21/1/2011

The dorm had a tiny bed that I couldn't even sit up in but I managed owner of the place forgot about the costs! a comfortable sleep without mosquitoes! The quotes for the safaris were like £260 for two days but I hit the jackpot. I chatted to this Dutch woman and her Canadian friends with a little girl and they let me join them!

I locked my bags up at the backpackers and hopped in with this group and went to the town of Nelspruit to exchange some of my travellers cheques. The dollar was kack but the pound was decent at about 10.92. In the queue I watched some England v Australia cricket but they were so bloody slow I was in the bank for like and hour plus!

After that, we went to a mall - how I've missed civilization! The malls are so modern and just like the ones I've seen in NZ and USA, or Merry Hill and Cribbs! We definitely need more in the UK.

I was so thankful of a Nandos. I pigged out but the Nandos here is a bit different, it's more like fast food. Still, it was awesome and I had like two meals for £8.

Then I got some bad news, the exchange places wouldn't accept my Mozam Meticals because they had too many and no-one buys them, the photo shop was charging lots to print photos and then I spent money on the internet in a café that said it would be quick for uploading photos - it wasn't! But the guy was sound and gave me a small discount.

At Pick 'n' Pay I bought myself an Iron Brew, grape soda, red liquorice laces, rum and raisin Cadburys and a big bag of cheesy Nik-Naks. All the stuff isn't the same as at home. The Iron Brew has a different taste and is black, the Nik-Naks are a different brand and the Cadbury's do all these extra flavours that we don't even get at home! Still, I was in heaven with all these goodies!

Between me, Anke, Cameron and Kelly we shared the price of loads of food including eggs, sweetcorn, salad, crisps, apples, tomatoes, cheese, dressing, tortilla wraps, cucumber and water. That worked out at just over a fiver each.

I was desperate to just get to Kruger and eventually we made our way in just after 4pm. It was an incredible couple of hours from the gates to our camp at Pretoriuskop.

At the gate, the guy ordered us not to stop and hurry up because we wouldn't get to our accommodation in time. But when you see animals, you can't not stop! Before the gates we saw a group of impala next to Crocodile River. And driving through the parks on the roads we encountered; several elephants, rhinos, hyenas with babies lying in the road, tonnes more deer including kudu, impala and springbok, mongoose and birds - all next to the roadside or on it!

The best time to see game they say is early morning or dusk and it was true!

The only problem was that you can't see far past the trees and long grass and in the summer the grass is much longer making it more difficult. Also the 4x4 we were in was only a little one so we didn't have the height to see over like some of the game trucks. But, in contrast, we had had an incredible couple of hours of wildlife spotting!

At our accommodation there were over 130 huts so you can imagine how many people must come here. Mind you, it wasn't very busy when we were there. There were deer actually grazing on the grass outside our rooms that gave me a fright as I was walking back from my shower! The complex is well spaced out and blends in even though it has a restaurant, shop and small petrol station. The park is so massive they have to have small places like this else people would be screwed! It may be a bit touristy but it was quiet and it means that you don't necessarily have to leave the park for the night to come back in. plus the gates have opening times from 6am-6pm roughly so you would miss out on morning driving.

Figuring out the costs, it tallied less than £60 each for a day in the park, a nights accommodation, plenty of fuel for Anke's car and the park's entry fees. I'd done well considering I was originally looking at forking out £250 for an experience!

Our dinner was nice with our wraps filled with salads, dressing and cheese and crisps, but I had to bloody share all me sweets with everyone! The little girl kept eating the liquorice so as soon as I got the pack, I polished them off. Lesson I had learned, do not open your favourite, well-missed foods in front of others else you'll end up giving most away before enjoying them!