day 7 in South Africa

Day 7- Bongani/Johannesburg March 19, 2007

It was difficult to get up this morning. We were both sooooooo relaxed! But we wanted to see the sunrise and check out the observation deck one last time to see if we can spot any interesting animals in the Serengeti. So that’s what we did. We didn’t find anything worthy of note but it was still exciting whenever we saw something boring like the impala or a nyala through the binoculars. We’re just one of those people so easily pleased you see. Eric was even very fascinated to see a dung beetle munching on baboon poop!

The chef gave me the recipe for the incredible brownies so if you’re one of the lucky few, you just might be able to try them too:)

The staff gave us a very warm departure as if one of their own family members are leaving for good. This is "mama" Connie...she's everyone's mama in the lodge and she made us feel so at home while we stayed there.
This is Solomon holding Eric's hand while he accompanied him to the car to say good bye. They looked so sweet.

We didn’t want to leave yet but we didn’t have much choice….sigh!



On the way down, Simeon was still looking for animals and eventually, he spotted 4 elephants from a distance. I didn’t see them but Eric and the rest did…so I just pretended that I did. What I did see though was a group of wildebeest (that’s Pumba from the Lion King) just before we exited the game park. They’re actually from the antelope family as well.


After Bongani, Rudolf drove us to see some beautiful landscapes of South Africa.

We reached our hotel, D’Oreale at the Emperor Palace, late at night around 9:30pm. This hotel used to be called Caesar's Palace and it actually looks like a ini verson of the one in Vegas. Everyone was super tired and hungry
and so we had a late dinner at the hotel's chinese restaurant. After dinner, Eric tried his luck at the slot machine and won 200 Rand.

Tomorrow we set out for Cape Town!

Day 6 in South Africa

Day 6 Bongani Reserve March 18, 2007

We had a 5:30 am wakeup call but I was already up at 4:30 am because I was so excited for our sunrise safari! It was pretty cool outside and the weather was just perfect for a morning ride.



We were served some coffee and tea before heading out. This time they made sure that our car was in mint condition!

Our goal today was to find the leopards, the buffalos, the elephants, and the rhinoceros. Lucky for us, we spotted 3 rhinos right away. These guys are huge!



Simeon’s actually quite knowledgeable about the different plants in the area so he spent a huge amount of time explaining the uniqueness of some of the plants we passed along the way.



Frankly that was a waste of time because I really wanted to see the animals instead
of learning about botany.



So we didn’t really see much this morning except more giraffes, impalas, and nyalas.







This is a buffalo carcass. It was killed by lions a few weeks ago.


This is a klipspringer.



Eric and I decided to go on a walking safari after breakfast. This was much more interesting because there was just me and Eric and Simeon as our guide. He had a loaded rifle with him as we walking inside the game park.



He asked us to walk in a single line and closely to each other so that we would appear as one unit.



At the beginning of our walk, Simeon picked up some marula fruits from the tree and mentioned that these are one of the elephant’s main diet.


When fermented, the marula is also the main ingredient for Amarulla…which is the African version of Baileys. No wonder African elephants always look drunk.

It was a very different feeling walking amongst the wild. In a way it was more thrilling than riding inside a vehicle because there’s always that sense of danger that is ever present all the time. Simeon pointed a lot of the animal droppings that we found along the way and approximately how fresh or how many days old they are and from which animal they’re from, what was inside the dung, which one was
old and which one was fresh. Yup….pretty interesting.

There was a tensed moment for a few minutes when Simeon spotted very fresh buffalo dung. Then suddenly 3 wild buffalos from out of the bush ran across our path at about 50 feet. Simeon quickly grabbed his rifle and placed his fingers on the trigger ready to shoot should the inevitable occur. He said that they have seen us and consider us as potential danger and that we should quickly leave the area or else they will attack us when they come back in a few minutes. Drama galore! Eric kept squishing me from behind and telling me to shush!


We continued walking and we saw some Giraffe tracks and when we looked up, we
saw a family of giraffes staring at us.


After a few pictures, we then headed back to the lodge for lunch.



In the afternoon, we headed out again for our last safari drive.


This time, Simeon was determined to find us some elephants. Reports came in that the elephants were on the other side of the mountain and so we then had to go through some serious off-roading. It was the bumpiest ride we’ve ever experienced! Unfortunately, the weather was too cold and the elephants were in hiding. But nevertheless, the ride itself was already an adventure especially when Simeon drove the Land Rover almost to the edge of the cliff on purpose in search of
the elephants.




So we just decided to have some wine and some refreshments up there before heading back home. We did see a herd of African buffalos and some rhinoson this ride though. We also saw a cobra slithering away onto a bush; and an owl, which kinda looked like a cat in the dark.



After dinner, we had arranged a masseuse to give us a massage in our room. I was also pleasantly surprised that they’ve prepared our tub with flowers and candles.
I had a very relaxing bubble bath followed by a very soothing massage…African style. What a great way to end the day!

Day 5 in South Africa

Day 5: Bongani Mountain Lodge/Mthethusmula Game Reserve March 17, 2007

We departed Sandton around 9am and arrived at the Mthethusmula Game Reserve at 2 pm where a representative from the Bongani Mountain Lodge met us at the bottom of the mountain with his 10-seater open-top Land Rover Defender.







We then took a 7km off-road journey up to our lodge under the 37 deg c scorching
sun.



We have finally arrived!



After grabbing a quick lunch, we were given a little orientation about the lodge.



Basically, we weren’t allowed to walk around at night because there’s a high chance that wild animals could be roaming around the area. We were to call a ranger to escort us at any time we want to get to another place. We were then given
45 mins to go to our room to prepare for our sunset safari adventure.



As we headed back to the main reception, we saw a Nyala eating from a tree just outside our cottage.





At 4 pm, high tea was served. A selection of scrumptious cookies and cakes were served with coffee, tea and juices.

After 20 mins, we were ushered into a room to meet our ranger and trekker, and also for an orientation of the do’s and don’ts during the safari trip.

After that, our ranger, Simeon, and our trekker, Sunnyboy led the way.



Just to let you know about the seriousness of this trip, Simeon was equipped with a loaded hunting rifle for any unforeseen emergencies. He also reminded everybody again not to talk loudly, make any sudden movements, or to stand while inside the jeep because if you do this, it will break the silhouette of the vehicle which the animals recognizes as one unit, and you will stand out as a potential prey.

And then...off we went!



Not long after we left, a radio call came in from another group of trekkers about lion sightings. Simeon re-routed us to a path that led us 2 meters away from 3 lion
cubs.


They seem very alert about everything around them. They scanned each person very carefully with their watchful eyes.



Again Simeon turned his head around slowly to remind us about keeping our excitement down to a minimum.



About 100 meters away from the lion cubs, our vehicle suddenly stalled. Simeon tried to start the vehicle several times but to no avail. It just wouldn’t work. So they had no choice but to open the hood….this would mean Simeon and Sunnyboy getting off and breaking the silhouette of the vehicle. As one person fixed the vehicle, the other one held the rifle ready and kept a very watchful eye at the cubs and the mother who was somewhere close in the area!



It was a very tense moment for us…even Simeon looked worried. They were able to start the vehicle just enough for it to roll down the hill and away from the lions and then it died again for good. That’s when Simeon finally called for backup, which came about half an hour later. So while in the second car, we were able to see a herd of impalas preparing for the night, some wild buffalos and giraffes, and a little rabbit.



It was already dark by then and it had also started to rain. And then our vehicle broke down again the second time. While waiting for the 3rd vehicle in the middle of nowhere, we had some drinks and snacks that the lodge had prepared for us.



When we got back to the lodge, management offered us a complimentary sunset safari tomorrow to make up for the fiasco that happened earlier. Dinner tonight was the best so far. We had a traditional African dinner consisting of venison, ox tail, and chicken all cooked by the local natives. They also had the best brownie I’ve ever had in my life and I’m hoping they will give me the recipe so I can share it with you guys too!