So we're well into our second week out here and on our way back to the main camp from Kruger NP. Before I go any further though I want you all to know that riding in this damn passenger van is about the most uncomfortable thing you can imagine. We sit over the axel and the roads are so terrible that we literally hit our heads on the ceiling on some of the bumps. Anyway... All that being said we've been having a great time in the park!!! ;) Its only the 6-7 hour drive to and from the park I'm complaining about! Haha. Oh and they drive on the left side of the road here! I had no idea...
So onto what they call the 14th greatest park in the world (and I have no idea how they came up with that ranking)! Basically it's just 5 million acres of places to camp or rent out a room (which we did) and then go drive out into the park (with a cooler full of beer!) to see what you can see... and we saw quite a lot! I'll talk more about that later.
What I want to talk about first is the camps and the camping that goes on in this place. First of all there are maybe 12 constructed and maintained camps that you rent out huts which are really 2-5 bedroom houses. Each camp has a resturaunt and gift shop ("curio shop") and is well maintained and really nice but what's crazy about these places is that they are like compounds in that they're surrounded by electric high fence, the entrance is guarded and you have to be in before and you can't leave after 6PM!! All because of the preadators. So fun. I begged for a lion in camp but I never got one! :(
Seriously though, you can go out on "night game drives" where you are escorted in a safari vehicle with an armed ranger and you have spotlights and you drive around looking for cool nocturnal animals! But that's it. If you're caught in the park after hours it's a serious fine. I didn't really get all the hub-bub about not getting out of your vehicle except in designated areas, not being out in the park, and all of the protection around camp until I asked the guide and our driver if it was all just a show. I guess that armed rangers have been taken by leopards on these night drives and that at least one person a year turns into kitty food when they get out of their car for a closer picture. After some choice stories I bought into it all.
So what did we see?! Well on the night drive we got to see some night birds, a hyena, and two different kinds of jackals along with some other less cool stuff. We scoured the trees for leopards but we never did see one. During the day we did get to see 4 lions one of which was right by a zebra the pride had recently taken down. Way cool. There are about 1600 lions in the park which compared to the 300 cheetahs is definitley impressive. Pretty much everywhere you looked there were elephants, giraffe, buffalo, impala, waterbok, and other deer-like animals. We did see a rino out there too which was great. Saw some elephants (play) fighting and a little tiny, like 3-6 month old elephant. We tried and tried to get a picture but the other elephants had it protected so well we could never get a clean shot at it. It's really really neat seeing all of these animals in their actual habitat and not surrounded by fence. Definitley a fun experience. I have a few crappy photos to share but I won't get the good ones up until I get back I think. Here are some terrible camera phone pictures of elephants and giraffe as a taster. ;)
What made the Kruger experience really fun and interactive is that you get a little pamphlet check list and a map/guide book that shows pictures of all of the animals and birds and then as you see them you look them up and check them off. We made lots of progress on the list and it will be fun to use to show people what birds and animals are what once we get the pictures up. We saw some pretty rare sightings according to our guide... An oriobi for example is this very little deer looking thing that I guess is on it's way out of existence. So it was cool to see that.
So it's back to hunting tomorrow... I think I've been convinced to try and take a warthog for my sister and her husband (he flys A-10 "Warthogs") but we'll see.
Everyone is doing well out here. The malaria pills haven't caused anyone to get sunburnt and no one has gotten sick... Except for a little homesick! All of us talk about bringing our wives back here some day to let them experience it and I know the only thing that could make this better is if Karissa were here... I am quickly getting ready to get back to see her. We have 4 more days before we head to the airport and then it will be another day of travelling before we get home. I'll definitely try to get at least one more update on here before we leave... Sorry they're so sparse! We are definitley staying busy. Hasta pasta!
-- Dan
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