Day 4 Dec 16 Tuesday
Another disruption in the middle of the night when the camp dog chased a cat up a tree just outside our window, not just once but twice. We were on the road by 7, heading for Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, in the Kalahari region of South Africa, where we would stay for the next two nights. We would have our first game drive that afternoon.
On our drive this day, as we travelled through the Orange River wine region (which produces about 40% of Africa’s wine exports), we passed through miles and miles of grapevines accompanied by big, flat, rectangular, concrete pads for drying the grapes into raisins. Vinyards stretched as far as my eye could see. We stopped to shop in Upington then continued north. The terrain was characterized by flat plains, white salt pans and and red soil.
We were on the Kalahari Red Dune Road. Above is what it looked like.
We stopped at Molopo Kalahari Lodge for a lunch of rice salad, veggies, bread, turkey,and pickles. While we waited for the guys to prepare lunch, we went up to the lodge to see if we could use their internet. We found some internet, very slow, but we also found an abundance of ostrich eggs – they were everywhere, being used as decorations.
We got to our camp, which was called ‘Twee Rivieren Camp’ (2 Rivers Camp) by about 3pm; explored a bit, got our tents set up and did laundry. Then it was time for the game drive. We set off at 430. Saw lots of animals and birds. The first ostrich prompted a photographic frenzy.
The crowning glory at the turn around point was three cheetahs lying in the shade at the side of the road. WOW!!! We watched them for a long time.
And at the end of our drive, wildebeest at sunset, in a herd, on a ridge in the distance.
Home for a dinner of chicken curry with loads of veggies, a mix of wheat and lentils, and a gem squash. Healthy and good! A glass of wine, good conversation and bed by 10.
ENIGMAS 