An Unforgettable Safari: Elephant Crossings, Cape Buffalo, Hippos, Rhino, and Breathtaking Sunset

12/15/12

I woke up at 1:00am this morning, too hot to sleep. The air was on but we forgot to turn on the oscillating vents, so it wasnt reaching the bed. It was too dark to get up and make sense of where things were, so I laid patiently awaiting the morning light, drifting off to sleep for brief moments at a time.

At 4:00am, we woke up for good, an hour prior to our scheduled wake-up call. We opened the curtains and watched the morning sky as the sun rose. Moments before our 5:00am wake-up call, we got up and got ready for our 5:30am game drive. We had set all the important stuff – cameras, hats, sunglasses, deet – out last night, so that we wouldn’t forget anything.

We met Landon and the group in the dining area and set out for another game drive. It was much quieter this morning, a further affirmation of yesterday’s blessings. Again we saw numerous varieties of birds, all new to us. The gorgeous colors of the roller bird were striking, making them among the easiest to identify.

In the midst of our peaceful morning drive through the bush, we heard what sounded like angry dogs barking. When we inquired, Landon said that was the warning call of waterbuck, signifying a predator is in the area. Landon speculated there may be a leopard nearby.

We didn’t spot a leopard this morning, but we did see a beautiful male nyala. Landon pointed out some of the distinct characteristics of this antelope, including the orange coloring on its legs. Landon said he’d do his best to point out a female nyala as well, so we could see how vastly different these animals look based on their sex.

After the nyala, we spotted some waterbuck. These waterbuck appeared to feel out of harm’s way of the earlier predator, relaxed and at ease in the wilderness before us.

Next, we came upon a baby hyena den. Suddenly, it didn’t feel like such a quiet morning, as the bush continued to present one amazing sighting after the next. When we first pulled up to the den, only one baby was visible.  We watched him as he watched us, our curiosities matched. We marveled at the size of his teeth when he yawned.  

After a few minutes of observing the baby hyena, three more babies emerged from the den. We watched them play, snuggle with each other, and explore the surroundings. They played like children left home alone. They were undeniably cute. I mentioned that it feels like hyenas get a bad rap, often portrayed as vicious and ugly. Landon agreed as he reinforced what we were seeing – a more holistic expression of the hyena. “They are very social animals,” Landon said. 

On our way back to the lodge, we came across dozens of impala. Seeing them en masse was spectacular. “We call these ‘impala that survived the night’,” Landon said, balancing the reality with a bit of humor. 

Completely content, thinking we’d seen all we were going to see this morning, we were surprised and delighted to see two giraffes, grazing on the trees. They towered above the trees, happily sauntering through the bush, plucking leaves off the branches. One of the giraffes crossed the road in front of us and we enjoyed a full, unobstructed view as he devoured his morning meal. 

After our morning game drive, we headed back to the lodge for a delicious breakfast and some downtime. I spent the afternoon on the river deck, sipping champagne. It’s a beautiful space to sit, beneath a fig tree, overlooking the Sabie river. At one point, I looked up just as a hippo was entering the water. It was the first hippo I’ve seen on this trip. I watched him swim around a bit and listened to his grunts. I was the only person at the river deck, so nobody heard my declaration, “hippo!”

Just before noon a troop of monkeys came out to the river deck. They fed off the fig tree for what felt like hours. There were several moms, carting around babies. Initially, all the monkeys were far more interested in the figs, than they were in me.

Shortly after the monkeys arrived, another guest joined me on the river deck. Her name is Colette as well and she is from a town near the small town where I grew up. Colette and I laughed as the monkeys scurried around the trees, chasing each other, tossing figs they felt were sub-par, and playing. In time, the monkeys became comfortable in our presence and soon joined us on the river deck furniture.

The clever bushbuck stood under the fig tree, benefiting from the fig remains dropped by the monkeys. Every time I sat down to write, I’d hear a noise. It was either the monkeys, the bushbuck, or a hippo. It was too exciting to focus on writing so I sat back, enjoyed my champagne, and watched the monkeys.

The monkeys were very curious about us as well, often peering out at us, with expressions that mimicked our own. I looked up at one point and saw a baby monkey in the tree, hand covering its mouth, as if auditioning for the “speak no evil” role. 

We were called to lunch around one o’clock. From the dining deck, we could see the monkeys had turned the river deck into their own personal playground. They chased each other around and swung in the swing chairs. They appeared to be having so much fun as they took over our afternoon sanctuary.

At 4:30pm we set out for our afternoon drive. Within minutes of leaving the lodge we saw several hippos and cape buffalo lounging in a river. It was amazing seeing two of the big five sharing space, enjoying the cool river. Landon mentioned that these animals can be very territorial, so seeing them together, in groups, was unique. He attributed their acceptance of one another to the heat – they all needed a place to cool off. 

I couldn’t help but stare at the cape buffalo. They are so perfect, they look like statues. Landon informed us that their commanding presence is matched by their strength and speed. As we watched them resting, Landon explained how powerful and dangerous cape buffalo can be. 

We drove up the road a bit further and saw some elephants making their way to the river. We were a safe distance away, so we were allowed to get out of the vehicle to view them. Landon estimated there were thirty elephants in the herd. They ranged in size from small calf to large bull. They seemed so organized as they made their way toward the river. Staying close together, each elephant appeared to have a place and a shared, pre-determined, destination in mind.

We got back in the vehicle and drove up the road a bit further, just in time to watch the elephants walk up the river bank and cross the road in front of us. The sound of the herd of elephants walking at a solid clip was quite spectacular. We saw them eat along the way, keep youngsters in line, and continue off into the bush. I never imagined I’d witness a herd of elephants crossing my path, just a few feet away. Our third game drive provided another experience not to be forgotten. 

Continuing along our way, we saw a couple of rhinoceros. In just over an hour’s time, we had seen three of the big five. 

“There was too much animal activity last night, so we skipped our drink break,” Landon noted. Given that yesterday was our first game drive, we had no expectations of a drink break. Tonight we enjoyed a happy hour like no other. We shared our appreciation with Eddie and Landon as we sipped cocktails, in the bush, at sunset. The sunset was magnificent and we collectively marveled at how blessed we are to be here. 

The increasing beauty of the evolving sunset provided the opportunity and backdrop for us to have more than a few drinks. The six of us in our vehicle took down two bottles of champagne, two bottles of wine, and some gin. We were giddy, if  not a bit drunk, as we made our way back to the lodge.

Tonight we headed straight to the bar, with our cameras, hats, sunglasses, and all our gear. We reflected on the outstanding events of the day – reminding each other that it wasn’t a dream. What we experienced was very real, but so spectacular it’s still hard to believe. We celebrated with more wine and were then treated to a traditional African BBQ, with our guides, out under the stars.