Gecko #81 Goes to Kruger – Satara

22 November 2019

It was moving day today.  We awoke to overcast weather and temperature of 25 degrees.  We packed up camp and left at 07:00

It was lovely to see lots of impala, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest as we travelled the H1-4.  One or two elephants also put in an appearance.

We stopped on the bridge where you are allowed to get out and when we looked back up the road, a very big elephant crossed over.  We also observed marabou and yellow-billed stork in the river bed and a yellow-billed kite was skimming right down low looking for a morsel or two to eat.

Elephant crossing the road just before the bridge

It was my birthday so we took a detour to Olifant’s Camp where there is a fabulous view across the river of the same name and had breakfast there.   It was a perfect setting.  We watched elephants cross over and the food was excellent.

We arrived at Letaba at 11:00 and the temperature had risen to 29 degrees C.  This Bennet’s Woodpecker made an appearance

 

We set up camp, had a rest and then went our again at 15:00 and returned at 17:30 – It must have been the most unproductive drive of any I have ever had in Kruger.  Yet a bad day in Kruger is better than a good day at home!  These are the highlights of our drive.

Hippo out of water

Donkeys in striped pyjamas

Curious Buffalo

The Wild Bunch 

Lazy cisticola singing at the top of his voice

In the evening, my darling husband took me out to dinner at the restaurant.   It was too dark to see the view but the ambience was lovely on the deck where we sat. We both ordered pies.  I don’t eat pastry but the delicious part was served in individual boat-shaped black pots and topped with the crust, which I just left to the side.

Being my birthday, I had a few phone calls and felt very special with all the birthday messages on WhatsApp, Messenger and Facebook.   Thanks to all my friends and family for all your good wishes.   The Earl had a superb Melba pudding and ice cream for dessert and had a crustless melktert (milk tart) which was almost as good as the one my grandmother used to make!

The Earl had the venison pie and I had the chicken, butternut and mushroom – both delicious!