hluhluwe / umfolozi – day 2 & 3

after breakfast, we were quickly off to the st. lucia world heritage site and a boat cruise on the estuary to see hippo, crocodile and the abundant birdlife. the weather was absolutely gorgeous, the sun shining brightly, the skies clear and the air still.

the boat ride turned out to be a lot of fun. we grazed the waters for a few hours, catching magnificent views of hippos and crocodiles at close distance. what can be more relaxing than sitting out on the deck under the rays of the sun in the midst of hippos and crocs?

after unloading from the dock and arriving back on land, we hung out at the fishermans club for a few hours enjoying a nice lunch with the gang and shortly after, made a pit-stop at the crafts market,

where we ate these wonderfully sweet pineapples and browsed through all sorts of beadwork, bracelets, pottery, woodwork – gifts for our friends and family. finally, we headed over to the cheetah rehabilitation center where we learned about the process of bringing these rare and beautiful cats back into the wild, as well as the unique challenges faced when breeding these animals in captivity. towards the end of the tour, we were given a chance to enter the secure cages and stand within a few feet of the cheetah, feasting on a piece of fresh chicken breast – *that was pretty cool.

we headed back to the lodge in time – at around 5~, to catch the tail end of the SA / Australia rugby game and sip a few beers before dinner was served. after my shameful performance during the shortest lived jenga game (ever), we all decided to retire early to get some well-needed rest before the final early morning game drive before sunrise.

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the final game drive wasn’t as successful as the first – we were hoping to catch the wild cats on the way in, but didn’t see any. throughout the day, lots of baboons and fast-food impala surfaced through the bushes and we even caught a flock of vultures eating the carcass of a dead elephant, but the rest of the game seemed eerily quiet, spotting a giraffe here and there – but no buffalo, leopards or lions. maybe they had all disappeared to church?

the game drive lasted till about 3, and it was finally time to head back to the lodge, pack up our bags and say our goodbyes – closing the final chapter of a truly exceptional 3-day tour.

the ride back with peet made a lasting impression on me. now here is a man with some real perspective. we shared some very personal stories and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each other, despite the fact that he laughed at only half of my jokes. but listening to him speak about the history of this country, the zulu people, to the more politically charged topics such as apartheid, post-apartheid, HIV/AIDS and the change that we need to effect in this place – once again – was a blazingly sharp reminder of the complexities of south africa and the depths of its layers.

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whew, what a weekend.

i am extremely tired and exhausted, but now am back at the dunaverty for a night of good rest – with a backpack full of dirty clothes and a handful of memories that will last a lifetime.