Ma Cachette B&B Hectorspruit

... fish eagles were flying from tree to tree. As we drove nearer to Berg en Daal we drove along one of the secondary roads which had lovely views over the countryside, and here we spotted the largest herd of elephants we have seen to date, a very impressive sight. Plus another first was seeing a black rhino; we have seen white rhino both last year in Kruger and in Swaziland, but never before black rhino.

Berg en Daal ...

... or at least dip) in whilst out on a walk. Without further ado (ok, maybe a little trepidatious toe dipping went on) we splashed on in, deliciously cool after the initial shock of the cold had worn off.

We spent a magical evening at Klopperfontein waterhole where we settled ourselves down on some rocks with sundowner drinks. As we arrived we spotted lions approaching in the distance, and we waited patiently, lapping up the ...

... and then were given the afternoon off for personal matters. I used my time for the exciting task of washing my clothes. I thought the reception (where the internet is located) would be open at night so I planned to spend the evening reading and writing e-mails, but it turned out that it closed at 18:30, leaving the rest of the evening free for me. I should have used the internet first in the afternoon and done my laundry in the evening ...

... in. We loved the passion and energy our guides had during the game walk - one of our best experiences so far. In the evening, Dave cooked us a traditional S.A. Braai, or BBQ, which was fantastic. A Very good way to end a long day of game viewing and walking, and we slept very well that night. The next morning we got up at 4am and were on the road by 4:20am to be one of the first ones at the gate when it opened. This ...

... dinner is served. DAY 5 After a leisurely start we have breakfast and set out to explore this former gold mining town, with it's many old world attractions. There is the museum and the old graveyard, and don't forget to ask about "Jock of the Bushveld". After lunch we depart for Johannesburg via a short stop at Dullstroom, a small town renowned for its fly-fishing. We arrive in Johannesburg [Pretoria] in the late afternoon."

Click here for all Kruger photos A bit of a long day and I think we bit off a bit more than we could chew! We wanted to head up north for a while to see if we could spot cheetah or wild dogs on the flatter, more open plains. Unfortunately we didn't see either and on the way back, while probably going a bit too quickly to get ...

... periods of time for the first three days of training. I was very confused and saddened by this. Now I am very sad at the idea of going back and returning to my routine, but I am sure I will adjust. On the bright side! I found out this week that the grant that I wrote in December to the Dell Foundation was approved! So this is great! I am having a hard time giving ...

... Oh I am bitter, sorry. One is an East indian shopkeeper that I go to everyday to sit on his couches and relax and have somewhat of a nice conversation, so now he thinks i am going to take him back to America with his wife and child and I will be his second wife. Fat chance!!! My other "husband" is the police officer,Muliwa, that asks for water all the time. Well now he wants to know where I am all the time, and when I am going to go to Johannesburg with him. Well, Big ...