Kruger National Park

We left early from Hartbeespoort to get back to Joburg so we could pack up the “Caravan” to camp in Kruger National Park for a week. We stopped at a McDonalds for breakfast on our way. Amazingly, the food tasted the same.

Camping at the park is Pieter, Marlene, and Herman’s favorite place to vacation. The enjoy being away from the city, the wild animals, a nice fire at night, and the quietness.

We stopped in Nelspruit which is just outside the park to buy a few groceries including naarkies (clementines). While Pieter filled up the car with petrol, I bought a spring bok pelt from a vendor there named Willem. Willem is a financial consultant and sells skins for a hobby. He even offered assistance if we had problems in the park. Again, I have found the South African people very accommodating and completely interested in speaking with foreigners.

Arrived at the Park!

Named after Paul Kruger

We headed for our campsite in Kruger. After we entered the National park on our way to our campsite, we passed 2 lions on the road! They were literally no more than 2 meters from our vehicle. It is amazing how big the animals are we you see them in their environment and not in captivity. No one is allowed outside their vehicle for obvious safety concerns.

It took us a couple of hours to set up camp and get situated. Camped next to us was Analise and Vossie (Foxy). Yes, Vossie is the husband. He is a trucker and travels to the States quite often. He really enjoys the town of Lost Wages (Las Vegas).

The next morning we were woken up by monkies. As I later found out, these monkies are quite the pest. While we were in the park, they found a way into our tent, opened zippers to steal our bread, oranges, and bananas!

South Africa is home of the Amarula Tree. This just happens to be my favorite liqueur! Here is the tree and it's fruit. The fruit looks a lot like a fig and the tree is enormous! I still cant get over that it is less than $12 a bottle tax included. Save the water and drink the AMARULA!

During on our ride through the park we saw many animals. The ones to look for are The Big Five, Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, and Rhino. We haven't seen the leopard yet.

Sabie River

 

 

Just to emphasize how careful to be in the park is a story of a young man named Charles. Was killed by a leopard10 years ago while in a tourist group. He went away from the group to have a smoke near a bridge. Out of the bush a leopard came and mauled him. The group heard a scream and saw the young man being mauled. The older leopard was captured and put down. Every year on the day of his death, Charles parents place a cross at the point where he was killed. With the astonishing beauty of the park and animals, one needs to have much respect for the danger that exists in a natural habitat of predators.

While in the park, a rule you do not break is that you stay in your car! You have no idea what is out there and what is watching you. The cheetah is perfectly camouflaged for you not to see them along with lions who blend in perfectly with the tall grass. Many people have been killed in the park by just getting out of the vehicle and getting mauled unsuspected by a lion! Imagine a cheetah that can run up to 60 mph! Here is a photograph of a Mexican out of his car in the park. When I took the picture, he was actually walking back to his car which means he was even farther from his car then when I took the pick! Unbelievable! Not only that, he is wearing a red and white shirt! He looks like a popcorn box! How else could you say to a lion come and eat me by wearing a red and white striped shirt! He looks like a queer zebra! We told him to get back in his car! He said that they haven’t seen anything for a while and needed to stretch his legs. Duh! You haven’t seen anything because they are hiding from you!

 

Like this female in the bushes!

We saw a gorgeous zebra along side the road! Like a post card!

The last full day at Kruger was hi-lighted with seeing a Cheetah! It is the rarest of animals in the park. Currently, there are only between 2 and 3 hundred in the park compared to the 12,000 elephants! It is a beautiful animal and from his paws to tip of his ears is around 4 feet. They look so much bigger in person than on TV. Here are the pictures of this beautiful creature! This was quite close to where we saw the guy get out of his car!

 

 

More Animals.