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Thief of hearts

Kruger’s a Thief of Hearts
What will happen to the Thief of Hearts
What she has is sublime
Kruger's a Thief of Hearts
Someone please protect her
She's a Thief of Hearts
No one ever takes what's mine…

With apologies to Madonna and Bon Jovi


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Insomnia is a symptom which can accompany several sleep, medical and psychiatric disorders , characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep and/or difficulty staying asleep. Insomnia is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. One definition of insomnia is ‘difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep, or nonrestorative sleep, associated with impairments of daytime functioning or marked distress for more than one month’.

I suffer from Insomnia Interruptus - it comes and goes. So on Friday, 2 July, the evening before our departure to our beloved Kruger, I have a severe insomnia attack. But do I start packing? Noooo, I spent time on the Forum, trying to find recent routes with special sightings. Courteously finalising overdue quizzes. Designing a wedding dress for RP’s 534th SO. And then, at midnight, I start packing, recalling that during our Cricket weekend trip, we had to make quite an expensive pit stop at the shops in Nelspruit.

When TheunsH wakes me up at 03:00, I’m exhausted. In fact, I think I have just dozed off. So I drift back to never-never land. At 03:30 I get my usual cup of coffee in bed. Lethargically we set about our business. Ok, lethargic me. The Oom and the lil’ one are active, like jacks-in-boxes. I’m taking a leisurely bath…

For some unknown reason we only manage to leave Pretoria at 06:20.

Dear Elzet what you need is a regular life rythm, no stressing, organization..... Have you tried a hot toddy before going to bed?
"Pour a shot of Whisky into a cup or mug, add boiling water to it. Add a spoonful of honey or sugar. Add a half slice of lemon, 2 cloves and, if you have one, a cinnamon stick. leave it is to brew for 3–5 minutes."

M367 - moodiness by the Oom results in less time with me.

Macchappie - how nice to see you here, and to have you and Chaps on our backseat.

Sprocks, eisch, there must be a reason why Theuns and I keep on avoiding you. Seriously, deo volente, next time.


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Icy cold temperature, accompanied by dense fog, meets us on the highway. At times viz is not more than ten meters, resulting in greatly reduced speed. The fog covers the Mpumalanga landscape like a ‘grey and white matter’ blanket.

A couple of hours later, and after our compulsory pit stop at Milly’s for breakfast and feeding the fish (with fish food) , we take off again and as the fog has fortunately cleared, we hastily approached Nelspruit, now enjoying the scenery.

After a few compulsory shopping sprees, during which TheunsH was fortunate enough to meet Baffers and his SO, Nibbles, outside C*&^ks, we headed off to Croc Bridge, as we were to spend the first night at Lower Sabie.

I have often wondered if others also perceive the last few kilometers to one of the Kruger Gates to creep by the slowest. And then we were there.

Oh, what a feeling of great fulfillment and contentment that engulfs one on seeing the initial entrance gate, removing seat belts, crossing the river, spotting the first wild life (geese and impala) and then, Reception.







After a very quick and effective check-in, we set off in the direction of Lower Sabie. Theuns was still suffering from Gautengalitis, as to the enjoyment of both the lil’ one and I, he was dutifully ‘strapped in’ again. We quenched our souls' thirst by drinking in the sounds, the smells, the bush, the splendour of the Creation.

Wildlife was abundant on this road.

We noticed an impala with a huge tumor (the first of many tumors we have spotted on animals during this trip??). He seemed a bit under weight and we were wondering for how long he will still be able to swallow… or before he becomes the weakest link in the food chain.









And then our first, and regrettably the last LIT – my favourite animal. We spent some time with his/her majesty, clearly going nowhere.







Next we headed off on the Gomondwane Loop, where we found four lions, Theuns’ favourite animal. Apparently there were also two cubs, but they must have been fast asleep – they obviously follow their parents’ shining example.





A breeding herd of elephants was also on the menu.





It was with sadness that I realised along the way that there will not be a meet of special mites... last time we met the Prings for a braai before the cricket, M367, Scips, Leelee, Geocor, Wackattacks, MM, Dots, DB, Boories, Painter, etc etc.

We were very pleased as we have seen three of the Big Five within 90 minutes of entering the Park. Soon we were at LS, where we parked purely coincidentally next to a car with a yellow ribbon. It was Terry C and Braai Guy, and what a lovely Mother and Son. Great meeting you.

Again, after a quick and effective check-in at LS, we hastened to settle in and take a nap at our perimeter bungalow.

PS. Theuns has requested me not to refer to him as Oom. So in future I will refer to him as my Pinkenolsie.

Bushbuddies - I did pack at midnight (well, most of it ), and that probably excited me even more.


Micetta - Those fish are huge. Will be able to feed an army with three of them. Yep, trying to get a lioness in the car for the Feast of the Uninvited. There is no translation for Pinkenolsie. And yep, that nap was loooong overdue.


Terryc - it does look painful, doesn't it? Thank you kindly. Balule, here we come!


M367 - I was not referring to car keys.




So then don't complain about Oom, Pinkenolsie-bolsie.


Michel, we had one of those, but I sold it with all my trousseau when Theuns and I got married. But our trailer has been upgraded to take the full load.

The Braaiguy learns fast and at a young age.

Terryc - whahahaohhaaa. You quoted Theuns' nickname in your reply. He'll like that.

M367 - is the one solution that the Oom stays at home and I go away with the lil' one?

Sometime during the afternoon Theuns and the lil’ one decided to go for a drive. Apparently I declined , although I cannot recall declining .

They came across a tower of giraffe, chick-chick-chickies, hyenas on patrol and an elephant up close and personal.

















We savoured our first night in LS, which was concluded with a braai in the bush under an awesome galaxy, accompanied by a choir of hippos, owls, jackals, hyenas and geese, directed by hundreds of bats swooping in and out from the tree next to our stoep.

Sunday, 4 July 2010

We were up early and almost the first out of the gate.

At Nthandanyathi on the Nhlowa road it seemed as if a troop of baboons has taken ‘unlawful’ ownership of the hide. We considered it safest to proceed without entering, in fear of encountering and cornering a huge male baboon in the hide. The bouncer at the gate also seemed a bit suspect.







Again wildlife was abundant, and we enjoyed the uniqueness of the different species, such as hyena, rhinos, buffaloes and a meandering jackal, elephant (note the tumor) and hippo.













After a longish respite at our bungalow, and watching the fruit eaters tucking away for the long night ahead, we took a sunset drive towards Skukz.

The N’watimhiri Causeway has been very good to us in the past, and again did not disappoint. As we approached a hill, we saw a rhino nearby, and eight sleek objects approaching us. It was lions! A 'roadhouse' full of lions. And we had the privilege of spending quality time with them, sharing them only with two other cars. Pure bliss. Four strolled past the driver’s side, and three on my side. Instinctively I reached out and held the door handle until they were past. The cub apprehensively took a short cut through the veld. The rhino, on the other hand, wanted nothing of this privilege nor bliss, and retreated very quickly and suddenly. But not quietly. (Notice the one lioness staring into the bush as she became aware of the presence of the rhino).















Apologies for the overkill of lion shots.

I forgot to add:

That our camera is a 'aim-'n-shoot', so the quality is not good once it is reduced. Still need to make an investment as far as photographic equipment is concerned.

That it seemed that the collar on the lioness was getting too small, almost strangling her. (No expert opinion, though. I suppose if it is too loosely fitted, it will come off. On the other hand, too tight and suffering will be the result. But again, no expert as far as collaring of lionesses are concerned.)

Content and enchanted by the King and Queen of the jungle, we set off to LS, as it was nearing gate closing time. However, we were shocked to meet a number of Schumachers on the tar road to LS, clearly trying to make it to Skukz.

This put a huge damper on things for us - This Yellowbilled Hornbill will never cover a nest’s entrance with clay again, never glide again… Never ‘wurk, wurk, wurk, wukwukêk, wukêk’ again...





The lil’ one knows that a YBHB ‘cements’ his SO into her nest, where she loses her feathers and then entirely depends on him to feed her and the chicks. She was terribly upset, repeatedly asking if this will entail that the female and chicks will die. I convinced her that it was not their breeding season, and this consoled her somewhat.

We came across these window inspectors, which fortunately lifted the atmosphere in the car.






Bummer, there’s no insect on the bumper!





But our enjoyment was temporarily, as the Alpha male brutally enforced discipline on one of the young ones that was playing ‘Inspector Car(r) investigates’. The lil’ one and I did not appreciate this attack too much, although we realised that Mother Nature can be very cruel.

Back at LS we enjoyed our last night's tranquility of the Sabie bush and the night sounds as dusk came and was replaced by darkness, with flickering candles spread out all over heaven’s door.

Elzet - Just caught up with your TR - Great stuff and looking forward to more.
Have to agree with you about the new check in times - Most inconvenient they are.

Monday, 5 and Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Tamboti, here we come!

We were waiting for the gate to open, although we had to pack our stuff. Well, uhmm, Theuns' and the lil' one's stuff and my ton. That is how eager we were to get back to Tamboti.




We traveled towards Skukuza, over the green bridge, and then headed to Tshokwane.




This hammerkop was enjoying icy water.




A sunrise only Kruger can offer.




This oke was having a blue Monday, whilst ours could not be better.




Batchelor elephants enjoying their freedom.




A future buff pie with a lazy tail.




Lik-lak-lik-lak-lik-lak-hey.


From Tshoks we headed to Satara on the tar road, visited my and BB’s baobab, and then took the S125 N’waswitsontso Loop, and from there proceeded on the S145 and then the S140.

The roads were quiet. It was dry and the waterholes were no longer in existence.

Hiya Sanpfan - Thank you kindly. I also like that name, but the Oom dislikes it intensely.

Scips - Theuns is hardhorend en hardedonkie. (Translation: Theuns is uncooperative and hard holed.). Please speak to him.

Normana53 - Happy to see you here. I pack very little that's handy. In fact, I forget most of my own stuff. So Theuns has taken over packing the handy stuff. Sewing kit in the bush? I don't even fix seams and buttons that have gone astray at home.

Micetta -


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Although the roads were quiet wildlife wise, we enjoyed just being there. Just-being-there. *sigh*

At the Fairfield waterhole we met a herd of elephants that were barricading the road. They alternated between the concrete dam and the waterhole on the opposite side of the road. It was fascinating to see how one of the females always escorted the lil’ ones as they migrated between chatting to Mom at the concrete dam and drinking from the waterhole.













It seems that one of them was also attempting the diski dance. Second last photo above - see the knock-knees move.

And then, via Orpen, we were on our way to Tamboti…

Precious at Reception was very efficient and precious and Theuns sang her praises. After a few supplies, where the staff at the Orpen shop was equally friendly and efficient, we were on our way to Tamboti.

This was our first time in one of the luxury tents and it was fabulous to 'rough-it-out', but still have private ablutions, etc.









Our welcoming party consisted of vervet monkeys, which were shortly thereafter joined by a bushbuck couple, separated by a fence. Almost like the Oom and I.







We were soon snoozing in the tent...