...under african skies...

I decided to take a quick safari into the Kruger National Park during my trip here in South Africa. Kruger National Park borders South Africa and Mozambique and with over 2 million hectares of land, tens of thousands of wild animals roam freely in the wilderness.

This is the bushveld:


During my four day trip in the park, I saw some incredible sights, including all of the "Big Five" (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros, and buffalo). I also saw a pack of wild dogs (a rare sight) and a couple of hyenas. Zebras, giraffes, and antelope were so common by the end of the trip we would just drive past them in hopes of spotting a cheetah or another rhinoceros.



I arranged my safari through Footprints in Africa and they put me up in a unique lodge near the central edge of the park called the Bushman Adventure Lodge. I had a cute little hut and chilled out in their cozy space by the camp fire when I wasn't off safari-ing around searching for wild game animals.
Here's my sweet little hut:


The most exciting moment on the trip involved a certain elephant who wasn't too happy about us stopping to check him out. He chased us down the road while we snapped photos and hoped he wasn't fast enough to catch up.



I also did some sightseeing along the way to and from the park. There are beautiful mountains and canyons in the Mpumalanga Province. Unfortunately my timing couldn't have been worse with the rainy season in full effect and mostly I drove through a big cloud the whole way. I did manage to see a nice canyon, but the sun wouldn't come out for what is supposed to be one of the most spectacular views in South Africa. If you've seen The Gods Must Be Crazy... this is the spot where he throws the coke bottle off the edge of the earth.

This is the canyon at a place called the Potholes.


South Africa is a beautiful country. I only wish I had more time to spend here. However, it's about time I get back to work in the village. I'll be heading back to Madagascar as soon as there's a flight. With only three months left in my service, I need to start saying good byes and preparing for life's next adventure, wherever that may be!