A reasonable start this morning at 6.30 as we set off in the bush to the next lodge where the owner had hand reared 2 white lion cubs that had been abandoned by their mother when they were born. Each morning they are taken for a walk and we had the pleasure of joining them. We walked and they rushed about playing with each other. Every now and then they would stop and we could stroke them. Upon our return they played with the family dog and were so pleased when their surrogate dad came out,all 3 of them rolled on the floor,hugging and smooching. Kate had her arm nipped and her trousers slobbered on by both of them in a pincer movement. Soon they will be too big to do a walk so we felt blessed to have done it.
After that it was back for breakfast,settle our drinks bill (£1 a beer) and head north to Botswana. We stopped to have a tasting at the Amarylla cream factory,this is a South African "baileys" but none the worse for it and has some good economic benefits for the locals. We reached Polokwane in time for a late afternoon walk in the bush. We saw some different antelopes from yesterday but it was harder as we were on foot and the animals are so well hidden in the bush. We got caught out by the suddenness of the nightfall,lost our bearings and had to rely on torches to find our way to the exit. What was so weird was that we could hear traffic and see one of the World Cup stadia but were surrounded by strange noises from wild animals in the darkness. So close to civilisation but not safe either. A short drive later to our bush lodge accommodation was also a bit worrying as it was in darkness but it was just another of one of the daily power cuts we have experienced here. Still no internet either.