50 years ago, my wife was born to D&B. The reason we are doing this trip at this time (and thankfully we could despite Covid), was to celebrate H’s 50th. H had chosen Olifants as the camp she wanted to be at because she loves the view so much.

We left at 5:30am for the morning game drive. As a once off special we all loaded into the same car so we could be together for the drive. We headed north toward Letaba camp along the dirt roads. Unfortunately the road along the river was still closed after the flooding and so that was disappointing. We wanted to stop for morning coffee at Letaba and then head back down to Olifants again. However, before we went in to Letaba I decided to go past to the river (one of the best stretches of road you find for game viewing).

We saw a reasonable amount of game including lots of elephant, some birds of prey, turned on the other side of the bridge and started to head back to Letaba. As we passed one dirt road (one of the ones blocked off) S shouted “Stop, go back, leopard!” I duly obliged and sure enough there was a small male leopard walking down the dirt road and then he turned and walked up the tar road. We followed him for 800 meters until he eventually headed into the bushes and we couldn’t see him any more. An incredible sighting and the first time both K and B had seen Leopard in its natural habitat. You basically couldn’t have gotten a better sighting.

Coffee/Hot chocolate at Letaba and then we headed back to Olifants for the balance of the day (and some present opening). For the evening game drive we went south and the game life on those roads was substantial. There was plenty of buck (impala, waterbuck, kudu), giraffe, zebra. Also a lot of birds including seeing 4 different sightings of one of the birds we just saw for the first time ever on this trip. Amazing how after seeing one you suddenly see so many more!

M got the fire going again and we all toasted to H’s 50th birthday with a fantastic view over the river. S & M did the braaing (I wasn’t feeling great and I think it is from the malaria medication we take). H had requested chicken wings and lamb chops and that is what we delivered for dinner. After dinner we all shared what we appreciated about H … a nice new tradition recently introduced by O to our family (and now adopted by us).

Until later today (hopefully) … I know my blog posting hasn’t been daily but hopefully now catching up and will be back on track!

H (because she is 50), S (leopard spotting & helping with braai/sides – yes even promoted ahead of me), P, M (braaing again), K (she made chocolate fondant for desert!), O, B