I lived in southern Africa from 1956 to 1980 and have traveled there often since. Now I'm going back and this blog will record both new plans and past experiences including diaries from many trips, helpful tips for first time travelers, and a few tales from the past. Those interested in Africa are invited to comment or add your own stories!
Thursday - we were awake when HJ knocked on
our door at 5:30 a.m. We dressed in our
chilly room and enjoyed coffee at the main lodge before leaving on the game
drive. The sun was just brightening the
sky each day as we climbed in the Land Rover and as the sun rose the sky was
flame colored. We saw a variety of game
this morning: kudu, wildebeest, giraffe,
zebra, rhino and saw vultures circling the lion kill. But the lions were still there and the
carcass odor was becoming more noticeable.
We had more delicious meals before the
afternoon game drive and welcomed Neil and Lisa Vigars, honeymooners from the
UK, to our vehicle. Our first stop was
a visit to the lion kill where the lions were still working on the diminished
carcass. We encountered a herd of elephants,
saw hyena, a civet, giant eagle owl, and the ever present impala. That night we heard lions roar and hyena
laugh—the hyena were getting impatient for their turn at the kill.
Friday – In the early morning, while we were
having coffee before the game drive we noticed something across the water hole
in the dim light. HJ told us it was the
mother of the white lion cub. She had a
drink and then walked along the dam past Avery and Carol’s chalet. We got in our Land Rover and followed her
through the bush. The second land rover
was also following so we went a different direction so we wouldn’t spook
her. We saw a jackal, hyena and a tawny
eagle. We parked at the dam and watched
a herd of elephants come down the bank to drink. It was quite a large herd and we watched them
until they turned around and left. The
lions were still at the kill and had dragged the remaining carcass, which was
quite fragrant, around the tree where the vultures still waited. A couple of jackals were prancing back and
forth in the distance.
The white lion cub (center and its sibling (left)
Ewan radioed HJ that they had followed the
mother lion to the den and had seen the white lion cub. We raced to the sandy river bed and we too
saw the tiny white lion and the tawny sibling staggering around the well hidden
den. Joe was only able to two two
unfocused photos. White lions are very
rare in the wild and only occur naturally in this area of the Timbavati and
Klaserie Reserves. They are not albino
but have blue eyes. Joe and Jan saw a
lion in 2001 that carried the recessive white lion gene and had read on the
Gomo Gomo website that the cub had been born about four weeks ago. HJ discovered it but the mother had moved the
cubs and they hadn’t been seen again until that morning. (Since then there were regular updates and
pictures of the cubs on the Gomo Gomo website http://www.gomogomo.co.za.)
The monkey and steenbok and impala seemed so
ordinary after that. We were all
chattering about the amazing white cub sighting sight when we returned to
camp. Michelle had decided to sleep in
that morning so she missed seeing it.
Michelle and Kevin went on the bush walk that
morning. Avery would have liked to go
along but the minimum age for the walk was 12.
She had no trouble entertaining herself in camp with a book or swim or
just watching the wildlife come to the water hole. She took many photos with her camera every
day.
On the afternoon drive we stopped first at
the den in hopes of seeing the white lion cub again. The mother was sleeping in the sandy river
bed but the cubs must have been in the den as we did not see them. We commented how fortunate we were to have
seen it that morning. Jeffrey left his
seat on the fender and walked into the bush to track leopard again and somehow
he found it, so we had another sighting.
We had seen four of the “big five,” lion,
leopard, rhino, elephant, but so far had not encountered buffalo. HJ and Jeffrey were on a mission to complete
the list. We drove through the bush and
spotted a hyena, but we only paused for a few clicks of the shutter because HJ
said he had a better sighting for us to see.
He told us to hold on and sped through the bush. We bounced on the seats and ducked and swayed
to avoid thorny trees and bushes. We
watched as another vehicle navigated a deep narrow ravine and then we followed. The reward was a big herd of Cape Buffalo (estimated
400 +) coming to a water hole. They
stirred up the dust as they rushed to drink, bellowing and pushing the leaders
further and further into the water. In
the fading light the animals continued to come out of the bush and bats flew
overhead.
It was near dusk when we parked for
“moon-uppers,” rather than sundowners.
The sky glowed with shades of pinks and purples as we chatted around the
table and enjoyed cold drinks and snacks.
We stopped once again at the lion kill on the return to camp. The lions had moved on and jackals and hyena
were sharing the remains of the giraffe.
Hyenas have very strong jaws and feast on the bones.
All too soon our final day at Gomo Gomo
arrived. Once again we left camp early Saturday
for our last game drive. We went to the
white lion den but there was no sign of the mother or the cubs so HJ said she
must have moved them. But we saw rhino,
a herd of about 20 kudu, monkeys, steenbok, impala, a squirrel and even a
nocturnal bush baby in the daylight.
Jeffrey spotted a leopard in a distant tree, but it jumped down before
we all saw it—a disappointment for Jan who has never seen a leopard in a
tree. We stopped for a long while to
watch four hyena casually walking by. HJ
said they were leaving the giraffe kill, dinner over.
After another hearty breakfast, we shared our
Colorado Places photo book with our
servers. They were so curious about the
snow and a red barn and asked, “Is that your house?” Michelle passed out Colorado t-shirts to
everyone who had served and cooked for us and Carol had gifts for them as
well. We finished packing and were once
again transferred back to Hoedspruit by Barney Smith. He took us to pick up our rental vehicle, an
eight-seater Hyundai van. The luggage
snugly fitted into the cargo space but we each had a window. Joe took the wheel and managed to drive on
the left side of the road, although he switched on the windshield wipers when
he meant to use the turn signals. It
took a while to adjust.
Now we were looking forward to spending three
days in the Kruger National Park. The
entire Gomo Gomo experience was fantastic.
Jan and I have been to southern Africa numerous times over the years but
the game-viewing experience on this trip was about the best we have had.
Wednesday morning we had time for a quick cup of coffee or
tea and rusks before we left the lodge on our game drive. We were fortunate that we had the Land Rover
to ourselves until later in the week. We
saw three white rhino first thing. White
rhino have a square mouth and are grazers, black rhino have pointed lips and
are browsers; their coloring is the same.
There were nine lions at the kill when we returned there. The tree above was filled with vultures
patiently waiting their turn. We noticed
the four month old cub and he (or she) was so cute!
A Red-billed hornbill. Bird life here, even in winter was amazing
We drove on and a majestic male
giraffe was nibbling new growth from a thorny tree. His coloring was very dark. We dropped Jeffrey off alone in the bush,
armed only with a radio, to track leopard and picked him up later. When the sun was high, we took a break and
H.J. served coffee and tea and fresh baked muffins. Back on the road Jan spotted a honey badger
scampering through the bush; not sure if anyone got a picture. H.J. and Jeffrey both left the vehicle to
follow leopard spoor (tracks) — never mind the tourists sitting in the vehicle in
the middle of the road… H.J. took his .458
cal. game rifle from the case resting on the flat windshield, not for shooting,
but he is not allowed to leave it in the vehicle. He said the rifle could bring down an
elephant. They had no luck spotting the
leopard.
Four month-old lion cub at the kill
We returned to camp and had
breakfast. Cold cereals, yogurt and
fruit juice was followed by a cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. With full tummies, we had a choice of the
morning game walk, enjoyed by Kevin and Carol, relaxing by the water hole,
checking email or a nap, which was chosen by a couple of us. It was wonderful to wander around the lodge,
sit by the pool, read a book, write post cards or just watch the wildlife come
out of the bush to drink at the water hole.
The sound of the drum gathered everyone for lunch around 2:00 p.m. Lamb curry was served. It was warm in the daytime but very cold for
the game drives. We purchased Gomo Gomo
warm scarves and hats and wished we had brought heavier coats, so we layered
all we had.
A "business" of Dwarf Mongoose
Rulani (the "calm") female leopard
The afternoon game drive rewarded
us with truly amazing sightings. A herd
of kudu was our first opportunity to take photos of these majestic antelope. The stately bulls’ horns spiral and their
sides have vertical white stripes. A “business”
of dwarf mongoose was fun to watch and Henry the hippo peaked out of the pond
at us. But “Rulani” the leopard was tracked
and we had a wild off-road ride through the bush to see her. (Rulani is a Shangaan word meaning calm) She
was posing in the fading sun on an old termite mound. So gorgeous!
She got up and we followed her as she slowly walked through the
bush. She stopped and posed again
between the two land rovers, turning one way and then the other and opened her
mouth in a big yawn. She walked on and
we followed her a while longer with cameras clicking away. Then we saw hyena.
Sunset - time for the traditional "Sundowners."
Of course we had Sundowners and
then followed a lion walking down the road toward the dam to drink. We drove to the other side of dam and waited
for her to appear, which she did. We
returned to the kill and were surprised to hear the cub “meow” between the
snarling adult lions tearing and chewing on the carcass.
Joe took time to download his
photos to the laptop before dinner was served.
We again chose our seats in the boma and began with sweet potato
soup. The menu included steak, Avery was
delighted, chicken pie, squash, salad and lemon meringue pie served in a
hollowed out lemon. Delicious!
By now we felt right at home at
Gomo Gomo. Weenjoyed visiting with the staff, knew the schedule for breakfast
at about 10:00 a.m. after the game drive, lunch at 2:00 p.m. and dinner around
8:00 p.m. Game drives left camp at 6:15
a.m. and 4:30 p.m. We gave them our
laundry which was returned neatly folded the same day. H.J., our Ranger, entertained us with his
stories, happily answered hundreds of questions and put up with our banter and
silly “tree” riddles. (Eg: What do you call
a small tree? – an Infantry) He served us drinks at every meal. Each night when we returned to our bungalow
there was a delightful hand written and illustrated traditional story about a
wild dog, hippo, warthog or rhino and sweets on our turned down bed.
This is the first in a series of
stories and recollections from our 25 day tour of South Africa starting in July
2012.
Since our visit to Gomo Gomo in
March 2006 the lodge has changed locations from the Timbavati to the adjacent
Klaserie Private Game Reserve. The newly
constructed lodge overlooks a good-size dam and the brick and thatched chalets
spread out on either side of the main lodge giving visitors nice views of the
game that visits constantly.
The main lodge at Gomo Gomo
We flew from Dulles International
Airport in Washington DC on a South Africa Airways (SAA) flight to Johannesburg that took 17
hours, including a one-hour stop to refuel in Dakar, Senegal. Total distance,
as the crow flies, is 13,200 kilometers (or 8,184 miles) Dakar is almost
exactly halfway. This is a long time to be sitting on a plane but we had many
movies and other video programs to keep us entertained. Our group of six
checked in to the Holiday Inn Garden Court Hotel adjacent to the O.R. Tambo
International Airport (formerly Jan Smuts) after a 5:30 p.m. arrival for a good
night’s sleep. After a hearty breakfast we returned to the airport to board an
SAA Express plane for the 45 minute flight to Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport. Eastgate
is the arrival point for most of the Game Lodges in the Timbavati, Klaserie, area,
adjoining the Kruger National Park.
Arriving in the “lowveld” is always
a special feeling. You are surrounded by the African “bush” and the temperature
is warmer at about 1,000 feet above sea level. The seasonally dry acacia and
grassy vegetation has a smell and feel that is unique. Stepping off of the
plane you find yourself in a different world. We were picked up by Barney Smith
of Fun Time Tours (www.funtimetours.co.za)
and set out on the 45 minute drive to the lodge. Barney regularly provides this
shuttle service for Gomo Gomo and other lodges in the area. Although the road
was paved for most of the way the speed limit was 50km/hr (30mph) and it is
easy to see why as we began to see wildlife immediately, with impala, giraffe,
wildebeest, warthog etc. along the roadside. Turning on to a dirt road we
reached the lodge after another ten minutes.
As we pulled up, the staff directed us through the main building onto
the expansive deck overlooking the dam.
There to greet us was a small herd of elephant drinking. What a way to
start our four day visit to Gomo Gomo!
Elephants welcome us to the lodge
Arriving at about noon, we were
greeted by Linda and Ewan, and shown to our respective chalets. A delicious lunch soon followed (the meals
were consistently excellent!) and we had a few hours to explore our
surroundings before setting out on an afternoon game-drive at 4:30 p.m. We met
H.J. (short for Hendrik Johannes Esterhuizen) who was to be our ranger for the
week and Jeffrey, the most excellent tracker, who we had met six years ago.
Both of these gentlemen are highly trained wildlife professionals and we would
learn a lot from them. They were also experts in finding game for us to observe
and photograph. In fact, we came away with the certainty that they are
passionate about wildlife and dedicated to providing the best possible “bush
experience” for their guests.
The main bedroom in our chalet.
Our chalet was a brick and thatch
structure overlooking the dam with really first class facilities. Full
length sliding glass doors opened onto a spacious verandah. There were
two bedrooms, one with a queen size bed and the other with twin beds.
The open Land Rover seats up to ten passengers.
We assembled for the afternoon game
drive at 4:15 p.m. The six of us, Jan, me, Carol, Kevin, Michelle and Avery
(11), had a Land Rover to ourselves.
Ranger HJ drove, while tracker Jeffrey sat on the little seat over the
front left headlight. We had been cautioned to dress warmly because; even
though the days were warm the nights would be chilly, especially seating in the
open vehicle with a breeze in our faces much of the time. Within about ten
minutes we were parked beside the carcass of a full grown male giraffe that had
been killed the day before. Nine lions were either feeding or resting next to
the kill. We were to return to this site each day and watch the carcass shrink
and other scavengers arrive to take their turns to feed. As the lions are
accustomed to the vehicles, we were able to get very close without disturbing
them. As long as we remained seated, we
would not be considered a threat or as a potential meal!
Lions feed on a giraffe kill
Jeffrey gets close to the wildlife
After spending half an hour watching the lion activities we drove on to search for other game and soon came across
several elephant, the ever-present impala and the tiny steenbok antelope. As
night fell we watched one of the lionesses from the kill come down to a water
hole to drink. After refreshments we returned to the giraffe kill to watch the
lions snarl and growl over their meal before eventually making our way back to
the lodge at about 7:30 p.m.
A welcomed fire and dinner in the boma ends the day
Our first day in the bush would end
with an enjoyable dinner served around a huge fire in the adjoining “boma,” an
open air area enclosed by hand-cut wood poles lashed together to form a
circular fence. We met and chatted with other guests about our day’s
experiences.
Retiring for the night we thought it couldn’t get any better than this. Until day two.
On August 26, 2001 we left the
USA on South African Airways out of Atlanta for an overnight flight to Johannesburg. We were
traveling with Jerry and Joni Lund from Crested Butte, Colorado, who had never
been to Africa before. Arriving in the morning, we rented a car and drove to
Pretoria, visiting old friends for tea and then doing a leisurely walk in the
gardens in front of the Union Buildings, where Nelson Mandela’s office was
located. From there we headed east to Lydenburg where we had booked accommodations
at the very nice B&B, the “Manor Guest House.” (Note: We will be staying
there again this coming July and highly recommend it to anyone traveling in
this area of South Africa.)
After a restful night’s sleep
and a hardy breakfast we took the beautiful scenic route to Hoedspruit
down the Abel Erasmus Pass, stopping, on the way, to see the Bourke’s Luck
Potholes and to admire the incredible scenic overlooks across the Blyde River
Canyon. Soon after passing through the
town of Hoedspruit we turned to enter the gravel road to the Timbavati Private
Game Reserve.
Our drive continued through
quaint villages and as we neared Kings Camp we saw monkeys, baboons, eland and
giraffe through the game fence along the gravel road. Kings Camp, aptly named because the guests
are treated like kings, is situated in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve,
part of the extended greater Kruger National Park. It is one of the upscale and
fairly expensive game lodges in the
area. Arriving just before the afternoon
game drive was beginning we immediately began our game viewing adventure in the
heart of the bush just 20 minutes later. Our luggage was whisked into the
luxurious air-conditioned chalets and we boarded an open land rover for the drive.
So, a mere 48 hours after leaving the US we were in the middle of the African
bush – what a change!
Kings Camp friendly & expert Rangers & trackers
Patrick was our ranger-guide and Paul, the
tracker, rode on a seat on the front fender.
Soon after we left camp we drove to a site overlooking a river and saw a
herd of buffalo numbering over 100. We
encountered a breeding herd of elephant including tiny babies that stayed close
to their mothers. While driving through
the bush we came upon a mature male lion lying by the road. He sat up to give us a look but soon
continued his rest.
We stopped for sundowners by a
dam and enjoyed cheese and biscuits, biltong sausage rolls and peanuts with
raisins along with our drinks. The
hostess included extra food since we told her we had missed lunch. In the failing light of the setting red sun
we made our way to see five lions feeding on a mature female giraffe they had
taken earlier that day. In the bright
light of three land rovers we saw and heard the gnawing on flesh and tearing of
skin. All the while Joni was exclaiming
her disbelief at what she was seeing. We
put on our jackets and huddled under blankets for the chilly drive back to
camp.
Jan in front of the Kings Camp luxury chalets
We had time to explore our roomy
accommodations and shower before dinner.
The sleigh bed was canopied with a dramatic mosquito net. Turn down
service provided chocolate mints on the pillows and switched on the electric
heating pads in the beds. There was a
sofa, coffee table covered with books and a side chair as well as a desk. A lovely arrangement of flowers stood tall in
a corner vase. Luxurious terry robes
were provided and the bathroom had a tub, 2 sinks and 2 showers—one glassed
indoors and one in a walled garden outdoors.
Of course there was bubble bath, shampoo and moisturizer provided too,
as well as coffee/tea service, a stocked refrigerator and hair dryer.
Drinks were served in the lounge
before dinner. The linen and crystal
service on the tables enhanced the cuisine of tomato soup starter, Thai
chicken, vegetables and potatoes and a pastry topped with whipped cream for
dessert. Patrick joined us at our table
and willingly answered all the questions we had and said he would be sure we
had a wake-up call at “dark-thirty” (5:30 a.m.) the next morning for our game
drive.
Wednesday,
August 29
Everyone gathered for coffee and
rusks before we again boarded the Land Rovers.
The couple that had been with us the night before was leaving that day
so we had the Land Rover all to ourselves. Shortly after the gorgeous sunrise
Paul set out on foot in the bush to track a leopard that was in the area. Patrick drove us back to the lion kill and it
was even more amazing in the daylight.
The 3 female and 2 male lions had eaten quite a bit during the night and
some were sleeping while others continued to pull and chew on the carcass. We saw the hyena we had heard in the night
stalking at a distance and noticed the vultures gathering in the treetops
waiting their turn. Butterflies floated
through the bush; after all it was springtime.
We saw the buffalo herd again, hippo, elephants, impala - lots of
impala, and the tiny antelope called a steenbok. We never knew what we would see around the
next turn. Paul found fresh spoor
(footprints) of the leopard and her cub but we didn’t see them.
We returned to camp for a full
breakfast buffet of fruit, yogurt, cheese, pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs,
potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes and baked beans. We then had time to explore our surroundings,
test the cool water in the swimming pool, shop in the gift shop, write post
cards and rest before high tea was served early afternoon. It was a warm sunny day, just perfect for an
outdoor shower. Joe took advantage of
the workout room and ran on the treadmill for a while.
As we began the afternoon
drive Paul continued to track Java, the leopard. We returned to the lion kill, which was
beginning to smell. The lions were still
feeding, although two walked away for a drink nearby and then returned and
others were content and napping. We saw
a small herd of young bachelor elephants that waved their ears and eyed us
suspiciously. We interrupted the game
drive for the traditional “sundowners” and enjoyed drinks and snacks. Other game to check off our list was the
small spotted genet, civet, and a duiker.
All the while Patrick was keeping in touch with Paul by radio as he
tracked the leopard. She was spotted
near camp and the three vehicles converged in the area. We had given up and almost returned to camp
when one land rover caught her in its light walking in the wide sandy
riverbed. The baboons in the trees were
barking, they had seen the leopard, too.
Patrick turned around and we headed that way. It was worth the wait to see her. She was so beautiful and majestic as she
walked right past us, so close we could have touched her. What a thrill!
Leopard in the headlights
There was lively conversation at
dinner that night which was served under the stars in a boma (a roughly
enclosed area around a blazing fire). We
were served typical African fare on warmed plates: impala, sausage, curried
vegetables, corn on the cob, potatoes and more vegetables. Joni loved the impala filet. She said, “Yum yum!” Thereafter whenever we saw impala she
repeated, “Yum yum!” It really is
delicious and frequently served.
Thrilled with the day’s sightings we didn’t tarry around the fire in the
welcoming chairs knowing that we had another early morning drive ahead. We were pleased to find our clean laundry
waiting in our rooms.
Thursday, August
30
During the night we heard
buffalo walk through camp between the bungalows and were told 2 male lions
followed them. We again had a 5:30 AM wake up call and coffee before we began
our final drive. Fresh rhino spoor was
found and we drove through the bush looking for them but had no luck. That sight would have completed the “Big
Five” since we had already seen lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant. We didn’t see much game except impala and
mongoose. Paul noticed fresh leopard
footprints, too. Then he noticed the
Land Rover had a flat tire, so we watched as they changed it and then we
returned to camp.
A stop for petrol along the road to Kruger Park
We had breakfast, then packed
our car and left for our next adventure.
We returned to the town (Hoedspruit) to change more money into Rand. While Joe and Jerry were in the bank, Joni
walked around and talked with the people.
We then made the three hour drive to Satara Camp in Kruger National
Park.
I first visited South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP) in 1958 at the age of 14. In the last 12 years Jan and I have visited several times. Each trip has provided wildlife viewing above our expectations. We plan to return in July this year and so I thought I would introduce readers to this remarkable wildlife sanctuary now, because I will be posting frequent stories and photos while we are there.
Map of the KNP
Located in the northeast corner of South Africa, the KNP is one of the ten largest game reserves in the world. The tropic of Capricorn crosses the park. (see photo here) It was originally proclaimed as the Sabi Reserve in 1898 by the President of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. Its original size was about 1,780 sq. miles. An enlarged area was formally designated the Kruger National Park in 1926. Now it covers an area of 7,600 square miles. It is being merged with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and the Gona re Zhou Park in Zimbabwe to form the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This remarkable initiative will result in a 13,500 sq. mile conservation area that will be one of the largest in the world.
Ultimately the goal is to create a fence-free park, allowing historic wildlife migration routes to be expanded, provide significant employment and income opportunities for rural people and greatly expand Eco-tourism potential in the region.
The driving distance in the park, from Pafuri Gate in the north to Crocodile Bridge in the south is 250 miles.
Animals in KNP have the right-of-way.
The uniqueness of KNP is that one can self-drive and see an amazing variety of mammals, birds and reptiles. Although you can't drive off of the vast system of paved and graveled roads in the park the game-viewing is excellent.
Reasonably priced accommodations are offered, in the many fenced camps from camp-sites, RV parks, chalets, lodges etc. There are several high end luxury lodges as well.
Even the smallest species have right of way.
The South African National Parks excellent web pages http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/ provide comprehensive information on trip routes, accommodations, gas (petrol), restaurants, game viewing, weather and so on.
Marshall Eagle
The Park is unrivaled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced
environmental management techniques and policies. Truly the
flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive
number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds
and 147 mammals.
Cape Buffalo near Punda Maria Camp in the north.
The KNP is easily accessible, of course, to most South Africans by a modern highway system and it is a favorite vacation destination during school holidays. When planning visits to South Africa it is always a good idea to Google 'SA School Calendar' and pick those periods when schools are not closed.
I will write about some of the KNP rest camps we have visited and describe the private games reserve areas to the west of the park in upcoming blog posts.
If you have had experiences in the Kruger Park I welcome your comments and opinions.
My first visit to Hwange Game Reserve was in 1967. I was an entomologist in the Tsetse Control division of the Department of Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Control, which was part of the Department of Veterinary Services of the Rhodesian (now Zimbabwean) Government. Formerly called "Wankie," this game reserve was established in1928 under the supervision of a 22 year old conservation-minded young man named Ted Davison. It was to become one of the finest Game Reserves in Africa. Davison's classic book "Wankie:The Story of a Great Game Reserve" was, for many decades, the definitive read for anyone interested in development of Africa's wildlife resources.
The 14,600 sq.km. (5,637 sq. mile) park is the largest reserve in Zimbabwe. It has been, perhaps, most noted for it's large population of elephant; drawn here by a series of watering holes established by Davison in the 1930s and 1940s. The western edge of the park is the border of Botswana and the vegetation transitions into the Kalahari desert there.
Main Camp, Hwange Game Reserve, 1985
The prospect of returning to this unique wildlife preserve is causing me some excitement and that will build over the next 18 months.
Hwange elephant - August 1996
After spending three nights at Imbabala Camp, the African Bush Camps trip outline reads as follows:
After an early morning activity and brunch, you will depart at 1100hrs to Victoria Falls Airport. You will be driven east back to Victoria Falls airport, where you will meet your Sefofane Air pilot for your flight to Little Makalolo Camp, Hwange. The flight takes 1 hour, and you land at Makalolo Airstrip situated deep within the park on a private concession.
Little Makalolo, situated in a remote and private concession within the vast Hwange National Park, is one of the few camps built within the Park. Hwange is legendary for its wonderful array of wildlife, particularly the massive herds of elephant and buffalo, and summer sees the large antelope herds migrate onto the plains, closely followed by large predators.
The camp is built on the ground, providing panoramic unique views over the Little Somavundlha Pan with its excellent concentrations of wildlife. Accommodation consists of 6, comfortable tented rooms with en-suite facilities as well as an outdoor shower for those who enjoy showering under the stars. The lighting in the rooms is battery-powered so there is peace and quiet in camp, allowing one to listen to the sounds of the bushveld instead.
The main area has a lounge, pub, plunge pool and dining area where delicious meals are served. While the emphasis is on game drives, night drives and guided walks, well-situated hides or raised viewing platforms provide the ideal manner to while away the lazy midday hours, watching wildlife come down to the waterholes to drink.
There are a number of shallow pans spread throughout the Park, around which wildlife congregates, making for excellent and reliable game viewing. During summer plains game migrate onto the plains, closely followed by their predators. Elephant, Cape buffalo, sable, roan, southern giraffe, blue wildebeest, impala and sometimes even gemsbok (oryx) can be seen here.
This Park is one of the best for predators - lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah are regularly sighted, along with the smaller African wildcat, serval, honey badger, civet and spotted hyena.
Bird life in the area is prolific, with more than 400 species found, and varied as species frequent teak woodlands as well as those more typical of the drier Kalahari being present. 3 nights at Little Makalolo Camp in a twin bedded tent, with en suite facilities, on an all inclusive basis.
Learning to spell - and other distractions
Muir College School Crest
My brother John and I had completed 6th grade at C.A. Donehoo Elementary school in Gadsden, Alabama before traveling to South Africa. Now, suitably outfitted in our new school uniforms we were to enter Standard 5 at Muir College Boys High School. In South Africa schooling begins as Kindergarten I (KG 1), followed by KG II, then Standard 1, Std. 2 and so on. So the seventh year of one’s schooling is Standard V (5). Eventually, in theory, we would finish High School by successfully completing the academic requirements of Standard X (10). We would then have “matriculated” and moved on to higher education at a University. In effect, because the U.S. school year ends in June each year and the South African school system ends in December, we would skip half a year, going from Grade 6 to a half year into Grade 7.
Academic standards between the two school systems were not all that different. I mostly remember having to catch up with a new history curriculum. The settlement of the Cape Colony by the Dutch in the 1600s had not been a part of our history lessons in the 6th grade in Alabama. The names Bartholomew Diaz, Simon Van Der Stel and Jan Van Riebeeck were unfamiliar to us. A higher standard was demanded in English a stronger emphasis on written essays and reports. Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation were required, without compromise. Many words were spelled differently. Neighbor, labor and just about all words ending in “or” were now to be spelled the old English way; Neighbour, labour, favour, vigour, etc. The transition in Math was not difficult. In Social Studies we lost a little in the geography of Africa and the United Kingdom but had the upper hand on North American topics. Generally speaking we were able to fall into the new system pretty easily and it didn’t take long to begin to catch up.
In 1956 South Africa there were two official languages taught in schools; English and Afrikaans. In English schools Afrikaans was taught as a second language and vice versa in Afrikaans schools. Afrikaans was derived from the old language spoken by the early Dutch settlers and farmers (“boers”). A requirement for graduating (or Matriculation) was competence in two languages. As our parents did not anticipate being in South Africa for more than my dad’s three year contract period we were advised to take Latin classes, knowing that Afrikaans wouldn’t transfer very well to any other country, if and when we were to move again. So Latin was our second language and we would begin taking Latin in Standard VI.
Looking back, I found the transition to an all boys school system to be pretty easy. We made friends easily. Our southern accents were obviously a conversation starter but within about six months we had just about lost any outward evidence of our American origins. (At home our diet still consisted of fried chicken, black eyed- peas and other traditional southern delicacies.) The Muir uniforms in winter consisted of grey slacks, black leather shoes, white shirts with school tie and a blazer with dark blue vertical stripes with thin white and lighter blue stripes. It was distinctive and a much better colour combination than many of the other school uniforms in the area. In summer, we would wear cooler dark blue shorts with knee high socks that required elastic garters to hold them up. There was also a “beany” cap required for younger students when walking to and from school or when wearing school attire in public.
Dr. Thomas Muir - 1914
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I mentioned the history of Muir College in an earlier blog. There was a very strong feeling of history and tradition here, which was evident from the old buildings and many historic plaques on the walls of the main assembly hall. The school had, after all, been established in Uitenhage 134 years before, in 1822, as the “English Free School.” 1822 to 1830 was a period of widespread chaos and destruction in the eastern and central parts of southern Africa, brought about by the expansion of the Zulu State under their powerful ruler, Shaka. Putting this into even sharper historical context, it was only in1831 that Charles Darwin began his voyage on HMS Beagle to South America and the Galapagos Islands. Slavery would be abolished in the British Empire in 1833.
My next blog will discuss school activities, competition and maintenance of one’s self-esteem in the decade of the 1950s.
The Zambezi River near Imbabala Safari Camp - 2001
Imbabala Safari Camp
On Thursday, July 19, after two days at Elephant Camp, the schedule that Chris Worden of African Bush Camps has proposed calls for a late morning transfer toImbabala Safari Camp. So, after a morning elephant ride (ho-hum) we would have breakfast and be picked up by Wild Horizons at 11:00 a.m. for the one hour drive westward on the road from Victoria Falls town to the Kasane Border Post (Botswana).
Jan and I have been to Imbabala twice before and each visit provided wonderful experiences. Some photographs of our previous trips are shown here.
The thatched roofed chalets at Imbabala - 2001
Chris Worden's itinerary describes Imbabala as follows:
Situated where Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia converge, 80km west of Victoria Falls, Imbabala Camp has its own concession bordering the Chobe National park in Botswana, in which game drives are conducted and is directly on the banks of the Zambezi River, also offering pontoon cruises on the river to view the game and extensive bird life.
(This is the only place in the world where 4 countries meet)
The lodge offers every comfort for your sojourn in the wild. There are just 8 thatched chalets accommodating a maximum of 18 Guests, so individual attention and service is guaranteed.
Each chalet has a view over the Zambezi. Each has en-suite facilities and mains electricity.
Meals are taken Al fresco or in the main dining room, and are of a very high culinary standard.
The swimming pool offers cool relaxation during the heat of the day.
Activities at Imbabala include 4x4 game viewing safaris in the Lodge's own concession, walking safaris and river cruises on the Zambezi River on Imbabala's own pontoon boat - enabling close viewing of the wildlife that comes down to the River to drink as well as the amazing variety of birds that are attracted by the papyrus reeds that border the Zambezi.
Opposite the camp is Nampini Island, the home of the only population of Sitatunga antelope in Zimbabwe and you will try and photograph these shy animals by pontoon.
3 nights at Imbabala Camp, in a twin bedded room, with en suite facilities, on a fully inclusive basis.
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There are not too many places in Africa where such a profusion of wildlife, especially elephants, can be viewed up close from a boat. Several times we were able to float alongside herds of elephant as they swam across the wide Zambezi.
Watching elephant cross the Zambezi from a pontoon boat. Imbabala Camp is in the background.
Elephants are, without any doubt whatsoever, our favorite animal to observe in the wild. The activities of their disciplined family units constantly amaze us. They are exceptionally intelligent creatures and the tenderness and affection that adults openly display toward their young is remarkable.
A typical family unit along the Zambezi River.
Is it obvious that we want to return to this magical place?
Preparing for school in South Africa
The two-day voyage around the Cape of Good Hope from Cape Town had been under overcast skies and, as I recall, too cool and windy to spend much time on deck aboard the SS Enterprise. At last the city lay before us as we turned to port and entered the harbor in Algoa Bay.
It was the middle of winter when we docked in Port Elizabeth (hereinafter referred to as “PE"). It was cloudy and overcast and a little windy as our floating home for the last two weeks was eased into the harbor and tied up at berth. We were met and driven out of the harbor area past the 175 feet (53.5M) tall red brick Campanile (or clock tower) standing as a memorial to the arrival of 4,000 British settlers in the area in 1820. PE actually became a city in 1820, 16 years after the town of Uitenhage, 15 miles to the north. For many years I would always have a mental image of PE as a windy and dismal place, no doubt due to the weather conditions on the day I arrived. But the place actually was then, as it certainly is today, a picturesque city overlooking a beautiful bay. It has always been called “The Windy City” however for good reason. The city had been named for the late wife of the Governor of the Cape Province back in 1820, in case anyone might have thought it was named for Queen Elizabeth the 1st.
The family would spend a week at the Marine Hotel, south of the city along Marine Drive. As soon as we had settled in to the hotel my Dad would be taken to visit the tyre (South Africa spelling for “tire”) factory where he would work for the next three years. The day after our arrival we were driven to Uitenhage, past the tyre plant and up the hill to our new neighborhood called Mosel. The house we were to occupy was one of about ten homes that had been built since 1948 when the Goodyear plant was built. It wasn’t ready to be occupied so we moved into a smaller house across the street, where we stayed for a few months. These were not luxurious homes but they were certainly well built and comfortable.
As it was still winter we were happy to find the days mild and sunny. Houses here did not have air conditioning, either heat or cold. Space heaters or, in many cases, fireplaces would be used to warm the rooms during those brief months when the weather would turn cold and drop down into the 40s. The electrical supply was 220 volts, 15 amps, so the puny little two-pin American plugs wouldn’t work and the several dozen 110V light bulbs we had brought with us were useless as well. It was in those first weeks of our stay in South Africa that I took pliers, screw driver and other tools in hand and fitted all of our lamps and smaller appliances with the large three-pin 15 amp plugs required and discovered that I really enjoyed fixing things.
One of the changes we had to get used to was driving on the left side of the road. Most cars had the steering wheel on the right but some of the Goodyear management people had American cars that had been imported without that modification. Our green Nash Rambler would stand out for years to come because of its left side steering wheel and, of course, for its size. It also had a six cylinder engine which made it a fairly potent machine. Most local cars were smaller and there were an unusually high number of Volkwagen Beetles in the region. The Volkwagen (hereinafter known as “VW”) and Goodyear plants were adjacent to one another in Uitenhage. Much of the tyre production was passed on to the VW plant through a conveyor system.
The town of Uitenhage, known as “The Garden Town” with good reason, was built on a series of hills on the east side of the Swartkops River. The fertile river valley itself had, since the 1820s, enabled local farmers to provide the growing sea traffic around the Cape with provisions – fresh vegetables and fruit, meat and dairy products. It had also become a major center for the South African Railways with large maintenance and repair facilities after the first rail line from PE to Kimberly was built in 1878. Following the discovery of the world’s richest diamond mine in Kimberly in 1871, the rail system took on strategic importance in the growth of the rich mining industries inland and gave both Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage notable roles to play in the history of this southernmost tip of the African continent.
The fact that we had settled, at least for the coming three years, in a small town, in an important industrial and agricultural hub would, I understand now with the benefit of hindsight, give my brothers and me an unusually richly textured environment to grow and develop in. I guess it would be described today as a broad-based socio-economic environment; just as Littleton High School in Colorado, where my three children went to school, is described today. The friends we were to make at school came from all walks of life. My classmates and neighbors would be the sons and daughters of railway machinists, farmers, auto-workers, tyre builders and of course all of the other job categories that go along with an industrial and agricultural area; lawyers, bankers, doctors, merchants, and delicatessen owners. Of course we would be attending an all-white school, but at the time that didn’t seem different to us, coming as we had from the American Deep South.
The old Muir College Boys High School - photographed in 2001. The school has since moved to a new location with modern facilities. The building pictured here was built in 1875.
In the first few days of our move to Uitenhage we made a visit to see the Principal of Muir College Boys High School. His name was Harold Skillicorn (hereinafter to be referred to as “Skilly.” What else?) He wasn’t a tall man, probably about 5’8” in his polished black shoes. He had very bushy eyebrows, a stern look in his eye and over his suit and tie he always wore a black academic gown, as did all of the teachers. I remember his surprise when my brother and I replied to his questions with a “yes sir” or “no sir.” Previous American students had not found those terms of respect easy to get used to. But none of the previous American families who had transferred here were raised in the Deep South!
I can still remember Skilly’s office. The school building was old, with weathered wooden flooring and wood paneling half-way up the walls of offices and classrooms. His office was just inside the double-door entrance to the main building, on the left. On the right, across the hall, was the school assembly hall in which several hundred uniformly dressed boys would assemble each morning before class for a brief prayer and announcements. The whole atmosphere of this building and this institution was one of a rich tradition and history.
Then we went to buy our school uniforms. My twin brother and I were just at the age where we were growing weary of our mother’s desire to dress us alike. Now we would be wearing uniforms that would be just like those being worn by hundreds of other boys.
