Our days and nights....

Days begin early with a 5 AM wake up call or knock.  Of course, we are already up, needing at least 30 or 40 minutes to get ready for the wake up call.

Coffee, tea and pastries are available at 5:30 but keep in mind that the only bathroom stops for the next four hours are in the bushes.....one half cup for me.

The rangers collect us at 6:00 promptly and load us into the jeeps for a morning game drive until 9:00.  At around 8:00 there will be a scheduled coffee, hot chocolate, tea and muffin break.  All the boys flee into the bushes.  We, the dehydrated females, are happy to be left behind, although we are all packing toilet paper.  In my case, it was imported from Namibia.

Then more driving.  We are supposed to be back at 9:00 but invariably Ricky manages some huge sighting of something and we end up returning late...so keep that in mind and don't drink too much coffee.

Breakfast is from 9:00 to 10:00.  Then we are free until lunch begins at 1 PM.  We have been skipping lunch as it is too close to breakfast.  

Leisure time continues until 4 PM when high tea is served. Now is the time to grab a snack and come iced coffee.  

At 4:30 the rangers arrive to march us down to the jeeps where we will drive until 7:30. Around 6:15 we will stop for cocktails at sunset.  Again..boys to the bushes!  Dinner is served at 8:00 either in the Boma Center or in the restaurant if weather is a concern.

Then by 9:30 we prepare to do this all over again.  Not a recipe for good digestion, but we are managing.  

Here are some of our highlights:

This was an early morning kill we happened upon at the side of the road.  We can see the drag marks in the sand where the young cape buffalo was drug away.  When we arrive, both cats were panting heavily from their Henry the Eighth efforts to stuff themselves.

One left the carcas and Louise said they would return until all the choice stuff was gone at which time the hyenas and vultures would finish the job.  The lone female pulls the carcas up closer to the tree, finally resting while showing her blood stained snout.

Next, we happen upon a cape buffalo luxuriating in a waterhole topped off by last night's drenching rain.  He has leisure lover written all over him.

What's a game drive without a Blue Wildebeest or two?

Buzzards are an important part of the ecosystem.  Because of their wingspan they are always seen in ghost trees.  There is quite a collection here at the site where we had our kill yesterday.  Also pictured are the remains of the Cape Buffalo.

Let's not forget the monkeys.  While we have seen only a few baboons, the Vervet monkeys have been entertaining us, especially three babies, all of ten inches long, who were totally driving mom crazy.  They were too fast and tiny to capture but here is a gentleman monkey known for his azure equipment.

Let's talk about zebras.  With rotund bellies full of gas from their green diet, they are notoriously uncooperative about photo taking.  Truly black with white stripes, when skinned the inside of the pelt is black.  Here are a few:

Now for the lions....Lions really know how to rest.  We stumble across them regularly stretched out like the aftermath of a drive by shooting.  They yawn when thinking about stirring.

We happen by three males in the road. They are brothers.  Dad lost an eye in the battle to unseat him, but prevailed. Now these brothers for life are busy marking a new territory and starting their own pride.  They will remain together forever.

Brother one is the first to saunter off, then brother three. Finally, number two gives a big yawn and sits up a while to wake up.  Then he starts walking...toward our jeep.  I am in the first tier seat on his side watching as he makes his slow progress.  It has started to rain.  Louise says, No talking and do not attempt to don your macs!  Number two is no more than three feet from me...eventually passing into the grass.

Note the truck tire

While it made for a damp experience...it was worth it!

Onto the warthog, of Pumba fame.  Warthogs are into real estate.  The look for termite mounds broken up by anteaters and redevelop them.

These red hills dot the landscape.  Termites process the fallen wood in the forest into their mound where birds often pick up the discarded seeds of plant life and crop dust the area, thus reseeding.

Much like an iceberg, 2/3 of the structure is subterranean so the warthog has plenty of work with, burrowing deep into the earth for his three bedroom ranch style home.

Mrs. Warthog jumps out and scurries away.  What surprises us are the three little ones that subsequently make their escape.  They are very cute, if uncooperative.

Termites were preparing to leave and start a new colony when the birds got wind of the event, dive bombing them  as they fluttered out.

We were also very fortunate to see some white rhino.  

We were only to catch hippos when submerged.  This group of six certainly serenaded us during cocktail time.

My personal favorite, and that of granddaughter Mia, is the giraffe.  I've posted many pictures but this is my favorite.

Kapama has been wonderful.  Our first and last African experience would not have been complete without it.  The accommodations are without peer for the bush country. In the African tradition, the people have been cheerful, helpful and polite.  The food was very good and the wifi is one of the best we've encountered while traveling.

Africa is a magical place.  Now it is easier to understand why many of our colleagues are on their fourth or fifth trip...So much this continent could teach us and so much we could teach them.

Isn't that the way things generally end up?

Tomorrow begins two long days of travel........