Thursday August 30 to Tuesday Sept 4.

Posted on Saturday Sept 8th (Shaun's wedding day) at an Internet cafe in East London (first time connectivity available to us) and on Friday Sept 14th in Somerset West near Cape Town.

I expect everyone is wondering whenever we’re going to post. Sorry to have kept you waiting so long but to some extent it has been beyond our control. As I start writing (MondaySept.3rd), we are in the Bushman Wilderness Trail camp having just returned from an evening drive and walk and we are having pre-dinner drinks. We have had a most unbelievable day today and even the resident South Africans who have been here on wilderness trails before are amazed at how much we have seen. But before I start on that, I must summarize the events since we left the Crown Club in Atlanta and got on our flight to Joburg..

After a long flight, we arrived in Joburg late at about 5.15 PM on Thursday. We were met by Ted & Marilyn Turner, who had graciously driven out to meet us and to guide us back to our hotel (Marilyn traveled in our rental car). As our rental car is a “manual” and of course SA drives on the left, the transition to driving in SA is not easy, especially on the busy roads of SA’s largest city. We slept well.
On Friday morning we did a little bit of shopping, after which Ted & Marilyn came and met us and once again Marilyn drove with me and this time Alison drove with Ted., back to the airport where we first picked up Vic & Carol from their flight from Port Elizabeth, and then later (their flight was late) all six of us met Chris & Linda from their flight from Washington. There was much excitement!

Back to the hotel again for a short while, then off to T&M’s home for a curry evening. We had a grand time and the food was great. We ate outside on the patio. Pictures were taken, but not enough.

I had to drive home so I was very conscious of that and restrained myself admirably. I was very nervous driving a stick shift on the “wrong” side of the road in Joburg , particularly at night!

Saturday morning we drove over to T&M’s and the “boys” left in one car to go shopping for beer, wine, etc. for Kruger, while the “girls” went to Sandton City to shop. Marilyn dropped A&L back at the hotel and Chris & I drove back from T&M’s house to meet them. By 5.30 we were back at T&M’s and en route to Montecasino, a giant casino and theatre complex in the style of Caesar’s Palace (where you are “outside”, inside). We had a great meal and then went to see the stage production of “The Lion King”. It was wonderful. It was 11.30 by the time we got home and then we finished re-packing for the trip to Kruger. Although the hotel had Wi-Fi, it did not reach the third floor and I had to go down to the lobby to pickup or send email. There was no time to sort out a blog posting.

On Sunday morning, we loaded up the SUV and drove once more to Ted and Marilyn’s and by 8.45 AM we were on our way to Kruger Park. Very unfortunately Marilyn had an accident while on vacation in Morocco about a month ago, and ended up having to have knee surgery after she and Ted got back to Joburg. Consequently she had to forego the Kruger Park trip, and Ted’s younger sister, Dianne, joined our party instead. We were at the Malalane Gate by 1PM. We had told Chris and Linda not to expect to see much on the short 10Km drive to the “Berg en Dal” main camp – but we saw quite a lot including ground hornbills, a poor lion sighting (low in the grass and not a good enough picture to post) a very good giraffe sighting – very close proximity, female kudus (still haven’t seen a male kudu), two warthogs and a couple of different elephants.

We checked in at the main camp (during which, the gentlemen checking us in told Vic: “Your wilderness walk was cancelled” – his idea a joke! – you should have seen the look on all of our faces!). As detailed in our second blog, we were picked up by the ranger & tracker in the bush wagon (photo) and were on our way to the Bushman Wilderness Camp. The ensuing experience has been fantastic and I don’t really know how to start to put it all into words, or if I have enough time to do so.
Our ranger (Kenneth) and tracker (Bentu) are from Shangaan Tribe, mainly from Mozambique or Eastern African Region and they converse with each other in the Shangaan language. Bentu can spot game really well, and Vic formed the opinion that Kenneth is one of the most knowledgeable rangers/guides he has had. (This is Vic’s sixth wilderness trail).

On the way to the camp we saw a rhino in the distance and then it came running down the hill at the sound of our vehicle. It was a long way away and stopped after a short burst of speed and looked in our direction (they have very poor eyesight, but very good hearing (just like me! – not). It was an inkling of the good sightings to come. We arrived at the camp and sorted ourselves out into the four huts available. They are all the same and the word “rustic” is apt! (pictures). We then adjourned to the lapa had a few sundowners before supper was served (a delicious stew).

On Monday morning we were awoken at 5.30 by the sound of water being poured into our enamel wash basin on a stand outside our hut (picture), followed by a knock on the door (and we’re supposed to be on vacation!). We dressed quickly and got to the lapa for coffee and rusks. For this particular walk we started from the camp at just after six, with the eight of us in single file behind Kenneth and Bentu. Within minutes we saw our first rhino and went on to have two separate rhino encounters and multiple rhino sightings. I say encounters rather than sightings because in each case, we were walking directly into the path of a rhino and Kenneth signaled urgently for us to move sideways as quickly and silently as possible. On one occasion we actually climbed an outcrop of rocks on a small hill to be in a safe position. Despite the close proximity of the rhino, we never felt in any danger.

We also had a terrific giraffe sighting, which thrilled Linda as she has a passion for giraffes. We saw three of them at quite a distance and took pictures before walking toward them. However, they didn’t move so we stopped and took more pictures because we were sure they would move if we got any closer. We walked even closer and took more pictures and then they just moved a few yards off our path and we went by them. It was a great sighting.

We returned from the walk by 11.30 and had a late brunch of scrambled eggs, bacon, etc. (we also had a snack while walking on the trail).. Our camp has a “man made” waterhole just outside the perimeter fence (which was only about 4 foot high and not particularly substantial – Kenneth suggested it was to keep us in, not the animals out). We heard loud sounds of drinking at the waterhole and there at the waterhole was a female rhino with her calf (picture).

After a siesta in the afternoon, we gathered together again for coffee/tea and then packed drinks into a cool box, loaded it and ourselves into the bush wagon and off we went for an evening drive/walk. This trip was less eventful in terms of sightings, but we ended on the banks of a river where we carried the cool box down to a large outcrop of rocks and we sat and watched the sun go down. It is extremely dry here at the moment, and the river is not flowing, there are only pools of water in various sections of the river bed. Although Sept 1st was the first day of spring, we are encountering temperatures in the 90’s F at midday. We did see another rhino and calf at the river at a long distance and we also had other rhino sightings on the drive. We returned to camp in the dark, had another lovely evening in the lapa and then to bed.
On Tuesday morning at 5.30 we started the process all over again!

Tuesday Sept 4th (posted Sept.14th!)

We left camp in the bush wagon at 6.00 AM and drove to the spot where we began our walk. We had another great rhino sighting on the drive. We saw san bushman paintings that were in the region of 15,000 years old! The walk was not as eventful as the Monday walk in terms of game seen, but was enjoyable.

We returned to the camp at late morning and while we were waiting for lunch I walked over to see if anything was happening at the water hole. There was nothing there, but I saw a rhino in the distance making his way through the bush towards the waterhole and began videoing. The rhino got to the hole and began to drink. I was not aware of any issues with the rhino and after a few minutes, I stopped videoing and returned to the lapa for coffee. Later, Diane who was also watching the rhino came to tell us that the rhino was now IN the waterhole! We went back and I began videoing again. We thought the rhino was just cooling off, but then when it tried to leave the waterhole it fell sideways and screamed in what we assumed was pain. The rhino then lay there on his side with it’s two legs pawing at the air and was unable to get up. It was awful to see. Kenneth came to look and said that the rhino was badly burned on his back legs and rump from a recent fire and he thought the rhino was dying. He said that they might have to shoot it and he would have to call the section ranger to discuss the situation. Kenneth was concerned that the rhino would die in the waterhole, which would make things very difficult. Meanwhile, the rhino was “moaning” so woefully that I could not continue to video. We heard that the section ranger was on his way. Meanwhile, the rhino had managed to right himself, and, after resting for a while, made a determined rush to get out of the waterhole. Unfortunately, he was facing the deep end and was unable to make it and ended up with his head resting on the side of the waterhole and his front legs
folded under him. He was exhausted and unable to move. We could hear his breathing quite clearly. We continued to watch and wait for the section ranger when suddenly, out the bush appeared two elephants approaching the waterhole to drink, one of which was massive. The massive elephant looked at the rhino in the waterhole but started to drink and spray himself down from the other end to where the rhino was resting his head. The rhino then managed to turn himself around and now stood in the deep end of the waterhole facing the elephant drinking from the other end. He was snorting weakly, but was obviously very wary. The elephants drank from the waterhole one at a time and we surmised that they couldn’t understand why the rhino was in the water. In the distance we saw the section ranger’s pickup truck racing down the road towards our camp. He duly arrived and introduced himself to us (Rob). After examining the rhino with binoculars he confirmed that rhino was suffering from burns and that they may have to shoot it. He asked us not to photograph or video if that turned out to be the case. We were wondering how they were going to go out and look at the rhino while the elephants were there, but Rob and Kenneth just walked out of the back gate and started waving their arms (at the two elephants, they turned and faced them momentarily, but then turned away and started to walk back into the bush. The two rangers followed them for a few meters to ensure they were well out of the way so that they could turn their attention to the rhino. We were all watching the rangers and the elephants and I was videoing this phase of the operation and when the rangers turned back to the waterhole and I swung back my video camera, the rhino was emerging from the shallow end of the waterhole! The rangers then started to walk toward the rhino and we all switched off our cameras fearing the worst. The rhino turned and looked at the two rangers as they walked toward him. Rob raised his big gun and lined up his shot when suddenly the rhino turned and actually started to trot back into the bush. The rangers followed and went out of sight, however, we heard no shots and 15 minutes later, Rob got into his pickup truck and left and Kenneth told us that as the rhino seemed mobile, they would see how things went over the next couple of weeks. Although it would normally be difficult to find a particular rhino, they expect him to return to the waterhole again as it is an easy source of water for him while he is injured. We all hope and like to think he will survive. It was a dramatic experience for us all.

As on Monday, we went out again at 4pm for an evening walk followed by “sundowners”. We were looking for the big cats but had no luck. We saw vultures in a tree and went to check if there was a kill nearby but didn’t find anything. We did disturb three elephants with three “baby” elephants with the bush wagon and the one elephant “trumpeted” at us, but that was all. Back to camp for another delicious “camp fire” cooked meal and then off to bed. On Wednesday morning we were once again up early, but this time our time in the bush camp came to an end and we were off back to the main camp of Berg en Dal.

Wednesday, August 29th - On our way!

Hello all. Alison and I are sitting in the Delta Crown Club lounge at Hartsfield Airport, Atlanta, waiting for our flight to Johannesburg (via Dakar, Senegal) at 4.10 this afternoon. We had originally purchased our internal flights so that we could leave Myrtle Beach on an 11.30 AM flight to Atlanta instead of having to catch the 7.25 flight which would have been "free"using frequent flyer miles (no FF seats available on the 11.30). This reservation was made back in January. Delta then changed the 11.30 AM departure time to 12.30 PM which we subsequently ascertained has a record of being late so frequently, that we had a 45% chance of missing our International flight. Not acceptable, so we ended up catching the 7.25 AM after all. When I told this (true) story to the concierge at the Delta CC lounge, he waived the $25 each fee for the use of the lounge! Anyway, as we knew we were going to be here for a good seven hours, we decided I would take this opportunity to post!

As you can imagine, since we returned from Falls Church (see previous post), we have been busy with final preparations for the trip, including trial packing (weight calculations). However, Alison had decided that we must have a small "going away" gathering and that was scheduled for a braai at 4 PM on Sunday. Alison has also had a major goal to achieve prior to leaving for SA, which was to reach the 3000 mile mark on her bike's odometer. As you can see, she reached her goal.

We had 14 people attend the braai and a good time was had by all. Unbeknown even to me, Clare and Josh had ordered an inscribed "trophy" in anticipation of Alison reaching the 3,000 mile mark and it was a great surprise when we were all sitting around the dining room table (drinking port!) and Clare presented the trophy to her mom!

Unfortunately, there were no photographs of the festive evening, during which we toasted our good friends Roger & Penny Pocock in Maidstone, England, who celebrated their Ruby Wedding anniversary that day, and we also toasted my cousin Bernard and wife Arline (who were present), congratulating them on their 43rd wedding anniversary, which is today. Of course, Alison's acheivement was also toasted - that's a lot of toasts!

In my second post, I said I would add more about what we were going to do after we left the Kruger Park, so here is a bit of information about that. By an incredible coincidence, Alison's Godson, Shaun Murphy (see picture right on his Christening day in 1981 with his mom, Anne!), is getting married on Saturday, Sept. 8th, the day after we leave the Park. Consequently, Alison & I will fly to East London (see SA map) on Friday night and attend the wedding on Saturday, while Chris, Linda, Vic & Carol will start the two day drive from the Park to Port Elizabeth.

Below is Shaun fishing in 1983. Notice that he is already being distracted by the female species! That is "Uncle Bob" in the background, teaching the daughter (Cathy) of another old SA friend, Wout Offerman, how to windsurf.

To the right is the present day Shaun. This picture was taken at Mazeppa Bay, one of Shaun's favorite fishing spots. We will be joining Shaun and his new wife, Nikki, his mom & dad, sister & hubby(Anne, Barry, Miranda, Riaan) at Mazeppa Bay for 6 days later in October (which will include my 66th birthday). We will be renting cottages. For those reading this who are keen fishermen, here are a couple more pictures of Mazeppa Bay (just to make you envious!).

Arial of Mazeppa - see cottages top right. Note bridge access to peninsula.

Right - Wave coming!




Wave arriving! - not for the faint hearted.

All for this post, the next one will be in SA!

Sunday, August 19 - Back In Myrtle Beach with ten days to go!

After a long drive from Falls Church to Myrtle Beach yesterday, we were pleased to be sleeping in our own bed again - even if it's not for long! We had a great couple of days with M&D and of course Indigo Wen. Although she was nervous with us at first, it didn't take long for her to become comfortable with us again and she was giving us kisses. Having promised to post some pictures before the end of the weekend, we suspect there are folks in the UK who are hoping we will post before they go to bed. As they are five hours ahead of us, we need to get moving. This post is going to be all about photographs and not too many words.




Indigo Wen testing the water!










Granny and Indigo playing at the lake



Indigo Wen in her stroller at the Capitol in Washington DC (she went to visit her Congressman--just kidding of course)







Feeding Granddad






Indigo Wen with Granddad

Two Weeks to go!

Bob at the keys again. Alison’s responsible for the photos. After my last week of working up in Pennsylvania, I returned home on Thursday, August 9th and the next morning we left for Hot Springs on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and the wedding of David & Rachel as mentioned in the first Blog. When I say Hot Springs is “on” the AT, it is a true statement, because I had not realized that the AT actually runs straight down the main street! Our journey from MB was a long one because we got stuck in a very bad traffic jam on the I-26 heading into Asheville and ultimately got off the Interstate and went backwards a few miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway and went around Asheville on the Parkway – a few miles longer but at least we were moving. On the front page of the Asheville paper the next morning it showed a truck carrying flattened cars for scrap that had overturned on the Interstate and traffic had been held up for hours. We had made the right move and were in good time for the rehearsal dinner.

The Mountain Magnolia Inn is a beautiful place in an even more beautiful setting. We were also fortunate enough to have been allocated the “Rose Room” which must be one of the best rooms in the house, with a lovely balcony that had a fabulous view of the mountains as well as a grand view of all the activities taking place in the gardens below.

This is the view of the outdoor venue for the rehearsal dinner. The picture was taken from our balcony shown on the picture above.

To the right is a view of the mountains from our balcony.

A good time was had by all at the rehearsal dinner and, fortunately, breakfast didn’t start until 9am. The breakfasts themselves were worth the journey!

After breakfast, the wedding guests all gathered together and drove in convoy to a place called “Max Patch”, which is a grassy expanse 4600 ft above sea level on the “real” AT with a 360 view and mountains and valleys all around (note the AT "white blaze" marker on the post in the left side picture - the parking lot is in the background). We were there to fly kites and have a picnic lunch. David bought some kites for those who didn’t have their own, but I have my own kite,

purchased in Morro Bay, California over 16 years ago. I love to fly my kite, but flying on the top of Max Patch was a real treat (remember, men never grow up!). You can see a kite in the picture below, but there is also a small dot in the middle and if you keep magnifying the picture, you will see my kite way in the distance!

We got back to the inn in time for an afternoon snooze and then got dressed for the wedding. I say dressed rather than “dressed up” because it is so hot at the moment all over the USA and particularly in North & South Carolina, that most of the guests wore casual shirts and the groom was almost the only person in a suit (minus a tie). The wedding was an outside ceremony and the preacher who married David & Rachel was one of two preachers (Bill Newman & Henry) that David had met on his 2,150 mile hike on the AT, and in fact, they are walking the AT again this year, ministering to the hikers when needed, and left the trail up in Vermont and drove to Hot Springs to perform the ceremony and they are now driving back to the AT in Vermont to continue their walk to Maine.

On Sunday morning, I got up early as I was determined to walk a (short)

segment of the AT in the Hot Springs area. All I had to do was to walk to the main street and follow the AT arrows that are cemented into the sidewalk. I followed the arrows across the French Broad River bridge and then followed the signs along the river bank and eventually started to climb the switchbacks that take you out of the river valley. It is a good climb. This little segment of the trail is called “Lovers Leap” as there is a legend regarding an Indian (Cherokee) maiden who threw herself from the cliff when she was promised to one brave while she loved another. At the top of the valley, the AT continues on and I followed the Lovers Leap trail back to town. It was a short but satisfying hike.

After another scrumptious breakfast on Sunday morning, the guests left at their leisure and we left to find our way to the “Broken Arrow” cabin, again as mentioned in the first blog. It is only 15 miles from Hot Springs and is up in the mountains with a wonderful view and a sight of the French Broad River running in the valley below, the gentle flowing noise of which is only drowned out when the train runs along the track that follows the river! One of the instructions for the cabin says “Do not trespass on neighboring properties, failure to heed this warning could get you a good ol’ Madison County welcome which usually includes a view down the barrel of a shotgun”. We took this warning with a pinch of salt until we saw this sign on a property driving along one of the mountain roads! This is definitely “Hill Billy” country!

The plan was to go hiking on Monday, but with the heat, we were concerned about getting on the 13 mile one way section of the AT that we had had in mind. Sensibility overruled our impulses and we decided to head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway where there were more choices of shorter and medium length walks. Fortunately, because of the diversion we made to

the Blue Ridge on our way to the wedding, we knew exactly how to get back to the Parkway from our cabin. We headed up to the visitors center at milepost 364.5 where coincidently we had last been with South African friends Vic& Carol (see previous post) in September, 2006, on our way back from Chimney Rock Park to Banner Elk. This area of the Blue Ridge is called “Craggy Gardens”. We walked to Craggy Pinnacle (5,892 ft) and then took a longer walk on a stretch of the “Mountains to Sea” trail, of which the Craggy Gardens trail is a segment. We had a great time and no one has shown any ill effects so far!

Tuesday, August 14th, we decided to do a trek of a different sort – we decided to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. It is something that we have wanted to do since we moved to Myrtle Beach, but in the couple of times we have been in the Asheville area, have not found the time. The Biltmore Estate was the vision of George Washington Vanderbilt, who started the Estate as a country retreat (he lived in New York), but the house (mansion, castle, chateau) became and remains the largest private residence in America. The building and estate are simply magnificent. We finished the day with some wine tasting at the Biltmore winery and of course purchased a couple of bottles as a reminder of another wonderful day.

Today, Aug.15th, we drove 460 miles from the hills of North Carolina to M&D in Falls Church, VA, just outside Washington DC. We are having one last visit with them and of course granddaughter Indigo Wen before our long trip to SA, where we will arrive, two weeks today. Look for more pictures of Indigo Wen later this weekend. We drive back to Myrtle Beach on Saturday.

FOUR WEEKS TO GO!

Where did the last week go? So let us give you a little more detail about our SA trip and what we will be doing in the first week. On Aug 29th we fly from Atlanta to Johannesburg, SA (subsequently referred to in the colloquial as “Joburg”), leaving Atlanta about 4.00PM and after an 18 hour journey (we have to stop to refuel) and a 6 hour time difference, we arrive at 4 PM the next day! We will be recovering for the next 22 hours before returning to the Joburg airport at 2.30 on Friday to pick up our good friends and one time work colleagues from Pittsburgh, Chris & Linda Umble. Chris and Linda are flying South African Airways (SAA) from Dulles to Joburg and their flight is direct and less than a 15 hour flight (both our flights are longer than Melanie & David’s flight to China!).
Also arriving in Joburg around the same time as Chris & Linda will be our long time friends and our hosts for the next two weeks and beyond, Vic & Carol Wolff. Vic & Carol will be flying into Joburg from Port Elizabeth, our old home town in SA from 1968-1985.

Also meeting Vic & Carol, and completing our four couple group, will be Ted & Marilyn Turner from Johannesburg. Ted & Marilyn were also with us for our trip to Kruger in 2002.
After what we are sure will be a good night's sleep, we will be out and about in the Sandton (a Joburg suburb) Shopping Center purchasing the necessary goods for our trip to Kruger Park (beer, wine, spirits, etc…). On Saturday evening we join Vic & Carol for dinner at the Montecasino complex which will be followed by a night at the theater to see the SA stage production of “The Lion King”. We are looking forward to this event, which apparently has had rave reviews.

On Sunday morning we leave Joburg in a two vehicle (SUVs) convoy and make the journey to the Kruger National Park, about 250 miles north east of Joburg.
Once we are in the Park, we make our way to the Berg en Dal Restcamp (bottom left) and we have to be there before 3PM. At 3.30PM, we will be picked up in a “bush wagon” by a game ranger and his tracker. We leave our vehicles at the main camp and are driven to the Wilderness Camp (Bushmans, west of Berg en Dal) in an area of the park which is off limits to the general public. We only take a couple of changes of clothing (but all the beverages!). The camp is securely fenced and only has accommodation for the four couples and the three park personnel (the third is a cook who also makes the beds and stays at the camp while we walk with the ranger & tracker). In the evening, we sit around the fire and have a couple of sundowners (fortunately, the sun takes a long time to go down). The cook brings the supper (also cooked on the fire), and we sit around the fire and eat & drink under the African sky.

Here is an “official” description of the Kruger Park “Wilderness Trail” option:
Established in the world-famous Kruger National Park, wilderness trails allow adventurous visitors a close personal encounter with nature by traversing large areas of unspoiled wilderness on foot, under the guidance of armed and experienced trail rangers.In keeping with the wilderness atmosphere, sites for the trails camps are carefully selected for their scenic beauty and diverse plant and animal life. Groups spend three nights in four rustic two-bed huts. Ablution facilities comprise reed-walled showers and flush toilets. A covered lapa serves as a dining/socializing area where the campfire’s flickering shadows encourage stories of adventures in the African bush.Simple, wholesome meals are provided. The day commences with coffee and rusks in the crisp morning hours. A light meal is enjoyed in the bush and brunch awaits the group when they return at noon. After a “siesta”, the group leaves the camp once again for an evening stroll in the wild.Evening meals comprise either a hunters’ stew or barbecues, supplemented with salads and vegetables.

Here is a "stew" delivered by the cook! (note: all pictures of the camp, etc. are from 2002 - at a different wilderness camp we were at.

They get us up early in the morning and after coffee and rusks, we will either leave the “compound” on foot, or be driven in the bush wagon to where we will start our walk. We now walk in single file with the ranger and tracker leading the way (and carrying big guns). I have to admit, having done this once before, it sounds scarier than it really is. In truth, the animals are very wary of humans on foot and if they see you, they will run away. It would need to be a very unusual situation for us to be in any danger.

The "Trail Gang" in 2002

On Wednesday morning, we will be driven back to the main Berg en Dal Restcamp http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/camps/berg-en-dal/ (There are 12 main rest camps in the Park) where we will then move into the most luxurious accommodation in the camp, the “Rhino Donor Guest House” which can be seen in the top right corner of this map and will be a far cry from our “rustic two-bed hut” at the Bushmans wilderness camp. We will spend the next two days driving ourselves within the Park on various routes on both tarred and dirt roads, hoping to catch sight of some of the more elusive game in the park such as rhino, lion, leopard, wild dogs and cheetah. We are guaranteed to see elephants, hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and much more. It is a wonderful experience. Our time in the park comes to an end on Friday morning Sept. 7, when the next leg of the journey begins – but you will have to wait for the next posting to hear about that!

Victor Max Wolff

Couldn't resist adding this one great picture of Vic and his magnificent catch!