Hold on to your Hats!

After a fairly short jaunt in our 'sardine cans in the sky', we landed at Hoedspruit Airport. The terminal building consisted of 2 restrooms surrounded by vibrant succulents.

Magically, two vehicles appeared (one with a trailer for our 15 duffle bags. 😬) We all piled in, ready for this new adventure as the drivers navigated the traffic in the town. The commercial trucks are huge there, and passing them while driving on the wrong side of the road is an adrenaline boost!

Our next stop - Tintswalo. This lodge was highly anticipated due to the wonderful reviews from our dear friends who had previously visited and absolutely loved it. In fact, our hosts and family previously stayed and shared they loved it so much tears were shed when they had to leave. 

We drove in on another unassuming dirt road...and when we came upon the lodge, I noticed an elevated platform (for ease of getting into the landcruisers - a little less stress on my knee and John's balance - Yay!). Greeting us were the guides, trackers and management folks. They took us through to the enchanting entrance (while passing the gift shop that a few of us looked at with intense interest). They had warm hot towels for our hands, and cold drinks filled with lovely pieces of fruit waiting for our travel-parched throats. Our long table (set for lunch) awaited us on a large patio overlooking Tintswalo's elephant watering hole.

The table was surrounded by beautiful trees, giving us much-needed shade from the afternoon sun. Our party of 15 would be the only guests for our four-night stay. In these beautiful trees, some 'adorable' little monkeys jumped from branch to branch, but in no time at all, they went from 'adorable' to 'little bastards'! The monkeys would get as close to the table, and even tried to jump on it. Staff had a slingshot that they would take aim and pretend to fire, making them scatter - but they came back immediately for more fun. Trust me, you don't want to look up and stare into the hind end of a monkey as they hover directly above you. (Thankfully, I didn't learn that the hard way!).

Several times a day, Elephants amble to a spot right below us consisting of a huge tree near the deck with a hose running up the trunk (tree, not elephant 😉) When the elephants come around, the hose is turned on, and they just love it. They take long drinks, and soon more and more elephants appear. It's beautiful to watch. 

At the watering  hole, we observed some territorial behavior between the males, some would nudge the younger ones telling them to move. Others would approach and due to intimidation, the younguns' would step aside. The elephants hold their trunks up to the water for the longest time, then give themselves a nice long drink. We humans enjoyed this immensely with our own libations. Just another day at the watering hole!

Our room (I'll call it a villa) was oh-so-beautiful. It felt unreal - like we were on a movie set. The room's furnishings had English and Indian influences, with a large sliding door and deck overlooking the elephant path to the watering hole. We also had a king-sized bed draped with mosquito netting. The room had a large antique chest stocked with a bar, soft drinks and snacks for us to enjoy, plenty of fresh water, a coffee and teapot. The bathroom had a glorious tub (perfect for someone who could use it without calling the fire department to help them out 😁). The soaps and lotions were furnished by a South-African company called Africology. The fragrance was heavenly. Wish I'd bought some to take home.

In the evenings, the mosquito netting canopy cascaded around the bed, looking beautiful and cozy. John had a hard time figuring out how to open it, so I told him I'd be his doorman...😁. The covers would be turned down, and a lovely crystal water decanter with an inverted matching glass on top was placed on both sides of the bed. The bed was heated too, and heavenly to sink into on a chilly African night.  

I sat my alarm for 5am each morning in order to be ready for the 6am wake-up call. Extra time was needed to help get John out of his side of the mosquito netting! Coffee by the fire with morning nibbles in the main lodge was a great motivator. We met at 6:15am and our guides served us coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.  

After a last-minute stop at the loo on the way out (insurance for my 70-year old bladder). We got into our respective vehicles and snuggled in with lovely warm blankets and hot water bottles. The early morning light was starting to brighten up the colors around us, and we were ready for the day's first adventure. 

The guides and trackers are phenomenal at Tintswalo. Our guide was Ryan, and our tracker Reply. We hit the lottery with these two. Ryan had a knack for finding animals, and we spent lots of time off-roading into the bush including steep dips and very rugged terrain. He handled the vehicle expertly, while Reply adjusted his lean to every bounce and turn. Reply would gesture to Ryan who would stop, and they would look at fresh tracks on the dirt or in the grass and were able to identify the animal and where it was headed. Their knowledge and expertise were truly amazing. 

Our game drives lasted over 3 hours twice daily. We spotted giraffes, a rhino with no tail, elephants, zebras, lots of Impalas, and several birds. Ryan would stop and give us information about the wildlife, plants and identifying birds in the bush. It added a whole new level to what we were seeing. He would stop the engine, and we would sit there in awe while lioness' lazily walked by with their cubs just a few feet from us. He is a great teacher, and his enthusiasm for his job is contagious!

After our drive in the bush, we went back to the lodge for a buffet-type breakfast. Nothing like a good game drive to whet your appetite!

We would go back to our villas and John would rest, and I would plug away at this blog, then make myself a cup of Rooibos tea (my new favorite). (I found out that Amazon has it - so of course I ordered some). Rooibos has anti-oxidant properties and is delicious.

Afternoon tea/lunch would be served around 2 pm. We would go out into the wild again at 3:30. The sun was still warm, and as time went by, the warmth was leaving us. There is so much beauty in the 'golden hour' with it's stunning colors. One evening as we all gazed up at the stars, Ryan pointed out the Southern Cross (and immediately Crosby Still and Nash comes to my mind with that song, and it just takes up residence in my head). The stars were so bright and beautiful. 

Our 'wild ride'  continues - stay tuned!