On Wednesday I was lucky enough to have lunch with Leon Scheepers, a friend of mine who has run 11 Comrades! It’s always interesting to see how different runners are – in stature, training methods, and beliefs.

As our time in South Africa is starting to draw closer to ending, we have been doing more and more of our favourite sport, shopping. Thursday morning it was back to Westgate.

In the afternoon we travelled back to the Hartebeesport dam area and went to the Elephant Sanctuary.

This is one of 3 around the country, and has 5 elephants. 2 Males and 2 females in the main enclosure and 1 4-tonne Big Bull who is being trained/rehabilitated.

The elephant sanctuary aims to rehabilitate elephants and provide a venure for people to learn and interact with the giant mammals.

Firstly we got to touch the Elephants all over. It was interesting to feel how thick and hard their skin is in different parts of their body. They have a very hard elbow! And their tail is made of the stiffest hair which is a great fly swatter!

Juvenile Elephant being a 'hooligan' we are told

Next we got to pose for photos with them and have a kiss with the Elepants!
I complain when Rheanna gives me a sloppy wet kiss, but this was much worse as it was big, warm, sloppy vacuum cleaner on your face and full of mud (we hope) from their trunks!

One slobery kiss on its way	Ewww, and then there was (I hope) mud on my face
Elephant sanctuary - Sanjay and Rheanna with an elephant

Then we fed the elephants, giving them pellets that are made of a variety of plant material for nutrition. (Elephants eat 200+kg per day as they only absorb about 30-40% of what they eat). You simply hold the food and pour it down their trunk!

Elephant sanctuary - Rheanna feeding an elephant

Next we walked the Elephants (well not sure who was walking who, as you don’t really argue with a 2-tonne walking partner!) by holding and leading them with their trunks.

Elephant Sanctuary - who is walking who?

Then it was time to climb on back and enjoy an elephant ride. With their size and weight, a 75kg human being doesn’t bother them at all. We rode barebacked, with just a towel, and it is much more comfortably then riding a horse.

Elephant sanctuary - Sanjay riding an elephant

Finally we went to visit the Big 4-tonne Bull and give him some food.

At the end of a long day, it was time to enjoy some sundowners in the Maglaliesberg mountains. With a beautiful view, Monekys nearby and great company as there was us, our guide Ignaceus, and 3 American friends, Blaze, Andreas and Melissa.

We then shared a beautiful 3 course meal around the fire in a nice boma, entertained on the Mbiera (a traditional African instrument made of steel keys and a fibeglass shell that sounds like a mix between a piano and xylophone) around the fire. Not sure why whenever there is a fire we feel compelled to sit around it! However nothing beats sitting around the fire in the African bush, pitch black all around, with only small lighting methods.
I’ve also never seen a person (Ignaceus) stoke the fire with his bare hands! When we asked him how he did this, Ignaceus simly replied, “This is Africa”

Driving back home late at night in the dark on smaller roads we started to freak ourselves out when we saw signs saying “Hijacking hotspot next 2km.” This is Africa for sure…