1st of December

Up early to do a game drive in the sanctuary. We were out about four hours and saw animals more or less everywhere we drove. We didn't meet another vehicle in all that time - it was as though we were the only people on the planet. The sand roads in the sanctuary are good, with the area being a mixture of bushy terrain and open pans.

The game we incountered was, giraffe, large herds of zebra, both impala and springbuck, oryx (gemsbuck), ostrich, wilderbeast, harterbeast, warthog, dik-dik, secretary birds, kudu, and of course rhino. Our breakfast which we hadn't had became brunch when we got back to camp.

Yes we got pretty close to some of the big fellas

2nd - 3rd of December - South Africa

We crossed the border into South Africa at Martins Drift. The emigration official said our permits run out just around Christmas and we cannot get them renewed at a border post. We have never had this problem before and queried it, but she was adamant that we would have to go to Pretoria or Joberg to get it done. We don't believe it, but will follow it up later.

A much needed hike

Rained again during the evening, but we had a little terrace in front of the toilets we could use, so no problems. The camp had a swimming pool, but the water was green, so we weren't going in there.

Our guide is tired after the long walk

4th - 6th of December  Limpopo South Africa

We hit the road next day heading for Bela Bela, and area of warm mineral springs. We are in the Waterberg area of Limpopo and we did a little drive called Waterberg Meander. If you follow the map it takes you to many places of interest in the area. The first place was a tiny church built from local stone, at a place called 24 rivers. We couldn't get in the church, but it certainly wouldn't take many people to fill it. I tried to find the 24 rivers but didn't even find one!!! We carried on into the wilderness which the place is - unspoilt wilderness. The Limpopo highlands were stunning and further along we saw wilderness views of both a game reserve and Marakele national park. The area is full of game reserves, where you can go in and see the "big five", almost certainly for a big price as well. Most of these places you can't just roll up to the gate a get in - you have to book in advance.

We ended up at Bela Bela and duly found the campsite where the warm springs were, but we didn't go in. The noise was deafening and there were people everywhere. We duly turned round and headed back out of town. We eventually settles for Bela Bela Lodge, just so we could get a bed for the night. They didn't have a campsite, but a chalet was okay for the night.

We went for a dip in the warm pool - nice and soothing for the old back! On the road after more warm springs, but without the crowds. Camped for two days at Lekerus Club Resort. The warm pools here were great, but they were repairing the big pool, so we didn't get to try it. Again we were plagued with rain. I tried to carry out a service on the vehicle, but as soon as I started the heavens opened up. Karen went up to pay, as we had arrived on Sunday and there was no reception, but the guard on the gate let us in with the proviso that we check in at 9.0am next day. When she came back she had booked us into a chalet. It was much cheaper than the campsite and it did look as though some more rain could be on the way. The pools here were good and I got a bit of massage from Karen while we up to our necks in hot water. Gave the vehicle a service. We have to make sure the old girl keeps up the good work!!!

Weather a lot colder in the evenings at the moment. Being the rain season we are getting a lot of storms during the early evening after a nice warm day and the rain cools things down to about 20 degrees C 

Pilansberg in the Waterberg area.   South Africa

7th -8th of December

The area we are in at the moment is beautiful, so we spent time driving through the Waterberg mountains on our way to Pilansberg Game Park. It is a good thing we have time to enjoy the countryside on our way through. Just stop and marvel at the African wilderness and see that Africa is not just about wildlife. Arrived at the park and found a good campsite. Decided to eat at the restaurant and because they had Kudu, Impala and Eland on the menu. Nice warm evening with no rain. Early night because we were tired.

Fantastic in Pilansberg

Animals galore!!!

Up early next day and we were on our way into the park by 6.0am. More or less as we drove in we saw an elephant on the side of a hill and two lions a bit further on. Wow what a start. We have never enjoyed driving in a park as much as this one - it even beat Etosha, which up until now has been our favourite. The park was made up of hills, mountains and passes, with everything being so green that we thought we were driving through the promissed land. To put the icing on the cake, we saw lots of animals, only missing out on the big five, because we didn't see a leopard. We saw lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, springbuck, impala, giraffe, harter beast, turtles, waterbuck, hippo, monetary lizard, dik-dik, wilderbeast, zebra and a snake.

He got a bit close to us

9th - 11th of December

Did a morning drive, taking the long way out of the park. Saw Elephants playing while we stopped and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the car. We drove to Rustenberg to see the stadium where Denmark and England played their world cup matches. Karen really wanted to see it and asked around, which lead to us being presented to the manager of the stadium and she took us on our own private tour through the complex  We saw the changing rooms, got to go out into the stadium itself and even touched the pitch. Saw the executive suites and the security set up used during the world cup matches. She was full of information and the tour was very interesting.

A snake in Pilansberg

Our next stop was Sun City, and over on the left you can see Karen saying hi to an elephant in The Palace in Lost City. I don't know what you who are reading this would expect if you visited Sun City. It's famous as a gambling area ( the only one in South Africa), so I was thinking along the lines of Las Vegas in the States, but no it was nothing like it.

Firstly it's a resort, not a town and with no shops. So you have to pay to get in (75 rand per person). The area is just hotels, with them all, bar one, having magnificent casinos. The hotels have each several swimming pools and restaurants and are simply stunning in there design. They have terraces with waterfalls here and there. Rivers running under the floor and wave machine giving the swimming pools a touch of the ocean. The whole complex is 5 star plus - so hang on to your wallet. The casinos are huge and full of grottos and palm trees, restaurants and oh yes, a few tables. There are thousands of people employed just to keep lawns and roads in order and just think - all in the name of gambling and this is not counting hotel and casino staff. Money has definitely not been a problem when this place was conceived. The cheapest room in the whole resort was 2000 rand for a double room for one night - without breakfast. Just think - the place was full of people. I don't know where the money comes from, but you can certainly see where it goes.

I don't know how Karen managed it, but when I had parked the vehicle and got into reception, she had done a deal with the manger for a chalet, for way under half price. When we got to our chalet with it's own parking place in the shade, we could see why the price should have been much higher - it's sheer luxury. We are going to enjoy it for the two nights we have booked. I still don't know how she did it!!!!

We drove into "Joburg" and tried to organize our computer modem so we could go on the net when we are away from  civilisation, but after wasting 200 rand on a data pack, we just couldn't get the thing to work. "Africa wins again". Even so, the two days at the lodge were really enjoyable.

New brake pads being fitted by Toyota

12th - 17th of December

Spent the  morning at the lodge. It was raining so we couldn't utilise any of the facilities, but decided to wait before driving to the Road Lodge where we would stay together with Jorgen and Hanne and family upon their arrival later. On our way over there, we checked out the area and found a shopping centre close by - actually in the direction we wanted to leave Joburg, so Jorgen could get used to driving on the "wrong"  side of the road, without too much traffic getting in the way.

They arrived on time but were tired after along flight. A cup of coffee and then to bed. We don't have to get up too early in the morning, because Bushlore would not be coming with their 4x4 before 9.0am.

Things go wrong!!!

Good breakfast and now all we needed was the vehicle. The driver duly arrived - without any vehicle!!! Rang to the office and they knew nothing about the vehicle being brought to the hotel. The guy we had made the arrangements with was on holiday and of course he hadn't conveyed the new instructions to the rest of the staff. We were really pissed off and I let them know that over the phone. It didn't help, so we had to go with the driver over to the other side of  Joburg, in the opposite direction to the direction we wanted to go. 80 kms extra and a delay in getting under way - a really good start for Jorgen and Hanne!!! While all this was going on it was pouring down. Eventually got the vehicle sorted out and we were on the road. Found a shopping centre and also ate lunch in there.

Because of the delay, we couldn't get to Fourisberg camping site, so we found a site about halfway.

Jorgen and Hanne's vehicle

A bit of excitement setting up a joint camp for the first time. A bit of rain during the evening.

Lesotho

Drove over the border in pouring rain.. Arrived at Roma Trading Post, where we would camp - but -but- but, the rain had turned the campsite into a river of mud. We rented a large house. It rained the whole night through - welcome to Lesotho.

We stopped at a lodge on the way up, so we could get some lunch. We asked about the condition of the road and to our surprise were told we couldn't go any further. The road ahead was flooded and could not be crossed at the moment. Maybe in a week or so. What do you do??? A quick pow-pow and we turned round and headed back in the direction we had come from - though a different route. We didn't make the border, but found a camping site ( Aloe Guest Farm), again flooded, so we rented three chalets.

South Africa

Again it rained all night, but next day after we had reached the border at Fourisburg, the sun broke through and our mood changed. Drove through the Golden Gate Reserve and saw Zebra, wilderbeest, springbuck etc. A fantastic drive all the way to eShowe where we would be camping at a mission. Jorgen and Hanne and the kids had brought some clothes from Denmark and we had some we could give to some of the poor families around the mission. We rang that we were on our way and they asked us to drive to another address to meet other people involved in the project.

Sylvia and Nick were their names and they invited us to camp on their lawn, right at the side of their swimming pool. We drove in carefully and parked. Wow they made us feel welcome. Next day we drove out to meet some of the orphaned children we had brought clothes for. Here we really saw the down side of Africa. The first family consisted of a grandmother looking after the children, because her daughter had died at the age of 26 of aids. This is unfortunately is the story for a lot of people. The guy showing us round was responsible for helping the local community as much possible with the means available. He even said that sometimes it seems a hopeless, but he keeps doing his best. He would like to help all the children without parents, but has to make do with the few he can manage.

The children sang and danced for us at the church before we left.

Really enjoyed seeing the area and going into town and doing a bit of shopping. Our last evening, we, together with Jorgen and Hanne bought and prepared the evening meal. Jorgen and me took charge of the grilling. They wouldn't take anything for camping, so it was the least we could do. Mind you the grill was a bit of a mess when we had finished.

A wet Lesotho

18th - 20th of December

Left and headed for iNfolosi game Reserve, 160 odd kms away. We called at St Lousie on the way - or nearly on the way (80 kms extra). Here we all booked a boat trip to see hippos and crocs. Saw lots of hippos and only a few crocs, but it was a nice trip. Continued to Bushbay lodge where we had booked two campsites next to each other.  The camp was close to iNfolosi and we made an early start next day, getting up at 4.0am to get into the park early. We spent all day driving in the park and saw elephant, kudu, lion, giraffe, impala, warthog, zebra, buffalo, waterbuck, rhino, wilderbeest, bushbuck etc. A great day was had by all.

Next day we just relaxed at the camp. The weather was good so the swimming pool was in use.

Elephant in iNfolosi

21st - 23rd of December

Swaziland/Mozambique

The next stop on our way to Mozambique, was Hlane Game Sanctuary in Swaziland. This we would only use as a overnight stop. We couldn't get right up to Tufo, where we would spend Christmas. Did a game drive in the morning, but didn't see much - rhino and some antilopes. On the road to the border with Mozambique and here we got our usual shock, which we seem to be getting every time we cross a border. They wanted 557 rand per person for a visa which would last for a month. I think this is the last thing Mozambique should be doing if they really want tourists to come back. Since we were here a year ago, they have increased the price by 400%. We tried to get an explanation of why everyone else waiting in the line didn't have to pay - just us!!! We grudgingly paid and got through.

We still had 600 kms to Tufo, so another camping site was needed. We hadn't booked anywhere, but found Honey Pot Rest Camp after about 300 kms. They had a swimming pool and bar, so we were happy - a nice place. The road up the coast is a lot better than it was a year ago, so the last leg got us into Tufo and the camp at 1.0pm and what a disappointment when we arrived. No campsite had been reserved, in spite of of the fact we had booked months ago and confirmed a few days before we arrived. The campsite generally was run down and we ended up using two different plots to camp. We were told where we could camp, but there was simply no room to camp on the same site. The site we eventually chose we were told we couldn't camp there, after being told we could. The manager came and asked us to move - but I said no we wouldn't, because there was simply nowhere to move to. After a while the whole thing blew over and of course we could camp where we were. Shame that you have to go through a whole load of unpleasantness, before you get what you have booked - well nearly anyway.

24th - 28th of December

Very hot at the moment - 36 degrees C. Next day, Karen a myself drove along the coast to see if we could find something better to stay at - but no luck. Carried on into the local town 20 kms away to see what we could buy in the way of food. We thought we could buy close to the camp. Managed to get some meat and other items, so we could cook food during the Christmas holidays here...   

Buying wood at the side of the road in Mozambique. Karen, Jorgen and Sissel barter.

The campsite at Tofo

Christmas on the beach in Mozambique

There are a lot of people here now. We are beginning ' to feel a bit like sardines, as there isn't much room between the tents anymore  The days are going by with lazing around, grilling food, reading etc. and of course the occasional dip in the warm Indian Ocean. The time unfortunately when Jorgen and Hanne and family have to leave is nearly upon us. It will be strange to see them leave and have to carry on alone. We will miss them, but we will see them again soon when we go home in April. On the campsites it's always better when you are a few people. Quite often when it's just Karen and me it is not always easy to get in touch with others on the site - if we are lucky enough not to be alone.

Christmas 2010 - dancing round the tree

28th - 31st of December

Everyone up early, because Jorgen and Hanne would drive straight through to South Africa which is a 600kms drive. Sad to see them drive off, it has been great having them here, even if things haven't gone as planned, they have got a taste of Africa.

Karen and me went down the beach to Dino's and had a paella. It tasted great. After we had finished we wondered back down the and lingered to see the sun set, then back to he camp. The next morning we left and drove out to something called the lighthouse where there should be campsite, but we didn't find it. Carried on up north with our destination being Blue Water Camp, 300kms up the coast, where we stayed during our last visit to Mozambique. Before we got more than a 100 kms we saw a sign for a camping site at Morrungula Lodge. The site was right down at the beach and they had vacancies. It was a fantastic site, plenty of room, grass and not sand. Local salesman even come round with fish, bread and fruit. What a pity we didn't come up here with Jorgen and Hanne. Hindsight only gives you regrets, and you can only use it if you come back. We have decided to stay here until next year or there abouts!  

Jorgen, Hanne and family leave for South Africa

Our days at the moment go with reading, bathing, beating Karen at "yatze" or at least trying to and dodging the coconuts as they fall from the trees. You really have to be careful where you sit or lie. Eating healthy at the moment is no problem. We have run out of meat a long time ago, so we buy fish, fruit and bread from the locals who come round. You have to be careful though, because some really try to charge two to three times the value of the items. When we first arrived we just didn't know what the right price was, but you gradually hone in to the kg price of the various things. Up to now we have eaten crayfish twice and also got a beautiful 2 kg "lemon fish", which we got one of the locals to clean and prepare for the grill. There was enough for our tea and lunch for a couple of days.

On the 31st in the evening, we went up to the restaurant at the lodge and had a fish platter between us. The view from the lodge is fantastic with you being able to see quite a lot of the coast line which is covered with palm trees. Later we went down to beach where a large bonfire had been lit. We had our chairs with us which we placed quite a distance from the fire. The temperature was still about 28 degrees at 23.00 hours, so we didn't need any additional heat. There was a constant array of fireworks going off until 24.00, when the whole sky lit up with a display that Tivoli, or Silkeborg regatta would be proud of. There was even a bit of entertainment, with two drunks who had been sleeping on the beach making several efforts to leave, only to keep falling down in a heap again. Someone had brought a spotlight, so their progress was highlighted all the time - poor buggers, they will have a couple of king size headaches tomorrow.