Lockdown Day 225 to Day 227 - Friday 6 November to Sunday 8 November

A weekend at the farm to unpack, reorganise and repack the Cruiser for a few more months of living on the road. We are traveling a bit lighter this time, which is good. I also got the chance to tackle my project of digitising all our old photos. The first step is to remove them from the albums, transfer the comments and dates onto the back of the pics and store them in ziplock bags.I have only done a few hundred photos which are with me now. You will surely see a few of these as I get them done. 

Pam, Richard and Ann were also at the farm and it was lovely to see them after so long. It felt so normal to braai, chill and kuier on the farm.

When will we be able to have a big party at the farm again? Hopefully by March/ April of 2021?🤞

Lockdown Day 222 to 224 - Tuesday 3 November to Thursday 5 November

Some people have asked me why I'm still doing Lockdown posts while gadding about. South Africa is still in Lockdown Level 1. Life is still very much restricted. Up until now we have chosen to stay predominantly in Limpopo province and in remote places and only in self catering accommodation. We choose outdoor restaurants and off peak shopping times.

We haven't been on a plane or to a pub or gathering of any kind since 19 March. We have stayed together with small groups of friends for days at a time and it has been so lovely to feel the normality of cooking together, enjoying wine together, braaing together and camping together.  Being in the bush and in Kruger Park has been fantastic and we are planning to continue living like this for a few more months. We have to. We just spent 2 days in Joburg to visit family; keeping our distance and wearing masks indoors. Yes, life is still very much locked down but we are trying to make the best of it!

Some random thoughts I've been sent lately...

Lockdown Day 221 - Monday 2 November

I just had to post today because on this day one year ago the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup 2019. We are the reigning champions!

 We were in Phuket. We had just been in Japan. Life was bloody awesome! I glanced through my 2019 calendar and I really can't believe how full it was and how many places I went to and how many people I partied with. I want my life back. My exciting, fun-filled, carefree, travelling life back. This is who I am. It's me. I am your fairweather party-planning friend. I am not your crisis go-to girl. That's someone else's calling. I was happy being me. Very happy. Now what? Can the crisis go-to girl in the group please help?

We drove through to Dullstroom. Limpopo province is so green. ( Remember that rain we camped in a month ago?)

The farm is quiet and I am trying to get my admin and planning up to date.

Planning keeps me sane. And cooking. And planning what to cook.

Kruger National Park : Pafuri and Mopani : Lockdown Day 216 to 220 - Wednesday 28 October to Sunday 1 November

We are back in the Kruger Park for a few days. In at Phalaborwe gate and up to Pafuri Border Camp; we  stayed at the Doctor's Cottage again. It was hot but the pool was a real godsend. We did an evening game drive with Carel, the wonderful guide and camp manager at Pafuri.

We had a wonderful sighting of the Pels Fishing Owl. The picture is Jane's.

We were also lucky to spot greater and lesser bush baby, quite a few genets, hyena and a mother jackal with four young cubs. In the morning we also did a walk up to the Thulamela ruins; linked in history to the Great Zimbabwe and Mapangupwe settlements spanning 400 years from the 1300s to the 1600s. 

Then we travelled down to Mopani Camp for a few more nights. It was actually good to get a day or two to chill without an agenda.

The elephant picture shows the whole family sleeping; bums together and eyes closed. Elephants usually sleep standing up and only for a total of two hours a night.

Sunday we stayed overnight in the Shipandani Hide with Johan and Ronell. It's a great experience. You arrive at 6 pm. Bedding, crockery, lamps and water have been delivered for you.There's a boma and braai area. After dinner, inside the hide you fold the beds down onto the benches, make them up and sleep dormatory style inside the hide right next to the river. It was a little windy which kept mosquitoes at bay but the hippos, elephants and various birds disturbed our sleep with all their noises. You have to be up at 5am to pack up the beds before day visitors arrive to use the hide. We enjoyed coffee in the boma before heading out.