Oct 19: Animals visit camp

Elephants decided to make a meal of the trees outside our room today.  They may be gentle giants but they make a mess of the grounds here.  The day before we arrived they damaged underground water pipes.  Various types of antelope meander nearby throughout the day and night, as do the monkeys: vervet and baboons.  But the special treat tonight, while we were having dinner on the balcony at the lodge, 2 hippo grazed the lawns.  One for the memory bank because it was too dark to take photos.

It was all the usual fare on our drive this morning ... You know, the common or garden pride of lions, a herd of rhino, a handful of storks and Eagles ... Then we did a foot safari for the final hour and a half.  This is the second one we've done, adding to our vast and useful knowledge of animal poo and medicinal plants!!!

The daily routine at this lodge is different to any other we've stayed at.  6am start with a 4 hour game drive; brunch at 10 am; the middle of the day all to ourselves; high tea at 3.30, and a 3 hour evening game drive starting at 4pm. At sunset we break for a "sundowner" deep in the bush.  Then the day finishes with dinner at 8pm.

Quite like it because it allows us a good 5 hours in the middle of the day to enjoy the lodge in its peaceful wild location.

This is the view from our dining table:

This evenings drive was especially memorable.  We endured a long drive over boring savannah, through recent bushfire regions in search of the illusive cheetah ... And we weren't disappointed.

We arrived late at tonights sundowner location, a favourite hippo hang out ... Too late for a sunset, but in the failing light managed at last, to capture a hippo mid-yawn.