Yet another Shore Excursion today, our last, but nonetheless.  We debated between just hanging around Mossel Bay, hiking out to the point, then visiting the museums here or doing the game drive. The animals got the best of us!  Even though the timing is just the pits here.  We get in at 7:30 and the stupid tour doesn’t leave until 9:30.  I mean, why?  Early morning is better to see the animals, right?  And this will leave us no time to visit the town – nor will it get us back in time for lunch.  It just doesn’t make sense.  As do most of these ShoreEx timings.  What to do?

So, we have a very leisurely morning, then head down to Cabaret to wait for our tour to be called and hit the tender platform. First on the tender, great seats by the door to watch the seals frolicking in the harbor.  First off – and still we don’t have the front seat as there are people already there.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, not like we haven’t done that ourselves.  And truly we don’t care today, it’s the game drive that matters.  We have a lovely guide named Ericka, originally from Switzerland, 45 years ago!  Came here for one year, and well, you see how that went!  She gives us the background on Mossel Bay as we go – which we’ve heard previously – 70,000 population, doubles in the summer with everyone here camping at the campgrounds.  Very much a resort/vacation type place.  She explains some of the animals, things like: antelope have horns, not antlers; White rhino was so named due to confusion over translation and language, the first Dutch settlers here called it a wide-lipped rhino, but in the translation it ended up White rhino instead; The black rhino is called black simply to differentiate it from the White, the only difference being a hooked lip; both rhinos are grey. 

As we drive along, the landscape begins to change from suburban summer homes and coastal scenes  to more wide open plains and sloping mountains.  It is totally arid here – they are in a drought as well – and we even see the charred remnants of the huge fire they had here a few months ago.  Once at the gate, it doesn’t open.  We sit there for a bit while Ericka tries to call the Game Lodge phone number but it doesn’t work on her phone for some reason.  Our driver, Stephen, comes to the rescue finally reaching the Lodge and we are admitted into the property.

After a restroom stop and refreshments, we head out to the game vehicles, scoring the back seat and setting off on first.  One interesting note, Lomou is here and on the other tour bus, which we think is absolutely great. We wanted him to come with us, but we don’t know the protocol of him staying with his bus, so we settle for waving to him every time our vehicles meet and surreptiously taking this picture of him on the game jeep (he’s the one in the blue bucket hat).

Off we go, spotting Oryx, the national antelope of Namibia.  They feed on grass and can survive without water for weeks. Making them very resilient on these arid, wide open plains. 

To be honest, this reserve is like nothing we’ve seen before – way more Sahara-desert like than previous preserves, the area is vast and wide open – making it great to spot wildlife far away, and, as our guide Able tells us, helps to keeps poaching to a minimum because you can see forever and they will get caught much easier and faster.

Our next sighting are the 2 elephants of the preserve, happily munching away on the grass they have been fed. The one old male is mammoth and very territorial! Even though all these animals are fairly tame and used to the game vehicles, they are still wild animals and this guy actually charges us!  Scary!  As you can see in that video, so scary I couldn’t keep filming, but was ducking to get away from his tusks!  Either he didn’t like us getting that close while he was eating or didn’t like Able!  Don’t know which, but either way, that was really wild.  After that, they calmed down and we could stay and just watch them for a bit before racing off in search of our next sighting.

Which were White Rhinos.  A herd of 5, including a baby.  They were pretty active when we were there, first lying about, then moving toward the water hole with a bathroom stop. The interesting thing here is that they literally go to the bathroom – in the same area always.  One after the other, they come over from where they were laying to do their business in the bathroom area before heading to the water hole for their drinks.  Amazing.

There is another herd out in the distance which makes for really fabulous pictures silhouetted against the backdrop of the majestic mountains.

We loose our lead when Able goes off in search of who knows what in the middle of a thorn bush field, but double back to find the Cape buffalo down in a little ravine near the streambed.  So scary and mean – the meanest of the Big 5.

Off we go through the different landscape, up and down hills on sandy tracks, through gates, entering into different sections of the preserve until we reach the quarantine area where 3 female lions await introduction in the rest of the pride.  They have just arrived here, maybe a week or two, and are getting acclimated to their new surroundings before integration.  Very zoo-like in these pictures.

Over hill and dale we continue, through a pretty heather field and up onto a rise where the rest of the lion pride is resting under the only tree around for miles.  There is precious little shade, but it is all that have, so here they lay.  Two females and a male lounge about, occasionally lifting rolling over to show us their sleeping poses.  Alongside are 2 huge Blue Cranes, the national bird of S. Africa.  (Brave birds those!)

The lions aren’t doing much and we can barely see them, so Able pulls around to the back side of the tree and starts revving his engine.  Apparently this reminds the lions of the jeep that comes to feed them – Able says they know the sound of the jeep and come running over to the fence in anticipation of its arrival – because they perk up and lift their heads looking at us!  Yay Able!  The male even lifts his royal full mane head looking about – beautiful.  So King of Jungle-ish!  Then one of the females gets up and rubs heads with the male, like they are kissing.  A pure Kodak moment. 

Done with the lions, we head over to yet another section of the preserve (all these different sections are blocked off by different gates – making it far easier to find whatever animal you are looking for, as the guides know exactly which section holds which animals) where we find a Black Wildebeest, more commonly called a Gnu, which has been kicked out of his herd by another dominant male.  The poor ugly thing looks so lonely all by himself out there on the plains.  Poor baby.

Then, we round a corner, coming into a big Eucalyptus stand and we find the cheetah.  Yes!  She is just lounging around in the shade underneath one of the trees.  Perfectly camouflaged, her spots blending right into the sandy ground and dabbled sunlight.   So elegant and pretty.  I’d say feline, but that’s just a bad pun.

Beneath the trees, there is a rather large watering hole where 2 hippos reside – and we can catch them as they come up to breath – only those huge eyes and snout come out of the water to greet us.

On our way out of this sector, we startle a herd of springbok – the national antelope of S. Africa – and watch as they run at break neck speed away from us. Able actually tries to coral them back to the waterhole, thinking they were running because we were there, but they aren’t really cooperating, so we leave them in our wake as we are off to find the zebras.

Who, like clockwork, are grazing in a little dale right on our way out of the sector.  They just fascinate me with all their different markings and patterns.  There is a young zebra with them as well, who has some wounds on their side.  Able says it looks like he was attacked by the lions, or maybe the cheetah, but managed to escape and survive. 

Circling back to the rhino waterhole, we find the male of the group up and wandering around – and then charging us!  Yikes!  These guys must really not like Able!  LOL.  Super scary, don’t know who was scarier, the Rhino or the Elephant.  They both were pretty sobering sights as they came rushing at us.  Shiver.  Apparently the big guy finally decides he has had enough of us and lumbers away – thank you Mr. Rhino – allowing us to go on our way, heading back to the lodge, passing the elephants once again – who this time don’t charge and arriving unscathed to the Lodge for our ride back to the harbor and our tenders.

Phew.  Great drive, great experience, a little zoo-ish, but still, a wonderful time.  It was lots of fun seeing the different habitat and understanding the behaviors of all these animals we have seen previously in different environments. 

An uneventful drive back – but with great views of the bay and the ship – brings us to the tenders, the last tenders I might add!  We are really late, as in after last tender and all aboard time.  Had no idea the time – but then again, don’t need to.  That’s why we are on a shore excursion!  They have to worry and get us back – or to the next port – not us.

Back aboard, we hit the gym and freshen up, then go directly to Windows because tonight is Chef Sri’s big S. African Destination showcase and he has promised surprises.  And oh boy does he deliver!  We are the first ones up there – because we do not want to miss anything. Not that we want to eat at 6pm, but we also don’t want to miss out.  So…..5:45 we are safely ensconced on the Sunset back deck at a great table out of the sun and ready for the feast.  Oh what a feast it is; tons and tons of S. African dishes, an amazing fruit section – including freshly cut coconuts for juice (straw in the coconut and all) and the best Jackfruit (far better than last time, it has finally ripened) – with the best decorations, a fabulous dessert table with Malva pudding (yes!) and Koeksisters (those yummy deep fried S. African cakes) and Pampoenkoekie (freshly made pumpkin fritters).  Oh, so very, very good!  Excellent!!!

We just hang out in the gorgeous weather, cool breeze and enjoy the lovely evening and fantastic food.  Along the way, Rafa and Monique come up to join us and we spend another great evening together, chatting and talking and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.  Finally tearing ourselves away from our friends and the deck, we manage to make it to Jose’s last show.  He is just so talented! Gotta love his Elton John tributes.   We adore him.  Then head back to the balcony for a gorgeous full moon and lovely end to our evening.