no one mauled by lions!!!!!!

We survived another camping trip to Khutse(as I write this,Jacob is still there.. He stayed for an extra night).. This one was alot more relaxing for me, simply b/c I had the appropriate equipment and knew what to expect. I didn't sleep at all, not b/c I was worried for my own safety(just a little bit), but b/c I can't sleep in a sleeping bag on a stretcher that is way too small for me..
We arrived there just before sundown, set up shop and started working on dinner.
Within an hour of our arrival, someone heard some rustling in bushes near the camp... Hyenas were staking out our site and waiting for someone to drop a chicken bone.. A friend of ours got into his truck, turned on the lights and started beeping his horn. We didn't hear or see them again, but I think they came back through the camp during the night.

The sunset/moonrise and stars at night were again, unbelievable. There wasn't much activity in terms of animals during game drives, but the scenery was great.. Open spaces and blues skies. On our way out of the park yesterday we did spot a trio of lions hunting, we followed them for about 30minutes and then lost site of them.

Each night I woke up to the sound of roaring lions in the distance as well as jackals and what i thought were hyenas. Cool stuff.

Jacob introduced cornhole to his friends, went shovel boarding, hunting for wild cucumbers and osama melons. The shovelboarding is something that the families we camped with do each time they go... basically they tie a shovel to the back of a truck, have the kids sit on it and drag them through the sand.. Mind you, there are lions throughout this whole place.. I don't necessarily like the idea, but just kept a watchful eye on everyone involved..

I have video of the drive to and from Khutse, which is an experience in and of itself... You drive about 120 miles outside of the city, the tar road ends in the middle of this village named Lethlakeng at a small gas station, and from there it becomes a sandy road for another 80 miles or so.. On these roads you see young children begging for "sweets", riding their horses and donkey drawn carts, while tending to their cattle... You pass 2 small villages and that's it.. You always need to carry extra fuel with you in case you run into trouble. Fortunately, old "Babs" came through again... Several vehicles got stuck in the deep sand in the park, while my old Pajero, loaded with firewood, tents, jerry cans and accessories tackled the road with no problems.. I love that thing..

Attached are photos from the trip... Jacob shovelboarding, our friend Paul who went with us at the tropic of Cancer, mud huts on the side of the road, the last stop for fuel before heading off to Khutse, and a beautiful tree near our site. Also pictured is a posting by the parks board that is hung inside the pit latrine... You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it in order to read it...

There is nothing like camping out in these places.... It is a rush heading off into the unspoilt wild, hoping that you'll make it, never seeing a single soul the whole time you are there, and the silence....I will never forget it.... It is truly amazing.. You can sit on top of your truck, look out over a vast space and hear nothing but the wind.... all day long... but not too long because you got to watch your back..

We are still on holiday here today, not much going on.. Kate and Maura are enjoying the sunshine and bathing all of their stuffed animals, while Michelle and I do a little housekeeping and coffee drinking.
I will have some random video clips of the khutse trip up tomorrow.

All for now.