Day 110: Safari - Full Day #1 - Elephants, Lions, Giraffes etc.

 

This morning, we set a 5 a.m. alarm to be ready for our first full safari day. That means leaving the tent at 5:30 a.m., walking along the boardwalk to the main lodge, and partaking in a civilized early morning tea/coffee and biscuits. The temperature is definitely on the cooler side, so you need multiple layers and long pants to combat the chill. Our jeep is a tricked-out, converted Land Cruiser. It has three cushioned rows of three seats, open sides, and a cloth roof (with roll bars). 

Our tour guide, Kingsley (call me "Kings") gave us a brief safety talk, and then off we went. The safari consists of about three hours in the jeep, driving at various speeds along dirt roads and tracks through the bush. We quickly learned that Allison would be the chief spotter for the three couples, assisted by Laurie. Allison's ability to find animals hiding in the bush was quite amazing, to the point that Kings asked "So, Allison, what do you see?" multiple times. 

It was a spectacular first morning. We saw a large family of elephants, zebra, and giraffes hanging together, water buffalo, wildebeest, kudu (antelope), and, of course, a family of lions by the side of the road. The animals are used to the jeeps, so they don't view them as either prey or predators. We're simply inside the jeep, so they don't even know we are there (although they can undoubtedly smell us!). We could get within 15-20 feet of the elephants and giraffes, and the lion and lioness were less than six feet from Allison's side of the jeep. She wasn't amazingly happy about that distance, but still managed to get some great wildlife shots.

We stopped for a coffee break at about 8 a.m. It was an opportunity to soak in
the bush and the tranquility all around us. Watching the animals so close up, you realize how quietly they move (even the elephants, unless they want you to know they're there!). By this time, the sun has been up for two hours, and the bush is starting to warm up and really come alive with impala. Impala are the main food source of many animals and seem to be at the bottom of the food chain. Fortunately, they breed and reproduce prodigiously to keep the food pyramid stable. 

Shortly after the restart, we encountered a huge amount of elephant poop on the road - a big tracking clue -  followed by a large (15-20) family of elephants. They were all around us, munching away - yet the adults kept a watchful eye on us. Eventually, they continued on their way, yielding this multi-elephant-butt shot.

John's favourite nerd activity of the day was playing with Millie the Millipede. We're driving along the ride, and Kings slams on the brakes, leans out, and picks up a long black bug with many legs. "who wants to check out the millipede?" I raise my hand, and he passes Millie across. "By the way, that slime contains trace amounts of cyanide," he casually adds. You could barely feel Millie, although her feet tickled slightly as she made her way over my hand and up the arm. 

Then, back to the lodge for a full-cooked breakfast and an opportunity to catch up on some sleep, read, and try out the absolutely freezing plunge pool. One side benefit of the cold pool is that the elephants love to use it as their personal drinking fountain. Then lunch at 1 p.m. More relaxation before afternoon tea at 3.30pm and off onto the road once more at 4pm. 

One wonderful aspect of the late afternoon ride at this time of year is that sunset is relatively early, at 5:35 p.m. This yields a great opportunity to stop, have a sundowner drink, and listen to the change in the bush. As well as viewing a magnificent sunset, you also get to see the stars in their full glory, even catching the outline of the Milky Way.