Bits And Pieces

As Sheelagh has already stated, we began our actual adventure with a boat ride up the Kariega River. This river is salt for 18 km before, rather abruptly, getting fresh, the cheeky devil.  We travelled in aluminium boats with outboard motors and canvas coverings. After we got a few km's from the starting point, we saw a collection of water birds plying their trade along the banks.

The first one we saw was the great egret. This, rather gangly, fellow was fishing. He was our first local resident, and as such, caused great excitement.

The Sacred Ibis was next and seemed a bit more exotic.If you kill one of these, the curse of the Pharaohs will be upon you. Or so we were told.

Then came the Reed Cormorant, a cousin to the ones we see in White Rock.

We were very lucky to see Waterbok taking the shade along the river just before we reached Forest Camp. We were told that when in danger, this guy runs to the water, and kneels down to make the lion think that the water is deeper than it is.The lion goes away.

Each day at the Forest Camp involved 2, 3 hour game drives. First, we would go in a boat a km or so up the river to a spot where the Game vehicles were parked. These vehicles were about the length of a large SUV. They were open all around with a driver and passenger seat  and then 3, 3 person benches rising in small steps to the back so that all could see.

 I'm not, at this point going to describe some of our bigger animal sightings. These are just the animals that we saw all the time and became common place.


These are Impalas. They are everywhere. The driver, JP, said that if you didn't see 100 impalas you had not been on a game drive.











Equally numerous were the Ngalas. This picture shows the male and the female. You can't see very well, but the male has fetching yellow stockings. We were told the big long word which means the male ngala undergoes the greatest transformation from baby male (on the left) to adult male (in the middle) of any animal.  

The Gnu, or Wildabeast were also very common sights. 

The Bushbok is called thus, because when it is startled, it runs to the bush. We were told this story. A man was painting his house. When the sun set, he left his paint pots outside his door. In the night, a mother bushbok stumbled over the cans awaking the man. Coming outside, the man was enraged to find his paint spilled. He hurled a can at the retreating bushbok. The can stuck to her rump. She knocked it off against a tree and was depressed to see the white ring the paint left. She headed to the river to wash, but her babies cried, "No, Mama. It is so much easier to follow you in the dark now." And so the ring stayed. Good for the babies and also the lions.

The last one for now is the Cape Starling. They are a fantastic iridescent blue. They follow the Rhinos and eat the bugs that the Rhino stirs up.

Speaking of bugs, there were termite mounds everywhere. And, of course, we didn't get a picture of one. This, however, is, soon to be was, a termite. We got to eat one of them and found them very herby and strong. Not at all unpleasant. Also apparently a great source of protein. Packed a big taste for such a tiny thing