safari sistas

Well, we survived the first night with the spiders. However, Jaimi woke up with a sore throat, so we assume the worst. 🙁 On a brighter note, we had perfect game drive weather and enjoyed many fantastic animal sightings. We were all thrilled, though it’s hard to tell if Kevin was more enchanted by the game or by the open Landrover. Or, it could have been the binoculars: even though he had no clue how to focus them, he wouldn’t surrender them for more than 5 seconds during the entire 2 hour drive!

Fitting that he had binoculars attached to his face, considering he volunteered himself as guide #2 – gamely telling Jill at full volume when she picked the wrong road, explaining to us that there is a girl and boy rhino out in the field, and if we tried to pipe in with some bit of animal information, shortly stating “I *know* that already.”

Our favorites were: cheetah, giraffe, warthogs (Jill anyway). We’ll add separately a viewing list so you can keep track with us – still no dik-diks, though (Marianne). And we’re still working on how to upload some photos. I have to say, at this rate it’s been hard enough just finding an internet connection (especially one that works). We are, after all, in Africa! 🙂

We concluded the day with our first foray into the world of braai – traditional African barbecue over a wood fire. Great fun – at least for Jill, who made the salad and laughed at Jaimi sputtering in the smoke during attempt 4 to keep the fire alive! Kevin was a great help, scouring the camp for sticks to use as kindling (with the one exception that we might have heard a black-backed Jackal nosing around, so maybe we shouldn’t have let him go under the barricade fence…). Fortunately, the meat was edible (come on Jill – it was GOOD!) And we had another good dinner and killed another bottle of wine.

The spider’s seemed to have made themselves scarce, so we got a better night’s rest, save the not entirely comfy cabin beds. (But I’ll take hard beds, no spiders any day!!) And…despite the afternoon scare of wild jungle fever on Jaimi’s part, that seems to be gone for good now, as well.

Wildlife: 0
Intrepid travellers: 1

So far, so good…

 Tonight we are settled into our log cabin atop a hill at Kragga Kamma Game
Reserve. After a busy day of packing up at Africa Beach B&B, short PE
city tour, and a grocery shopping expedition, we were glad to finally find
and make ourselves home here at Kragga Kamma. Our stress from the hectic day
and all the driving quickly turned to excitement when we were greeted by 4
giraffe serving as a welcoming committee, 2 each on either side of the road..
As we drove through the group, we stopped to take some pictures, and it was
amazing to see how tall they were so close up. It required some major
acrobatics on this photographer’s part to get the 5 meter tall animal in the
viewfinder, when only about 1 meter away – I only ended up with a head and
partial neck shot.
Our excitement grew as we passed a few warthogs on the windy, bumpy road up
to our cabin and when we saw our quaint home nestled among the tress above a
meadow full of impala (but barricaded on 3 sides against the rhino). Our
delight barely even dwindled when Kevin and I spotted a very large (that is,
fist-sized) spider while our guide was showing us around the cabin.
Fortunately, the guide swept the intruder out the door as she bid us
farewell, and we were once again happy as can be…
….for about two minutes.
That’s when we found another spider. Feeling rather bold after watching our
guide deal with the first spider, I got out the broom and tried to chase the
spider away. That’s when we saw another spider. Aaaand another spider…
Amidst Kevin and my shrieking, Jaimi called out from the bathroom: “should I
stay in here, then?”
Feeling rather outnumbered, I abandoned my attempts to chase the spiders out
and the 3 of us re-convened in the main area to consider our options. After
settling on the tactic of “we leave them alone, hopefully they leave us
alone” (realizing we had little other recourse), we went about our unpacking
and dinner preparations.
(continued now by Jaimi…) We ate out on the front porch – very pleasant –
and had the added enjoyment of dinner entertainment. Every time Jill walked
inside and scanned the walls and ceiling, she had a moment of stunned
motionlessness before continuing on her errand. The crowning moment came
when Jill suggested she wash the dishes while I clean away leftovers. Task
#2 dutifully accomplished, I walked into the cabin to hear, “I just can’t be
in here [the kitchen corner]. Harry is too close, Lucy’s diappeared, and
someone new is hanging down between the wall and cabinet. I just can’t do
it.”
So, after reassuring Kevin that there was nothing to be afraid of, we were
able to put him to bed and now we are sitting out on the porch, of course,
where we feel much safer despite our guide’s dire warnings not to venture
more than 2 meters from the cabin. In an attempt to get through the evening
and prepare ourselves for sleep, we’ve started our 2nd bottle of wine. But
be sure we will go to bed tonight with clothespins on our lips. (adds Jill)
Speaking of which, Jaimi just got back after checking on Kevin and says ”
it’s really hot in there…and his mouth was open!”
P.S. we’ve been out here discussing and maybe you can help settle
the debate: candy and chocolate coated biscuit bites…candy or biscuit?

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