No rushing, rattling vehicle wakes us up. No urgent calls to help fight the fire. But the fire rages, rests and then rages and rests for another two days, keeping a number of the staff busy. Rest days for most for Wednesday and Thursday. A welcome relief. And time spent enjoying game drives with Israeli guide, Gadi. “It’s Gad actually, but if you go to an English-speaking country and say your name is Gad (pronounced Gud), with the accent people think you’re being a little more than arrogant.”
Black rhino, three of them up on the marsh, followed by a spectacular sunset. Spectacular, definitely. But only sort of a sunset actually. Before the sun can reach the horizon the burning, red orb is swallowed up by the smoke, which still spills into the sky from Mkuze Game Reserve to the west.
Morning game drive takes us winding up through the burnt mountains of Zuka, then dipping down into lush riverbeds, home to the beautiful Sycamore Fig, “which occurs from Israel to South Africa” Gadi proudly announces. Looking past two moms and two baby giraffe just 30m ahead of us, we drink in the breathtaking vista that is Zuka plains. The coffee with Amarula for our drinks stop tastes even better this morning!
Friday is back to work day for me. I’m always excited to go back and even though I’m hobbling around on blisters now, it’s good to be back with the guys. We repair elephant fencing around the Sand Forest and Bayete Camp. Slack wire running through the charred veld tells us where poles have been burnt out by the fire. The sand is soft for a change. Sinking new poles is easy.
Saturday morning and it’s another early one. By 5:30 we are on the road, heading south to the nearby Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve. Rendezvous with what is certainly a recent record number of Cox’s is at 7am, at the bottom gate.
Hugs and hellos are exchanged, together with introductions at a picnic site in the reserve. It’s just amazing to see everyone. Together. Even Dad and Nicola flew up to join all of us.
It’s not long before breakfast preparations are interrupted. Wild dog kill just two minutes’ drive away. We all pile into our vehicles and speed off knowing that wild dog make short work of any meal. Even the vultures have already started arriving so we’d better hurry! We count nine dogs, feeding on a male impala, killed surely just minutes ago in the reeds of a river bed just off the road. Soon they move off, full. And the meat pretty well finished. Spiraling vultures descend from the sky, to fight over the scraps.
Morning and evening game drives every day. Loads of rhino, buffalo and elephant and all up close. Even black rhino. All crowned perhaps by a lioness up in a beautiful Marula Tree. Braais under the stars both nights. Beers. A time to catch up and share family stories, many told for the umpteenth time. Lots of laughing and teasing and a commitment to get together like this again next year.
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