Jurassic Parkrun

No pics - poor wifi - will add later - now added - still poor wifi so limited choices

(Lloyd)

Fantastic sleep with a nights worth to be made back, and 6am alarm call (5 in UK) for ourselves to ready for international parkrun.  Strolled down to Hobie Beach where the masses assembled in the increasing heat for an 8am start.  A respectable time, but big numbers meant 30-60 seconds getting over start line, and lots of friendly locals meant chatting which also tends not to be something that happens when running flat out.  3k run on the lovely beach, with the Indian Ocean lapping at our feet will live long in the memory, as did the interest of the locals, and met a chap who is well on the way to running all 136 South African parkruns, 23 may not be so hard after all!!

Well earned breakfast of eggs benedict back in our fantastic lodge and then showered before the next part of the adventure.  The amount of security, even around a drop in to a supermarket, makes even shopping an adventure. And the highways can be quite intimidating, not so much the drivers, but the amount of people beckoning you to stop and help on the sides.  After 60k we turned right and did 13-15k across a gravel track, surrounded by mist and mountains. Baboons were sighted other animals crossed our mind, as did the fact we saw only one other vehicle in our 40 minute run.  Crossing a gate 2k outside our lodge thoughts turned to how it all started with oohs, and aahs, but soon there may be screaming and shouting.  If a T Rex had crossed our path I would not have been surprised.

As it turned out we saw nothing more than a few hikers and were soon in our next lodge, the Zebra room a better option than some of the huts that also form part of the Addo Bush Palace.  Took a walk up to a nearby vantage point, seeing not a great deal of wildlife, but the imagination suggested a lot more.  Massive beetles everywhere, trust they don’t feel the need to visit our lodge later.  In the main dining area we could pick up wifi which we did, although very intermittent, and so other entertainment sourced.  And then suddenly we didn’t feel so far away from home as Premier League football surfaced on the box, so watching the Swans lose to Man Utd meant Saturday afternoon took on a very familiar feel.  Not much animal from the Swans though and now looking forward to seeing what food is offered up for evening meal.  Not exactly in a position to pop out to the shops now darkness has fallen, so we will take what we are given.

(Carys)

Our day began earlier than I would have preferred, but had a good night of sleep anyway. We set off along Hobie beach to try to find the start of our parkrun, regretting not wearing sun cream as we felt the sun burning down on us. However, by there the end of the run the cream would have been dripping off us profusely and we were not massively sun burnt anyway.

The run was tough, but enjoyable. Most of it was along the beach by the ocean; a lovely sight to witness. I took to stepping on the wetter sand, as that was smoother and easier to run on. When I had finished I almost passed out from the heat. We rushed back to our accommodation to enjoy a tasty breakfast – I also had eggs benedict – though I could not finish it. After a quick shower and visit to the local supermarket (Pick’ N’Pay) we were back on the road.

On our travels, I was delighted to see small monkeys, hogs, baboons and even giraffes! The scenery was beautiful, as was the view from our lodge when we reached it. It took us about 12km to get there once we left the main road. Once we arrived, we had some snacks, looked around and went for a short walk. We looked at many animal tracks, wondering what creatures could have left them. We also saw a few suspicious-looking holes in the ground. Could there be snakes or spiders lurking within its depths?

We returned in time for the football match on the reception TV, and found a nice sofa to settle in. Now I’m waiting to find out what’s for dinner, and it truly smells delicious.

                                                    Indian  Ocean over there

Entering the Lost World

Addo Bush Palace

Baboons

Explorers