The 2018 Africa Journals, Ch. 17: Zimanga!

"Oh, look at those red birds!   What are they?"

"Fire finches," replies Marg.   "You'll see hundreds of them at Zimanga."

"Oh, wow!   Wild canaries."

"Pfft!  They're all over Zimanga," says Marg.   "You'll see more birds than you can photograph at Zimanga!"

Marg made a lot of bird promises.   So many, in fact, that I began  to suspect Zimanga, with all its avian wonders, was the go-to excuse to distract my attention from the latest Unidentified Flying Objects that I wanted the whole safari to come to a halt so I could take a photo.    Photos, plural.

We're at Zimanga, Marg.   Bring 'em on!!!

First, though, we have to wait for someone to open the gate and pick us up.   That takes a phone call and soon Margarite arrives in a safari vehicle, loads up our bags, and drives us into the Zimanga Private Game Reserve.


I saw  no birds.    Yet.

Not until we reach the turn into the new lodge do I see a bird.   It's the ever-lovely lilac-breasted roller.   Turns out, we will see this bird perched on this branch almost every time we pass by this spot.

The new lodge is ultra-modern.

Lounge in lodge

Buffet bar

Dining area.   The wall to the right is all glass.

Infinity pool

Rooms at right are conference rooms, etc.    Lodging is beyond that.   Note the electrified fence.

Lunch buffet on our first day.

My lunch on the first day.   A quiche, a bit of salad, some fruit, and a pastry.   Not much, but I consistently didn't each much on this trip.   Pure determination not to gain weight.

The pathway to our lodgings.    Laura and Holly each had individual mansions on the right.   Marge and I each had more humble, but perfectly adequate rooms in the buildings upper left.

I am almost certain that I took photos of the interior of the mansions, but I cannot find those photos anywhere.   Holly and I were to share one, but stuff happened and the staff arranged for me to have a private room in one of the buildings closer to where Marg was.    These smaller rooms were set aside for guides traveling with groups.


I was completely happy with my room.   It had everything I needed.

In the mansions (as I call them because they are huge and fancy), were an entry with a wall of closets and drawers.


Then, a very large bedroom area (all open with no doors or walls in between) and large area at the foot of the bed with two desks on each side of the room.


In the adjacent bathroom area (again, no walls) there were two sinks inset into a large counter, a small room containing a toilet, and a shower stall that was glass on one side and provided a view--floor to ceiling--of the surrounding bushveld so that the impala and rhinos and hyenas could see you bathe in all your nakedness.

The shower had no shower curtain or privacy screen, which was awkward but "deal-able" for Holly and me.    However, if Holly, who had the bed closest to the bath area, were in bed, the shower was clearly visible.    As I said, just awkward for two women who had just met a bit more than a week ago.

As for my room, it was at the far end of the walk and in a duplex.   It was a perfectly acceptable room and its much smaller size made it easier for me to keep all my stuff reasonably under control.

My perfect bed.

The bathroom.   I stood in the shower stall to take this photo.

And the desk with a mini-fridge under it.

After lunch, and time to settle in, we went out on our only driving safari.   The rest of our time would be spent in the world famous, award-winning game/bird hides for which Zimanga is famous.

Due to scheduling problems,  we would not have the vehicle to ourselves so that we could shoot from either side.   Instead, a married couple and a single man were with us, and that filled all the seats.   Unlike most camps, where a guide was responsible for only one group, Margarite was responsible for three different groups, ifs we count the single man a  "group".

This made perfect sense from the perception of management, in that it maximized the duties of the guide.   Keep in mind, rather than on actual several hour long game drives, guests at Zimanga were most often in one of several hides.   That meant the guide took the guests to the hide and then picked them up several hours later.

This schedule had its good points and bad points.   At first, we felt rushed, always in a hurry to get here and there, as she dropped off or picked up the others from various hides.  Later on we would learn what her other duties were and came to understand why we felt the way we did.

We missed Amy and Zuka Lodge.   We missed her enthusiasm.   We missed the laid-back, very efficient Phinda Lodge that we thought was exceptional.   We admitted that we had been spoiled there, and that this was a different kind of adventure.  We all recognized that there was no point in having a Zimanga guide sit with us in a hide for hours every day.

Still.   It's a difficult transition.

Leaving the lodge, we didn't go far before we saw a tawny eagle.    They are all over the place, and in many color variations from this light-colored one, to brown all over.

Another color variation of the tawny eagle.

Then, a Southern yellow-billed hornbill.   A guide I had on my first trip to Africa told a story about his dad.   He asked his dad why the birds had bills like that.

 "Makes them easier to turn over on the grill," said his dad.

You thought elephants were gray, right?     And this elephant obviously is red.

Elephants frequently roll in mud and dirt, thus taking on the color of the local dirt.   This soil is called laterite, and is rich in  iron and aluminum from rainfalls over the ages.

We saw two secretary birds on top of a far away tree, and tried to get closer, but they flew away.  This Maribou stork was close enough to grab a photo of with my long lens.

Then, we came to the lions.   Two adult males were sleeping off a huge meal of zebra.   It was apparent they were going to remain there for some time, so we drove back a short way to the lagoon itself.   In the below photo, you can see the lagoon at the top left of the photo.

While everyone was photographing the crocodiles on the beach, I was focusing in on this little bird.

The photo is highly cropped, but it's a bird.   This very common shorebird is a plover.

Crocs.

Just above the vehicle, to the right of the circular shadow, is what might be a plover like in the photo above.   Then again, it could be a rock.   That's how small they are.

Nearby were a bunch of camera-shy vervet monkeys.   It took a while to get some photos of them, and not until we saw some in trees.

A juvenile.

The lion's zebra carcass was nearby, and probably of interest to these hooded vultures.

Here comes an Egyptian goose for a landing.

We went back to see if the lions were awake.

And found out how very, very, utterly regrettable it can be to waken sleeping lions.

(To be continued.)

The 2018 Africa Journals, Ch. 16: The Last Safaris at Phinda

Holly sees them first.  She's sitting in one of the raised rows of seats in the safari vehicle, much like in the photo below, which was taken at another time.

We're watching impala cross the road, but this photo is posted here to show how the rows of seats are elevated for better views.

From his catbird seat out in front of the vehicle, Telusi trains his binoculars on some spots a long distance away and says, "Lions."    And away we go.  This particular pride hasn't been seen in this area for some time and Amy is excited.

We drive around a water hole and off into the brush, circling around the lions to approach them with the sun at our backs.   The youngsters scatter, hiding in deep thickets.

Amy holds us back at a distance until she's sure the lions are okay with our approach.   Just before we get into position to shoot, a sub-adult female climbs a tree that's in front of the pride.

Climbing trees has not been usual lion behavior, except these days more and more reports of lions in trees are being reported.

Now what, young lady?

Though she appears to be an adult, the spots in the hide on her legs indicate she has not yet reached maturity.

Once out of the tree, she rejoins the pride.    Most of the cubs remain hidden, except for these few.   Eventually, they too decide to go into the bushes and that means passing by the male.

He does not appreciate having his nap disturbed.

 One by one, each of the three cubs makes the passage.   It is the nature of the big cats to greet each other by nuzzling, but they usually don't get this reaction.

The third cub has learned from the other two, and passes the lion on its back side.

Safe passage.

With the adults sound asleep and the cubs hiding in the brush, we move away to find more wildlife.

Napping wildebeest.

This is our last afternoon safari at Phinda.   One brief safari in the early morning, and we will leave this wonderful place for another game reserve farther south.

In this photo from our sundowners's break, you can see how the safari vehicles have raised seating.   Photographers aim to have an entire row for themselves so they can switch from side to side according to where the game is.

The camps, on the other hand, see this as lost income because the seats aren't filled, so photographers pay extra for the privilege, and hold it dear.

Marg and Holly enjoying, no doubt, coffee with hot chocolate and Amarula liqueur, affectionately dubbed mochachocarula.

Back at the lodge, we enjoy a delicious dinner.   We invited Telusi, along with Amy and Sade, to join us.   Telusi is nervous about having dinner with six women.   He dresses in his best clothes and we all try to make him feel welcome.   Still, he sits at the far end of the table.

Early the next morning, we off on our final safari at Phinda and head for a visit with the leopard and her two three-month-old cubs, the ones we call Amy's grandchildren..

Once again, the little cub called Heidi is nowhere to be seen.   The other cub, now becoming more habituated to the tourists, puts on quite a show while sitting with its mom.

What are tails for if not to wrap around your Mum's head?

We find the lion pride from yesterday, but the adults are hunting and the youngsters are in deep grass.   We stay with them for a while, but opportunities for good shots are impossible.

 

This dream-like effect came from being in a shadowed area snd shooting into the light.   I rather like it.

All too soon, we're back at Zuka Lodge for breakfast.   We'd packed the night before and only need to put the cameras away for safe travels.

Amy and one of the most excellent staff at Zuka Lodge.

And then, we reluctantly get into this little SUV and leave Phinda.

The only things keeping us from total rebellion and refusing to leave are the fact that new guests are coming, and our next place promises adventures of a different kind.


A couplehours from now, we will arrive at Zimanga Private Game Reserve, already missing Zuka Lodge, Amy, and the shortbread cookies.