Friday - I am sitting outside writing my blog (off line) – we are the Addo Elephant Park and staying in our chalet. It is very quiet apart from the Animals we can hear – crickets, insects etc.
Yesterday evening (thur) we found an internet café and managed to check my email, upload the photos and update the blog. We bought a pizza but when we got back to the B&B we had been joined by a giant spider – and it was big too big for a glass – so I dispatched it to another place.
We had breakfast on the Balcony and then set off for Addo. It was along drive, and the speed limits keep changing – so we had to keep slowing down. We did stop for a while – but must have picked the only town without a café. We arrived at Addo about 2pm – the drive had taken four hours.
We booked in, found our chalet and then went for something to eat – I had springbok and Linda had a chicken sarnie. We had seen gibbons by the road on the way up – just sitting there watching the traffic.
After being refreshed we went into the actual game reserve – although they should rename it Addo Tortoise Park as we saw more of them then Elephants! Linda kept saying there’s a tortoise – and wanting to take pictures – If this was all she wanted to see – I could have saved thousands of pounds and she could have sat on our backdoor step and watched them!!!
We did see some Elephants and watched them at the Watering Hole – there were about twenty of them. We also saw Warthogs , Zebra’s, monkeys, Ostriches, red Hartebeeste, and of course tortoises!!!!
The park closes at 6.30pm – so we left about 5.30 – and came back to the chalet. Linda had a snooze = must have been the excitement of seeing all those tortoises that tired her out.
I did some reading and sat on the balcony with a nice cold beer.
Saturday
Linda was up early – all that sleep last night and was watching monkeys on the roofs – and jumping across the trees. We got up – had breakfast on the balcony and then packed the car. We went for a drive – and saw a few elephants – especially one who walked right in front of the car – hadn’t learnt his green cross code!
We saw more tortoises! – a few monkeys and warthogs. We stopped for dinner – and I had some more venison – Linda had a muffin and tea. We then drove to the Safari - about 45 minutes away. We booked in and were in a group of 8 – and our driver was Gary. We went on a tour – it was excellent – we got really close up to a rhino – and Zebra’s – as well as deer. The deer are called Mcdonalds because they are food for the lions! The Zebra’s had little falling out and one bit another one – worse then kids!
We stopped for tea and Linda to use the loo – and then back out on the truck – and saw some giraffes before going to the Lion enclosure. They are kept separate so they don’t eat all the other animals – but there are a few there for their dinner. They caught one yesterday – and we saw them eating it – but the other lions weren’t hungry and just sat around.
Then it was back to the Lapa for dinner – we had an enu and rice – Linda had chicken. There was a nice desert and free beer. We’re staying overnight – so we went to our lodge. There is no electricity – so all the lamps are by run by paraffin. I knew this so had charged the computer up beforehand – got to get my priorities right!
Its in the bush – and you can’t go down the steps – in case the wild animals get you – the rhino has been known to make it this far – so I will send Linda out for the tea and coffee in the morning!!
It had a bath and shower – so the Lions can have a clean meal.
The animals are fascinating – and the guide very informative. I liked watching the Zebra’s – and seeing them react. The warthogs run away at any small noise – and run in circles – quite funny to watch.