Madalene, South Africa and Berg-en- dal Rest Area, Kruger National Park

We are staying at Hhusha-Hhusha B&B in Madalane, South Afica for two nights.  This is a lovely B&B with a pool, cooking area, air conditioned rooms, and located 4 Km from Kruger gate.  The owners are Sarah and Guiomar and they have created a delightful place to stay.  Dean was very impressed and he does not impress easily.  Both mornings we were treated with a hearty breakfast.  The full day of our stay at the B & B we spent 4 hours shopping for 20 days in Kruger where we will do our own cooking.  We shopped at the Spur grocery store which is very large.  Dean and I hit the Tops liqueur store where we bought wine and beer.  The day was very hot, over 100 F, so we got into the pool when we got home.  That night we cooked on the braai (barbecue): lamb chops and corn on the cob.

The next day, Oct. 13, we stopped at the Pick and Save, another grocery store, for a few last minute things, got gas and headed into Kruger.  We had to stop at the entry gate and fill out some paperwork.  Since it was too early to check into Berg-en-dal, we drove a gravel road along the Crocodile River.  The gravel roads are pretty rough but you can only go 40 Km.  Highlight was seeing a large herd of elephants and large herd of baboons.  We checked into Berg-en-dal for two nights.  We had perimeter rooms but we couldn't see anything for the brush.  This is a lovely rest camp with large pool, campground area, store, restaurant, and gas station.  Our rooms were large, air conditioned, bath, inside kitchen, outside braai and large patio. We cooked Boerewors sausage on the grill and fried potatoes and onions.

On Oct. 14, we did over 100 km in the South part of the park.  We stopped at Afsaal rest area and cooked eggs and veggies on the braai.  They are propane and rent for 2 Rand.  The rand is 10 to 1.  There was a lot of groups cooking and a lot of birds waiting for a handout.  We made the mistake of going on a paved road early and coming back on a rough road.  From now on we will try to do the gravel roads when we are fresh since they are very rogh and washboardy.  The highlight of the day was seeing a baby elephant with mother and a baby rhino with his mother.  So cute!  We cooked lamb chops again on the braai and green beans and carrots on the grill.  First day we saw Hippos, Impalas, Helmeted guinea fowl,  Elephant herd, Cape glossy starling, Nyala,  African fish eagle, Chacma baboons.

The second day we saw Elephants,  Giraffes, Crocodiles, White rhinos, Buffalos, Zebras, Hammerkop, Wholly neck stork, Hyenas,  Southern yellow billed hornbill,  Warthogs, Lots of impalas, 

Steenboks,  Swainson's spurfowl,  Lilac breasted roller,  Southern ground hornbill, Mongoose, African mourning dove,  Grey go away bird