Eco tours in Africa – Against The Odds to Central Kalahari – part 3
Central Kalahari Part ONE and Part TWO (click only to take you there).
Later that afternoon we decided to investigate a loop that we had not been on previously.
Imagine our surprise when we found the four young males from the previous day sprawled out next to the road.
A young male decided that the Coopers on Johan’s vehicle were the coolest things he has seen in a long time! Trotting around, he was eyeing out the wheels with concentration.
Wendy spotted a fifth lion coming towards us across the pan. To witness the reaction of the males was amazing. They started to gambol around the pan like kittens. It was a female, and we watched in amazement as she first crouched in submission and soon they were greeting each other like old friends. After a session of greetings and lion standard pleasantries, the female got up and headed for the waterhole.
What a privilege to witness this. I again realised why we visit these remote places on our eco tours in Africa .
We followed the lions to the waterhole as Johan and Annica got engrossed in preparing a delicious meal of duck and cherry pie. If you should think that they are camp food magicians you are quite right. Camp food will never be the same again after travelling with the Van Rensburgs.
We packed up camp early the next morning and set off for Sunday pan for our last three days in the park. Along the route, we came across a fantastic spectacle on our eco tours in Africa. Bushes that a few days ago looked utterly lifeless were now covered in white blooming flowers. The rain of two days ago had worked its magic.
A while later we came across a flock of vultures at a kill. It was further from the roadside and we were not able to see what the ‘kill was but it must have been large as there were at least 40 – 50 vultures squabbling over the carcass.
Great was our surprise when we spotted a wild dog skulking around, no doubt hoping to scavenge a few scraps. It was odd though to see a loner of a wild dog.
We arrived at our Sunday Pan campsite late afternoon and after setting up the camp, we soaked in peaceful nature, until it was time to start supper. On the menu were Kassler chops served with plums and potato bake.
Next day on our eco tours in Africa we were up early for a game drive. At the Sunday Pan waterhole, we found three lions. A beautiful male and female and a very thin emaciated female. She looked as if on deaths door.We decided to go and look for the leopard of Leopard Pan, but all we found was a stream of vehicles. It was just before the Easter weekend, and we were glad that for a past week and a half we had the park to ourselves.
With no leopard found, we headed back to camp to chill for the rest of the day.
Supper was grilled deboned leg of lamb, sweet potatoes and potbread followed by grilled peaches with cinnamon custard and ice cream. We rolled into bed by 21:00.
Psalm 76. Where there is peace, He is there.
At night it started to rain heavily, and we awoke to dark skies and a sodden campsite. We attempted went for a game drive, but the heavy rain forced us back to the campsite. The day was spent reading and sleeping to the tumbling sound of water.
At 5 am we were up to pack our trailers with camp-gear and head for home. Enough has been said on the forum about the chaos after the rain, so I am not going to bore you with another rain and mud story. What I can say is that we left CKGR just in time. It took us only five and a half hours to drive the 107 km from our camp to the tar road. From later reports on our eco tours in Africa, I gather that we came off lightly.
Wendy and I can’t ever adequately express the gratitude in our hearts for amazing friends and an awesome God who made it possible for us to experience the Central Kalahari.
We will be back!
Tags: Camping, Central Kalahari, Eco community, eco travel Recommend News
