My Amazing Adventure



Hoedspruit Airport South Africa
 

My mind is a whirl of excitement and amazement as I reminisce my African adventure.  I arrived home in Perth yesterday tired and bedraggled after an all night flight.  I rang Dustin when I arrived at the airport and he told me Merv had fallen out of bed a week ago but he was alright.  They had called the doctor to have him checked out.  The tears swelled in my eyes, it was difficult not to cry.  I rang Merv after I returned home and he said he was happy and safe.  Family are visiting him this weekend while I spend the time with Mel.  We are going to Fremantle tomorrow.  It will be good not to worry about getting home at a particular time.   I pick Merv up at 10am Monday morning.
Makalali Game reserve was beyond my expectations.  It was AMAZING!  I had mobile coverage but Wi-Fi was not available.  I will share a little each day of my most wonderful adventures over the next week. 
The flight to Hoedspruit from Johannesburg last Sunday began when we boarded a transfer bus from the terminal to the plane.  The plane was small with two seats on each side of the aisle.  I looked out the window and instead of jet engines there were propellers!  I sat next to a young lady from Iowa visiting her sister at another game reserve in the Kruger Park area.  The flight took only 40 minutes but we were given a healthy snack box, I was most impressed!  Our transfer driver, Barney met us at the tiny airport, all very country and basic.  As we began our journey to Makalali we were delighted to see a sole giraffe standing by the fence!  Makalali is 90 minutes north west of Hoedspruit which is west of Kruger Park.  The sealed road soon changed to stone and dust and we rocked and bumped to the reception area.  We spotted zebra, impala and small monkeys during the drive.  Carolyn welcomed us with an iced tea and gave us specific instructions for our safety.  The huts are not fenced off and the animals in the reserve are free to roam.  They are all wild.  No long walks early in the morning for me!


My Mud Hut
 

Our luggage was put in our huts and we were treated to lunch in a communal dining area, also like a large hut with a viewing platform over the creek.  Two German couples were also visiting and we chatted with them, one couple were on their honeymoon.  We sat and enjoyed a small buffet style lunch with savoury and sweet delights.  We had only an hour to unpack and get ready for our very first safari at 4pm!  My hut was a short walk away, with a boardwalk which takes you to the door and overlooks the creek below. The roof of the hut is thatched and the walls made of mud.  It is made for tourists and original African huts I imagine would be much smaller.  There is a separate toilet, claw foot bath and dressing area,  a huge king size bed with mosquito netting and plenty of shelving and hanging space.  We were instructed to keep the doors and windows closed (there is a fan and air conditioner for summer and fireplace for winter) to keep out animals especially the baboons.  A huge picture window is directly in front of the bed. I unpacked, put on my jeans and jacket and headed off for my first safari.

Our Open 4WD jeep
 

Lawrence was our driver during our stay, he takes a rifle in a bag with him on each safari, fortunately 

Young Lion in the Bush
 

he never needed to use it.  Our vehicle is a Toyota 4WD.  The instructions are simple and specific.  Stay seated, do not stand up in the vehicle, do not leave the vehicle unless instructed.  The animals see the jeep as a whole, they do not recognise it is full of yummy humans!  We are on our way, bumping over the stony ground, there are no seatbelts, we hang on to the sides or to each other as we scale small hills and descent into dry and stony river beds.  Lawrence is on the 2 way radio and hears a lion has been sighted.  We head off at pace and soon see other visitors in vehicles viewing the lion.  Lawrence drives the jeep through the undergrowth to assure we have the best view.  The lion is just 

Cape Buffalo
 

lying on his back soaking up the late afternoon sun.  We ensure our cameras are doing overtime.  We leave the lion and head off into the bush and we are rewarded with a herd of Cape Buffalo.  They are just plodding along and take little notice of us.  They are huge in size and occasionally one looks in our direction and our hearts miss a beat and we hope the beast wont charge, but it just looks and snorts and moves on!  The majestic giraffes are spotted in the bush and we see many in the next few days.  They tower above all else and have such gentle countenance.   On we 
pursue our dreams and are rewarded with a herd of zebras, impalas and even a rabbit as the night envelopes us.  Lawrence stops the jeep and we clamber out the sides and enjoy a drink and some nibbles before returning to our camp.  Some of us have to go behind a bush but I have decided to limit my fluids before safari and fortunately never need to go to this extreme.  I don't want to be caught with my pants down!  The very thought of being chased by a lion (or anything else) while partly undressed is too harrowing for my mind!We return to camp to a warm refreshing hand towel and BBQ dinner.  We dine on vegetable soup, Kudo skewers, fish, vegetables, salad and finish with green banana and ice cream.  Each night a staff member walks you to your hut to ensure your safety.  While out on safari, staff  let down the mosquito netting
and place a bookmark and leaf on your bed,  they turn on the lights ready for your return after dark. My bed is shrouded by the magnificent mosquito netting.  I take a bath and fall into bed.  Though I am in the middle of the African bush surrounded by wild animals my soul is at peace and there is an ambience in my hut.  I drift off to sleep and await the excitement of the next day.