Kalagadi - November 2016

Long before we set off we started planning this trip. This is just mentioned because it is unusual.

We knew it would be hot but we have been to the Kalagadi Transfrontier Park at this time of the year before.

This time we were taking friends who had not been there before.

We planned to stop over at Red Sands just past Kuruman on the first day. On arrival I arranged our chairs so we could observe our friends setting up their new tent for the first time where it was going to be used in earnest. I managed to get private campsites with their own bathrooms and kitchenettes. This was not a wonderful move as our site had the only working electrical plug for the vehicles fridges and in addition our shower was a failure. (We have used the communal showers and they have always worked well.) The meal however was fine as it always is there. Sylvia heard banging throughout the night and I found the problem on the way to the office the next morning - it was an unlatched door which banged away in the breeze. I can not help thinking that when the owners are away somehow things seem to slip. They do. That is my considered opinion.

We passed through Van Zylsrus where we had something light to eat and drink. The hotel is worth visiting.

On arrival at Askham it was discovered that our friends had got a puncture. Quite adventurous in the heat as there is not an oversupply of sophisticated tools in these small towns. The puncture was repaired after some considerable time and we went on to Twee Rivieren where we arrived far later than my predicted time. Sylvia and I setting up our new tent was a comical exhibition of note. What we had learned at home on our practice erection meant absolutely nothing and with much under the breath swearing and tugging eventually after a few retries the tent was up. The first things to go into the tent were our table and ice making machine. Thereafter we filled the outside with various camping equipment items ditched from both our vehicles.

Our friends served gin and tonic which I became partial to on this trip. (This is just an aside in case I need to remember when this bingeing started.)

On the first day of driving we went in our friends double cab and this saved me a fortune in petrol. Soon our friend became afflicted with a stomach bug and we set off without them.

It was very warm - in fact hot. So hot that the wheel balances stuck on the inside of the spare wheels fell off. I know this because I found them lying on the rear bumper and then felt the remaining balances and they were loose. I have no idea what happened to the balances on the wheels on the ground.

We spent four nights at Twee Rivieren and two nights at Kalahari Tented camp when out friend who was suffering from an upset stomach was too ill to continue the trip so we returned home.

This time we saw lions and cheetah which is always a thrill.

When we reached Upington our friend went into the Medi-Clinic where he received drips and treatment. They decided to stay in a lodge. We decided to visit Kanon Eiland again (we had been there before)m with the intention of finding the raved about camp site we had heard about. The first camp site is not a raving camp site but the one much further on was lovely. A packet of free ice was thrown into the discount and we spent a lovely night there.

The next morning when I looked at my messages on the phone I saw that our friends had already sped off . (Many of of the friends who know us well would understand this.) We caught up with them jsut afer Sannieshof on the way to Coligny where they had taken a wrong turn. Later that afternoon we arrived home.

I have been lazy and not really worked on the pictures we took. There are still some which should have been removed but this time I have speeded up the display and transition times. However the relevance is lost if too much time elapses before the pictures are posted.

With no apologies as the pictures are really just for us to remember what we got up to and saw I append the YouTube link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOw1DENC1sQ&feature=youtu.be