- Lagoons, Luxury and
Elephant Shaped Soap
- Fears, Feasts and Mud
Fights
- Insects, Sex and Sachets of
Gin
- On the Move, On the Stove
and On the Hunt
- Lie-ins,
Lounging Leopards and Laws of the Jungle
- Dung, Dust and a Midnight
Snack
- Wading, Wobbling
and Fond Farewells
- Candles, Crocs
and Customised Showers
- Picnics, Puppies and Crocodile Cookies
- Sausage Fruit, Socks and a Lifetime of Memories
Lie-ins, Lounging Leopards and Laws of the Jungle
Tired out by the excitement of the previous evening's leopard
encounter, I decided to have a lie-in. Accordingly I hung the little
cardboard giraffe over the handle of my door - "Please do not disturb me
- I am tired and do not want to go on safari." Lying in bed that
morning, looking straight out over the lagoon was the height of luxury.
Deer and antelope lapped at the water below whilst monkeys chattered and
squabbled furiously alongside. The sun was up and already getting warm
but my tent was still delightfully cool as I wandered around dressing
and revelling in the view.
Making my way to the main area, I discovered that all the others had
gone out on the walk but that Marianne had laid out cereals and fresh
muffins for me whilst I waited for brunch. Embarrassed at causing her
extra work, she immediately told me not to even consider it. "It's your
holiday, you should be able to do just what you want to. Don't worry
about it for another second." Thus reassured, I sat down to coffee and a
muffin, saving my appetite for a real brunch in a few hours. Hot and
tired, but all looking very pleased with themselves, the others came
back just after 11am. It turned out that they had gone to see if last
night's leopard was still around and had found it lying in a tree,
guarding its prey. Reuben, who always carries loads of cameras and
lenses with him, was convinced he'd got the picture of the century (he
had too - he emailed it to me when he got home. All floppy paws and
watchful eyes - fantastic).
After brunch, Reuben and Clare retired for a siesta, Shana settled down
in the lounge area with a book and Steve and I chatted with James as he
cleaned his rifle. As well as Keennan, James is also a fully qualified
walking guide, the Bushcamp Company having spotted his potential and
paid for him to go through the rigorous 2-year training programme. A shy
man with a warm smile, he was delighted to have been assigned back to
Bushcamps by the National Park authorities. Although he carries a gun
capable of felling an elephant, James has never had to shoot any animal
whilst on a walk. Instead he relies on his knowledge of the animals and
the walking conditions to keep his party safe - the only time he has
fired the gun was into the air to deter a bad-tempered hippo!
Nevertheless, like any good scout, James believes in being prepared and
this cleaning of his gun was a regular and important task. More peace of
mind for us!
Having spent a lazy day, I was raring to go for a walk after tea. As
ever, the animals were easy to spot and relatively undisturbed by our
presence. As we turned towards them, a herd of zebra decided we were
close enough and took off at a rate of knots. Clare, who's ears must
have been sharper than the rest of us, frowned, giggled and asked
Keennan "Am I hearing things or are those zebras, er, expelling wind?!"
Keennan, with a smile, hastened to assure her that she wasn't going mad.
Because of the tough grass which zebras graze on, their digestive system
isn't that efficient and this causes them to fart when they run. A new
law of the jungle - never get downwind of a fleeing zebra!!
Back in camp, after enjoying sundowners on the river banks, Marianne had
got the braai going. As this was Reuben and Clare's wedding anniversary,
they were going to enjoy a private meal served to them in the privacy of
the balcony of their chalet - how romantic can you get? Their table was
laid with a white cloth, silver candlesticks and a glistening ice bucket
- definitely an anniversary to remember ( and I must remember to come
back to Chindeni when I have a special occasion to celebrate!). The rest
of us sipped some more beers as Marianne grilled and basted tender baby
chickens and huge fillet steaks. Tomorrow we would be off to our third
camp - Bilimungwe, the Chameleon camp - what changes would that bring?
[continued...Dung, Dust and a Midnight Snack]
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