January 2023

2023 did not start well. Eugene fell ill and was admitted to Uppington Hospital on the 28^th of December where he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. They kept him overnight but said that they were not equipped to treat him; it would be best to get to a bigger hospital as soon as possible. Their first choice was Pretoria, but Eugene was in agony and the trip was harrowing. Unable to face a further two-hour trip he was admitted to Rustenburg hospital at midnight on the 29^th. Hats off to Marlene for driving all that way. It must have been nerve wracking, especially the night stretch.

After two days he was showing no improvement, in fact, he was getting sicker. The doctor went off for the New Year’s long weekend and the nurses did not seem to have any clear instruction of how to treat him. Roger had in the meantime contacted our neighbour and friend Peter Hsu to get his opinion. Peter is a highly respected nephrologist at Milpark Hospital. He and his family were on holiday in Taiwan at the time. He advised an immediate transfer to Milpark hospital and sent us the contact details of two doctors standing in for him.

Eugene was transferred to Milpark Hospital on Sunday the 1^st where his bed was reserved in ICU. He spent eight days in ICU while we looked on helplessly and could do nothing but hope. We only learned afterwards that the chance of surviving this disease is only 25%! Thankfully he eventually started showing signs of improvement and was transferred to a general ward on the 9^th. He was discharged on the 13^th, still looking very pale, swollen and in pain but at least on the road to recovery.

On a lighter note, Roger and I had an invitation to go to Botswana with a group of our friends. We would be staying at Hatari Camp in the Thuli Block where Sue is a shareholder. It is not a commercial camp and therefore only available to shareholders and their guests. We have always wanted to see what the Thuli Block is all about, so we were looking forward to it. Eugene was under the best care possible, so we decided to go ahead with our planned trip.

We left for Silver Creek on the 3^rd and had supper with Anthea and Sean. After a quick confirmation of plans for the morning we all turned in early.

Everyone was ready at the agreed time, and we were airborne at 6h30. Our first stop was at Bela-Bela for fuel.

The next leg was to our final flying destination near Vivo in the Soutpansberg Mountains. Michelle, a now qualified ex-student of Sean’s, arranged for us to stop over at the reserve where she is employed. She learned to fly in order to assist with rhino poaching patrols.

Roger and I diverted slightly to fly over my sister Cynthia’s house in Modimolle as well as over Nylsvley.

The entire route was beautiful; green, wet, and fresh.

The Bahiti Lodge is managed by Ulrich and Judy, a wonderful, friendly, and accommodating couple who went out of their way to make our stay memorable. Bahiti is an Arabic word meaning Luck or Good Fortune or Wealth. As for Hatari, Bahiti Lodge is not commercial and only available to shareholders and their guests, so we were very privileged to be invited and to spend time there. It was interesting going through the visitor’s book and other information lying around the lounge. The lodge was frequented by high-ranking officials such as cabinet ministers and their entourages during the previous regime. It shows, based on the attention to detail, the privacy of each accommodation unit, the décor and the building style.

After settling in Ulrich suggested a game drive for the late afternoon, which we eagerly accepted. Having flown in we obviously had no vehicle at our disposal. It was an interesting drive with a very informative guide, Ulrich himself.

It was a one-and-a-half hour drive to the Pontdrift border post so we got going early the next morning. We had a rendezvous arrangement with Sue for 8h00. The road was very good in places but mostly shockingly potholed. It required skill and concentration to navigate the potholes and avoid a collision or damage to one’s vehicle. A huge thanks to Michelle who arranged our stop-over and also drove us to the border post. It was rather a tight squeeze with six passengers and luggage crammed into her Prado, but we managed with Denise squashed in the boot. The youngest always gets the short end of the straw!

Sue, John and Kyle met us at the agreed time. They spent the previous night in the vicinity on the South African side where they did all the necessary shopping for the group; we could not bring much with us in our light aircraft.

The officials at the border post were very cheerful and friendly. It always makes such a difference to deal with smiles and efficiency.

During the dry season one simply drives across through the riverbed but the Limpopo River was very high after all the rain, so we had to make use of the cable car. It was interesting; three people allowed per cable car (contrary to the information which states four) and one person plus luggage. There were nine of us, so we had three passenger crossings and one luggage crossing.

There was a game drive vehicle and our designated guide Victor waiting for us on the Botswana side. We had to traverse another concession to get to our destination, so the game viewing started immediately. The area is normally rather arid but after the good rains it looked amazing.

Kyle, Sue’s son, is an ornithologist and it was an absolute pleasure to have him with us. Almost like having a walking bird app! I do think that by the end of our trip he was more than eager to get back to his own life without being constantly in demand. Roger and I logged three new lifers though which was exciting.

The animal species were not as abundant as we expected, and certainly nothing like in the Kruger National Park, but it was interesting, nevertheless.

It rained a lot during the first two days. Probably a blessing because it is notoriously hot at that time of year. The devil’s thorns came into full bloom while we were there. As troublesome as they are, they are very pretty.

Sue and John are amazing hosts. We went to a different location for lunch and sundowners every day and all meals were laid on. A real holiday. Roger and I decided to stay in camp on one of the days simply to ‘be’ and enjoy the place. But we changed our mind at the last minute for fear of missing out. And just as well, it was an eventful day!

All too soon our last day arrived, and we went for sundowners at the confluence of the Limpopo and Pitsani rivers. It turned out to be a spectacular sunset.

Michelle collected us from the border post again and dropped us off at the Bergtop airstrip where the airplanes were waiting for us. The only snag was that a gust of wind caused Buzz to whack into William’s wing, causing some small damage to Buzz’s wing cover. Roger quickly fixed it with an emergency kit he carries and we were soon on our way back to Silver Creek, with a brief fuel stop at Brits.

We arrived home on the same day that Eugene was moved to a general ward and in time to see him briefly for evening visiting hour. It was good to see his improvement. I visited him daily until he was discharged on the 13^th.

We went to watch the 3D movie Avatar in the Prestige cinema in the Zone on the 15^th. It was an interesting experience, having reclining seats and small tables for one’s drinks and snacks. I have to admit though that three hours is a very long time; I got bored…

Our friends Pete and Mary invited us for a braai at their house on the 21st. It was lovely to see them again and also to meet new people. I am always amazed at how small the world is. We seldom meet new people without there being some connection with Roger, either aviation related or from school and growing up. This was no exception. It was a pleasant day.

The evening was less pleasant. We attended our friend and neighbour Russell’s wake at the Pirates Club. He sadly passed away from cancer on the 26^th of December. He will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace.

We have big plans for 2023. Here’s hoping they will all be realised…