Day 9. Sun 25th April
Piper Pan.
We awake to the sound of lions roaring. By six we are on top of the Land
Rover and shortly after leaving the camp we meet a pride of seven lionesses,
but it is still too dark to get decent pictures.
We drive for a couple of hours, and see a variety of wildlife, including
blue wildebeest, springbok, oryx (gemsbok), ground squirrel (also called
weirstat meercat, although they are not true meercats), black backed jackal
and cory bustard, but we do not see any more lions. However Ken does find
a lion's skull, and decides to keep it to add to his collection of
memorabilia.
 2.JPG "Oryx (Gemsbok) at Piper Pan")
 4.JPG "Wildebeest at Piper Pan")
We return to the camp for a breakfast of what are presumably the South
African version of Cornflakes to judge by the name on the box which is
something like Graane Flokke (I've probably got the spelling wrong). They
become known as Granny Flockers for the rest of the trip! Then we sit in
the shade, write our diaries and drink cold beer. Ken gives us a talk on
the four species of Hyena (brown, striped, spotted and the Aardwolf) and
then tests us.
We are allowed one cup of water a day to "wash the vitals", and, with
a modicum of modesty, I go behind my tent to wash. When I come out Blondie
is doubled up laughing. It turns out that that I was in full view through
the front flap and the back window of the tent, both of which I had omitted
to close.
After lunch we laze around some more, and Ken attempts to sterilise
his lion skull on the fire.
We are going on a night drive tonight, so after Pete has demonstrated his
wood collecting skills, we stoke up the fire, put a pot of stew on to simmer,
and jump up on the Land Rover roof.
As well as the usual huge herds of springbok and oryx spread out across
the pan, we also see three black backed jackals and several spring hares,
which look like miniature kangaroos. We also have a race with three gemsbok
who run parallel the Land Rover for ages before finally realising that
it is not trying to eat them. Afterwards Ken says that they and we covered
almost 2 Km at an average speed of about 30Kph.
We drink sundowners by the side of the road, and then rig up the spotlight.
Pirate has the honours tonight, and he and Sunshine perch at the front
of the roof and he sweeps the light in a slow semicircle around the Land
Rover, but we don't see much except for a couple of Spring Hares. Then.
just as we are approaching the camp seven sets of eyes gleam in the light
- our pride of lionesses are resting up under a bush. As we watch they
get up, stretch, and saunter off into the bush for the night's hunt.
We return to the camp where the stew is simmering gently on the coals.
After supper we wash up, sit around the camp fire, drink what remains of
the J. D. discuss bowel movements (as you do!), and Kathy and I fail dismally
to work out how the plates and pans all fit into the tin box - an exercise
which causes huge hilarity all round, until finally we give up the attempt
as we are both laughing too much. I think Blondie finally packs the box
the following morning, but I never find out what the trick is.