Sunday, April 13, 2008

Londolozi, Kruger National Park, South Africa - Day 1

(photo of view from our private plunge pool, Room 1, Londolozi Varty Camp)

Posting by Andy

Today I am typing you from a little hut in the Londolozi camp.  We got here via airplane from Cape Town which took about 2 hours and then to our camp with a car that we rented.  The ride from the airport was about two hours and the location of our camp is literally in the middle of the bush where animals such as lions, zebras, elephants, and more surround us. On the drive into the camp, just as Rhett and I were complaining about not seeing any animals thus far, we were greated by giraffes and zebras...we were so shocked we literally just opened the window to our car and started taking photos in awe.  "Can you belive what we are seeing we kept asking ourselves"...and yes, here we are in the middle of the bush. 
 
Check this out, we have animals all around us but we are protected by personal guards that walk us around with guns to protect us from the animals at night; during the day we are free to roam by ourselves within the Londolozi camp.  Once we dropped our suitcases in our room (the camp has only 30 chalets), we were then taken on a safari where we encountered all sorts of animals such as wildebeast, zebras, impalas, hyenas, and other wild game.  Later during the same outing, we encountered a couple of lionesses with cubs right in front of our jeep, OH MY GOD! 
 
As I type, a lizzard just wizzed passed me on the wall, and we have monkeys all around us that we were warned to watch out for since they love to steal anything they can get their hands on..to the employees a nuisance, to us, very, very cool. 
 
We just completed a wonderful South African meal here at Londolozi that consisted of springbok (like a deer) and other crazy stuff I didn't even ask what it was...it was good so I just kept eating it.  After our dinner, we were entertained by the local womens choir, dressed in similar red, white and black African design garments and head sarves.   They sounded so authentic and beautiful with songs of the African culture as they danced and sang around the firepit.  There are no electrical lights out tonight, all candles and lanterns that guide us around.  Although rustic in appearance, this place is 5 star and for $1,500 a night well worth it.  Our room views the river and the bush with a private pool in a setting that is spectacular!  Wowsie.
 
We are to be awakened at 5:30 a.m. for another safari outing in which we will likely see elephants, rhinos, and more giraffes and who knows what...so stay tuned.  The place is just like the movies people....and just what we expected.  We are kinda freaked out that we need to be chaparoned around by a guard, but it is for our safety.  We certainly don't want to be a lion's dinner tonight nor any other night here.
 
Good night from us, and looking forward to another day in Africa tomorrow.

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