12/17/12
This morning we embarked on our final game drive of this trip. It felt sad, knowing our time here is coming to an end. The adventures we’ve had seem like dreams. Even as they were happening, the experiences have been so magnificent and surreal, they were hard to believe. The mood in our vehicle felt appreciative this morning. As a group, we were quieter than previously, absorbing every moment. It was as if we were collectively trying to extend time.
This morning felt serene, the bush quiet following last night’s storm. The first animal we saw was a sleeping rhino, which further punctuated the stillness of the day.
Eventually we came across a troop of baboons playing in a tree. Last night’s rain water fell from the leaves as they scurried around. The babies were jumping from branch to branch until the dominant male determined it was time to move on. He rounded up the troop, chasing the other baboons as needed, until they formed a line along one of the branches. We watched them walk away in single-file formation.
While we were observing the baboons, an adult hyena came down the hill. One of the biggest misconceptions I had, based on documentaries and movies I’ve seen, is that hyenas are ugly, vicious animals. The babies we saw during our second drive were adorable, playful, and full of character.
Somebody else asked about the common bad reputation of the hyena. Landon explained that they’re quite nice animals, very social in nature. Like other wild animals, when it comes to basic survival needs, hyenas do what is necessary. Sometimes hyenas travel in packs, when they hunt or are fighting off predators – these are the images we often see portrayed in the media. However, our experiences of hyenas in the bush would portray them as calm, curious animals. 
We continued making our way through the winding paths of the bush until Eddie signaled something to Landon. Eddie and Landon didn’t tell us what animal we were tracking, to minimize disappointment in case we didn’t find the animal in the end.
As we progressed through the bush, I began to smell the distinct odor of elephant dung. I had a feeling that we were tracking elephants, but we drove for quite some time before we spotted anything. One of the amazing things about having experienced guides and trackers is that they’re extremely knowledgeable about animal behavior, which direction the animals are moving (even once the tracks have disappeared into the bush) and how they’re traveling (group, solo, with offspring, etc).
Patience and persistence paid off as, one by one, everyone in the vehicle announced that they could see elephants. Landon kept driving, aware there were more elephants and ensuring we wouldn’t be in their path as they navigated the bush. When he stopped the vehicle we watched the elephants eating branches and leaves. 
Although we were awestruck when we saw the large herd of elephants cross in front of us a couple days ago, watching them peacefully grazing was a new and equally breathtaking experience. A youngster passed in front of us and we watched as it fed off a tree. The young elephant appeared to be smiling, as if it had struck gold. 
The elephants began to disappear back into the bush as they continued grazing on trees.
Landon turned the vehicle around, heading out of the area where we visited the elephants. We didn’t get very far before we saw a large bull feasting off a tree. The sound he made as he tore large branches off trees and devoured them, was incredible. His legs were thick, his feet enormous. He was just next to the main path, so we were quite close. 
I took a picture as the large male pressed his trunk up against the tree. Having seen giraffes scratch themselves on trees, I assumed perhaps the elephant was relieving an itch on his trunk. This is another instance that highlighted how imperative it is to have experienced guides. Without saying a word, and before we had time to think about it, Landon repositioned our vehicle.
We then watched as the massive elephant knocked down the tree, with three solid blows to the tree trunk. 
Blow #2: 
Blow #3:
Thanks to Landon’s experience and quick thinking, we were well out of harm’s way as the tree toppled onto the road. We were speechless. The sheer power and strength of this amazing animal stunned us all. We remained for a few minutes and watched as he continued to devour the tree, the branches, and leaves, all of which were much more accessible to the elephant given the tree was now on the ground.
It was not a small tree: 
After our exceptional elephant encounter, we made our traditional coffee break stop. We asked Landon if we could make the coffee stop quick. We explained that we’d rather have more time on the drive since it was our final run through the bush. He obliged, but warned us that we’d likely seen all that we were going to see this morning.
We carried on, and as Landon foreshadowed, we didn’t see much in terms of additional wildlife sightings. It was just nice to take it all in, the expansive land, the sounds, the liberating feeling of riding in an open-air safari vehicle.
As we were working our way back to the lodge, Eddie enthusiastically alerted Landon, “Leopard!” 
We watched as the beautiful, and often elusive, leopard made her way through the tall bush. It was spectacular and a wonderful way to end our safari. 
We had a few hours between our game drive and airport transfer and we wanted to enjoy them as much as possible. We were sad to be leaving Lion Sands and so grateful for the experiences we shared there. We brought a bottle of champagne, some water, and the game Bananagrams down to the river deck. We watched the monkeys play and wrestle as we sipped champagne and continued to appreciate the magical adventures we shared at Lion Sands.
Reineck pouring champagne for our toast to Lion Sands
We decided to play an Africa-themed version of Bananagrams, utilizing only words pertaining to our trip. We made up new rules and collaborated on the board, more along the lines of Scrabble.
“That’s not how you play Bananagrams,” exclaimed another guest. “That’s how we play Bananagrams,” we replied in unison.
When we concluded our game, we drank the remainder of our champagne, and headed to the lobby so we could be transferred to the airport.
As we drove out of the Lion Sands property – in a van much less comfortable than our safari vehicle – I was thinking about the giraffes. A giraffe was the first large animal we saw on this trip and we’ve seen at least one giraffe every day since. However, we didn’t see a giraffe today. As I was thinking about how magnificent and striking giraffes look against the African landscape, I commented aloud, “I’d like to see a giraffe on the way out.”
Within three minutes of driving toward the exit, we were greeted by two giraffes. The driver stopped the van so we could enjoy the sight one more time. The giraffes were the perfect bookend to our adventures at Lion Sands. We’ve come full circle. It’s time to journey onward. 
My Travel Tales 