DAY 116---SAFARI (FULL DAY 1)

        So let me start with putting the photos of yesterday evening's game drive and last night's dinner.  This one is from today but wanted it to show on Day 116 intro.

LAST EVENING

        Our tracker who sits on the front of the vehicle.  He has this to fend off rogue animals IF need be.  The guide/driver has a rifle, just in case.

                                                               First animal is this nyala.

                 Several baboons on top and sides of this rock.  They will sleep on it tonight.

                                                                               Zebra

                                                                           Impalas

                                    Very thorny bush and there were many along the trails.

                                                                          Rhino

                                                                              Kudu

                                              Stopped for "sundowners" after the sun had set.

                                                         John sitting on the tracker's seat.

                             Marcia and Rebecca stayed on the vehicle but later climbed down.

                                                     All kinds of drinks but no bourbon.

                     Cathi got scratched by one of the thorny bushes so Lucky is doing first aid.

        Back at the lodge at 6:30.  Dinner was to be at 7:00 but I had them move it to 7:30 so we could shower and have a cocktail or three!

        We all sat out on the back patio for dinner.  The table was lit with 3 lanterns.  First I got this photo of the kitchen.

                                                       Debi, chef, talking about dinner.

        Dinner on the back patio with lanterns for light.  Sorry I did not food photos.  Everything was delicious and plenty of it.  Back in the suite by 9:30.  No tv here and wifi was not good so went to be.

TODAY

        So the wake up call came at 5:30 this morning.  I had a hard time finding the light switches but finally did.  We quickly dressed and everyone met at 6:00 for coffee.  The rangers/guides, Holly and Lucky, met us and then we headed down to the vehicles at about 6:20 to begin our first morning safari drive.  Jane, Melissa, Rebecca, and I went with Lucky.  The Beggs, Davis's, Marcia, and Marge went with Holly. 

                                                                       Lucky & Holly

        We headed out in different directions that way if one guide found an interesting animal/animals they could call and tell the other to come see them.  We dressed in layers as is usually chilly in the mornings but not so today. 

                               First sighting was this nyala walking down the road.

                                                                           Warthog

                                                                         Ugly face.

                                                         Selfie with Jane and Melissa.

                                      Big pile of rhino poop.  Holly acting like she did it.

                                                                  Quite a pile for sure!

                                                                   Some more zebras

                                                                            Impalas

 

                                            Dead elephant carcass.  Guide said a month old. 

                                                                              Impala

                                                                          Impalas

                                                               Just view of the terrain

        Came upon this female lion taking a nap.  Apparently after stuffing themselves on another animal they just lie and nap.

            She later sat up for us to take some good photos of her.  Later she napped again.

            There were some giraffes in the distance but they knew the lions were around.

                                                          Rebecca with female lion.

         Only about 30 yards away we found this male lion under a tree.  Also vegging out.

 Lucky called Holly and they are showing up now to see the lions.  Only 3 vehicles can be around an animal at a time.

                                                                 Holly is very cute.

                           I felt this tree interesting so had Lucky stop for me to take this photo.

                           Driving down the trail.  They are not allowed to go off the trails.

                                There is an runway here for this size planes to fly into Phinda.

                                                Dammed this up to make a small lake.

They call this a "snake bird" as it looks like a snake with head out of the water.  It later flew off.

                                                              Beautiful blue colored bird

                                                                           Wildebeast

We finally found a huge African elephant.  It is scrapping up dirt to give itself a dust bath.

        Here you can see the right tusk is broken off at tip.  Probably from eating bark off trees.  Elephants are left or right tusked as we are with hands.

                                                                       It's on the move.

                                                                        Stopping to eat.

                                                             Heading to the trail we are on.

                                                      Another dust bath on the road.

                                                                           The End

                                                               Beautiful male nyala

        Back at the lodge just before 10am and time for breakfast.  Another huge spread.  Half are not doing lunch but we are.  Lunch at 1:45 as we are leaving again at 2:45.  Heading to the Mountain Lodge nearby as they have a gift shop and some of our other friends off the ship are staying there.  I think we are having high tea with them before heading out again on the evening game drive.

        It is now 1pm and I want to get cleaned up before lunch.  So I will publish this now.  More tomorrow as will have this evening's photos and tomorrow morning's drive photos.  Hope you will click and enlarge these photos.