Africa 3

Part 3 cont.
The disaster, was my new camera failed!!!!! I couldn't buy a new card to keep going, at the game lodge, or from anyone present. so I charged up the mobile and this tablet and proceeded for the rest of the safari lodge trip using them. I am waiting to find out if I can retreieve my photos as it appears to have gotten corrupted. Kep your fingers crossed folks.
That afternoon during my "rest" at our chalet, a small group of vervet monkeys arrived to .play around the doors and windows, sitting up on the window sill and peering in , we had had a broken pane of glass in our door, it was caused by the baboons tipping over the outdoor setting and smashing the pane. We have to keep the door locked at all times as the baboons have learnt how toopen them. A bit later I had a visit from a Nyala, a type of antelope, hecame out of the bush by our room and wandered along eating the grass, just by our window. At night we have to have lodge staff escort us to and from ourrooms, it is an unfenced wild animal area!! Next game drive we saw more male lions, out in the grass,We watched them from quite close up, luckily their stomachs looked pretty full, then an amazing sighting of a python killing a small duiker antelope, by strangling it, but it is amazing that the guides can find these happenings, there are hundreds of square kilometres of land and it is like finding a needle in a haystack. Apparentlytheyheard the little animal squealing as the python caught it. Another African fascinating experience.Later we arrived at the same leopard ess site, , it was getting on dusk, but they spotlit her as she grabbed the kill, ( a coupleof daysold now) and dragged it up a tree, about 10 foot or so the cub leapt up also and grabbed a bit of meat, but as the leopard was getting the kill up higher in the tree, she dropped. The look on her face was priceless. Another great african evevning meal in the "boma", very tasty offerings, and then we were called out of the meal to see a hippo on the lawn grazing. They come out of the water in the night to eat grass. That was the end of dinner.
Another early morning start, straight to 3 male lions, using phone and tablet, so am hoping to put some photos into blog, but don't hold your breath! Long drive to the next animal sighting, a small herd of Zebra, more timid than the first days sighting  and a lot ofwaterbuck, The male had good sized antlers, and it is the season, he was trying to mate with various ladies in his harem, but he never managed it! Saw lots more elephants, they are so structive, tearing down the branches of the trees and finally pushing them over to get to the last good bits. , at the end of this morning Carol and Rob nad 4 others from iur jeep, took a guided walk back to thelodge, while I drove back. They were toldthe basic safety instructions, George was carrying the elephant gun, but it was if he said run, you ran, or if hesaid climb a tree you climbed! I would have died! so just as well I drove back. He talked about tracking etc, and they didn't come across anything threatening, but still, it must have been a bit nerve wracking.
After doing most of our packing, we had an even earlier than usual start to leave in the morning, we went on our final game drive. George and Solly took us bush bashing, trying to find some more lions, but we neever found them, Then more elephants, and our final sundowner drinks on a small waterhole where there were hippos and crocodile? (not sure about that , the waterholes begin to blur!)
Up at 4am, for our departure through the Newington Gate, and driven to Kruger airport, we rode the 13 kms in an open jeep and it was bitterly cold! From the gate we went in a toyota pajero or something of that size , the other 4 west australians, were in a different vehicle, all leaving on the same flight, but they had a flat tyre and only just made it in time  A quick flight to Jo berg and then a 3 hour flight to Kasane in Botswana, to join our river cruise. Pride of the Zambezi" of course I thought that with that name it must be on the Zambezi river but no, we were on the Chobe river.