African Safari February 1st - 15th 2025

African Safari - February 1st - 15th 2025

Our 2-week trip to Africa began Wed Jan 29 as we made our way to Virginia Beach, to the home of Cathy and Bob San Julian, our partners in crime for this adventure.  Direct flight to South Africa was available on United, from Newark, so first leg of the 14 hour journey began there.  Suffice it to say it was an uneventful flight, (how I like it) and we arrived in Capetown, Saturday 2/1 by  6PM. We were met at the airport by Tyler who took us to our driver, Peter.  Two good names so I took this as a good omen of good things to come!

Accommodations were at the Cape Grace Hotel, on the V&A wharf (Victoria and Albert).  After a brief intro, we saw our rooms, had dinner, then gave into our exhaustion, knowing full well we would be “collected” Sunday morning at 8:30!!

&Beyond had a full itinerary set for us. We learned that Ali would be our guide and driver for the next three days – and what a character!  The full day tour took in the scenic highlights of the Cape Peninsula, with coastal views of Hout Bay, a former fishing village, with sandy beaches framed by the mountains.  We drove thru shops and markets of Mariner’s Wharf on our way to Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach, home of the African Penguin. 

I was very thrilled that this was on our itinerary!  After enjoying the antics of these creatures, we stopped for lunch at a seaside restaurant, doing our share of “People Watching.”   Next stop, The Cape of Good Hope.

I couldn’t believe we were really there – this is something you only here about in a third grade history book!  Ali was great in giving us background of S Africa – early settlers, how explorers thought they found the route to the east, only to crash into shore of the big bay, or think they were going off the flat end of the earth!  We drove through the nature preserve via Chapman’s Peak Drive, seeing the Diaz Cross (monument to early explorer).

Returning to the hotel, we decided to stroll across the pedestrian bridge to the wharf, shopping and entertainment.  I gently cajoled my group to take a ride on The Wheel (giant Ferris wheel)

stopped at the Apple store and kiosks along the way.  We got a good feel for our environs.

Monday – collected again by Ali at 8:30 – rode the cable car to the top of Table Top Mountain

It was fortunate that we were early arrivals – the heat only increased as the morning wore on, as did the crowds.  However, the views from the top were extraordinary.  The mountain is so named because it is flat and when it has a cloud cover, its said to be wearing a table cloth!  We enjoyed a coastal drive and had lunch at a country club.  Seating was overlooking the ocean and quite enjoyable.  We finished our day at the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain!

Tuesday was our winery day!  We first explored the quaint town of Stellenbosch, S Africa’s second oldest town.  We enjoyed browsing and window shopping.  Next stop - Wineries. The wineries are nestled in a valley where the French Huguenots settled in 1688.  Much history here, but our emphasis was on the wine.  Our first visit was to the Oldenburg vineyard.  Unanimous consensus – Chenin Blanc.  On to the Waterford vineyard.  Good but we all preferred the first!

Wednesday we were on own and grateful for the down time.  We booked massages, sat pool side and generally had a relaxing day in anticipation of the forthcoming “safari” days.  We had dinner at the SILO, a hotel across from us, supposedly very shee-shee.  I was not impressed.  I much preferred Cape Grace and its hominess and welcoming atmosphere.  The evening was ended in the lobby with a glass of port, and fond goodbyes to Sheba.

Thursday, Feb 6 – “collected” by Ollie who transported us to Cape Town International Airport.  He gave us some insights as to what to expect on our safari rides.  He had us cracking up.  We arrived at Hoedspruit Airport in the heat of the day – have I mentioned how hot it has been?  We were “collected” by Shaun (Sean?) for our hour and half ride to Ngala Tented Camp in Kruger National Park.  On the way, we saw baboons and elephants and happy anticipation began to take hold.  We were greeted at the camp by a welcoming committee with cool cloths – this has become a main stay.  Bags were taken from us and were told that lunch was waiting for us.  Quite lovely!  After lunch on the deck (un-air-conditioned deck) we were taken to our tent. 

Our home for the next three days, was a private living space, complete with sitting area, bar, covered outdoor table, and pergola sitting area, an outdoor shower and bath (of course the inside shower was available too!) and all the luxuries of home, albeit a little more rustic!  Amenities included a beautiful pool area, spa and gym.  All meals are included at the camp, We were told to be back at the bar at 4 for tea, and our first game ride would leave at 4:15.  Our tracker is Thomas (our airport driver) who is paired with Andre, our safari guide. 

 

Thurs 2/6 PM GAME RIDE

Game rides would last 3 hours – sometimes longer if we were on the trail of something.  The safari vehicles are 4X4 Toyota Landcruisers, open topped with seating for 6. 

The seats are arranged stadium style so everyone has ample viewing.  Andre of course is up front on the right, and Thomas is outside on a seat, attached to the hood of the car.  As tracker, he’s always scanning the trees and road for animal prints and generally directing Andre where to go.  Having grown up here, he learned to track at an early age.  He was simply amazing!

The topography of the area was not what you think of as “jungle”.  Andre said it is more broadleaf woodlands.  We had such a positive first day experience!  We were anxious to see the BIG 5, ie:  lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalo and of course, elephants!  The park is private – only &Beyond vehicles. Our cars did not have tops – vehicles in the public sector have to have tops and are not permitted to go off road.  We were free spirits!  The roads are dirt packed, rutted and well worn.  Off road, we would plow through the grasses and actually mow down anything that got in our way.  The first time this happened, it was a little shocking, but we got used to it.  Off road was acceptable if there was a confirmed sighting.  Andre was in constant communication with other drivers, via radio, reporting sightings or progress of our search.  With Andre, big animals were not the only thing he pointed out.  He was a wealth of information on all living things.  Because of him, I gained an appreciation for birds of which I never had.  The many species are astounding.  That first afternoon, he pointed out starlings.  We stopped for a mother elephant and her young.  Female elephants usually travel together with their young, while bull elephants travel separately. I was reminded of Memory of An Elephant and how they are a matriarchal society.

We saw tons of Impalas, always with zebra and wildebeest nearby. 

African fish eagle and Egyptian geese were plenty.  Wallowing in mud were 3 hippos. 

Hanging out without a care in the world was a bachelor herd of impalas – males are horned.  Also running around, vervet monkeys. Best part of the ride, coming upon a herd of female lions – with a white one!  They were in the dried river bed – looking very comfy.

About ½ way through our 5:30 game Ride, we stopped and before I knew what was going on, Thomas had set up a little table, with drinks and snacks – this came to be common practice on all game rides.  We returned to camp by 7:30 and were welcomed home by our greeters, with cool towels, again this became usual and customary.  Dinner, then shower and collapse into bed – we had a 5am wake up call – ready to leave at 5:30.  It takes a little getting used to, but so invigorating and exciting!!

Friday 2/7 – 5:30AM Game Ride

Andre announced that today, we’d be looking for rhinos.  Along the way, he pointed out a honey badger (nocturnal) and a woodland kingfisher.  This kingfisher is a stunning aqua color and beautiful to behold its wing span. 

Our travels took us passed multiple fungus gardens – these mountainous piles of fungus created by termites.  Some are as large as a baby elephant!  It is said that up to 50,000 termite eggs can be laid in these a day!

We came upon a bull elephant – he was alone – up until now, we had seen groups of females, with their young.  Elephants  have a varied diet ad generally utilize most of the plant species in their range, eating up to 600 lbs of grasses in a day!  Their trunks are versatile, that allow them to eat from ground level up to high branches.  Supposedly, the trunk is flexible enough as to pick up a quarter from the ground.  As Andre says, but who has a quarter?  They vocalise to each other:  rumbling,  trumpeting, squealing and screaming.  They appear very docile, but as we learned from our forays , you give elephants a wide berth, particularly at night – they definitely have the right of way!

This same morning, we saw a flock of egrets, and another kingfisher.  Impalas galore alongwith a pack of wildebeest and zebras.  The very young impalas seemed to be playing and romping.  They leapt and kick up their back legs, almost perpendicular to the ground.  This is called STOTTING.  Stotting is a behavior of quadrupeds, in which they spring into the air, lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously!  It was something to see!

A jackal sped off, didn’t get a pic or a good look at him. Then – a herd of buffalo!  It looked like we were approaching a big gray rock wall – but it was breathing!  There seemed to be hundreds!  Whenever we came upon a “sighting,” Andre stopped and we just sat there taking it all in.  We finally moved on and encountered wildebeest in the road, U-TURN.  It should be noted that Thomas was always looking and lo and behold, just like that – a lioness!  Magnificent!

Moving on, Andre pointed out a flock of hooded vultures (something must’ve been decaying nearby) and then the sought after find – rhinos! 

A white rhino and her calf.  There are two types of rhino – white and black.  The main difference between the two is their feeding method.  White rhinos feed on grass which they chop with their wide square lips.  Black rhinos on the other hand, are browsers, and using their prehensile upper lip, break off twigs and leaves and eat from on high. 

Our final sighting of the morning was of a Bateleur (bat-a-leer). This relative of the snake eagle is the official logo of &Beyond and is on clothing, stationery, vehicles, etc.  Bateleur is French for street performer and these birds have been known to rock their wings from side to side and as part of their courting display, turn summersaults in the air, clap their wings loudly and sometimes even scream while diving. 

At the end of only 2 game rides, we had seen 4 of the BIG 5!  

• Lion
• Elephant
• Buffalo
• Rhino

Upon return to camp, we were met in the usual way, then tucked in to a hearty breakfast, then returned to our “tent” for a return to slumber!  Having this down time was a welcome gift, since a 5am wake up call was not in my wheel house!  We had time to relax pool side, or indulge in a spa treatment, or just loll on the back deck and watch the Nyala (horned antelope)go by.  

While I was pool side, an elephant visited the adjacent dry river bed. Ngala is situated on the Timbavati river, which up until 3 weeks ago was flowing. Now is the dry season, and not a drop to be found, unless you’re an elephant!  The visitor was busy digging for water, and dusting itself with sand.  

Tea is served every afternoon in the lobby at 4, in preparation for a 4:15 departure.  

PM GAME RIDE

Now that we had two rides under our belt, we were able to sit back and let Thomas do his thing.  While he tracked, Andre pointed out a dwarf mongoose (I thought it was a squirrel), the ever-present Impalas, and zebras.  They always were together.  Somewhere along the way, we picked up Thomas and in his tacit way directed us back to the river bed.  He pointed to an area on the cliffside, and there in a tree, the much sought after, highly illusive CHEETAH! 

Just sitting in a tree without a care in the world.  Andre and Thomas were quite pleased with themselves!

The ride continued (after much oohing and ahhing) to see Egyptian geese, a rock moniker lizard, and a black smith plover.  It gets its name from the repeated metallic “tink tink tink” alarm call, which suggests a blacksmith’s hammer striking an anvil. 

At this point we became a little ho hum, as we sited wildebeest, a lion, lioness with 2 cubs and baboons!

We stopped and had our apertifs, in the light of a beautiful sunset.  Fantastic journey!

Sat 2/8 AM GAME RIDE

Up and out by 5:30 – maybe I can get used to this!  First thing of interest was a stick insect.  I don’t know how Andre saw it but he did – then he picked it up with a stick and you couldn’t even tell where it was!

He pointed out more birds; a Wahlberg eagle, a sub-Saharan native where it is a seasonal migrant to the woodlands – where we were!  Whitefaced ducks, and Egyptian geese (almost as prolific as our very pesky Canadian geese at home) and of course the ever-popular bateleur. I was surprised at the many species of hawks, when Andre pointed out yet another – the African hawk eagle.

The morning was filled with elephants, hippos,

impalas and zebras.  The white backed vulture made an appearance too.  The mother elephants with their young always get me!

SAT PM GAME RIDE

We began our ride with Thomas going one way on foot, while we went another.  Andre was determined to hook us up with a leopard – apparently some had been reported and Thomas was on the prowl. 

Among the sightings were a carmine bee eater, a wooly necked stork and a southern crown horned bull.  Impalas were plentiful, as the zebra and wildebeests.  Bit of trivia – Zebra together are not a herd, but a DAZZLE, and their stripes are all unique, like fingerprints!  No two are alike.

Another bit of info is the three types of excrement (never know when that will pop up in a trivia game!)  Scavengers waste is called SCAT, herbivore is DUNG and carnivore is FECES.  That will forever be burnished on my brain!

As the afternoon wore on, it seemed that other guides and trackers were reporting their sightings. Thomas called in so Andre put us in “Ferrari Safari” mode to pick him up.  His expertise brought another cruiser to the area.  Now we were OFF ROAD, plowing down trees, going over logs and getting caught up in the brush.  We became a little too familiar with the umbrella thorn tree.  The thorns are huge and silvery in color and usually on branches that appear dead. They can also be found in the Middle East, which led me to believe they could’ve been used in the “crown of thorns”.  Back to Safari… so us and the other cruiser were going in circles trying to keep out of each others’ way, when Thomas hopped out again.  He must’ve walked 3 feet, and very calmly pointed to a bush and there, happy as a clam, Mr. Leopard!  We were able to remain and watch and follow him for awhile. This sighting completed the BIG 5 for us!  

Getting so caught up with our tracking, I didn’t think we’d have time for our usual snack stop.  We were surprised when we approached a clearing, lit by lanterns.  Tables and chairs were set up, with our guys from the camp with delectable treats and of course, Six Dogs Gin!  Our farewell gathering!  

Sunday 2/9 AM Game Ride

Today is our last day in Ngala, and final drive with Andre and Thomas.   We took an alternate route - we rode the dry river bed - alla Indiana Jones (Andre imagined we were being chased by a rolling boulder).  This route took us along the back of the camp.  Again, impalas, white lion, and warthogs!!  And then - spotted hyenas!!  I felt like an extra on set of The Lion King!

While we were taking in the serenity of a mother lion and cubs, an elephant bull emerged from a line of trees, exposing his manhood.  It took me awhile to realize what I was actually seeing - a fifth leg…literally!  Moving on…

Andre was frequently pointing out the numerous birds of the area.  The Lilac Breasted Roller pink was often seen and one of the prettiest, in addition to the Woodland Kingfisher.  I read a little about these birds and it was said that the Lilac Roller is one of the most beautiful birds on the planet.  The Kingfisher has electric blue backed wings with a white belly and red beak. Their distinctive coloration made them the few that I could actually pick out. 

We returned back to camp ready for breakfast, and the next leg of our journey -  Kirkman’s Kamp at Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

We were driven to a private air strip on the camp grounds in Kruger Nat’l park.  The plane was a twin propped, 8 seater Cessna 208.  Our timing was perfect - we arrived at the site just as the plane was landing - quite exciting.   The ride was short and sweet and HOT.  We flew at 3500 feet marveling at the beautiful land below.

We were “collected” at the SKUKUZA airport in Kruger Nat’l Park by Kholin, who would then be our tracker for the next two days.  At Kirkman Kamp our lodgings differed from Ngala. We were assigned to “cabins” which had a ’50’s motel feel. 

The buildings created an L shape, with a central grassy area.  Here, we would find out, Vervet monkeys, Warthogs and Kudu would hang out, encouraging us to stay attentive on our way to the dining room, bar and lounge areas!  We had an outdoor sitting area behind our rooms, where we could enjoy visits of elephants and Kudu and Nyala.

At Kirkman’s we followed the same shedule as in Ngala. Therefore after a brief intro and lunch, we had our first game ride at 4:30.  We met our guide and driver, Brett .  I told him I was anxious to see giraffes, since they were illusive in Ngala.  He didn’t disappoint! 

PM GAME RIDE - Sabi Sands 

Our first sighting was of a mother and baby rhino - white dehorned.

 Brett informed us that the rhinos are intentionally dehorned to discourage poachers from tracking them.  Other than that, there is no interference with Mother Nature.  Two types of rhinos are white and black.  Black rhinos are the smaller of the two and white rhinos can be distinguished by the shape of their lips.  The pair were frolicking in a water hole, and from the undercover of some brush, a male was watching them.  Observing them for awhile, it was interesting that the male kept his distance.  

Like elephants, rhinos are herbivores, and like the mud.  Brett explained that the mud helps to suffocate any parasites that may be enjoying the ride!

We saw the usual Kudu, Warthogs, Wildebeest, Impalas and then GIRAFFE! 

It was male - supposedly females have smaller horns, and are lighter in color.  It wasn’t always easy to differentiate.  Among the creatures on that first ride, we saw a Python, Yellow-billed horn bill (a yellow bill, scooped down and mainly feeds on the ground)which Zazu is from (Disney’s Aladdin), and a Ground Horn Bill.  This looked like a turkey to me.  It is the largest species of Hornbill and its wattle is red.  It is a bird of prey, is carnivorous and hunts mostly on the ground.  The ride ended with the spotting of a Leopard - here being the highest density of leopards in the world.  Brett instructed us in the manner of them.  When they yawn, and start preening, they are getting ready to move.  He was correct!!  We trailed him for awhile.

Monday 2/10 AM GAME RIDE

The Sabi Sand Game Reserve shares unfenced borders with Kruger Nat’l Park, enabling the animals to roam freely in a vast conservation area that covers over two million acres!

The terrain of Sabi Sands differs from Kruger in that there are more trees and hills, other than the wider plains of Ngala and the rivers were flowing.  We traversed between the 2 of which I don’t remember the names!

We started in a sandy river bed and came across a male lion.  He seemed very bony and Brett thought he was probably the weakest of the males. The list of sightings is numerous - in addition, Kholin spotted leopard tracks.  We came upon a huge male Kudu, marsh terrapin and birds galore.  What looked like to me to be a NY squirrel, turned out to be a Mongoose!  We heard the call of a Grey go-away bird - (it sounds like he’s saying “go away!”), a Guinea foul, (bush chicken) and a brown headed parrot, that is actually green. 

We were surprised to learn at our “rest stop” that a full breakfast had been set up in the bush to accommodate our hunger!  The kitchen staff was cooking away and it was great!

PM GAME RIDE

Upon leaving the camp, we came across a barren tree filled with white backed vultures.  It looked like something from an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.  Something must’ve been dead somewhere… then we saw it - a small impala in the grass.  It was still alive and those birds were just waiting for its last breath.  We didn’t stick around!  

We approached a watering hole where a hippo mom and baby were cavorting with 10-12 others!  They eat less than rhinos, and stay in the water most of the day to conserve energy.  They shared the wet environs with a crocodile!

Buffalo, giraffes, elephants and a herd of wildebeest were the order of the day until we came upon a male leopard.  He was “pristine” - in good shape, no scars, with good ears, (not tatty) and Brett thought he might have been only 5-6 yrs old.

We were able to follow him for awhile and were with him when he went up a tree.  He seemed to be sniffing around.  Brett thought he might’ve killed something earlier and was returning to the site. 

As the afternoon wore on, our tracker, Kholin, brought us to a group of lionesses relaxing under some brush.  There were about 7-8 of them with some cubs.  Two males (brothers) were nearby under another outcropping seemingly sleeping.  Sitting quietly in the cruiser, just observing, was very peaceful and non threatening.  When one or two of the lionesses began to yawn, Brett said they were getting ready to move - preening came next and sure enough, one ventured out into the road, followed by cub or two and then they all got up and followed, sauntering past us, down the road.  Our interest remained on the males - what would they do?  One began to yawn, now we know what that means - he stretched, started preening, marked his territory, then moved into the road.  The other one remained under the bush, dreaming away.  A bit down the road the wandering lion paused, turned around and looked like he was in conflict,  Brett said he had a choice to make - go after the ladies or stay with his brother.  The brother won out, they pawed each other, then plopped down to rest.  Without anything happening, we started back to the camp.  Down the road, in the diminishing light, we could see a lioness in the road - the light reflecting off her eyes.  Brett stopped the cruiser and we sat - waited and watched - another one came onto the road, then a cub or two - it so happened, we surmised, that the group of females and cubs that we first saw, had left the rest of the herd down the road and they left the males to retrieve the others.  We remained stock still as this group of 20 females and cubs (maybe more) passed us on the road, coming within inches of the cruiser on their way back to the males.  Our tracker had already connected the spot light to the hood since we were going back in the dark, giving the whole tableau an eerie feeling!  Whew - truly amazing and majestic - a fitting end to an evening

 

Tues. 2/11 AM GAME RIDE

The day dawned gray and misty.  The regular assortment of animals were around.  A new addition to the list was Water Buck. This fellow is native to the area and is a large antelope.  Also new was the wood necked storks, in the river bed and Steen-bok - a smaller antelope resembling deer.  Score another star for Kholin - a female leopard!

PM GAME RIDE

We rode along the Sabi river and found giraffes, hippos and a huge kudu.

Eagles were soaring and things looked rather bleak.  It started to rain, and we weren’t sure of what the protocol was.  We had ponchos and blankets, so on we continued. 

Venturing down a road, with the canopy dripping over us adding to the rain, we encountered a lone bull elephant.  Elephants are given a wide berth so we stopped to see what would come next.  He was obviously in our path but you don’t go around an elephant. 

He took a step or two toward us - we reversed.  He turned around and took a few steps forward.  We drove a bit toward him - he turned around again and took a few steps toward us - Lenny described it as a Mexican stand-off.  Then he did something different.  With his trunk, he fiddled with something between his front feet, then flipped it up at us.  I asked if he just flipped us the bird and Brett said, yea, pretty much.  He finally left and we were able to make our way to a river overlook. 

It was getting late and I had about enough of the rain and cold and was about to suggest a return, when I realized we were back in the river bed.  The rain had stopped and there were 4 male lions - just lounging before their nightly prowl.  Observing their behavior was becoming second nature to us.  Momentarily, we experienced a rumbling, and then a cacophony of sound! 

All four were roaring and singing(?) in unison!  A sound to behold!  They did this a number of times which was amazing.  Brett the ever bearer of fun facts, said this behavior is usual and customary and is a way of marking their territory.  I was glad I didn’t give into the rain.  We began our trek back to camp, it was already dark and we had ventured further away.  Suddenly, Brett stopped.  On the side of the road, white tusks were approaching us.  We moved over and on his way he went (ellies always have the right of way).  We began again, and found ourselves going off-road into the brush.  Somehow, there were elephants in front of us and behind us and we had to get out their way!  The fact that I couldn’t see anything worked in my favor, I just thought we were making a u-turn.  We were in fact, making a bee-line away from the screaming, trumpeting herd.  We drove in the bush, parallel to the road and the surrounding elephants, until we were well passed them.  It was quite exhilarating, but thinking about it later, I had to ask myself, “are we crazy?”  So considering the Mexican stand-off, the roaring lions and the very upset elephants, it was quite an extraordinary day!

Wed 2/12 - Departure to Zimbabwe

Weather being “iffy” our plane ride to Zambia was cancelled and we were driven two hours to the Kruger International Airport where we got our flight to Zambia, where we had to attain a visa for transfer into Zimbabwe.  At the border crossing (on the bridge at Victoria Falls) we had to comply with additional paperwork.  The area we went through is termed “No Man’s Land” since it was neither one country or the other.  This definitely gave me pause… where the hell were we going?  Once all the paperwork was complete, we continued on our way.  We entered Victoria Falls National Park Rain Forest (a UNESCO site) and eventually made our way to a turn off, that had a small wooden sign staked in the road claiming “Reception”   Cathy and I looked at each other wondering the worst…well definitely not the best.  The van pulled up to another “reception” sign, but no-one was there to greet us with cool towels or anything for that matter.  Then I saw the river, The Mighty Zambezi, and remembered that our next lodgings are on an island in a tree house!  

At this point I’m thinking we must be out of our minds!  The driver transferred our luggage to a pontoon boat, we reservedly boarded and off we went.  We reached our island home and were greeted by Romeo and Sharon, butler and manager respectively, who offered us the cool towels  we’d come to expect.  After a days’ journey we had finally arrived at our next stop, the Victoria Falls River Lodge.  Words can’t really do this place justice, it is so unique.  Boardwalks to the various accommodations are built on stilts among the leaves and the treehouses are beautiful - full glass panes on the river side, deck and dunking pool, netted canopy bed, full bar, and lovely bathroom amenities.  Here we would relax and do as much or as little as we wanted.  We arranged for a tour of Victoria Falls the next morning.  They are higher and wider than Niagara, but Niagara has more volume.

Our guide for the next two days is Mike. He also took us on a sunset river cruise (alas, cloudy, no sunset) and he was quick to point out flora and fauna along the way.  One afternoon while I was reading on the deck, baboons came up the tree alongside me and ALMOST made their way onto the deck - it freaked me out a bit, since I was still getting over the fact that a Vervet monkey ran over my foot at Kirkman’s! 

We took a morning to shop and on the way, we saw a few elephants grazing at the river’s edge.  Mike stopped the engine and we sat watching as more and more ellies ambled out of the trees.  I stopped counting at 20.  Mammas and babies, in the water, frolicking and playing. Some stopped to drink water from the dunking pool on the deck of one of the “villas”.  Quite a sight to see.  It was a great way to end our time in Africa - after 2 weeks of on the go game rides so early in the morning, it was pleasant not to be punching a clock.  

We left for home on Saturday, Feb 15 at 11am and arrived at our destination (Norfolk VA) on Sunday at 1 after three flights.  We tucked in for the night and left VA early on Monday.  Arrival to Point Lookout by 3 PM…a three day journey and already things are beginning to blur.  This was by far an incredible, and most memorable adventure.