As the week progressed, I worried that I might miss the beloved safari I was so anxious about. Too many hours spent on research, nothing seemed like the right fit, until one. When I pushed “book” a message came back saying there were no more tours available that week. But I was only in Africa for the week! I sent an email asking if there was any way possible they could fit in two people. A reply came shortly thereafter and hence began the negotiations. I have to admit there was a lot of begging, pleading & outright shameful tactics. “We’re two fun American stuntwomen! (and adventure photographer)” Yep, I pulled that card. C’mon, a safari was at stake. Well, Justin, the owner of Wild Africa Safaris, caved & agreed to take us. Heaps of gratitude & more shameless promises, we then discussed the day. Going over & above, Justin decided it best if he’d fetch us at 2:30A so that we may experience sunrise on the reserve.
I don’t drink coffee and for those that know me, I always say, “Nobody wants to see that.” Living high on life, I decline any stimulant, even at 2:30A. I willingly kept Justin awake as he drove, chattering like a squirrel, but to be fair, the conversation was riveting. Indian by heritage, raised in London, educated at Oxford and living in South Africa, our driver had a lot of interesting topics to discuss and I lapped it up, whilst my friend slept soundly in the back seat.
He was correct. Sunrise over the savanna, dotted with acacia trees was magical. We met Mzamo, our guide, and his sweet rig ~ a Land Cruiser that proved to be quite a beast itself. The best part (okay, one of the many best parts), was that we were alone.
Justin came along and with the guide, simply just the four of us for the day. Then the magic really began as we rumbled through the reserve. Expectations can really bite you in the ass, so I really tried not to have any. Truth be told it was the elephant. I wanted to see a regal African tusked elephant. Be that as it may, it was the giraffe that stole my breath. Elegantly moving a lanky, yet muscular body with such grace is a sight to behold. Ostriches & zebras, even a baby, & warthogs! Might I add, Disney did a fabulous job in “The Lion King” because warthogs look & behave just like Pumba! Ugly & hilarious. Impalas were everywhere, again with such beauty and grace, these animals are like works of art.
Even the wildebeest were intriguing, though skittish as hell, nature creates such detail as if each lovely creature was hand-drawn. Zebras, which have always confounded me with their so-called camouflage, are black & white because many predators can’t distinguish certain colors.
And more importantly to deter biting flies! We were to meet Ralph, the rhino, next. In many countries, the conservation laws in place for the protection of the animals are either non-existent or pretty laxed, so you can certainly get up close & personal with many dangerous species, as we experienced on the hippopotamus tour. Our guide said that Ralph is pretty grumpy but will show signs when he’s fed up so you have a chance to escape. Across the savanna, Mzamo got word of a buffalo sighting.
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