We're off to the Eastern Cape!

Hello again!
Today we are off to Port Elizabeth, a coastal city in the eastern cape (about 500 miles from Cape Town).

A driver met our group at the airport for the 90 minute ride to Kichaka game lodge.  The sunshine and warm temperature was a welcoming touch...a bit of a departure from the off and on rain in Johannesburg!
Welcome to Kichaka!

Super fun to scan the big leather book on the coffee table to find our names from the last visit in 2011!

Out to the pool deck to check out the view.

And then a walk to our suite.

The thatch work that makes up the roof is amazing....I would guess it is 5-6 inches thick.

Each suite has a little pool.  A little cool to go in, but beautiful all the same.

 

I was enamored with the lichen growing on the trees.  The unique shapes and variety of the color green was amazing.  My 7th grade science teacher would be happy I even noticed it!

Out on the game drive we saw many different animals.  From this big guy (and I mean the tortoise, not Ashley) to a pride of lions.  In fact, we were very lucky to see the lions every afternoon.

Love the zebras...could watch them all day long.  Notice how the stripes go right up into the mane?

He look so docile, doesn't he?

 One of my favorites of the trip...the baby warthogs.  Darling is not a word I would have expected to use to describe a warthog, but these little guys were cute!

The rhinos (they really need no introduction)...amazing, prehistoric looking creatures. 
On a sad note, the amazing rhinos we saw in 2011 were killed by poachers.  If we wanted to take photos with our iphone, Ashley asked us to put it on 'airplane mode' so potential poachers could not use the digital location to find the rhinos.  

If you would like to learn more about the preservation of the rhinos, Kichaka supports the Chipembere Rhino Foundation.

We stopped to take a picture at the top of a rise where we could see out over the valley.  Thank you Glenda and Gary for bringing us all here again.  Thank you to Ashley, our game driver/ranger/smartest man in the jeep, for imparting your knowledge and passion about the wildlife.  If you ever have a chance to visit Kichaka, be sure to request Ashley!  He is amazing.

 

Last sunset on the reserve.

As we met for a quick breakfast before leaving Kichaka, I walked out to the pool deck to take in the sunrise, the mist over the watering hole, and just enjoy the peacefulness of the early morning.

As I was standing there, I noticed something surface in the center of the water.

 Sure enough, the hippo had come to say goodbye....what a fantastic way to end three days at the lodge!

I will be back tomorrow for the last leg of the journey...Cape Town and the most amazing coastline I have ever seen.

For now...carry on,

paula