Settling in and Moving Around
- pete
- 20 hours ago
- 7 min read
It was a busy year for me, like most all of you. I wrapped up my time in Maracaibo (and still miss my wonderful students), got married over the summer, then transitioned to Mozambique to work at a local international school. I'm ready to take it slow and check out my new environment.
Holiday season sprung up and without a lot of resources, we (Sol) made the house festive.
Christmas came around soon enough and it was time to switch from pumpkins to red and green. Sol crushed the DIY decorations.
In Venezuela, they traditionally gather as a family and make a bunch of hallacas. Sol connected with the local Venezuelan community and they got together to celebrate. I finally learned how to make them! They were delicious.
We weren't sure what to do for a Christmas tree. The plastic ones at the store were too expensive and a bit flamboyant for my taste. As luck would have it, a storm passed through over a late November weekend and a large tree branch broke off and crashed in our yard. I took the saw to it, assembled the branches, tightened it up (with Sol's help), and buried it with sand in a 5-gallon bucket. Sol decorated it all nice and pretty and voila! We grew to love the Charlie Brown-esque feel.
But let's get moving! Four weeks of freedom meant I could pick and choose where to go and what to do. For various reasons, I decided on three mini-trips with a few days of rest in between at home for Christmas and New Years. Sol joined for all of them and hated the second one.
The first trip was a combo trip I've been wanting to try for a while. We spent a couple days in Ponta (the beach) then drove to Maputo National Park on the way home to camp for a couple nights.
The trip had a lot of moving pieces but was worth it, especially as we pulled it off last-minute. Animals and birds surrounded us.
While diving, I got to see sharks for the first time. It is a surreal experience.
It was intense and intimate. Before our first dive, the battery went out on my GoPro and, looking back, I couldn't be more thankful. Viewing things through a screen considerably detracts from the experience. This time I had no choice but to experience it directly. It was unforgettable.
The next day we went again and I was geared up to record.
I learned a few things. First, the upward angle shot is the coolest because you can see the belly and teeth. The problem is that the sun is coming from that direction (up), so there is always a shadow. I noticed a couple guys (clearly shark enthusiasts) who have tricked out camera equipment. They take amazing photos with flash. Apparently it doesn't bother the sharks.
In the same way lions and hyenas don't attack humans in trucks on safari, the sharks don't attack us while diving. This is simply because they've spent thousands of years (millions for sharks) evolving an instinctual recognition for what belongs in the category of "food". Divers and trucks clearly don't register as such in their minds.
The second trip we took was right back to the beach for diving, but this time only diving and no camping. We had three days planned and included some "chill on the beach" time.
Ponta is directly across the border to South Africa. A short beach walk puts you in Kosi Bay (UNESCO Heritage Site).
This is the trip Sol hated. She dove on the second day for a refresher course on the reef while I was with the sharks. Last August I picked up some gear from a previous teacher who left and, turns out, it was not sufficient. Solanyel, bless her heart, had almost literally everything go wrong for her.
Mask wasn't tight enough, constantly filled with water
BCD too big, couldn't balance and maintain trim
Couldn't equalize, sever ear and nasal pressure
Fins too big, couldn't control movement & direction
Got seasick when she finished the dive early and was back on the boat
And it was a bout of seasickness. I've never seen anything like it. She was almost comatose for a day and a half.
While she was having a miserable experience, I was back with the sharks.
But, like a trooper, she rallied and recovered, salvaging (for her) the remainder of the trip. Our rental house was in a great location, close to the beach yet shrouded in trees full of monkeys.
We returned home for a very short day and a half for New Years celebrations, then 5:00am on the first morning of 2026 we hit the road for Kruger to begin a 6-day trip in the park. It was fun to see all the party-goers stumble home as the sun rose. Looked like many were still having fun.
An 8-hour day driving put us in Letaba for three nights before relocating to Skukuza.
This third trip was a hell of an experience. There was something special about the park this time of year. It is the local summer season which, paradoxically, means the terrain is lush with vegetation. One might think the sub-Saharan African summer would be dusty, dry, and desolate. However, the recent winter and spring rains from the highlands drain right into the park (albeit it takes several months to arrive). The riverbeds are full and plants are growing.
What are we waiting for!? Bring forth the animals!
Alright, alright. Let's slow it down. You probably didn't even care about that skink. You don't even care enough to look up if that is the actual name of the lizard. I could be lying to you. You don't know.
But my word, was it lush.
Unsurprisingly, there were some well-placed lookout spots over the hills. Kruger does it well.
The recurring theme I noticed on this trip would be life. It was a time for growth.
And it was everywhere.
And yes, it is summer season here so many animals are looking to cool off.
The hippos particularly enjoyed the cool waters.
Next time, I'll try to shoot straight on, although it wasn't for lack of effort. Sol was super patient as we sat for upwards of 20 minutes waiting, looking, hoping for a massive yawn.
Moving on...
We were also a bit lucky to see some elephants sparring. I think the young adults spar during non-mating seasons giving them both practice and familiarity of who is not to be trifled with during competition for mates in the spring.
The testosterone surges don't end there. Sol and I had a literal breathtaking encounter with an adult who didn't appreciate us on his road. One telltale sign that an elephant is agitated is it will flap its ears.
Pretty wild.
A few days later we went for a morning drive and saw one around the corner. We pulled off to the side as much as possible and turned off the car (essential). It was incredibly chill. The morning was crisp and a little damp. We were the only car in area and the elephant was oblivious to us. It walked towards us, looked at us and passed us almost jovially. It was an incredibly positive encounter but alas, no video evidence. That's ok.
The camping situation was pretty nice, all things considered. We stayed in a couple little bungalows and some sturdy tents.
... that the next day her country's president would be abducted by US Special Forces with the aim to remove a dictator and liberate the subjugated Venezuelan people, while in the process freeing the political opposition from imprisonment and torture while simultaneously promoting democracy and freedom.
Ah, sorry. Never mind. The president said he wanted Venezuela's oil and natural resources.
This was a pretty intimate moment for Sol. She couldn't believe the news that Maduro had been captured. When the image of Maduro on the helicopter was finally published, it brought her to tears. I'm happy for her, but she reflects a palpable unease with the whole thing. There is so much uncertainty.
What a time we live in.
When we got back on the road, the manifestation of life and growth helped ease the tension going on in the human world. It was refreshing to see nurture and care even in animals that don't have the best reputation.
This was the first time I've seen hyenas. We stumbled across a small clan with their mom.
It was fulfilling to see the sensitivity of these animal groups, specifically the moms as they nurse their young.
But life for solo males can be lonely. Got to find your way!
Ah, the drives never get old.
I'd like to give Sol some kudos for some great driving. She is getting her first real taste of some 4x4 road conditions and she has excelled. And I thoroughly enjoyed my station in the back of the car jumping between each side looking for animals.
Another thing I noticed on this trip was the incredible number of birds. Obviously more grass means more insects, and more insects mean more birds and grub.
Ready for birds? Here we go.
Wow! Nine birds in a row! I can't believe you stuck with it. Good for you. Thanks for indulging me. I'm enamored with birds.
Yet there is one thing that has been on my lifetime bucket list that I haven't been able to cross off - until this trip, that is.
One of my primary ambitions here was to see wild African dogs. Our October trip was void of these precious creatures, but not this time. Boy oh boy did we see them. We parked there for a solid 30 minutes hanging out with this small pack of dogs.
I couldn't believe my eyes. They are perfect animals.
I was on cloud nine for days after seeing them. It made me so happy..
Overall, it was a great week in Kruger with a great lady.
Until next time! Hope you can join us.
Oh! You're still here? Ok, you can watch a video of Solanyel driving over Crocodile Bridge:
You're STILL here? Ugh. Give it a rest.
Ok, last one:
Ok. Done.