RockFig - settling into the groove

We all slept soundly and quickly after our delicious dinner stargazing by the fire pit. Surprisingly we were all up (not necessarily alert or communicative) at 430am and met at the lodge where there was coffee, tea, muffins, scones, fruit and yoghurt, mango smoothies and fresh OJ all to have before the safari! Off we set and saw a magnificent sunrise over the plains. We saw tracks of leopards and lions that didn’t lead anywhere, always an anticipation looms. It’s a different safari experience as there are 60,000 hectares to cover and there are no fences so the animals wander everywhere freely and you don’t know what you’ll encounter. We came across many elephants, a cute baby with its mum, and the biggest male (4m tall) with the longest tusks I’ve ever seen. Our guide Frank began to come down with a migraine so the lodge manager subbed in and we had heard of him through an ex-colleague of Pete’s. We continued our drive discovering the vast plains and countryside with many bird species, impala and kudu. We came across a hyena den with two of her cubs, one of them sleeping with her. They were cuter than I remembered, perhaps it was the pup. We had a coffee stop at a dam. The lions and leopards remained elusive. We were then driven to an area set up for breakfast, outside in the bush. It was delicious, a buffet with both hot and cold options. Ted even got to ride in the tracker’s seat on the way back to the lodge. Then some quiet time in our chalets. Liv and Ted were lucky enough to see nyalas right outside of their room. We then ended up at the pool, all having a swim except for Ted. The water was so warm, red dragonflies keeping us company but sadly no elephants. It was so hot that after about 10 minutes being out of the pool, you were ready to go back in again. Despite wondering how we could possibly be hungry, we were ready for lunch - a delicious chicken salad and crème brûlée. More reading and backgammon before our afternoon safari. Still so hot when we left for our safari, Martin our safari guide as Frank was still a bit ill. It was a bit slower this afternoon, most probably because of the heat and the animals being lazy. Our tracker, Eddie, joined another tracker to follow some leopard footprints. Meanwhile, we drove and saw some elephants (majestic as always), Cape buffalo, hares, a chameleon and a giraffe. Then time for a sundowner drink and snack in this vast plain of sand that, to our amazement, can be a river in the wet season. We had fun attempting to find animal tracks in the sand, Ted even making a few of his own, trying to play them off as some big cat footprints (no one bought it). We hadn’t heard from Eddie and hope was dwindling, but then Martin said there may have been a leopard sighting. Back in the jeep and away we went, it gradually getting darker as we drove. To find where they were, we had to go off-trail and really drive through the bush, knocking down small trees and ducking to avoid branches as we bumped around on the uneven ground. Alas, our patience paid off and we saw two leopards! They were a bit far and it was a little dark by this point, so there was a flashlight used to see them, Ted capturing a video. Best way to end the safari. Then back at the lodge where we enjoyed a BBQ dinner and talking with the other guests. We even saw three elephants again, including a baby, by the pool, having a night time drink. Another one came later and simply rested its tusks on the side. Ready to do it all over again tomorrow!Read more