Back home in the Charente, the weather is dismal. The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 18⁰C, minimum 12⁰C. 23 km/h North/West winds. 90% chance of rain. It has been raining on and off most of the day, and the stone house feels very cold.
I am still trying to catch up in the garden, but the rain is now not helping as it is too wet to work outside, and the grass is growing too fast again. The mower has been in for repairs for over two weeks now, and we have not heard anything. The strimmer is hard work over a big area.
I thought you might be interested to see some of the countryside we drove through when driving between Umkumbe Safari Lodge and Kruger National Park.
The local barbershop. This one looks quite upmarket!
And yet another one, they must be busy!
You need to keep a careful watch of the road ahead, as cattle and goats are a big hazard.
Khula Supermarket- well fenced!
Mashona Supermarket.
Mtimba Primary School off to the left of the photo. Not the metal stalls selling goods!
Numbi Cross Supermarket....
And this appears to be the Numbi family supermarket!
 |
| and yet another supermarket, also a bit more upmarket. Interesting countryside! Returning to Kruger Park.... |
Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula).
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius capensis). During the day, they are mostly submerged in the water as the sun burns them easily. They only come out of the water to graze at night, so this was a rare shot in the middle of the day.
Young elephants. African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta Africana).
Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). They are also Primates as we are!
Tree Squirrel or Smith's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi).
African Hoopoe (Upupa epops africana).
Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis)...
As above. You can tell if a giraffe is male or female by looking at the horns. Both male and female giraffes have horns, but the tops of the horns on males are almost always bald, while females' horns are completely covered with hair. My guess is that these are both females.
Southern red-billed hornbill (Tockus rufirostris) with its lunch, which might be a locust.
Elephants see above, youngsters having fun in the river...
As above.
More photos yet to go, but also I am still very busy trying to catch up here with both garden and house, besides the normal household chores and cooking.
Hello Diane,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great and impressive pictures.
Amazing that location and all animals. This is fantastic. So very nice.
Many greetings,
Marco
Thanks so much Marco. We had an amazing holiday, and it was great to see so much despite all the long grass because of all the rain. Greetings to you also. Diane
DeleteDwarf Mongooses are so adorable! The elephants were sure having a fun time in water. Happy Spring, Diane.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angie, the mongooses are so cute I could have watched them for hours. The baby elephants were also so easy to watch for ages, they are quite funny when in water and playing. Cheers Diane
DeleteNice to see all the lovely photos. I hope the rain will let up soon long enough to let you get the planting done. I'm always racing to plant in April at the community plot because in order to keep the plot we must have it planted by the end of April. I find it's usually raining and sometimes it rains a lot. Take care.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a strange year weather wise. Not only here, but in Africa as well. Half of Kruger Park had problems, and many campsites were closed due to flooding before we went. Since we arrived back home, one of the bridges going to a camp we stayed in has also been washed away! As I type this it is raining here still. I have so much catching up to do!! Take care, cheers Diane
DeleteThose giraffes are just like humans, Diane, the females have hair, the males not so much! I am sure you stopped at those upscale supermarkets to replenish your stock of caviar and grilled artichoke hearts, stuff like that! After all, one has to maintain one’s standards. You’ll probably be having lunch and hob-nobbling with the mayor anyway! Keep attacking those weeds. Hard work and a stiff back are the only answer! Veey best wishes - David
ReplyDeleteHa ha, shopping at supermarkets was not on our list as we mostly ate at the restaurants in the camps. The ones that did not have restaurants, we just had a big muesli breakfast. We were eating too much anyway. Funny you should say about the mayor. He had his free pensioners luncheon last weekend. It was as always well attended. Great food and no shortage of the bottled stuff :-) Still so much work in the garden to do, but I guess I will get there eventually despite the weather. Bisous mon ami, Diane
DeleteI love seeing all the supermarket photos, along with the amazing animal photos. What an adventurous life you lead, Diane!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam. Although I live happily in France now, my heart remains in Southern Africa and it is like returning home. We also have so many friends there. Keep well, Diane
DeleteDear Diane, your photos are absolutely stunning and captivating! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure!
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda, your kind comments are always welcome. I hope all is well Diane.
DeleteThe animal shots are amazing and the other photos give us a good idea of the communities. The elephants don't have tusks. Have they been removed to stop poachers ?
ReplyDeleteThese are all youngsters though the bigger one may well have small tusks, they only start growing at two years old. Having said that there are a lot of elephants that do not grow tusks. There are many of them in Addo National Park. The phenomenon of tuskless elephants in Addo is a direct result of a history marred by relentless hunting and poaching. During the early 20th century, elephants in the region were hunted for their ivory, leading to a drastic decline in their numbers. They do not de tusk elephants, but the do remove rhino horns to try and save them. Their numbers have dwindled so much it is scary. The horns regrow, so they do it every 18 months. Sad as it means tranquilizing them with darts every time. Hope all is well, t'other Diane
DeleteI just looked again at the front one in the water, look carefully and it has tusks going down into the water.
DeleteSupermarkets and barbers don't seem to be doing much business! Nature in South Africa is fascinating; it's truly an animal paradise. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
ReplyDeleteI agree these country places do not look busy, but I guess if they stay open they must do some business! Wild life in Africa is very special I hope the poachers do not win! Cheers Diane
DeleteMe alegra saber de ti, me gustan todas las fotografías que nos traes. Te dejo un abrazo.
ReplyDeleteHola, Teresa. Gracias por tu amable comentario. Siempre se agradece. Un abrazo, Diane.
Delete