Bill Poole's Trip to the
Republic of South Africa
 Impala
Day 21
Thursday, 19-Nov-98
 
We got up, struck camp, had tea and started looking for Rhino's.

We drove around, asking other drivers what they had seen, mostly we saw more of the same as before. We saw Rhino tracks and dung, but no rhinos.

At one point, we gut stuck in the ruts of a small side road and had to get out and push. The exhaust system found itself between the weight of the truck and the ground and a previously small hole cracked wider.

We stopped for breakfast at Afsaal (25deg 17.150' S, 31 deg 31.958' E). We got to see some construction workers building a thatched roof building, they build the frame out of creosote soaked round logs, trimmed as needed, and make the roof out of 6" tied bundles of thatch. They had thick twine on a 12" long rod that they used just like a sewing needle. One guy on the ground tossing bundles up, one guy laying them in place, cutting the string, and sewing the bundles in place, another guy "inside" returning the "sewing needle".

We left the park at Melelane, after accosting a guard and handing him every camera in the group! and crossed the Crocodile River (25deg 27.579' S, 31 deg 32.076' E), yes, we saw crocodiles.

We drove back to Johanessburg with a stop at Zasm falls and train tunnel. We had to race back to the airport to drop one passenger off, but if we went too fast, the muffler noise got real loud.

We all took turns writing down each other's addresses, so we could keep in touch.

Then our poor driver/guide had to drive all over town dropping us all off one by one.

 
Here we are! L-R: front, Spain, Netherlands, Park ranger. Standing: Me, Spain, Ireland, our guide, Switzerland
(the names are not included until I get their permission)



Back to the index page
To next day
To previous day

last modified by Bill Poole on 30-May-99, ©.
back to Bill's homepage.
E-mail me if you are so inclined: bill@poole.com
During this trip, (and future trips) I was (will be) available at: bill_poole@yahoo.com