It just seems to get hotter and we seem to see less. Today was meant to be get to 42 degrees C but the highest I saw on the car thermometer was 39 degrees. Not sure I can tell the difference between 39 and 42 anyway. All I can say it was hot again. Seems like the rest of our time here is now predicted to be in this same range of temperatures.

We slept in slightly and did a 6am drive heading down the Shingwedzi river. Lots of usual game – giraffe, elephant drinking in the river, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, baboon etc but no predators again and most especially a leopard evades us. I am not sure I have ever been in the KNP for 7 days and not seen a leopard so that is another first for me from this trip. O reckons it is her because she says every time she comes with us we don’t see anything. Somewhat superstitious and highly unlikely to be the cause – but I haven’t told her that yet and I’m happy to let her fall on her sword (figuratively speaking that is).

I made french toast (it’s a Sunday tradition) with the help of Miss I (she does the mixing and the dunking of the bread). We did have a visit from a troop of vervet monkeys which fascinated Miss I. The rest of the day was spent in our air-conditioned bedrooms. You would venture out to get some food or drink and occasionally someone would be brave enough to venture out to do some birding or look out over the river. When M did this (twice), on both occasions he spotted a woodpecker. They turned out to be different ones each time and one of them was a lifer for H. She is now on 490 lifers and closing in on the 500 lifers as well. M remains on 499 and is still seeking that elusive 500th Southern Africa bird. Trip list on 172 (same time last year we were on 189).

H stayed with Miss I – they went for a swim and then an ice cream – while the other 3 of us went on an unproductive evening drive. Not that you don’t see things – just nothing new – no new animals and no new birds. Dinner this evening was spaghetti bolognese made by O. Any form of cooking in this heat in the kitchen deserves a medal. It was lovely bolognese – the 1/2 bottle of red wine in it probably did the trick though O did a great job with limited ingredients – very tasty.

Until tomorrow …

P, O (for the cooking tonight), M (for the woodpeckers), H & I