Jane and Jane on the Wild Side!

5:30 wake-up call and 6 am ride to find the black rhinos. Wind chill in an open vehicle was close to zero and those without gloves froze. Thirty minutes into the bush, BUT we did find the rhinos--very rare guys. Because it's winter here, the sky was dark when we left, the stars bright. We put on every piece of clothing we could (even here they have "cold fronts") and the agency supplied additional polartec ponchos and wind ponchos. Suddenly the sky brightened, no transition--just dark, then light. Interesting.

The black rhinos are in a protected game reserve and their horns are trimmed now and then to eliminate poaching. Two mothers and three younger (though not much smaller) animals gave us a 20 minute show.

Oops, got to run. An elephant, 4 zebras and a giraffe at our lodge's watering hole...

Ahhh...sitting in the sun with birds chew chewing and the flies buzzing. No breeze, just warm, baking sun. The giraffe's colors are quite brown--a sign of his age. Lumbering to the watering hole come several dozen water buffalo, some young, and several wart hogs. What strikes me is how this menagerie seems to get along. A Cape buffalo seems to growl--two males making eyes at the same gal? But all's so peaceful. More later.