#addoelephantpark

Changing Tyre Among Lions

#glamping #safari #adventure #addoelephantpark I'm a Capetonian living is South Korea. In 2017 we travelled to Cape Town for the 1st time with the kids. And i wanted to give them the full experience ~ you know, showing the big 5 at a nearby national reserve. Kruger National Park is too far from Cape Town, but Addo Elephant park wasn't bad. I had never been to an safari or animal park before, so took off (2 kids, wife and me) to Addo Elephant park. It was such a thrill and the SA sun harshly supported us. Both my kids were too young at the time so were advised to use our own car instead of the safari car to drive in the park. We did. The car (sedan) i had hired it from Cape Town international Airport. Long short; we drove in, saw few zebras, wild pigs, a herd of elephants ~ beautiful and majestic creatures. Then we drove around looking for lions, but no luck amd that's when it happened. We heard a loud boom and the car dropped on one side. We had a blow out aka puncture. Mind you, I've never driven in SA, let alone change a tyre. Korea is very small, you simply call your insurance and they are they in no time to service you. So I called the car center (were i had hired the car), and they were so friend and cool aboit it, like, "sir, Cape Town is more than 900km away from where you are. So please, there must be a spare tyre in the trunk and a jack kit... get to working". Me knowing where I was and my wife and kids not South African and all, I clutched my invisible pearls, like, "No! Say what now? Do you know who you're talking to? I'm one of your VIP's and I'm not even from here. Do you want me dead eaten by tiger and lion"? Her response; "Sir, you are South African, but yes your wife and kids aren't. But you are. You know these streets. And for the record, we don't have tigers in SA. This aint South Korea". We both went cackling because she was funny as hell and she checked me real quick and she was right. But wrong about me knowing the streets but I had not choice. i had to get to working. 1st i tried stopping passing cars for help but no one wanted risking a possibility of getting robbed in the middle of an animal park (i assumed that) or get mauled by lions. 2nd ask passersby to let the security at the gate to come help but no help came. i only had one choice. To do it myself. And i did. If you look at the pictures above, you can tell I'm a nube and I've never done that before. Oh, and i could help but notice how big the elephant poops are 🤣🤣 Anyway, when we got to the exit on our way out, we told them what had happened... they admired my courage and the fact that my family kept calm throughout that and that my wife had a nerve and audacity to even take pictures of the whole thing. And they did mention that we were lucky because it's too hot that day and lions were prolly somewhere lazing around in a shade. We made out of there alive. And i was so damn proud 👏🏾