BUSY BUSY BUSY TIME

Nossob Camp - Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

I was preparing to go away, went away, got back and its was hectic. Not being a very organised person of late, going away is quite an effort. As we have pets, a garden and with security always a concern, we get housesitters in when we're away. I was spoilt and had domestic assistance three times a week for years. But when I was forced to retire, Jane retired as well. I now do all the household chores, let me rephrase, I don't do them all when I should and droll ones not at all. Hence, when we go away, it's like having to spring clean. This time we went to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, so packing was also a job, as we were camping.

The Kgalagadi was worth the work. It took has two days to get to the Nossob Camp. We arrived at about 15h00 on the second day.



Our accommodation

Rich got stretches and mattresses from the family for his 60th. Before anyone thinks this is a strange gift, don't. It was a request. Rich has had an op on his knees and getting up from a mattress on the floor is not as easy as it used to be. The stretches were absolute luxury.

Camp cooking

When I go away, no matter how many lists I make, I always leave something behind. I have a pair of pants that require a much thinner belt than the one I usually wear. I tried to wear the pants without the belt. All's well when I sitting down, but walk anywhere and the pants fall down. I resorted to keeping my pants up with nylon cord, that Rich secures things with. I wasn't allowed to cut the rope. Rich couldn't resist taking a pic of me crossing the camp in my classy pants.

This was a very peaceful getaway. There was no 3G reception at all. Not getting regular reports from home really allowed us to just relax.

Rich and I were last at this national park 36 years ago. Incredible isn't it. We came to what was then known as the Kalahari Gemsbok Park in 1976. We managed to get to the first camp, Tweerivieren in our Fleetline Kombi. They'd had floods in the park, the main road through the park is in the river bed. So, with our not having a four wheel drive vehicle, we had to turn around and go home. It was great to eventually get there and obviously the roads to the park had much improved.

Me with my classy belt

Some of the smaller Sociable Weaver nests

Pale Chamting Goshawk



Part of a Pride of Lions


No rain at the park this time. We're told it was not as hot as it usually is and we had quite a bit of wind. Even a bit of a sand storm one day. We went to a nearby hide in the early morning and spent the rest of the day in camp trying to hide from the wind. We'd had sparkling wine to celebrate our getting to the Kalahari at last, hence the goofy smiles.

Only when one gets home, do you realize how incredible these wild places are. The lions roared every night, so close they could have been in the camp with us. There were Black Backed Jackals in the camp every night and we had regular visits in the day from a African Wild Cat, as well as the pestiest Ground Squirrel. The electricity generators get switched off at 20h30 every night and the stars in the sky are incredible.

Mommy Ground Squirrel, we named her Madam. Here she's in the front section of our tent.