It felt just like the old days. Only the kids were older, and a weekend getaway for the experience of the bush came with more flexibility as to how to go about each day. We arrived at Sun City on Friday afternoon, having driven in from Johannesburg. Since moving to Cape Town, the one thing we don't do as often as I'd like is a weekend getaway in any of South Africa's game reserves.
Staying in Sun City, and spending most of our time in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve next door, has become our preferred way to enjoy this Las Vegas inspired resort in the North West Province. I suppose that is one of the benefits of the game reserve, the options in terms of accomodation start from full on camping, all the way to luxury apartment or hotel living at the Sun City Vacation Club or The Palace.
We did not see any lion or leopard over the weekend... I think we saw a cheetah in the distance, while we were quietly sitting at Mankwe Dam. I say I think, as none of us can confirm it given the distance it was from us. So in my mind, it remains as we did see it, and reality might be different. You can decide for yourself, looking at the picture above.
The breathtaking sunrise we watched when we went into the park on Saturday morning, made the waking up to catch the gate open at 06h30 worth it, considering how cold it is in July at that time of morning in South Africa. It was probably at this moment, I felt like I was on a break of sorts.
As we finished circling the Hippo Loop, we came across this giraffe carcass, with black backed jackals, dutifully being the scavengers and seeing to what remained of this elegant animal of the bush. For all the times that I have been to a game reserve, it was the first time I was seeing a dead animal.
I actually thought it was a lion kill, since lions had been spotted in the area. To learn that the giraffe was hurt in a fight with another giraffe, and was aided in its death by a vet/rangers, made for a very sad thought. "It's nature..." Maya had said, when she thought it was a lion kill, but that the giraffe had to be put down, did not seem like the nature we accepted.
We saw a lot... An added dimension was we also started looking to spot and identify the birds. Having bought the Pilanesberg booklet, made learning this unknown terrain (birdwatching) all the more fun. The Crimson-breasted Shrike was probably the most memorable and closest encounter of connecting with the bird life.
Seeing a lone elephant, up close and personal caught us by surprise. We were busy looking at the hippos, when to our left, he/she was. As one of the kids put it, "That was so scary. It just comes to show how in life you can be so focused on one thing, that you miss the elephant in the room!". I have a sense Chomba has memorised that and it will be part of her coaching tools when providing a perspective to her clients.
I did not have my tablet that weekend, and I did not miss it. I read a good old hardcover book, drank a lot of tea, the odd coffee, drank the right amount of wine, a braai every night and drove in the game reserve, stopping and starting and taking pictures. Nothing else was needed, and we had plenty. I rested, but also felt tired and yet recharged when I came back. A contradiction I can't quite explain, but it really is good to escape into the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.
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