A fascinating trip to Kruger National Park
- Bob Hanna: Someday
- June 16, 2021
- 715
Hey y’all from Sanctuary Hill. It’s hard to believe we have been in Kentucky for 10 months. Still getting acquainted with the people and the territory. For those who have not moved to a completely different area, think about it — finding a new bank, church, mechanic, grocery store, doctors, well, you get the idea.
As we return to our African adventures, we are on our way to Kruger National Park. Even though we are both still pretty weary from our long flights, I don’t want to miss a thing, but we did catch a nap or two.
I noticed in the morning a lot of the locals walking along the road. Pete said most of them are on their way to work. Coal mining is a big enterprise in that area, and they go to work carrying their food and some clothing as they stay in the “barracks” for the week.
“But why are they walking?” I asked. Pete said that during the recent uprising against the government’s political agenda, the people set fire to the buses they normally ride and the government said they wouldn’t replace them — kind of like shooting yourself in the foot.
They do have a fleet of vans they can pay just a couple dollars (rand) to ride to work, but there aren’t near enough of them.
We stopped for brunch at a restaurant that had a fenced-in area where they had Cape buffalo, gemsbok, et cetera, but off to the side I saw a huge sable male. That just kind of set our minds on track to the reality we were back in Africa.
We got to Kruger later that afternoon. I had not researched Kruger Park enough to know what to expect. Kruger National Park was established by the South African government in 1898 and became its first national park in 1926. It covers 7,523 square miles and is visited annually by more than 1.5 million people.
The park hosts 147 species of mammals and over 500 species of birds. There is an army of 650 anti-poaching soldiers, as well as many other organizations that assist in keeping the animals and visitors safe. They recommend five days to see the majority of Kruger Park, but we only had two.
You can hire a private guide to assist you, but as it turns out, we had one of the best guides around, Uncle Pete.
One thing that really made our visit memorable was not only did Pete know a lot about the animals, but also his crazy sense of humor is close to mine. All Taryn could do was roll her eyes and laugh.
The first afternoon was hot, and we only got to see hippo, impala, kudu and zebra. I asked Pete if he forgot to email the elephants to let them know we were coming. We did see many elephants over the next couple of days.
That particular weekend was a holiday in South Africa honoring Nelson Mandela, so Kuvhima had a room booked for us at the Umbhaba Eco Lodge just outside the park. This, in itself, was a paradise — very beautiful accommodations with a beautiful pond that came right up to our private deck — and the food was awesome. I found a new favorite drink, guava juice (not the YouTuber).
The next day was Tuesday, and I lost track of all the different animals we saw. Instead of being at a zoo, it felt like we were the ones inside a cage (van) and they were all free. One rule was that we had to keep our doors closed and windows up. The monkeys have been known to jump inside a vehicle and steal whatever they can get. Absolutely no getting out of the vehicle, especially near the river, as the crocodiles hide in the brush and you are a meal to them.
Someday (just like the philosophy) soon I plan on writing a book about our adventures and how God has greatly blessed us. Just take a moment and think of how he has blessed you. If you can’t think of anything, now is the time to get to know God better. Simply ask him into your life to provide sanctuary.
Bless y’all.