Karongwe Private Game Reserve Part 3

Yet another 5am wake up call for a game drive. These mornings would be easier to take if I got the chance to take a nap during the day but we've been pretty busy. This is our hut; the very one I would take that nap in.

It's worth getting up early for giraffes though. We spoke our condolences on the passing of their uncle, who was eaten by the lion last night.

The warthog made an appearance.

The zebra was awake too.

We got word over the radio that a leopard had been spotted. We assembled our best team: Johannes and Jack, who were also they only team members available, the same driver and tracker we've had for these three days of safari. The tracker found the leopard walking along the road about 200m away. The leopard then disappeared into the bush. We crept along that road and I spotted him in the brush. Then, he disappeared again. We were told that if a leopard doesn't want to be seen, we won't see him..

We searched for him for a long time until we rounded a corner beside a dried up riverbed. It was there we saw the flash of a dark leopard jumping a small duiker. The duiker cried out a couple of times but the leopard dragged his limp body off behind a bush and had him for breakfast. 

Nobody was able to get photos; it all happened too fast. But it was a truly rare sighting and it was incredible to see how fast the leopard is.

Then we got a flat.

Jack and Johannes changed the tire and we headed back to the lodge. We had breakfast, a shower, packed, and we were on the road to Johannesburg. 

While the dudes were changing the tire, Piet was encouraging us to participate in a spitting contest. We picked up a kudu dung pellet, rolled it around in our mouths to get it good and wet then, spit for all we were worth.

It only turned out to be a competition between Piet, Johannes, and me. AND I WON! I'm a great spitter! Woohoo!! I think I spit the dung at least 5 or 6 metres. I wonder why nobody else wanted to do this. I mean it's not far off from inhaling the smoke of elephant dung the previous day 

When we stopped for lunch in the town of Dullstrom, Evan wanted to go to Harry's Pancakes (a popular chain here); the older ladies went to a different place. Ruth and I got dropped off at the Anvil craft brewery. We got a light lunch and a flight of beers - and the beers were all really really good! Then, we each got a large glass of our favourite.

On the menu tonight was chicken cordon bleu and beet salad, and some great conversation with the owner of this lodging, Suki, some of her family and our guide.

Time for some zzzzzzz's

Oh, check out this cute, tiny nyala that was hiding in a corner of the grounds just before we left Karongwe.