Before I tell you more about our day, a few admin comments: 1) Thank you for those of you who voted for your favourite photos! I know it takes a lot of time. Those of you who haven't voted yet, please check yesterday's post for more details. We want to know what your favourite wildlife shot, road trip shot, Ji-shot and Villiers-shot is!?? Please leave your answers as comments!
Then there's the Back-in-Town braai! We'd like close friends and family to please join us Friday the 1st of April at my mom's place in Die Wilgers. Here are the details:
Date: 1st of April
Time: 18:30 for 19:00
Place: 449 Oulandsloop, Die Wilgers
Bring: Your own dop, tjop and cutlery please
For those of you who plan to leave early, please park outside. Those who plan to push through, you're welcome to park inside. Please approach the house from Rubida Street since the neighbourhood has recently been closed for security reasons. If you have any questions, please phone or sms me on 0827988817 on Thursday. And if you're wondering whether you're a close friend, haha, come anyway! :) Please RSVP!
And now back to today's post:
“Knock, knock!” came our wakeup call…at 04:30! Fish, our ranger at Mashatu, had accidentally woken us up an hour too early, but by 06:00 all was back to normal as we headed out on our last game drive. We only had three hours to make it count. Fish and Aaron produced the magic again, but not without Ji’s spotting skills. Our first major sighting of the morning was of the lions and it was Ji who noticed them lying in an open area near Baboon’s Bedroom. It was the two mothers with their five cubs and all of them were extremely playful after last night’s rain.
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| A very active Majale Island Pride |
We followed them for about 30 minutes before driving to Cheetah’s Koppie. From the top you have a 360-degree view of the reserve and as we were admiring it Fish and Ji both spotted a cheetah in the distance. We raced down to catch up with her and followed yet another playful cat in stunning golden sunlight. She was so playful in fact that she even jumped into a tree, seemingly just for the fun of it! We left the cheetah to look at a young male leopard in a Mashatu tree when the news came over the radio that the cheetah had just killed an impala – wow, what a busy morning!
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| A cheetah climbing a tree! Not something you see everyday... |
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| A very lazy young leopard male |
Unfortunately our drive was cut short with news that the Limpopo River was rising again. This meant that we would have to get to Platjan Border Post as quickly as possible to avoid having to drive all the way around to Martin’s Drift some four hours away (double the distance to Platjan). After a quick breakfast and sad goodbyes we hit the road. Fortunately we got to Platjan in time before the water got too high to cross the low cement bridge across the Limpopo. We both sang the National Anthem out loud when we hit South African soil! Man, it feels great to be back after 68 days outside the old R.S.A!
We made a pit stop in Alldays, before heading north to Mapungubwe National Park. We have Ji’s parents to thank for this visit: Baie dankie Tannie Almarie en Oom Kobus – dis ‘n regte treat om hier te kan bly, en dit nog in ‘n huisie ook! Those of you who know me well will know that I LOVE Mapungubwe! I tried to count and it seems like this is my 14th visit in the past eight years!
We spent the last two hours of the day admiring the impressive treetop walkway next to the Limpopo River and the breathtaking views over the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers. The scenery in Mapungubwe really is some of the most dramatic in southern Africa…!
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| The view from the walkway |
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| Villiers in his element! |
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| The view over the confluence |
Tomorrow we’ll go on our last game drive, but we’ll also use the time to reflect on what has been a trip of a lifetime. I can’t think of a better place to let my mind rewind a bit…
As you can see from this final photo our spirits are high, probably due to the fact that we’re getting closer and closer to those we love so dearly. In less than 48 hours these two clowns will be back in Pretoria, so enjoy the peace and quiet while you can!
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| We're almost home! Two days and counting!! |
With love,
Villiers
Highlight of the day:
Villiers: To be back in Mapungubwe! Oh, that view over the confluence...!
Ji: This morning's game drive in MAL-shatu!
Lowlight of the day:
Villiers: Listening to hunters in Alldays talking about shooting lions and elephants...
Ji: That our morning drive was cut short.
7 comments:
Wow, kan nie glo dat die trippie nou so naby aan einde se kant toe staan nie, ek gaan verseker julle posts elke dag mis!!! Maar eks bly dat julle die laaste paar dae so op hoogtepunte kan afsluit, dis verseker goeie beplanning gewees - hahaha! Geniet more se laaste game drive en veilig ry tot by die huis! Sal kom inloer as ons in Apr in SA is... :-)
Heyhey! njoy Mapungupwe sooo baie, dit is so fantastiese plek!!! Dis so moeilik om te kies, maar here goes:
Favourite wild: die twee broers foto vand daai twee leeus op die klip.
Favourite roadtrip: Die een waar die perd julle vir lunch ko join en uit die bakkie uit eet
Fav JI: verseker die een waar jy daai tiervis vashou, dag 29
Fav Villiers: Die baard ene met die kop van die python wat so uitloer, dag 66
Njoy sunset deck en al die lekker dinge van mapungupwe, bly dat die keer Villiers kan jy darm nie uit jou tent uit reen nie :-)
Sjoe was moeilik om te kies! Maar hier is dit: Favourite wild: Feb 24 Die foto van die leeuwelpie
Favourite roadtrip: Mar 7 Julle met julle stoele rondom die vuur
Fav JI: Jan 31 JI se river rafting foto
Fav Villiers: Mar 20 Viljee se porn star look
Welkom terug in SA!!!
Hier is myne:
Wildlife: 24 Feb - To cute for words - Onvergeetlik
Roadtrip - March 1 - Bandits - As ek julle af getrek het het ek julle gearisteer - TERORISTE!
Ji - 28 Feb - Op die bakkie - Wat liefde jou maak doen....
Villiers - 29 Jan - Dis hoe Villiers die doen - Hy lyk toe nog soos 'n ou wat ek ken!
Derrik
Moeilike keuse met die foto's - het nie tyd om deur als te gaan; probeer maar onthou. "Fav wild life": Die alleen olifant in die Krater, "Road trip": Groepfoto met klomp Malawi-kleintjies toe langs die pad gestrand was (watter heerlike geesdrif en loueter vreugde!), Villiers: Met coke in die hand, voete op koelboks, Mana Pools, JI: Op die bakkie, so lank moontlik uitgerek om 'n sein te kry om met Talita te praat.
Ek is so bly julle kon die Afrika-deel van die trip afsluit in gasvrye Mashatu en wat kan beter wees as Mapungupwe om die skok van jul terugkeer na die stadslewe te absorbeer! Julle twee: weer eens BAIE dankie dat ons julle ervarings met julle kon deel op so 'n spesiale manier - julle blog was 'n ligpunt elke dag. Kan nie wag vir môre! E
Ja ouens so kom die epiese tog van 70dae deur Afrika tot 'n einde. Dit was met 'n warm gevoel in die hart dat ons kon deel in jul ervarings en veral hoe julle jongmannetjies die teenspoede ook hanteer het. Dit het nie ongemerk verby gegaan nie! Dit was pragtig hoe jul ook met die betrokke gemeenskappe "connect" het. Die safari's, diere en natuurskoon - weer eens 'n bewys van die Wonder van 'n Skepper! Baie dankie Villiers en Ji!! Voorspoed vir die pad vorentoe!
Better late than never... (the 22nd was a good day...:))
Wildlife: That dark leopard photo on the 22 March makes me pause every time I see it, but your first skink and your agama pics also make me smile so I can't really decide...
Roadtrip: Your tent pic from the 22nd or the fireside shot on the 7th - I'm a sucker for campfires!
Ji: Love your expression when you're getting your hair cut!
Villiers: There's one I remember but can't find of you sitting in your 'office' by the fire, but otherwise it's your 'relaxing by the water's edge, coke-in-hand' shot from the 22nd again!
It was nice going back through them all :)
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