The Southern Africa Circle Completed

Essentially, we started our big loop through southern Africa right here in Pretoria and here we are again. We fly to the States in three short days.

Getting here from Maun, Botswana put another 2000 km on the Land Rover and took us to the remote Kubu Island, through about half of the Kruger National park, and into the Blyde River Canyon. We then stopped briefly in Jo'burg to take tours of the South West Township (SOWETO), and the apartheid museum and do a bit of last minute shopping for crafts. We do expect everyone who gets a large, wooden, hand-carved giraffe, to place in prominently in the middle of their living room. Regardless of what you think, it will enhance your decor immensly.

Kubu Island is located in the middle of the Sua salt Pans in Botswana. The island itself sits about 20 meters higher than the expanse of flat salt plains around it and is covered in Boabab trees. Also on the island are the ruins of the Great Zimbabwe city that lead to the the myth of the Lost City of the Kalahari. Emily and I were there as a travel show was filming a documentary of the ruins and the expert, a PHD of some sort, took Em and I on a private showing of the ruins, pointing out broken bits of pottery, Osterich egg beads, and old walls built to level areas for huts.

A short walk in the salt pans.


We love these trees.


For the first time in Africa, Em and I slept out under the stars on the island...what a site. We then woke early, much before sunrise, packed up camp and drove a short ways out onto the salt pans to watch the sun break the flat horizon. That got us an early start on our roughly 700 km towards Kruger National Park. After another easy and uneventful border crossing we headed for a night in Mussina, a restocking point about 100 km from Kruger's most northern gate.

Sunrise on the pans.


We reached Kruger by mid-morning the next day and began a leisurly game drive to our first camp. After refferencing our handy guidebook we realized we had seen two more antelope species, the Nyala and the Bushbuck, that were firsts for us. Always a neat experience. We reached our camp of Punda Maria early and spent the reast of the day enjoying the small watering hole just outside the fence, playing cards and having dinner.

We had decided previously to trade a bit of game driving for a bit a game walking and got up early, 05:30, to join our two armed and friendly game rangers and headed out. The walk was very informative and it was great to be outside, walking in the game park. Our guides explained the tracks of the animals, the food they eat, who they hunt and when, etc. We didn't see allot of game, that's the trade-off to driving, but we could hear and smell the animals. Our guide had told us that we were in a Big 5 area, meaning that all of the Big 5 could be encountered.

Our guides.


At our lunch stop we had a great time joking and talking with our guides, Thomas and Matt. We asked one of the guides Matt, if he'd every had to use the rifle on a walking safari. He said "yes, on buffalo. He was asking too many questions." (for the gun junkies they were both carrying .458 calibre rifles)

After another afternoon game drive we headed to our next camp at Shingwedzi. We got a nice spot, next to the fence, took a swim and had our typical evening. As we were barbequeing our pork chops, a hyena casually walked up to the fence, not more that 4 meters from us, and asked if we had any to spare. Later on a Ring-tailed Genet did the same. We woke early to be at the gate by 06:00 and did a before breakfast game drive, then came back, packed and headed out for Letaba.

A hyena, asking too many questions.


Letaba has a great museum that focuses on the Magnificant 7, 7 of Kruger's largest Elephant, complete with the skulls and tusks. They are huge. On our way there, we pissed off a large elephant by almost hitting him. I think he contemplated charging us and at the time, I felt quite safe in the Land Rover. After seeing these huge beasts, I think the Land Rover, and us, would have taken the worst of it.

Giraffe crossing the road....sure makes the car look small.


We headed out the next day, after trying to track down some of the more elusive animals (white rhino, wild dog, and leopard) that had been spotted earlier and marked on the spotting map at reception. Next stop, the Blyde River Canyon, the world's 3rd largest.

We spent two nights at Blyde and day hiked about 14 km up the canyon, ending in a nice swim in the river. We ran across two snakes, Black Mambas we think....yikes. It was a very nice hike and good to get some excercise.
With two nights in Jo'burg, well outside the city mom and dad, we took in the main township of Soweto and the very informative and shocking Apartheid Museum. What a hurdle this country had to overcome....and what a long way to go. Overall the day gave Em and I allot of hope for the future of SA.

So long and see ya soon, after a quick 10 day stop in the Big Apple....my first, eh!