Maggie Lives @ Home: Africa: The Third and Final Installment

Sorry for keeping everyone waiting, I wish I would have got this up sooner!

After we arrived at the Richard’s Bay airport we were transported via giant EuroVan to the Heritage Lodge at Zulu Nyala where we checked into our tented camp. When I say, “tented” I mean a hybrid tent that was canvas on the two sides and ceiling and concrete on the front and back plus a full bathroom.

Our room.

After changing into our safari fatigues we went and grabbed a quick lunch from the buffet before our first evening game drive. James, our driver for the week, was also my parent’s driver when they visited in March of 2009 and was just as good as they told me he’d be. After spotting some Giraffe’s and Kudu we went looking for a mother Cheetah and her four young cubs. James, with the eagle eye, spotted them in the bush near the edge of the reserve and actually let us get out of the vehicle and walk right up to the Cheetahs. After I picked my jaw up off the ground I snapped about a billion pictures and then just watched the cubs run and play with each other as the mother looked on.

After our Cheetah fill we went looking for the Leopard, who proved to be very difficult to spot and even harder to photograph. I only managed to get a few decent shots of him that needed to be severely edited and enhanced. Since Leopards are nocturnal we spent a lot of time quietly combing the reserve in the pitch-black waiting for a pair of eyes to pop up in the spotlight. Unfortunately we didn’t spot the leopard that first evening but we eventually saw him a few times later that week and once at another Reserve called Phindea.

The next morning we woke up early and I was less than impressed to find that our shower was a bit primitive. Either the water was scalding hot or freezing cold and the shower lacked a door or a curtain. Of course I moved past this quickly when I thought of what the day had to offer. James had booked us for the Elephant encounter at a nearby reserve and I can now say that I have fed a full-grown male Elephant. The experience of being that close to the Elephants was truly amazing and it really put into perspective how large and powerful they are, especially for later in the week when we had a few little scares involving Elephants!

Rachel & Rambo.

I probably shouldn't be standing underneath those tusks.

Momma Elephant mock charging our Jeep at Phindea.

After lunch we headed to Phindea for an evening game drive to see some lions. Of course we managed to get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere on the reserve but we cracked open the cooler while we waited for our spare.

Once we were good to go our guide made up for the delay by taking us straight to a mother lion and her three cubs, still working on a morning kill. At one point we got so close to the cubs that the young male hissed at us. Little Simba apparently wasn’t too pleased we were interrupting his family dinner. Unfortunately we never got to see a full grown male lion, apparently they stick to the far side of the reserve when they aren’t looking for the ladies for baby making business. We did return to Phindea a few days later and were lucky to see two large females napping at the watering hole, one of which was absolutely enormous and probably bigger than most of the males.

Hissing at the Jeep.

One of the best parts about Phidea was the sundowners where the guide would pick spot on the savannah to watch the sunset while he poured the guests cocktails and set out a few finger foods. You can’t think of much to complain about when you have and ice cold gin and tonic in hand, a gorgeous view in every direction, and you’re literally surrounded by the cast of the Lion King.

Over the next few days at Zulu we did a few more game drives at the reserve, where we checked off all the big five animals. (Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant) We also visited the local town where we got a tour of the school and a homestead. Unfortunately the school was on strike, which really bummed me out since I brought coloring books with me from the states that I wanted to give to the kids. Luckily we managed to track down a few little guys at the homestead we saw and they were very happy with their new loot. I wish I could have given them something more meaningful but it was pretty special to see their faces light up with such a simple gift. When we took their photos I noticed they immediately wanted me to playback the image so they could see themselves, I imagine that mirrors are not very commonplace in their homes so their reflection is somewhat of a mystery. That particular day left me with a very heavy feeling. Their way of life is so different that I couldn’t help but feel sad yet so thankful for everything I have. I had to keep reminding myself that their values and priorities are very different than ours and it really wasn’t fair to try and compare our cultures or feel sorry for them just because it's not what I am used to.

Later in the week we did an excursion to St. Lucia where we took a boat ride and saw tons of hippos and crocs. Unfortunately these hippos were pretty lazy and I never got to get a picture of them opening their mouth, I guess I will just have to go back later in life. During the St. Lucia excursion we also went to the beach on the Indian Ocean, which was basically untouched, but I didn’t bring my suit so I only dipped my toes in. Chilly! After a little more shopping in town and a beer with our guides we headed back to Zulu for the night.

Africa overall was amazing but the safari was truly special and I am so happy that I got to experience something like that, especially at a young age. I have some amazing photos that I can’t wait to frame and I really hope that I get the opportunity to go back at another point in my life. In total we saw all of the following animals: Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Elephant, Hippo, Crocodile, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala, Waterbuck, Wildebeest, Cape Buffalo, Nyala, Dika, some kind of snake, all sorts of birds and a few monkeys.