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6 months have passed and it’s finally time to return to the Kgalagadi. In eleven days we’ll be boarding the plane and in thirteen days we’ll enter the park again. We hardly can wait any longer, but patience is a virtue it is claimed… We managed to get a last minute change in accommodation, so that we now have four nights at Grootkolk instead of two.



Apart from just being in KTP and enjoying the atmosphere, the scenery, the magnificent sunrises and sunsets, the golden hours, the dust, the heat and hopefully some heavy spells for rain, I’m obviously hoping to find some elusive critters. Top of my wishlist would be a good caracal , a good honey badger and a good wild cat sighting, closely followed by a porcupine sighting. And I’m willing to donate for a good cause in order to coax the critters into meeting me.

I know that donations towards the fight against rhino poaching would be an excellent cause, but more than a year ago, we cammers took on the challenge to raise approximately R 22000 for a mobile webcam and we still have some way to go before this will become reality. Hence, I’ll make my donations towards that project.

Providing co-operative critters this is what I’d lose in terms of cash:

A decent distance caracal sighting with good photo – R 300
A decent distance honey badger sighting with good photo – R 300
A close distance AWC sighting with good photo – R 300
A porcupine sighting with good photo – R 300
Getting close and personal with Mr. Handsome again – R 200
A cheetah mum with young cubs – R 200
A good leopard sighting – R 200


Also there is a challenge going on in the Stiffneck Forums which I couldn't stay away from:


Seeing that I enter KTP before Duke and Sharifa, I thought I wanted to take up the challenge as well:



For the full story of The Woody Challenge read here and here.

Anybody out there who would like to participate in either challenge?

Safe travels and hope you guys see plenty

Give me a photo of the below and I will donate something to the webcam.

A decent distance caracal sighting with good photo
A decent distance honey badger sighting with good photo
A close distance AWC sighting with good photo
A porcupine sighting with good photo

Hi Lionspoon

Oh WOW!!
Not long to go now and you will be back to experience the sights and sounds and colours of your beloved KTP

Plus your trip provides another great fundraising opportunity for the mobile webcam

I will match your pledges for the following sightings



I'm sure you and Spots will have a brilliant time

Can't wait to see and hear about your adventures when you get back

Enjoy the count down, and travel safely, LS and Spots

2 of your wishlist we have experienced at Grootkolk.....enjoy

Hope you are broke after the trip, but have rich memories and pics...

I am going to watching and waiting.

MM, Richard, Mel and Duke!

Happy to see you around and enjoy whatever I'll have to present after the trip.
I promise, I'll pay for a worse leo sighting than this:





Duke and Mel - great to have you on board for the challenge! Thanks!

Lionspoon,

I'm on board and cannot wait to read about your sightings. Travel safely!!!

Daron

I am on board with lots of .

LS if you think that pic is bad, you did not see nothing yet . It is quite easy to post a worst one, however I presume you mean't it to be a worst sighting by yourselves during your visit to KTP .

Whichever way you look at it, a Lionspoon TR is unique! I'm on for the roller-coaster ride; right now the excitement is building as we go up that seemingly calm and gentle slope to the first, whooping, dip! LS, have an amazing time, and I'm sure you'll get a few surprises you didn't plan. (P.S. Hope Mr. Handsome isn't your hubbie, as he's worth R100 less than a good sighting. )

I'm looking forward to this one.

Wishing you fantastic sightings that you can share with us.

Daron, barryels, OWN and Timbits!

Thanks for your lovely posts here and your good wishes!

barryels, that leopard sighting certainly was one of the best we had in KTP so far.
Especially since we shared it with only two other tourists (who also happened to be our
neighbours at KK where we stayed at that time), so a very relaxed atmosphere.

OWN, you spoil me with your praise. Hope my TR can live up to your expectations.
Oh, and Mr. Handsome is the guy underneath my alias. And I spent a very romantic and private
20 minutes with him at Nossob Hide on our first trip to the KTP.

Timbits, I consider myself lucky if I get only half of your amazing sightings.
Let's see There were eland, close leo with a kill, meerkats, giraffe, close AWC, pretty close
bateleur, then those lions at the picnic site, brownie, spotties, cheetahs and Sokkies of course.
That's a quite impressive list!

Sooo, and to let you know - this would definitely be a cub I'd consider being still young:

Taken the liberty to join your TR hope you don't mind, as I enjoyed the ride so much with Timbits.
Lionspoon and Spots eagerly awaiting the start of your TR.
It is so exciting to one again have the opportunity to visit KTP and be able to experience all there is to offer through your stories and pics.
Have the time of your lives,

Lionspoon:

OMG - that cheetah is amazing, as is the leopard. Mr. Wonderful is certainly one handsome dude. I could stare into his eyes all day long. Your photos make me very , and a little misty eyed. We won't be back until next September , so until then, I will have to get my fix from TRs.

I'm really looking forward to this if the photos that you've already posted are any indication of what is to come.

Travel safely.

Trrp-trrrrrrrr - I'm so glad you enjoyed the ride

Hi Trrp-Trrrrrrr (How do you remember how many r's you got on your alias when you are trying to log on? Very original nickname though! ) You're most welcome aboard! The more the merrier. And thanks for your kind wishes!

Timbits, next September? I feel you - that is way too long, I agree. Hope you'll get many KTP TRs to read in the meantime. It does help a bit!

Remember my 'walking plate'? Well, here's one of the bigger siblings.
Hope the family will be around at Grootkolk again.

Counting with you!!