LIFE IS A JOURNEY AND ONLY YOU HOLD THE MAP!

Four drifters and one teddy couldn't resist another safari, stayed in tents again in the bush and had a braai. Magic

Hluhlhwe and ImfoloZa game parks stretch for 96000ha and cover some fantastic wild areas. They compare with Kruger but different again and not so vast. Hluhlwe is the oldest game park and In 1898 this area was claimed by King Shaka as the first conservation area as this was his hunting ground and he wanted the area to retain its natural status

The RHYTHMS of the bush, vervet monkeys, warthogs, crickets, birds chirping. A giraffe having a morning scratch on a thorn bush, the biggest elephant we have seen sauntering along the track resting her enormous trunk on her tusk to rest it, large giraffes with very long necks and huge rhinos with very long tusks, hyenas out on the prowl BUT no lions. It's just magic listening to the sounds of the bush and having time to sit quietly with these fantastic animals

So as we didnt see lions we had a cuddle with an orphaned cheetah which was very special

Vervet monkeys very cute and very quick. They dive in when people are eating in restaurants and wait above you watching I had left some yoghurt on the deck outside our tent and a cheeky monkey was down licking the plate before I had realised

FOUR DRIFTERS ONE TEDDY DRIFT TO THE INDIAN OCEAN

Four Drifters One Teddy drift down to the Indian Ocean via a very rural unmade road with lots of cattle and goats lying in the middle of the track. Finally got to Sodwana Bay which is in the far north east corner of KwaZulu Natal near to the borders of Mozambique on the Indian Ocean. The surf was magnificent and the sand stretched as far as the eye could see
Awesome
Stayed in cute individual A framed lodges - all our accommodation averages out at £30pp amazing value

FOUR DRIFTERS and 0NE TEDDY GOING TO THE COAST LEAVING THE RHYTHMS OF THE BUSH

DRIFTING - On the road again, heading south, skirting around the outskirts of Swaziland. Glorious countryside with outstanding views all around. We said goodbye to Mpumalamga and hello KwaZulu Natal

Have so enjoyed the experiences and stunning landscapes. Now at Lake Jozini near Pongola staying Estkhotheni private game lodge . Tho reserve is part of the
Pongola Game Reserve where you can see the Big Four - no lions. Sue and Josef went out on a boat safari around the enormous Lake and saw elephants, water buffalo drinking water from the banks

Bas and I went into town Bas saw dentist for his wobbly front tooth. and I saw a doctor who confirmed I have bronchitis from the day we left Heathrow so very annoying but that's life

Photos below are of this lodge views from our log cabins, Nyala and SJ in swimming

There are three kinds of people in the world
Those who make things happen
Those who watch things happen
Those who wondered what happened

FOUR DRIFTERS SAY GOODBYE TO 17 TEDDIES AND THE DRIFTWOOD AND PEBBLE

On the move again - said goodbye to team at Shindzela and headed to Blyde River Canyon. While having coffee watched a group of children playing happily with a punctured football. To begin with we thought they were well dressed certainly colourfully but close up their clothes were tired and their homes very poor. So Sue and I sat down with them and gave them a glove.puppet teddy bear
They loved them and even Josef entered into it and did a puppet show!!! We have .3 over but word got out and 3 more lovely kids came quietly for teddyl
All the puppets have gone to grateful and needy children. We have one full size teddy left

Blyde River Canyon is awesome - you can see to eternity. The /Wonder View is iunbelievable - photos don't do it justice - but if was not the right spot for the driftwood. and the stone.

The right place was Gods Window overlooking the majestic Blyde canyon - an amazing view further than the eye can see . There is a Perfect Ledge I could just about reach the other side of the fence barrier on the canyon side of the viewing point so I could place the stone and driftwood together so they won't get disturbed and can be a part of the landscape which is referred to as a view to eternity. So they have the view, tranquility and peace, and will never be disturbed on Gods Window Blyde River Canyon

FOUR DRIFTERS18 TEDDIES DRIFTWOOD and a PEBBLE DRIFTING DOWNSTREAM

Oh dear stuck in the river bed just hope the rains don't come. We're now in the Timbavati private game reserve so locals trying to pull its out . Trying to get to our next two days in Shindzela Private Tented game reserve. The Kruger has no fences for animas which roam freely and then, where there are private concessions animal can cross but not humans.

There is no electricity or telephone or mobile etc on Kruger areas so were not in communication

We got out of the mud and had an amazing two days going on real animal hunts In large safari jeeps with.trackers guides and guns - very exciting.
Saw buffalo hippos giraffes zebras rhinos elephants impala kudu hyenas monitor lizards large spotted genet vultures scorpions and many more but not the cats Apparemtly the rains have driven them to higher grounds

Sue and Josef even did walking safaris
in the heat which were very nerve racking Josef has got over his fear of spiders!

DRIFTING Thro The Kruger listening to The RHYTHMS of the Bush

This morning we were woken by a Go Away Bird so friendly it took bread from my hand and came up close he was grey with a cockatoo very tame. So many fab birds

A day just drifting thro the bush from camp to camp. Listening to the amazing sounds and rhythms of life. A baby zebra suckling its mother. enormous elephants and buffalo and just out of this world views of the Olifants River at lunchtime
Arrived at Letaba Camp at 4 - again by a river with lots of hippos and babies and deer wondering around the camp. In rondavels again and many people were using the braais outside their units which looked fun Had dinner early overlooking the river and hippos - delightful
We went on a night drive which was interesting saw a jackal hippos and nightjars
AND we still haven't seem a lion!

In the Kruger there are 1750 lions. 1000 leopards. 120 cheetahs. 13700 elephants 35000 zebra 4500. crocodiles and so on So we hope to see lions tomorrow

It's now hot 35 deg so thankful for air con

WAKE UP CALL - ON THE MOVE AGAIN

OMG Woken at six by enormous baboons sitting on our deck upstairs and outside the kitchen-they were quite intimidating!They look for an open window and get in and wreck the lodges so glad we woke up but exciting all the same.
. Sorry Boys and Max and Connie we didn't get a photo - they made us jump and had gone by the time I got the camera. You imagine a crowd of big baboons sitting outside your back door !!

After an hour in the Bee eater hide just watching the amazing kingfishers and the hippos, we packed up and left Majuli Lodge in Marloth Park south Kruger

SO DRIFTING again slowly thro The Kruger - Four drifters 18 teddies a bit of driftwood and a pebble are on the move again


Many roads closed and rivers full but at least no rain And warm. Sue and I are really enjoying the birds so we were as much animal watching as bird

Stopping at Skukuza Camp on the way up there was a great restaurant an old tin shed. Much to our surprise it was an old station even old suit cases, the most beautiful old steam train and Pullman carriages with a bar and the platform had more tables and chairs - really different. Then the last leg of our journey had to not DRIFT as we had to be at Satara Lodge before dusk

Two cute rondavels a few gnts nice meal - great day. It's getting hot.

DRIFTING IN THE RAIN AND THE RHYTHM OF THE RAPIDS

Four Drifters. 18 teddies a piece of driftwood and a Pebble DRIFTING thro Africa - in the rain! LIstening to the RHYTHMS of the fast flowing Crocodile River now swollen and running so fast that even the hippos cant swim against if! The sounds of the rapids in front of our lodge - a very different scene to when we arrived!

All around us -water logged. It's in the mid twenties tho so warm and we can still spot rather damp and forlorn water buffalo giraffe. zebra gnus and warthogs in our garden area or sheltering under the trees as we pass by

All the animals have young so to get up close to.a baby zebra is just
magic so cute and the stripes stunning

We visited Komatipoort which is on the western border of the Lebombo mountains. This area is referred to as The Wild Frontier Only 5 kms to Mozambique!!! And 65 to Swaziland. IT was founded in 1890 as a base for the construction of the railway line thro to Maputo. Took great photos of ladies carrying goods on their heads and got the flavour of their laid back life

Sue and I enjoy bird watching here- such beautiful birds for photographs so we spent a few hours just watching quietly
- saw kingfishers herons weaver birds and hoopoe and a Gorgeous Bushstrike and White fronted Bee-eater

The heavy rains have swollen the river to such an extent that Crocodile Bridge into
the Kruger has been closed and will be for four days so we will have to go back in via another gate - oh well set to improve Wes

The photos below are of the 18 Teddies and the wild animals we see roaming around our lodge - quite different neighbours !