Why South Africa? A simple example! (page 5 of 12)

Almost 3 full loops, so his birthday (12 years old) is coming up soon.

I see two loops too. 😇 And the Daltons are four. 😛 But since three is my lucky number, I’ll pretend I didn’t say anything. 😏

Anyway, great travel journal, thanks Michel! I really like the before/after comparisons. I’m also keeping a few hiking ideas up my sleeve. 🙂

Hi there,

You know, I’m just repeating what the ranger said. He mentioned almost three laps, almost 12 years.

We're back!

So, iSimangaliso, Eastern Shores, private concession.

It's included in the Western Shores. Perks include staying at Isi, right by the estuary in its upper part, having meals cooked for you, etc...

The view from the "chalet".



They're scattered in a "forest" area, on stilts, so animals can pop by and say hello... including hippos.









Game drives with a great ranger (and just the two of us—what luck!).

We saw and re-saw the local wildlife, plus...

Two incredible hyena spots... packed, up close, big ones and little ones. At dusk and dawn—sorry about the photos.







A truly amazing spot we never would’ve found on our own. First, because he knows where they are, they’re less afraid of the vehicle, and at night, he’d spotted them thanks to the spacing of their eyes glowing in the torchlight.

In the Isi, there are "umkhumbe"... and poachers... (two "umkhumbe" alerts with helicopters during our short stay). And every day, according to the rangers, people who casually wander around asking questions... just to prepare a poaching expedition. Half of the "umkhumbe" have been dehorned.

Around a bend in the road... no, no, it's not a rock...

Also on the agenda, a little boat ride on the estuary... hippo expedition!

And now a trip to the other side, Eastern Shores (near Cape Vidal).

For a quick dip.

Don’t forget that the defining feature of this area is... a flood zone. Protected from the sea by the dune ridge. And a sand forest.















The Eastern part is even richer in wildlife.

By the way...

The Charters Creek section of the Western area is closed.

All the Eastern areas are open.

The elephants? Four young males, without a matriarch, are hanging around in the Eastern areas and pose a certain danger. The main herd—'Who’s big? I’m not big, I’m just well-padded!'—is deep in the Western area, in the Charters Creek section and beyond. Didn’t see them!

Isimangaliso wrap-up!

Not going or not spending time there is a travesty I condemn in the strongest terms. For the landscapes, the beaches, the sand forest, the wildlife...

If you’re really short on time...hit the Eastern areas first.

St Lucia is the base for supplies and accommodation, but you can find quieter spots around... (check out Mme Attila’s latest travel journal).

Anecdote: A German couple with a young child had truly mistaken the country... Well, South Africa isn’t a pool, beach, and sea destination... especially at the end of May! The beach is beautiful but the water’s dangerous and chilly. The pools are more for penguins than humans (Bretons and those north of the Seine excluded).

The pair of African fish eagles was magnificent! 🙂

I didn’t get the chance to see any in such great conditions during my last trip. 😕

Hippos.

A seemingly unique event: twins were born in Isimangaliso (hippo twins, no less!).

How do we know they’re twins?

The female about to give birth isolates herself from her group and stays alone for at least a month, fearing another ill-tempered hippo might kill them.

So, one isolated female + two brand-new hippos = twins.

Hippos form groups, usually around one big male. At night, everyone scatters to graze on dry land. That’s when the younger (and not-so-young) male hippos flirt with the females (young and not-so-young)... (the hippo version of a village dance? Saturday Night Fever?). By dawn, the hippo and his lady return to the male’s group.

Two options:

The big male accepts the new arrival without counting her as another conquest. In this case, the group grows. Or the big male has more... *ahem*... intentions, and the pair moves away to start a new family.

That’s life among hippos.

Did I already say this or not?

When God created land animals, He created the hippo.

With skin so thin that under the sun... it suffered terribly.

The hippo complained.

"God, let me go into the water, at least during the day, because my thin skin can't handle the sun."

God allowed the hippo to go into the water during the day, but...

1. Only during the day. 2. At night, it had to come out and take the opportunity to eat its daily ration of grass. 3. It was strictly forbidden to eat a single fish. 4. To show God that it was following the rules and prove its good faith, it had to regularly open its mouth wide (to check that no fish bones were stuck in its mouth), and it also had to scatter its feces with its tail every time it went (again, to show there were no fish bones in them).

In fact, all hippos follow this rule. They stay in the water during the day, eat grass on land at night, open their mouths wide, and wag their tails every time they poop.

On a more serious note...

By eating grass on land and releasing their feces into the water, hippos are true "fertilizers" of lakes and rivers (bringing in nutritious plant matter, proteins, etc.)... Where there are hippos, there are more fish... birds, crocs, etc., etc...

Nature is pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Hi Michel, The delay is caught up—I’m all up to date for what’s next... Even if I don’t have as much time as I’d like to come here as often as I’d wish.

It’s always a treat to read your writing, and congrats on your Zulu—I admit, respect! And don’t be shy about showing it off; I’d do the same! 😉

Glad to hear that the Lions Head hike still gets people talking, and relieved to know the elephants in Tembe are truly real. We’re canceling the name change!!

Like you, I had a soft spot for St Lucia, even though I went there in peak season!

Alright, see you soon for the next part!

😉

Sometimes, even a hippo tries to mix up its culinary pleasures. I remember a guide’s reaction after stepping inside: "It stinks in there!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXB_KjZFyGs

Michel’s take on Creation is absolutely delicious. Would you go for it?

Would you still go?

???

So, you think I’d still go?

I also read about a hippo attacking a tourist boat (and it was a pretty big one at that)... 1 death from a hippo 1 seriously injured person who managed to reach the shore but... there are lions...

In short, the fun stuff...

Like those air crash shows before a trip!

An extra layer just in case...











And off we go...







We’re back out (don’t lose your entrance ticket or you’ll get fined!)



Off to Swaziland

Golela border

On the Swazi side, everything has changed. Before, it was all very laid-back. First one ticket, then another, then the office with several queues... very friendly. That’s where a Swazi guy let me go ahead of him and asked me for news about Alain Delon.

Today, major construction, secure counters, and all the rest. Even if the area around it is still a bit sketchy.

Swaziland... the King recently decided to change his country’s name...

People kept confusing Swaziland with Switzerland...

It’s true that in Manzini, at the "International" Airport (flights only to Joburg), you’d often see tourists thinking they’d arrived in Vienna! Same in Vienna... imagine a tourist thinking they were in Manzini!

Suggestion:

Austria and Australia should also change their names.

Austria, Australia... it’s too similar... and ending up in Sydney instead of Vienna... a real problem.

Why Vienna when we're talking about Switzerland?

Yebo Not Vienna but Zurich or others My joke about Austria and Australia threw my GPS off!

Heading to Hlane.

Swaziland is poor.

A stop by the roadside in Nsoko for lunch break.

Encounters... With travelers from two buses (French folks)... who, as often happens on organized tours, have become completely dependent on the guide... total lack of any autonomy. One of the guides is dressed in a costume like a "musical" Maasai ???? The other in some sort of colorful boubou... he seems much more from the DRC than from South Africa... We’ve stumbled into extreme caricature.

With two groups of tourists in a minibus... Given their numbers, we must be packed tight in the vehicle. Fifty German speakers, fifty English speakers... one of the participants, silent, lost, isolated in the middle of the others, has in her eyes all the despair in the world... and seems ready to cry into her plate.

A South African couple living in Mozambique reacts to my Zulu (Zulu and Swazi are close) with the servers (who are just as surprised, both by my gibberish and by my questions about the place, which has changed a bit... the watering hole is empty and the croc, as a result, is no longer there)...

We carry on.

The worst road of the trip between Big Bend and Hlane...



Hlane is one of the 3 national reserves. Not the big reserve, but still. Three parts. One with pedestrian access, another for rhinos with a guide and maybe getting out of the jeep to approach them on foot, and the third with lions and elephants. You can also do a game drive with your own vehicle.

The atmosphere is a bit more 'in the dark' than before because the solar power is stronger (before, dining without a flashlight was impossible). Nice, well-equipped chalets, wood fire for the braai.

We’ll settle for dinner at the restaurant and that fire for the ambiance. At Ndlovu Camp. There’s another camp and also a short trek in the park.







A small watering hole where Mr. Hippo dozes.



And where others come regularly, including...



Guarded by...



In my opinion, it’s a good one-night stop with the chance to take a break on the road and see up close some

Hi Michel, I just discovered your travel journal this morning! Yes, I know, better late than never...

First of all, a big thank you. What a great discovery. It’s a real treat. I had a wonderful trip during my breakfast! It’s so beautiful, so interesting, really pleasant to read and look at. 😎 And kudos for the practical info too. I don’t know this part of the world at all, but it makes me *really* want to expand my future plans and go for a wander there!

And bravo for learning Zulu—tell me, how do you learn Zulu???? Online???? Not for today, but just in case... 🙂

See you soon, Best regards,