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The following image was taken from the sliding door of our stateroom.
There have been various colds and other illnesses present on the ship since we boarded in Los Angeles. We have both been sick twice to date. This morning, Cheryl came down with a new gastrointestinal condition that has been plaguing the ship for the last few days. Unfortunately, she was unable to join the safari today and was ultimately quarantined to our room. After a brief back and forth, we agreed that I should join the excursion, as I could really not do much for her other than feel bad. So off I went.
Tour – “Aquila Private Game Reserve – Journey into the bush in search of Africa’s “Big 5″ and more during a safari drive at a private game reserve. Embark on a scenic drive by motor coach through the Hex River Valley to the Aquila Private Game Reserve, a wildlife and safari park nestled in the southern Karoo Highlands. Covering more than 17 square miles, the reserve’s mix of natural wetlands, semi-arid desert, and mountains is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome drink before boarding your 4×4 safari vehicle and setting out into the wild with your experienced ranger guide. Keep watch for rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, and lions (in an enclosure), as well as herds of zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, and more. Hippos and crocodiles lurk in the wetlands, and an array of birds grace the sky. Cap your tour with a delicious buffet lunch at a local restaurant.“
This safari was very similar to the one in Gqeberha at the Addo Elephant Park. The vehicle was the same type. The roads were equally as good as those from two days ago. It was a terrific day. As noted above, I was alone, but fortunately, Kara and Greg Cornelius were on the trip, and I spent a lot of time with them. The animals we saw today in alphabetical order:
Cape Buffalo – the first sighting of these animals. They were spending time with zebras and mainly lounging on the ground. They are huge! The buffalo is one of the “Big Five,” meaning early big game hunters believed them to be the most dangerous to hunt. While they look pretty mellow in the photographs and videos, a buffalo will charge a potential threat and, given their size, do substantial damage. Some animal trivia: they are not water buffalo, they are cape buffalo. Water buffalo are native to Asia.
The next two images are videos.
We saw many elephants again today. I am not sure how one could ever tire of watching these pachyderms when they are so close by. We did not see as many as on other days, but there were at least ten. They were not covered in as much mud for some reason. Majestic animals.
The next four images are videos. In the first, you see a collective of three baboons moving just to the right of the elephant. There were many baboons in the park. I was not able to get a good photograph of them as they were always at a distance and moved quickly.
We saw two giraffes at a distance grazing on the underbrush. Beautiful creatures, even from far away. The images and videos are grainy because they remained at a distance.
The next two images are videos.
As in Gqeberha, we did not see as many grazers today as on our first three trips. We did have our first sighting of Springbok antelope. The national South African Rugby team is named after this species. They are very cool-looking with distinctive black horizontal stripes (photos one thru four below). Again, they kept their distance, leading to grainy images. We also saw what I think are Elands. They are larger than springboks and have distinctive horns. They were much closer to our vehicle, and we had a great view.
The next three images are videos.
One of the first things we saw on our drive was a bloat of hippopotamuses. They were not nearly as active or visible as they were during our previous river trip, but it was great to see them again (at least the tops of their heads and noses).
See me using my recent enrichment knowledge there? A group of hippos is a ‘bloat‘ (and I used collective for the group of baboons earlier).
The next two images are videos.
The lions are kept in a separate, fenced area in the park, and luckily for us, we were able to see them up close (very, very close, actually). This was our first sighting of a male cat. They are simply superb, awesome, beautiful-looking animals. There were four females. Sorry for so many photos, but they are simply too good not to share.
The next five images are videos.
We saw many ostriches throughout the day. They were often near the zebras for some reason, probably for safety being part of a dazzle of zebras. Males are more colorful than the females. A large male walked within 10 meters of the truck. They had no fear of us at all. It was like we were not even there. The last two images are videos.
Black Rhinoceros: This was also the first sighting of this species. We saw 10-12 different rhinos, and frequently throughout the day. They are unbelievable to see up close. Their horns are trimmed by park rangers to discourage poachers. We saw both adults and calves. They almost look prehistoric. Trivia: Black rhino calves follow their mothers; White rhino calves lead their mothers. This is one way to tell the species apart from a distance.
The next four images are videos.
We had our first sighting of wildebeest. They are really interesting animals, and I am glad that we have finally found them.
The next three images are videos.
We saw many zebras again today. They were everywhere. Like the animals we saw in Gqeberha, they had very distinctive black-and-brown stripes. If you look closely at the fourth, sixth, and seventh images, you see a male ostrich walking by the dazzle. Zebras are “shy” and do not like to be close to, or watched by, humans, hence all the backsides.
The next three images are videos. The male ostrich walks through in the third.
Our ride today was similar to two days earlier. Unlike the Land Cruisers used on our first three trips, the roof is fixed in place, making for much better viewing. It was a great ride. The fourth image shows the park’s rugged beauty. Like on previous safari days, I needed to remind myself to look at and appreciate the epic landscapes on the horizon.
The following are images from the drive to and from the park. The first is my initial view of Table Mountain; so unique and identifiable. We had early-morning rain, but it stopped well before we reached the park. The next four photographs highlight the rugged beauty of South Africa.
We saw two shanty towns during the drive. From the internet: “In South Africa, shanty towns are officially referred to as ‘informal settlements’ or squatter camps. They are densely populated, impoverished neighborhoods built with makeshift materials like corrugated iron, wood, and plastic. These areas often lack basic infrastructure and highlight profound socioeconomic disparities.” Our guide told us that many out-of-country workers who migrated to South Africa for work built the dwellings because they could not afford any other housing, AND they were often better than the housing the person left behind in their home country. One thing I found interesting is how many of them had satellite TV (especially visible in the first image). It felt like at least 25% of them had a dish.
All in all, it was an absolutely terrific yet bittersweet excursion. While it was fantastic to see many new and different species, I could not help but think of Cheryl back in our stateroom, under the weather and unable to join a trip I know she would have loved. She will comment on her Cape Town experience tomorrow.
After the safari, I returned to the ship. Chery had not been able to eat and asked me to find her some simple crackers, so I headed back out into Cape Town and found some. They helped her feel at least a little better. Ask her for the scrambled egg story next time you see her (I cannot tell it nearly as well).
I then walked around a bit, looking for dinner, and ended up at the Victoria Wharf Shopping area. This was near a waterfront recreational boat berthing area. While I did not shop, I found a pretty good pizza and then walked back to the ship late in the evening. A pretty good end to a great day (at least for me).
End of Post.