Sorry I missed updating yesterday, I waited until today so I could include the best pictures of Kruger. And from that statement, you can probably infer that yesterday we went on a safari through Kruger International Park. We drove from our timeshare to an entrance gate about 10 minutes away, and paid for a simple day pass that allowed us to drive our car through the park. And we all had a really great time.
Now, I should add the disclaimer that in our self-guided safari through Kruger, there weren't rhinos and elephants just leaping out in front of our car for us to see. And I soon learned that safari-ing, especially without a guide, is less of an exhibit and more of a scavenger hunt. If you've ever been fishing, you know that the fish all go into hiding for most of the day, and come out mostly during dawn and dusk. We learned that this is true for the rest of the animal kingdom as well. Most of our six hours in Kruger was driving around, scrutinizing the landscape for a camouflaged Waldo.
HOWEVER
We did get lucky at various points.
About 5 minutes upon entering the park, in the hottest part of the day, we see a car pulled over to the side of the road. As this is a sign in Kruger that someone has spotted something, we quickly pulled over as well. The people in the other car whispered, "Leopard." We look over and see, stalking through the bushes, a gorgeous leopard (one of the African Big 5). He got away pretty quickly, but dad was able to snap a quick shot of the beastie:
Considering that he didn't have the right lens on, I think that's a pretty good snapshot. Go Dad! (Meanwhile, I sit in the passenger's seat and pretend I'm playing Pokemon Snap)
For the next few hours, the animal life was pretty sparse. We took many pictures of trees, birds, and such. However, in the last hour that the park was open, as we were racing back to the gate that we came through, all the wildlife decides - Hey! Now seems like a good time to come out. So in the final moments, we saw our fair share of animals. Here are some shots that Dad took -
For a while, we would stop every time we saw an impala. Everyone gave us crazy looks as they drove by, and we soon learned that impalas are pretty much the most common land animal in Kruger. However, we thought the fighting males were pretty cool - especially with the bird, along for the ride.
So, altogether, a great trip to Kruger. When not taking pictures or observing animals, we were laughing or (for me) taking quick naps. Success!
Today, we went shopping for final dorm supplies, learned that the aforementioned police officers were probably trying to shake us down with the whole 'international driver's license' thing, and relaxed, for 'tis the last day of vacation. I move in tomorrow!
I think that's all for today, although a quick note - When I move to Waterford tomorrow, my internet access is going to become much more restricted. I've been enjoying the benefits of paid access for a few days now, but once I get to WK it's going to be much more slow. So I hope to keep updating the blog, but between schoolwork and limited internet I'm not sure what I can accomplish. Keeping my fingers crossed for adequate access!
Love you guys :)
Eli
P.S. - I saw some pretty awesome stuff at Kruger, but I must say, this little bird might have been one of the best in the park! (Turn your volume up)
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