The last post was written from the Cape Town South African Airlines Lounge while I was on my way to Thornybush Private Game Reserve. The flights from Cape Town to Johannesburg and Jo'burg to Hoedspruit were uneventful.
The Hoedspruit airport is part of an Air Force Base but is also in a preserve. We saw a few warthogs on our way to the parking position. After collecting my bags, it was a bone jarring drive to the Thornybush Main Lodge. I'm lucky that all my fillings are still intact.
It was a quick check-in process which included signing a waiver then lunch and off to my room. What a great suite a had with a great view. Both an indoor and an outdoor shower plus a tub.
The suite wasn't the lucky part. The lucky part is that I arrived in time to take part in the afternoon game drive which I didn't think I'd make. Upon arrival, I already had been assigned a guide, Christoff, and a tracker, Rexon. I was also introduced to the first part of my safari company. Frank and Tracey are South Africans who live in Johannesburg but also have a small farm about 40 km from the Game Reserve. It was just the three of us in a nine passenger Toyota Land Cruiser. We piled in and off we went.
The photos below represent some of what we saw that first day.
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| Elephant |
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| Wildebeest |
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| White Rhinoceros - Skin color due to rain |
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| Dwarf Mongoose |
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| Giraffe |
We had a nice leisurely stop for sundowners of gin and tonic which seemed completely appropriate for an African safari for some reason. Just as we got back into the vehicle, it started to rain. We headed back to the lodge for dinner. Frank and Tracey kindly invited me to join them for dinner and drinks (whisky for Frank, bourbon for me) after dinner. It was then off to an early bedtime because the morning drives started early....
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