A new hope...uhm...strategy!

So there I was at the Monro waterhole at 7:25 this morning. I had even taken a look at the plains east of the Nossob to check for the cheetahs they had seen 3 days in a row. Well, I didn't. Anyway...so there I was at the Monro waterhole expecting the 3 leopards that were sighted yesterday. Another lesson learned: don't believe all that people tell you and don't expect the animal's behaviour to be forecastable. Not at all. Guess who waited at the waterhole until 10 and the only animals he spotted were those on wheels?

I gave up after I talked to a couple who has seen the lioness and the four cubs again one waterhole further south, the name of which I don't seem to be able to pronounce in Afrikaans: Houmoed. Damn, that's quite a tongue breaker. So I saw them again, took a few pictures (mum was quite grumpy), reported my sighting to a really cool South African family I had met yesterday (and who had to take off this morning to make it to Bloemfontein on time) and then went back to camp at 11 to get my tire fixed. That and even more: after some welding and getting some new screws on the shield that protects the engine my car now sounds like a tiny bulldozer. Very cool! I could now sneak up on any animal until I'm only 150 metres away and they still wouldn't know that someone's taking pictures... ;) Oh, not to forget...I almost had a roadkill on my way to the camp. A yellow mongoose. Luckily I didn't run it over and took a few cool pics instead. So in camp I also checked my tent and the other equipment cause it's eco trail's eve today! I then went to check the Twee Rivieren camp for meerkats/suricata to find none and took off at 4pm to spend some time at the Leeuwdril waterhole where a leopard was spotted in the morning. These cats usually don't roam around too much during the day so I thought I'd just give it a try. I waited till 6:10pm and all I got to see were the leopard tracks and a very shy and nervous jackal. I really had to rush back to camp and I made it just on time (6:30pm), cause the guard was about to close the gate that minute. I gave him a lift to the reception and then lit up the braai again. Chicken and baked potatoes for a change. Damn, I will miss that when I'm back.

What's quite funny is that I don't have to tell any of the officials my name anymore because they all seem to know me. Wanna know why? Because at the moment I'm apparently the only guy traveling alone in the whole park! Can you believe that? I hope they don't know my name because they pity me... ;)

Ok, so Francois, our trail-guide was here tonite to give me instructions and answer my questions. Everything seems so be ok, although I feel a bit strange because you should see the 4x4s most of the South Africans travel in. They're compartments on wheels. And in there you'll find anything you can imagine. Even a VCR and a TV. Damn! Well, at least I will be able to put some of my stuff in his electric fridge inside the car so that I'm not stuck with canned food all the time. Besides a bat is in my kitchen, carefully watching every move...

So I'll go to bed now, wanna be in shape tomorrow and drive to Monro/Houmoed before we take off at 9!

Cheers and sweet dreams everybody!

Stefan

P.S.: I have uploaded a few more pics! I will be offline now until at least August 30th. No cell signal in the bush...