Shayde on 21/9/2006 at 08:27
Last week I had the adventure of my life! Have you ever had those moments when you just stop what you are doing and think:
"Holy Shit my life is awesome, I am so lucky to have this"?
Well that was last week for me.
My husband, my father and I spent a week in the (
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/) Kruger National Park doing the (
http://www.saplaces.co.za/cgi-bin/home?id=61) Lebombo 4x4 eco trail.
This is a week long 4x4 trail that winds its way through 500 kms of game reserve along the Eastern border of the park and all along the Northern border of South Africa along Mocambique.
Inline Image:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/LadyShayde/LebomboTrail-2006-014.jpgThe first and last night of our trip was spent in a camp but for the rest we were all in tents. All the older crowd were in tents on top of the vehicle, with my husband and I being the only nana's camped on the ground. More on that later.
Inline Image:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/LadyShayde/LebomboTrail-2006-186.jpgThe trail is pretty hard core, some rough road - especially as we were pulling a bush trailer. It's about 35 degrees out so every time you take a walking trail or stop to look at anything you are instantly covered in your own sweat.
Of course the trail is exceptionally dusty so this fine brown powder blows onto you and gets stuck to the sweat leaving you looking a lot less like the lilly white mlungu you were when you left home.
In addition to the heat and dirt the camps are very rustic with just long drops and no showers, hygene really was secondary on this tour.
Sleep was also not an option as it turned out that I am the only one out of 15 that doesn't snore!
Some highlights include illegally crossing the border into Mocambique through a hole in the fence to look at this giant baobab tree.
Inline Image:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/LadyShayde/LebomboTrail-2006-290.jpgOur tour guide Rangane who was so knowledgeable about everything from plants, to insects, to animals to ecology. I had a special bond with Rangane as I chose early on to ally myself with the man with the gun - especially when walking in the bush and having him point out all the predator spoor.
Inline Image:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/LadyShayde/LebomboTrail-2006-096.jpgBy far the most amazing experience was the last night, when Andre and Rangane decided that instead of camping in the designated area we would just pitch on the banks of a dam.
Animals like water. Animals with teeth like water and are very active at night. Hubby and I are camping on the ground with only a thin layer of cloth between us and aforementioned teeth.
Oh and did I mention that we sighted a lion kill not 1km away from where we were camped? As we ate dinner we watched 4 elephants, sundry buck and 2 lionesses come for a drink about 400 m from where we were sitting.
I spent the night listening to these animals call, lions are noisy buggers, as well as hippo, jackals and a leopard.
The next morning we took a walk to visit the lion kill. Lions in this area generally avoid humans, we smell bad and are noisy so we weren't being reckless, plus there was the shotgun - not to kill anything, just for the noise.
Inline Image:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/LadyShayde/LebomboTrail-2006-069.jpgThis is the remains of the baby elephant which was the lions dinner. They had had their fill and the vultures were about to move in.
Strange fact, vultures will eat before the jackal.
Kruger park has stopped culling elephant and as such there are so many of them, you should see the damage they can do.
Still babies are always adorable.
Inline Image:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/LadyShayde/ellylove.jpgThe tour ends at crooks corner - a viewpoint where you are on SA soil - to the right over the river is Mocambique and to the left is Zimbabwe. Incredible sight.
An amazing experience and a million stories.
Inline Image:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m176/LadyShayde/LebomboTrail-2006-037.jpgercles on 21/9/2006 at 09:43
That's a pretty swett photo at the end, but I wonder how your hubby feels about your "special bond" with Mr Rangane. Stuff like this makes me wish I didn't live on an island.
But then I remember that island won a certain rugby game 49-0 and it's all ok!
DC on 21/9/2006 at 09:45
Quote Posted by Shayde
"Holy Shit my life is awesome, I am so lucky to have this"
I concur. That looks awesome, and you have all that without even leaving the country.
Trying not to think about adventures in Shayde's bush...
ercles on 21/9/2006 at 09:48
Heh yeh the thought did cross my mind too when I first read the title. But who can blame me after that goddamn erectile disfunction thread, my mind has been permanently gutterised.
Shayde on 21/9/2006 at 09:50
Oh Lord, mistress of the unintentional double entendre :rolleyes:
CyberFish on 21/9/2006 at 11:52
I thought this would be about another attempt at a Brazilian wax.
Beautiful photos, Shayde. You're very lucky indeed.
Mr.Duck on 21/9/2006 at 15:10
So I´m not the only perv that thought that, HAH¡
Or though about Shayde´s affair with Bush (ew).
Very good pictures, true dat, and a lovely trip too :)
pavlovscat on 21/9/2006 at 15:24
Quote Posted by ercles
Heh yeh the thought did cross my mind too when I first read the title. But who can blame me after that goddamn erectile disfunction thread, my mind has been permanently gutterised.
I thought that, too. But I ended up seeing some beeeeyoutiful pictures. Shayde, you are indeed very lucky.
Turtle on 21/9/2006 at 16:52
This thread fails to deliver Shayde's bush!
But you got elephants, so B+.
jimjack on 21/9/2006 at 18:17
That baobaob tree is awesome, like its growing upside down or something. Thats it! I will no longer have to rely on Animal Planet to check out elephants ..its one more goal on my list to experience a bush adventure with an armed guide even.
Very cool
