A Magnificent Loop in the Southern Rainbow Nation (page 7 of 14)

After grabbing a few supplies for tomorrow and dropping off our luggage, Oh! From the terrace, we see a herd of elephants passing by. What a great way to start! So cool! 🙂 😎





It's 4 PM, and we're back on the trails of Addo. We're like kids again, excited about the animals we're going to discover 😉. The vegetation is mostly tall shrubs. The animals in the park are quite hard to spot, luckily there are watering holes.





For our first few hours in the park, we're super happy. Despite the scorching afternoon heat, nearly 30 degrees, we spot some kudus and red hartebeests,









Zebras by the side of the road,



Warthogs taking a mud bath,



And of course, elephants. The park isn’t called Addo Elephant Park for nothing!







Just before heading back, a tortoise by the roadside.



We return for dinner at the restaurant, which is nothing like those in Kruger. The menu is well-stocked, and what we chose was excellent 🙂.

Afterward, we head to the watering hole, but there aren’t any animals. No problem, we come back an hour later, and soon after, a huge male elephant is in our sights, followed by a rhinoceros. They face off, but the bigger one wins, even with the arrival of a second rhino coming to the rescue.







We head back to the chalet as it starts to get chilly. Tomorrow, a new day awaits us. 😎

To be continued here

Unless I'm mistaken, that's a black rhino, right?

Ah! No idea, it was nighttime 😄 On the other hand, I can't tell the difference between whites that aren't white and blacks that aren't black 😊.

Ah! No idea, it was dark 😄 On the other hand, I can’t tell the whites that aren’t white from the blacks that aren’t black 😊.

😏😏😏. Don’t worry, you’re definitely not the only one...😉 And if you liked Pinotage like we do, that’d make it even worse... !

The only thing missing would be if you liked Pinotage like we do, and then it’d be even worse... !

Okay, never having heard the phrase “liking Pinotage,” I just looked it up online . Yeah, I know, I played dumb . But I really don’t know anything about wine, so South African Pinotage... . The expert on this forum is Bruno 😛.

The expert on this forum is Bruno 😛.

Shhh! Let’s not disturb him, he’s at the table, and it’s cheese time...

So the black one has a narrow mouth and the white one a wide mouth...

So the black one has a narrow mouth and the white one a wide mouth...

Plus, to recognize them, you need one of each species side by side—how clever! 🤪 😛

Ah! No idea, it was nighttime 😄 On the other hand, I can't tell the difference between whites that aren't white and blacks that aren't black 😊.

Indeed, a photo (well, two) really highlights the difference (that’s putting it mildly...). According to our ranger at Mkhaya, the difference in name isn’t due to their color, which is pretty much the same. The black rhino was named that way in contrast to the so-called white rhino ("white" in English), whose mouth was considered more "wild" than its counterpart.

"Wild" in English → Wild then White... so the other became Black.... Am I making sense? 😉

Here’s the Black one:

And next, the White—or wild...



Next post, we’ll talk Pinotage 😛

Is that clear? 😉

Here’s the Black

And then, the White or wild...



Uh! No, it doesn’t exactly jump out at you! 😉 Well, I’m not gonna nitpick either... 😛

The expert on this forum is Bruno 😛.

Shhh! Let’s not disturb him, he’s at the table, and it’s cheese time...

Well, actually, at that time, I *was* at the table, but the only cheese in the meal was the Parmigiano in the carbonara at my little Italian spot for the day... And unfortunately, it was only paired with San Pellegrino—road rules and all...😕😕

For today’s topic, I also discovered Pinotage in South Africa, which seems to be the only region in the world where these two grape varieties have been blended: Pinot Noir (the signature grape of our beloved Burgundy) and Cinsault (which we usually find in rosé back home).

Personally, I tried it and wasn’t too convinced—I didn’t think the combination worked that well. But according to the wine merchant I met in Franschhoek, these are wines meant for aging, like Burgundies, and I’ll admit the "samples" I brought back to France didn’t get that treatment!!!

You learn so much here 😎

You learn so much here 😎

It's my jam... 😛

Sunday, December 30: Addo Elephant Park

A full day dedicated to the park. Normally, the Big Five—even the Big Seven, including sharks and whales—are found here, but we’re not getting our hopes up too high. We know that apart from elephants, the others will just be a bonus 😎.

The day is likely to be scorching hot again, so if we want a chance to see the animals, we need to head out in the cool of the morning. The gates open at 5:30 AM, so we’re ready for the opening. When you love it, you don’t count the cost...😉

At first, a few deer, including one giving us the eye 😇.







Lots of warthogs everywhere, some with impressive tusks, others with great mustaches. Shh! It’s prayer time! 😮









We’re heading south, where the chances of spotting lions are higher 🙂.





Our first buffalo.



We witness a baby elephant nursing.

A few birds, including ostriches.











So, what about the lions? 😕

It’s already 7:30 AM, and we didn’t even notice the two hours passing. We have to head back to camp. On the way back, a herd of at least fifty buffalo calmly climbs the small hill in front of us.

Back at the chalet, we enjoy a lovely breakfast on the terrace while watching a herd of elephants head to the watering hole. There are even a few zebras in the bushes. It’s truly a magical moment for us. Life’s good! 😎





Next, we return the chalet before 10 AM, but we can’t check into our next accommodation until 1 PM. It’s really not great not being able to stay two nights in the same place. Oh well—luckily, I booked in advance, otherwise we probably wouldn’t have found anything, and that would’ve been even more annoying, having to stay outside the park.

Before heading back into the park, we spend a little more time watching the elephants at the watering hole. It’s a constant coming and going.







The rest here

Oh wow!

Here’s a new version of the origin of the names "White" and "Black" for rhinos.

I already knew two others: 1/ The wide mouth of the white rhino: wide = white (a distortion of the word)... which explains why it’s "white" and not "black." 2/ The first rhinos named by Anglo-Saxon explorers were white ones, seen covered in very pale clay—hence "white." By contrast, the others were called "black."

Quick breakdown:

1/ Where you’ll spot them: White rhinos are usually in open, grassy areas—they graze on grass. Black rhinos are in denser, bushy areas—they browse on shrubs.

2/ Mouth shape: White rhinos have a wide mouth for grazing, while black rhinos have a narrow one for browsing.

3/ Back shape: Black rhinos have two raised points: the shoulders and the hips. White rhinos have three: shoulders, middle of the back, and hips.

4/ Parenting style: Black rhinos are said to keep their young behind them to lead the way, while white rhinos keep theirs in front (though this is the most debated point).

5/ Temperament: White rhinos are known to be calmer and more social, while black rhinos are more restless (though this doesn’t apply to females—they’re feisty in both cases!).

PS: Point five... 😛

Well, I seem to be better with grape varieties than with rhinos... Actually, while reading it, my ranger had told me about "wide" for "large"... The "wild" for "sauvage" must be slipping from my sometimes foggy mind... Thanks Michel for this very timely correction.... But admit it, I was believable!!

PS: I really like the PS...

Thanks for all these explanations, both about Pinotage and rhinos! 😉

Thanks, Michel, for this practical info that’s useful to so many—me first! 🙂

Black rhinos are critically endangered, so are they easy to spot in reserves, especially Kruger? Is seeing one kind of the holy grail of wildlife watching, like Isabelle in Addo, or is Kruger actually where you’re most likely to find them because they’re being protected from total extinction?

Thanks!

PS: I should’ve read all the messages before complimenting Bruno on the rhino part 😛 😏. But when it comes to wine, his reputation as an expert is well-earned 😉

In Kruger, you really need to be lucky. At Addo too... I saw some... far, far away... the black rhino lives in bushy, secluded spots, it's more nervous and active... My most memorable spots = Mkhaya And THE SPOT of the century in Karoo NP. (I think a certain warrior woman was pretty jealous... double-check: black rhino and lions in my first two hours) Everyone’s noticed that rhino hotspots are never marked on park maps, that the question "have you seen any?" gets an evasive answer, and that the question "where are they?" gets... no answer at all. Namibia is another hotspot...