Nemo2
Senior Member
- Location
- Belleville, ON
Having bored people with my snake anecdote in the Guy wants to face his biggest fear story, I figured I might just as well continue the story and open a Travel Stories thread:
Early 1983, my late wife flew from Toronto to Jozi the day before I arrived from Riyadh.
She arranged a small camper rental which we picked up when I arrived.
A brief stop in Pretoria to change money, and we headed for a small lodge near Louis Trichardt where they rented rondavels.
(Insert python story here.)
The aim was to enter Kruger Park, (which is almost as large as Wales), from the north end and exit from the south.
But first....breakfast...menu at the lodge featured boerewors, a term I was unfamiliar with.
Asked the African waiter what they were.."They're boerewors" he replied. OK I said, I'll have some.
Kinda shaking his head he walked to the kitchen, and in retrospect I can imagine him saying to the cook "There's a guy out there doesn't know what sausages are!"
Kruger Park: The procedure at the time, (and perhaps even now), was that there were about half a dozen fenced off camping areas complete with facilities, that visitors HAD to be in (you had to set an advance itinerary) by sunset or they came looking for you.....if they had to do that, a severe cash penalty resulted.
We arrived at the first park, set up, and sometime later heard a commotion by the fence.
An obviously young, but just about fully grown, elephant had expressed an interest in visiting.
Fences were strong, but perhaps not that strong, so an African ranger complete with David & Goliath slingshot showed up.
When the first pebble hit I learned Elephant-ese for "Who the **** did that? I'll mess you up bad!"
Couple more stones and he departed, cursing & threatening.....could still hear him trumpeting for maybe a quarter mile away.
Then...nice moonlit night, with additional illumination from campers & tents....so, time for a walk.
Just about reached a large tent with adjoining mosquito netted dining area....half a dozen people having dinner, when we noticed what first appeared to be a very large black crab, (except we were nowhere near the ocean), but must have, in actuality, been an enormous spider, heading up the path to the tent.
Next thing....all the occupants of the tent were yelling/shrieking and, um, 'disembarking'.
We left. Never did find out what it was, but the general impression we received was that it was unwelcome.
..................
Your turn to tell travel adventures.....c'mon you've all got them.
Early 1983, my late wife flew from Toronto to Jozi the day before I arrived from Riyadh.
She arranged a small camper rental which we picked up when I arrived.
A brief stop in Pretoria to change money, and we headed for a small lodge near Louis Trichardt where they rented rondavels.
(Insert python story here.)
The aim was to enter Kruger Park, (which is almost as large as Wales), from the north end and exit from the south.
But first....breakfast...menu at the lodge featured boerewors, a term I was unfamiliar with.
Asked the African waiter what they were.."They're boerewors" he replied. OK I said, I'll have some.
Kinda shaking his head he walked to the kitchen, and in retrospect I can imagine him saying to the cook "There's a guy out there doesn't know what sausages are!"
Kruger Park: The procedure at the time, (and perhaps even now), was that there were about half a dozen fenced off camping areas complete with facilities, that visitors HAD to be in (you had to set an advance itinerary) by sunset or they came looking for you.....if they had to do that, a severe cash penalty resulted.
We arrived at the first park, set up, and sometime later heard a commotion by the fence.
An obviously young, but just about fully grown, elephant had expressed an interest in visiting.
Fences were strong, but perhaps not that strong, so an African ranger complete with David & Goliath slingshot showed up.
When the first pebble hit I learned Elephant-ese for "Who the **** did that? I'll mess you up bad!"
Couple more stones and he departed, cursing & threatening.....could still hear him trumpeting for maybe a quarter mile away.
Then...nice moonlit night, with additional illumination from campers & tents....so, time for a walk.
Just about reached a large tent with adjoining mosquito netted dining area....half a dozen people having dinner, when we noticed what first appeared to be a very large black crab, (except we were nowhere near the ocean), but must have, in actuality, been an enormous spider, heading up the path to the tent.
Next thing....all the occupants of the tent were yelling/shrieking and, um, 'disembarking'.
We left. Never did find out what it was, but the general impression we received was that it was unwelcome.
..................
Your turn to tell travel adventures.....c'mon you've all got them.
