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Published: December 15th 2010
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Well we left you on a high note and we are happy to report that the good times keep rolling on. We packed the car after climbing the dunes and getting sandy and dirty requiring a pit stop under a desert tree to have camp showers.
We then drove 2 hours to the Naukluft Mountains and to the mountain zebra camp. We were the only ones there and we were stoked. However some very nervous Swedish man and his South African girlfriend arrived and decided to park right next to us. Why I do not know as Geoff and Kit had just exploded a fire cracker- sounded more like a bomb- off in the bin and both of them were shirtless running around with their pen knives while a storm was going on. Geoff looked psychopathic. They looked even crazier than they usually did! ☺ We slept fitfully with very aggressive baboons trying to get into the bins. Jade was hilarious – she refused to move and woke up grumpy and cramped. She actually thought they would unzip her tent and eat her! Off on a hike after packing up – awesome rock pool where the whole family got naked
and had a much deserved wash. We also took an update of the bums shot for those aware of our need to be naked – sorry Ky-Ky !!
Then a hell of a drive to Windhoek – capital of Namibia. A fantastic German guesthouse with incredible food and awesome view of the African bush. Up at 4:15 to get to the airport. Flight to Johannesburg, and then onto Nairobi, Kenya. How good is this – we got upgraded to first class with no extra cost. Unbelievable blessing and a three course white linen meal ensued with a selection of premium wines and beer – Yeah us!!!!!!!!!!
Into Nairobi and off to an old Wilson family friend Paul Sayer, who is a wonderful man who we loved being with. He currently works for an NGO researching an AIDS vaccine. What an incredible man to spend his life doing such worthy work. Then back into a hire van with our driver Timothy and onto Geoff’s dear, dear friend Simon Sayer and his lovely wife Annabelle, and their beautiful boys William and Oliver. They run a flower farm 2 hours outside of Nairobi. Kit was in heaven as it is boy
heaven – bows and arrows, knives, space and masses of animals and hiding spaces. We did not see him. They also had 7 little kittens – to Java and Jade’s delight.
It was awesome for us to see Geoff with his friend Simon as they share a history of boarding school and hare lip cleft palate together and were born only 3 days apart and lived in the same area so very special. He is a wonderful man and the affection and ease that they share is beautiful.
Simon and Annabelle organised a fantastic 3-day safari to the Masai Mara about 5 hours south of their home, and on the border of Tanzania. We hired a proper safaris truck with open roof to see game with – old but great for game watching.
We arrived at camp and Simon had sent people on ahead and we arrived to a beautiful set up camp right on the river with crocodile and masses of hippo that come through camp at night to graze – incredible.
It was incredible sitting listening to the sounds of Africa at night – lions roaring, hippo mooing, hyenas howling, and eerie birds in trees
all around you. What a privilege.
Up before dawn and into safari viewing truck and then …………. Oh my goodness it was just beyond description. The things we saw were awe-inspiring. Giraffe, elephant, spotted hyena, mongoose, cranes, buffalo, impala, Thomson gazelles, topi, water buck, springbok, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, crocodiles, hippo, lion – male and female up so close you could see each hair move on their bodies, Leopard, and a vast array of incredible ducks, geese, cranes, possers, and the list goes on.
We were incredibly blessed to see a river crossing of zebra and Thomson gazelles twice!!!! This is incredibly rare and a real gift. Neither Simon nor Annabelle had ever seen it. Geoff either. We arrived at the river and the zebra – hundreds of them were all neighing and frantic, looking agitated with half their herd across the river calling them over frantically – mothers had missing babies. It was chaos and heartbreak and excitement all at once.
In the water are dozens of croc and hippos watching all the proceedings, one had a dead baby zebra in its mouth. Next thing a zebra calls for the crossing and I cannot describe the adrenalin
in my body as zebra after zebra just start running for their lives through the river crossing – about 30 metres with some needing to swim with the depth. The crocodiles come right up to them and then just when you think it cannot get any more terrifying tiny little Thomson gazelle just lurch into the water, and then things really go wrong. A full-grown zebra is suddenly attacked and its head suddenly disappears – he is gone in seconds with a massive 16 ft crocodile effortlessly taking him. Meanwhile the poor little gazelles are just a snack for 5 crocodiles. One had a terrible death gasping for air for about 2 minutes – incredibly confronting to watch but not nearly as distressing as I would have thought – quite beautiful in its brutality. Then a lioness appears from the scrub and sits perched behind a rock. Can you believe this!? A skittish zebra gets scared to get in the water turns with a few to run back up the river bank and is faced with a lion and turns around and is back in the water in second. I am happy to report that it made it. Some mothers
came back and forward just to collect their young, some as young as 2 weeks old, which they try desperately to keep on their non croc side as they cross. All of this to get better grazing space which they appear to do regularly.
We will be down on technology for a few days now as we are going trekking the bush on camels for 4 days. Not sure how I feel about camels, but anyway it will be a walk and an opportunity to be alone as a family in the African bush.
We are having an incredible time and have been blessed left right and centre. We fly out from Nairobi to London on the 22/12, and then onto Ireland for a big family Christmas with the Irish Wilsons. Love to you all,
The Wilsons
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Kelly
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WOW
Oh my goodness - what an adventure you are having... Sitting here reading this I am totally captured by your words Sarah! At some stages I even had goose bumps at your fantastic descriptions! So good to know you are all having a well deserved break and it is all going so wonderfully! Although with all you have done I think you will need a holiday to get over your holiday. ha. Have a safe and happy christmas!