Thursday 20 October 2016
Wednesday 19 October 2016
Tuesday 18 October 2016
Wednesday 12 October 2016
Getting up on the Table!
The huge flat topped massif in the bay was how mariners
since Vasco da Gama described the entrance to Table Bay which lies as the best
anchorage on the southern tip of Africa. El Cabo de Boa Esperanza, it was
called by that intrepid explorer and wanderer of the oceans and it was in fact
the gateway to the east: the Spice Islands, India and of course the mysterious
lands of Cathay.
The Cape of Good Hope was also called by the more practical
minded sailors who feared for life and limb in its stormy waters as the Cape of
Storms because of the terrible winds that lashed at their wooden ships and
caused them no end of grief.
We often forget the struggles of the ancient seafaring men
who opened up the world and for whom going ‘home’ represented 6-10 months of
sailing and so many never made it back. Sir Francis Drake left England to
circumnavigate the globe with 3 ships and over 400 men with promises of plunder
and riches, and came back with 1 ship and a skeleton crew having lost all
others to storms and sea battles.
So Table Mountain was a very welcome sight to sailors
heading to the Orient in the old days and nowadays it is a most interesting
tourist attraction.
The cable car operates on days when the weather is good and
it is a breathtaking view of Cape town that greets one a few seconds after it
starts. The car itself is round and rotates so everyone gets a full view all
around.
The top has the usual curio shops and restaurant obligatory
to such places but there is also unique wildlife up there that has become quite
used to people. Witness the rock hyrax or dassie as it is called. About as big
as a rabbit they live up here among the rocks and tourists, quite happy to sit
and pose.
There are also the intrepid adventurers who eschew the cable
car and the pathway and prefer to do it the hard way. Climb the massif. Well,
good luck buddy better you than me!
Python in the tree
We were driving along one day and spotted a large number of
cars on either side of the road and that in Kruger means there is a predator
about. Given where we were on the Lower Sabie road it usually means lions. But
I was wrong. The whole crowd of people were staring up into a tree and quite a
distance off at that! Which is why the pix are rather awful!
Some waved me over and said “Python eating something in the
tree , over there do ya see it hanging?” Now for the life of me I could not
figure out what he was talking about, cuz I was looking in the wrong tree. Then
I saw it, thick as my thigh with a raptor in its coils and man it was big!
Really big. He probably went up there to get a monkey and the eagle of some
sort got snacked on. That’s fate for you!
One hot day at the waterhole.
Heading for Satara camp from Tshokwane after a quick
breakfast we noticed a herd of elephants
heading north as well and slowed to keep pace with them. They were looking like
they might cross over and head for the waterhole just ahead so we took up
position facing the waterhole and sure enough there they came. The thing is
that we had not seen the whole herd yet. So as we were parked there they came
across the road and heading down the slope to drink and it was then that I
realized that the rest of them were on
my left and now the car was between two groups from the same herd. One
female was none too pleased about this and gave me a couple of real dirty looks
but she passed around the back of the car to the rest of the gang giving me and
the car a wide berth with no incident at all. It was a bit hairy however having
her behind the car and me parked on the embankment but she just passed over and
was fine with the rest of the herd.
It’s a delight to watch a herd of elephants relaxing at the
waterhole. There are so many special little interactions and it is not unlike a
big human family gathering. The older ones more sedately drinking cuz of course
they need a LOT of water. The youngest ones with moms and nannies around to
keep them safe and the youngsters were pushing shoving ducking and spraying and
generally goofing off. A great sighting. Kruger rocks!
Saturday 1 October 2016
Elephants at the weir.
One day was just parked at the weir across a small tributary
of the sabie and watching the hippo basking in the sun when out of the blue a
large herd of elephants bore down on us. Coming at quite a clip they were
obviously thirsty and charged right into the water. The hippo was ignominiously
ousted from his position as boss of the pool and the elephants waded in.
of the sabie and watching the hippo basking in the sun when out of the blue a
large herd of elephants bore down on us. Coming at quite a clip they were
obviously thirsty and charged right into the water. The hippo was ignominiously
ousted from his position as boss of the pool and the elephants waded in.
The resident crocodile also got a little start and then he
maintained his position off to one side as the hippo clambered out of the
deepest section and came over to one side.
maintained his position off to one side as the hippo clambered out of the
deepest section and came over to one side.
The herd was obviously heading for some specific place cuz
as quickly as they came they gathered together and in a few minutes were gone.
as quickly as they came they gathered together and in a few minutes were gone.
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