An Ordinary Morning at the Airstrip

One morning one of the larger lion prides in the eastern part of the reserve had been kind enough to take down a wildebeest right next to the airstrip. Granted “Madikwe International” is not one of the busiest of South Africa's airports, but still, a flight or two per day isn't unusual...

The carcass had not yet started to smell, so it was clearly rather fresh, though already almost finished. As we approached, a lioness and two juveniles were still busy feeding, while the others had taken to the shade, panting like crazy while digesting the meal. Two black-backed jackals were wearily assessing the situation from a safe distance, patiently waiting their turn.

I had at first been a bit worried that a sighting like this would be too much for the two younger guests in my vehicle to stomach, as the lions were ripping apart their prey only a few metres away... but they were delighted and and so were their parents.

As the morning progressed and the heat got more intense, the female decided that she'd had enough of the sun and carried the rest of the food in under a bush, and the two younger individuals followed.

This was the chance the jackals had been waiting for! They came rushing for the stomach and other goodies that had been left behind by the lions. These intelligent little canines form pairs for life and often share food, but were regardless of this quarrelling about the left-overs and chasing each other around.

A few of the younger pride members weren't too impressed with this behaviour and decided to do something about the thieving pair. Jackals are however far too agile and alert to be taken by lions out in the open. The heat probably made the attempt from the big cats less serious than it could have been as well. The chase did trigger some playfulness though and for a while the youngsters were running around without a care in the world in the early morning hours.

A couple of hours later as the first flight of the day was making it's decent, both the carcass and the pride were long gone.

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Hazyview highlights, Family trip part V



After driving around in Kruger for a few days, it was time for some activities. We stayed at Hippo Hollow in Hazyview where hippos actually come up onto the lawn in the evening to graze. In the afternoons we also saw the elephants of the nearby Elephant Whisper playing with each other on the other side of the river.

 

Our first evening at Hippo Hollow was on Christmas Day and we had a huge buffet to choose from, both things we knew and others we didn't. What puzzled us the most was this one dish called “Take”, which of course tasted a lot like chicken...

An hour later we managed to find a waiter that could interpret the local pronunciation of the mystifying food before us; turkey!

River rafting

For those of you who don't realize it, river rafting is an activity that involves water... and getting wet. You'd better be prepared for it, and preferably like it. It's a rather easy going little rafting session of about a couple of hours, with a short break for bum-sliding and snacks. But also lots of fun!

I was fortunate, as my partner Rasmus is sort of a pro when it comes to canoes and kayaks and all I had to do was paddle like crazy, while steering us out of trouble was his job. I know he took the fact that I was the engine and he the rudder very seriously, as he long stretches just leaned back and relaxed as steering wasn't always necessary... but, like father like son, I guess!

After a couple of hours on the river, we couldn't resist a lunch break at Sabie Valley coffee, across the street from the Sabie Adventures' office. They grow their own beans on the lush slopes along the river and make magic with the dark roasted goodness, whether it be shakes, drinks or more traditional style coffees. Their food and cakes aren't bad either, but I should have learnt from last time... it's impossible down both.

Elephant ride

In the afternoon, we went across the river to be introduced to our neighbours. Marlene got a very thorough and personal introduction to the establishment's most intelligent inhabitant and my favourite, the teenaged Medwa.

He's boisterous, but also very social and enjoys showing off his talents. After a an interesting interaction with him and the much bigger Tembo, we all went for a short ride, a rather bumby affaire. If you feel as if you're about to fall off, you're probably absolutely right in your asumption!

Since mum had had a big birthday earlier in the year, and this was the reason for the trip in the first place, I had decided she'd get her present on the trip instead of her birthday. And of course this was why her name was mentioned a few time to Medwa, as we said hello to him.

 

He was handed a basket and told to give it to Marlene whom he, of course, had no problem identifying. No matter what the gift may be, if it's delivered by elephant, I hope it's appreciated.

After the rocking around the trees, we all felt the need to cleanse our throates of the dust and thus rounded off with some bubbly... and here the boys' true nature was certainly shining through.

Zip-lining

The next day was a bit rainy and grey and so our plans for micro light flying were cancelled. But, as our minds were set on flight, flying through the canopies seemed like the obvious substitute.

The speed, the view, the sensation of flying... It's exhilarating and awesome! After a few slides, I think we all loved it... or at least got sort of used to it..?

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Dam dogs

Yesterday I had one of the best sightings ever! I was out with Declan, one of the other guides and we went in search of the wild dogs we'd heard had taken down a waterbuck on the western side of one of the dams.

Wild dogs rip their prey apart in seconds, killing them swiftly. Many say that this brutal way of doing away with their prey is mean, but I think I'd prefer it to the slower suffocating death that the big cats would offer you. Also feeding is a quick business and on approach we could see that most of their kill had been promptly gulped down and what now remained was literally skin and bones. The only ones still interested in the scraps were the youngsters, last year's pups.

Some of the dogs showed a keen interest in the two waterbucks that wearily watched them from the middle of the dam. One of them was brave enough to try to make it into the bush but the dogs were there in a heartbeat, so the buck lived up to her name and ran for safety into the water again... and this time, she stayed put.

After a while one of the older dogs made it off with a big bone and only two of the younger members of the pack could be bothered with the skin.

But this is when a brown hyena seased the opportunity and came sneaking into the sighting. Brown hyenas are usually very shy and I've never seen one in broad daylight before!

On it's third attempt, the hyena had now figured out to rather come storming towards the desired treasure, rather than trying to use stealth.

The explosion of activity was amazing and it was absolutely fascinating to watch the pack defend their price, even though barely anything remained.  

 ...and I guess this was the reason they finally did give up and let the scavenger head off.

We sat there for about one and a half hours as no other vehicles were approaching that we had to give way for and as for the animals... couldn't care less about us. The dogs stayed by the dam the whole day and we even had a great second visit there in the late evening, as the sun was setting.

This is definitely the best brown hyena sighting ever and probably also my best wild dog sighting, and put together: magic! So happy we were at the right place at the right time... and so were the two guests.

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Kruger, Family trip part IV

A few days before Christmas we entered Kruger National Park. Kudu is, as I've mentioned a few times, my favourite antelope, both in nature and on a plate. As the symbol of the South African national parks, it was only fitting for this beautiful male to welcome us into the park.

As we had booked accommodation “only” six months in advance, we had to change camp every night of the four we spent there! This isn't a big deal however, as you almost have to see different parts of the park to fully appreciate it.  

We had many really awesome sightings over the almost five days in Kruger, both of the big five and some of the smaller creatures. Some of the favourites were the playful dwarf mongooses (of course!)...

...and an unlikely bird; the Cape turtle dove... or as we now know it, the Combaro bird. People argue that it repeatedly says “Cape turtle”, “Drink lager” or “Work harder”. We however agreed, it's probably “Combaro”. I do not know why this bird is obsessed with comb overs though..?

On the first day we came across two hyena cubs at the entrance of their den. One of the adults, left behind to babysit, kept lurking around in the bushes to keep an eye on us. As we turned around to get back onto the main road again we noticed that one of the cubs was approaching a vehicle with great interest, as someone was holding their hand out towards it... The argument that followed with the female “ranger” trying to “...interact with and be one with nature.” was probably one of few moments of total unity in our vehicle. We all definitely wished for the adults to come back and make her a permanent part of nature!

Another memorable sighting was two young male lions crunching away on Pumba. A leopard kept on circling the greedy guys, who'd most likely stolen the leopards prey.

He kept a healthy distance though...

The last night in Kruger was Christmas Eve and we were having a bush braai on a rock where, on many occasions, I've seen lions resting... not everyone appreciated that piece of information. We were of course accompanied by a few rangers with rifles, so most of us weren't too worried. The food was great, but unfortunately, the dessert wasn't. The British influence on the South African kitchen is sometimes a bit too evident... Just drench it in custard, and let's call it dessert!

Lying on the warm granite rock after supper, giggling with a family member while star gazing was probably the best part of my Christmas Eve... thank you!

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Challenge accepted! Family trip part III

As we travelled the famously beautiful panorama route after leaving Pilgrim's Rest behind us, the weather wasn't really on our side, but we tried to make the most of it. Waterfalls like the Macmac and rocky landscapes  do have a tendency to look rather romantically spooky in this sort of weather however.

Since boys will be boys, the youngsters in the group bought a new toy to occupy themselves with while enjoying the views, and of course they couldn't resist challenging each other. They decided to test their new acquisition, a sling-shut, that for some mystical reason is sold at every souvenir stand you pass. After watching them going at it with a target ten metres away for about twenty minutes... without luck, Jens stepped up.

With his second shot he showed us all how it's done... Must say that I thoroughly enjoyed that!

The second challenge of the day came as we stood overlooking the Three Rondavels... and I of course couldn't shut up about having sat at the edge, on a rock overlooking the canyon.

...I still think my picture is cooler though!

Another new family classic is the sour plum contest. Sour plums are juicy and sweet tasting... to begin with. After a while they however turn a tad bit sour, as their name would suggest.

When you ask any young man how many of these fruits he can fit into his mouth and also for how long... you've got yourself another silly challenge not to be turned down.

The fact that this also makes you laugh out loud adds to the difficulty of the task and certainly to the amusement of the audience.

 

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Falling down, Family trip part II

A favourite South African town of mine is Pilgrim's Rest, situated in the lush misty mountains of Mpumalanga. It's a quaint and quiet little place that definitely breathes the history of a long gone gold rush era.

I've never had the opportunity to stay over-night before, so I booked us for a night at the Royal Hotel, totally disregarding some of the comments on Tripadvisor... I figured that when a hotel's been built in the 1800's and declared a national monument, it's ok for the décor to be old-fashioned and the floorboards a bit aged. Maybe I hadn't expected the floral madness that welcomed us though! It looked like a dozen cinnamon bun-baking grandmothers had exploded in there. But I must admit that the flowers kind of grew on me, and eventually I learned to love this wallpaper.

Because of a bad back, I always bring my own mattress (invaluable). This night I woke up with a strange feeling of having lost my footing. The uncontrolled flying sensation was however terminated by a prompt thud. A second later the lights came on and my step brother called out “What the hell are you doing?!” (which sounds much funnier in Danish) before his eyes could focus on me. I was sitting on the floor, on top of my inflatable mattress!

I've never fallen out of bed in my sleep before, not even once at the age of six (...sorry, family joke)! Such a thing is unheard of, otherwise bunk beds would be lethal. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard! I was crying and making pig-like noises and so did my room mate. As I was falling asleep again, the silliness of the situation seemed even more hysterical and I laughed myself wide awake again. The second time this occurred earned me a firm pillow-whack on the head and I finally managed to contain myself. Next morning my stomach muscles were sore and Rasmus, of course, made sure to bruise my pride as well...

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Sunny Soweto and Sun City, Family trip part I

Arriving in Soweto on the first day of your South African trip makes for rather a culture shock. The hustle and bustle of the SOuth-WEstern TOwnships is maybe not what your exhausted body and mind is prepared for after a long journey, especially when the temperature difference from home is more than thirty degrees in the blazing sun.

Very few white people have made this part of Johannesburg their home, but one of the guest houses, Lebo's Backpackers, actually has a Swedish hostess. This is where we met up with our township guide on the South African Reconciliation Day, which is also the anniversary of ANC's military branch, Umkhonto we Sizwe or MK.

The last time I was in Soweto was on the day Mandela died and the streets were crowded with people quietly gathered to show him their love and respect. The general feeling was that of relieved emptiness, if there is such a thing... On this occasion there was a more celebratory vibe in the air, with flags all over the place as well as pictures of the former great leader and hero, while ANC members were on a recruiting spree.

One vivid memory of this day was the meeting with the church guide in the iconic Regina Mundi church, with its beautiful windows depicting important parts of The Struggle. If you're not used to South African township English, you sometimes need someone to translate and this guy was an extreme example of that. We did however manage to understand what spots Michelle Obama had been standing in, something that seemed very important to the guide of this historically important place...

Another encounter that stands out on this day is the one with two small boys close to Walter Sisulu square, whom we took a couple of pictures of. The joy when they got to see their own faces on our displays was very contagious and moving. They were jumping around like crazy, clapping their hands and screaming out loud, making us laugh... although with a tear or two in our hearts.

Back at Lebo's we had traditional South African food for lunch, while the resident tortoise and some chicken ran around, hoping for some scraps. This is when I started questioning bringing the family into the bush... Some people apparently have a fear of chicken-like birds! The excuse was that it looked you in the eye, nodding its head viciously thinking “What do you want? What What, WHAt, WHAT!!? Weird people, these bonus-family creatures!

After visiting the most important sites we did cut the day a bit shorter than planned, because of the tired travellers and hot weather. So, we slowly made our way towards Sun City for a total contrast to the morning in Soweto.

Unfortunately I didn't get time to enjoy the two days here as much as I would have liked, as I had to make my way to Pretoria for some tedious paper work... I did get company on this full day outing however, as Jens needed to see a dentist. Seeing doctors of different kinds and getting medicine is almost always an ordeal back home while abroad, easy-peasy. While he was experiencing South Africa at its best, I was having an awful day, as bureaucracy is possibly South Africa at its worst. The day, of course, ended in tears and colourful language!

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