The World Through Our Lens
After arriving in Port Elizabeth under the cover of darkness the night before, Bob and I were anxious to do a bit of exploring after breakfast the next morning. A dull grey sky hung low over the coast as we began beachcombing for natural treasures along the Indian Ocean.
The route we chose as a conduit between Hilltop Camp and the Nyalazi Gate in South Africa had us experiencing a couple of close calls on our last morning in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve . One incident was when we came head-to-head with a pair of massive White Rhinoceros. Read more
After leaving Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park on our way to the Oribi Gorge, Bob and I found that the rural landscape quickly reverted to hillsides covered in a patchwork of cultivated fields. On the outskirts of larger urban centres, small buildings clustered together in kraals were still common. Read more
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to make this video as part of my wife’s, Jean’s, birthday gift. As you will see, this video highlights our travels to South Africa, and it features Jean.
Hopefully, you all enjoy it, and in a small way, you are able to take a short virtual tour of South Africa with Jean.
For now, because of the pandemic, we remain “Out Of Africa”. Hopefully someday, Jean and I, and all of you, will be able to head back “Into Africa”.
For our first few days in South Africa, Bob and I were based in Sabie. Ideally situated enroute to Kruger National Park, the location also allowed us ready access to the sights along the Mpumalanga Panorama Route which takes in all of the Blyde River Canyon. For us, the most impressive views were had at the lookout overlooking the Three Rondavels.
Our arrival at Valley View Lodge in Sabie came at the end of a prolonged drive from the airport in Johannesburg. Of course, there were many stops made along the way for photo ops, including one in Long Tom Pass where the highway climbs into the mountains between Lydenburg and Sabie.
Bob and I were obliged to remain inside our car at Sunset Dam as is the case almost everywhere you go in Kruger National Park. Allowance is made for parking along one section of the shore, and it was from there that we had fantastic views of this African Jacana. Read more
From the patio door, on our second morning at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, I saw dense fog hemming in the mountains and feared, at best, an overcast if not a rainy day. A glance at the clock revealed it to be only 5:30 a.m. Two hours later, the fog was lifting, and the sun bathed the hillsides in golden showers of light. Read more
Bob and I arrived at Hilltop Camp in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park exhausted after an extremely long day that saw us traveling from Kruger National Park and across Swaziland to get there. Over dinner, we had views of the Park from the expansive restaurant patio that overlooked muted silhouettes of undulating mountaintops while an armed guard sat unobtrusively in the shadows and watched for wildlife like Vervet Monkeys that might cross the thin electric wire just below the terrace. Read more