Saturday, 4 June, 2011
Elephant Adventure: Game Drives Around Letaba
It was 39 degrees, the coldest temperature of the trip, as we
departed camp at 6:10 a.m. Our route this morning: H1-6 north, S95,
S62 to the Longwe Lookout/Matambeni Bird Hide, H1-6 and H1-5 south,
S91, across the Oliphants River and back, S92, H8, S44, then a
u-turn and drove S44 again (navigation complication), S93, S46, and
S94 back to camp.
Brown
snake-eagle
From the Matambeni Hide we had a great view of some hippopotami.
Hippos may look lazy and out of shape, but they kill more people
than any other animal in Africa each year. Fact: Hippos spin their
tails while defecating to spread their poo over the largest area
possible. Note to Santa: I no longer want a hippopotamus for
Christmas.
Hippos from Matambeni
Hide
Dead or just
resting?
At the Olifants River Lookout (more hippos and crocs), Linda almost
got a South African boyfriend on holiday from the Cape. She might
deny it, but Tom and I both heard her ask the gentleman “Do you
come here often?” A pickup line if I ever heard one! I walked out
of earshot before I could hear him respond with “What's your
sign?”
Designated alighting
area
Oliphants
River
This was a many-elephant day. We saw herds several different times.
On one side road, we were approaching a dead-end turnaround, when
we came upon a large herd of elephants, with several babies,
browsing alongside the road. One of the elephants stepped out into
our path, turned to face us, and started flapping its ears. I
responded by throwing the car in reverse and backing down the
narrow road about two blocks, the elephant slowly following us,
until I felt we'd gained enough distance to take the time to
execute a many-point “Austin
Powers” style turn and get the heck out of there. I consider
that our Elephant Adventure!
Time to
git!
We were back to our cottage at 12:15 for sandwiches and Pringles.
Then Linda went to Letaba's elephant museum while Tom and I filled
the car with petrol once again. After that, I went for a walk alone
around camp. I saw more elephants, bushbuck, waterbucks, impala,
baboons, and two vervet monkeys having sex (sadly, no photo). The
baboons were looking for a way across the camp fence, and the
monkeys who were already inside the fence were clearly distressed
by their presence.
Outside Letaba's
elephant museum
A view from
Letaba
I was almost back to our cottage when I spotted a 6-foot-long
monitor lizard on our side of the fence, practically on the
sidewalk. It was so cool, and I had it all to myself, but I wish
Tom had been there to see it too. I watched it for ten minutes or
so while it tried to find its way back outside the fence, until it
finally slithered under. I thought I might see - sad as it would
be, of course - the lizard get fried on the electric fencing, but
it turns out the electric part is just at the top of the fence.
Monitor lizard a/k/a
rock leguaan
We went out again from 3:15 to 5:15. Our route: H1-6, S95, S47 to
Mingerhout Dam, then S47 and H1-6 back to Letaba. Not much wildlife
on this drive, but we saw some impressive elephant destruction
partially blocking the road and a nice sunset.
Elephant
roadblock
Impressive, isn't
it?
Dinner at the Letaba restaurant again tonight, pizza for Linda and
me and a BLT for Tom. Tom and I had Castle beer, while Linda opted
for wine. The wine list was pretty short: red, white, or brandy.
She went with red. Timothy was our waiter both nights. He has
worked at Letaba for 27 years and provided us with excellent
service.
It was a warm and pleasant evening, and we sat out on our cottage
stoep for a couple of hours after dinner reading and writing in our
journals. Even though we saw no mosquitoes, we lit a couple of
mosquito coils. After all, we'd bought a 10-pack.
A high of 90 degrees again today.
|