Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa

April 1

**Our ship is the blue dot; you can see our path down the east coast, nearing Capetown and then headed up the west coast.**

Waiting for high winds (26mph) to subside a bit caused delay in our docking. The pilot boat is challenged in sidling up to the ship to deliver the pilot.

Gqeberha is South Africa’s 6th most populous city and 3rd largest port. While the area hosted hunter-gatherers as many as 10,000 years ago, it was settled by the British in 1820. A railroad was constructed to move goods from inland farms and factories in 1875. At that time there was trade in mohair, wool, and ostrich feathers. During the Boer War of 1899-1902 it was the base for British supplies. This city, as several previous visits, is a starting point for visiting game parks. That’s what we’ll be doing.

We’ll be travelling to the Amakhala Game Reserve. It used to be a farm for sheep and cattle, but the owners must have seen an opportunity. They say that it is now “home to lions, elephants, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest and more.” I wonder if they moved the sheep and cattle first. Evidently, if one has enough property, he can fence it and display animals. There are numerous private game parks.

Fifty mile per hour wind gusts prevented us from docking when scheduled so we started our trip 2 hours late…hoping that it would still work. It did. After a bus trip of a bit over an hour, we mounted 10 person, 4×4 vehicles for about a 3 hour game drive. It was through partially-treed, rolling hills. We could travel 2-4 minutes without seeing an animal and then come upon several. I think that’s more fun than seeing large herds. We did not see a bask or conspiracy or bloat or shrewdness or pride….but we had seen crocs, lemurs, hippos, lions and apes before. We missed seeing a leap or coalition…still haven’t viewed a leopard or a cheetah.

We did view a parade, a crush, several herds, a confusion, a tower, an obstinacy, a flock and a dazzle. For amateurs, those are elephants, rhinos, wildebeests, giraffes, buffalo, ostriches, and zebras. Gazelles, impalas, and hartebeests move in herds. Some people saw cheetahs. The most interesting snippet was watching giraffes looking around the countryside for a lost baby. (The guide said it was “found” by lions the previous day.) Evidently, the parents will look around for about two weeks. Karla joined the chorus of voices damning the lions. But, we didn’t see it. The baby giraffe may have started the altercation….perhaps sassing the lions.

We are continually surrounded by nice drivers and guides. There is an unemployment rate of 40 percent and the tourism industry helps it from going higher.

You’ll like Karla’s pictures.