October 27, 2008 - Monday - Hippo Hollow in Hazyview

We arrive late in the afternoon after our first full day on the road.  Hippo Hollow Country Estate is located on the tranquil Sabie River, where the resort's namesake hippos regularly graze on the front lawn.  My cottage is quite luxurious, having a king sized bed on the main floor and two single beds in a loft.  My patio overlooks the Sabie River. There are very few mosquitoes, which seems strange with all the vegetation around and the slow flowing river only a few metres away...not that I'm complaining!

7pm Shangaan River Club - This is a cultural experience that is staged right on the grounds of Hippo Hollow, consisting of tribal drumming, singing and dancing, followed by a traditional African feast. The chief of the local village is the master of ceremonies, and he introduces his troupe of orphans to perform the singing and dancing. He is very animated, talking to us for well over three quarters of an hour before the performance begins. He explains how he is personally responsible for the care of the orphans, many of which are the result of AIDS killing both of their parents. They support themselves by this arrangement with the Hippo Hollow Country Estate, so I'm pleased that Thompsons has chosen to include this performance in the tour. I shoot some high definition video using "night mode" on my Canon HV-20, which works quite well until I run out of video tape! Despite this glitch, I have enough video to capture the event.

The feast of culture served buffet style after the performance is very good.  There are lots of choices from the usual soups and salads, as well as a nice selection of African meat dishes that are served from traditional cast iron pots. Fruit, dessert, and drinks are also included.  This is all served under a massive boma, or thatched building right next to the performance area.  It wasn't just our group who were taking in the feast, however the staff coped with the crowds quite effectively.  All of my group seemed to enjoy themselves, and everyone left the tables fully satiated.

JoeTourist^® recommends the Shangaan River Club.

October 28, 2008 - Tuesday - to Kruger National Park - click on the link

October 29, 2008 - Wednesday - Hazyview to Swaziland

As we drive around the perimeter of Kruger National Park, Craig tells us about the "Informal" development right up to the fence around the park. We take N4 national road, driving through a fruit and sugar cane growing region, crossing the Crocodile River, and end up at the border crossing at Jeppes Reef.  Most of the group goes to see the "cultural show" at the Matsamo Cultural Village.  I opt to just have lunch there, and occupy my spare time watching the big crocodile in the pond and photographing the Southern Masked-Weaver birds as the males build their nests.

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