It's morning again in Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa. Based on the photo, it looks like it's going to be another nice day - and one full of wonders.
This is a big park - more than 7,500 square miles. It's justifiably famous as one of the great places on earth to see wildlife. No wonder more than two million people a year do exactly that.
South Africa might have been ahead of its time on this one. A bunch of farmers got together in 1867 and tried to keep hunters off their combined lands. It formally became a game reserve in 1898, thanks to the work of South African President Paul Kruger. Several areas - two reserves and some farmland - were put together in 1926 to create a national park. Kruger's name became associated with it at that point.
Patience is needed for a place like this. You might tour the grounds on a jeep for an hour without seeing much. Then a group of animals might appear that leaves everyone in awe. I've used the animals' images from here in other postings, but it's better than that. Here's a video about the place.
There wasn't too much sight-seeing in Eswatini during our trip. We essentially drove through the country to be in position to be at a national park in South Africa the next day. That didn't allow for much time to see what was available. And to be honest, the pickings seemed rather slim. The mountains looked nice, and there were some national parks and game reserves said to be around. But it wasn't on the itinerary.
There was a glass-blowing factory on the way though - as unlikely as that sounds. The Ngwenya Glass Company bills itself as Eswatini's hottest tourist attraction, and there's no reason to doubt that claim. Artisans work in a good-sized area in which they work with recycled glass to create new objects. Better still, there is a platform above the work floor so that tourists can watch the process take place. The craftsmanship is nice, and we saw some sales in the gift shop later.
The outside area has a few treats too. Some peacocks are running around the grounds for entertainment, and some other shops are located in the complex. I always wonder if companies "recruit" tour groups to make a stop in such circumstances, but our passengers seemed to be happy to look around. Any entertainment away from the bus is good.
If you had heard of Eswatini before this point, you were one step ahead of me. It used to be Swaziland, but changed its name in 2018. The country is run by King Mswati III, who has been on the job since 1986. He's the last King in Africa, and he doesn't seem to be spending the government's money on, say, garbage removal. It's a very poor country by any standard, and a little depressing to visit - although I will say the native residents couldn't have been nicer in our brief encounters while passing through.
This is not the time to try to figure out how to say the name of this attraction. Let's just learn about it instead.
This area has been a nature reserve since 1895, although it became a park relatively recently. The Big Five animals of the region can be found here - lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and hippos. It's about 50 miles by 13 miles, so there's lot of room for everyone.
There are advantages and disadvantages for timing a visit. We went in the middle of winter, which meant that the vegetation level was relatively low. That in turn made it easier to spot animals when we went looking for them early one morning. The summer does have more birds entering the area via migration, and more babies arriving on the scene.
We did get a look at a couple of lions during our visit. But they didn't exactly pose for photos.
The videos of this place tend to be long, but might be of interest.
This is one of the largest estuaries in Africa, and it offers some nice treats for visitors. The region covers about 1,200 square miles, and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The hippos are something of the stars of the show here. There are about 800 of them roaming around. Chances are probably pretty good that if you take a boat ride on the lake, you'll see some around the shore. Hippos usually spend their nights on the grasslands, and then leave the "remains" of their meal in the lake ... which actually adds nutrients into the ecosystem. They didn't exactly come charging out to welcome us when we drifted by their hangout.
Crocodiles also are very common in the area. You might want to think twice about taking a dip in the water as a result.
Who doesn't love penguins? No one. That's why big crowds pop up at Boulders Beach, not far from Cape Town, to see these cute animals frolicking on the sand in large numbers.
There's a good story to this attraction. The population of African penguins has been in decline for some time, and the experts decided to start a colony with two breeding couples in 1982. Here we are, 44 years later, and the penguin population has reached 3,000. That's pretty impressive. The birds hang out in this protected area. Meanwhile, tourists walk on a raised sidewalk on the shore for good looks at them. During our stay there were bunches of them (penguins, that is) scattered in the area.
Boulders Beach really is located between some boulders. It has been ranked as high as No. 2 on the list of the world's great beaches. The penguins, of course, are a reason why. They are still endangered due to a variety of reasons, such environmental develops and commercial fishing.
Simon's Town is associated with the Navy. The British set up a base there first, and South Africa eventually took the spot over. Now the penguins are doing the same.
The geography gets a bit confusing in this part of the world. Cape Point has a nice view of the Cape of Good Hope along the shoreline, but that really isn't the southern end of Africa. That title is designated for a piece of land about 100 miles to the east.
But ... Cape Point is the spot where the Atlantic Ocean becomes the Indian Ocean, or vice-versa - at least most of the time. The currents of the oceans change a bit during the course of the year, so there's no definite line between the two of them. Got that?
And Cape Point is what you might expect from something of a geographic landmark. There is a parking lot at the base of the hill, and a couple of stores for souvenirs. A train goes up to the hill in order to read the top of the overlook, although it was under repair during our stay. (A small bus was pressed into service for that duty, although the hardy souls walked up the steep hill.)
Upon arriving, visitors were greeting with some great views of the area. They even could take a look at the lighthouse, which stands guard over the shoreline.
