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| Wow! They kept coming and coming until there were 30 to 40 elephants crossing and waiting to cross the road. They continued in a steady stream. What a sight!
It’s the end of our first 36 hours since leaving Marloth Park. Here’s what we’ve done so far:
 The elephant herd crossed the road as more waited in the wings to do the same.
 As shown, the babies are kept tight in the center of the herd as they make their way across the road.  Although the park wasn’t crowded, the word must have got out about the elephants on the road when suddenly cars appeared out of nowhere. We continued to stay back and out of their way, especially with the babies in tow.
 This kudu was munching on a hill, stopping only to look at us as we drove by.
Back at the exquisite Blyde River Canyon Lodge for the evening, we were reeling from the above experiences, energized more than tired from the hours of standing and walking while we learned so much.
Need I say that in these 36 hours we’ve taken no less than 300 photos? And, as we sit here now on the veranda at the lodge at 6:00 pm on Thursday evening, there are impalas, vervet monkeys, and zebras playing, eating, and wandering about on the beautiful grounds.
Finally, the sun came out today, and weather providing tomorrow we’ll take off on yet another day of exploration as we embark on the popular Panorama Route, returning to the Blyde River Canyon Lodge for our final night. Saturday, we’ll drive back toward Marloth Park, stopping at the Mpumalanga/Nelspruit airport to return the pink rental car and pick up another rental car. Doing so enables us to save approximately US $800, ZAR $8712. Since we’ll be traveling in that direction anyway, it made all the sense in the world to swap cars when the savings more than pays for our three-day outing.
 These enormous sausages-like pods grow on the Sausage Tree (duh) were growing on a few trees in the park. Our Marloth Park friend Piet, informed us as to the name of these trees.
 These pods were huge, comparable to the forearm of a large human on the Sausage Trees.
 We only saw a few Sausage Trees clumped together in one area.
Although we love being here at this lodge, in this canyon, and in this area, we have no sense of dread that often accompanies returning “home” after a pleasurable time away. In the time we have remaining in Marloth Park, already having passed the halfway mark, we’ll continue to embrace the ongoing wonders of daily life in the wildlife-rich area.
Over the next several days, we’ll continue to post photos, sharing what we’ve learned during this short but special time away. Often, we’ve heard the locals say, “I want to travel like you guys but, staying in South Africa. There’s so much to see here!” We heartily agree. Thank you, South Africa. Thank you so much for sharing your treasures with us!
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SO AMAZING!!! You guys have the best Safari Luck in the world, literally 🙂 To see that many elephants at one time would be breathtaking…and all those monkeys in the middle of the road. I think you're the luckiest people ever. I can't wait to see tomorrow's photos of the elephant sanctuary with all the close-ups. Take care and thanks again for sharing! ~Ashley
Ashley, it's so wonderful to see your comment once again! Thank you so much for your kind words.
Yes, we feel mighty lucky to have seen as much as we have and, we look forward to seeing so much more. The world is a huge and we've only seen a small amount. Hopefully, our safari luck continues.
Hope you enjoyed the sanctuary photos posted today. What a delightful experience!
Thirty minutes ago .we returned to our home in Marloth Park. It feels good to be back into our much enjoyed routine. Tomorrow morning, we'll head outdoors for the day to let our precious visitors know that we've returned.
Thank you for sharing your time and your enthusiasm with us. It means more than know.
Warmest regards