The gate guard on the Botswana side was very observant and got Ali not using her seatbelt as we drove up to him! He succumbed to her sheepish grin, and just growled in a pleasant but "I got you" sort of way.
Limpopo River lodge was a brilliant find. Quite a large property, around 10000 hectares, with no fences to at least one neighbour, so the animals range freely.
This is a Brai (BarBQ) site. No fee. Drive yourself.
Also, indications of old campsites. Dating back who knows how far.
Looking Northish from the top of the mornings kopje. Sunset kopje is just on the other side of the water hole.
The Tuli block of Botswana is the only privately owned land in the country. Everyone born in Botswana is entitled to a 40 m by 40 m block of land and has a 50 year lease granted by the government. These are easily renewable, so generally stay in the family, and get other blocks added. There is no homeless issue here. We saw nobody living on the streets. We didn't spend much time in any larger cities, but it is impressive. Botswana is the size of France with a population of just 2 million and no debt. Wow!
Anyhow, we climbed lovely little kopje (pronounced.. copy") to watch the last evening sunset and then started to drive back to our excellent riverside campspot.
We'd driven through the bush about 5 minutes towards camp, the light is fading, and suddenly Ali shouts (quietly, I might add) " Leopard".... wow!!!! driving, all I see is this large cat coming off the skyline of a small (10mtr high) kopje to our right, and as I stop Norman (the Toyota) I cannot make out any colour other than it seems to be the same shade as the light brown rocks it is on.
Once stopped, and with the binoculars, it is as she thought, a beautiful leopard, and it has stopped, sitting now among the rocks watching us. It is only about 25 metres away, but unless you know exactly where to look, it is invisible. We had been told by a number of people about this effect of their markings, but without seeing it, it is really hard to understand.
We sit quietly, and watch. For about 5 minutes it never took it's eyes off us, and then it relaxed and started looking around at it's territory. Everything out there (other than other predators) is potential food, and at that time of day they are on the menu!
After what seemed like half an hour, but likely only 15 minutes, it stood up, and slipped down through the rocks, across the road in front of us to disappear into the bush.
We really never thought we'd see one, as they are very secretive, and everyone we met said they hoped we would but it wasn't very likely, especially without any guide, and not on some commercial safari type property. So to come across one on our own, with nobody around was really special.
As we left for South Africa the following morning, we couldn't help but stop at the reception (about 5 kms drive from the campsite) and let the manager know. He was so excited for us and dragged us out to tell his friends who were visiting from Gaborone and were just about to leave. The excitement that a sighting like this generates was a little unexpected, but it seems that everyone who loves the wildlife puts a very high price on such an experience.
Last night, we caught up with a woman and her son for the evening at a casino close to the airport in Johannesburg. She'd been with us on the EcoTraining course. We were talking about what we'd been up to since, and she told us that the Coffee with Elephant experience we'd had on the last afternoon at the Kruger camp was also very unusual. She'd been discussing it with the lead guide instructor, Bruce, and he'd told her that even though they often had ele's though the camp, they'd never had one come as close to us, and we were at ground level and not in the elevated dining classroom area, which is where they have always been when the ele's come through. We have been very lucky, and somewhat privileged to have these moments of close contact.
Another shot of Ali, enjoying Africa ..
One of the things that has struck us is the contrasts. Black white, natural quiet to man made noise, super rich and Mercedes to dirt poor and a donkey powered cart. The quiet of the not flowing Limpopo suddenly shattered by gunfire on the other (Sth African) side. That was every night we were there.
Waking to the sound of an elephant walking close to the tent at night, and then a night later to the sound of traffic on the 4 lane highway a few hundred metres away from the next campsite. Driving at 80km/hr or more on soft red sand with no traffic to doing 120km/hr on that 4 lane highway surrounded by vehicles and the odd crazy driver!
Eating our one pot baked beans with egg to a day later a 3 course meal surrounded by the plastic artificial world of a casino. It kind of assaults your senses.
We have read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies and documentaries about Africa, and there is a recurring theme. Africa can grab you and not let go, and it is also very harsh and can chew you up and spit you out without blinking. We now get both extremes, and we have only briefly visited 3 countries. We hope to come back. Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia... and maybe revisit some places.
Over and out.
AWE SOME!!!! Some very special moments to last a life time. Good stuff!! XXX
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