It started well though. Halfway from Shingwedzi we had a sighting of 4 Lions. Mum and her 3 little ones. Well hidden about 10m from the road. She was sitting out the warm part of the day, the cubs were messing around. That would be our last Lion spot.
Camp was quiet on arriving Friday lunchtime and got busy Saturday night. Sunday it was quieter again. As the end was nigh we made an effort to get out of camp. Long game drives in the morning and a short drive in the evenings to watch the sun go down over the Tsendze river with a cool beer and some nuts.
Our favorite drive which we did Saturday and Sunday mornings was east of camp to the grassy plains at the Tihongoyeni waterhole on the S143 loop. The grass was very long this year and the masses of Zebra loved it. They were quite happy sharing their spot with the Wildebeest and Tsessebe. Oh and us. A perfect place for morning coffee and rusks, and the odd hundred photos!
There were plenty of young Zebra around, and the adults were playing their own games! It is great just to sit there and watch and listen. Best relaxation therapy available. We even had a sighting of 3 Side Striped Jackals, the rarer cousin of the Black Backed. Many an Elephant around too. Lone bulls and large herds. One herd had some very small ones to look out for. Their older sisters were very protective and we gave them plenty of space and only watched for a couple of minutes.
Before we knew it Monday morning had arrived and it was time for our 24 night visit to the park to come to an end. The drive out to the Phalaborwa gate was nice, quiet, but had its moments. We came across an old couple in their broken down pickup and had to notify the staff at the gate to rescue them. We also came across a throng of Vultures hacking away at an Impala carcass. What a sight, what a smell!
Then it was all over. Thru the gate and back to civilisation, or the zoo outside the park!
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