Kruger Park Safari and Candlelit Boarder Crossing

I have really been looking forward to going on this wildlife safari in South Africa and it was not at all what I expected . . . it was so much better!

Kruger Park is about the size of the state of New Jersey.  When you drive up to it, there are huge fences to keep the wildlife in and poachers out.  You can pay extra to have a guide or ride in a jeep but most people just drive their own car through the park and that's what we did.  The animals are not fed by people or the park staff so that they are in their natural habitat.  There are about a dozen rest camps, blocked off by fences, throughout the park with restaurants, gas stations, and gift shops.  We stopped about every 2 hours and relaxed at a rest camp.

In Africa, there are five animals named "The Big Five" because they are the 5 most dangerous animals to hunt on foot and Kruger Park is home to all of these animals.  The big 5 includes lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo.  You're never guaranteed to see all of these or any animals at all because it's a park of animals in their natural home.  However, we got very lucky.  We saw all 5 of these animals and so many more.  Some of these animals were on the road, beside the road, or a bit of a ways off but since it's dry season and not a lot of vegetation you could see so far through the park.

The list of mammals we saw on the safari includes: lioness, elephants (way too many to count), a couple rhinos (very rare and hard to spot), a leopard (up in a tree), water Buffalo, giraffes, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, warthogs, a python (a rare sighting), a few zebras, impalas (these things are everywhere), kudu (it's like a huge antelope with curly horns), turtles, baboons, and monkeys (you have to keep your windows up or they'll try to climb in your car).  We also saw a gigantic catfish, lizard, and so many beautiful birds.

We took so many pictures that it's impossible to post all of them so we picked our favorites.

Hippos and Crocodiles

Kudu

 

This picture was taken at the rest camp we ate at for lunch.  A huge herd of elephants came up the river, crossed and began coming up the banks on our side to get to greener vegetation. 

 

Water Buffalo, one of the Big Five

On our way back home we stopped at a KFC right before the border to eat dinner.  While there the power went out which isn't unusual but it stayed out for the remainder of our meal and while crossing back into Mozambique.  When we arrived at South Africa's border patrol, they had generators on in order to process passports.  However, at Mozambique's boarder patrol they used long stemmed candles shoved into water bottles (to serve as candlestick holders).  The passport check was conducted, the car imported, and we were on our merry way.  It's so funny to see the stark differences between Mozambique and South Africa.  This border crossing is the second busiest in the world and Mozambique had to use candles during a power outage!