On the coach by 5.45am with breakfast bag we can't eat until 9am. Fortunately tea and a S African rusk which is a rock like biscuit that must be dunked were provided before we left.
15 min. Drive to the park gates where we climbed into Toyota vehicles-and I do mean climb up a ladder attached to the side-which had raised roofs, no sides and held eight.
Fortunately we had been warned to dress warmly but even with every available item of clothing on plus provided ponchos it was a cold wet day with intermittent heavy rain.
However worth it for the game that we saw. Lions, elephants,buffalo,rhino, giraffe, cheetah, hyena, hippo, crocodile , kudu , eland, water buck, monkeys, baboons, variously antelopes and some amazing birds including cranes and vultures as well as masses of the brightly coloured cape starlings. My favourite was a 140 year old tortoise that we waited for to cross the road!!
We nearly saw a leopard- rare during day light , as we found his larder with an impala up a tree and waited for him to return but he didn't oblige.
All in all a fascinating day tho we didn't see as much game as in Kenya years ago.
Back to the hotel to thaw out. Brandy and coffee followed by hot shower!!
Evening entertainment by local tribe with dinner by the river, fortunately undercover. It's still raining!! Early night and bit of a lie in. Sadly bush walk cancelled for tomorrow due to weather.