Close Encounters and Saying Goodbye

Suffice it to say the weather was not cooperating yesterday. Cold, light rain kept shifting to mist and back again all morning. We bundled up in rain jackets or ponchos and headed out after coffee. Despite the cold, I felt warm and cozy; the movements and sounds of the land rover crunching over the ground kept putting me to sleep. Soon we made our first sighting of the morning: two huge elephants walking along the road. We drove along side them for a little while and watched them eat and meander. Next we came upon a group of four lionesses three of which were lying in a group just like kittens. Not far from the lionesses we found the same male lions we’d followed the previous night. They were relaxing and looked so innocent. You could visibly see one’s eyes become little slits and his head bobbing on the verge of sleep. On our way back, we came upon another group of elephants. One of which was very old, probably around fifty, and the other was still young and learning from the older one, sort of like a mentoring situation. The number of folds in the skin and humps on the backs were markedly different between the two.

We came back a little early for breakfast and sat in the main lodge near the fire, which was especially nice after being somewhat chilled from the weather. Carmin and I downloaded and responded to email while we waited for breakfast. The banquet table had been laid out with plates, silverware, and a fruit basket at this point. A vervet monkey dashed into the lodge, hopped onto the banquet table, and snatched a couple of bananas. Carmin and I noticed too late to either chase him off or grab a camera (As I was writing this – no kidding – another monkey came and stole some of the lunch rolls! Wow)! Later one brought over her baby and sat perched atop the branch of a nearby tree, watching us. It was so cute and fascinated me.

After breakfast, Mike was nice enough to give us a great interview describing his job as a guide which should be debuting on the site pretty soon. Everyone went their own way for a few hours and reconvened at lunch. We sat discussing our South African itineraries, pouring over a map and making notes of our thoughts. I have no doubt that these trips will be a great deal of fun and I am already planning to come back with my family and Justin.

It was just about time for high tea when we were done with our meeting and not long before we head out for our final afternoon safari with Mike. It was obvious he and Jerry were on a mission as soon as we climbed into the vehicle. We stopped only once, very briefly, to watch three mongooses cross the road. Being close to the front of the land rover, I was able to see Mike anxiously biting his thumb nail. He stopped the vehicle and both he and Jerry jumped out, discussing droppings they noticed on the ground. Both were very quiet and communicated in the local tribal language (Shangaan) so we were unaware of just what was going on. The anticipation was killing me! Moments later and a brief trip down twisting dirt roads, Mike slowed and shouted, “here! There!” all the while pointing and edging the vehicle forward. Then he exclaimed, “Buffalo!“ That was all we needed to hear. Raucous cheers erupted from inside the land rover. This was it, we had seen all of the Big 5.

As we edged nearer, Mike told us that the group members were female buffalo with their young. He also told us they’re quite dangerous, possibly the most dangerous of the Big 5 because, unlike elephants, they won’t simply trample you. They will absolutely gore you. He told us that he’d been charged by one in Botswana. He and his friend had to fire two shots into her just to bring her to the ground. After an autopsy had been preformed, they found that she was lactating and her baby had died, hence she was in a rage, Mike just so happened to be nearby.

He guessed (accurately) that the males would be nearby and hurriedly drove through brush and trees, bringing us face to face with a group of bulls. They are so massive and odd looking to me. We watched them for a while as they moved off into a thicket, peering out at us from their hiding place. Mike drove us back toward the females, which we watched for a while longer.

In jovial, triumphant spirits we left the buffalo to graze. Soon we came upon a female hyena that appeared to be hunting a group of male impala. This is unusual because she is at a disadvantage due to the number of kudu and the fact that they have horns. However, Mike said she appeared very hungry so may be willing to take the risk. The males bounded away and she noticed us. Normally the hyenas we’ve seen have been skittish of the land rover, but not this one. She pranced right up to the side of the vehicle where Dennis was snapping photos of her. She moved her head from side to side before bending to a crouch. I swore she was about to spring into the vehicle. She edged closer to my door and I became quite frightened. Jerry had a spotlight which he shined into her eyes causing her to flee. Yikes!

Further on we spotted a rhino trotting in the grass parallel to the road. He ran ahead of us then turned and began running toward us. I thought this would be the end for sure! As the rhino headed for us, Mike killed the vehicle engine and placed a hand on his rifle. Luckily the rhino changed his mind and turned (on a dime!) to head in a different direction. After he left, Mike told us it was a black rhino. Black rhinos are much more aggressive than white rhinos and can run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Jerry, who sits atop a seat bolted to the hood of the vehicle, was surprised and a little scared. He confessed he’d only been calm because he thought it was a white rhino.

We drove onto a hill that rose high above the surrounding area. The air was chill and high wind whipped around us. It was pitch black at this point but far in the distance, many miles away, there was a string of lights pressed onto the horizon. It was the first sign of civilization, of a town, I’d seen in several days. To some this might seem annoying, and I admit it may otherwise have rubbed me the wrong way, but at that moment I felt a sense of happiness, of warmth, hope and gratefulness. I felt a sense of connectedness to both the world and to humanity, to the people in that little village that I’ll never meet and all those beyond it.

Dinner was a special event as it would be our last for the trip and in South Africa. I think all four of us had impala steak for the same reason, who knows when or if we’ll ever have it again? It was delicious as was the dessert.

Today is our final day here. A small, chartered plane will take us from the Sabi Sabi landing strip to Johannesburg International Airport and we’ll go our respective ways – I to New York and the others connecting through DC to their respective homes (Carmin in Seattle, Dan in Billings, and Dennis in St. Louis). This trip has been very special. I hope you’ve all enjoyed the photographs and the blog entries. I definitely encourage everyone to come to South Africa. Carmin has done a fantastic job with the different itineraries (family or adult) so if you make it an Austin-Lehman trip, I have no doubt it will be an experience you will cherish and remember forever. I know I will, and I truly hope someday (in the not too distant future) to come back with my family to this country teaming with beauty, wilderness, and culture.