The road to the park was marked on our map as a sealed road but it was a potholed dusty road. There were a few small settlements along the road and the children were sitting in the shade trying to sell wood for braais. The park was really dry and usually it is a favourite place for birdwatchers. We asked the ranger where was the best place to see the wildlife and he directed us to the only two places in the park with water.
The first was a hide at a watering hole and it was full of female students studying eco tourism. They must have been in the hide for quite a long time as several were asleep while others were getting text messages on their cellphones and disturbing the animals coming to the waterhole. In my mind I had created several observation worksheets for them to do to keep them interested but no one had a pen, or book or piece of paper to record anything. The teacher had the only binoculars and he was in his own little world oblivious to the snorers... he was in survival mode!
It took a while to spot the turtles that were the same colour as the mud and never moved as they soaked up the sun.
This handsome nyala brought his harem down for a drink.
The only other watery place was where we had lunch by the Nsumo Pan. This is me looking at the flamingos on the far side. While we were eating we could hear the hippos roar and see crocs sunbathing near them. It wasn't long before we were joined by the eco tourism students.
On the way to Piet Retief we passed these guys chilling out in the back of the van on the motorway.
The road to Piet Retief was being widened and repaired and it took us 2 1/2 hours to travel 100kms as every few kilometres there was only enough road for one way traffic. We queued with dozens and dozens of trucks carrying coal from the dozens of collieries in the area. We could see many railway wagons taking coal out and several coal washing industries as well. The whole area was very smoggy and hazy not only from the coal powered power stations but also from the grass burning. Scattered amongst these were large beef grazing farms and I would be worried about the meat being contaminated.
We arrived at the city of Piet Retief when it was dark and pulled into the first accommodation place we could find on the edge of town. We managed to get the last motel unit as the place was full of engineers and other people working for the road construction companies.
Our neighbours in the motel were a White family of 6 from Zimbabwe. There were the parents, a son, the daughter and her husband with their daughter. They live in Bulawayo now but used to have a game lodge until they were chased off it. They drive to the South African border and leave their vehicle there as the South African police hassle them if they use their Zimbabwean registered car in South Africa. A South African friend lends them a small ute and they had it loaded up with bedding and some furniture. Two people fitted in the cab and the rest of the family squashed in the back. They were cold calling on businesses in SA for their boss in Zimbabwe. They had a twin bed unit like us and it must have been a squeeze for the 6 of them
although we would have both paid the same price for the room. When we told them we would like to go to Zimbabwe they recommended that we didn't as we would be ripped off by the Black people. Life is pretty tough for them as they try to make ends meet.
although we would have both paid the same price for the room. When we told them we would like to go to Zimbabwe they recommended that we didn't as we would be ripped off by the Black people. Life is pretty tough for them as they try to make ends meet.
