We arrive a little late to port today because the pilots were changing shifts when we got here and neglected to tell the Captain in advance. I just love it when he gets cranky! You can hear it in his voice. Then they had issues setting the gangway, so things went a little slowly this morning. But we end up being outside the port gates only 5 minutes late for our rendezvous with Riaan, our tour guide for today’s Photographic Safari (read: game drive) and Giraffe Walk.
After a little search, and a Skype call, we finally find Riaan, hop in his truck and head off to Addo park. Definitely a private tour today (you never know with these things!), it is just the 3 of us driving out of the port and out of Port Elizabeth to Addo. As we drive we find out that Riaan was a Dairy farm manager for 25 years before starting this company, named Zasendle Adventures (Zasendle means wild and beautiful in the Xhosa language), full time 2 years ago. He has a passion for wildlife and hunting (more on that later) and would come out to the parks or head out to Zimbabwe or Botswana or where ever any chance he could. He is also a photographer with this huge camera he carries in his lap – and he says he’ll get lots of good pictures for us. Awesome! He is so full of information – it is amazing. I try to take notes but end up giving up and just listening. I’ll never be able to repeat even 1/10th of what he told us – so we’ll go with the experiences and the pictures!
Arriving at the gate, we take a quick restroom break and study the sightings board while Riaan signs us in. It is still early, so not much is marked, although there are elephants at one of the Dams. We’ll just see what we see when we see it.
As we start off through the gate, you can see evidence of the Elephants – their droppings are everywhere. It is a slalom just getting around them. We haven’t been on the road even 10 minutes before Riaan spots a large male elephant coming through the brush toward us. It is crazy how easily he (and the other guides) can spot things! And drive at the same time, mind you. Anyhow, here comes this gorgeous big boy, walking right towards us. He comes right up and crosses in front of us, so close we could almost touch him if we wanted. We don’t of course, but still! A couple minutes later we come across a family with a little one crossing the road as well. We love this park!!
Next Riaan spots a dung beetle – seriously, how do you see these things! And then a whole slew of zebras, with babies and pregnant mares. The more I look at these creatures, the more fascinated I become. They are just so oddly beautiful – each with their own specific stripe pattern that they all can distinguish, but I sure can’t in a lot of cases. Riaan tells us that when the mother gives birth, she goes far away from the herd. And after the baby is born, for two hours, she just stands in front of the baby – if the baby turns right, the mom goes around to the right and stands in front of the baby; if the baby turns left, same thing, mom goes and stands in front. In this way she imprints her stripe pattern on the baby and it will always know her and be able to pick her out of the herd. Cool. We also learn that zebras have not been domesticated because their backs aren’t strong enough for constant riding or hauling of supplies – horses and donkeys are much better for those pursuits. Interesting, I had no idea.
The herd is at a watering hole that has this odd fencing – the only fencing we’ve seen in the park. It is wire, strung way up high on poles, with lots of shorter wire “strings” hanging down. This is to keep the elephants out. They can’t cross the fence at that height unless they are babies. This is how the park ensures the zebras always have a drinking water. Although Riaan did see a mature elephant try to crawl under the fencing – he said it didn’t make it but it was really funny to watch.
Continuing our drive, we see a couple warthogs – they are so ugly! – then a huge male Kudu. We drive up to the viewpoint, stopping there for a cup of coffee. Riaan has everything in the back of the truck – and I mean everything! We have a great cup of instant coffee in heat retaining mugs while standing atop the hillside with views for miles and miles around. All the hills you see belong to Addo, which is one of the largest National Parks in S. Africa covering I can’t remember how many hundreds of thousands of acres. With plans to expand and buy more land!
After our really nice coffee break, we head back down the hill toward the center of the park where we get our first good look at a Cape Buffalo. He’s wandering around this open field next to the carcass of another male buffalo who had died last week. So sad – but sort of like the elephants when they go to the graveyards to mourn their dead. Cape Buffalos are one of the deadliest of the animals out here. They don’t give you any warning when they charge, and they’ll just charge because for no reason other than you are there. We can believe it – and no way would we want to be near one of those thing. Those horns – called “boss” – are scary and you know lethal!
We also see our first herd of elephants way out in the distance on the hillside and stop for a leopard tortoise who is surprisingly fast getting across the road! Riaan says they have done experiments with these tortoises, marking them and taking them to Cape Town, then letting them go. In 3 months, they are back here at Addo. Animals. Amazing. We also spot a family of Warthogs – with 2 little babies – who scurry out of a small water pond by the road when we drive by. We’re clicking away and so is Riaan – between the 3 of us we should get some great shots all through the day.
Our tour includes an African Braai lunch – which we figured would be at the lodge – but no, Riaan means a real grill fired Braai lunch at Jack’s picnic area. Fun! So we head there because, even though it is early, it can get crowded and he wants to secure a spot. On the way we spot (he spots!) more Kudu hiding in the bush.
As we are approaching the picnic spot, Riaan finds out, from his Guide WhatsApp group (ok, technology at its best!) that there are herds of elephant at the Hapoor dam a little ways past the picnic area. So we head straight there. We can be a little later to the picnic, it doesn’t seem that crowded, and how can we pass up elephant herds. Oh my God! The elephants! There must be over 100 here – at the water hole, out in the scrub, up the hills. It is an unimaginable scene! Some elephants are drinking. Some are lying in the water. Some are just roving from one hole to the next. Then there are these 2 males eyeing each other. Eventually playing. I could sit here for hours!
There is this little warthog that is scurrying about as well – trying to get into the water. The elephants don’t like other animals to be around when they are at the watering hole, so they will chase them away. But the warthog is determined, and he keeps testing how far he can go. The two males keep eyeing each other, then start playing again, and then they go to the water hole and the big male pushes another one out of the way so they can get in. It is like a schoolyard playground!
There is a teeny little hole on the other side of the street with 4 or 5 adult elephants there. They’ve been quiet all on their own, but then they decide to come join the rest of the fun at the bigger holes and walk right past the car. More and more elephants keep arriving and we just sit and watch.
There is a baby across the hole who looks like he’s going to fall in, he stretches so far with his trunk for water. And another baby on the near side that is getting stuck in the mud and has to pull himself up and out.
We sit here for over 30 minutes, and seriously, I could have stayed there all day – but we have a Braai to prepare! It is time for lunch! We backtrack to Jack’s picnic area (Jack being the Black Rhino who lived at the park for almost 30 years and who liked this area of the park; he actually died here on the grassy area in the middle of the picnic area), find a suitable BBQ and table under the shade of a wood awning and Riaan proceeds to set up our meal. He heats the charcoal (only using that because his wood supplier isn’t coming until Friday, so it isn’t really a “proper” Braai – not by South African standards, not without the wood!), brings his own grate, then proceeds to cook us up a feast!
We have Kudu steaks, veal sausage, chicken legs, green salad and fruit salad. Oh and garlic bread. A wonderful spread! Totally filling. It is a thoroughly enjoyable lunch, sitting outside in the shade and the breeze, filling up on a perfectly cooked meal while listening to Riaan regale us with tales of his explorations out in the bush. Perfect!
An hour or so later, we are off again. Heading to the north entrance of the park, stopping to see another leopard tortoise and more elephants at the last watering hole. There are zebras here as well – they apparently know the elephants will be leaving soon, so they are waiting patiently for their chance to drink.
Further on in the park, we come across a huge male elephant eating. It is just amazing to watch him grab these thorny branches of the bush and get them in his mouth with his trunk. And these shrubs are really thorny! Riaan says they use them as tooth picks – they are that strong and sharp. We’ve touched them – and we can vouch for their thorniness! We sit there watching him for a while, we can even see how he uses his tusk to break off the branch, then his trunk to put it into his mouth. Fascinating. And we are so close!
Tearing ourselves away, we make our way out of the park, spotting a jackal running along the far side of a water hole, yet another elephant eating and before we know it we are at the main lodge (where we ate lunch on our first visit almost 4 years ago) and out of the park.
It’s getting pretty late, so we do have to move on – we need to be back for Azamazing evening – but Riaan assures us we’ll have time as he heads toward his friend’s farm where we will walk with giraffes. What? No way! How cool! We get to the farm and Riaan gets out to unlock and open the gate, then we are driving through acres and acres of farmland. His friend lives elsewhere and only uses the property occasionally, but he has a farm manager who takes care of everything. The only thing they produce are figs, but there are goats and sheep up by the farmhouse. We head the opposite direction though scrub brush and cactus (from Mexico!) filled fields. There is a herd of Kudu here – as well as some Ostrich. We can’t snap fast enough to get the ostrich, even Riaan with his huge telephoto lens can’t get the shot quick enough. Those suckers are fast! We do manage to capture some of the kudu though.
And then we see the giraffes! First we see the momma giraffe, who Riaan tells us was pregnant and looked like she was expecting any day when he was here last week. And bonus! We are totally lucky! She has had her calf – and the baby is right there. We catch a glimpse of the little guy through the bushes, but momma is really skittish – understandably – and herds the baby away from us. Riaan comes out here often enough so that the giraffes are comfortable with him – but now that the mom has her baby, she’s more standoffish. The two males though are not, and we slowly walk through the field to get closer. So amazing to be standing forty feet away from them. They are so huge and massive and powerful – and graceful and ungainly all at the same time! We follow them through the field, with momma always in the background peeking over the bushes at us.
Momma hides and the males keep going, as we do we, always a few steps behind, until one stops to scratch an itch. He just stands by this bush for the longest time with us right there, while he takes care of his business. By then the 2nd male has come back to see what is happening and the 2 of them stand there together, watching us, perfectly positioned for pictures. I’d swear they are posing!
The younger male messes with the older male, wrapping his head around the other’s neck, but not in an aggressive way. Riaan says eventually the younger male will take over, but for now, they are living peacefully together.
I have no clue how long we stood there, or how many pictures we took (a lot!), I mean, it is so incredible to be here, this close, in the middle of the farm without anyone else around – just these incredible beasts.
Finally we have to leave, and we tear ourselves away, back to the truck. As we are driving out, we spy the baby! Yay! We get to see him/her after all. From the safety of the truck – because momma is there too staring at us, making sure we aren’t a threat to the baby. How adorable!
On our way out, Riaan points out the lodge that his friend used to operate before COVID. He then tried to rent it out to another operator, but got ripped off and now he is trying to sell the whole place. Yeah, don’t think we didn’t think about it. Lodge. Farm. Giraffes? But, well, yeah, we’re not going anywhere – sorta fun to think about though. I wouldn’t mind walking with giraffes every day!
Back out the gate we go, onto the main road, and then onto the highway. Riaan points out the dairy farms around, and one of the farms he worked, as we happily chat our way back into the town and the port. A totally excellent adventure and experience, made so much better by Riaan and his absolute passion for all things animal, and his extensive knowledge. Totally fun day.
And the fun isn’t over! Because now we have Azamazing evening! We get back onboard, quickly shower, then hit the dining room for the buffet – we only want salad anyway, after that huge lunch! Then we hang out and wait for our deck to be called. With only 350 passengers, it isn’t a long wait and before you know it we are on bus 6 and heading out into town. The drive is literally 5 minutes – we could have walked if it was safe to do so. But, well, it isn’t, thus the bus. We are dropped off at the Feather Market, an old building where they used to sell Ostrich feathers now turned into an exhibition, convention and events hall.
We are greeted by traditional drumming outside, a choir and traditional songs inside, plus a lady who will paint your face with Zulu painting. Fun. But hot. Oh, so hot. Even though there is A/C, it is still warm, and the hall is a narrow area with a beautiful grand staircase, currently being use for the choir and pictures with Captain Antonio and Emily and Zulu warriors.
We grab some drinks, find a table in the middle of the morass and take a few pictures of the goings on – using Dario, the great ship photographer as my blocker!
It’s too crowded and stuffy here though – so we head back to the bar, grab more drinks and are in prime position to go inside to grab seats for the show. Back row – perfect for fast escape as well as if we want to stand to take pictures. That ends up not being necessary as there are huge screens on either side of the stage that project the show. And we can see the stage pretty well too.
The next hour is filled with an excellent show of local, traditional music, dancing and singing. A far cry – in the right way – from that awful Destination Celebration in Namibia. This is fabulous. There are drummers, and dancers, and singers, and two guys acting out a battle or something behind us.
Then come the Zulu dancers, which are my favorite. They are so athletic and powerful. I love watching them. As the evening winds down, they get passengers to come up and dance – the Rabbi being one of the better and more energetic dancers!
And with that the show ends, and while we wait for our bus to be called, Captain Antonio and Emily entertain us with their own singing and dancing. Totally fun. Definitely preferable to last week’s performance!
Once back on the bus, guess what? It’s Load Shedding! The streets are pitch dark, you can barely see with the bus headlights. But fortunately, it is a quick trip back to the ship, and then a night cap and off to bed for us.
Andiamo 