Safari - more addictive than you think!

I've only managed to go on Safari twice (not counting the desert safari and catamaran trip in Namibia or the Zebra knocking at my door in Zambia) in the 18ish months I've been in South Africa and for the first few months I didn't understand why locals went so often.

I think it was the moment after breakfast in the Pilansberg when I was being driven back to the lodge and we rounded the corner to see two rhinos having a few refreshments at the local watering hole. That they were just there off the road, no fences, no worries and no one else but me and the ranger ogling them was when I realised what an amazing experience Safari is! Oh then of course there was whilst eating lunch the herd of elephants who sauntered on by!

The luxury of the two lodges I stayed in may have also helped...

Unfortunately on my first Safari I didn't see any of the big cats, with only a few prides in the Pilansberg its easy to understand why and considering most locals have never seen a Leopard, even less surprising. So for my second trip I booked a rather extravagant lodge on the edge of the Kruger National Park in the Sabi Sands Reserve which is well known for its leopard sightings.

I ended up in their Little Bush Camp, which only has six chalets and all have a view of the river and a spa bath on the deck. At dinner time you need to be escorted from your room to the main area, just in case there are a few cats wondering around. This seemed completely unnecessary until I heard a lion roaring later on in the evening.

As it turned out there weren't many people staying at the lodge and I ended up getting a couple of personal game drives and the chance to go with the rangers whilst the leading expert on scorpions gave them a lesson in how to find and handle scorpions!

Anyway, this part of the Kruger is teeming with wildlife and I saw lots. The highlight was not the Leopard slowly walking in front of our vehicle, the pride of lions wandering aimlessly through the long grasses, the playful young elephant male having a stand off with us, the vultures, the giraffes, the many sizes of mongoose and and and... It was my moment of stupidity that resulted in a Mother Leopard  growling at us. Up until that moment the ranger had been very calm and in control, the fear in his eyes made it clear the stupidity in my action! It harshly reminded me that we are in their environment, this is not a zoo (the closest fence is 50kms away), this is the real thing!


Lets just say NEVER stand up in game vehicle and ALWAYS listen to the instruction of the ranger!!!

Now, Just Now and Now Now...

As an Native English speaker it is always interesting to learn some of the quirks of other versions of English around the world. The concept of time is well known to differ around the world, and in my opinion the difference between Australian culture and that of South Africa can be explained in what I like to call the Now concept. 

When I first arrived in South Africa when someone said to me "I'll be there now" I took them literally and assumed they would be here, you know, NOW! However in reality this meant I was at times missing lunch, circling city blocks in the car waiting for someone to arrive at the train station (not a generally good idea) or sitting in a bar alone for some time waiting for a friend/colleague/random person to arrive. The now concept also extends to deliveries and anyone driving. Apparently in Joburg everyone is always 15 minutes away or "just around the corner". That corner may be 20 kilometers away, but technically it is a corner. 

As a (previously) punctual person this was extremely infuriating and generally confusing, it took some time for me to be at peace with the now concept... 

Having now accepted the concept liberally, I use it when I can't be bothered being punctual... actually I am ashamed to admit that just yesterday upon a request from a colleague when I was on my way to get coffee, I responded with "I'll be with you now"... approximately four hours later I actually turned up at their desk! 

A good explanation can be found here: "Just Now" or Now Now" 

In lieu of an appropriate picture, here is something random: