Lion Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park South Africa

Lion at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 3-19-14

Sorry, I just had to do it.  What with traveling, having fun and sometimes limited internet access the last three months I just haven’t had time.  I’ve really missed reading your every blog post and tried to catch up.  But it just won’t work.  There aren’t enough hours in a day, or my life.  978 unread posts put my blog reader on overload.  And my brain.  So I hit the button “mark all as read” and am starting over.

Rhinos Pilanesberg Game Reserve South Africa

Rhinos at Pilanesberg Game Reserve 3-30-14

After 10 days at Pilanesberg Game Reserve Joan and I left Sunday morning and headed towards Johannesburg.  We’ll be camping not far out of town at Roodeplaat Dam for two nights.  We’ve come full circle as this is where we spent our first night upon my arrival in South Africa.  We traveled about 5,000 miles and visited 10 South African National Parks.

Giraffe Kruger National Park South Africa

Giraffe at Kruger National Park 2-14-14

I fly out Tuesday night at 8:25 pm South African time.  Then land at JFK at 6:40am Wednesday Eastern time and have a four hour layover.  Finally back in Phoenix at 12:49 pm Mountain time (in Arizona that’s without daylight savings) then have a two hour shuttle ride to Prescott where my dear friend Berta picks me up and a one hour drive home.  I’m sure to be hyped up and totally exhausted at the same time.

Leopard Pilanesburg Game Reserve South Africa

Leopard at Pilanesberg Game Reserve 3-30-14

I’m sorry to be leaving but am anxiously awaiting my own bed, toilet, shower, espresso maker and more.  Three months of tent camping is wearing on me.  It’s been an amazing journey and Joan and I have had a wonderful time.  And we didn’t even kill each other.  In fact we are already making plans for next year’s visit.  I know we’ll miss each other even as we look forward to having our personal spaces back.

Elephants Addo Elephant National Park South Africa

Elephants at Addo National Park 3-8-14

Then I have a ‘to do’ list a mile long.  Replenish groceries, eye glasses readjusted as they won’t fold anymore, truck needs an oil change, cameras must be cleaned professionally, try to recover photos from SD cards without paying a fortune, file an insurance claim on the stolen computer as they wouldn’t do it by email, and buy yet another computer but this time thinking a desk top with a nice big screen.  (I’m open to suggestions on the last one.)

Late light shadows on temples from Grand Lodge North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

And in two weeks from my return I head back to the North Rim of Grand Canyon to prepare for the May 15th opening for 2014.  But I still have a lot of posts to write about this amazing journey of a South African diversity Eco Tour.