Africa day 11, 18th Feb

It rained during the night, and was still raining when we got up.  We packed up the wet tents and chairs, then went back to the reception to pay our bar bill.

In Kaan we tried a supermarket for more wine, then ended up in a cash and carry warehouse where the wine was stored in a small locked room by the tills.  After refuelling the cars, we set off on the drive to the Khutse national park.  This extra trip was originally proposed by Rick and Mark, but they changed their minds and went to another area just over the border in South Africa.  However Ossie and ourselves still wanted to visit Khutse, and Chris had already made a campsite reservation, so the five of us carried on.

On the road we saw a couple of dead puff adders, and a white backed vulture swopped down just in front of us.  Lots of things to avoid in the road, cattle, donkeys, ostrich, large potholes etc.  The rain has stopped but it is probably the coldest day since we arrive bed in Africa.

On the long gravel road Chris stopped and showed us dung beetles at work.  They wrap their eggs in a ball of dung, then roll the dung to a soft area and bury it.  Their activity means there are relatively few flies in Africa. After that we also have to avoids running over any dung we see!

The road changed to sand, and then we finally arrived at the gates to Khutse Park.

Chris tells us elephants have been seen in the park.  It is extremely unusual for them to travel this far south, and we actually see two at the edge of a pan on our 26km drive to our campsite.

Then we see giraffe in the same pan, travelling past a small group of hartebeest.

The rain fell heavily again, and as we drove on we saw a tawny eagle in a tree drying his wings.

Our camp site is rather nice, a long drop toilet, an area to hang a bush shower and a firepit, plus masses of ground squirrels.  It also contains a lion print, and possibly an elephant print.  There was also a large millipede making a deep hole in the sand, which she then laboriously filled in again; we can only conclude see is laying eggs.  

We get the tents up fast to dry them out, then enjoy braaied chicken breasts for dinner, washed down with wine.  More rain looked likely, so we were all in bed by 8.30pm.