1. Lagoons, Luxury and Elephant Shaped Soap
2. Fears, Feasts and Mud Fights
3. Insects, Sex and Sachets of Gin
4. On the Move, On the Stove and On the Hunt
5. Lie-ins, Lounging Leopards and Laws of the Jungle
6. Dung, Dust and a Midnight Snack
7. Wading, Wobbling and Fond Farewells
8. Candles, Crocs and Customised Showers
9. Picnics, Puppies and Crocodile Cookies
10. Sausage Fruit, Socks and a Lifetime of Memories

Insects, Sex and Sachets of Gin

Once again the dawn chorus kicked in early, and by 6am we were all assembled in the dining area relatively bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. This time, Keennan headed out in the opposite direction with the lagoon to our left. He had got wind of a pair of lions that were courting on the opposite banks of the lagoon and hoped to be able to take us right up to them. As we walked, I was struck once more at the amount of information that Keennan and James have to process as they go along. They're constantly checking the wind direction, noticing fresh tracks on the ground, monitoring the bushes and trees for movements and all the time making sure we see and understand as much as possible of what is going on around us. A difficult job, brilliantly done.

Not that everything in the bush is hairy and scary, mind. Most people have heard of Africa's Big Five, but did you know that there is also a 'little' Big Five of smaller animals as well, plus a 'green' (vegetation) Big Five too? As we walked, Steve puzzled over all the saucer-shaped indentations under the sausage trees. "Ant Lions" Keennan informed us. "Watch this". Bending down he took a tiny twig and sent a few grains of sand tumbling into the centre of one of the saucers. Instantly a pale, peculiar-looking ant popped up and cast about furiously in expectation of a meal falling into his pit. Keennan picked him up to show us and then put him back on a smooth patch of ground where he immediately started burrowing out a new pit - no peace for the wicked.

A little while afterwards, we stopped for an icy OJ and some fresh apple and bran muffins. Sitting in the shade of a sausage tree in the midst of a vast plain with a few giraffe peacefully grazing away to our left, Steve heaved a huge sigh of satisfaction. "D'you know, this is the fourth safari we've been on in as many countries and this is the only time I have ever felt properly 'away from it all'. This is amazing." Shana seconded him, "Yeah, when we were in Kenya, everytime an animal appeared, there always seemed to be about ten other vehicles stopping to look too. The animals got so fed up, they just hid and some mornings you'd see nothing at all. This, on the other hand, this is how we always imagined a safari would be. It's perfect" she said, looking round with a blissful expression on her face. "Just perfect."

And the perfection continued. Once we started walking, it was only a few minutes before we came back to the river again. Following Keennan's lead, we all trod cautiously down to the bank, and there, on the other side of the river, were the lions we had been seeking. We were downwind so they didn't catch our scent, but love was clearly in the air this morning and I doubt if they would have bothered about us anyway. Feeling slightly voyeuristic, we watched them for fifteen minutes before they slouched off into the trees to try a new position. Keennan told us that they would probably carry on mating for a further 72 hours - guess that's why lions are the Kings of the Jungle!

Back at Chamilandu, Andy had arrived to meet the new guests and bring in some supplies for Debbie. Once again, the afternoon was passed lazily by the river before we all climbed into the vehicle and headed off for sundowners at Keennan's favourite spot. Keennan and Debbie produced dinky little sachets of gin for our sundowners - terribly practical these safari-types - and we watched the churning mass of hippos squabbling in the river below. Beady-eyed crocs sunned themselves on the sand banks and the ugly, vulture-like Marabou storks loitered around in hopes of a little action. As the sun edged over the horizon, it was time to head for home for Debbie's delicious char-grilled steaks and a good nights sleep before we struck out for our new camp tomorrow. Shana was right - Chamilandu was 'just perfect' and I had the feeling that Chindeni was going to be just as good.

[continued...On the Move, On the Stove and On the Hunt]