A Walk on the Wild Side, A Night At The Bush Camp

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Geo: -12.8546, 31.311

A Walk on the wide side or our trip to the bush camp. Got up the next morning after our all day drive and got thing together for our trip out to the bush camp to spend the night. There is a vehicle that will take your overnight things so all you need to have with you on the walk is your camera, water, hat etc.

We had turned in our order to make sure they had red wine out there for dinner. We were joined by Christian from Switzerland and two ladies, one a translator for a woman on safari with the group the translator was from. They spoke German so it was an interesting walk, hearing Moses, our guide, tell us something and then hear it be translated into German. Actually got the gist of some of the things that were being said.

As usual learned all sorts of interesting things about nature and the animals that inhabit this
particular part of it. Evidently some of the dung display by hippos is showing who is the big guy. This is done partly when they are jousting in the water and stop and defecate to show off. Hummm.

There were elephants all around us while we were walking and we had to stop several times until Jimmy, the scout told us it was safe to continue on. Did you know that elephants walk on tiptoe, four toes in the front and 3 toes on back foot? Because this is the way they put their foot down, you should be able to tell from the track which was they are heading. Don't depend on me, failed to determine the direction when Moses asked us to look at tracks and tell.

Tortoises eat hyena dung to strengthen their own shell and that of their eggs. Moses used a word that was unfamiliar to us and now cannot find what the word is. It is to do something that one can benefit from but does not harm others by the action. For example, an aardvark builds a hole and then the hole is used by a warthog. No harm done. Saw lots of aardvark holes but no aardvark. Evidently the holes sometimes have tunnels with them as well.

We also learned that lavender is good to use as a mosquito repellent. We got to the bush camp and they had popcorn for us along with beer or wine to drink. Were shown which tent we were sleeping in and went and set things up before it got dark. The girls that had been on the walk with us were taken back to camp by vehicle since it was getting dark.

Now it was time for dinner. We started with a delicious leek soup that had been cooked over an open fire so had a wonderful smoky taste. From there we were each given a long fork to chose what we wanted off the braii, chicken, sausage, and pork loin. All cooked to perfection. Also, carrots,peas, potatoes and homemade chakalaka sauce. All washed down with wine and lots of fun conversation with stories by Moses and general conversation with Christian about what he is doing in Africa.

Dessert was a dish like flan but called something else. Of course, more wine and then it was time for bed. We were reminded that if we needed to go during the night, we needed to call for Jimmy to escort us because there could be animals about.

When I was setting our place up for sleeping, I had unrolled the back window and front window to cool the place down and during the night you could hear both the hippo and elephant near our tent. Of course I had made one of those silly assumptions that the hippo could not climb that steep bank and Moses had assured me they put it in "four wheel drive" and power on up and sure enough that was what they had done.

The next day had coffee, cereal and toast and then headed back. Saw an elephant shrew which interestingly has four toes on front and three in back just like the elephant. Got the termite mound lecture again but we were waiting for elephants to pass so just as well. Saw more animal tracks and saw nest of a helmeted shrike that had fallen on the ground. It was very delicate looking and Moses said they use the silk from the spider web to make part of their nest.

Saw some whitebellied sunbirds and on the way back we went through the area we can see when we walk to the chalets. It is very beautiful with very tall catherdral like trees in the area. It was very nice walking and was an enjoyable trip.

Got back and went to have coffee, tea and muffins at the end and heard from Potifer that there had been a leopard at the waterhole by the restaurant that morning early. Maybe one day we will be lucky!

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