Today we embarked on our annual 2 week trip which besides one year, has been to the Kruger Park since our 25th anniversary. This trip hasn’t had the easiest of starts though. Our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter are accompanying us for the first time for the full trip (last year they did some days in the middle of the trip). At about 10pm last night, M messaged us to say I (granddaughter) was throwing up! That went on to past midnight and so when we picked them up on the way to the airport this morning there were two tired parents and 2.5 year old who seemed in perfect order.

The check in process was smooth and easy and then we went to the lounge. Much to M’s delight, he could take me into a lounge at the airport which I could not get into for this particular flight (I can and do use it when flying other flights). Comments like “Don’t worry Dad I have got this one” and “Can I take my parents into this lounge with me as they don’t qualify by themselves” were flowing freely. It seemingly will be the highlight of M’s holiday. All this because he is Discovery believer and disciple. At least after 27 years and 18 days he has done something for H & I that we benefited from.

When we got to the boarding gate for our flight to Hoedspruit, the gate staff said there was a technical issue with the plane and they were going to have to swap out the plane but the one they would use was still on route from JHB and only landing 30 minutes after we were meant to depart. It was clear that we weren’t going to be on time. In the end we left 90 minutes late. That meant we were starting to run out of time to be able to get to the shops before they closed at 3pm. The gate staff were excellent and told us to go back to the lounge and he would call me when they were ready for boarding. I thought “no chance they are doing that” but sure enough my cellphone rang at just before 10am and they told us to come back to the gate. Then they couldn’t board us because they couldn’t get a bus to take us the plane. But what can you do, it is all out of your hands.

We purposed that I would go and quickly get the car while the rest of them collected the luggage. The problem was ‘quickly collect the car’. One customer in front of me and that took 10 minutes and I arrived mid-transaction. It was clear that quickly was not in their vocab. Then when she started with me, their computer system went down. And then she says, ‘oh I see you’ve booked a car chair but we don’t have one here, do you really need it’. At this point my patience is being tested and when I express that we are in somewhat of a hurry to get to the store before it closes, she offers to let me take the car without paperwork, without taking my credit card details and without a car chair. I accept and they bring the car around so we can pack it and head off. At this point M comes inside and points out that the rear windows don’t open at all of the Ford (basically a panel van) they are renting us. I point this out to the lady who replies “You can’t open your windows in the Kruger Park anyway”. Blood pressure rising quickly at this point. While typing this I am marveling at my own restraint actually. I pointed out to her that I have been going to the Kruger Park my whole life and I never gone and not opened the window. I did get them to agree to find us another car and to do a swap tomorrow. I then managed to contact my PA and she has done a wonderful job of getting them into gear and hopefully tomorrow we will get another car.

Off the shops to do our grocery buying (and some alcoholic beverages) and we met a guy in the parking area to give us a car chair (which they found who knows where – probably an employees own one from the looks of it). We had about 40 minutes to do the shopping before the store closed. At one stage we had 4 trolleys amongst the 5 of us – and I didn’t have one! We did remarkably well with a co-ordinated attack on the store and we got everything loaded into the car and headed toward the Kruger Park. We entered the Kruger around 4pm at the Orpen Gate. Our first camp is Satara and that is about 50 kms from the Orpen gate. The speed limit is only 50 km/h and given you’re going to stop for animals and birds, that would usually take around 1.5-2 hours (which is what we did it in).

All the usual game – elephant, giraffe, waterbuck, impala, wildebeest, zebra, steenbok, warthog, baboon and add to that the buffalo we saw from the plane before we landed, it meant a 2 of the Big 5 day. We did however manage to find one lifer for H & O – Banded Martin – which is also actually a Kruger Park rarity so a pretty good spot (I saw it, M identified it).

We got to Satara just before 6pm and I went and fetched our key and the rest went to the shop for some essentials (especially wood for the braai). I had an early supper and headed off the bed (it was a long day for a 2.5 year old but she did remarkably well the whole day but then again of course I’m biased). I (this time representing me not I) started the fire for the braai. We had lamb chops and sweet potato on the braai and H made a salad. A beer watching the fire burn down with the bush in the background and the birds calling … just what you need to forget the difficulties of the day.

I think I am the last one awake now and it is 9:30pm. Everyone is tired and of course we will be up early tomorrow for our morning game drive. My bird list after 2 hours in the park is 37 at this point.

Until tomorrow …

P, I (let’s face it a 2.5 year old putting up with all that today and being pretty good about it deserves 2nd spot on the blog), M (he did take me into the lounge which is worthy of place uplift), H & O