Safari And Stupidity

It was another great day at the park! I've been getting-up naturally early with just the alarm on my watch as a back up, but I have been awake before it each morning. My first task on this trip each morning is to make hot water for the flask so we can have coffee and tea before we pack the bus to go and then again in a couple hours at our breakfast stop.

This morning, we packed the bus for going home, headed out and had another wonderful day of spotting animals. We saw hyeanas and crocodiles for the first time. We also saw lots of reptiles: geckos, monitors, snakes, etc.

The encounter of note today was not between the wildlife and us this time. At a stop at the Hilltop Camp, we saw a couple of local guys who decided (in spite of the signs) to try and approach a cape buffalo to get a better picture. They soon found-out that there was a reason for the warnings. The buffalo charged them. One of them lost their shoes trying to run away. Luckily, (for them) the buffalo was more interested in asserting his territory than in getting them. He stopped after a few steps. They kept running.

There was some idiot driving along with one of his passengers hanging out the open window of the car sitting on the door, hanging onto the roof. Besides being dangerous, it spooks the animals. However, the idiot of the day award goes to the couple who actually parked their car, got out and tried to get their own picture standing in front of a herd of zebra that were totally freaked by their presence.

Mid-afternoon we drove back to Ballito for a stop at the pub for some drinks and a dinner at a local restaurant. Then, totally knackered from all the activity, we turned in. We're all planning on sleeping-in tomorrow.

Wherever you are today, I hope you've had an excellent day!

Don Bergquist – 09 November 2007 – Ballito, South Africa