You’ve got to roll with it.
Like days at home, there’s good and there’s bad on the road. The pendulum can swing back and forth pretty quickly. I know that technically I am not allowed to complain about anything, on account of the not having to work thing, but it is what I do best.
Good: tracking lions on safari. Obviously a great start to a day.
Good: looking at beautiful scenery in Blyde River Canyon.
Bad: adding a new category to our budget – shakedown fees – after a police officer kindly suggests that a small donation to his wallet would be a win-win for all involved instead of a more costly speeding ticket.
Bad: everything affordable in Graskop, where we planned to stay, is booked.
Good: there’s delicious pancakes in Graskop. Very good. Very good, indeed.
Good: finding a spring stone sculpture in a local artist’s shop with resident kitties.
Bad: discovering, after it is too late and dark to bother finding another, that the hostel room recommended in our guidebook in the next town over is basically a glorified room in someone’s garage.
Just another day on the road.
Kruger sunsets
Day One, near Skukuza Camp:
Day Two, Olifants River:
Day Three, near Shingwedzi
The Golden Hour at Kruger
One of my favorite bloggers, Karen Waldrond – a lawyer turned photographer – refers to the magical time at the end of the day when the daylight is waning and everything glows as The Golden Hour. The Golden Hour is my favorite time of day. Here are some shots from three different Golden Hours at Kruger:
Spots and Stripes
Two of my favorite animals at Kruger are not part of the Big Five. They’re not that hard to spot at Kruger, but they are super cool anyway because of their distinctive spots and stripes. Crazy what nature creates.
Baboons Take Over Kruger
Baboons have quite the reputation in South Africa. At Cape Point, you’re warned not to get out of your car when baboons are near. At Kruger, you’re warned to turn your refrigerator around so the baboons don’t get in and eat all of your food. The man who loaned us binoculars to check out the lions compared baboons to the devil, and told us about the time they broke into his house, destroyed everything in sight, ate all of his food, and pooped all over his house.
I’m sure baboons are evil. But we find them to be irresistibly cute, even when a group of them took over a bridge in Kruger one morning, making it impossible for cars to pass.
Swerve to the left? They’ll get in your way. Swerve to the right? They’ll jump on your car. Try to speed up? They’ll distract you with cuteness. I mean, seriously, aren’t they adorable?
