Botswana Safari Part IV

Today we were visited by Horatio the Hornbill from the Lion King. Except he isn't a cool talking bird in real life but a savage little bugger who kept trying to eat my food! We continued down towards South Africa, and then BOOM! We had been shaken to pieces, our hearing permanently damaged (well lets be honest mine was hardly perfect to begin with) and maybe infertile by this point due to the corrugated roads of the Kgalagadhi NP, but the possibility of ruined bodies was overcome by our first real sightings of a family of cheetah! They were chilled to the point of smoking marijuana, and were an absolute treat to watch.

Bit of drama from Polentswa camp; may have forgotten to put the handbrake on NC Land Rover and it may possibly have very almost crashed into YYT, but it didn't so no biggie eh?! I have a new life ambition! I must must must get onto the wall of shame at Nossob Camp. Having spent the last 2 weeks breaking most of the rules of the park it seems only appropriate that we should serve our punishment. Clearly John and Nancy as ring leaders should get the longest sentences ... I mean Nancy did lick lion faeces!

For the last couple of days we drove relentlessly deep into South Africa. Hazza P Book 7 saved the day and made for a very enjoyable journey through post world cup South Africa. We never finished the book, about 2 chapters from the end and I don't think I can ever recover the tension and excitement in that car again! We finished our safariing at Pilanesburg NP in a slightly more relaxed fashion than we started. I felt a bit of a keeno with our safari-decked out Land Rovers (extra fuel, branches on top, huge bull bars, monster tyres etc) as a chubby family sped past in a Mercedes. Highlights included huge rhinos, a baby giraffe (umbilical cord still attached), and 3 lion with a meal for all meals in the shape of a dead elephant!

 Lovely last meal. Don't think I'll ever be able to forget the 'stir fry' man. Massive thanks to our TOP NOTCH guides in J and N (obviously that's John and Nancy not John and Nicky)! You guys were such fantastic company, endless knowledge and all in all great!