After having a very good sleep cuz it was cooler,windows open… (1340 metres above sea level) it was fresh.:….maybe because it was foggy.

We left the Graskop Mogidi Lodge at 8:30 but had to make a first stop 40 minutes later at Hazyview for fresh fruit and veggies and of course the bushy bushy. Looks like a very prosperous town … huge shopping mall,etc. This area can grow everything including “rubber boots”….lol……so says Brian. Seriously bananas, papayas, lychees, yadda, yadda. Kruger is an open boarder park… 70,000 sq. kms. no fences on borders between ZA and Botswana or ZA and Mozambique. Just before entering the park, Shandy pointed up ahead that it was where he lives. Later he said he misses his home and see it until February. We arrived in Kruger at Phabeni Gate about 10:30 and for the better part of 3 hours we drove. We came across some zebras…. a ways away. Then giraffes. Stopped by a watering hole where there we saw water buffalo, a croc, tortoise, African eagle & hippos.

Came across a solitary lion casually sauntering along the road. He then just as arrogantly walked off through the bush strutting his prowess. He was probably between 5-7 yrs old so has been booted out of the pride. You can tell his age because his mane is started to get black.

Herds of giraffes …. huge numbers … one big older guy between 3-4 metres high…. his spots are darker as they age. Giraffes don’t make good mothers. They just drop them and then the young are on their own…. unlike elephants that are very maternal. So many impalas everywhere. I can imagine they are much more prolific than our deer. 160,000 impalas

Elephants….Breading head or matriarch head. They are grazers….they wallow in mud… used to cover their skin to prevent their skin from sunburns. Also when it dries the mud pulls any ticks off at same time.

There were 25 plus in the herd in this one.

The sound transmitted by elephant can be heard for 7 kms.

Water buffalo all line up facing away from the wind

Lower Sabi River where we saw hippos (out of the river), the huge herd (some are a large as 100) elephants and herd of water buffalo…. all within .5 km. Amazing!

Kindergarten of impalas took off with one snort from mama.

Chacma baboons in a tree…. maybe a dozen.

Kudu ….. whiter tip of horns means fully grown about 7 years…..16 kilos baby…. a lot of bachelor parties…. males only. Couple were play fighting but sometime they lock and cannot separate. After 4 hours they are exhausted and the lions come in

for the kill….. it’s easy pickings!

Martial Eagle in a tree. Birds on the ground squawking warning that dinner is on the way for Eagle.

We had an elephant about 8yrs old, right by the truck… so unconcerned.

White -backed Vulture …. not very common.

Arrive at villas in Lower Sabie camp for 2 nights. We can see hippos in the river in front….. snorting away…. love it…. cool!