The Wonders of South Africa

After two weeks in Bududa, Uganda, getting oriented to the school and its programs, and meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones, we headed to South Africa to meet our friend Sally and see some of her amazing country. She lives in the Eastern Cape region near the ocean in Kenton-on-Sea, an absolutely stunning coastal area on the Indian Ocean. Sally was an exchange student in 1969-1970 at David's high school in Perkasie, PA. They quickly discovered their mutual love for Jimmy Hendrix and they have been friends ever since.

Kenton-on-Sea, South Africa....Sally's home.

We spent a few days catching up on our lives....we have not seen each other since our 2004 trip to Africa....while planning and preparing for our South African journey with Sally. On Friday, October 20 hit the road. We drove all day and arrived in Underburg in the Drakensburg mountains, the highest mountain chain in SA. The bird life is delighting us and we saw Cape Weavers, Sacred Ibis, Red Bishops and Egyptian Geese there....just to name a few.

A trip up the Sani Pass into the Kingdom of Lesotho, a remote mountain top country in the middle of South Africa, was breathtaking. The road up the pass is dirt and gravel and very tough, but Roger, our expert driver got us up and back safely....and what a trip! Beautiful vistas as we climbed from 1500 meters to 3000 meters and entered Lesotho at the top of the world. We had lunch at the highest pub in Africa...what a claim to fame!

On top of the Sani Pass in Lesotho

Sheep herdsmen of Lesotho

From the Drakensburgs we moved on to Cape Vidal along the Indian Ocean for a few days. It is a hot spot for birding along the coast. We saw the Green Twinspot, the Red-breasted Cuckoo, Cape Weaver, and Wahlberg's and Martial eagles, to name a few. We also saw a host of mammals including red duikers, oribi, kudu, nyala, black rhinos and Semango monkeys.

Cape Weaver nest building

Our travels have now taken us farther north in SA into Kruger National Park, the largest game park in the country.  It is so vast, wild and remote. We visited Kruger for the first time in 2004 with our son, Derek, who was 10 years old at the time, and we feel very lucky to be able to return. In two days we have seen elephants, white rhinos, cape buffalo, wildbeast, impala and a den of spotted hyenas....with cubs! Birds include lilac-breasted and purple rollers, white-faced vultures, hornbills (grey, yellow and red-billed) and the gray turaco. We will be in Kruger for the next 5 days.

An elephant family in Kruger

Similarities and contrasts between Uganda and South Africa are striking, and we will try and reflect more about this later on. In the meantime, enjoy these photos from this part of our trip.

More beauty from Kruger