SANParks.org Forums

Good morning all...

So me and SO think we are a little nuts (we probably are), and think we are "special" in our little ways when we enter the park...

What we do is now remove our yellow ribbon, as we beleive the animals see the yellow ribbon , and recon they don't need to show themselves to us, as we have probably seen them before, and hense we see little with the yellow ribbon on.... Wierd huh?

The other thing is I don't beleive a road is "open" for viewing until a franklin crosses it and opens it for me....
We remove the camera lens cap, as if it is on, we recon nothing will present itself for pics....

What are your beliefs/ superstitions when visiting the park?

Really weird, and very Nyati!
and definitely a myth, as we saw our 2 Caracal kittens with YR tied firmly in place
but then you also might not get to meet so many other mites.

To be honest I really don't have any superstitions in the park, a bit boring I know!

After going through the gate, I stop, get out of the car, kiss the ground and say loud "hello Kruger, I missed you pal" almost like "Good Morning Vietnam" (The movie)

Rooies, just hope that you don't have the same ending as the movie

Same here Elsa, no rituals unless getting up early to get to the gate is considered one

Does *bounce* *bounce* yay we're here ! count ?

Just a bit of dirt on the lips , but then it is like a battle plan, bird books out!, binocs out!, cameras out!, cool box out!, radio off!, windows open! maps open! seats reclined a bit further back! 3rd gear banned and then......what will we see first after the impalas.

I could reveal all these closely guarded secrets but then I would have to hunt y'all down and you.

Seriously? You have superstitions about going to KNP?

Me too. I have this thing about leaving home and being on the road by 01h00 (1 AM). Also have this thing about entering at Numbe gate.

I am not superstitious, but I like see only the full, uninterrupted expanse of Orpen gate in front of my car, so we leave the Big Smoke at midnight, and are usually the first there.

Kruger coffee. (with Amarula)

Visit 'the hide' - Mantambeni

Find wild dogs

Did I forget to tell you my rituals usually involved SO giving me a slap as I wake her up??? We also usually leave 11:30-12:30 depending on the season, stop at Wild bean for a cuppa, then again at millies, they make great coffee if they open.... Ans also make sure i'm at Orpen first, almost never enter at another gate, just habit and good memories I suppose?

One of our travel rituals is to have coffee and hot cross buns in the car and to sip on a cuppa while driving at a nice sedate speed.

I love to stop at Millies for a leg stretch and to empty the bladder so I can fill up on more coffee. (Actually, it is a fairly critical stop en route. )

There was this crazy bunch of guys that used to stop at Oom Paul's gate on the bridge and have a few Castles before entering ... (after stopping at the loo after the ritual)

Superstition: I believe if ever I have a visit to any game reserve and I dont get to see Kudu on that visit ... Eeeeiiiiisssshhhhh!!!!! Even just a day visit, one can never leave without having seen these magnificant animals! Fortunately these are the bokkies that I happen to spot best, but if they ever hide from me I will have to remind them about the rules

As we arrive at the gate (and not superstitious about which one) I stop the car, and me and my son have a big mommy child love, and celebrate entering paradise) We then solemnly promise that whilst there, there are to be no arguments, no shouting from mommy, and no naughty behaviour from the brat.

Tieroog, that reminds me of a trip I did back in the mid 90's. JHB to Letaba and I only left home at like 3 am. We got to Numbe gate just after 8 am and the very friendly ranger there told us that there was a giraffe kill close to Skukuza. A big pride he told us.

So filled with exitement, we got going as soon as possible as we had a long road ahead of us. The very first animal we saw, right at the gate was a beautiful Kudu bull. I just knew then, that we wre going to have a wonderful trip.

I was not to be disappointed. Of the big 5, we never saw leopard or Rhino, but that was par for the course for us. We saw heaps of lion and by the time we were about 20 km from Letaba, we were "lioned out". Another pair were lying right next to the road, and some exited peeps were waving frantically for us to stop and look. So we did, only to find yet more lion. We stayed a whole ten seconds and the look on their faces as we left again after such a short time was priceless.

I believe they thought us to be complete nuts since we had no interest in lions. Meanwhile, how were they to know that was about the 8th lot we had seen that day.

Perhaps this is why, we have been unlucky with them of late.

Last time, we saw a gymnogene as our first sighting, and we were lucky to find all of the big 5 as well as a number of other firsts for us.