Today we packed up at Berg-en-dal …tonight we leave the park and have two nights at Pestana Lodge….so tomorrow we’ll self drive during the day and have a final sunset parks board drive, before heading back to joburg.
We set off taking the S110 past the camp where the tar stops and on to a really bad dirt road. It felt like rock surfing and was just one leap after another as I picked the cars route down and up the winding track. We flagged another car coming in the opposite direction to ask if they’d seen anything, because we were seriously considering turning around….we hadn’t done this road this trip because I really don’t like the drive it has always been a bad road fraught with hazards.
However our conversation with the other car led us to continue on….sure enough in another km or two we came across an open grassy area with two big black maned male lions laid down…unfortunately they had their backs to us but they were very majestic…..we jostled for car position to get a better view but to no avail.
After admiring these beauties for a while we continued on to the Matjulu Dam….there was very little water if any in the dam…but solar panels were feeding a water tower and a trough. An elephant was trying desperately to get water out of the tower. He didn’t seem to be successful and wandered on to the trough. Here he joined a heron and had a long thirst quenching drink.
Back on the dirt we took the shortest route back to the tar…a breeding herd of elephant where browsing at the track side..a lovely sight.
Back on the H3 we headed up past Afsaal. We were delighted to see our 2 rhino again.
We didn’t stop at the picnic area but continued past the jelly bean rocks and Jocks Safari lodge on to the next right hand dirt track. We took Burne Road down on to the Crocodile bridge river road. We were pleasantly surprised to come across a leopard tortoise walking along the road….its the first tortoise we have seen this trip.
Further on we came across a herd of zebra mingling with some kudu. The kudu wandered off and we ate our lunch next to a very handsome zebra stallion. He munched on the grass next to the car…I think our masticating was a comfort to him ….as he was totally accepting of our presence…..what an honour…lunch with a zebra. We spent along time just enjoying the moment in time.
After lunch we continued on. As we turned on to the Crocodile bridge to Malalane dirt road there was the heavy stench of death…sure enough we sighted both WBV and lappet faced vultures and some eagles… Closer investigation showed us they were feasting on a giraffe….we didn’t loiter too long as the smell was quite overpowering.
A little later an on coming vehicle stopped and asked if we had seen the lions…which we hadn’t…he told us they had brought down the giraffe 3 days ago and had moved off the kill that morning…hence the birds of prey taking over the carcass.
Shortly we came across a rather majestic bull waterbuck all on his own.
On we went ..our next sighting was a Wahlberg”s Eagle in a tree….
We arrived back a Malalane gate. We went in to reception and booked a day pass for tomorrow and a Sunset Drive with pick up at the hotel. The day pass reservation was 56 Rands each…but it is holiday time and sometimes the gates reach their daily entry quota and then you’re only allowed in if you have internal accommodation booked…so we didn’t want to take a chance. We also booked pick up from hotel Sunset drive, because when we did this same gate drive at the beginning of our holiday we had been unable to sit together because it picks up at the hotel first…..it cost an extra 50 Rands each to have the pick up ( £2.30ish) so we thought it worth £5 to be able to sit together.
Stopping on the bridge immediately after the gate we looked across and saw a crocodile on a river island.
Our viewing count for the day was 99+ impala, 2 squirrel, 1 grey heron, 2 lion, 7 warthog, 46 elephant, 8 giraffe, 1 lilac breasted roller, 22 quinea fowl, 2 rhino, 4 grey Lourie, 1 wildebeest, 17 kudu, 4 bateleur eagle, 22 WVB, 1 Leopard Tortoise, 2 lappet faced vultures, 2 waterbuck, 10 zebra, 3 vervet monkeys, 2 crocodile, 11 hippo, 1 Wahlberg’s eagle.
We arrived at Pestana Lodge at 3.00 pm. We booked in and off we went to our allocated lodge….oh dear…..NO!!! …much to Johns annoyance as he hates it when I complain…back to reception we drove…he stayed in the car while I went in…
“ Sorry but our room is unacceptable. Firstly it’s upstairs and I requested no stairs as I struggle to climb stairs” ( it’s also so John doesn’t have to lug the baggage up stairs) “and secondly it’s overlooking a construction site”.
The young man on reception stated it was the room allocated to the price we had paid…I just don’t believe them..we paid £98 per night ….thats a lot in South Africa….i informed them they needed to find us a downstairs room not on the construction site, similar to the one we had had 3 weeks ago…I also told them we were not just any old international tourist who only comes once, we come regularly most years and expected to be treated with the respect our loyalty deserves…..well! They rang housekeeping and sent another person from reception to see if another room was ready…they could tell I was not at all amused…The head of reception arrived…a very professional lady called Annika. She taped a few keys on the computer picked up a room key…made a phone call…then apologised profusely for allocating us a really awful room, she upgraded us to a ground floor delux river facing room. Her phone call was to summon the head of housekeeping, Fate, who escorted us to our new room….it was delightful…. beautiful views, huge room…everything you could ask for. Fate fussed over us like a mother hen, brought us complementary nuts, fruit, cheeses, crackers, biltong all wrapped up on a platter with a big bow, whilst still apologising for the mix up with the rooms….ummmm even John looked impressed with the outcome. I tipped Fate handsomely.
We had a nice rest before supper. John sat on the balcony with his laptop and good wifi internet.
We walked to the restaurant at about 7 pm. We ordered A’ l carte…I had grilled chicken with plain rice and John had lasagne…both dishes were very good….we were very happy.
2 J's World of Adventure 