Elvira's First Hippos in the Wild!

After lunch and a little break we were off for our late morning drive!  Elvira said she had never seen hippos in the wild so she wanted to find those. So.. now, with it a lot warmer we

took off again... our party of 6 and Andrew and James.

 Each time we left the guides were adorned with ammunition
and guns... yes, real ones, not tranquilizers.  They said that if there was a situation... by the time the tranquilizer worked it would be too late.
(Remember that form we signed the first day??)
They made us very aware that we were with wild animals and usually there is nothing to fear because they know the animals and can tell when things might be dangerous... but
Better Safe that Sorry!  

Leaving the lodge on what felt like a beautiful fall day! 

Check out this horn bill posing for us. 

Looks like a fake background on a set, huh??

We only drove a short distance before we came to the river bank. And the wide mouth Crocs were waiting for us. 

We went the other way... and as we were walking the guide stopped us and made us crouch down behind the rocks..

There was one lone hippo on the banks of the river... on our side and we were only about 50 feet from him.  Of course,
i missed his picture.....

But i did get Elvira's being very excited about seeing that
hippo and all the others.  He sauntered back into the water
but never rejoined the group...

Bruce was checking them all out with the binoculars.

They were all just sticking their little heads and ears out of the water. 

They were snorting and making lots of noise.  The guide thought because the lone male
hippo was being ostracized by the others.

This was the other view from the banks of the river... 

 Did Bruce and Bob plan on wearing 
matching outfits? 

Kind of a lazy river.

 The hippos came to get a look at us..but they wouldn't cross 
"the line".
We were quite a ways from them here.

Did you know that hippos never swim?
They only walk on the bottom of the river or lake?
But apparently they can cut a good speed with their little legs
at a fast walking tempo! 

Bob catching some shade!
The sun was starting to get hot.

 
The hippos were a little anti-climactic after this morning but       
     fun none-the-less to see them in their natural habitat.

This is what we looked like in the truck..
sort of like stadium seating as it gradually
sat higher with each row of seats. 

Another 'fake looking backdrop".... behind this Roller
but it is just the soft blue South African sky.

These birds are so colorful and always extremely alert. 

 Bruce said... "Look at us"!  And he did.

This is the last animal we saw on this afternoon drive.. It is a Kudu...  It has very interesting markings and kudu also produces a delicious game steak!  Some of the best food we tasted.  NO, they don't serve up the animals from the Park....There are farms of Kudu... 
like Ostrich or Buffalo farms.   


These pictures were taken on our way back to the lodge
 where we headed to rest and shower
before dinner... Yes, it seemed we ate a LOT
at the lodge.  And every bite was terrific.

    (An aside... I think this animal looks like a mixture of zebra, camel and antelope.)

I wish I would have taken a picture of our chefs...
They were superb. I don't have any idea how to cook
anymore after eating foods like they made.
So, we're just back to the usual
meat and veggie fare.... Oh so humdrum...
but reality does have to return after a trip like this!

If it didn't --our "hippos" would
get even bigger!

All for tonight!
love,
margie