SANParks.org Forums

Ok, I thought we should have some fun.

Lets write a story.

Each person can continue where the previous person ended. Try to build true facts and sightings in to the storyline.

At the end, we will have a PERFECT bush break, as we compile all the sories to one. ( I am willing to retype and post on the forum)

Remember to follow the storyline so that you dont post you were sitting in Skukuza but the previous post ended in Shingwedzi etc.



Here we go:

We pitched our tent in Tsendze, and I was surprised to see how well this camp is organised.
We waited for our night drive to fetch us from the gate and left the rustic camp driving South. Our first sighting was .......

............can you believe it, a Pangolin. Now I have been waiting all my life to see a Pangolin in the wild and here it was in front of us. I managed to get so,e good photos before it disappeared into the bushes.
What a great start to this drive.

... As the sun disappeared, leaving the bush in a magical moment between dusk and darkness, I took a deep breath of Kruger, smelling the dust, feeling the cool breeze upon my face. Suddenly the vehicle stopped and the driver almost whispered the magic words ... wild dogs!

....wow! what a sighting, I am sure that you could almost hear a pin drop, everybody was totally absorbed in the moment, after a while they started yapping and running around behaving like they had just seen/smelled prey

The dogs disappeared in to the thick Mopani bush and we went on with our journey. The guide was telling us about the stars when we noticed how bright the moon was. We heard the cry of a jackal and the distinct roar of the king of the wild. When we returned to our camp we were happy to share our sightings with other campers. We had to get to bed, as tomorrow will be an early morning. Heading to our next camp....

...The bush was still bathed in moonlight when a sound entered my sleeping mind ...ughhhh .. ughhhh .. ughhh. It woke me immediately, and filled me with great excitement: my first lion on this visit! From far a similar sound came through the still of the night - his mate, returning the call ...

It was then that I realised I had been dreaming. The desire to see a pangolin had been playing the fool with my subconscious as I slept, and the wild dogs........

Hopefully I will really see them one day.

The lingering dream stayed with me all day. I couldn't get the images of the bush out of my "mind's eye"

And before the close of business, I called up SANP and booked a few nights at Kruger for the following week....
At Tzende of course!

As soon as it was light we got up, made a cup of coffee, sipping it while listening to the sounds of the bush as it started to come alive and smelt that wonderful fresh morning smell.
Then we packed up and started the journey northwards towards Punda Maria....

On our way to Punda, we stopped for a break at Shingwedzi. I remember that I spent my 21st Birthday in this camp. What a beautifull camp. We went to the shop and left . We will be visiting Shingwedzi again on our way back South.

Back on the tar road, we cam across a breeding herd of elephants, What a sight. These gentle giants are so beautifull. We had a few good sightings on this road, and to my surprise, right next to the road was a .......

huge steaming 'mopani pie'. It had just been dropped by the biggest bull in the area.....

I was still admiring this huge steaming "pie", when I heard something in the bush...and there he was, huge tusks and flipping ears, coming for ME...

He looked at me fumbling to get the car started, and charged straight past my car and into the bush across the road as the rear end of another bull disappeared in front of him.....

Talking about dreaming....Last night I dreamt I was on a game drive in a concession near Kruger, and the guide spotted wild dogs, and just drove on. I didn't see them and asked him to stop and go back, which he ignored. My wife said I shouldn't make a scene and just accept it.

Yeah right!

The guide was called Jan and I was about to become violent when I woke with a start, and before giving my sleeping wife a few harsh words, I realized I was in bed, not on the game drive vehicle......

After this ordeal we could continue our drive to Punda. The thick Mopani bush made it hard to see anything. We were tired and the african sun was showing no mercy. About 4km to go to camp and then we saw a buffalo followed by... a female lion. The buffalo stopped in the tar road and we all realized this was a fatal mistake. The lions came from everywhere and we know that the buffalo had no chance. Taking it down right in front of our car.... We were pushed for time as we needed to still book in at Punda, but couldnt leave this sight....