I have ever been on my blog. I've mentioned this before on another less (albeit) tardy post, but blogs are pretty out of fashion these days. We just got too busy for these more lengthy compositions, that which we could more or less convey in a line or two in a Facebook post. When that was too much effort we turned to the simplistic photo feed application, Instagram. We don't need to post any prose at all there! But these days even Instagram is too much for our belittled attention spans. Facebook is for the old folk, and instagram isn't fun enough, so we're now resorting to Snapchat, where we only have to commit a few seconds (10 at most!) for each post. So alas the blog, the dying breed. I carry on, despite the general lack of interest in this format. I do it mostly for me and my family. It is a record of us, a journal. It's also a place I get to share my personal photography and writings. You're welcome to keep reading, or not!
I have been so delayed for various uninteresting reasons (things like short circuiting from an unrelenting schedule and a few significant life stressors), but the main stumbling block here is that the next post, or posts as it were, are so difficult for me to write. Our trip to South Africa was so epic, such an overused word in this era, but so fitting here. My thoughts and feelings relating to this trip surpass any other trip we have ever taken. It was, without a doubt, the best trip of our lives. And I have serious misgivings that anything will ever top it. I typed that last sentence about 20 minutes ago, and have been wringing my hands every since trying to come up with an adequate way to articulate our experience.
I guess I should start by laying some background. As an American growing up on the west coast there was very little known to me about this great nation. I didn't meet my first South African until I was at university. That probably isn't that unusual for Americans in my generation. But my first encounter, which would later be dear friends, left a huge impression on me from the start. It would be a long while before I would know any other South Africans, actually not until I moved to London. There are loads of them here, which comes as no great surprise as this is where many of their roots are as South Africa was once colonised by the British. Many of these lovely people have become great friends and at an international school where I am surrounded by many of the best, I've grown to love the spirit of their culture. There is something so special about them, and the seed was thus planted. My personal experiences coupled with my growing interest in South African history: I had to visit South Africa. One of my dearest friends on earth, an American I have known all my days in London, moved to South Africa two years ago. That was the last nudge I needed to make the trip down there. On top of that another great friend I knew here, South African, was moving back to South Africa and invited us to visit them in their home in Cape Town. So we planned a varied itinerary that would allow us to maximise our time with friends (the real highlight of this trip), while soaking up the beauty of this country including a detour to Swaziland. The combination of these elements made for a trip we will never ever forget.
Our first of four legs of this trip would bring us briefly through Johannesburg before our onward journey to Kruger National Park for an incredible safari with our friends. We joined up with them at JNB and boarded our little plane for Skukukza . . .
The airport in Skukuza was basically a cool safari lodge. Totally amazing to be greeted by such a structure right off the tarmac. Felt like something out of a film . . .
| Our safari experience pretty much started right away along our drive into Kruger Park to our safari lodge . . . |
Scar!
After a great couple of hours with the ranger the sun is fully up, the air is warming and we head back to the lodge for a long day of relaxation. We're greeted by a hot buffet breakfast, followed by lounging by the pool, games in the lodge lounge or a nap back in your room, then lunch, followed by more lounging or napping, then afternoon tea before the afternoon game drive. If you can get past the early morning wake-up calls, the safari life is pretty fabulous!
After a sufficiently lazy afternoon, we hit the road for our evening drive. More lions!
Elephants! I loved the elephants!
After each evening drive we were greeted by a gorgeous dinner. Then off to bed to catch some winks before another wake-up call. Our safari was 4 nights and 4 days, which felt like the perfect length. Enough time to really enjoy it, enough time to see the Big 5 (and then some!), but not too long that the early wake-up calls did us in!
The safari experience certainly was not limited to beautiful beasts on land. The fowl above were magnificent!
Not a great photo, but a rare out-of-water hippo sighting. This was the only time where the ranger felt a bit skittish. We did not stay long to watch her.
Each game drive was filled with amazing discoveries. So many varieties of animals to behold. |
The baboons were really fun to watch, especially the mamas and their babies.
We saw a lot of giraffe, but what's more is the interesting giraffe behaviours we got to witness. These lot were having a bit of a giraffe wrestle (as much as they can wrestle!). I'm just not sure I can visit a zoo ever again. There is nothing like seeing animals in their natural habitat. Nothing like it at all.
This was very early in the morning on our early morning game drive, and so it was still very dark. Very difficult to capture with a 400mm lens.
Wart hogs! Funny little creatures.
The elusive leopard. After 3 days of multiple contacts with 4 of the Big 5, and fruitless searches for the elusive 5th, the leopard, we had begun to give up. But alas our ranger along with his network of rangers found a leopard, and boy was it a beauty. This brings up an important note on safaris. The value of going with a safari lodge located on (or with access to) a private reserve, or private concession within Kruger (as ours was) gives the rangers more latitude when accessing the animals. Rules of the park stipulate that you must stay on the roads, but in a private concession there are privately held rules that include allowing the rangers to off-road when in search for the Big 5 (only Big 5). Had it not been for that exception being in a private concession we never would have seen the leopard.
Second leopard sighting, this time at night!
Wild dogs!
Our time in the safari jeep was really fun. We had an exceptional ranger. He had some pretty amazing stories to tell of the famous people he has led on safari. But it was clear to us why he might have been given those kinds of clients, because he was just so good. So knowledgeable, so skilled and so friendly. Our 4 days with him was pure joy. Perfect ranger!
Dallin LOVED riding shot gun with Ralf. Ralf was so good to entertain all of Dallin's questions and Dallin loved the role as copilot. Dallin was a pretty great spotter, often spotting things before Ralf.
Ferrari safari! This fun nickname of our safari experience reflects not only the fun we had riding around in our safari jeep, but also the song the girls came up with that we often sang riding through Kruger. At some points we'd pick up speed and throw our hands up and scream "Ferrari safari!" Probably not a good animal spotting tactic, but it was so much fun and a true memory of this trip.
"Ferrari safari, oooh, oooh, oooh!"
So much fun in the safari jeep! Back row girls.
A little chilly in the mornings.
Games on the jeep.
Early wake-up calls sometimes meant jeep naps for this guy.
The best safari crew eva!
Safari jeep shadow with the marula
Evening game drives came with a mid-drive snack and beverage break. Such a fun tradition while watching the beautiful South African sunset.
Great time for some South African sunset photos . . .
We love Ralf! Best ranger ever!
Such a sweet reunion of these two Madeleines. Love these girls!
The magnificent baobab tree of Kruger Park.
Morning tea and rusk break . . .
Alas all good things must come to an end. Signing the guest book sending a huge shout out to the best safari ranger and a wonderful safari lodge experience. What an amazing way to start our African adventure! I will never ever forget this experience.
Next Swaziland!
3 comments:
Y'all are so lucky to have had such an amazing trip! I am in love with your photos especially the night time ones of the pride! Can't wait to read your next post.
I love reading about your around-the-world adventures! You have such an amazing way of capturing everything with your camera and your words! South Africa looks exactly as you described it...epic!
Wow. Loved this post. Such majestic animals and birds. Thank you for continuing to share your adventures.
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