This morning we had to leave the mountains and head to Nambiti Game reserve.  We’d discovered the night before that there was Sa rock art on the property, but we were so exhausted that we couldnt bring ourselves to wake up early again for more hiking.  We regretted it, but we also slept in, so let’s call it a wash.

After a leisurely breakfast (including baked beans, a la Anglais) and cleaning up, we headed out to the Springbok Lodge.  But first!  We stopped at the Winterton museum.  Teeny tiny but actually pretty good.  There was also a lot of info and pictures of the San art, which kinda made up for not going to see it IRL.  A lot of uh..  let’s call it memorabilia from in the day, including this rad milk chiller/chicken nursery:

That’s a milk chiller on the left and an egg warmer on the right.

There was information about Zulu culture and replica houses, plus tons of info about the years and years of conflicts in the area.  Becca read every single panel about the rock art, while Brett took pictures of “an old Boer with a beard” according to Becca.   (It was Paul Kruger, kinda the biggest individual deal in 19th century South Africa.)

Then, Nambiti!  Turns out it was a hardcore, fancy resort!  We knew it was the most expensive place we were staying, but we figured they gotta make a whole electric fence and whatnot, so it’s gonna be pricey.  But not just pricey, fancy!  They drop off your bags in your room for you ad have set meal times and you place your order beforehand, etc.  Feeling very bougie, I believe is the correct term.  A little uncomfortable, really, but so it goes.

Our welcome party! A hippo!

Our room was awesome- a tent with a giant bed and an outdoor shower and a great porch  with a 180-degree view of the reserve in front of us.  Whe we first were able to spot some furry something or other while sitting down we got so pumped!

After lunch, we went out on our first game drive- 6 people in a big Toyota Landcruiser-type thing, but giant and open.  It started really strong- we saw cape buffalo, a giraffe, and got within 20 feet or so of a lion, not to mention dozens of wildebeest, zebras, impalas, and kudus.  We even got a happy hour out in the bush, but South African beer was still gross.  Good egg rolls, though!

Returning to the lodge, we found the electricity was out for the entire dining room, but it was awesome cause they  lit the whole thing with legit oil lamps.  Very safari.