Lost in Lockdown
I’ve lived and worked on 3 continents and my last employment was in the UK which ended in December 2019. My husband and I embarked on a 5 month holiday to our beautiful country of birth, South Africa. Our plan was then to retire to the USA closer to our son. Our vacation in South Africa started with a couple of months getting the car ready as it had been shipped from the UK and needed roadworthy, SA licence and some repairs. When it was ready in early March 2020, we set off from the coast and travelled inland to visit friends in White River just near the Kruger Park. They kindly loaned us their truck to visit the park and we stayed just one night, viewing the animals the afternoon before and the morning after we camped. My husband managed to set off the truck’s alarm in the middle of the night so we were not popular with our fellow campers. Early the next morning, we left as quietly as possible and were excited to see hyenas, a pack of wild dogs and a pride of lions within spitting distance of our camp. This was a special treat because it’s rare to see wild dogs, affectionately named painted dogs owing to their mottled colouring. Not as rare as cheetahs and leopards who stayed true to their natures and were significant by their absence on this game visit!