Howzit!
Despite being in what I'd describe as the middle of nowhere, there hasn't been a spare 5 mins to fill you in on the latest adventures...so we've extended our trip and will be back in Bda on Sunday.
It's tough to chose the highlight so far but top honours goes to a morning at the Weenen Game Reserve. We'd been driving around the game reserve, saw the same giraffe twice and a rhino that even the best zoom lens couldn't focus on. Just as I was thinking seeing the giraffe a third time was maybe as good as it was going to get we stumbled on a mother and baby white rhino and a herd of zebra. We parked the car and run for cover into a wooden hide at a waterhole. It's a wooden structure next to the waterhole where the animals can't see you apparently but great vista for seeing them. A magical spot. It was as if a game warden had the animals lined up in their groups and one by one he sent the group down to the watehole to drink right before our eyes. It was silent and they were all so cautious approaching. Often the babies were the brave ones and the adults would then follow. The zebra captured our attention first frolicking around at the water until Deon sneezed and sent them galloping. The baby rhino enticed his mom to the waterhole but surprisingly he was too timid to drink whilst she just sucked up gallons of water. Kudu cows, kudu bulls, eland all popped by for a drink. A warthog just cruised by. As a joke I said to Deon go find me a giraffe. He'd popped his head out the hide and who should be gnawing on the trees outside but a mummy and baby giraffe. My dream was to see and capture on photo the sight of a giraffe drinking. They spread their front legs wide open into an upside down V in order to bend down to drink. She saunters towards the water so gracefully directly in front of me. The moment had arrived however my battery light on the camera was flashing. Just as she gets into position and I take the shot the battery dies and the spares are in the car! Ugh!!! Deon tried to get back to the car to get the spares unnoticed but we forgot about the vantage point of a giraffe and the baby wasn't taking a chance and she glided off with the mom on her heels.
Taking 2nd place was a day and night at Zingela Bush/ River Camp. What an adventure just getting there through Zulu Villages and then onto a 35km path you'd never even describe as a road - like a Disney roller coaster ride in slow motion - up, down, side to side constantly. Makes Costa Ricas pot holes just seem like a tiny hole in the road. Only a bucky (small truck) can get you there! We arrived to find 44 - 14 year old boys on an adventure camp so we joined in their activities and did a 30m abseil. The kids were sent out in the bush to camp for the night so we had sundowners by the fire and a great party with lots of bad singing with the teachers - where's Boeboe and his guitar when you need him. It was a full moon and such an amazing place to watch it rise over the mountains and reflect off the river! We stayed in a hut with a curtain for a door, open spaces for windows and a massive 6 ft aloe plant that the hut had been built around. I woke a few times in the night expecting to see an animal staring at me. They heat a tank of water with logs and fire in the morning and about 30 mins later enjoying a hot shower for all the animals to see.
Just when all our insides had repositioned themselves after the trip to Zingela we took a tour up Sani Pass to Lesotho (a country inside South Africa). Another 4x4 adventure only - through some hair pin turns entitled Prayer Corner as you say a prayer in hopes of making it safely to the bottom, Grace of God corner as it's by the grace of God you make it round that bend, Reverse Corner where you can't make it round in on go (and sadly we saw the truck remains of someone who wasn't so lucky!) and then Amen Corner as you say Amen you've made it! A drive into the clouds with no barriers on the roadside as you wind your way up and down the pass. Amen is right! 
After going through Lestho Immigration and Customs where we weren't even required to get of the truck we went to visit a local lady in her hut. They live in such isolated and barren conditions and must cope with bitter harsh winters. Most of the men are dressed in blankets as a coat to battle the harsh weather conditions. The lady prepared bread which she cooked in a cast iron pot with cow dung as the fire. Surprisingly very tasty - would have been divine with a little butter. She had a pole outside her home with a small white sack attached which meant bread and beer were for sale. A red flag has meat for sale, green is vegetables and yellow is wine! An amazing system. She had a huge pile of cow dung outside which she either collects or the shepherds bring in exchange for bread or beer. Being a stop on this tour is the only livlihood for this lady. She sells brooms and hats so we bought a broom b/c not sure what I'd do with a hat!
As we left we saw this man riding a horse and I asked the driver if we could stop and take a photo. What an incredible series - the first photo he doesn't realise we are taking his picture, the 2nd photo he calls out to the driver to ask us to pay so for 2 rand (30 cents) of course we'll pay, the 3rd he is riding towards us with a big whip in the air, the 4th he dismounts, the 5th he bows in thanks and the 6th we get the view of a pair of eyes only as he was completely covered by his blanket. Very intimdating and at one point I wasn't sure what could be under that cover and how badly that all could turn out. Fortunately he happily remounted and headed to buy his cigarette!
We've also been for a walk in the bush and bumped into the tracker on the way in who asked Deon if he had his rifle which he didn't and so just said well watch out for the leopard. I asked what was the plan if we saw leopard? Just run I was reassured. Fortunately the animals we saw were too frightened by us so hopefully we were either unnoticed or not part of the leopards diet!
We did a 5 1/2 hour hike in the Drakensburg Mtns today. Not for those afraid of heights - Deon's sister turned back after the first hour. We hiked up narrow windy trails with huge drops hundreds of feet down on the side of the path - like Sani Pass no guard rails and like Zingela you wouldn't even call some parts a trail as in a few places there were no paths and you had to climb across the rock. Scarier than skydiving was the climb up the two chain ladders up 150 metres to the summit with no harness just clinging to the handles and taking one step at a time! Deon nurtured me along encouraging my every step. I just never looked down! You'll have to see the photos to believe this. We then hiked to Tugela falls - the 2nd largest waterfall in the world however it's dry as there has been no rain. By the way the spider is nowhere to be found. The hike down the ladder was a little scary too but by this point the only choice is down!
We were up at 4.30am this morning to leave for the hike so I'm ready to catch up on sleep. Spring is in the air here - the temperatures warmed up, the trees are turning green and every bird in Weenan seems outside my window in the morning.
We're starting off the day at the hide at the waterhole in search of the missed giraffe photo .
Totsiens!
