Safari Day Four

We were thinking of going to the Animal Rehabilitation Centre this morning, but decided not to because we'd have to miss out on the morning drive, and they're Not To Be Missed!

Didn't find the elephants this morning, though we saw plenty of fresh evidence. Talking of their 'evidence', TJ told us about how drinking elephant dung tea relieves labour pains, and burning it in the house deters mosquitoes. Also, his father cured his nose bleeds by inhaling the elephant dung smoke.

We did see lots of families of cute little warthogs (one of the 'Ugly Five') but they always just run away, but I got my photo of the 'flying banana' - I'd missed several opportunities.

We had morning coffee by a waterhole with hippos. The baby hippo was above the water because it was standing on its mother's back. There were crocodiles, so we weren't to go too close to the edge. As we were dunking our rusks in our coffee, JR saw a 'log' in the water that hadn't been there before, and yes, it was moving, but it sailed past us.

I wandered along the edge to get a photo, and as I was walking back, I heard a loud snort from a large animal, right behind me. Jings! I was deciding whether to run (not advisable, and not possible anyway) or just pass out, when I turned round to see that it was Ted, emerging from his visit to the 'restroom', blowing his nose. You know how some men have to honk really loudly as they inform the world that they're trying to blow their brains out through their nostrils...

We moved rooms, and we were upgraded to Honeymoon Suite. It's rather nice, with a jacuzzi, which if I could get into it, I certainly couldn't get out, I'd have to summon help. But it has got an outdoor shower (with plenty of hot water, Nicky), and we had nyala and monkeys right outside.

Also outside was a snake - check out the extras. It was a boomslang, a venomous snake. In fact, we could not go out until the venomous snake man had come and removed it. He declared it venomous but not dangerous, in that it would take about a week to die, not like the black mamba, whose bite would kill you in hours.

Our afternoon drive was great, as usual. No, not as usual, actually, as we had a longer 'sundowner' - drinks with giraffes roaming around, the sunset glowing, and TJ telling us tales.

We saw rhinos close up, then TJ got very excited by a CB radio report. Yes! The lion cubs they'd been seeking all week had been located, so we whizzed there. They were hidden in the bush, surrounded by their aunts and uncles, we could just see three little heads poking out. But TJ took us off for drinkies, and when we came back in the dark, they were out in the open. What a thrill!

Home at 100mph - what fun that is, with TJ using only a spotlight in the trees, and shouting 'Bush baby!' every now and again. Every day I have asked to see a pangolin, but alas it was not to be.

A barbecue meal with jovial company ended our final day. Last safari drive tomorrow.

We must be weary-ing. The management gave two of our pals a bottle of champagne because they'd mixed up who was changing rooms, and they'd got all excited about being upgraded, only to be disappointed. They wanted to share it with us, but after a meal and plenty of wine, and them having to get up at 4am to go to Kruger for the day, we decided it was best appreciated by them tomorrow night.

I've done 4,537 steps today (according to my iPhone app) , and walked 2.9km. No wonder I'm tired.