Postcard from South Africa- Part 1

Although we’ve been home for a couple of weeks, South Africa still looms large in my thoughts and dreams.  We spent a week or so in the northeast (KwaZulu-Natal Province), a week or so in the southwest (Western Cape Province), and (after missing our flight from O.R. Tambo to JFK) a bonus day in Johannesburg (Gauteng Province).  Along the way, we viewed game of all sorts, dipped into South African history and politics, and sampled some amazing food and wine.  Trip highlight- Mary saw 122 new bird species!
We began with a stay at Zulu Nyala, a private game reserve not far from the town of Hluhluwe. Our accommodations included early morning and late afternoon game drives, during which we saw cheetah
,
rhino,
elephant, buffalo, hippo,
 
giraffe, nyala, zebra, impala and more.

  
Seeing game at Zulu Nyala is not quite the same as seeing game “in the wild.” That we were more able to do on day trips to the St. Lucia Estuary (iSimangaliso Wetland Park) and Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Park, established in the 1890’s.Thanks to a massive conservation effort, Hluhluwe/iMfolozi has the largest concentration of white rhino in the world. 
This monitor lizard was bigger and faster than a gila monster. 



During our week in KwaZulu Natal, we saw the Southern Red-billed Hornbill, a very wet African Fish Eagle,
,
the Lilac-breasted Roller,the Marico Sunbird, the Brown-hooded Kingfisher,

and a four-foot tall Secretary Bird.
The Western Cape will be a separate post.