Tues Nov 6 - The cycling starts, well maybe not - Bucket List South Africa

Tues Nov 6 - The cycling starts, well maybe not

Addo Elephant National Park

I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO A PAGE AT A TIME. THIS IS A NEW BLOG FORMAT FOR ME SO I AM ON THE LEARNING CURVE SO BEAR WITH ME.

Our group left PE this morning and drove to Addo Elephant National Park. We took a 3 hour driving tour through the park and we sighted at least 30-50 elephants. In addition we saw Kudu anetelops, zebras, wart hogs, African buffalo (the most dangerous animal in Africa) red harttebeest (also an antelope), ostrich and dung beetles. It was a very interesting tour but it was cool and windy with even a bit of rain. Once done we headed east to start cycling however the weather got progressively worse. We were scheduled to start riding about 3PM but by that time no one had an appetite for cycling because it was even colder and wetter. Therefore we stopped for coffee and carried on to our hotel. We might not have wanted the rain but the locals did since there had been several bush fires raging right along the highway only a few days ago. We could see charred vegetation on both sides of the highway and smouldering bush on the sides of the mountains. Ergo the rain was a welcome sitght. We start riding right from here tomorrow and the forecast is good.

This sign was at the entrance to the park.

Zebra, their stripes are unique to each animal.

A herd of African buffalo the most dangerous animal because once disturbed they attack as a herd. Two hundred people a year are killed by these beasts.

The elephants were so close we could almost reach out and touch them.

Another of the giants. For such big animals they move very quietly because they walk slowly and on their toes. Most of them foot is a giant soft heel pad.

A warthog family, a face only a mother could love.

A mother elephant and her calf. You can see how close they are by Tim’s hand on the side of the truck.

Elephants are amazingly quiet when they walk. Essentially they walk on their toes and have an large fat pad to cushion their foot on the ground. It is almost like a giant marshmallow.

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