Africa is an interesting place, there are so many things that I would have never even considered here… like a safari in a reserve that is aimed at tourists. Now that I’ve been to one, I wouldn’t imagine going without, but more on that in just a moment… let me back up to where we left off.
I did finally rouse Jen the other night, and we decided to have dinner in the room while we packed for our next adventure. From Cape Town, it was on to Port Elizabeth (known here as “PE” and pronounced “P” sometimes, which caused some confusion.) where we were to meet our next taxi driver and head onto the Kariega game reserve. The taxi to Cape Town airport began on an interesting note, and it all seems like a whirlwind now as I write this.
Upon leaving Cape Town, our taxi driver informed us that we were already in a hurry that morning because they were expecting some demonstrations on the major road to the airport. When pressed, he explained that many of the taxi drivers in Cape Town were extremely upset about a recent uptick in bus travel and availability, and were protesting by actually destroying the empty buses, setting them on fire and letting them burn. We didn’t see this, nor did we end up impacted in any tangible way, but it was quite an odd experience to realize so much unrest was underlying what is outwardly such a placid place. Cape Town seems so modern, so safe, and yet there are undercurrents (as our taxi driver put it) that require those who want to be heard to become violent to be recognized, less they be ignored altogether. While we made it out okay,and there were no injuries, transit in Cape Town will be impacted for many months. More can be read about this here:
http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/taxi-drivers-on-rampage-1.1744328
The day’s newspaper
From the taxi cab, a short plane ride dropped us in Port Elizabeth. It was, in fact, the first time in my life that I rode a prop-plane to my knowledge, and there were only four seats across the entire airplane, very odd! It was not quite a puddle-jumper, but we joked about asking the pilot once we had landed how long this flight “would have taken in a real airplane”, just to be trouble. We decided to forego this line of questioning, however, and everyone is probably better off this way!
Once we landed, we went through baggage claim and collected our things, and met our next taxi driver to our first stay in a game reserve, Ukhozi Lodge at Kariega.
For those who don’t know, Ukhozi Lodge is a game reserve lodge that specialized in tourist visits when attempting to get up close with animals you would typically see on safari, however in a more-controlled setting. I suppose one way to consider it would be to say it is like a very large zoo with few borders, where some animals are allowed to eat each other regularly. The typical life cycle here is more-respected, though there is much more kitsch and control than in a real safari. That was, at least, my first impression. I will say now I’ve got a bit more respect for the process. They claim not to track the animals, though they can if needed, and they do not cater (ever) to guest experience when trying to locate animals. That is to say, the park is hundreds of miles large and leaving the lodge you really might see animals, you might not, and you might see something completely different than what you thought you would.
Entering Ukhozi
Upon arrival, we were told by our taxi driver that they may have him drive us down, or we may take the lodge vehicle. I’ve never been so impressed by a vehicle and its capabilities. The rover is topless, with three rows of seats in the back for carrying passengers. The seats are all elevated and it is about the length of a suburban in the 80’s. It’s a modified Toyota LandCruiser, with an outstanding suspension, reinforced undercarriage… I’m told they do get stuck from time to time, but I find that very hard to believe indeed.
Our safari vehicle
We met Imogen, who would be our guide for the week. Imogen seems extremely nice and very interested in what she does. She was very quick to smile and couldn’t help but feed our enthusiasm. Also, she is from the UK, and her accent is very nice as well! She grabbed our bags, loaded the behemoth, and we took a quick drive down to our chalet.
Our safari guide, Imogen
The lodgings are, well, amazing. We are in “Chalet 4” of this particular lodge, there are more family-friendly lodges just up the road here as well though this particular branch is mean for adults and is mostly couples. We arrived just before lunchtime, and headed into the chalet to freshen up, drop off our things, and head back to lunch. The room consists of a bedroom, a sitting area indoors and outdoors, an outdoor dive pool (which is very cold, to my disappointment!), and of course a very large bathroom as well. It is quite a place!
Looking down on the wildlife areas
At lunch, we met a couple that would be accompanying us throughout our safari exhibitions, and said hello before sitting down to eat. The food was tasty, and I had a rather delicious vegetarian lasagna as part of a buffet-style arrangement where I could have picked from all sorts of things. That, coupled with some bread, and I was a happy camper. After lunch, we headed out to our first safari ride.
Ukhozi lodge sits at the top of a very large bowl of mountains, and trekking down in reminded us both of Indiana Jones. The car lurched back and forth, and the very back seat (where we sat) bounced and moved under us. It reminded me of horse rides I’ve taken, but with handles. The vehicle has no seat-belts, so you either hold on, or have a potential to fall right off. Neither of us did, but it was quite a ride! Essentially the road down is one large venture in trust with your guide. On one side, you have a steep uphill slope, on the other, a down-slope that threatens to let you continue rolling for some distance… though the underbrush would probably stop you quickly. Imogen kept us all very safe, though, and we climbed down the hill in spectacular fashion, and into the game reserve.
The gate to the Reserve
A quick turn to the right, and we were surprised by zebra, giraffe, warthog, antelope, and white and black rhino! From our vantage in the vehicle, we could even almost get them all into one shot! The park has separated the animals (for the most part, a lion still has to eat!) into a “safe” half, and the half with the lions and things like elephants that are too large for the lions to eat. For this trip we stayed in the safe half, and the animals there are very docile due to the lack of predators. Imogen had warned us not only to stay seated, but that the animals were comfortable with the size and shape of the vehicle and that noises, cat-calls, etc., could upset this balance and cause a negative reaction. With this in mind we drove and parked mere feet from the animals mentioned, and got some amazing pictures. Imogen kept us very safe, and the tour was absolutely amazing. We got back to the cabin enthused for the visit, the magic of the reserve keeping us awake and excited. The next day we were headed into the dangerous part of the park (did I mention we did actually have to sign indemnity papers?!?), and I couldn’t help but think of Jurassic Park. Jen apparently has never seen this movie, and it will be rectified once we get back!
After the game drive, it was time for dinner. After a short period of time to put away cameras, etc., we joined the rest of our safari group at the lodge, and while we had met them in the morning, we had a great time talking to one couple from the UK. We had some great conversation, and Jen and I bantered like we normally do. I’m glad they seemed to put up with us very well, and we drank late into the night. They are a lot of fun!
Late in the day at Ukhozi
Drinking led to bed time, and more to come. It is now a few days later as I am writing this, and will update with the next two days soon, the internet was present, but sketchy, in the chalet!
