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Knysna Elephant Park

Published July 5, 2018

If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages

Think of all the things we could discuss

If we could walk with the animals, talk with the animals,

Grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals,

And they could squeak and squawk and speak and talk to us ~ Dr. Doolittle

Today was certainly a Doolittle kinda day. Up before dawn, woke to the sound of wild birds & zebra (donkey-like yips). It’s winter in Africa: temp low 50’s, no morning sun ‘til 7am. Walked to the Elephant Park Visitor Center, awaited my morning tour.

Researched Knysna Elephant Park online, on my own 6 months ago. Reached out & secured one of the lodge’s 6 rooms. Later registered for a morning Elephant Walk, comes with breakfast so why not? [Walk? Rides, inhumane.] Introductory film. Do’s don’ts re: the elephants. Never knell or bend over. When feeding an elephant, keep your food bucket to the side/on your hip/slightly behind your back. Elephant trunks consist of 157,000 muscles. Crazy strong, surprisingly dexterous. It’s not just a hose for water (my bad, didn’t arrive with lotta previous elephant knowledge).

Park started with 2 rescues from Kruger Nat’l Park, Harry & Sally. I’d walk with Sally today, Knysna’s matriarch now age 29. Every elephant goes on the walk, each elephant [has] its own guide.

Surprised how soft-spoken the people are – except, when it matters. I’d strain to hear, nod a lot (I struggle with accents), then seemingly out of the blue, a short/curt/loud burst directed at an elephant. Stop. Move. Other words I didn’t understand. No bullhooks, whips, no harnesses. Voice command. These are HUGE creatures. HUGE INTELLIGENT creatures. They listen/don’t listen.

Elephant goes for a walk-about, voice command generally did the trick. If not, elephant temporarily left our train – no stopping an ELEPHANT – rejoined us later, realizing it’d been left behind. Fed twice during the walk. NO elephant missed/wandering-about at feeding time. They know 🙂 Grass/shrubs/tree limbs available all day every day. Fruit & grain at human feedings. Oh, they know.

Tour ended with an ‘Out of Africa’ breakfast-spread on the Savannah. Wee much for a Party of 1.

Digged the elephant walk though. Well worth the money, a ‘MUST DO’. Went back later that day for a group feeding (FREE while staying at the Lodge). Provided a large bucket of fruit. Got the full elephant feeding experience.

Nothing ELEPHANT left undone 🐘 ❤

: matriarch Sally

: each elephant its own guide

: camera mugging

: a.m. Elephant Walk

: African sunrise

: super intelligent & HUGE

: crazy POWERFUL trunk

: day’s 2nd group feeding

: WOW pic!

: worst Hide-n-Seek EVER

: nothing left undone 🐘

Elephant Walk

The Knysna Elephant Park (est. 1994) was the first facility in South Africa to house and care for orphaned African elephants. Today, it has become a world class facility, having cared for and raised more than forty elephants. These animals include relocated animals, orphaned calves, elephants rescued from culls and ex-circus animals. Some have become part of the resident herd, others have moved onto other reserves and facilities in the Western and Eastern Cape, depending on their personalities, bonds with other animals and welfare needs.

The present KEP herd numbers ten – the largest domesticated matriarchal herd in the country. Our style of management offers guests the opportunity to get up close and personal with our elephants, on elephant terms. Responsible and educational interactions allow guests to appreciate the awe-inspiring presence of these animals, but still give the elephants the space and freedom to choose where they want to move, what they want to eat and who they want to interact with. There are no fences to spoil the close encounter and our environment encourages elephants to exhibit natural behaviours.

Afrikaner Holiday

Published July 4, 2018

Long way from Colorado. Left Denver midnite July 2^nd, arrived in South Africa on USA Independence Day. Three different airlines. Denver to New York (Jet Blue), NYC to Johannesburg (South African Air), Jo’burg to George (Mango). Long long way from home.

Lotta hours in the sky but no drama AND I got fed, kinda. 2^nd meal service outta NY, realized it was intentional. Kept getting my meal first. Kept being served fruit, plain yogurt & 2 rice cakes. Printed label on my meal. GF? Assume I inadvertently checked gluten-free while purchasing my ticket last February. Gluten-free? Blah. I go thru a lotta fad phases – generally they’re all vegetarian-heavy varieties. Never ever have I eaten so many rice cakes. Beef, chicken, pasta steaming all around me. No thanks, really 2 rice cakes/meal are plenty. By the return flight home, I was neighbor-borrowing jelly packets. LOL>

Easy breeze thru SA Customs, not many foreigners on the transatlantic flight (majority South African citizens). Long 5 hour wait in Johannesburg O.R. Tambo’s domestic terminal for my Mango Air connection. Just after 2pm local time touched down in George, on South Africa’s Indian Ocean coastline. Hertz car rental, same in the States.

Hour-15 minute drive to tonite’s lodging, 35 minutes outside Knysna (Saturday marathon).

Driving on the left. Slow & easy, solo travel this go-around. No bestie Dawn or Stephen to chauffeur/help me navigate. BUT only one main road to manage, South Africa’s Garden Route or as Google Maps referenced: the N2. I could do this.

Far left is our far right – the slow lane, kinda. In South Africa, there’s also the shoulder. Not intended for breakdowns, cyclists or runners, the shoulder is an active traffic lane here. And horns. Folks use them, use them a lot.

Slow & steady. Highway or dirt road travel, only one real town to drive through. Knysna.

Thin city travel, lotta horn velocity. Double-left turn lane, traffic stopped. Far left, guy hanging in my lane, stopped. Horns, whole lotta noise. Ok I’ll just ease around his vehicle. [Glad I didn’t cheap out, purchased Hertz’ Super Coverage.] Yep, clipped him. Then to make matters worse, I backed up. Hot mess in a foreign country, only 45 minutes after rental pick-up in George. Ugh.

Did you know South Africans speak Dutch? Yeah, neither did I. Weren’t they British once? Princess Di’s brother? Gets better. Kid I scrapped had just pulled his BRAND NEW Lexus off the lot. Ran inside to get title/ownership papers. Yeah, that new. Double ugh.

Felt like such the jerk. Kid’s first day at a new job too. Took cell phone pics, exchanged information & he was on his way. Would file an accident report within 24 hours – at an African police station. Yep, exactly as it sounds. Actually visited TWO the next day. Plettenburg Bay closer, less city traffic, easier to navigate but the wrong station. Had to travel back to Knysna, wait with the other criminals. All types, assume same process in the States. Grand tourist experience. Avoidable, my fault.

Can tell ya though, wasn’t horn-rushed the rest of the trip. Keep on honking drivers, I’m on Afrikaner holiday.

Thursday itinerary: ELEPHANTS 🐘 ❤

Free VZW Msg: Welcome to South Africa. You have TravelPass, which lets you use your domestic plan for $10/day. Pay only on the days you use your mobile service. Use talk, text, or data to start your session. Enjoy your trip.

: Economy Check-In

: AFRICA

: NYC to Johannesburg

: South Africa celebrity sighting 🙂

: Jo’burg to George

: Afrikaner Twitter takeover

: driving on the left

: hot mess in a foreign land

: Thursday itinerary: ELEPHANTS

Afrikaner Rental

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Barr Camp

Published June 30, 2018

Hiking – Trailhead to Barr Camp

Most visitors to Barr Camp hike up Barr Trail from the trailhead in Manitou Springs. The 6.5-mile hike gains 3800ft, with most of the elevation gain over the first three miles of the trail. Do not be discouraged by the first part of the trail. While the trail continues to gain elevation to Barr Camp, the next three miles of the trail are less steep.

We recommend an early start on the trail. In the summer months, the lower part of the trail can be brutally hot. A cool morning start will get you up higher before the heat of the day, and will get you to Barr Camp in time for a nap, deck-sitting, or a short hike to a great overlook.

When departing the trailhead parking lot, be careful to start on the correct trail. Barr Trail is on the south side of the parking lot, at the large wooden Barr Trail sign. On the other side of the lot is an unmarked trail that takes you to the incline. The incline should not be attempted unless you are aware of what you are getting into.

Kicked off Bighorn training last December with a hike up the Incline in Manitou Springs. 2000ft+ vertical gain, climbing one mile of stairs [Garmin read .97]. It’s a butt kicker. Seemed only fitting I’d return, after Bighorn said-n-done.

every June weekend

Early a.m. start, 2 hour drive to Colorado Springs, ‘nother 20 minutes to Manitou. Parking’s now $10 & completely gone by 7am. Summer season. Incline on a lotta bucket lists. Fee paid good for 4 hours. Not ending at the Incline today, hiking on. Barr Camp, day’s destination.

16 marathons completed since my last Incline ascent. Result: still sucked wind. It’s a steep climb. Topped 20 minutes faster than December. Couple long intakes of oxygen, then down the backside of the staircase tenth-mile, reconnected with Barr Trail.

Hiked the entire 29-mile Barr Trail in 2013, summited Pikes Peak, later napped against a tree truck on the hike return. Never ever again. Too much. Never say never, but not today 😊

Insert: Chesapeake Tom. Marylander renting in Manitou, training for the Pikes Peak Marathon. Met him at the Connector junction. Confirmed I was bearing west, hiking the Barr Trail. Notta lotta traffic hiking UP Pikes generally but with the Cog closed, many more than normal.

Tom had a time goal in mind. 3 hours to Barr Camp, first time cutoff in his Pikes Challenge. Hiked Barr Trail first time last weekend. 3:20 to Barr Camp. Would need to shave an hour if he hoped to hit tree line 4:30 in, summit before 6 hours. After that, it’s a generous 4 hour clock to Manitou. Sailboat captain, flatlander, dropped 40 pounds. His goal race. I get it.

Keenan had a time goal too. 4 hours up-n-back before his Jeep gets towed. Yikes!

Conversation made time fly. Power-hiked thru long stretches of Ponderosa pine, later Aspen. Strava map shows we climbed another 1500ft, who knew? I heart Aspen.

Chesapeake Tom sailed 16 days across the Atlantic. Maryland to the Azores, Azores to Ireland, Ireland to Scotland, then down the lock system to Dover. Last Fall, moved his boat to Chicago (son’s home). mid-America Chicago? Chesapeake Bay to the ocean, up NY’s Hudson, past the Statue of Liberty, utilized locks thru the Great Lakes – touched all ‘cept Lake Ontario. double WOW, right?

Never before stopped at Barr Camp, thought it was a Boy Scout retreat. Open 365/year (even Christmas), cots house 15-17 indoors, campsites & biveys outdoor. $30 to sleep under roof, price includes pasta dinner & oatmeal breakfast (one-pot group meal).

Next time I top Pikes, sleeping at Barr. Halfway point (6 miles more to Summit), chocolate brownies for purchase. Just saying.

Fast trot back. Just missed 4 hours but found my Jeep parked where I left it (thanks Parking Police). Chesapeake Tom however hit his time goal, 2:49 to Barr Camp. Never know WHO you’ll meet on a day hike. Thanks for the stories, friend.