This baby zebra leaned into mom as we stopped for a photo. For all we knew, we could have been the first humans she’d ever seen.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Shortly after we returned, several kudus stopped by to say hello.

To make heads or tails of today’s story, it is essential to read yesterday’s post, which may be found here. Today’s post is a continuation of our harrowing and yet exciting day in Kruger National Park, and yesterday’s post explains the comment in the heading, “a staple gun dictated “safari luck…”

In one of yesterday’s closing paragraph’s we wrote: “But tomorrow, we’ll share the balance, a story of making mistakes, taking wrong roads and choosing a ridiculous shortcut that only cost us more time and frustration, all of which we must admit, was softened by this scene of the elephants…”,

Zebras and baby were wandering down the dirt road.

And mistakes we made that day, one of which was venturing out on those awful dirt roads in a highly unsuitable little car which was designed to take the battering of the washboard roads, not unlike its passengers during the harrowing drive.

At several points on the dirt roads, we heard a rattling in the car, even at the low speeds we were traveling, that sounded as if something was going to fall out or off of the vehicle. 

A male zebra posing for a photo.

We both stayed as calm as we could but were thinking the same thing…what if the older little car broke down and we were stranded on this remote road?  Yes, we had a SIM card in my phone, which was almost fully charged (the phone charger outlet in the car doesn’t work).  And there was an emergency phone number we could have called in the back in the park’s map book.

But, the thought of sitting in a broken-down rental car waiting to be rescued was not appealing to either of us.  Even while Tom slowed to a snail’s pace, the rattling continued. So we continued, stopping only when we finally made it to the gate after driving for hours, to travel the mere 60 km (37 miles) to reach the Malelane Gate. Turning in our paperwork and getting on a paved road couldn’t have been more of a relief.

After we spotted the elephants crossing the road after we’d decided to head to the Malelane Gate when the Crocodile Bridge was blocked for hours by a stuck boat trailer, we encountered this lone giraffe.

We’d never entered or exited Kruger at the Malelane Gate. We hadn’t been to Malelane since our arrival in South Africa over five weeks ago. Four years ago, we had a great dinner there while chickens wandered about the interior of the restaurant. We remembered that about Malelane. (See that link here from December 22, 2013)

Once outside the gate, we watched for roadsigns indicating how to return to Marloth. We saw one sign that read Komatipoort, and that seemed the right direction for us.  Somehow we missed the sign for N4.

A warthog family on the rough dirt road on the way to the Malelane Gate.

After the awful drive, we were exhausted and distracted.  Plus, there are very few road signs that point to Marloth Park. Why we stayed on the main highway R570, we’ll never know, when in fact, we needed N4.

We drove for over 32 km (20 miles) one way in error before we realized, in the pouring rain, that we didn’t recognize any of the names of upcoming towns such as Pig’s Peak and Jeppe’s Reef.  We’d driven almost to Swaziland! We had to backtrack the 32 km to return to Malelane to get to N4 and Marloth Park.

This warthog appears to have been rolling in mud as she hangs out with male impala.

Suddenly, it dawned on me that we did have a map in the glovebox. Oh, what a day! For some reason, we thought we only had maps for Marloth Park and Kruger. In checking out the map, we realized our error.

We noticed on the map that we’d pass Hectorspruit, a small town between Malelane and Marloth. Big mistake! Once on the road heading back N4, we encountered a sign indicating a route to Hectorspruit, a shortcut, according to the map.

The rough washboard road seemed as if it would never end. It took us hours to get out of the park.

If we thought the washboard dirt roads in Kruger were terrible, we were in for a big surprise. The road from R570 to Hectorspruit to N4 was, by far, the worst paved road we’d ever driven on of all of the above. 

Talk about potholes!  There were deep potholes every meter (every few feet), many we couldn’t see until a tire dropped into one after another, with nowhere else on the road or the shoulder to drive, and for us, after the harrowing day, no turning back.

More elephants were spotted at quite a distance.  We continued on the road.

During that horrific half-hour drive, we bounced, rattled, and practically rolled in the pothole clusters that occupied the entire road. Only our friends and readers in this area can grasp the severity of this road had they ever had the misfortune to travel on it.

Yes, we know this is Africa, and indeed, our comments aren’t tendered as complaints. However, they are tendered as to our failure to find our way back to Marloth Park more diligently.

A few more elephant photos we’d yet to share in yesterday’s post.

Finally, we reached N4 and easily found our way back to Marloth Park. By the time we pulled into the driveway, it was almost 4:30 pm. We’d yet to put a dent in the day’s post. We still had to shower again and clean up to go out to Jabula for dinner as intended.

We decided to ditch our dinner plans, stay in and make bacon and eggs for dinner (nothing was defrosted), and spend the evening on the veranda. At one point, the much-needed rain and wind drove us indoors. But a few hours later, we had finished and uploaded the post, cooked our feeble dinner, and were able to dine outdoors during the balance of the soaking rain.

We couldn’t believe how many there were, as many as 30 to 40.

Whew!  We were grateful we’d seen the elephants crossing the road, which most certainly softened the blow of the remainder of the day. We’re curious about when and how they got that boat and trailer stuck on the Crocodile Bridge moving again. If you’ve heard anything, please let us know.

Last night in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day (Tom is Irish), we headed to Jabula for an enjoyable evening, running into friends, making new friends, enjoying the chatter with owner Dawn and helper Lynn, suddenly finding ourselves retelling this story, only to find locals practically rolling on the floor in laughter over our mishaps on the road.

A hornbill in a tree.  We spotted dozens of hornbills in Kruger.

We’re both easily able to laugh at ourselves and laugh we did along with everyone else.  Could the complex parts of these scenarios have been prevented? Should we have waited at the Crocodile Bridge for what may have been hours to have been able to get through? We’ll never know.

Should we have paid more attention to where we were in the rainstorm when we exited the Malelane Gate? Sure. Should we have avoided the pothole detour and driven further back to Malelane to get to N4? Absolutely.

A lone male impala stares as we pass by.

So here’s our story, folks. Today at 2:00, we’ll visit the home of locals we’ve met that have quite an account to share, which we’ll be posting here in a few days. Tonight, on this perfect weather day, we’re making pizza and look forward to dining on the veranda while we wait for visitors to stop by.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 18, 2017:

Upon approaching this scene, we weren’t quite sure what was going on.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Vultures in a tree in Kruger are on the lookout for a meal. Vultures were relaxing after a meal in Kruger.

Upon closer inspection, it was apparent; the boat trailer couldn’t fit across the Crocodile Bridge, our means of exit after a day in the park.

There are nine entrance gates to Kruger, each of which is many kilometers from one another. If one enters one location, unless they have plans for another area, they generally exit from the same gates. 

However, like us four years ago, on our way to the Blyde River Canyon, we exited from a gate considerably further north than our entry point at the Crocodile River, which is close to Marloth Park. 

Lots of lookie-loos stopped to view and comment on the situation. Based on this scenario, there was no way anyone was getting in or out of Kruger via this bridge.

Based on our current location, it takes approximately eight minutes from Marloth Park and another 12 minutes to reach the Crocodile River gate. This 20-minute drive seems to pass quickly while we chatter with enthusiasm over entering Kruger once again.

Since we recently purchased an annual pass that pays for itself after six uses, we have no doubt it will have been a worthwhile purchase during our remaining 12 months (off and on) in Marloth Park.

This was the first of over 30 elephants we watched cross the road.  In the distance, difficult to see, was the most enormous matriarch we’d ever seen. Had we been 10 minutes earlier, we may have seen her.

Why would we go to Kruger instead of staying in Marloth Park when we have so much wildlife right before our eyes?  If you’re one of our many newer readers, we’ll explain. In Marloth, generally, we don’t have the big five; elephant, lion, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhino.

Had we been 10 minutes later, we’d have missed the entire parade of elephants crossing the road.

There were numerous babies of varying ages in the “parade” of elephants. We were so close, little to no zoom was required to capture these photos.

Based on the lion attack story we posted this past week on March 11th, about Jonas, who was attacked by a lion years ago, one can never be too cautious. Click here if you missed that post.

By 10:20, we presented our “documents” at the Crocodile entrance gate. After the usual five-minute processing time, including inspecting the trunk for guns, alcohol, or harmful substances, the bar was lifted, and we gained access to the park.

At first, we thought there might be a dozen, but they kept coming and coming.

There are many roads one can choose in the park, but there are only a few paved roads, which to complete in a full circle may require a full day of driving to end up back at the entrance. As a result, like many others, we choose to embark upon some of the bumpy dirt roads.

Is the viewing better on the dirt roads?  Not necessarily. The wildlife may be close to the paved road or any of the myriad bumpy dirt roads. It’s not as if the animals prefer one road or another when they are often on the roads for only a short period, preferring to head back into the bush for food, shelter, and safety.

Only one other car enjoyed the experience with us.  We were on a very bumpy dirt road many visitors to the park might have avoided.

By about noon, after we’d seen only a bit of wildlife, mostly impala, of which we have many in Marloth Park, we felt that our usual “safari luck” may not be present. We accepted this fact, acknowledging that sooner or later, such a day would occur. For once, we were about to experience less than a successful day.

With a map in hand, we planned our route to make a complete circle leading us back to the Crocodile Bridge gate with a plan to get back “home” in plenty of time to complete the day’s post and head to Jabula in time for happy hour and dinner. 

We practically held our breath as they made their way across the dirt road.

Little did we know what lay ahead. First off, the bumpy dirt road we’d chosen for the route was in poor shape with what Tom referred to as a “washboard” surface. Oh, good grief! It was bumpy indeed.

The little car rattled more than I’d ever heard a car rattle, at a few points, even amid Tom’s careful driving, sounded as it was ready to fall apart and leave itself on the road in a pile of cheap metal. 

This elephant to the left turned to look at us, wondering if we were a threat.  We were prepared to back up at any moment.

But, oh, this wasn’t the worst of it. The fact we hadn’t seen much in the way of wildlife to fuel our enthusiasm, the car’s five-speed transmission, coupled with the outrageous road, made for one unpleasant drive. Wait, more is yet to come.

Finally, once we exited the gate and neared the bridge, we couldn’t believe the scene before our eyes. The narrow one-way bridge was blocked by a car hauling a boat. The trailer became stuck between the low support posts, intended to keep vehicles from driving off the bridge into the dangerous Crocodile River (hence, its name). The trailer’s wheels were wider than the bridge itself.

After several had passed, she turned to look at us directly. Had she started moving toward us, we’d have high-tailed out of there.  Elephants have been known to topple over cars, crushing them in the process.

When we arrived at the scene, we were one of maybe three vehicles hoping to cross. Within about 10 minutes, 12 to 15 vehicles lined up with drivers and passengers getting out to check out the situation and perhaps, offer their two cents worth of advice, none of which would be effective without some major equipment coming to the scene.

We waited, waited, and waited. There was no way any of us would be getting across this bridge anytime soon. We had a decision to make…sit here and wait for what certainly would be hours or attempt to get out of the park via another route, the closest gate being Malelane Gate, 60 kilometers (37 miles) from our current location. 

She kept watching as more came across the road.

On the slow unpaved roads, we expected the drive would take an extra 90 minutes. Plus, when we exited through the Malelane Gate, we’d have another 49 kilometers (30.5 miles) to return to Marloth Park. Most likely, we’d be back at our place by 2:00 pm or so. We decided to leave rather than sit for hours at the blocked Crocodile Bridge.

Then, of course, we had to regain entrance into the park. The person handling documents didn’t speak English well and had trouble understanding why we needed to get back into the park to exit via Malelane. 

Although not the matriarch, she may have been second-in-command. When she saw this tiny elephant and another baby crossing, she focused even more.

Finally, the gate agent figured it out, and he dug out our original documents but needed to staple the paperwork together. There were no staples in his staple gun, nor the next booth, nor in the next booth, and after about five or six minutes, he rousted up some staples. It was this delay…staples…that influenced an upcoming next experience.

Little did we know or anticipate that the dirt roads we had to take to get to the Malelane Gate were considerably worse than the bumpy dirt roads we’d experienced earlier. I can honestly say we’ve never traveled on a “washboard” road to this extent. If I thought the car was falling apart earlier, this wasn’t good. We couldn’t wait for the long ride to end.

Once she saw they were safe, she backed off, joining the others on the left side of the road. We’d practically held our breath during the entire crossing, thrilled and excited for the experience.

But then…amid our frustration (no, Tom didn’t get overly grumpy, but then, I wasn’t necessarily “overly bubbly” although we both were staying on an even keel), safari luck kicked in. Before our eyes, a scene we’d experienced four years ago and had dreamed of seeing once again lie before our eyes…the dozens of elephants crossing the road as shown in today’s photos.

Had it not been for the delay in finding the staples, we would have missed it.  We couldn’t stop smiling while rapidly taking photos as we watched this magical scene transpire before us. Of course, the first thing we said was, “Safari luck” rewarded us for the harrowing drive and the delays at the Crocodile Bridge.”

Mom and baby wildebeest were walking along the road.

The story doesn’t end here. But tomorrow, we’ll share the balance, a story of making mistakes, taking wrong roads, and choosing a ridiculous shortcut that only cost us more time and frustration, all of which, we must admit, was softened by this scene of the elephants, all due to a staple gun’s missing staples. 

We never made it to Jabula for dinner last night. We’ll go tonight instead. After all, I’m married to an Irishman and today is St. Patrick’s Day (also son Richard‘s birthday. Happy b’day Richard!), and indeed we’ll have some fun at Jabula tonight!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all who celebrate and be safe in the process!

Photo from one year ago today, March 17, 2017:

This cockatoo stopped by for a visit, alighting atop Bob’s medicinal Papaw tree in the yard. For more photos, please click here.