SPEAK TO ME OF WILD THINGS - or the salvation a safari can bring

[twaffle]

DIAMONDS IN THE SKY

 

The most ubiquitous noise on a camping safari has got to be the sound of the zip.  At all hours of the night you can wake up to the sound of someone un-zipping their tent as they head to the bathroom.  No matter how hard you try, the sound of the zip is a loud ‘call to action’ and once you hear one, invariably you hear another.

 

Walking out to the open air bathroom at 3am in a sleep haze I look up at the sky to wake fully at the glorious sight of the Kalahari stars.  The Milky Way shines with a million diamonds all in full display, undimmed by any light pollution from the ground.  By 5am, the Southern Cross has settled above my tent and reminded me of the smallness of our planet and our place in this world.

 

The clear skies give rise to our first cool night but things were soon to change.

 

The first photo could be a sunset from the previous evening or the sunrise from today, I made the rookie error of not changing the date on my second camera.  Poetic license I guess.

 

 

 

The previous morning, on our drive to Letiahau, we just missed seeing a lioness and nearby a brown hyaena as it returned to its den.  So this morning Sam suggests that we head down that way but a little earlier to see if we are lucky with the hyaena.  Not going as far as the water hole at Letiahau, we explore the area but with no hyaena luck.  Bright blue skies give no clue to the storms brewing, but at this time of year it's always on the cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid afternoon in the Kalahari is hot, sultry hot.  The inside of the tents feels like walking into a sauna so we are all sitting in directors chairs on our tent verandahs hoping to take advantage of any slight breeze.  Even the birds are quiet, just the occasional chirrup from some small individual.  There’s a rumble and the breeze picks up.  Whether it’s distant thunder is hard to say, although the building humidity would suggest it being a possibility.  The migrating Brown-Veined White butterflies are moving through camp, fighting against the breeze when it strengthens.  The most constant noise is the buzz of flies, unwelcome guests during this soporific siesta.

 

 

 

 

What a storm it turns out to be.  Hailstones, heavy rain, wind – some of us stuck in the vehicle, hunkered down beneath our ponchos as we had just arrived for the afternoon’s drive.  Others stuck in their tents, the storm hitting just as they were about to leave.  For every challenge there is an answer.  In this case, magnificent skies filled with drama, oryx and springbok dancing in the cool aftermath of the deluge, drinking from puddles on the road.

 

The wild things came out to play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And just in case the first photo was a sunset, here it is again.

 

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

 

 

~ @twaffle

 

The headdress above has everything going for it — not overdone and minimal cost.

 

The Oryx panorama is a wonderful image.

 

I have no recollection of ever having heard a zipper on safari.

 

It may be that the combination of pre-dawn starts, long sunny days, and an overload of memorable sights exhausts me to the point of immmediate heavy sleep.

 

Thank you for these. I hope that you're feeling better.

 

Tom K.

[twaffle]

Thanks Tom, I'm feeling much better, thank you.

 

I think that you need to be in a small mobile tented camp as you are close enough to hear the zips and there aren't any ensuite bathrooms without a canvas wall with zip.  Be thankful that you sleep well.

 

Yes, I think some of the antelope do the headdress thing quite well.

[KiwiGran]

Im loving this report @twaffle  I was really looking forward to seeing lots of Oryx at Mokala last year but we didnt get very close to many, your panorama of Oryx is stunning. 

[wilddog]

Oh the zipper. Actually I never hear the others but always think they will all wake up, if I open mine. Sounds deafening!

 

Loving the whole trip report @twaffle, both the prose and your stunning mages and @Kitsafari 's videos .

 

Thank you both.

[CDL111]

From your description and photograph, it is a must to set the alarm for 03:00hrs on one day on our next safari, hopefully no waking up anybody else including the wife!  We are both enjoying reading your report and your photographs.

[Peter Connan]

I guess if there is one experience I love above all others, it is a proper bushveld thunderstorm. Or perhaps not the storm itself, but the aftermath. The fresh smell, and the abundance of life that it reveals!

 

Thank you for sharing that with us too. Most would be hunkered down and seeking cover.

[Kitsafari]

Stunning skyscraper @twaffle! Love that oryx in B&W. 

 

Ahh the zippers - a true wake-up call! Brings me back lying in bed in the tent and listening to the series of zips left and right of me. 

[twaffle]

THE LONGEST DAY

 

If we didn’t see many carcasses in CKGR we certainly saw the bones of our camp appear around us as we broke camp early Wednesday morning.  We have a long day of travel ahead of us as we head to Nxai Pan.  Travel days provide private head space for reflection and contemplation and I put on my headphones, listen to some music and try not to think too much about the hours and hours of the journey ahead of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I reflect on our three nights in the CKGR, a beautiful landscape characterised by big skies, wide open spaces and interesting inhabitants.  Game viewing was hard with many long drives with little reward, and then something surprising to enjoy.  Quality over quantity for us, but as an adventure it was excellent and to see so many oryx was a delight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our drive is lengthened even more by the temporary closure of the ferry across the Boteti river for repairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our lunch spot by the Boteti River is by an elephant rubbing tree. Smoothed by many years of attention by a succession of animals, it is tactile to the touch.  Surrounding us is a grove of Lala palm trees, heavy with strands of fruit.  The river is wide with very little water, enough for the few zebra who walk down the sandy river banks to quench their thirst.  Later, in June or July through to the start of the rains a few months later, it will become a steady stream of zebras who head to the river to drink what little water remains in the area.  For now, the green marshy river provides a haven for the many birds that forage in it.  Soon we will head across from our lunch spot towards the Makgadikgadi National Park, wading across the shallows towards the dust and dryness of the pans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The question remains, will the zebra have arrived.  Will our quest to see the migration be successful.  No one can tell us, there are too few travellers looking for them to share any news.

 

Over  twelve hours after leaving CKGR we finally arrive at our new camp in Nxai Pan, but the last part of that was pure game driving, pure gold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Feeling tired

By the Fire

The long day is over

 

The wind is gone

Asleep at dawn

The embers burn on

 

With no reprise

The sun will rise

The long day is over” 

Norah Jones

[Marks]

Evocative reporting and beautifully presented photos...your composition is second-to-none. I feel like this is especially evident in the oryx photos, but it really applies to the whole set. Great stuff.

[SafariChick]

Beautiful, beautiful writing and photos @twaffle - so enjoying this report! And @Kitsafari I also really liked the videos. The language is so interesting to hear, and it's good to see people still living in the traditional way.

[Maki]

@twaffle - Great report and wonderful photography! Love reading about your Botswana adventure.

[Kitsafari]

If you ever want to be alone, and yet not feel lonely, to be one with nature, to feel the silence brushing against sparse leaves of trees left untouched by humans, the Kalahari desert must be the destination. I had expected dust, sand, brown grass and spaces empty of trees and bushes. Instead, in February, I found green grass, shades of purple, pink and blue and silver glistening back at me in the vast plains. It was not what I had expected. wild semi-arid central Kalahari is a beautiful place in February. Lonely and remote, but not alone. 

 

@twaffle has provided incomparable photos of our adventure. here are a couple of videos. 

 

 

who would expect to have hailstones in a desert? 

 

 

 

zebras' first arrivals in Nxai Pans for its nutritious grasses after the first rains.

 

[twaffle]

So many apologies but I'm swamped with work and have many more photos than I thought.  I will get back to it soon, I promise.

[Peter Connan]

No rush, this is worth waiting for!

[Alexander33]

@twaffle

 

Agreed. Take your time. It gives us more time to savor your beautiful words and photos — and makes me feel better about how slow I can be in posting my own reports!