Confusion, as usual at murtala mohammed airport -- hence, late departure from lagos and late arrival in jo'burg -- but, very impressed by OR Tambo intl airport's facilities and colorful and spacious layout -- very thankful for our diplomatic passports that got us through immigration, baggage, and customs in record time (20 minutes!) -- on to the city hopper van for a drive to our first stop in our south african adventure -- watched a beautiful sun rise as we arrived at the Ann van Dyk cheetah center right in time for our early morning tour.
And, wow! First, we watched the center's famed cheetah run - 3 cheetahs taken through their morning run - awe-inspiring to watch the cheetahs accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds! This was followed by extensive tours of the campus -- watched, filmed, and learned about caracals, african wild cats, antelopes, storks, king cheetahs, vultures, ostriches, antalusian hunting dogs, wild goats, impalas, hyenas, honey badgers, a multitude of birds, and, of course, africa's most maligned, grossly misunderstood, and probably one of the most devastating (and, now, almost extinct) hunter - the african wild dog!
The highlight of the day (on a day filled with highlights) - petting a cheetah - fantastic to stroke the pelt of this awesome predator!!
Finished off the day at the cheetah lodge with - a quiet walk through their beautiful herb-filled garden, perusing their library of bushveld wildlife books, doing kriya yoga on the lawn facing the setting sun, enjoying a delicious dinner (crunchy salad, pumpkin soup, basmati rice, veg curry, and an awesome dessert plate), followed by some quiet family time by the fireplace.
What we enjoyed immensely is what we miss the most living in frenetic Lagos - the absolute stillness and astounding quietness of the african bush.
A perfect first day and a great introduction to our 2-week South African/Mauritius field trip!!
Next day: early morning flight in to quaint little Hoedspruit airport, Kruger NP -- on the road, and suddenly, 3 giraffes, with one of them trying to kick down an electric fence to get to a female on the other side -- nice welcome to the Pondoro Game Lodge (part of the Balule Nature Preserve in Kruger) -- a quick lunch followed by an afternoon game drive -- more majestic giraffes, zebras, kudu, baboons (with one of them using a stick to pry ants out of a giant ant hill), water bucks, impalas, chameleons, and a family of startled warthogs that ran wildly when we chanced upon them -- the best part was coming upon 2 elephants drinking water out of a recently dug hole in the sand -- one of them was in a playful mood and mock-charged us and then showered us with mud and water several times -- the last time he did that and we screamed, he took off at a trot -- P's favorite animal among the big 5 putting on quite a show for us!
Back to the lodge at sunset for a delicious dinner under the stars -- our table is set on a raised wooden deck between 2 crackling wood fires and overlooking the Olifants river -- our meal is accompanied by the ever present sound of the rushing river and the increasing cacophony of a multitude of nocturnal jungle creatures -- early to bed followed by a knock on our door at 0515 - time for our early morning game drive -- this one proves to be the best one yet, as we go off-road (more on that later).
From today, our daily routine is set - wake up at 0515, off for a game drive at 0600, breakfast at 0900, followed by a bush walk, then lunch at 1300, followed by some quiet time (reading, napping), then off for our second game drive at 1530, back for the evening sherry at 1900, dinner at 2000, fireside time until 2130, bed at 2200. Perfect.
On our first morning game drive at Pondoro, we go off-road hearing of a leopard sighting on the radio - what a chase it turned out to be. We followed marked trails for a few clicks and then spotted an adult male leopard and started following him into the bush. We soon found out that he was stalking a small herd of bison -- we watched mesmerized as he crept along and we followed getting some quality 'face time' with the prince of the jungle. Cool. Our game drives that same day got us close to 3 rhinos munching away at vegetation, a large herd of elephants with 3 cute calves, some black-backed jackals, a family of baboons, some giraffes strutting their stuff, a few stupendously colored lilac-breasted runners, some daft guinea fowls running in front of us, kudu, impala, and a couple of white-faced owls standing sentinel in the dark as we returned home for another superb starlight dinner by a roaring fire.
Our first 2 days at Pondoro were magical for another reason - we were the only guests there and were treated like royalty. Customized game drives, specially prepared and served meals, and all the staff's energies and attention tuned towards serving us. We felt like we 'owned' the place!!
June 06 -- family safely in bed -- enjoying the perfect stillness of another african night -- on the deck, wrapped in blankets -- watching the orange and blue flames dance in the fire -- listening to the soothing sounds of the nearby river -- looking up to see a million stars and a crescent moon on display -- breathing in the cool breeze blowing off the Drakensberg mountains --- feel very grounded and connected and calm and blessed and alive.
The next day's game drive proved to be one of the best as we came face-to-face with the king of the jungle.
After 2 days and 5 game drives that had netted 4 of the Big 5 and countless other creatures, we drove for about an hour on Tuesday morning, before cresting a hillock and catching sight of a lioness in the distance. Racing to the spot we were startled to find an entire pride of lions walking leisurely along. From their distended stomachs it was apparent they had just feasted on a meal and were looking for a place to rest. We followed them over some rough terrain (thank you, land cruiser) to a clearing where the lions, 12 in all, settled in. For the next 30 minutes we sat a few feet away and watched in amazement as the pride settled into the clearing, while chatting with our guide in whispers. It was all quite peaceful as we continued observing the lions stretch, yawn, roll with their paws up in the air, and walk around trying to find comfortable spots to nap; some lions sitting down right on top of others!
Suddenly we heard a loud snarl coming from the rear of the jeep. We turned to see a young lion dragging one of our blankets from the back seat of our jeep. Luckily we were occupying only the first 2 rows; it would have been quite a different story if one of us was in that back seat and the young lion had tried to grab the blanket off one of our laps. When our hearts returned to beating normally, we turned our attention to the lions once again while keeping a wary eye for any more intrepid lions. We watched as most of them fell asleep, the heavy breathing causing their distended stomachs to rise and fall in a fast, rhythmic cadence.
Finally, satisfied with our few hundred close-up shots of the pride, we slowly backed out of the clearing and made our way back to our lodge, thrilled to have been part of some feline drama in the african bush.
Our last game drive at pondoro -- dhaika, more elephants chewing up vegetation in the dark (a fully grown african elephant will eat about 450 kgs of vegetation and drink 150 litres of water daily), buffalo, yellow hornbill, jackal, giraffes, and our favorite pride of lions - still napping after their meal this morning.
Morning transfer to Simbavati River Lodge on the Nhalarumi river after a quiet last morning at pondoro -- saw a 1-week-old baby giraffe (with the umbilical cord still hanging) with its mom -- settled into our chalet overlooking the river and saw some hippos in the water -- first game drive at Simbavati - and, right away, a pride of lions feasting on a zebra (including 2 very rare Timbavati white lions), and then, wart hogs, wildebeest, giraffe, impalas, baboons, and a lone bateleur eagle sitting on a tree (this eagle flies like a trapeze artist 'balancing' on its wings since it has no tail). Beautiful!
Similar routine here at Simbavati - morning and afternoon game drives, with our meals served in a tented dining room overlooking the river, and breaks spent watching wildlife from our deck. Early thursday morning - woken up at 0430 by the loud harrumphing/grunting sounds of our resident hippos -- morning game drive - more elephants, a large male kudu with a very impressive set of antlers, hawk eagles soaring overhead, a lone male bush buck, horn bills (yellow and red) that we were finally able to capture on film, and when we stopped for our mid-morning break on the wall of a dam, an orange-striped tiger snake clinging on to a crevice on the wall trying to swallow a scorpion!!
Early afternoon, pre-prandial nap disturbed by a vervet monkey sitting on our deck outside.
Game drive #8 - usual animal sightings (elephant, impala, kudu) and then - a leopard. Female, small, but still gorgeous; her sleek golden coat glistening in the evening sun. We follow the cat as she meanders on the track and off. She walks into some bushes and then explodes out as some birds scatter and we see her launch about 6 feet in the air unsuccessfully trying to catch one of the birds. Wow! We follow for another half-an-hour or so as she tracks a steenbok and then lose her among the thick underbrush. Back to the lodge for some castle and windhoek beer and dinner. Tomorrow is our last full day spotting game in the African bush.More impalas, hornbills, water buck, steenbok, kudu, baboons, giraffe, buffalo, and vervet monkeys; and, finally, the elusive, reclusive hyena (O's favorite animal and one he has been dying to see). This one was male and alone - we watched as it walked in and out of some bush, its spotted coat acting as perfect camouflage.
Wake up from an afternoon nap to observe an elephant walking up the opposite bank of the river; a little later on, spy a hippo swimming along, its snout and ears clearly visible above the waterline.
Our 10th and final game drive - antelopes, a giraffe family, wart hogs, elephants, water buck, 2 rhinos, 3 vultures (white-back and hooded) and a lone martial eagle sitting on a treetop, beautifully set against the setting sun. On the way home, spotted a female leopard resting in the brush; then spotted her kill (an antelope) wedged half way up a tree; and then a male leopard stalking nearby. We stop and watch these wonderful cats rest in the bush and watch with bated breath as one of them walks casually by our jeep just inches from our door - could've almost reached out and stroked its beautiful, gorgeous pelt.
A beautiful 'salakahle' (farewell) to our bush adventure.
Tomorrow, it's off to Jo'Burg.
Jo'Burg -- city of gold -- warthog burgers and roti -- curry and bunny wraps -- claimed as the world's largest urban forest -- 2 nights at beautiful Impangele guest house, next door to a bird sanctuary -- killer view from the living room windows -- all of us, of course, love the 6 lively, friendly resident Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
Apartheid museum -- entrance for whites and non-whites -- stark and poignant -- pictures and words chronicling the infectious spread of apartheid and the rise of the ANC and Mandela -- ultimately like any other oppression, a record of man's inhumanity towards fellow man -- on to the Africa crafts market, top floor of Rosebank mall -- R50 thai shoulder massages and bargains for the argumentative, amid many over-priced artifacts -- a fun half-day picking up knickknacks and watching street theatre, african style -- thai for dinner -- early morning flight to Mauritius for the third leg of our southern african adventure
Mauritius, 1800 sq km of verdant hills, sugarcane paddies, beautiful beaches, blue-green ocean -- Le Canonnier on the northwest corner of this delightful island, our home for 6 nights -- scuba diving in the mornings for me, relaxing on the beach or archery or table tennis in the afternoon for all of us, later, early dinner for the kids, candle-lit dinner by the pool for us, full-moon meditation on the beach before bed -- visited the US embassy and chatted with the charge d'affairs (wanted us to bid this post next!) -- shopping at the india hand loom house in port louis followed by a drive up a hill for a panoramic view of the historic Champs de Mars race course and surrounding hills -- on Thursday, while I was 80 feet under water following 3 graceful eagle rays and diving the stella maru wreck, p and kids visit the historic Pamplemousses gardens (giant water lilies, cat fish, massive ferns, beautiful flowers, ...) with some shopping at the Caudan Waterfront.
Enjoying some french, creole, and indian food, though slightly disappointed with the spread at Le C (a little too dull and uninspiring) -- funny to find Indian-origin folk who are more comfortable with french and euro cuisine, but don't know many of the standard Indian dishes! -- P talks to the exec chef, and presto, we get special veg food (some weird version of pongal, fried potatoes and pappad for breakfast, tofu curry masquerading as paneer masala, mauritian tamarind rice, etc) -- we are outnumbered by germans, and italians, french, and a few brits, who seem to love this place -- we are the token americans, though most mistake us for 'locals' :) -- live band every night - a drummer on a tama drum set, lead, and bass, striking up some cool jazz and blues tunes - we sit and listen and applaud, especially taken up by the light-touch drummer -- hansin is off collecting bottle caps -- and, we slowly, reluctantly wind down and get ready for our long trip back home. After 16 days with NO email and not having looked at a computer (aaah!), it's time to be connected again!
Memories we will carry with us forever --- the ubiquitous helmeted guinea fowl trying to outrun our jeep on the trails, esp. this one fowl that determinedly ran in front of our jeep for more than 500 meters before veering off into the bush; a young giraffe calf with its umbilical cord still hanging from its belly; a pride of 12 lions with distended bellies relaxing after a big meal; a young lion's snarl as he snatched a blanket from our jeep's back seat; learning about the many different antelope (kudu, impala, waterbuck, steenbok, roan, duiker); a young female leopard leaping gracefully in the air trying to nab a bird; rare white lions feasting on a zebra kill; a huge male buffalo with deformed horns rolling in the mud; sighting a rare spotted hyena slinking away into the bush; bateleur and martial eagles against a beautiful setting sun; a majestic giraffe trying to kick down an electric fence; enjoying 'sun downer' drinks in the middle of the bush; a cheetah zipping past us in a burst of speed; a pack of wild dogs yelping and whining while fighting over a meal; the vervet monkey sitting right outside our room and watching us; the group of wild, but tame, resident mongoose at pondoro game lodge that let us pet them; a surprised warthog family scurrying and leaping out of our way; the innocent looking, but lethal, honey badger scampering on the deck of the lodge; diffident hippos disappearing underwater at the slightest sound; the distinct sound of the go-away bird; the stunning colors of the lilac-breasted roller and the graceful red-billed horn bill; a leopard sauntering just inches from our jeep; a tiger snake trying to swallow a scorpion; diving the various wrecks around Mauritius; eagle rays brilliantly sillouetted against the aqua-green waters of the Indian ocean; the beautiful, beautiful beaches of Mauritius; and, finally, we will always remember, the thrill of a mock-charge by a playful baby elephant and ducking for cover as an adult elephant sprayed us with mud and water!!
And, wow! First, we watched the center's famed cheetah run - 3 cheetahs taken through their morning run - awe-inspiring to watch the cheetahs accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds! This was followed by extensive tours of the campus -- watched, filmed, and learned about caracals, african wild cats, antelopes, storks, king cheetahs, vultures, ostriches, antalusian hunting dogs, wild goats, impalas, hyenas, honey badgers, a multitude of birds, and, of course, africa's most maligned, grossly misunderstood, and probably one of the most devastating (and, now, almost extinct) hunter - the african wild dog!
The highlight of the day (on a day filled with highlights) - petting a cheetah - fantastic to stroke the pelt of this awesome predator!!
Finished off the day at the cheetah lodge with - a quiet walk through their beautiful herb-filled garden, perusing their library of bushveld wildlife books, doing kriya yoga on the lawn facing the setting sun, enjoying a delicious dinner (crunchy salad, pumpkin soup, basmati rice, veg curry, and an awesome dessert plate), followed by some quiet family time by the fireplace.
What we enjoyed immensely is what we miss the most living in frenetic Lagos - the absolute stillness and astounding quietness of the african bush.
A perfect first day and a great introduction to our 2-week South African/Mauritius field trip!!
Next day: early morning flight in to quaint little Hoedspruit airport, Kruger NP -- on the road, and suddenly, 3 giraffes, with one of them trying to kick down an electric fence to get to a female on the other side -- nice welcome to the Pondoro Game Lodge (part of the Balule Nature Preserve in Kruger) -- a quick lunch followed by an afternoon game drive -- more majestic giraffes, zebras, kudu, baboons (with one of them using a stick to pry ants out of a giant ant hill), water bucks, impalas, chameleons, and a family of startled warthogs that ran wildly when we chanced upon them -- the best part was coming upon 2 elephants drinking water out of a recently dug hole in the sand -- one of them was in a playful mood and mock-charged us and then showered us with mud and water several times -- the last time he did that and we screamed, he took off at a trot -- P's favorite animal among the big 5 putting on quite a show for us!
Back to the lodge at sunset for a delicious dinner under the stars -- our table is set on a raised wooden deck between 2 crackling wood fires and overlooking the Olifants river -- our meal is accompanied by the ever present sound of the rushing river and the increasing cacophony of a multitude of nocturnal jungle creatures -- early to bed followed by a knock on our door at 0515 - time for our early morning game drive -- this one proves to be the best one yet, as we go off-road (more on that later).
From today, our daily routine is set - wake up at 0515, off for a game drive at 0600, breakfast at 0900, followed by a bush walk, then lunch at 1300, followed by some quiet time (reading, napping), then off for our second game drive at 1530, back for the evening sherry at 1900, dinner at 2000, fireside time until 2130, bed at 2200. Perfect.
On our first morning game drive at Pondoro, we go off-road hearing of a leopard sighting on the radio - what a chase it turned out to be. We followed marked trails for a few clicks and then spotted an adult male leopard and started following him into the bush. We soon found out that he was stalking a small herd of bison -- we watched mesmerized as he crept along and we followed getting some quality 'face time' with the prince of the jungle. Cool. Our game drives that same day got us close to 3 rhinos munching away at vegetation, a large herd of elephants with 3 cute calves, some black-backed jackals, a family of baboons, some giraffes strutting their stuff, a few stupendously colored lilac-breasted runners, some daft guinea fowls running in front of us, kudu, impala, and a couple of white-faced owls standing sentinel in the dark as we returned home for another superb starlight dinner by a roaring fire.
Our first 2 days at Pondoro were magical for another reason - we were the only guests there and were treated like royalty. Customized game drives, specially prepared and served meals, and all the staff's energies and attention tuned towards serving us. We felt like we 'owned' the place!!
June 06 -- family safely in bed -- enjoying the perfect stillness of another african night -- on the deck, wrapped in blankets -- watching the orange and blue flames dance in the fire -- listening to the soothing sounds of the nearby river -- looking up to see a million stars and a crescent moon on display -- breathing in the cool breeze blowing off the Drakensberg mountains --- feel very grounded and connected and calm and blessed and alive.
The next day's game drive proved to be one of the best as we came face-to-face with the king of the jungle.
After 2 days and 5 game drives that had netted 4 of the Big 5 and countless other creatures, we drove for about an hour on Tuesday morning, before cresting a hillock and catching sight of a lioness in the distance. Racing to the spot we were startled to find an entire pride of lions walking leisurely along. From their distended stomachs it was apparent they had just feasted on a meal and were looking for a place to rest. We followed them over some rough terrain (thank you, land cruiser) to a clearing where the lions, 12 in all, settled in. For the next 30 minutes we sat a few feet away and watched in amazement as the pride settled into the clearing, while chatting with our guide in whispers. It was all quite peaceful as we continued observing the lions stretch, yawn, roll with their paws up in the air, and walk around trying to find comfortable spots to nap; some lions sitting down right on top of others!
Suddenly we heard a loud snarl coming from the rear of the jeep. We turned to see a young lion dragging one of our blankets from the back seat of our jeep. Luckily we were occupying only the first 2 rows; it would have been quite a different story if one of us was in that back seat and the young lion had tried to grab the blanket off one of our laps. When our hearts returned to beating normally, we turned our attention to the lions once again while keeping a wary eye for any more intrepid lions. We watched as most of them fell asleep, the heavy breathing causing their distended stomachs to rise and fall in a fast, rhythmic cadence.
Finally, satisfied with our few hundred close-up shots of the pride, we slowly backed out of the clearing and made our way back to our lodge, thrilled to have been part of some feline drama in the african bush.
Our last game drive at pondoro -- dhaika, more elephants chewing up vegetation in the dark (a fully grown african elephant will eat about 450 kgs of vegetation and drink 150 litres of water daily), buffalo, yellow hornbill, jackal, giraffes, and our favorite pride of lions - still napping after their meal this morning.
Morning transfer to Simbavati River Lodge on the Nhalarumi river after a quiet last morning at pondoro -- saw a 1-week-old baby giraffe (with the umbilical cord still hanging) with its mom -- settled into our chalet overlooking the river and saw some hippos in the water -- first game drive at Simbavati - and, right away, a pride of lions feasting on a zebra (including 2 very rare Timbavati white lions), and then, wart hogs, wildebeest, giraffe, impalas, baboons, and a lone bateleur eagle sitting on a tree (this eagle flies like a trapeze artist 'balancing' on its wings since it has no tail). Beautiful!
Similar routine here at Simbavati - morning and afternoon game drives, with our meals served in a tented dining room overlooking the river, and breaks spent watching wildlife from our deck. Early thursday morning - woken up at 0430 by the loud harrumphing/grunting sounds of our resident hippos -- morning game drive - more elephants, a large male kudu with a very impressive set of antlers, hawk eagles soaring overhead, a lone male bush buck, horn bills (yellow and red) that we were finally able to capture on film, and when we stopped for our mid-morning break on the wall of a dam, an orange-striped tiger snake clinging on to a crevice on the wall trying to swallow a scorpion!!
Early afternoon, pre-prandial nap disturbed by a vervet monkey sitting on our deck outside.
Game drive #8 - usual animal sightings (elephant, impala, kudu) and then - a leopard. Female, small, but still gorgeous; her sleek golden coat glistening in the evening sun. We follow the cat as she meanders on the track and off. She walks into some bushes and then explodes out as some birds scatter and we see her launch about 6 feet in the air unsuccessfully trying to catch one of the birds. Wow! We follow for another half-an-hour or so as she tracks a steenbok and then lose her among the thick underbrush. Back to the lodge for some castle and windhoek beer and dinner. Tomorrow is our last full day spotting game in the African bush.More impalas, hornbills, water buck, steenbok, kudu, baboons, giraffe, buffalo, and vervet monkeys; and, finally, the elusive, reclusive hyena (O's favorite animal and one he has been dying to see). This one was male and alone - we watched as it walked in and out of some bush, its spotted coat acting as perfect camouflage.
Wake up from an afternoon nap to observe an elephant walking up the opposite bank of the river; a little later on, spy a hippo swimming along, its snout and ears clearly visible above the waterline.
Our 10th and final game drive - antelopes, a giraffe family, wart hogs, elephants, water buck, 2 rhinos, 3 vultures (white-back and hooded) and a lone martial eagle sitting on a treetop, beautifully set against the setting sun. On the way home, spotted a female leopard resting in the brush; then spotted her kill (an antelope) wedged half way up a tree; and then a male leopard stalking nearby. We stop and watch these wonderful cats rest in the bush and watch with bated breath as one of them walks casually by our jeep just inches from our door - could've almost reached out and stroked its beautiful, gorgeous pelt.
A beautiful 'salakahle' (farewell) to our bush adventure.
Tomorrow, it's off to Jo'Burg.
Jo'Burg -- city of gold -- warthog burgers and roti -- curry and bunny wraps -- claimed as the world's largest urban forest -- 2 nights at beautiful Impangele guest house, next door to a bird sanctuary -- killer view from the living room windows -- all of us, of course, love the 6 lively, friendly resident Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
Apartheid museum -- entrance for whites and non-whites -- stark and poignant -- pictures and words chronicling the infectious spread of apartheid and the rise of the ANC and Mandela -- ultimately like any other oppression, a record of man's inhumanity towards fellow man -- on to the Africa crafts market, top floor of Rosebank mall -- R50 thai shoulder massages and bargains for the argumentative, amid many over-priced artifacts -- a fun half-day picking up knickknacks and watching street theatre, african style -- thai for dinner -- early morning flight to Mauritius for the third leg of our southern african adventure
Mauritius, 1800 sq km of verdant hills, sugarcane paddies, beautiful beaches, blue-green ocean -- Le Canonnier on the northwest corner of this delightful island, our home for 6 nights -- scuba diving in the mornings for me, relaxing on the beach or archery or table tennis in the afternoon for all of us, later, early dinner for the kids, candle-lit dinner by the pool for us, full-moon meditation on the beach before bed -- visited the US embassy and chatted with the charge d'affairs (wanted us to bid this post next!) -- shopping at the india hand loom house in port louis followed by a drive up a hill for a panoramic view of the historic Champs de Mars race course and surrounding hills -- on Thursday, while I was 80 feet under water following 3 graceful eagle rays and diving the stella maru wreck, p and kids visit the historic Pamplemousses gardens (giant water lilies, cat fish, massive ferns, beautiful flowers, ...) with some shopping at the Caudan Waterfront.
Enjoying some french, creole, and indian food, though slightly disappointed with the spread at Le C (a little too dull and uninspiring) -- funny to find Indian-origin folk who are more comfortable with french and euro cuisine, but don't know many of the standard Indian dishes! -- P talks to the exec chef, and presto, we get special veg food (some weird version of pongal, fried potatoes and pappad for breakfast, tofu curry masquerading as paneer masala, mauritian tamarind rice, etc) -- we are outnumbered by germans, and italians, french, and a few brits, who seem to love this place -- we are the token americans, though most mistake us for 'locals' :) -- live band every night - a drummer on a tama drum set, lead, and bass, striking up some cool jazz and blues tunes - we sit and listen and applaud, especially taken up by the light-touch drummer -- hansin is off collecting bottle caps -- and, we slowly, reluctantly wind down and get ready for our long trip back home. After 16 days with NO email and not having looked at a computer (aaah!), it's time to be connected again!
Memories we will carry with us forever --- the ubiquitous helmeted guinea fowl trying to outrun our jeep on the trails, esp. this one fowl that determinedly ran in front of our jeep for more than 500 meters before veering off into the bush; a young giraffe calf with its umbilical cord still hanging from its belly; a pride of 12 lions with distended bellies relaxing after a big meal; a young lion's snarl as he snatched a blanket from our jeep's back seat; learning about the many different antelope (kudu, impala, waterbuck, steenbok, roan, duiker); a young female leopard leaping gracefully in the air trying to nab a bird; rare white lions feasting on a zebra kill; a huge male buffalo with deformed horns rolling in the mud; sighting a rare spotted hyena slinking away into the bush; bateleur and martial eagles against a beautiful setting sun; a majestic giraffe trying to kick down an electric fence; enjoying 'sun downer' drinks in the middle of the bush; a cheetah zipping past us in a burst of speed; a pack of wild dogs yelping and whining while fighting over a meal; the vervet monkey sitting right outside our room and watching us; the group of wild, but tame, resident mongoose at pondoro game lodge that let us pet them; a surprised warthog family scurrying and leaping out of our way; the innocent looking, but lethal, honey badger scampering on the deck of the lodge; diffident hippos disappearing underwater at the slightest sound; the distinct sound of the go-away bird; the stunning colors of the lilac-breasted roller and the graceful red-billed horn bill; a leopard sauntering just inches from our jeep; a tiger snake trying to swallow a scorpion; diving the various wrecks around Mauritius; eagle rays brilliantly sillouetted against the aqua-green waters of the Indian ocean; the beautiful, beautiful beaches of Mauritius; and, finally, we will always remember, the thrill of a mock-charge by a playful baby elephant and ducking for cover as an adult elephant sprayed us with mud and water!!
