Day 16 10/27/10

Our last safari game drive went much better this morning. Our tracker and guide tracked a hippo right to his pool. The water was a bit low so we could see more of the hippo then ever before. We wanted to get closer to the pool but the guide explained that the shore line wasn’t safe because the hippo can run up to 40 kilometers per hour directly out of the pool. The guide then did something very unexpected he got down from the vehicle and boom the hippo turned his attention directly to him snorted and showed more of himself in the pool and opened his mouth wide showing his long canine teeth. He didn’t charge but it did get our attention. Next they tracked and found a herd of 300 water buffalos, we were right in the middle as they moved past grazing and bowling through the brush! It was awesome to be smack dab in the middle of a herd. The water buffalo is considered to be the most dangerous animal, the guide explained that a water buffalo doesn’t bluff if he postures to charge he will and does charge! The guide then explained about how lions learn how to specialize when the hunt. Some learn to hunt giraffe by chasing them to a paved road where they lose their footing, or drive them through an area with fallen trees so they trip. Once a giraffe hits he ground he can never get up, his brain hemorrhages as blood rushes to his head. He then explained that lions also specialize in hunting the water buffalo by either by using quick attacks intended to wound an animal and then stalking the herd until the animal becomes to week to keep and then they take it down. The most remarkable one is that one lion will provoke a water buffalo to get it to charge and leave the safety of the herd the lion then leads the unsuspecting animal to an ambush and the rest of the pride pounces to take the animal down. It was fascinating to learn that what seems like chance is really strategy and a lion is doing the planning! After returning to the lodge and a hearty breakfast we were off to our next adventure, Blyde River Canyon which is the biggest green canyon in the world. Thank God this was going to be a short drive, only 3 hours. We stopped to see the three Rondavels, Bourkes Luck Potholes. The Three Rondavels are massive rock formations that look just like their name says, a traditional building style, a round hut with a pointed thatch roof. Bourkes Luck Pot Holes is located at the confluence of the Blyde (joyful) and Treur (sad) rivers. They are deep depressions down from a water from the two rivers swirling rock and sand and that look like huge pot holes filled with water. Local miners panned gold out of these holes. They actually look like something specially created set to film a movie about landing on another planet. As it was starting to get dark we headed to our guest house. Thaba Tsweni (Black Baboon) guest house consists of chalet style accommodations, all brick and blond wood. It is self catering meaning you have a functioning kitchen if you would like to do your own cooking. We will not be doing that in fact tonight we ate at Harries, a world famous, who knew, pancake house which is in Graskop. No I don’t mean South Africa’s IHOP, this is a huge pancake which is over stuffed with either sweet or savory fillings much like a crape but thicker. I had a sticky pork with apples an onions, and Will had butternut squash with feta cheese. We then decided to each eat only half and switch so we could each try two stuffed pancakes in one sitting. Both were equally delicious and unique, we finished the night with four scoops of ice cream each, mine with chocolate sauce and his with caramel! We then crawled back to our car over stuffed with a good meal and headed back to the chalet! We are both exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning. Breakfast is at eight after which we are off to see the numerous waterfalls and God’s Window and what ever else comes our way! This has been a full force no holds barred vacation and this rest stop is just what we need to continue our adventure in Cape Town in a few days. Life is good!