Shingwedzi - Day Five

Day Five: After having slept soundly, with no sound of anything wild out there, we woke to a large contingent of ants moving across the ground. They were very busy moving larvae and what looked like mongoose droppings. How regimented and dedicated to their duty! Within about five minutes of us being up they had cleared up and moved from our spot.

Needless to say, they had also attracted some attention from people buzzing around the ablutions, one of whom was the voice from the night before and while we were having breakfast "You missed one over there," Gordon pointed out , "You had better find out who THAT belongs to and tell them to take it with them." With a quick scurry there was a disappearing act and we never saw or heard anymore on the issue.

(This photo is of the "solo" vehicles spot)

Our group leader had also been intrigued by the ants and hastily said that he was just coming to confirm that we would be leaving at 08:30. Well, I will not repeat the entire conversation (and it wasn't  rude or nasty, just stating the facts), but a few red faces were left standing, and the message had been put across that there is a right way and a wrong way of dealing with issues, and the wrong way had been chosen, which leaves a bitter taste.

And so we went about our business packing and cleaning etc., when a sense of movement caught our eye and there, on the march, was the ant patrol!

About fifteen minutes before we had to leave it was noticed how Gabriel (the campsite attendant) had been digging the area where the pipes and drains meet to try and find the blockage that had caused the flooding outside the ablutions. Johan, our guide, Nigel and a couple of other chaps rolled up their sleeves and knuckled down to what was somewhat dirty work, but they managed to get the problem sorted out and Gabriel was left with a broad smile on his face and handshakes of appreciation all round.   (Some pictures of the unusual wild flowers in the area)

Shingwedzi - Day Four - The Beer Race

The camp started rousing from about 06:00.

Breakfast, tea, wash up.

Everything had quite a different look in the bright morning light and the heat started rising.

By 09:00 it was already 27 degrees celcius.

We moved to the shade of the Fever Trees we had passed through the afternoon before and Johan gave us a lowdown of what the day's journey would entail and that any last chance of finding beer would be between here and our entry to  Parque Nacional Do Limpopo.  You could feel the tension over this issue!

And off we went.  The terrain dry as a bone. 

And More.....

Be sure to pop in for what's cooking in King of the Road Recipes, which features bush-whacker meals for those offroad experiences.

Looking forward to sharing with you all.....

Shingwedzi - Day Three continued

Once through we were officially in the Kruger National Park. 
We saw some Zebra,

And some buck (shhhh, there in the background)



The buck had become very nervous as well as the baboons that were amongst them.  We all sat quietly and a couple of people from our group saw a Cheetah, or was it a Leopard, taking a good old stroll about 30m from were the road was.  I am so sorry I missed it - might have been right under my nose!!

Shingwedzi Trip - 27 March to 4 April 2010

Africa is certainly not for sissies and this trip just proved it.

If you are well prepared, you can survive anything, even life in the bush without any facilities whatsoever. Just you, your water (the sustenance of life) and your best friend, whoever or whatever that may be..... I will leave that up to you.

Our route was to travel to Makuya Park, which adjoins the Kruger National Park, via Polokwane, Giyani and Mhinga, move across into Mocambique, travel southwards and out through Phalaborwa.

Day One We were up at 05:00, grabbed a cup of tea, packed the last things into the dream machine, took a quick shower and hit the road at 06:50. As you would all remember it was overcast but warm. Our first destination was Polokwane (Pietersburg).

Swallowed down the Malaria pills with a nectarine and water. We made it to our first stop at 10:00 and it was searingly hot and humid too. We were to meet the rest of the group at 12:00 so we saw to a couple of things while we waited.