Answering Africa’s Call… For Sanity’s Sake
No matter how many books you read, or “big” guns you own, nothing beats being in Africa.
I’ve just finished playing fetch with my wild woman of a mixed breed mutt, Maisie. It’s 24 degrees out with a 20-mph wind to emphasize just how chilly it is. It’s the end of January, the Holidays are nothing but blurred memories, yet we’re all still dealing with this damn Pandemic! Like you, I’m sick of it and am more than ready to for things to get back to “normal,” whatever that may be.
During these times, I return to my happy place — deepest, darkest Africa. It’s been 17 months, but I’m ready to be fascinated, enthralled and simply amazed at the wonderful wildlife, people and beauty Africa has to offer. For there, the world is as close to being in its original form as when planet Earth came into existence.
Sunrises and sunsets are always spectacular in Africa!
Being there makes you feel more connected to nature than any other place on the planet. Why? I’m not sure, but it’s one of the mysteries captured by so many who’ve experienced the Dark Continent. Perhaps it’s seeing the vast variety of animals, in their natural environment, witnessing their struggles for survival, seeing firsthand how the food chain really works and how harsh nature can be? Sunrises and sunsets give new meaning of how beautiful life is. Being in the bush, far from civilization, magnifies the meaning of star-filled nights, gazing at the Southern Cross, while sitting around a cozy fire, favorite beverage in hand. This is Safari.
Because of effective game and land management, the animals are much better off and thriving. Management is funded by people who choose to experience and hunt these animals, as man has done since the beginning of time.
Countrys that have banned hunting have no funds for management and far smaller animal populations, some to the point of near extinction. One thing’s for certain, conservation works, and it can’t work without hunting.
I’ve picked some photos to share if you feel the need to escape, or answer Africa’s call yourself. Like anything in life, pictures are a far cry from experience, but they are better than words.
So, sit back and enjoy some of my favorite moments while in Botswana. Hopefully, you’ll feel the heat and dust in your eyes, smell the dung of a wildebeest herd, mixed with the flowery sweetness of blooming mellifera, feeling every bump riding in the bakkie, Land Cruiser, and lastly, feeling contentment from experiencing such a wonderful place as you enjoy the pictures.
To experience this adventure firsthand, check out Kudu-Safaris.com
Even at an early age Africans learn the importance of staying hydrated.
Plastic bottles are used and reused over and over for water.
A gorgeous herd of sable, something you won’t see every day in the states.
A sheep herders hut brewing morning coffee
Some wildebeest silhouetted on a hill side.
More wildebeest stretched out across the veld.
Here’s a gemsbok in typical cover.
Life in the Kalahari is hard and cruel. The food chain is real.
A nice sable bull.
You never know what’s going to pop out of the acacia brush.
Even in the wide-open zebra blend in their surroundings.
What lays around the next corner is always a surprise, no matter how big or tall.
Taking care of trophy heads is a daily ritual. Not an ounce of meat is wasted.
A hawkbill bird, my favorite African bird.
Yes, there are lions in the Kalahari Desert.
The simplest of meals taste like the finest cuisine in the bush.
Barrond, our fearless tracker, with a rare and shy pangolin.
Busy at the skinning shed.
A representation of what the Kalahari Desert has to offer.
A nightly braai, or BBQ, was always a welcome sight.
A “sundowner” was always a splendid way of ending the day as the
fire burned down to glowing embers for the braai.
A beautiful African full moon.
