Steve had a great three days at his conference. He really likes the other guys who were teaching, both Africans he has known for years and they are all on the same page in what they have to say about theological education. One Canadian guy and his wife didn’t make it due to a plane delay that meant they wouldn't arrive until after their sessions, so Steve taught an extra one. Fortunately, he does this kind of thing a lot and all his material is in his computer, so it wasn’t hard to pull something out of his hat.
This morning we took off after breakfast for Pilanesberg, a smaller game reserve in an ancient volcanic crater northwest of Pretoria. We have been there many times, but not recently and the area has developed a great deal over the past ten years. In the end, we got confused with the GPS and ended up coming in the northern Bakgatla Gate instead of the eastern Manyane Gate where our resort is located. Not a big deal. It was about 10:15 when we came in. We drove a convoluted route to a picnic spot on a hill overlooking a “dam” as South Africans call the lake created by a dam. I had charcole left from Kruger, so we bought boerwors and buns and chips at a grocery in town on the way and made a fine lunch.
Being midday we didn’t seen a lot, but we found a rhino lying in the dust just off the road, and several giraffe. Two elephant cows and calves. More rhinos and a herd of zebra and wildebeest with some impala mixed in.
Impala were walking across the yard between the parking and our chalet when we arrived.
We stretched out for a rest and then headed off to watch the dam at sundown. Never made it to the dam. We did see more rhinos, hippos in a pool we weren’t heading for and then a huge bull elephant eating his dinner while totally blocking the road.
You do NOT want to anger an elephant, so I got out my mug of tea and we prepared to sit for a while. Except then he started toward us. By this time another car had pulled up behind us. Steve started backing, but the elephant kept coming. He did step off the road to our right, but kept heading toward us. He was no longer blocking the road, so Steve floored it on the rutted and rocky dirt road. The elephant looked startled, but didn’t charge, and a moment later the other car joined us on this side of the elephant. We learned later that was NOT the right thing to do. We might have frightened the elephant into charging us or the car behind.
For a video, go to YouTube.
Not sure if this is the lone cheetah in the park or a leopard (both rare sitings, at least for the Hardys), but it wandered across the road, and we got there in time to catch this before it disappeared into the grass.
This is late fall in the Southern Hemisphere, and although there are no flaming maples like home, we have enjoyed the russets we see in various places. The greens in most pictures are trees that stay green all year around even though they don't have needles.
Impala were walking across the yard between the parking and our chalet when we arrived.
You do NOT want to anger an elephant, so I got out my mug of tea and we prepared to sit for a while. Except then he started toward us. By this time another car had pulled up behind us. Steve started backing, but the elephant kept coming. He did step off the road to our right, but kept heading toward us. He was no longer blocking the road, so Steve floored it on the rutted and rocky dirt road. The elephant looked startled, but didn’t charge, and a moment later the other car joined us on this side of the elephant. We learned later that was NOT the right thing to do. We might have frightened the elephant into charging us or the car behind.
For a video, go to YouTube.
Not sure if this is the lone cheetah in the park or a leopard (both rare sitings, at least for the Hardys), but it wandered across the road, and we got there in time to catch this before it disappeared into the grass.
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