Want to see my safari photos?

You can view my safari photo album at  www.willworkforairfare.shutterfly.com.  Then click the Safari 2011 photo album and wait a little bit for the photos to load.  You can view the photos full screen.

SAFARI PACKING LIST

A few people have asked me for my packing list, so I thought I would add it here and annotate it.  Because you need to fly on bush planes from one lodge to another, you are limited to one 25-pound check-in bag and one 10-pound carry on.  That’s it!  But it is not as restrictive as you may think (unless you are trying to haul 50 pounds of camera gear, which I recommend against).

BEFORE YOU PACK

·        Before you pack, check www.packforapurpose.org.  This is a great program that encourages travelers like us to bring just a few additional items that can be easily donated at your destination.

·        Leave your vanity at home.  Every day is a bad hair day (you cannot use any hair products at all because they attract insects); you’ll never look smartly turned out – always somewhat bedraggled.  You’ll feel crisp and clean for about ten minutes after a shower and hot and sweaty after that.

·        You can have your laundry done at the lodges – they pick up in the morning and return the clean laundry by dinner time.

·        Good web sites for safari supplies:  http://www.magellans.com/  and  http://www.exofficio.com

·        YOU REALLY DO NOT NEED AS MANY CLOTHES AS YOU THINK.  REALLY!  TRUST ME.

CLOTHES

All game drive clothes should be neutral colors – for example: khaki, sand, stone, olive, sage.  Boring colors, but it helps you to blend in and not scare the animals.

You can buy safari clothes that have both a sunblock SPF 15 or higher rating and also insect repellent embedded in the fiber (usually good through many washings).  That is a big help because slathering on sunblock followed by a layer of insect repellent every day is yucky.

For clothes without the build-in insect repellent, you can buy a super-duper repellent and spray your clothes before you go – shirts, pants, and socks.  Use something like Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellant (you hang your clothes outdoors, spray them, then let them dry for 24 hours).

·        2 pairs of pants:  one to wear and one to pack
Pants with pockets in the legs are useful; pants that unzipper and turn into shorts are useful.
Get pants made of a material that wicks away moisture and has a built-in sunblock and dries fast when you wash them.  ExOfficio and Magellan’s sell good ones that really are comfortable and hold up well.  DO NOT bring jeans – they are too heavy and don’t dry easily.

·        2-3 shirts:  one to wear and 1-2 to pack
Layers are helpful – a tank top with a long-sleeve shirt over it is useful.  Get shirts made of a material that wicks away moisture and has a built-in sunblock and dries fast when you wash them.  ExOfficio and Magellan’s sell good ones that really are comfortable and hold up well.  You can even get ones that have insect repellent embedded in the fiber, which is very helpful.

·        1 outfit for dinners at the lodges 
Pack something that squishes down to nothing and you don’t care about wrinkles.  You can skip this item entirely if you want – wearing game drive clothes at dinner is perfectly fine.

·        2 pairs of underwear
Ladies:  buy underwear that dries fast and wicks away moisture.  .  ExOfficio and Magellan’s sell good ones that really are comfortable and hold up well.  If you are a “full figured” woman, get bras that can provide good support for when you are bouncing around during game drives.

·        1 thin jacket for early mornings and evenings 
I didn’t need it but several people in the tour group did.  Again, ExOfficio and Magellan’s sell good ones that really are comfortable and hold up well, or a really thin fleece jacket.  It is also good to wear in the airplanes.

·        1 set night clothes
Nights get really cool but you’ll always be provided with blankets and comforters so pack something lightweight.

·        1 pair of walking shoes and maybe one pair of flip flops
All you really need is a pair of sandals that are closed-toed, allow air flow, have a band around the heel to keep them on your feet, and have good, sturdy soles.  The closed-toe part is important to keep out the sand and dirt and the soles are important to protect you from thorns.  You might want a pair of flip flops for walking to the pool or just relaxing in your room.  (If you are traveling in the wet season, they perhaps water-tolerant shoes are better.)

·        2 pairs of socks: one to wear and one to pack
Get the kind that dry fast.  I especially like the Tilley Walking Socks (http://www.tilley.com) because they are thin, easily washable, last forever, and fit well.

·        Swimsuit:  If you are a pool person, bring a swimsuit.  ASll the lodges we stayed in had pools.

ACCESSORIES

·        Hat:  You need a hat with a brim wide enough to provide sun protection and that allows air flow and has a chin strap (keeping your hat on during game drives usually requires a chin strap).  I recommend hats made by Tilley (http://www.tilley.com) because they are lightweight, easy to scrunch up and pack, and darn near indescructible.

·        Jewelry:  Leave gold and diamonds at home (I actually bought a simply silver ring to use as a substitute wedding ring).  Ladies, wear one pair of earrings that you won’t cry over if they get lost, and pack one or two other pair if you really feel compelled.  Some evenings it felt good to put on a different pair of earrings. Select your game drive earrings carefully -- they shouldn't flap in the breeze too much.

·        Glasses:  You will really want a good pair of dark glasses.  A pair that protects your eyes from the side as well as the front is most useful in dusty situations.  If you wear prescription reading glasses, it is a good idea to pack a spare pair.

·        Flashlight:  Don’t take a wimpy penlight.  You use your flashlight to watch for wild animals as you walk to your room (yes, you are always escorted but it is good to have a fairly powerful light of your own) and also to check for critters on the floor in your room when you get up in the middle of the night.  You’ll have to figure out your own balance between a powerful light and how much it weighs. 

·        Rain:  Forget bringing anything.  Getting wet on a hot day feels good and, besides, you’ll dry off pretty fast.  However, I did bring a small, very lightweight umbrella to use in the sun.

·        Carry-on bag:  Get one that is lightweight but large enough to hold the following on your initial flight over to Africa:

o   All your electronics

o   All your medications

o   One complete change of clothes (in case your check-in bag gets lost)

o   A few basic toiletries

I weighed several large totes that I have but they were all too heavy (remember the bush plane limit of 10 pounds).  I finally got a Rick Steve’s Civita Day Pack (available in most luggage stores and about $20) that worked like a champion.  It is well designed, very lightweight, and seems to hold an amazing amount of stuff.  Thank you Rick Steves.

TOILETRIES

·        Your daily toiletries:  toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, shaving gear, brush, deodorant, etc.
One trial-size toothpaste lasts for 2 weeks.  Same for trial-size deodorant.  Forget an electric toothbrush (you could probably keep one charged up but the extra weight is not worth it).  If you are staying at good lodges, they supply shampoo and hand soap (which is also usable for doing hand laundry), so don’t pack that stuff.

·        Occasionally needed toiletries:  moisture lotion, nail clipper & nail file, scissors & tweezers, glasses wipes (good for camera and binoculars also).  Although I usually pack a small roll of duct tape on every trip (it is good for fixing shoes and luggage and who knows what else), I left it at home due to the weight limits.

·        Wash cloths:  I often take a face cloth when traveling because accommodations outside the USA do not provide those.  I also often take a lightweight, water absorbent cloth to use for wringing out my hand laundry.  You don’t really need those on this trip because you can use a corner of a towel to wash your face and your hand laundry dries quite quickly.

CAMERAS, ELECTRONICS, ETC.

Keep in mind that all cameras and binoculars will be hanging around your neck for up to seven hours a day, every day during your trip.  Therefore, make sure the straps are friendly to the skin on your neck.

Keep in mind also that you’ll want to take all camera and electronic gear in your carry-on bag when flying.

·        Camera:  Take a nice camera but leave behind the super-duper professional camera body with the five lenses and the fantastic telephoto lens.  The reality is that everything gets dusty, and most of the time you are shooting when something is in motion -- either the animals are moving, or the game truck is driving along, or the truck may be stopped but every time someone breathes the truck jiggles.  Remember that the animals just do not stand there and pose for you and you cannot get out of the truck and set up a tripod.  If you want to take professional-level photos or videos, then arrange a personal safari so that you have the game truck all to yourself and you can set up a tripod in the truck and wait at the watering hole for as long as you want to.  For the rest of us, a good quality point-and-shoot works fine.
Be sure to take extra batteries or a charger to charge your camera battery.
Take one extra memory card – they are cheap enough to be worth it.

·        Binoculars:  I took a pair of medium-quality Nikon binos, but I noticed that the birder people brought their big, fancy binos.  Take your pick.  Also, the birders all wore their binos on a kind of harness that rested on their shoulders instead of their neck and looked a lot more comfortable than my neck strap.

·        Other electronics:  Cell phones with international coverage (I got the AT&T international package for my iPhone), iPads, Kindle, etc are fine.  The good quality lodges all have wi-fi and I was able to send texts home to report that I hadn’t been eaten by a lion yet.  Remember to pack your charge cables for every item.

·        Adapters and transformers:  You must bring an adapter plug for every country you are visiting (most luggage stores have a nifty list of exactly which adapter you need for each country).  If your electronic item is relatively new (within the last couple of years), check to verify that it is dual voltage (110/220) – it probably is, which means that you do not need to pack a heavy transformer.

MISCELLANEOUS

·        Medications:  It is a pain in the behind, but pack your medications in their original containers.  (I usually don’t do that, but did on this trip just in case some customs official was in a bad mood.)  For prescription medications, take enough to last the duration of the trip plus another 4-5 days in case you get stuck in an airport and you are away from home longer than planned.

Be sure to bring your malaria medication. This is what our tour company recommended:

“Currently the CDC recommends the drug mefloquine, marketed as “Larium,” to protect against the chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria. There is an anti-malarial drug (Malarone) that received formal approval from the FDA in 2000. Please discuss these options with your physician. We have experienced that many travelers have had bad reactions to Larium and to date there seem to be fewer side effects caused by Malarone. Malarone is prescribed based on the number of days spent in an infected area.”

From the experience reported in conversations during the trip, the side effects of Larium were hallucinations.  Most people in my tour group were taking Malarone with no side effects; a few people had low-level nausea for a few days.

In addition, most travel doctors also write a prescription for some kind of antibiotic to take if you get severely ill with diarrhea.  Be sure to bring that stuff too (although, we had no problems during our tour).

·        Insect repellent:  You don’t need a huge bottle if you only need to cover your neck, face, hands, and ankles.  Get one that has at least 30% DEET and is in a spray pump container, not a pressurized spray can (repellent in pressured spray cans are often removed from your luggage as a hazardous material).

·        Sunblock:  Bring sunblock (SPF 25 or higher).  Because I don’t like the sticky feel of sunblock on my skin, I wore long-sleeved quick-wick, quick-dry shirts that have a SPF 15 built into the fiber.  That was very helpful.  But I still needed sunblock for my hands, neck, face, and ankles.

·        Hand sanitizer:  You don’t need much because most places you go have washing facilities.  But it is nice to have in airports and for tea time in the bush.

·        Sewing kit:  I always take a little sewing kit that consists of one small spool of thread and a needle and thimble.  However, if you pack a needle with a large enough eye, you can use dental floss as thread to sew a button back on.

·        Laundry line:  I brought one but never used it.  I just draped hand washing over towel racks and chair backs.  Worked fine.

·        Makeup:  It’s your choice, but then again trying to figure out which stuff to put on first (makeup, sunblock, insect repellent) gets confusing.  This is not a glamour trip.

·        1 or 2 extra luggage tags:  Let’s face it, these things get ripped off by airport machinery and rough handling.  Best to have an extra handy for the trip home.

·        Extra pen (or two)

·        Time:  Bring a small, travel alarm clock.  You’ll need it to get up in time for those early morning game drives.  You’ll probably want to wear a watch, too.

·        Bandanas:  Bring at least two – one pre-treated with insect repellent to wear around you neck occasionally, and an untreated one to sit on, or to get wet and mop your face.

·        Kleenex:  Bring several packets (I blew my nose a lot because the dust). 

·        Toilet paper:  You need to provide your own toilet paper if you have to go in the bush during a game drive.  I make a roll that, when squashed flat, fits in a snack-size zip lock bag (I usually bring five or six of these).  Any paper you use in the bush must be packed out with you, so you’ll end up putting the used paper back in the zip lock bag and throwing out the whole thing back at the lodge.

·        Extra zip lock bags:  I always pack a few empty zip lock bags – the 1 qt size and the 1 gal size.  They come in handy every now and then and don’t weigh much.

FIRST AID

·        Pain reliever:  Bring some over-the-counter pain reliever. 

·        Pepto Bismol  (this soothes an unsettled digestive system and also kills some bacteria that may be causing problems).

·        Immodium AD  (for when Pepto Bismol is not enough to solve the problem)

·        Antibiotic ointment  (a small tube is enough)

·        Bandaids

·        Aloe gel (for sunburn or any scrape)

·        Tooth wax  (I always bring this on every trip in case I break a tooth or a filling breaks off.  You stuff the area with tooth wax and you can tough it out until you get home.  It comes in a very small case.)

·        Eye drops  (very helpful after a dusty game drive; I suggest the kind that comes in individual doses)

LEGAL STUFF, $$, ETC.

·        Passport:  For USA travelers, the expiration date must be at least six months after your return date.  In addition, you must have at least four completely empty pages for visa entry and exit stamps (visa pages, not the amendment/endorsement pages in the back).  

Make three photo copies of your passport (I also write my emergency contact info and my allergies on the photocopies), then put one copy in your check-in bag where it is easy to find, one in your carry-on bag, and one in your wallet or money purse.

·        Extra passport photos:  Bring two extra passport photos.  Not sure why, but most travel agencies say it is a good idea.

·        Yellow, World Health Organization immunization form

·        Money:  In reality, you can use US dollars exclusively for all tipping and market purchases.   In South Africa they prefer that you pay with Rands.  In Botswana and Zambia, they prefer US dollars.  Do not expect that people will have change in US dollars.  Therefore, bring small bills.  My suggestion is:  10% in 20’s, 50% in 10’s, 20% in 5’s, and 20% in 1’s.  Yes, that ends up to be a bulky pile of money, but live with it.  I took $1000 with me and had quite a time of it trying to pack stacks of cash in different places in my carry-on bag and on my person. 

·        Credit card:  Bring one.  Make sure you notify the card carrier of your trip dates and destinations.  I also write down the emergency phone number from the back of the card and stick it with my money or in my check-in bag.

·        Visas:  You do not need a visa for South Africa or Botswana.  However, you need to buy a visa when you enter Zambia – they require $50 cash in US dollars.  So just put $50 in an envelope and keep it separate from your spending money.

·        Tips:  Don’t forget to budget money for tips.  Tip the lodge staff, the guides, and any other drivers you have. 

Guides:  General recommendation is $5/day, but I think $10 is better considering the amount of time they spend.

Lodge housekeeping:  General recommendation is $3/day.

·        Tickets and accommodation confirmations:  All tickets, vouchers, reservation confirmations, and contact information in case things do not work out as planned.

GENERAL TRIP TIPS

TOURS

We went on a tour that was under the umbrella of Road Scholar (www.roadscholar.org), which is part of Elderhostel although most of the age restrictions have been removed for the tours.  The tour we selected was called “Wild Africa: Botswana and Zambia.”

 The tour was well designed and well organized.  They selected four-star accommodations and all arrangements for transfers from one place to another went smoothly (which is saying a lot in Africa).  It was very impressive. 

The actual tour organizer was  Explore, Inc. (www.exploreafrica.net).  If you don’t want to do a Road Scholar tour, then contact Explore directly and arrange something with them.  I highly recommend them! 

Our guide, Lisa Reed (www.cardsandcrafts.biz) was superb in every way and I recommend you try to get a tour led by her.  Check her website for how to contact her.

Our tour went to Botswana and Zambia, which, from all I have read and heard, is definitely the best choice for prime animal viewing.  Game drives in other countries, like South Africa and Kenya are much more crowded with tourists so you end up being one of 20 game trucks all trying to look at the same elephant (which sounds more like a Disneyesque Wild Animal Park experience than an authentic game viewing experience).  Botswana is more expensive than other countries, but definitely worth it.

BEST TIME TO GO

Forget thoughts of summer versus winter.  In Africa, you need to think of dry season versus wet season.  Check out the overall climate at http://www.botswana.climatetemp.info/.

Dry season:  Ground is dry and brown; most trees are bare and dead-looking.  Weather is hot (but it’s a dry heat!).  Water has dried up considerably so animals are more concentrated around watering holes, therefore easier to find and watch.  In general, mosquito levels are low, and snakes and scorpions are not very active.  (We didn’t see any on our trip.)

Best dry season time:  mid-August through mid-Sept.  Avoid October (they call it the suicide month because it is so  beastly hot).

Wet season:  Everything is lush and green and flowering, with lots of water. This also means that the animals are spread out a bit more, but you also tend to see a few different animals.  Insect and reptile activity is much higher.  It’s still hot (and humid).

Best wet season time:  mid-November because the animals generally have new babies.  However, June has the lowest temperatures.

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR LONG FLIGHTS

·        Try to get a seat in an exit row or any other row that has extra leg room (even if you have to pay a bit more money). 

·        Take a sleeping pill to help you get a few hours of sleep so that you are not a zombie when you arrive.

SAFARI – TYPICAL DAY AT MFUWE LODGE

5:30 AM wake-up knock

6:00 AM breakfast, serve yourself

6:30-10:30 or 11:00  game drive with a short tea break around 9:00 (tea, coffee, and cookies served on the hood of the Land Rover)

11:00 AM lunch at the lodge, serve yourself

2:30 PM wildlife lecture (a feature of this tour company)

3:30 PM tea time (tea, coffee, pastry or cake and something savory)

4:00-7:30 PM game drive with a stop about 6:00 for sundowners at the bush bar (cocktails served on the hood of the Land Rover)

8:00 PM formal dinner (well, bush formal) where the waiter announces the menu (always a soup, entrée, and a small dessert) and we are served each course

Upon returning from each game drive, the staff greet us (often by name, I don’t know how they remember all those names) holding a tray of chilled, damp facecloths to wash off the dust and then glasses of fruit juice.  All meals are announced by drum beats – the staff has fun using different rhythms.

And always we are accompanied by bush sounds – bird calls, hippo shorts, lion roars occasionally, once in a while we hear alarm calls from various animals.  We did hear some vocalizations by the elephants but not much.

We have been royally taken care of.

SAFARI – DAY 14 (South Luangwa National Park, Zambia; Mfuwe Lodge)

 

TRIVIA ANSWER:  What animal has a matriarchal organization and, in fact, any female no matter how young can (and does) dominate all males in the group?  Hyenas.

Went on my last game drive this morning.  I was awakened twice last night by very VERY loud hippos, who sounded like they were in the room.  I usually sleep through most any noise, so you know the hippos had to be extraordinarily loud.  It’s still fun to hear them.

This morning we saw a bunch of vultures circling and followed them to a recent kill.  Didn’t actually see the carcass but our best guess is that it was a cape buffalo because a number of lions were guarding it.  The vultures kept hopping down from the trees and then they would slowly hop closer and closer, then they would frantically flap backwards as the lions shooed them away.  We watched this dance for a while and then noticed four hyenas coming in from different directions.  They just hung out on the perimeter but we were told that if enough hyenas gathered, then they could successfully chase the lions away.  We also saw a whole bunch of banded mongooses scurrying about.  Cute.

Close to lunch time on the game drive, we drove up to a lovely spot in the woods where the lodge staff had set up a fancy outdoor lunch.  Tablecloths, linen napkins, glassware – the whole shebang.  The staff had a fire going and cooked sausage, bacon, eggs, beans, fried eggplant, corn fritters, and potatoes, and made toast over the fire.  Very tasty tomato slices and a fruit salad also.  We were greeted at a small washing table with basins of water and fresh towels.  I felt like royalty as we sat eating and watching the antics of the baboons rambling all around us.  Truly a special event.

Today, thankfully, is simply hot, not deathly hot, which is a welcome change.  We are very near the end of the dry season – the rains usually start in early November (and they call October the suicide month because it is beastly hot).  It looks like the rains may start a bit early this year because the weather does seem to be changing.

TRUE AFRICAN CIRCLE OF LIFE:  Lions kill an impala or a buffalo and eat most of it.  Hyenas close in and snatch large pieces (perhaps a whole hind quarter) then drag it away and eat all of it, including the bones (their jaws are strong enough to crunch up large bones).  Then vultures get the rest of the leftover bits.  Then hyenas leave dung that is high in calcium, which is eaten by birds and pregnant impalas and other antelopes because they need the calcium.

Tomorrow we leave for home with memories to last a lifetime.

SAFARI – DAY 13 (South Luangwa National Park, Zambia; Mfuwe Lodge)

TRIVIA QUESTION:  What animal has a matriarchal organization and, in fact, any female no matter how young can (and does) dominate all males in the group?  Females have both female and male genitalia and have very high testosterone levels.   Answer in tomorrow’s post.

As we left our room this morning to go to breakfast, a baboon mom with her baby on her back was sitting just outside the door.  She just sat and watched us for a few seconds, then left just as I got my camera out.  Figures.

My sister and decided to take all day off to rest and relax.  Most everyone is taking time out at this point.  Actually, we were able to watch a fair amount of animal activity from the main deck of the lodge.  Saw quite a few lions drinking in the river this morning.  The lodge is amazingly quiet after everyone leaves on game drives.

Spent an hour in the pool this afternoon holding a big umbrella over me and watching impala, zebra, and warthogs come down to the water to drink.  I must have been an interesting picture but I didn’t care – I was in cool water and in shade.  Then watched a herd of elephants walk by.  It's still hard to believe it is real. The pool is a fun way to beat the heat. It rained a little yesterday afternoon and it looks like rain again today. It helps to cool things off a little.

Had a really cool hyena sighting tonight.  We were driven to a surprise sunset stop on the river bank where the lodge had set up camp chairs.  We sat in the comfy chairs and the lodge staff kept passing appetizers while we sipped our cocktails in one hand and looked thru our binoculars with the other.  It felt very poshy.  As the sun went down, we watched a raft of 30-40 hippos frolicking and snorting in the river.  Then someone spotted a hyena on the river bank rolling in dung and one just lying in the short grass.  On the way back, we saw a civet (in the mongoose family but somewhat cat looking with a raccoon face).  Earlier, I saw a tsetse fly – they are fairly big and apparently can give nasty bites.  Insect repellent is supposed to keep them away.

CAMOFLAGE:  How can large, distinctive animals hide so easily?  For example, elephants are so big that they couldn’t possibly hide.  Right?  And giraffes have such a distinct shape that they couldn’t possibly hide.  Right?  And the stripes on zebras are so bright and distinct that they couldn’t possibly hide.  Right?  Big wrong!  The animals quickly and easily just become invisible by stepping behind a bush.  It is amazing to watch, every time.

SAFARI – DAY 12 (South Luangwa National Park, Zambia; Mfuwe Lodge)

Had a lovely 6 AM breakfast of a poached egg and toast that was made on an outdoor grill over a fire.  Then out for an early morning game drive.

Today is my birthday and Africa gave me a wonderful present – we saw a two-week old baby elephant with its mother and three aunties carefully standing guard.  He was still learning how to walk; his knees kept buckling and then he would stumble or sway and his mom would steady him with her trunk.  It looked very much like a human baby who was just learning how to walk.  It takes about a year for a baby elephant to learn how to use his trunk, so this little baby’s trunk just flapped around and wiggled here and there (they are suckled at least two years).  He was the cutest thing ever.

Saw herds of zebra and impala.  Some warthogs and water buck and a few herds of puku (a new animal on the list and an antelope type), and a slender mongoose (that is the real name).  Saw a tree full of carmine bee eaters who kept flying out over the river and then back to the tree.  They are bright red and truly spectacular.  Also saw white-face bee eaters who are mostly green.  Absolutely beautiful.

Watched a herd of zebra while we ate lunch at the lodge.  I just have no idea how to convey the grandness of all this to people who have not seen it.  Lunch was fun – the staff fired up two wood-fired outdoor ovens and then we picked up a piece of thin flat bread and walked down a long table with tons of toppings and then handed it over to be fired.  Really good.

Went back to our room after lunch to change into my swimsuit and there was a half-submerged hippo directly in front of our verandah.  Decided to just watch the hippo.  This is an incredible trip.   Finally took a nap and woke up to thunder and a bit of rain and wind, which was so very welcome.  The hippo, who remained partially submerged all day, didn’t even twitch an ear during the rain.  But the heat has been toned down a little bit.  It’s still hotter than hell.

Lions! On our night game drive before dinner we saw a group of eight lions passed out in the heat on the sand of a dry river bed.  Their stomachs were clearly full of buffalo because we passed a buffalo carcass nearby.  They looked like all cats sleeping on a warm afternoon – sprawled out in various poses.  They didn’t seem to care that we were there and fairly close.  Once in a while one turned over or got up and moved four steps away then collapsed back onto the sand.  One was on her back with back legs spread out and front paws crossed under her chin.  Totally cute.  Then we stopped for sundowners (the guide set up a bush bar on the hood of the Rover) and we all felt quite civilized.  The lodge had even packed some appetizers (as if we needed more food). 

After nightfall we continued, looking for nocturnal animals.  Saw an elephant shrew (a rat-like creature with big ears), and a spotted genet (a type of mongoose), and a hyena who was just sitting in the dark in the open waiting for someone else to make a kill.   Because of the bit of rain earlier in the afternoon, I was acutely aware of the night smells of the land.  We drove through dry bush and I could smell the dry grass and dry dirt, then suddenly we would drive near a fragrant gardenia tree or a fragrant sausage tree (so named because the hanging fruit looks like big fat sausages, but the flowers are very fragrant and when they fall all the animals love to eat them because they have a little cup of nectar at the bottom of each one).  After a while I smelled water – the damp green grasses and damp earth near the river.  We drove through pockets of cool and warm air, the temperature changing as much as 5 degrees.  This was a very different and lovely way to experience the African bush.

I’ve read several memoirs about living in Africa and they all mention the smell of Africa and how much they miss that smell when they move away.  I think that the smell of Africa, or at least the African savannah, is a combination of smoking cook fires, dry grass, the faint underlayer of dry dung, with whiffs of fragrant flowering trees, and a hint of wild sage.  A more discerning nose would certainly add more layers but that is what it smelled like to me.

The lodge had entertainment tonight.  A theater group named Seka (www.seka-educational-theatre.com/ and pronounced SAY-kuh) came in and did a play about the value of harmony in the bush between the animals and people.  They use very simple props and use amazing athletic and dance abilities to depict the various animals in the bush – with respect and also humor.  And they even poked a bit of fun at the tourists on game drives.  They were truly fabulous.  Then we had fancy BBQ under the stars and the cook made a choc cake and everyone sang happy birthday.  Best birthday ever ( I know, I said that last year too).  It was a magnificent day.