Elephunk - Where is the love?

We can forget multimedia footage at the moment, even in our urban accommodation the wifi not coping with those kind of uploads.


(Carys)

Picking up where I left of yesterday, with eating, one of my favorite things. We ate a meal of sausage, steak, potato salad, homemade bread and for dessert - pancakes. All of which were utterly delicious and unexpected. I quite enjoyed having my meal already picked for me. After that we enjoyed traditional African singing and dancing from the people who worked at Addo Palace. It was a great way to get into the spirit of the culture, and end the night. We went to be shortly after.

Yet another full night of sleep, and a quick shower in the morning before breakfast; scrambled eggs with bacon, toast and sausage. Again, all quite tasty. We set off early, and were waved goodbye with more African singing. We led the track back to the main road and drove for about half an hour when we reached Addo National Elephant Park. We decided because our tour wasn't till later, to have a little explore in our car  and try to spot some animals.

We firstly sighted a Black-backed Jackal, looking a lot like small travelling alone the grassy land. We also saw a Kudu, dung beetle,warthog, zebras and elephants as we drove along. We then returned for our guided tour, and spotted many of these animals once again, but closer-up. The zebras were breathtakingly beautiful, as were the Eland and Red Hartebeast - two types of lovely deer.

Then we saw the main attraction - elephants. Loads of them gathered around a waterhole. We saw them all over the place, more than we'd seen earlier. They were so large; so peaceful. They'd trod carefully around the place. I was a little disappointed to not see any lions but enjoyed myself thoroughly anyway.

We then left the lovely park and drove fro about an hour and a half.  Along the drive, we saw a large township called Motherwell. It was quite sad to see the amount of poverty these people suffer with and I wrote a bit about it. That may appear in a later blog. We theen reacheed Jeffreyds Bay and checked in at our B&B. The room wass gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as the viewq. nbWe were high up, and had aclear view of the ocean - known as one of the best sufring beaches in the world.

We drove to a mall and ordered a selection of pizzas - that turned out to be square - to takeaway from a shop called Nina's. We also bought a few snacky things in a small supermarket to bring back as well. We returned to our room and ate the pizzas and other food as we looked over the beautiful view oin the balcony. The food was great, and soon after we went to bed.

sausages

dancing and singing

daybreak in the misty mountains

bath time

super imposed ranger, not

(Lloyd)

Beautiful start to the day, gorillas in the mist type scenery, no gorillas, or even baboons today.  But quite a lot of elephants.  Bumped and grooved in the style of the black eyed peas back to the main highway and found our way to Addo Elephant Park.  The clue is in the title I guess; a last nod to our hosts at the Addo Bush Palace, a chance to really get away from it all (apart from the Premier League) well worth doing if you have the means to get out of Port Elizabeth.  Very much looked after, as Carys mentioned above; apparently they mainly get Germans, and now the welsh germans (eh Tom?)


The drive to the park not too arduous, a few zebras to keep us occupied, and seemed to be racing a freight train for a good chunk of the route.  The park itself massive, we made our first error of the trip by paying park entrance fee and the tour. So in effect doubling up, and not having time to make the most of it.  One or the other with the time we had would have been the sensible choice.  The self drive stuff was fun but being the driver meant keeping more of an eye on fellow excited drivers stopping suddenly, reversing etc And trying not to make any similar sudden movements myself.

The ranger tour much better, wasn't Biggins, but you can't have it all.  Good look around the park, on and off road, and elephants everywhere, mingling in with us at water holes.  Real wisdom in those eyes, reckon they could tell a tale or two, mainly about idiot drivers I would imagine.  Seriously though, were magnificent beasts, and the camera clicks were going ten to the dozen.

Needed to get on the road to our next port of call, taking an unexpected trip through the township of Motherwell. Suddenly the guilt of moaning about making first world mistakes on paying double of the elephants kicked in. The deprivation, the squalor, and a slight sense of panic were all feelings as we drove through, pleased that most of the traffic lights were on green, Such a country of contrasts, from beautiful animals, landscapes, to millions with nothing in a matter of moments.  Sense the elephants probably in a better state of health and housing.

Reflection continued all the way to Jeffreys Bay, which is the first built up (albeit coastal) part of South Africa we have arrived at that is not all gated communities and people hanging around at major junctions. In fact this could be the east coast of Australia.

build them up in black and white (swans reference)

where you going?

oh coming to say hello?

poverty