My African Adventure: Day 14.

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May 26.

This is our day off, and today we (all Twines and bush camp people) had an organized outing. We went out to Kalmai Reptile Park to have an organized tour. We left at 9, and got there around 10. For some reason, they had scheduled us for a regular tour, not the 4-hour orientation tour. So after waiting an hour to try to figure it out (and playing with a snake and some monkeys), we decided to rebook for next Sunday. We went to Blue Door, which is a little B&B with a café, to have lunch and take a look at the gift shop, and then we headed home. When we got back, we all took some time to organize ourselves and our data, so some laundry, and read and relax. I worked on my mapping, trying to finish up 2012’s data so I can get started on 2011 this week. I also got word that tomorrow; we are picking up not just TWO Americans, like I previously thought, but also FOUR! I’m super pumped. There is a married couple, who is going to bush camp, and then two girls coming to Twines. The two new girls for research camp at Twines are 20 and 21!! We will finally be the majority nationality here! :D Also, Claudia, who is a German woman that works as a free-lance ranger, is staying at Twines and bush camp for the week because Toko is on his two week leave starting tomorrow! So last night at Mahlahlah, I was figuring that the Germans, Australians, and native SA’cans all have two, but if Claudia came here and the married couple were Italians (they have an Italian last name), then the Germans and Americans would be tied. Luckily, all the new people are American, so we will win for sure! : It will definitely be a fun week! We spent the afternoon doing our own thing, and then Wolfgang and I had dinner duty. We made cottage pie, which apparently is the appropriate name for what my family calls Shepherd’s pie, because Shepherd’s pie uses lamb, but beef. Never mind that, it was delicious. I made the mashed potatoes for the top, which, making them like my grandmother taught me, were absolutely DELICIOUS. Even without a mixer! :D It came out really well. We also started the fire for the night, which was an interesting time! Wolfgang is such a hoot! It was a big group around the fire, all 8 when Toko arrived back to camp. We kept being interrupted in our conversations by what we believe was the Tembe sisters making territorial location calls. So beautiful, and they kept moving closer to camp as the evening went on. I half expected them to walk out on us around the fire. We all decided to go to bed around 9, and I lollligagged to get my laptop from the data room so I could spend some time standing in the yard alone. Tonight, the moon was full and high, the last embers of the fire were dying in the firepit, and I stood, alone, gazing at the sky full of stars that have been my night scenery for the last two weeks. I listened, as a lone lion called out his beautiful song, very close to me, that crept lower and longer as it went on. I heard impala, sending out alarm calls to the southeast. And behind me, to the north, jackals howled together. I stood without moving for so long that a fruit bat flew round and round my shoulders, only inches from landing right on me. So much peace, so much beauty, and brimming with life, even when it seems so still and quiet. This is Africa, and I’m afraid I’ve fallen in love.

cubs from the Makhutswi pride :)(day 13)