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.