A Song For You

A song for You

“If I have a song of Africa, does Africa have a song of me?” And so begins Out Of Africa, the movie adaptation of Karen Blixens time in Kenya.  Movies and books have always had an impression on me especially those from another time and place. I want to experience the things the characters do. While living on a Kenyan coffee plantation may not be reasonable an African Safari was a definite bucket list item.

 The logistics of getting to Kenya had us spending more time in airports than in the bush so we opted to do our safari in South Africa. After evaluating our options we selected Pilanesberg National Park for our animal encounter.

 Brilliant choice! The Ivory Tree Game Lodge https://ivorytreegamelodge.info/ looked exactly how it should; carved wood, thatch roofs doors that slide open so wide it was as if the walls ceased to exist. Each bungalow had its own patio and outdoor shower with meals in a communal dining room.  Anything was possible if it was within the staffs power to grant.

  Since we were staying for a full week we were upgraded from a one room bungalow to a full suite with a large living area and a huge patio including a plunge pool. From our backyard a wire fence separated us from the wildlife; one morning we saw Kudu grazing on our hill just beyond the fence.

  Each day was the same yet different: 5 am wake up call, meet for coffee at 5:30 then in the jeep and on the road by 6. We had the same guide the entire time. Jumari was amazing. She could drive, avoid potholes, monitor the radio for animal  sightings, talk and joke with us, provide extensive information about flora and fauna and spot animals in grass taller that she was. Around 9 we returned for breakfast at the lodge. In the afternoon we repeated the cycle starting with afternoon tea at 4 out to the bush by 4:30 or 5 and back for dinner around 7:30 or 8.

 While the routine remained the same each drive was different. We may have had a schedule but the animals did not. We quickly learned that Jumari was fearless and determined to give us the best experience possible. Her willingness to take the road less travelled provided us with up close sightings of lions in the road three time- once they even indulged us by roaring. We had an almost too close encounter with the second biggest elephant in the park (even Jumari to knew throw it into reverse when she came across the biggest). We watched the grace of giraffes and the zaniness of zebras rolling in the dirt while impala and wildebeest grazed virtually everywhere.  We saw white rhinos up close and a black rhino from a distance. We managed to find a herd of Cape Buffalo at the base of the hills and catch a glimpse of a leopard in a tree, completing the quest for the big 5 officially if not thoroughly. Out of 7 days we only missed 2 drives, one was rained out and the other we chose to sleep in.

  Even on the drives where we did not see many animals (oh it's just another impala), the beauty of the park was almost beyond description. Flowers, trees and grasslands changed as the light of

sunrise and sunset illuminated or disguised them. The sounds of birds, frogs and insects filled the air as the creatures awoke or settled in for the night. Sometimes we would stop just to take in the sound of the music they made.

 We have had many extraordinary experiences in the last few years but this one …….there are hardly the right words to express the feeling.

I have a song of Africa. And Africa has a song for you.