David is a Tick-Magnet

David, Josh, Dad and Ingrid went on a dawn guided walk. They got up at 5am and drove to a bush camp to walk for a few hours.

They saw nothing but, despite liberal spraying with insect repellent, David picked up a lot of ticks. This has earned him the nickname of Tick Magnet.

Ingrid says you can't be sure of seeing things but the ranger should have pointed out more of the smaller things along the way. Dad says that all the game has gone to the area around Memorial Gate (where we saw a lot on our morning drive). Josh says he had a good workout anyway. He had a nap this morning.

Tonight, we are going on a Night Drive in a tarpaulin-covered viewing truck. The truck is specially designed to raise you up higher for a good view of the bush to each side of the road. In a car, you can drive right by an elephant if its behind a bush or totally miss a hippo.

Frost and Wren enjoyed another swim/play session by the pool and we had dinner-for-lunch because the night drive is three hours and goes through dinner. The kids aren't coming (Wren is too young and Frost too impatient) so Dad has offered to stay with them.

While everyone else was being guided through the bush, I took Frost and Wren on a drive to Memorial Gate where we had one of our best game drives last night. We saw a couple of elephant right by the road, many giraffe, rhino and antelope. Still no lion.

This morning, we saw a hyena right by the road. No photos (because mine is being used by The Robber and David took his on the hike-seeing-nothing.

Still, a hyena is very cool.

We also saw another couple of elephants, buffalo, zebra, giraffe and various nyala and impala. The kids are learning the names of the animals which is an improvement from yesterday when Frost saw his first wild elephant from the reception terrace.

Frost: "ELEPHANT! That is one of the BIG FIVE!
Wren: THE BIG FIVE!
Frost: Now I only need to see lions and tigers and we will have seen them ALL!

Me: Not tigers.

Frost: Oh yeah! There are no tigers. Oops. Jaguars.. no, leopards! What is the difference between a jaguar and a leopard anyway?

My children are total tourists. I really cannot go incognito as a local.

We head home tomorrow lunch after a morning game walk for me and one other.