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Post by nycgirl on Apr 28, 2016 21:01:43 GMT
I'm sorry to report that our vacation to Cambodia that my husband and I had eagerly planned and looked forward to did not happen. To make a long story short, the airline completely cancelled our flight without giving us any notice at all. But we decided to make the best of things and booked a flight to South Africa instead! We got the tickets only hours before departure so we had very little time to plan, but it worked out well. We're having an amazing time.
We've been here four days, we have three more left. It'll be awhile before I can post some pictures but so far we've seen:
11 rhinos 2 leopard 2 cheetah 3 hyenas 3 lion sightings 2 wild dog sightings Lots of elephants, giraffes, zebras, etc.
The NYC baby is doing great. Looking forward to telling you about it!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2016 21:03:15 GMT
Are you using the baby as bait to attract the animals?
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 28, 2016 22:12:25 GMT
Geeeeeez ~ pay no attention to that frog behind the curtain!
NYCGirl, that is an amazing story! Were you already packed for Cambodia? How the heck did you make up your minds, snag the new tickets, and make the flight so quickly?
Absolutely thrilled for you, NYCBoy, and Little Miss NYC.
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Post by htmb on Apr 29, 2016 0:03:46 GMT
So sorry to hear you didn't make it to Cambodia, but it's very impressive that you were able to pull off a different trip with such short notice. I hope the rest of the trip goes just as well as the first part.
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Post by mossie on Apr 29, 2016 11:04:27 GMT
Well done for turning what must have been a great dissappointment into another trip of a lifetime.
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Post by tod2 on Apr 30, 2016 6:38:04 GMT
Nycgirl - You can't leave now....we will be in Kruger on Tuesday! You have given me some encouragement that despite the awful drought, the animals are showing off in various places YAY! Leave me a note will ya?! We are staying at Malelane camp and Croc Bridge. Keeping to the lower end of the park.
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Post by tod2 on May 1, 2016 15:11:36 GMT
We are all packed, car semi-loaded with food & drink, the freezer stuff will get loaded at 4am just prior to setting off. I am so sorry our trip does not coincide with NCYGirl & Family! We travel most of the way and sleep the night in Nelspruit tomorrow - It's about an hour away from the Malelane Gate. This gives us almost a whole day in the park before we have to check in at camp by 6pm. I am hoping NCYGirl's siting of Wild Dogs was near Bergendaal Camp. I'm sure The Lions Of Crocodile Bridge will still be there lazing in the sun around the dam wall.
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Post by lugg on May 1, 2016 16:38:15 GMT
Looking forward to seeing lots of photos from both of you. So sorry to read that Nycgirl but sometimes things happen for a reason and I am in awe of you for arranging another trip at such short notice with a baby .
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Post by nycgirl on May 3, 2016 13:41:49 GMT
Oh no, Tod! We just left Monday morning. So close and yet so far. I would have loved to meet up with you. Hopefully next time.
I left you a couple of notes, one in the Nthandanyathi hide (behind the "Keep Silent" sign) and one in the Gardenia hide (behind one of the bird signs). I hope you find them and get some good sightings.
We got a great sighting of wild dogs near Orpen on the S-106. They were camped out so we got to hang out with them for a long while.
Bixa, it was stressful but my husband spotted decently priced tickets to Jburg that night and he spent hours scrambling to get accommodations. He had a hard time getting something for Saturday and kept checking during the trip, finally snagging a cancellation only a couple of days beforehand. We were lucky it worked out. Having been to Kruger once before helped.
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Post by nycboy on May 4, 2016 13:18:13 GMT
We are all packed, car semi-loaded with food & drink, the freezer stuff will get loaded at 4am just prior to setting off. I am so sorry our trip does not coincide with NCYGirl & Family! We travel most of the way and sleep the night in Nelspruit tomorrow - It's about an hour away from the Malelane Gate. This gives us almost a whole day in the park before we have to check in at camp by 6pm. I am hoping NCYGirl's siting of Wild Dogs was near Bergendaal Camp. I'm sure The Lions Of Crocodile Bridge will still be there lazing in the sun around the dam wall. First off, thanks everyone for the kind words. tod, we did see a family of wild dogs sleeping under a tree on the S25 on our way from Malelane to Crocodile Bridge. I also was told about a family of wild dogs near Bergendaal but we didn't have luck finding them. Btw, our first cheetah sighting was between the Gardenia Hide and the S25. He meandered across the road in front of us and made his way down to the dry river bed. The S1 was also noteworthy for it's leopard sightings, two of our own and a bunch on the various boards and apps. Best of luck!
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Post by bixaorellana on May 4, 2016 15:34:03 GMT
Is NYCTot clamoring for a pet now? I am sure everyone is as blown away as I am over how intrepid you all are. Congratulations on seizing the day and on not deferring travel until some distant date of imaginary perfection.
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Post by tod2 on May 13, 2016 16:24:10 GMT
We arrived home yesterday after spending the night in Richards Bay after travelling through Swaziland. It has been many years since last in this coastal town and we were impressed at the cleanliness everywhere. Kruger treated us well - we saw The Big Five all in one day - the day we drove through the gates! This in itself relieves the anxious hunt to see a lion or leopard. Elephants and rhinos are frequent but the cats are very elusive. Althought having bagged the lot in one day this is not our purpose of visiting the park. We would much rather be surprised by a cheetah ( and were), wild or now known as Painted Dogs, a fierce hippo tussle and something extremely hard to find and extremely small - I'm talking as teeny as a shrew or a Dormouse - or any rodent that can fit into the palm of your hand. This tiny creature was my absolute obsession to see. The hut we booked was the closest we could get to where it was holed up. It was only on the very last night I saw it 'live'. Mr.Todd managed to photograph it the previous night but I took a LOT of photos from my advantage point the very next night. This creature is called a Nagaapie or Little Night Monkey or also know as a Bush Baby.
I cannot wait to see NYCgirl's photos! She was so lucky with her sitings.-
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Post by questa on May 14, 2016 9:35:42 GMT
I am in awe of NYCFamily for their chutzpah in a total reorganisation of their trip at the last moment. Most folk would have stormed around cussing airlines and wasting time and energy. You two changed a disappointment into a terrific animal-filled adventure. Cambodia will wait, most of the sites to see there are 1000 years old and ain't goin' nowhere soon. The African beasts on the other hand are another story.
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