The Animals - Ngala Private Game Reserve

Some of the animals I saw while on two game drives in Ngala.

The Lodge - Ngala Private Game Reserve

While in Ngala I took about 450 photos! I want to share just a few of them with you to give a flavour of my experience.

In this entry I have included pictures of the place we stayed.  That is, the Lodge itself.  

It was a perfect place to relax.  My phones simply did not work so for the first time in months I was unhooked! I could relax on a number of decked areas overlooking a watering hole or a pool or one that just let me stare into the distance.

The rooms were fantastic.  My bed was really comfortable - not that I got to spend much time in it!

We fed well.  The lunch was a sumptuous spread of salads and cold meat.  I was a little disappointed to find out that what I though was a side of wild boar freshly caught that morning was just regular pig.  But it and the chutney that went with it was superb.  Oh, and there was an apple pie to die for!

Dinner was served in a lantern lit court yard.  It was an idilic when to end the day.

Sweet Federal Air

When Federal Air talk about a departure gate they mean a literal wooden gate.

Our pilot met us at the gate and walked the small group out over the tarmac to our waiting plane.  If you are never sure if you would prefer a window or an aisle seat then this plane was made for you.  With only one line of seats on each side you get to do both.

The in flight refreshments were selected from a cool box as we stepped onto the plane.  This same box was then brought on board and used by the pilot to sit on while he pulled the door shut.  No hot hostess required.

It was a fun flight.  I felt like all the flying I had done up to that point had been kind of fake.  This was cooking and all the other stuff was tv dinners.

But then we had to change planes.  For this we had to land in the middle of nowhere.  I still do not know where it was!  We only stayed at arrivals terminal (if you could call it that) for a few minutes where we met a Ranger Trainer.  I'm not sure that was his real job title but it turned out he was responsible for the training of the Rangers or Guides at the game lodge we were going to.  So what was for us a trip of a lifetime was nothing more than a commute to him!

Then we moved to the second plane.  It was even smaller than the first!
Again, the pilots walked us to the plane - all 3 passengers.  I got in at the back of the plane and after hitting my head on the ceiling I crouched, took 2 steps and sat down behind the pilot.
This was fun.  As well as just enjoying a more basic form of flying we lucked out by having the guide on board the flight.  He drew our attention at various points in our small journey to different spots on the ground.  As a guide he knew how to spot where the animals where - so before we even got there we were sighting Wilder-beast and Impala from the air!

Best Departure Lounge in the World

I've done a bit of traveling lately but of all the departure lounges I have been in, the Federal Air terminal in Johannesburg has got to be the best!

Sitting in the open air always beats air conditioning.  And it is hard to top a departure gate that is actually a physical wooden gate after which we had only a very short walk to get onto the plane.

We were on our way to Ngala Private Game Reserve for a great weekend of wildlife spotting!

Johannesburg

Its not long since I returned from Johannesburg.  It is the sort of place where people warn you to keep your eyes and ears open.  But I found myself listening and watching, not just for the bad guys, but to all that was good and wonderful about the city and the nation.My time there was spent with a few South Africans but also with representatives of many other African nations.  It was fascinating talking with those people.  Everyone has a story about the problems in their home country, some claim to have a solution to those problems and others just voice their general acceptance that things will not change.

I went on a tour of Sowetto and Johannesburg while I was there.  Such contrast.  

The rich live well but they do so behind concrete walls and electric fences.  They live in fear that someone will break into their fortresses and shoot them and there family just to steal the car.  I'd love to comment on the beautiful houses in the 'millionaires' part of the city but I didn't see them behind their walls.

The poor do not have concrete walls, or bricks, or electric fences.  But they do have Coca-Cola!  Part of the tour took us on foot into one of the townships - I think we only got a flavour of what it was like.  To be honest it didn't strike me as hard as the poverty in India.  

Also, while being shown through this ladies home I felt a little odd.  Maybe it was guilt for being so wealthy my comparison and not being as thankful as I should be.

Another thing that I have taken for granted is a good education.  In 1976 a teenager called Hector Peterson died during a mass protest by students in South African.  The then government wanted to restrict their teaching to the Africaans language - not learning English would hold them back.

You can learn all about it at the Hector Peterson museum in Sowetto.

The memorial outside the museum is pictured below.  It was opened by Nelson Mandela in 1992 after he was release from prison.

In 2010 South Africa will host the World Cup (Fifa.com).  Maybe a sign of the progress in this part of the world - or let's hope so anyway!