Almost Halfway

For our last day at Mlilwane we had to move into a two person Rondavel - still very comfortable and the equivalent of the best Kruger can offer.

As a result we didn't start our hile along the Hippo trail until after 9.00. Great self-guided walking trail which takes 2-3 hours with a variety of habitats. Still adding to our collection of new bird species – amazed at the variety and colours of some of the birds here – even the grasshoppers are Elegant! 

Probably ready to move on again – one more night in Swaziland – at a lodge near Mbabane – then on to Johannesburg and a night or two with Sue.

If any of you are thinking about a holiday trip here, I would definitely include Swaziland and Mlilwane in particular. Paul's company runs small group tours which include Kruger, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Incredible thunder storm this evening which passed within 5 miles or so – great view of the lightning from our doorway – bit of rain as well but it didn't amount to anything.

Different Strokes

Must respond to a question posed by Linda's BMW driving, CC & coke drinking, Canadian banker cousin in a comment on a blog item about Praia do Sol. 

Sorry Jim, but while it suited us perfectly, I think it may be a little rustic for your tastes – distinct shortage of A/C and no young ladies providing bar service on the beach - great for the rest of us but not sure how you would cope!

Small world

This afternoon, as we cycled around the reserve -Linda's idea??? - we saw a crocodile getting stuck into a Wildebeest carcass which had been stored in his larder for a while with a couple of his mates waiting in the wings for any lapse in his attention.

As were watching we were joined by a SA drilling engineer – currently working offshore Western Australia – who had spent 9 years in Aberdeen and remembered our previous employers. Decided not to talk about people we might have known in common – therein lies a real minefield!

A few days more

Our guided walk this morning was very pleasant – two rangers for the price of one as we had a trainee along as well. Saw the same selection of mammals but added a couple of substantial Nile Crocodiles and 5 or 6 new bird species as well.

Think we have recorded 30 mammal/reptile species so far along with 55 new bird species after less than 3 weeks. 

Booked here now for our third night and would recommend this to anyone else coming this way. Swaziland and the game reserves should be included on any Southern Africa itinerary. It is a friendly welcoming place which is well worth the visit.  

Mlilwane Game Reserve

This is the first of Swaziland's State reserves established in 1961. It was already on our list but Daniel – our new lawyer friend – also recommended it to us.

Arrived without reservation – come on its Monday – to find that the only self catering accommodation they could offer was a 6 berth thatched bungalow – at the same price as the 2 berth! A lovely place to stay, well laid out, well equipped and comfortable – bathroom is a bit disappointing but otherwise it suits us well.

The reserve has a great feel to it and we saw Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, Nyala, Blesbok and Warthog on the road in along with White throated Beeeaters, Fork tailed Drongos, nesting Grey Herons, flocks of Cattle Egrets and a huge crowd of Sacred Ibis.

Since there no are no predators here – apart from a few crocodiles – you can wander around the reserve during daylight with little or no restriction. The animals are all around and seem only mildly bothered by our presence. While we sat with sundowners this evening we were joined by 20 or 30 Impala, a family group of Warthogs and a couple of juvenile Nyala Antelopes with an adult female who all came to graze on the grass around the bungalow.

Have arranged a bush walk in the morning with one of the rangers, so looking forward to a bit of gentle exercise to start the day. Interestingly it is cheaper to hire the ranger for an hour than it is to hire one of their mountain bikes for a self-guided ride

Another road trip

Early start this morning (Monday) – packed and on the road by 7.00am - and the joys of Moz roads again - this time in the rain for the first couple of hours. Chased down the road by a couple of double articulated ore carriers – scary to see something that size overtake you in rain and spray at 100kph when I thought the limit was 60!

Guess we were too early for the speed traps or perhaps they were discouraged by the rain. Only one stop at a checkpoint on the way into Maputo by a soldier with an automatic rifle. However he was more interested in the weather up north and waved us on before I had managed to show my licence.

Spent an hour in traffic getting around Maputo and then a fairly simple dash up to the Swazi border at Lomahasha. Our new friend Paul had told us that it was a very friendly and easy crossing – none of the pressure of the main posts.

We – of course – as the only foreigners transiting, managed to come across a Customs officer who decided that the papers for the hire car were not in order – despite the fact that they were identical to those we had used on our way in! Perhaps adopting the Jimmy C approach immediately – you know the sort of thing – loud, aggressive, banging the counter etc – was a bit of a mistake. 100 Rand for him and 50 for his sidekick and an apology for my outburst worked better and we were on our way after a short delay. This was the only £12 that they managed to squeeze out of us so we got of quite lightly.

Swazi Immigration and Customs was very efficient and within minutes we were through the border and a couple of hours later arrived at Mlilwane without further incident. Nearly 7 hours on the road to cover 420km.

A new plan

Originally planned on a couple of days at Praia de Sol and then a couple in Maputo but enjoyed the resort and beach life so much that we decided to stay longer and leave Maputo until our next trip.

After 5 days on the beach – we only left the resort once - we are now ready to hit the road again and off to Swaziland in the morning. A couple of days at Mlilwane and then on to Phophonyane reserve before we are due back in Johannesburg on Friday.

Drinking Companions

Very sociable little group here at Praia de Sol – Leo and his partner Debbie, a South African Tour operator with his German girlfriend and a young English lawyer from Norton Rose who is based in Johannesburg with his girlfriend who has just moved out from London to join him.

Three different dinner companions over three consecutive evenings - almost counts as a social life – have definitely had more conversation in 2 weeks in SA than in our whole 7 weeks in Chile last year.

On top of that there is Joaquim our bartender who has learned that very special knack of showing up with the next drink just as you were thinking of ordering another. Have probably drunk a few more Dos M than usual but it is a holiday after all!

Bit too much sun

Missed a few spots with the factor 30 yesterday, so spent most of today in the shade with a cold drink – understand that it is important to rehydrate. Slightly concerned when the bar ran out of beer but thankfully new supplies arrived in time to avert a crisis.

Toasted the Bard at lunchtime – bit too warm for Haggis, neaps and tatties, but we did manage Haggis with salt crackers and a cold beer or two – seemed appropriate in the afternoon heat! There is a dram waiting behind the bar this evening since it is important to maintain standards.

Our cooling breeze has developed into a strong wind this afternoon and there is a definite threat of rain in the air. Hopefully it will blow through during the night. Had expected a full moon but unlikely to see it now.

Praia De Sol

Leo's resort  has changed quite a lot since Linda was here 14 years ago – we have a very comfortable Chalet on the hillside with view over the treetops to the lagoon.

Great food in the restaurant, a plentiful supply of Dos M and Laurentina Preta beer in the bar, a pool to cool off in and a beach with bright blue skies – its a rough life!

By 8.00 am this morning it was too hot to be on the beach without a hat and a lathering of factor 30 although the slight breeze did help a little.

Leisurely breakfast was followed by a boat trip to the other side of the lagoon and a walk along the shore of the Indian Ocean to the Turtle beach. Then back to the lagoon for snorkelling and serious relaxing.

We are here for a few more days before we head for Swaziland. Have covered over 2000 km so far so it is great to leave the car parked in the shade and not have to drive anywhere.

Strange People

As we waited to collect our Mozambique visas at the Border Post we were joined by an American couple with 4 young children – resident in SA – who wanted to 'pop over the border for lunch' and couldn't understand why they would have to pay for a visa like everyone else. It seems that they hadn't bothered to do the most basic research about the border crossing.

They decided that the fee of  ZAR 654 each (about £50) would make lunch a little expensive and headed back to SA.

Great Start to the day

With a 5 hour drive ahead of us, we decided to skip the early morning game drive as we packed for our journey into Mozambique. Within 5 minutes of leaving the camp, we came upon 6 White Rhinos on the roadside. Our last sighting in Kruger!

Less than an hour to the Border post at Lebombo/Ressano Garcia. SA exit was very straight forward but we were a little apprehensive as we approached the Mozambique border post after some of the stories we had heard. However all went very smoothly and in less than 30 mins we were on the toll road heading for Maputo.

Leo had warned us about the police and speed traps on the roadside and by the time we reached the outskirts of Maputo and followed the directions to our road north, we could spot them quite easily. There were probably 20 or more along our route so we were glad of his advice to stick to the limits  in the towns. Only stopped once – at a checkpoint where the lady officer was so impressed – or perhaps confused – by my bumbling portuguese that she just wished us a pleasant journey and waved us on.

Reached Praia De Sol by mid afternoon where the cold beer was waiting for us as promised.

What is it about Elephants and sundowners?

Many of you know that I am quite partial to a refreshing libation as the sun goes down and I have found that this is a common practice in these parts as well. However I had not realised that the practice extended to Elephants as well.

We had their company for evening drinks on a game drive at Umlani and again on Tuesday evening as I sat with a cold bottle of Windhoek, I looked up to see a female elephant with her very young calf and a couple of other juveniles less than 5 metres away – thankfully the perimeter fence protected my beer from her trunk. 

Another special day

Early start on Tuesday morning as we drove back into the Park – this time via the Paul Kruger gate – and took three hours to cover the road down to the Berg en Dal rest camp which is  less than 80km. Bright sunshine the whole way and temperatures pushing 30C. That's more like it!

Due to the time and temperature, we had not expected to see much along the way but the elephants delayed us for some time as a large herd took their time to meander along the road ahead of us. It always feels quite special to spend time with them and I can happily sit and enjoy their company for ages.

Then we came on a mixed group of Zebra, Wildebeest and Impala with a Zebra stallion claiming the centre of the road as his own. Have just learned that the collective name for a group of Zebra is a Dazzle which seems  appropriate to me. Again we sat for a long time watching them as other travellers tried to weave their way through the animals. Throughout it all, the stallion maintained his position of dominance in the middle of the road- forcing the cars to take to the verges.

Since no one has volunteered an answer to my question about the second largest gorge in the world (Fish River Canyon in Namibia), can anyone tell me which side of the Zebra has the most stripes?

By the time we got to the camp we were ready for a cooling beverage. Very pleasant accomodation looking out over the perimeter fence – probably the best we have had in the National Park – pity that the staff here are probably the least friendly we have met in our travels so far,