The Kalahari is a very special place for me and if you have the opportunity to go to the trans-frontier national park - Kgalagadi, its really well worth a visit. Even for a few days. The intensity of the place for me is absolute food for the soul. To my mind its as Africa wild as one can safely go now days. However what do i know, the mists of Africa are now lifting. Those wjo have been stripping it bare are finding it harder to hide behind long tall stories and grass.
Many, many years ago before all the rules started accompanying every trip to the hinterlands of Africa. Things like game parks did not really formally exist to contain the wild. I went on an excursion into the wild with a Zambian copper miners son and a Rhode. I am a Capetonian or what is called a Kaapenaar, so the "bush" isnt an environment i am really comfortable in. Put me on the sea and im home - put me in the bush and im suddenly very respectful of every single small noise i hear. What with lions and some serious wild animals - The deep bush is not for the feint of heart. and its definitely not a place to venture in with 2 old timers who are scared of absolutely nothing. We did have ol cliff richard keeping us company - need i say more.
We drove 300km deep into the "bush" the area we transgressed was to my mind over predatised and along the single dirt track we traveled was plenty of lion spore. The occasional cheetah spore and plenty of game tracks. Cheetah spore is amazing as the claws do not retract - Giving the cheetah sprinters spikes whilst chasing down springboks. So its easy enough to differentiate from other cat spore. Im no expert but some sign is even obvious to the bush tone illiterate like me.
The reality with the lions within a desert environment - You see evidence, you see their tracks but you rarely ever see them - They are super stealthy and brilliant at keeping hidden. They always watching, always watching you.
For this excursion i brought along my little 2 man pap tent which was a miserable excuse for a tent really - Made in a far off land for children to put up in the back yard. Not for the bush at all, which really requires a proper canvas fabric tent - Not the pathetic tent i brought into these unforgiving lands. A Zambian copper miners son and an ex Rhode aint gonna tell you niks, nadda about common sense survival. They have stories up to whazoo about those who have lacked common sense in the bush. Most end with, then they where eaten, savaged, mauled, spit braaid and struck by lightening, dead!!!.
So that night we found our spot to camp near a waterhole and had a lekker braai. A couple of whiskeys and enjoyed the night time sounds and green eye torch show that only Africa can dish up. Shine a torch into the night and it lights back with green eye reflection. The hyenas where fairly well behaved - However im not scared of these creatures of the night. its the lion that leaves me completely absolutely cold. It was a full moon and i got to sleep around 9pm in the tent designed for keeping the mist from your face. Anything other than mist and the tent is completely useless. In fact i was a little scared to even break wind in fear the tent would immediately be whisked away into the Africa night sky.
It was then the car was started and the one Africa Rhode bush maestro headed out with the only vehicle for miles around. To sleep under the stars far away from the paper thin tent and its snoring 2 occupants. The Zambian wasn't perturbed and started his snoring immediately - I was extremely fortunate to get to sleep fairly easily and was out until 3am. i was suddenly woken by the urge to go to the loo. Fortunately the minor of the 2 options.
I didnt realise it at first however I was also awoken by lions making a sound that i couldn't even attempt to even explain. A sound like many deep resonating instruments playing over each other. It was a low rumbling type roar - It was an extremely deep growl that came out like a ooooooooOOOOOOWAH!!! Growling type sound. Very deep ominous and completely and utterly poop frightening. I lay awake for half an hour listening to the noise of the lions around our tent - Im not sure how close they where as water tends to bounce sound over it. But it sounded like they where exactly right next to me. I lay their completely frozen, i suffer from ptsd to yhis day from this single experience. - It was then i realized something i never thought possible. Why exactly these cunning predatory creatures emit that exact sound. Its a sound that the base of which comes up through the ground and hits you exactly in the middle of your stomach. Then because the sound is so completely frightening your stomach and its contents becomes a huge massive issue. Now fear and bravery are strange thing. Your fear leads you to the point you desperately need the loo - whilst your bravery is linked to how urgently you need to go. So at a point in this cacophony of lion growling sound i charged off from the safety of the paper thin tent and into the night. Total silence, well other than me lumbering around like a novice night snack. To answer natures call, i didnt realise natures call had several meanings. No it wasnt the lions nature call i was answering. How i did not get eaten is a complete mystery only Africa can explain. As the next day we saw lion spore all around the paper thin tent and a big young male lion made his way into the veld close by our camp very early the next morning on the drive out. When the Rhode decided to return from his sleep in the safety of the car.
Africa in its raw undiluted form is incredible - However from then on i didnt go further than 1m from the vehicle - The little metal cubicle of safety from the wild. Now i am braver in the bush now days but i made 1 resolution that day - I would never ever go into the deep bush again in someone elses vehicle - I would only go into the bush if i was driving my own car and only on my own terms. If im going to be a lack of common sense statistic, its going to be 100% on me. While im being chowed at least i csn reflect i fid all i vould. Rather than become a meal and have a pride of lions chat about how dumb that last burger was.
Africa in its raw undiluted form is incredible - However from then on i didnt go further than 1m from the vehicle - The little metal cubicle of safety from the wild. Now i am braver in the bush now days but i made 1 resolution that day - I would never ever go into the deep bush again in someone elses vehicle - I would only go into the bush if i was driving my own car and only on my own terms. If im going to be a lack of common sense statistic, its going to be 100% on me. While im being chowed at least i csn reflect i fid all i vould. Rather than become a meal and have a pride of lions chat about how dumb that last burger was.
Africa does not suffer fools gladly. Im just glad on this one rare occasion the fool prevailed.
