Thursday 10 October 2013

Up Close and Personal

We can drive for hours, through dust; across tracks that jar every bone in our body, and a landscape that is brown and uncompromising for no return and then suddenly within a ten minute period we will witness a herd of elephants washing in a river.  This same herd will suddenly cross within touching distance of our location and continue their silent migration across the Serengeti savannah.  A pride of lions, 12 in total lie sleeping in the shadows of sausage trees; they stir, stretch, look at us and then collapse once again, spooning each other for comfort.  Zebras span the horizon,  searching for a safe watering hole and a lone giraffe strolls aimlessly through the stripped horde.   Hyenas fight for the remains of a Lion's kill, whilst rabbit eared foxes and vultures await the small pickings that remain.  A pod of Hippos wallow in their foul stench and pound their 1600kg frames with home made mud packs.  Finally, 2 lone Cheetahs stand guard on a fallen tree scanning for pray and a Leopard lays prostate in an acacia tree shading itself from the morning haze.

Watching the sunset over the African landscape has been stunning.  The colours burn deeply into the indigo sky and the mountains are silhouetted in the deepening ochre skyline.  The stars pulsate and illuminate the world above and as we sit on deck chairs, a Serengetti Larger in hand we watch the wonder unfold.  Shooting stars criss-cross the horizon,  the Serengetti echoes with the sound of wildlife and we share stories with fellow travellers across the flames of the camp fire.

What a wonderful life!

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