Day 7 - Another Safari Adventure at Kruger Park - LIONS! OH MY!


Today is a safari day -- specifically in search of the elusive animals we haven't seen yet. Though we have encountered many elephants, giraffes, hippos, and impalas -- we have yet to see any big cats. Safari-goers most often see leopards and cheetahs at dusk; so, unless we plan on staying until the park close (which I secretly hope is not the case), we probably won't see any on this trip. However, lions are not afraid of cars and are quite often in plain sight here at Kruger. (this little tidbit you can interpret as foreshadowing for what is to come)

5:45am

I am usually the last one out the door as we head out to our daily adventure. Today is no different. I gather my camera, backpack full of snacks, a water bottle (or two), my sunglasses, hat, and of course, sunscreen. 

 As I approach the parking lot, I notice that the once white VW van is now more eggshell colored; each driver (myself included) has added a few bush scratches along the sides of its once clean exterior. Our vehicle is much like the animals in the wild -- a little scratched up from the journey. A prime example is the photo I took of this hippo today. Look at her war wounds! 

7:00am

Though it's 15 minutes for us to reach Phabani Gate (one of the park's many entrances) the line to get in is especially long. It's a different "system" today; we must park and visit the office to pay (along with an extremely long line of many other disgruntled park guests). No sunrise photos in the park today, but it's ok; Hazyview is living up to its name -- there is no break in the clouds and it's much cooler today than it's been the whole week we've been here.
These babies eventually cross behind our vehicle to get to the river down the path from us. 

9:45am

I must confess I can't keep my eyes open today. The more people you have to peer out the window looking for animals in the wild, the better your chances to see something exciting. I crawl back into the van's third row seating for a quick nap. As much as I enjoy writing these updates and downloading pictures, the process does keep me up way past my bedtime ;) 

 I do wake up just in time to catch this new, exciting animal spotted just in the distance.

 There are two lions in the brush, just beyond the reach of our cameras. I wonder if we should keep moving, but as we are about to carry on down the road, one comes meandering through the bushes and just a few feet from my passenger side window. It all happens so quick, I'm not even thinking about camera settings and angles. I'm just shooting and praying I capture some essence of her. 

 Eve might be into all of the gift shops and trinkets. I am into finding the beautiful images that act as memorable souvenirs of this amazing place. 



Lunch

As promised, David navigates us to Mbembola (spelling questionable and I'm too tired to check for accuracy 😂). There's an overlook here on a hillside where guests can enjoy a bird's eye view of a watering hole where animals often visit. This is the dry season for sure, so these watering holes are often bustling with wildlife. Today is no exception: giraffes, zebras, elephants, kudus, impalas all take turns, sometimes collectively sharing this little space together.


Dessert is served

Our final safari day is coming to a close. On the road back, we look for rhinos (as they are the elusive beast this time around). Yet, the line of traffic builds up ahead to something quite spectacular. The lions and their cubs are feasting on a fresh kill at the roadside. 

The opportunity to see the lions and the elephants up so close in this natural wonderland is an indescribable experience.  

 Tomorrow we visit an animal rehab center -- stay tuned..... Oh and the day after that, we travel back to Johannesburg for the flight home. It will be back to boring "in transit" posts. ;) 

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