Goodbye for now...

Hi all,

I hope you are well and the winter in Europe doesn't bother you too much. :)

So here I am again, back in "civilization". Joburg airport. Kinda strange, but thats just how it is. The last couple of days at Chitwa Chitwa were simply amazing, I have hardly ever met so many nice people in one place. Everyone from reception to staff to the kitchen team and the guide/tracker were just unbelievably nice and caring. Next time someone asks me for an advice regarding a great lodge in South Africa: this is what I will recommend. I have seen quite a few nice locations over the last couple of years but nothing beats Chitwa Chitwa. Besides that Johan (the ranger) and Rodney (the tracker) were really pushing it hard to track interesting and rare animals, which is why -again- I have seen far more leopards than anywhere else in South Africa. What an experience!! Loads of interesting sightings (including two magical close elephant encounters) , lots of other nice guests but also a few rather sad things like a hippo which got badly injured in a territorial fight with a dominant hippo bull and lay in a thicket during a really hot day. Which is very bad for their skin cause they are dependent from water and usually only leave it at night. We all thought he would die but it seems he made it to another water hole in the area. Yesterday we saw an old male lion lying at a water hole which was only skin and bones. He apparently looks like this for quite a while now and manages to stay alive but it's a shame to see how a once powerful animal with a decent pride will eventually die alone in the bush. Yeah, it's nature and it's good that no intervention is made but like many other guests and even the rangers/trackers it still touches me.

This morning Johan and Rodney really pushed hard to find "me" another leopard and they succeeded. A very beautiful female lying in a riverbed which we were able to adore for quite a while. After that I mistook a visit to an active hyena den for our coffee break and almost jumped out of the vehicle daydreaming, but luckily nothing happened.

Will have to check in my luggage now (after a domestic flight from 38 degree Hoedspruit to 26 degree JoBurg), so this is a new farewell to South Africa. Another great stay in Sabi Sand and a very nice cross country trip with Sandra. So I believe, that we will be back. April 2011 might not be a bad date. :)

Cheers!

Stefan

Pictures are completely updated!