Day 55-58: Hoedspruit (with Jessica the hippo)

Day 55: Wedding prep

As the title suggests, today was all about getting ready for the big day which was tomorrow. Slowly but surely, family members and wedding guests arrived throughout the day and we all played our part in getting the wedding area looking good, and I must say it looked awesome after all the rearranging and cleaning etc. In a nutshell the main things do be done involved getting the communal lodge stay area up and running and looking good. This meant the handful of rooms that were there, which one can hire out if you choose to stay there had to be revamped and they came out looking pretty sweet. Each room had a different theme and it looked awesome! The downstairs area was cleaned up and rearranged so that people could get around easily and for the dancing that was to take place later. Also the DJ area was setup. The balcony was redecorated with additional support poles from which cloth was draped across it and various other things. Also the tables were laid out too. The spit braai was also organised. I also helped set up one of those huge army style tents which had one of those moerse large support poles in the middle. It was just the 3 of us and damn that made it tough. Not impossible but just a bit of a process. I couldn’t help but think of my tent which takes me all of 2 minutes to set up. Then again, it only sleeps 2 unlike this one, which you could cram 40 plus people depending on how you pack em. So we finally got it up and running and we put some beds in there. This would be my sleeping place for the next 2 nights. The actual area where the couple were married was down on and alongside the river. The barge I had met and fed Jessica on was brought down the river a little and cleaned up and redecorated. Also along the bank, they had to pile and flatten loads of sand for the chairs that the guests would use during the ceremony. We got a hell of a lot done in the first day but there was still more to be done tomorrow morning before the wedding, and as usual, this created a bit of nervousness amongst those responsible. But I’m glad to say everything turned out fine. I met loads and loads of people who I ended up forgetting there names but it was all good. And at the end of the day I retired to my new outside tent with only one thought on my mind. What was I going to wear? I had forgotten my wedding outfit at home. (Always travel with a wedding outfit people. You never know when it might be needed.)

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Day 56: Wedding

Got up, had breakfast and help out with any remaining things I could help with. All while people were getting into their wedding clothes .I had decided because I had no other choice to just wear my casual green shirt with checkered fun pants baggies. And slops. Can’t not wear slops to the wedding.  Again, this was slightly surreal. Here I was attending a wedding I had no idea about till 2 days ago. Eventually everything got done and if there was something that wasn’t done, who cares. It was get married time. So everyone went and sat down by the river overlooking the barge while the wedding officiator waited for the bride and groom to arrive. I took my place also and watched me some wedding go down. I haven’t been to many weddings but of the few that I have, outdoor ones are way better in my opinion. Once the happy couple were married, photos were taken and everyone headed up to eat, drink and be merry. Then Jessica showed up and made the wedding complete. I mean, who wouldn’t want a hippo at their wedding. Its instantly one of a kind. As soon as she arrived, all eyes were now shifted from the newly weds to Jessica for a little while. Out came the cameras and click click flash flash. Haha. You scene stealer, you Jess. It was all very chilled as Toni just kept Jessica from not causing any trouble and everyone else was made aware that they didn’t have to be scared or run or act crazy. Just carry on as normal while giving Jessica her space to be. So throughout the day people enjoyed their selves, coming and going all while there was a hippo somewhere.

After the know was tied.

Enter Jessica. Seriously, how cool is this wedding now?!!!

All eyes on me people.

Thats tonnes of cuteness right there.

Beard and the bride.Whatcha think of my wedding threads ey?

Me and Toni

Jessica stealing all the attention again.

So cool.

Coming up for!!!!!

Making this place her own.

Me and Shirly

Sorry Jessica, you cant enter this area today.

Little Ritchie. Another cute bugger.

Say cheese.

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Day 57: Wedding take down

I had also realized I had lost track of time somewhat. I had assumed the wedding was on the Sunday but actually today was Sunday. I had gained a day. One of the cool things about getting out is that wonderful loss of time. You just don’t need it as much as you think you do. So everyone slowly got up from their post party stupor and rehydrated their brains and filled their bellies with delicious warm breakfast. Then it was the slow process of taking everything down. Wasn’t too slow and many hands made light work. Soon alles was weg and everyone had left. It was Sunday and was time to chill. Toni, Shirly and myself then headed out to town for a bite to eat and change of scenery  before stopping for a drink at this restaurant that was part of a Game Reserve. There I met a game ranger who told me he had walked from Cape Town to Cairo over 3 years. Wow! That was awesome! I didn’t actually hear much of the whole story as we headed off soon. I had also decided to head off tomorrow seeing as it would be Monday but Toni laughed as he knew better. I think he thought I was going to stay another week, which I suppose I could have.

Cape to Cairo man!

Take some time to process this.

And this.

And now try to process this.

Shhhh, close your eyes Little Ritchie.

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Day 58: Chilled Monday stay.

As Toni predicted I ended up staying an extra day. I think I slept longer than I had planned so just gave in to the fact that I wasn’t going to leave. And it felt good. It was only one more day. Day was spent just taking it easy and strolling around the awesome place I was staying at and taking pictures. The 3 of us also went into town again for lunch and then to buy whatever was needed back home. I got me some supplies for next day and on the way back also, we got a whole bunch of lucerne which is a harvested as hay and is a good form of cattle feed, and hippos as it seems.

Where Jessica sleeps outside the living room.

This place is stunning!!!

Bit of an open area leading to the lodge.

Where Jessica gets fed.

The tent we set up for the wedding.

The few pics are nature porn, enjoy.

Mmmm. nature porn.

The lodge. So awesome. Pull in fr a visit.

Protected by a hippo.

Post wedding.

This place flooded so bad one year that it reached the top walls of this place.

Bit further from the lodge.

Pretty awesome.

Outside area where we had tables to eat on during the wedding.

Other side. Awesome room up in the tree there.

Lekker outside fire place. Where my bike stayed the whole time.

Indoor recreaion and relaxing area.

From the top outlook section. Cell reception is sometimes possible here.

Looking down.

Carry on.

Soon soon.

Looking down from the outlook area.

Looking up.

Just taking a stroll and hey there is Jessica.

Nibble nibble.

Surreal I say. But so awesome.

Nothing but cuteness, powerful heavy cuteness.

Jessica following Toni for some food.

Lucerne. yummy yummy.

I sweat you take one more picture, Im gonna dash over there and eat that camera.

Jessica sleeping outside under her blanket.

With one of her many dog companions. Sometimes it sleeps on her.

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