The Journey Inward

Sunday morning we headed to Bus Stop 7 Market for some shopping, live music, coffee, and lunch. We loved the couple who was performing and John considered getting a T-shirt.

I had to drag him out of there to begin our drive up to Pilanesberg National Park. Because this guy seems to live on luck, we were just driving the road up to the lodge when we came upon a lineup of cars. Why? Because an elephant was walking down the road toward us!

We made it just in time to hop on a game dive Jeep and spent the next 3 1/2 hours seeing such magnificent animals. I gave John the window seat so he could have the best view and I loved watching his face take it all in. This was my second time at the park and it was no less moving, both the land and the animals. One highlight was seeing a lioness walk with her baby cub. She was clearly looking for her other cubs and calling out to them. Our guide had such amazing instincts and took us right where we would find meaningful encounters. We later heard from others who saw the lioness with all four of her cubs.

We came back and had dinner, but it was not as delicious as it was during my last visit, and there were not as many traditional South African dishes. We went down to the hide, but no animals were at the watering hole. We headed to bed so that we could be up at 5 am for our morning game drive.

The next day began in the cold and the dark, but quickly picked up when we spotted a cheetah. Several vehicles stopped and watched and then moved on as the cheetah walked off into the brush. But our knowing guide turned around and waited. He felt that the cheetah would come back onto the path. And come back she did. We followed her for over seven minutes. It was absolutely stunning! The rest of the drive was just as amazing. Each guide brings his/her personality, beliefs and experiences to the outing and as only South Africans can with their warmth and openness, you come away knowing them, and yourself, better.

We came back and had breakfast and bounced on the trampoline a bit, then John bought some more gifts for his friends and family at home. We headed back to Pretoria. He enjoyed not just the platinum mines along the way, but also the small villages we passed through. I appreciated him seeing all sides of South Africa.

We came back home and I showered and then we headed out again, this time to visit a local mall that was also new to me. Mall life is very big here and it’s actually so nice to walk around and chat with people. It feels like shopping has become more and more an online thing back in the States and so we miss out on encounters.

From there, we went to Capitol Craft Brewery and met two guys beside us who we talked with through the evening. John bought some merchandise here, too, as did I. He loved the spot!

We then went to dinner at blos with some of my friends and he got some more native South African repartée! Once everyone left, we stayed on for a drink and then headed home from a very long day.