Share Your World 12 February 2018

2018-02-12 | puppy1952

Here is my contribution to The Questions on Cee’s Share Your World this week

Are you a practical jokester?

No, I am not and I don’t like practical jokes at all. They’re silly and it makes me uncomfortable to see somebody being the victim of a practical joke. – Okay – sometimes they’re funny – but not for the person who is being pranked! As my grandson would say – It might be fun for you but it’s not for me!

Who cuts your hair? You, a friend, or professional.

I have my hair and nails done professionally. I just make a mess of it if I do it myself. I also refuse to cut anybody else’s hair – much to my husband’s disgust. When we lived in Cape Town our daughter used to cut his hair regularly. I just get grumpy if I have to do it so I make him go to my hair stylist!

Did you have a stuffed animal when you were a kid, if so what kind?

Yes I had a proper teddy bear when I was little – I have no idea what happened to it. When my daughter was nine she received a Paddington Bear from my brother. She still has it twenty-nine years on.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

I hugely appreciate the girls morning my friend Perci and I had on Saturday. We went to a food market in Napier, visited quaint, crafty shops and home decor stores that neither of our hubbies would have appreciated.

She helped me pick out some cushions for my lounge suite and we just had some lovely girl fun. That day I smiled a lot and we had great fun!

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Tail/Taleb

2018-02-10 | puppy1952

This is my contribution to this week’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday

Use Tail, tale or both.

A wet nose pushes into the back of my knee as I stand preparing salads at the counter. She’s come in silently and when I turn, her tail wags gently from side to side. “Hello, Shonga,” I bend down to pat her. “So where’s Andrew?”

He slips in after her, big grin on his face. Shonga had heralded his arrival. It’s been several months since she’s last st seen us but she’s not forgotten and is eager to re-investigate familiar surroundings. She makes herself right at home. She knows where she is to sleep and jumps right up onto the bed prepared for her comfort. She looks at me appealingly. “Yes – your water bowl is right here too,” I say filling it and placing it before her. She drinks thirstily, tail wagging again.

Shonga is definitely Andrew’s best friend. He has proper conversations with her. She cocks an ear, looks right at him and understands every word. Sometimes she speaks dog right back to him and he understands her too. “I’m going to visit Gawie, Shonga. Do you want to come?” She yips in the affirmative and heads straight to the car.

He tells a tale of some mischief she’d been up to and she gets an embarrassed look on her face and droops her tail in case she’s once again reprimanded for her misdemeanor. “Don’t worry, Shonga,” Ands reassures her, “I’m just telling a tale from the past. Remember when you rolled in that cow dung?” She looks away, tail between her legs.

“Give her a Beeno,” says The Earl. Ears prick up, tail begins to wag and she’s all high spirits again.

Welcome to Struisbaai, Andrew and Shonga!

Shonga

Black and White Challenge – Patterns

2018-02-09 | puppy1952

Here is my contribution to this weeks Black and White Challenge from Cee

I have chosen two animal pattern photographs

Spotty leopard

Stripy Zebras

And two fabric patterns

Thai Cushion Cover

Owl patterned scarf

Cee’s Oddball Challenge 4 February 2018

2018-02-07 | puppy1952

Here is my take on this week’s oddball challenge from Cee

Love these garden statues I saw at a local coffee shop

Fun Photo Challenge Letter Y

2018-02-07 | puppy1952

This weeks Fun Photo Challenge from Cee requires that the photograph posted begins with Y or ends with Y.

2011-08-09 001 Rondevlei Yellow-billed duck

Yellow-billed Duck

Yellow-billed Hornbill

Yellow-bellied Greelbul

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Mommy and Baby Monkey

Share Your World 5 February 2018

2018-02-06 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to this week’s Share Your World from Cee

I have been away for three months and have not participated regularly in Cee’s Share Your World. I’m trying to get back into routine – so here goes.

What would be your ideal fantasy way to spend Monday?

Monday is supposed to be the most dreaded day of the week. However, I never minded them when I was a working woman. To me it meant another fresh start to a new week and I was usually keen to get going with all the things that needed to be done with my ever-eager (I hope) class! My advice to young people deciding on what to do with their lives is to choose something they’re going to like – because you have to do it for a very long time!

But now I am in fantasy land! Retired and able to plan my day as I choose. Sometimes I’m not even aware of what day of the week it is! Ha – so what is my favourite way to spend a day? Bird watching is my first choice. I had a whole month of that in Kruger National Park in November and then another two weeks in January – so I’ve had my fill. Another great way to spend Monday would be actually to just be on my own, with my computer, undisturbed to get my photographs edited and PowerPoint presentations made. I’m working on it but there are always interruptions! Not that I mind. I have very little to complain about!

What one person that you are out of contact with would you like to say thank you to?

I’m in contact with everyone I want to thank and I hope I have thanked them for what they mean to me in my life. I do miss those who have gone forever though. But I’m pretty sure that wherever they are they know that I think of them and miss them every day.

List your favorite toys or games as a kid?

My brother took my favourite clockwork clapping doll apart because he needed to know how it worked. Well perhaps it’s only my favourite in retrospect because I was mad at him for breaking it. But I forgave him because my parents said he had an inquiring mind, and that was a good thing for a boy, and that one day he would learn a lot of technical things and know how to fix toys for his own kids. Yes – well – they were right of course. No – joking aside – I can’t really remember being attached to any one toy. There were favourite games and activities though. I loved the swing which hung from a tree in my grandmother’s garden and it was the best when my Uncle Tony pushed me higher than was possibly safe! Endless games of Monopoly with my siblings and cousins in the Winter School Holidays were also enormous fun. I just wish the kids today could have the freedom we had when we were young – we climbed the mountain behind our house without adult supervision , went to the beach on our own, rode our bikes everywhere and didn’t have a care in the world. Our parents only had a vague idea where we were and as long as we were home in time for dinner nobody really worried. My own children never had that freedom.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel fee to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

I smiled because I had a great holiday. I smiled because it was good to be back home. I smiled when we reunited with friends we hadn’t seen for months. I smiled when we met new friends who had the same surname as ours! I freaked when I saw my garden was both dry and overgrown but I smiled again when it was quickly sorted out.

smile

Tips on Holidaying in South African Game Reserves

2018-02-05 | puppy1952

A few people have asked me how to go about organising a Sanparks holiday and how much it costs. This depends on the type of accommodation you choose, whether you self-cater or eat in restaurants and whether you self-drive or book guided tours and walks.

Below I give some tips based on our own personal experience.

When planning your trip get hold of a map of the park you wish to visit. If you don’t have a paper version you can download info from this link which will give you options to download gate times, the distance between camps, detailed maps of each section of the park and suggested routes. It is very comprehensive.

Decide how many days you wish to stay and which camps you wish to stay at. Check in time is 2 pm Check out is 11 am. Remember that the maximum speed limit on tar roads is 50 km /hr and on dirt 40 km/hr. Bear in mind that while travelling between camps you will want to stop to look at game so factor in time for this. We try not to travel more that 120 km between camps. I recommend three to four days at each camp, depending on how long you are staying. It’s best not to spend less than two nights per camp.

To Book your accommodation go to the Sanparks website

Click on the Where to Stay tab Choose Accommodation Availability

Click on the Park of your choice – EG Kruger National Park Then choose Main Rest Camps

A list of camps will drop down. Choose a camp to browse and then click on the tab Browse by Calendar Month

You will clearly see the availability of each type on accommodation on the calendar. Each type will be marked with a number e.g. EH3 Click on this and you will be shown all its features and fees.

You can book online but I use the site to check availability, write down what I want and then PHONE central bookings. +27 (0) 12 4289111 OR +27 (0) 11 6788870

This is the easiest and quickest way to do it as you get confirmation immediately. You will be sent an email with your provisional booking and a date by which you must pay the deposit and the final amount. You will be sent another email confirming your booking when you pay the deposit. Then another one when final payment is made. Payment can be made by EFT or Credit Card.

REMEMBER School holiday times become booked up very quickly and you need to book eleven months in advance if you want to go during those times. It is easier to get accommodation out of school holidays. Be aware that Kgalagadi Trans-frontier Park gets booked up very quickly in season and off season. Always book 11 months in advance for KTP.

All the rondawels/bungalows/chalets are serviced daily. Some are fully equipped, some partially, so always check. Some have kitchen and bathroom. Some have only kitchen and you have to use the ablutions. If you self-cater it is best to bring your own favourite knives. Pots and pans are usually okay but you might want to bring a pan to cook breakfast at picnic sites.

Accommodation

There are different types of accommodation and it depends on your preference what type you should book. In Kruger the following is available – but not at all camps. So check it out first.

You can camp and most sites accommodate caravans and/or tents. Addo elephant park has smaller sites for tents and bigger ones for caravans. Most have power. Rustic camps have no power.

Huts are rustic. You need to use the communal kitchens and ablutions. They sleep up to up to three people.

Permanent canvas Safari Tents on permanent platforms are really cool. The best ones are at Lower Sabie Camp in Kruger National Park. Some have communal kitchen and communal ablution facilities, while others are fully equipped and are quite luxurious and comfortable. They cost about the same as a bungalow.

Single bedroom bungalows sleep two and have a bathroom. Some have communal kitchens while others have own kitchenettes with basic kitchen equipment.

Single bedroom cottages have a living room, bathroom and kitchen.

A family cottage has multiple bedrooms with a living room, bathroom and kitchen.

A guest cottage has multiple bedroom at least 2 bathrooms of which one is en-suite. The kitchen is fully equipped

A Guest House has multiple bedrooms and bathrooms with lounge area and often with bar facility and exclusive view.

Then there are Luxury Lodges which I have no experience of. They are expensive and cater to the guests every need. They’re great if you don’t want to self cater or self drive. A guide will take you on at least two game drives per day.

Prices for self-catering accommodation are really reasonable. Below I have quoted current costs in Kruger National Parks for some types of accommodation. Other parks could be cheaper or more expensive. Check the website for more information.

Camp SiteBase Rate for two people R 285,00Per extra adult R 88,00.
- Per extra child under 12 R 44,00
- You are allowed a maximum of six people per site. Most sites are big enough for a caravan and a tent. I would not recommend two caravans on one site in Kruger. In the Kgalagadi you could get away with two off-road caravans on one site.
- Ablutions are clean but some maintenance is needed in some.
  Caravanning in The Kruger National Park is fun
Bungalo BA3 The BA 3 indicates that it sleeps 3 people.
- Cost is R1150 Base Rate for two.
- Additional Adult – R260
- Additional Child (under12) – R130

This bungalow had an equipped outdoor kitchen

This one is slightly different but also with an outdoor kitchen

Family Cottage FA6Sleeps maximum of six
- Two bedrooms one with double bed one with 2 single beds
- 2 Bench beds in lounge
- Base Rate for 4 – R2100
- Extra Adult – R430
- Extra Child (Under 12) R215

Kruger National Park: Our grandson, Jay helping Grandpa with the braai outside our family cottage at Pretorious Camp in 2012

Kruger National Park – Outside our Skukuza Family Cottage, Jay had to braai in the rain!

What a fine job he did – He was 15 then!

This cottage had a lovely indoor dining area

Travelling Costs

The next thing you need to consider are the distances you will travel in the park on game drives each day. Work on about 140 km per day. Of course you don’t have to do long distances but the park is big and there is a lot to see. Doing the distance means you’re more likely to see interesting sightings.

Self-catering is cheapest but you can get good meals in the restaurants. We do a combination of both. We usually eat breakfast at a picnic site restaurant but sometimes cook our own. We might have one or two dinners at a restaurant but mostly we braai or cook at our campsite.

Most of the Kruger camps have a well-stocked shop. However, most meat is frozen. The last time we visited we found they had most of what we needed in the way of fresh vegetables but there is not a wide variety. Fresh fruit was also available. It is more expensive than shopping before you come into the park. We usually shop in Nelspruit before we enter then top up as we need from the Park Shops.

Even when staying in bungalows I pack a separate box or basket with basic crockery and utensils. This stays in the car, readily available for picnics as you cannot take the crockery from the bungalow if you are travelling between camps.

My Picnic Box has the following

Frying pan
spatula
small chopping board
sharp knife
small cereal bowls
plates
knives, forks and spoons
mugs
flask – at Kruger you can get boiling water on tap from most camp and picnic sites
Wash up kit with sunlight liquid, sponge, drying towel and plug. Most picnic sites have wash-up facilities but the plugs are usually missing.

A separate cooler box gets packed with the food for a day out in the park. Some picnic sites in The Kruger National Park have restaurants and a shop where you can get reasonably priced breakfasts, lunches and snacks. You can also hire a skottel to cook breakfast on or you can braai. In the Kgalagadi we take a portable stove for cooking breakfast.

Breakfast cooked on a Skottel

Cooking breakfast in The Kgalagadi – Melkvlei Picnic Site

Picnicking at Nossob

So what does a Game Park Holiday in South Africa cost per day? If you self-cater and self-drive and stay in bungalow accommodation I would work on about R900 per person per day for all costs.

If you are camping I would work on R400 per person per day.

Remember that the parks also charge a daily conservation fee. These fees vary from park to park. If you are South African you pay a lot less than overseas visitors. The best thing for everyone to do is to purchase a Wild Card.

Click on the link above to see how this works. Even if you are only going to do a short 7 day trip to The Kruger National Park it is worth purchasing a Wild Card. I have an All Cluster for family and it costs R1 140. This card gives me free access to all National Parks in South Africa for a year. The daily conservation fee in Kruger is R82 per adult. If my hubby and I stayed in the park for 7 days our conservation fee would come to R1148. In November we were there for a month. Without the Wild Card our conservation fees would have been R4592. We also visited other parks during 2017 and did not need to worry about the conservation fees.

It is well worth purchasing a Wild Card even if you are a foreign national. The fees for foreigners are far more expensive so get a Card for R 2430 for an individual, R 3800 per couple or R 4545 for a family. Daily conservation fees for foreign nationals would be R 328 per day. These fees are until end October 2018

Prices quoted for accommodation and camping are approximate. They may differ from park to park and camp to camp. Rates will go up at different times of the year. Check website for more accurate details.

A Photo a Week Challenge

2018-01-27 | puppy1952

Here is my contribution to Nancy’s Photo a Week Challenge

This week’s prompt is “Look Up'”

Look up to see a yellow-billed hornbill looking up

Look up at the Kgalagadi Sky

Look up in a Cathedral in Italy

Kruger Adventure with Grandpa, Gran, Simon and Shan – Leaving The Park

2018-01-16 | puppy1952

16 January 2018

We left Berg en Dal just after 6:00 am yesterday morning. It is only a half hour drive to Malanane Gate where we would exit so we put on our seat belts and did not expect to see anything exciting on our way out. But The Kruger shows you what she want to show you and on this day she wanted to bid us farewell! The first sighting to raise our sober mood was a rhino. We could look back and see it well but didn’t take photographs as it was difficult to reverse with a caravan in tow.

Next up a really big bull elephant.

He seemed to be smiling at us – “Come back soon – promise I won’t chase you again!”

Even a small pond is good enough to quench an early morning thirst

While were saying our goodbyes to Big El, Shan yelled – Hyaena!

He crossed the road behind us, clearly on a mission.

It was difficult to get a good shot

But on the other side he turned to look at us

And grinned his farewell

We arrived at Midmar Dam Nature Reserve at 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon and booked into a rustic cabin for the night. A little later today we will meet Lauren and Alan for breakfast and then I will go with them to take Shan to St John’s. Simon and Earl will go ahead to Kokstad.

What a privilege it was to have spent these two weeks with our grandchildren. There were things that freaked them out about us and things that freaked us out about them but we tolerated each others inadequacies with teasing, joking and laughing and it was awesome. It was an extraordinary bonding time that I feel has drawn us all closer to each other. They are well on their way to being grown up so having had this time before Gran and Grandpa are no longer fun to be with was really special.

At Supper I asked the kids what their holiday highlights were

Simon: (Who sat up front) Yelling ‘stop!’ when I saw something and my deaf Grandpa carried on driving so I had to hit him with Roger (the stuffed monkey) to get him to pay attention!

And Simon was the best spotter and got the most points – so it was important to stop when he saw something!!!

Shannon: The leopard and the hyaena sharing a meal – because everyone believes they’re mortal enemies and yet even though food is their number one priority they were prepared to share which means we as humans do not understand how animals think at all. If they can show tolerance then so should we.

Grandpa: Scaring the shit out of the kids when the elephant came toward us! No I’m joking it was just having them with us.

Gran: Bonding with the kids was awesome and like Shan I was really was blown away by the leopard and hyaena sharing the zebra kill.

My wish for all four of my grandchildren is that they will continue to enjoy the wild until they are old like us. Being in the bush is so good for the soul.

Kruger Adventure with Grandpa, Gran, Simon and Shan – Day 13

2018-01-14 | puppy1952

Today was our last day in The Park. We packed up at Lower Sabie and were ready to leave by 7:00 am. Shan says her body simply won’t let her sleep beyond 5 am and she wonders how she is going to adapt to the school routine next week. Simon is still reeling from the early morning wake up calls!

We took the long drive to Berg en Dal slowly stopping at Skukuza for breakfast. We sat on the deck of The Cattle Baron and enjoyed watching elephant, waders and green pigeons.

Senegal Lapwing

When towing a caravan in The Park you have to be extra careful when meeting an approaching elephant. The kids were a bit nervous about this guy, but he obligingly went into the bush when he saw we could not reverse

From Skukuza it was another hour or so to Afsaal. We stopped there to go to the loo, to say farewell to our favourite waitress and to get ice cream

Some highlights from our trip.

Lovely elephant sightiings

Ground Hornbill are always entertaining

Omigosh That rock looks unstable – but the klipspringers seem to trust it

Icons of Africa – The elegant Giraffe

We arrived at Berg en Dal at midday, set up camp and rested until 4 pm. On our afternoon drive I upped the points to 20 for any of the big five and 50 for anything we hadn’t seen at all on the trip. Anybody reaching 50 would get an ice cream. We had some good birding and saw buffalo, lion and rhino which meant that we’d seen four of the big five for the day. We made it back through the gate with a minute to spare.

Common and Blue waxbills

wallowing buffalo

Sleepy Lion

Mom and baby

Rhino

We all earned enough points to get ice cream but after our braai nobody wanted to eat them so we will save them for tomorrow!

Kruger Adventure with Grandpa, Gran, Simon and Shan – Day 12

2018-01-13 | puppy1952

13 January 2018

Last night I said, “You’re doing so well being ready to leave camp by 6:00 am. Tomorrow is our second last day in the park. Let’s try to get out even earlier than usual.”

“What do you call early?” asked Shan suspiciousy.

“The gate opens at 4:30 – but let’s say 5 or 5:30?

Two pairs of eyes looked at me in horrified disbelief. “Why?” they asked.

“Because you’re more likely to get the animals in active mode early in the morning. Lions spend 20 hours a day sleeping in the shade under trees. The chances of seeing them active in the morning is increased if you get out there nice and early.”

They reluctantly agreed.

It took a while to get them to wake up this morning and Simon said, “Gran, how can you do this to me!” But we managed to get out of the gate just after 5:00 am. Dawn was golden on the horizon and the kids’ cameras were clicking away at the seldom seen, awesome sight.

Simon took this one through the side mirror of the car

The hippos were having an early morning swim

This chap seemed happy to see us

We took the S128 and then joined up with the H4-1 to Tshokwane. After a few minutes the early rising caught up with Simon and after taking a photo of some buffalo he gave up and fell asleep!

P1140059 P1140073

He woke with a start when Shan called out – Elephant! and one was right next to his window. Then a really big one stepped into the road behind the car and decided to follow us. This caused shrieks of “Drive, Grandpa, Drive!” from both kids. “Nah,” said Grandpa “I’ll let him catch up first and then drive!” The kids thought this might be fun and encouraged him to wait till he was really close but Gran reprimanded him. “Don’t you dare be a hero – you never know what he might do!” Nervous laughter from the kids before they started yelling for him to drive again!

The big boy just wanted to follow us

Simon fell asleep again but after the next sighting sleep was impossible. The early rising was paying off.

Two young lions playing

We counted six of them but found out later there were 12 but some were hidden

This chap pulled the bark off the tree and played with it

Such a handsome lion

We watched these lions playing for a little while and then went on as breakfast was calling.

A car was parked at the next turnoff and we almost rode straight past when Grandpa yelled – oops – Lion!

A honeymoon coupe!

She looked sleepy

But The King had other ideas

People are watching – to find a room of course

And she did – well a sort of private spot anyway.

“The children’s education is complete,” I said.

“What do you mean, Gran,” said Shan

“That we now know how lions mate!” said Simon.

Four of the Big Five before breakfast! Yes getting out early certainly paid off this morning!

But wait, there’s more! The occupants of the car who had the honeymoon coupe first had moved on ahead of us and were parked next to a tree. They pointed out a Verreaux’s Eagle-owl. Great!

P1140148-001

Tshokwane serves the best coffee in Kruger and we were ready for ours when we arrived there shortly after our lovely morning.

On our return trip we revisited the honey moon couple and continued to enjoy the regulars. The birding was good too. The best was seeing ground hornbill again.

It was almost midday when we arrived back at camp.

Simon has struck up a friendship with the boys camping next to us. All the kids had a great afternoon at the pool.

2018-01-13-PHOTO-00000007

We went out again for a short drive at 4 pm. Nothing too exciting crossed our path but after the morning’s excitement we were content to enjoy the regulars.

Tomorrow is our last full day in The Park. We will spend our last night at Berg en Dal and then leave early on Monday morning.

Kruger Adventure with Grandpa, Gran, Simon and Shan – Day 11

2018-01-12 | puppy1952

12 January 2018

The weather is once again hot in The Kruger National Park with temperatures reaching the mid thirties.

This morning for our drive we drove to Crocodile Bridge Camp. There were lots of the usual animals about and we got four of the Big Five. Four rhino were quite far away so we didn’t take a photo. There were a few elephant sightings but as we have many ellie photos we didn’t take of them either. The same goes for buffalo which we saw from camp and from the bridge. There is no restaurant at this Gate Camp but you can get coffee from a kiosk and ready made sandwiches, pies, muffins etc from the shop. In the past we have enjoyed their pies but today there were none available so we settled for sandwiches which were also very good.

These are the highlights from this morning’s drive.

A Bateleur finally posed for a half decent photograph

The veld was littered with Impala – The kids now call them litter!

A wildebeest resting in the shade

Donkeys in striped pajamas everywhere

A flotilla of white-faced ducks with a female knob-billed duck in the foreground

An emerald-spotted wood-dove

Wild Dog about to settle down in the shade for a midday nap

But we disturbed their peace

Such gorgeous creatures

Yes – It’s hot!

When we got back to camp our neighbours told us about lions just three km from the bridge so we went in search of them.

They were asleep under a tree quite far from the road but The King got up and stared at us

Then flopped down again

At the bridge we got this lovely Goliath Heron

We chilled in camp for most of the afternoon and then went out again for a short drive from 4 o’clock to 6 o’clock. The Amur falcons and rollers were flocking together and hawking insects which was really interesting to watch.

Rollers hawking insects

Here are the other highlights of our afternoon drive

Southern White-crowned Shrike

Burchell’s Coucal

Snake-eagle with a reptile of some sort – see the tail

When we got back the kids went for a swim with the neighbour’s kids and later Simon went on another night hike and saw hyaena from the restaurant deck.

It was a beautiful evening and we had a braai. It was after nine before we were ready for bed.