South Africa 2009: Kruger Park Part 2, Asian poses and Barberton miscellany

OK, this post is basically just another image dump, more or less a visual archive to serve as the historical record of the campaign. Things were going well; we had the Boer on the run and had transformed into a battle-hardened strike force. Heading south from the Kruger National Park we struck out for Barberton once more in preparation to celebrate Granny's 90th birthday and Fiona's 33rd.

Alex rangefinding a mortar attack on Boer positions, just outside Satara camp, KNP.

I ordered a chicken sandwich and this is what I got. It's not chicken, and it's not a sandwich. It's not even dead. I was not pleased.

Fighting the Boers is thirsty business.

Asian Pose #1 - V sign; Sponsored by Ultimate Sports Nutrition

Alex coming down off the Impala Lily high, Pretoriouskop Camp, KNP

Sunset. Or maybe sunrise. We didn't sleep for three weeks straight, so I can't remember which side of daylight this was.

Just out of the Kruger Park the convoy stopped at a local farm to practice some scorch and burn tactics. I was supervising this when suddenly a rabid dog attacked. It was clearly trying to protect its owner or something. As I rapidly assesed the situation, Alex approached...

"I've got something to show you", he said shyly. He held up a small bundle. "Shit!" Fiona shouted. "It's a baby! No more than a few days old by the looks of it!"

The Coco-Pan, Barberton. Commandeered to serve as the Officers Mess, due to its fine menu of toasted sandwiches.

Mogs. Owner of the Coco-Pan, and mad as a bag of spanners.

We'd carried Alex's damn baby for miles, and it was started to whine. Lesson learned: don't take infants to war. They will hamper you. Fortunately Mark's quick thinking saved the day...

The solution to the baby problem. We swapped it for 200 crates of pilchards: rations for the men!

A couple of snaps of Fountain Baths Gentlemen's Club, which accomodated our Command Post for the duration of our stay in Barberton.

To help raise morale, and to show the knavish Boer that our spirits couldn't be dampened, we held a party. By a lucky coincidence, Granny turned 90 that day and Fiona turned 33. Mark entertained everyone with an impromptu display of Asian poses and Barberton's finest turned out to see and be seen.

Don't miss

Part 1: South Africa Campaign 2009

Part 2: Kruger National Park