Best trip yet....Phinda, Sabi Sabi, Tswalu

[PCNW]

Ok @garaceland give it up..... What do you have planned for your next trip? And 37 years for us.

[PCNW]

We felt sure the lionesses would be hunting in the evening and found them much as they were before….sleeping. We hung around with vehicles dropping by and then things started to happen, yawning, stretching, grooming. As it got dark they got up and all walked with purpose. We followed along leap frogging other vehicles trying keep them in or sights. And then in the end they settled down….to rest…again…..dang it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we headed back to what had become our routine, a drink with Marc in this cool bar area and then the three of us having dinner right there by the fire. It's great to be in Africa.

 

[PCNW]

Morning brought one roar from a lion in the distance and some tracks in the road. From this Richard and Marc determined it was one of two lions that had recently lost their pride and were on their own. We found the lion and it was Solo as predicted. Actually it was a lion from the Londolozi area that I knew of since I still read their blog. I feel so bad for these guys, what an awful feeling to be an outcast, missing your girls, having to hunt on your own and always on the run from some even badder bad dudes.

 

I could understand why he was done, ragged looking and he needed his hair done or brushed or something. Trash in his mane, chipped K nines...he had let himself go and was not in his prime. But as we sat there watching him pitifully try to get someone, anyone to answer his calls I could feel his pain. How sad to finish your life alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These horned bills hangout in this frequently used sundowner stop knowing that there are crumbs to be had. We got out and lay on our bellies not bothering the birds a bit.

 

 

 

 

[graceland]

On 5/29/2014 at 8:50 PM, PCNW said:

Ok @garaceland give it up..... What do you have planned for your next trip? And 37 years for us.

Well I hate to tell you where I am taking my "amateur" new camera...but it is to Africa, so that is a plus!

 

Jud and I are booked with a private guide to Zimbawbe for 12 nights....Craig Van Zyl of "Last Tuskers Fame" and another ST's guide in Zim, .....(of recent CHAD visit). i am very excited to be with him and just us two...we love the one on one....so after my Lumix died in Bots, and my iPhone got me through Tz, I asked around for a walk about camera as this is MOStLY a walking safari- and I cannot carry professional equipment and lenses. Jud has a Canon DSLR(do not know the no.) but it has a 70-300 lens; then he has another one.(?) .he uses them while in the jeep; so I got one I could carry all day. A Canon 50x that was recommended. I don't do anything but share (here) and with family so fine with me. He is a bit of a lazy photog....we would rather watch and enjoy..but take pics to just show off, haha. No publishing here!

 

We are going to Mana Pools, Hwange and Matusadona...very excited as Craig flies his own Cessna between areas for us; he came highly recommended; and I can't wait to see from above what is in store below. For Mana we have a private camp for the two of us, then onto small camps in Hwange and Matsu with Craig. What the heck; we are in 'Africa! I will Love it!

)We do crave the ADVENTUre,and after Ruaha I LOVE the tents (Caroline would not just yet - but once she does..omg - ) another world opens up!

 

We need to keep in touch and chat trips. Since we are moving from Richmond, I will pm you my new address on the bay......once all is done.HOPEFULLY

 

I swear Patsy - though you were GOOD from the initial trip (2 yrs ago?) then on to Bots and Tz; you have upped your game significantly! Amazing and beautiful; that is al I can say without jealously, ha ha of the amazing photos. Know you've worked hard at it and it does show......great job!

 

Since we move out of our house 4 days upon return--SAFARI will be 'relaxing compared to moving!! Heading to the Chesapeake bay if anyone wants some birding time! Anybody need an expensive Colindale mens bike ridden maybe 3 times. Before my back issues. I could ship it to you - well in US!

 

And of course ALWAYS wondering about the next COUNTRY on the way home...plenty of time to wonder.

Isn't SA amazing; just LOVE it! Thanks for feeding my addiction!

 

Best..

 

OH dear I hope I wasn't a hijacker...........sorry

[graceland]

On 5/29/2014 at 8:50 PM, PCNW said:

Ok @garaceland give it up..... What do you have planned for your next trip? And 37 years for us.

Well I hate to tell you where I am taking my "amateur" new camera...but it is to Africa, so that is a plus!

 

Jud and I are booked with a private guide to Zimbawbe for 12 nights....Craig Van Zyl of "Last Tuskers Fame" and another ST's guide in Zim, .... (of recent CHAD visit). i am very excited to be with him and just us two...we love the one on one....so after my Lumix died in Bots, and my iPhone got me through Tz, I asked around for a walk about camera as this is MOStLY a walking safari- and I cannot carry professional equipment and lenses. Jud has a Canon DSLR(do not know the no.) but it has a 70-300 lens; then he has another one.(?) .he uses them while in the jeep; so I got one I could carry all day. A Canon 50x that was recommended. I don't do anything but share (here) and with family so fine with me. He is a bit of a lazy photog....we would rather watch and enjoy..but take pics to just show off, haha. No publishing here!

 

We are going to Mana Pools, Hwange and Matusadona...very excited as Craig flies his own Cessna between areas for us; he came highly recommended; and I can't wait to see from above what is in store below. For Mana we have a private camp for the two of us, then onto small camps in Hwange and Matsu with Craig. What the heck; we are in 'Africa! I will Love it!

)We do crave the ADVENTUre,and after Ruaha I LOVE the tents (Caroline would not just yet - but once she does..omg - ) another world opens up!

 

We need to keep in touch and chat trips. Since we are moving from Richmond, I will pm you my new address on the bay......once all is done.HOPEFULLY

 

I swear Patsy - though you were GOOD from the initial trip (2 yrs ago?) then on to Bots and Tz; you have upped your game significantly! Amazing and beautiful; that is al I can say without jealously, ha ha of the amazing photos. Know you've worked hard at it and it does show......great job!

 

Since we move out of our house 4 days upon return--SAFARI will be 'relaxing compared to moving!! Heading to the Chesapeake bay if anyone wants some birding time!

 

\And of course ALWAYS wondering about the next COUNTRY on the way home...plenty of time to wonder.

Isn't SA amazing; just LOVE it! Thanks for feeding my addiction!

 

Best..

 

OH dear I hope I wasn't a hijacker...........sorry

[PCNW]

Ok Graceland, I now remember your upcoming trip. This is one report I don't want to miss, take notes. I can't believe you're moving 4 days after a vacation.

[graceland]

Ok Graceland, I now remember your upcoming trip. This is one report I don't want to miss, take notes. I can't believe you're moving 4 days after a vacation.

The buy was sudden...someone comes in - says how can I buy your house? We looked at each other and said...DONE! Two years sooner than expected but with real estate the way it is...

 

Fortunately we get to stay here until Sept.30 I will do whatever I can to get to Africa and WON'T ever cancel just to move, LOL

 

Will try to keep good notes; I am a lazy traveller and not as precise and in-depth as so many here! Hope I can charge my iPhone and just speak into it..I just write Tr's from memory and photo dates!

 

The safari surely looks like your best ever; loving the pics and commentary. Hard to beat this one Patsy!

[PCNW]

Loaded, locked and ready to roll, our team.

 

 

 

 

 

Our last drive the morning we were to leave we found a female leopardess travelling back to a river area where she had cubs stashed away the week before. As she crept past us calling to her cubs the stage could not have been more perfect. Early morning light on a beautiful sandy riverbed with large tree limbs, I could just see the scene when the cubs would come bounding out so happy to see mum.

 

Those loving chuffs and puffs and calls, so motherly. For an hour we watched the leopardess wait, listen, cross the river and then stalk something unseen but we never did see the cubs. At one point she came back across the river and passed by our vehicle. Later I started to think that she probably had lost those cubs and was still looking ever hopeful that they would come home to her.

 

 

 

My bad…..I thought we were here to photograph the animals.

 

 

 

 

Richard our sweet tracker is married with two children having paid the customary 11 cow dowry. He’s building a new home in his off time. He buys the mortar and pays a man to dig sand from the river and mix the concrete. He has two molds and they take about a week to dry, so about two bricks a week by my calculations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to JNB from Sabi Sabi and then onto the Tswalu plane for the 1 ½ hour trip to the Kalahari. Included in your price at Tswalu is the plane ride and private vehicle with a guide and tracker.

 

 

[PCNW]

Tswalu is 100,000 HA or about 250,000 acres with just one lodge making it the largest private reserve in SA. They provide two flights a day to the reserve, one from Cape Town and one from JNB. There is a little open air building at the strip and the sociable weavers have nearly taken it over. It’s like a scene from The Birds but in a good way, they're fun to watch and everywhere.

 

Our guide Roger and tracker Ben (I called him Sam which really got confusing as my horse would actually be named Sam) met us for the 45 min. ride to the lodge. The wind was blowing hard and my first thought was that game driving in those conditions was going to be unpleasant and that Tswalu wasn’t going to live up to my expectations. But, I was wrong.

 

The lodge is very comfortable and unique; the rooms are very, very nice, plenty of space and have everything you could want including a large writing desk and fireplace. Caroline built a fire every night and most afternoons. That was a very welcome addition. The other nice touch was the electric blanket that was on whenever I crawled between the sheets.

 

There are several colonies of meerkats, some more habituated than others. Ellie Mae was determined to have one crawl on her and our first drive took us to one of the groups that isn’t as habituated so she didn’t get her wish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sundowners and you’re thinking I went waaaay overboard on the saturation and you would be very wrong…..this is just how we saw this sunset. In fact all of the colors here are saturated. I had a hard time editing, always fighting the urge to decrease the sat. or vibrancy sliders. And as my brother in law would say it sure gets nippley when that sun goes down. And although we did the night drives I was usually ready to head back.

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Patsy, I agree with all the comments. Your photography is definately getting better all the time. I find the hornbills particulalry enticing, but my prediction for the day is that you would get POW in the travel photography section with the landy in the dusty sunset on post #20. And if either the squirrell on the end of the branch or the low-angle lion don't get POW in the nature section don't get POW there's just no justice. I also love all the wonderful silhouttes. And that B&W lion's paw! Oh man!

 

Your narative is also exceptional.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Peter Connan

[Safaridude]

Great leopard sequence!

[PCNW]

Thanks @@Safaridude, much appreciated. And do you guys see why I love Peter?!?! He always says just the right thing. Thanks Peter.

[PCNW]

I think one of the reason’s I stay a little tired is that after the morning and evening drives I head to the room to download just a few photos, edit briefly and compose an email to send back to friends and family spending more time than I should. I’ll include one that I emailed home as we were leaving the Sabi Sands:

 

We're flying to our next stop, Tswalu, in the Kalahari dessert having left Sabi Sabi with very sad hearts. We've been so lucky to have hit a home run with two excellent guides so far, both of which were funny, good photographers and smitten with Caroline.

 

And while we're here having the most amazing time my poor husband has not only had to bring home the bacon but also fry it up in the pan by putting out fires with my dogs.

 

The day we left my beloved Beau went missing and after two days Jeff found him dying at the gazebo.....some had seen him but thought he was just relaxing...... He was rushed to our vet nearly dead who transferred him to the local dog ER for blood transfusions and multiple tests followed by a splenectomy. It was touch and go and Breck said he would pay the $4700. surgery bill but that he wasn't playing recovery room nurse. Beau, when stable, will go back to our vet for 10 days but is doing well. Visiting hours are from 9-2:00 for those wishing to stop by….or you can just send him flowers.

 

Then last night our pinhead grand puppy and our titty baby Buck went AWOL. Breck was called in the middle of the night from someone that said they had Buck but that Rook had boogied on down the road. Breck said he's done with those f*****g dogs.

 

While having lunch this elephant joined us and I caught Caroline taking the selfie.

 

[PCNW]

In the morning we headed straight to another meerkat colony where we once again got out to shoot from eye level. What I can’t figure out is why I didn’t remember that I wanted to try some backlit photos, dang it.

 

There are two prides on the property with the cats fenced separately from the area that the lodge is located in. This is the way it was set up by the original owner and when the Oppenheimer’s bought the property they kept it the same way, liking that horseback safari’s are available and that it’s a family friendly lodge with kids able to wander a little more freely.

 

I had wondered when I read about this thinking oh my gosh, I don’t want to go that far to look at lions in a pen. Well, that’s certainly not feeling you get at all. It’s a huge piece of property and you’re never aware of fencing except to enter and exit the gate.

 

We found the North pride with 12 members coming down the road. As they came forward we kept backing and with so many photos I was disappointed that there wasn’t anything really great or even really good from all of that effort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tdgraves]

@@PCNW don't be too hard on yourself - the shots of the pride walking down the road tow-by-two are lovely

[JohnR]

The other stuff is good but I absolutely love your lions.

[madaboutcheetah]

OMG - that shot of the Lions walking single file in two rows ............ OMG!!! (no other description) ...... Awesome!!!

[AKR1]

OMG - that shot of the Lions walking single file in two rows ............ OMG!!! (no other description) ...... Awesome!!!

+1 ?

[PCNW]

Roger had an App with birdcalls on it and played what must have been the pygmy falcon call to break dance. This falcon ruffled his feathers then called a dance partner and did a little jig.

 

 

 

Although not a great photo these mountain zebras have a different stripe pattern and larger ears than the plains zebra. Their strips stop at their belly. Tswalu has both zebras and they can be seen hanging out together at the water holes.

 

 

 

These sociable weaver nests were everywhere. They have three kinds of weavers here.

 

 

I just couldn’t get over the beauty of this place…green mountains everywhere you looked, red, red dirt, blue skies and that lovely blond waltzing grass.

 

 

Our last stop of the day was the South pride consisting of two adults, a good looking two year old male and some teenage cubs. When we found them I started making BIG eyes at this female only to have her BIG eye me back. She kept it up even after I was put in my place and stopped my childish behavior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PCNW]

A pack of 12 dogs that were trouble for another reserve had recently been released into Tswalu’s 250,000 acres. Three are collared, the Alpha male and female and one other female. Roger said that he had not seen the dogs yet but he knew by satellite that they had travelled to all of the boundaries of the property in a very short time.

 

 

As we loaded up on this morning Ben said that the dogs were around and hunting near the horse corral. We watched as they chased the springbok, some darting here others going there. As we followed right you might know one made a kill on the left. By the time we got through the horse pen gates the poor soul had nearly been devoured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the first time that the horses and dogs had met and it was evident the horses were very curious about the dogs and their table manners.

 

 

 

 

 

Major photo bombing by a vehicle full of guides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2014 by PCNW

[PCNW]

That afternoon we were scheduled for our horseback safari and even though I grew up riding like an Indian, bareheaded, barefoot, bareback, it had been awhile. Caroline is a real rider and took the lead with our guide. After awhile she was taken off separately to gallop and then when we met back up and I got the wild hair to give it a try too. I suggested a slow canter uphill but Sam, my horse, wasn’t having any of it. Fortunately I had a pony that frequently ran away with me so it wasn’t new. But, I will say this I nearly decided to give that gallop another go. Thrilling! I would go back to Tswalu for many, many reasons but that gallop is right at the top.

 

 

 

 

 

And yes I know that no one wants to see another pic of my daughter...I get it.... but all I've got to say about that is you're very lucky I didn't have my granddaughters along.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2014 by PCNW

[PCNW]

The next morning we saw that the dogs were drinking out of the pool so we gulped our coffee and headed out. In that short time we still had to track them but all was well and we followed them on what we thought was a hunt. And, in a way it was.

 

 

 

The Alpha female that lead the hunt yesterday and again today was heavily pregnant and was predicted to drop those pups soon. After 30 minutes she suddenly stopped and started digging a den. Clearly she was in lobar as I recognize the signs. Panting, grouchy, wanting no help with her project. As she designed her new home several aunties came to help but mom wasn’t going there. Even dad thought he was showing support by digging in …nope, she didn’t want help.

 

 

 

 

Dad kept a vigil trying his best to be supportive, looking nervous, trying to help and passing out cigars.

 

 

 

As the team rested in the shade she lay off by herself and kept her eye on her front door. When it was clear she wasn’t taking advise on the nursery several started in on a back entrance.

 

 

After hanging around for some time we left and got word that someone heard pups from the den later that afternoon. On this huge property how lucky is it that the den is within a reasonable distance to the lodge? And how awesome is that dog to run like she did, dig a den and have pups at the drop of a hat?!?!

 

 

[AKR1]

Many great shots. In particular, I like the shot of the dogs running away- I count 10 in the frame with one in the front only visible by its ear. Also, I don't think I have ever seen wild dogs and horses together. Nice pictures of you and your daughter on horseback on safari.

[PCNW]

Thanks AKR1, I count 11 in the photo if that is indeed a dog ear and now that I think about it I thought I counted 11 on that day too. But Ben said he counted all 12.

[madaboutcheetah]

So is Tswalu a fenced property like say, Madikwe or Phinda? If so, how often do you see the fencing while on drive. Not sure if I remember correctly, that they have more reliable Aardvark sightings at Tswalu? Lovely report - enjoying it immensely ..... Thank You