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Hands down, one of my favorite life experiences so far was on my second trip to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The first trip I had out to the Kruger was amazing — totally surpassed anything I had ever experienced. But one thing I saw on youtube from other travelers was lucky people who had lions walk right past them while in their car. I even saw a youtube video of a lion opening one couple’s car door!

Needless to say, when I returned to the Kruger a year later, I was hoping something like this would happen. But the thing about safaris is that you can’t expect anything — expecting certain things to happen in such an uncertain place is the best way to get disappointed. I always went expecting to see very little and I was blown away with the luck I’ve had each time. This video is a great example. In one day I had two different prides of lion walk past our cars. One was our personal vehicle and the other was a proper safari tour with a guide. Watch this video (the photo is a screengrab)…

Here’s a direct link for facebookers and feedreaders :)

There is truly nothing in this world like driving in your own car and coming up on wild animals like lions. It’s something everyone should do, in my opinion. Just watching this gets me jealous of all the people out in the Kruger park today! :)

Bobby

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So this video hardly does our experience justice. I know people always say that, but I’m serious. On my last trip to South Africa, we were driving from Lower Sabie up to Olifants (a couple hour drive) and there was a stretch of road — about a quarter mile — that was packed with elephants. We figured about 60-70 of them (at least, in fact). Normally, you can drive by elephants with ease — but these elephants were running in and out of the street without warning (which is why you’ll see a few cars down the way — they got stopped by the elephants during an effort to pass). The culprits? We found out a pride of lions were in the bush making the elephants exceptionally nervous — heard them roar in the bush really close to our car.

All in all, we were there nearly an hour. Eventually there were 40 or so cars (including proper safari guides) who just had to wait. There was a small break for a moment and I went for it. But there was still a huge line in each direction as we left. The hold up made us late for our gate entry at Olifants (you have to be inside lodges promptly at sunset).

Direct link for FB and feedreaders.

Just another incredible experience that makes the Kruger park my favorite place on earth :)

Bobby

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The last days of our Africa trip! Woohoo!!! We had so many amazing experiences on this trip. I had always wanted lions to actually walk RIGHT next to my car — and it happened on this trip… TWICE! I’ve got awesome video footage of it — so I’ll share that another time ;) Anyways, here we go…

How flippin’ cute is this baby zebra?

This wildebeast was bucking like crazy.

Being close to rhino is one of my favorite experiences in the bush. They’re so much more peaceful than I imagined…

These four ground hornbills were hogging the road. It was so funny how long we had to wait :)

This was one of the lions that walked RIGHT by our car. With my window down — probably 8 feet away? Amazing.

This HUGE family of mongoose crossed the street — probably 20 of them. Then the other half was stuck on the side of the road while a truck drove by. We parked and eventually saw the other half dash across. This was the leader of the group that got left behind. It was so cute :)

This pride was the second set of lions that we saw walk right past us on the street. We drove alongside them for a good 10 minutes — with them walking as slow as it gets. It was amazing.

I wish I knew these people — it’d be a fun photo to have.

Seeing hippo at night — far away from a water source — is so incredible. They look so out of place :)

We did another morning walk at Skukuza. This might be my favorite image from the whole trip. We got on foot near two different sets of rhino with this walk — amazing.

Sunrise on the morning walk.

Our guide looking out for animals.

My parents during our breakfast break. They both loved the walks probably more than anything.

Sunrise from a lookout point that we walked to.

Here’s our trackers finding two rhinos. Amazing.

Garrett gave me a flat tire (where you step on the shoe of the person in front of you) well over ten times on the walks. And with the thorns that are out in the bush?! It’s not fun having your shoe fly off, let’s just say. I finally made him get in front of me :)

Here’s our tracker explaining how if we put this bark under our pillow, without our wives knowing, and bring it to the hospital when she delivers (and quite a bit more details that I can’t remember), we will certainly have a boy :)

Later, as we were driving back, we found a mother rhino and a baby. We were already pretty late (and we had to make our flight to Joburg later that day — which was a 6 hour drive), so the drivers asked if we wanted to chance it and track them. We couldn’t pass it up so we did. It was amazing. We got pretty close — but the moment they realized we were there? Boom! They took off! Hearing a rhino run while you’re near on foot is amazing. It sounds like so much power.

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So that was our trip in photo form! It was truly the safari of a lifetime. I really hope I have the time take a group of photographers out there in the future. I’ve been to a ton of countries all over the world and, for me, being on safari is my favorite thing to do in the whole world. It was a bucket list dream I was able to cross off last year — and then to do it again so soon?! I’m very, very lucky. Now for the next bucket list adventure — Gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda!

Bobby

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I’m almost caught up with posting the Africa trip! Woohoo!!! I’ll get right to it…

A brown snake eagle at sunrise. I absolutely love birds of prey.

One thing I loved about this trip was the amount of jackal we saw. My last trip had only one jackal. This time? We saw well over ten! And many at close distances for long periods of time. This gorgeous little Side-striped Jackal was still a bit groggy from having just woke up. Me and Garrett went out while everyone slept a bit — and our Jackal buddy was definitely made the early drive worth it!

At the lookout near Olifants. One of the few places you can get out of your vehicle. Without fail, every time I’ve gotten out at this lookout I see something. This time a herd of elephant were crossing the Olifants river. So peaceful to watch :)

Towards the end, my brother-in-law, Isaac, got behind the wheel a couple times to get the full experience :) This should give you an idea of how much we get to engage the wildlife!

Driving and then having to stop to wait for an extremely peculiar/interesting/fascinating animal like an ostrich cross? It’s so fun.

These three young siblings were out and about during our Sunset drive at Olifants later that night. So cute :)

People may say their ugly or creepy, but I love vultures.

Crossing the bridge at Olifants on our Sunset drive, this beautiful bull was taking a break for a drink. I could have watched him for hours.

Another incredible sunset while out on our sunset drive :)

On our way to a bush walk the following morning, we got up close and personal with this beautiful male lion! It’s such a special feeling — being right next to such a majestic animal. So grateful for all the lion sightings we had :)

Here’s Isaac trying to prove that if you go out on a bush walk, animals aren’t the only things that can blend in out in the wild :P

On our bush walk, we found a male Cape buffalo — the number two killer of humans in Africa (with hippo being number one). Like an idiot, I didn’t take a single photo (I had PLENTY of time). But I shot some video of him. He was steaming (it was early and cold) and looked as though he was guarding the gates of hell! It was so incredible to see. The above is a screen shot from the video.

My favorite tree out in the Kruger is hands down the Baobab trees.

Out on another sunset drive that night…

The following morning we made our way from the Olifants lodge all the way to Skukuza. We left just before Sunrise. This is just before getting to Satara (for those familiar with the Kruger)…

So far, the trip had been just about the most incredible trip we could have asked for. There were many things that I didn’t shoot at all. There were some things that I only shot video of. We had two incredible leopard sightings, for example, on the last sunset drive I posted about here — but I didn’t shoot at all for the first sighting (just wanted to take it in) and the second sighting I only shot video (which I’ll show later).

We also had Caracal, Civet, African wild cat (looks JUST like a small house cat — only Garrett saw this one. Luckily we all saw one later)… so many incredible sightings that I experienced instead of fumbling about for the right lens, getting it ready, and then the animal just disappearing after I get the shot — with no time to enjoy it for myself. I’m so glad I put the rules of “enjoyment” on myself over the rules of “get the shot!!!” I experienced so much more this time :)

Kruger, how I miss you already. Next year can’t come soon enough…

Bobby

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Traveling. I absolutely love it. One of my favorite experiences with my recent Africa trip was at the airport. We got in late and decided to sleep there until sunrise. Well… I didn’t sleep. I met some police officers.

It started with me on the internet. A white cop named Jok (sp?) approached me — asking why I was there. I explained that I was returning for the second time, adding that South Africa was my favorite country on the globe and that the Kruger Park was my heaven on earth. He then went straight for the throat. I was surprised given we weren’t talking any sort of politics (rather I was simply speaking of my love for his country), but out of nowhere he let me know that he usually doesn’t like Americans and that he definitely doesn’t like America. I’m about the last person anyone can offend, so I didn’t mind. In fact, it totally intrigued me. And as surprising as it was, it also wasn’t surprising at all. In all the traveling I’ve done, I’ve become quite accustomed to foreigners, for whatever reason, just telling me out of nowhere what is wrong with my country and why the people that live here really aren’t that special.

As time went on, I met his fellow policemen, Andre and Tshepo (pronounced “Tepp-Oh”). We sat and talked for hours. It was like 3am, but we just kept going on and on and on. I loved it. These three were fascinating. They couldn’t believe how much people in the States with minimum wage jobs were payed — I believe they said they made $18,000 a year as policemen — and then were shocked how much a 1 bedroom apartment was in California. Tshepo was almost in complete disbelief when we were speaking about hospitals (talking about cost of living — not debating health care ;). He had no idea that in America we don’t have government run hospitals. The funny thing was that they kept joking (and then insisted they were serious) about how if you want to die, just go to a government hospital. “No kidding, man…” Jok said. “If you stub your toe, go to the government hospital… boom! You’re dead.”

As time went on, I think I was winning Jok over. I mean, he had to like me a little bit considering he sat at my table first ;) I really liked him and Tshepo — but Andre… him and I just clicked. I know very little about apartheid, and for hours I was basically in a class course from two blacks and a white (who seemed to have a bit of a different take on it from the other). It was truly fascinating. But Andre… there’s a guy that could change the world if only people acted like him. No bitterness towards anyone (even though he was alive through apartheid) — just a positive guy who can’t wait for the day when people just see each other as people — not colors. Not only that, he acknowledged how great the world is becoming — and how the dream of different colors living together is totally happening now. He said I inspired him as we talked on, but he definitely was the one who was doing the inspiring. There was something about him that reinvigorated me, if that makes sense. The world is good to have people like Andre in it.

As we left for our rental car, we exchanged information. Andre’s wife is a flight attendant so I told him he’s more than welcome to come and stay with us if they ever jump a flight out to the States.

The moral of the story? If you open yourself up, you can have incredible things happen to you. My middle of the night through the morning convo with Jok, Tshepo, and Andre is something I’ll remember for a long time.

Bobby

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