Safari

By the time I was ten I had read all of the Tarzan books I could get my hands on. I would jump from my back steps onto the back of a huge lion and with one of my mother's table knives I would stab at the lion until I brought it down. I was always attacking lions or leopards or huge snakes, much to the anguish of my mother who finally banned me from using the knives to stab the dirt. I would pitch a tent using an old bed sheet and sleep outdoors imagining that the night noises were from cheetahs or hyenas or other wild African animals. And now, sixty years later, here I am sleeping in a tent and listening to the real sounds of these real animals.

My tent is a little more stylish that those of my youth. It is air conditioned, has running water, and the sheets are for slipping between at night as opposed to providing a bit of protection from the wilds of Connecticut. We arrived here at our safari lodge after a very early start to a long morning of travel, filled with delays.  When we got off the plane it was 103 degrees and I quickly shed my sport coat and looked around for our greeter who finally found us and herded us to the van. The ride to the lodge took about an hour - and very close to the road, which is in the Kruger National Park - we spotted giraffes, springboks, impalas (the animal not the car), Cape buffalo, warthogs - and in the distance a rather large elephant, making that the best ride ever from airport to hotel!

We arrived at about three, giving us an hour to unpack and get dressed for the first safari at four. We arrived at the reception area at the appointed time and were quickly packed into our Land Rover which is an amazing vehicle. It holds up to nine guests in a tiered seating arrangement allowing everyone wonderful views since it has no sides or top to interfere with the sights. Our guide, Joe, introduced himself and our tracker, Shaddy, who sits on a seat attached to the left front bumper. We were told the rules, which were common sense and minimal, and then we were off. In some respects it was like an amusement ride and Cindy and I, who were on the upper seats, had to hold on for dear life as Joe pushed the Land Rover though brush, into and out of dry riverbeds, over steep hills, all at speeds approaching the Concorde at takeoff.  

During our three-plus hours we must have seen fifteen different types of animal species, most of them viewed up close and personal. The list would bore you but it was truly amazing to actually be here in Africa and on a real safari. At sunset we pulled off the dirt track and the crew quickly arranged a bar on the hood of the vehicle and were offering cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks along with some snacks of biltong (kudu jerky - a type of antelope), and mixed nuts.  Here we are in the middle of nowhere, it is getting dark, and we are stopped for Sundowners.  We arrived back at the lodge after dark and had to wait to be shown to our tents since we are not allowed to walk alone at night due to the fact that there are no fences or gates and all the animals have access to the grounds.  We had just enough time to clean up a bit before being brought back to the bar for drinks with our fellow travelers as well as Joe and Shaddy.  At about eight, we were escorted to a large sandpit with a huge fire going in the center and tables surrounding the fire pit. The tables were set with linen tablecloths and napkins, glasses for wine and water, and rather a lot of heavy silverware; not your typical BBQ. We were served a wonderful vegetable soup and then invited to make our way to the buffet where there were salads and starches, breads and rolls, and all manner of grilled beasts. We had a lovely time, ate and drank well and were nearing exhaustion.

As we were walked back to our tent at about ten, the last thing we were told was to expect a wake up call at five am and departure for the morning safari would be at 5:30am. Those were not the words I wanted to hear at that moment!    Best to all, Cindy and Wm