Wait up call was at 5:30 to see the sunrise and have a light snack before hitting the safari at 6. After seeing three of the big five (Rhino, Leopard, and Buffalo) on our first safari, Ben was on a mission this morning to check lion off the list. The lions were last seen at the other end of the reserve and so for the first half hour we mainly just covering ground. We finally saw them. There were 2 lionesses roughly 60 meters away from us. We had to stay 60 meters away because the weather had been so bad the past few days and the rangers were not allowed to drive off-road because the tires would cause too much damage. We hung around there for a while, to see if the lions would get up and move (they were lying down when we got there) but they were content where they were and so we moved on. Not ten minutes after we had abandoned the lions, a giant giraffe appeared out of nowhere. It was feeding and didn’t mind us at all so we were able to follow it for a while. Eventually we lost it in the bush.
Ben then got word that the wild dogs were spotted again. As we approached a dry spot in a drainage area we saw them. They had clearly just finished a major meal because they were all sleeping and looked really full. They were kind of far away and my camera doesn’t do them justice but they are really pretty and look just like a domesticated dog aside form the ears. After about 5 minutes of watching them sleep we all got kind of bored with them. Before heading back to the lodge, we had our first real multispecies encounter. Four rhino were playing by a pond while wildebeest and zebra were grazing close by. A wart hog also appeared but vanished shortly after we got there. We watched the rhinos play and graze. Ben explained that rhinos are primary lawn mowers and just eat all day but we saw them interacting and play-fighting for dominance. I thought they were absolutely fascinating and I could have watched them for much longer but we had been out for over three hours and it was time to for breakfast.
At 9:30 we were served a real breakfast. There were eggs, sausage, cheeses, pancakes and a bunch of other stuff. I, of course, went for the homemade cereal (a combination of nuts, seeds, and some type of soft granola) and some fruit.
At ten o’clock we were scheduled to do a walking safari. Only the 13 year old joined Ben and me as we walked right out the front gate of the lodge. Obviously the walking safari is much slower and you do not see nearly as much, especially being around the lodge. But it is also much quieter. Being on foot you can stop and just listen to the flora and fauna and hear life all around you. Ben gave us a lesson in tracking-101 and it is safe to say that it is not a future job of mine ( I confused a hyena with an impala). We mainly found insects and birds. We found a spider about the size of my palm but we couldn’t find any of the arachnids that Ben was searching for. It was a nice stroll and after about an hour we arrived back at the lodge.
I finally had some down time to just chill out and enjoy the lodge….or so I thought. After I showered, I went to the lounge area of the room to start my safari blogging but instead I saw two bushbuck (a male and female) grazing outside of my room about 5 yards away. I immediately grabbed my camera and slowly opened the door. I startled them at first, but I managed to sit down on one of the patio chairs without scaring them off. I sat in astonishment as these animals were not 4 yards away from me and not paying me much attention. I mean, they looked at me every now and then but they pretty much went about there business as if I was not there.
Now it was 1:30 and lunch had started at 1:00. Breakfast was a little awkward as the staff set up a table for me by myself and the family of four sat at another table about 15 yards away. I was perfectly content to sit alone and enjoy the food and the viewing area but I could see that the family was a little uncomfortable. I was able to avoid this situation again by bringing my computer to lunch. Lunch was fantastic again. It was buffet style like the day before but featured stir fry chicken and steak.
The next activity wasn’t until about 3:30 so for an hour and a half I parked myself right at the front of the viewing area with my computer and a glass of red wine and started writing while animals walked by- I felt very sophisticated.
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