Spending several hours in Kruger National Park necessarily wasn’t filled with “safari luck” this time. It was hot and humid, and we didn’t expect to see many wildlife attempting to stay cool in the dense bush. But, we had such a good time, chatting, laughing, and reminiscing that we didn’t even mind.
We were content to be in the air-conditioned car as we searched for sightings amid our lively chatter. The greenery in the park easily obstructs viewing. We’re happy to see the animals with abundant food supplies, but they stay undercover in the dense bush on hot days.
We were both hungry and looking forward to a nice meal. We both opted for breakfast, ordering delicious omelets with both cheddar and mozzarella cheese, topped with back bacon, avocado, and grilled grape tomatoes. By noon, we made it to Lower Sabie, a complex of offices, the fabulous massive gift shop, and of course, the Mugg & Bean restaurant.
Buttered toast was included, which I gave to Tom, and he piled his avocado slices on my omelet. It was a lovely breakfast. We spotted a few crocs and hippos on the Sabie River, but overall, the photo ops were limited. Tom splurged and ordered a strawberry milkshake with his breakfast, and I couldn’t resist taking this photo.
After our meal, I wandered through the fun stop, purchasing a few items for our friends who are hosting us for 15 days, and headed back to the little car. We then headed to Sunset Dam but saw very little there either. At that point, we decided to head back toward Crocodile Gate and eventually back home by 3:15 pm.
I had a lot of catching up with the walking and immediately got back to work to upload the short post I’d started before we left in the morning and commenced escalating my walking pace to get caught up. By the end of the day, I managed to do well over my goal of 8000 steps.
Moments before we headed outdoors to begin our evening on the veranda, my phone beeped. Rita and Gerhard wanted to know if we wanted to meet them and their visiting friends, Karyn and Dan, at Amazing Kruger View for sundowners. They are all leaving on a road trip on Wednesday, and we’d have one more opportunity to say goodbye.
Rita and Gerhard are moving out of the Ratel house, which we’ll occupy when we return in December. After they drop Karyn and Dan in Joburg to fly back to the US, they will continue on a road trip through rough terrain in their newer Toyota Helix, going to Namibia and heading back to Joburg, returning to their home in the US for several months.
We will miss them after all the great times we’ve had since they surprised us by showing up at the New Year’s Eve party a few months ago. Fortunately, we have other friends in Marloth Park, and our delightful social life will continue. Tomorrow evening we’re having dinner at Janet and Steve’s home, and Friday evening we’ll be back at Jabula where we always see many of our friends.
With only 15 days until we fly to Florida, we have plenty to keep us busy. Tomorrow morning, one final dental appointment for me in Malalane, and on Friday, one last visit with Dr. Theo to get my three prescriptions to get me through until we return in December. I can purchase six months of meds here, and with my current stock on hand, we’ll return just in time to get more. Prices are very low on most prescription meds here in South Africa.
So there it is, folks, our 27th wedding anniversary came and went. March 15 is a special day for us too. I will share details on why one week from today.
Enjoy your day!
Photo from one year ago today, March 8, 2021:
