“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa.”
* John Hemingway (American author)
Of all of the incarnations of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ hero Tarzan, Johnny Weismuller was by far the best. Weissmuller was a 1920’s era Olympic swimmer and it seemed every movie they would find some excuse to get him in the water. With his broad shoulders and powerful strokes he created a wake behind him that was impressive. Furthermore he was just a big bulky guy with a slightly dull witted look to his face that denoted both innocence and strength. He was the perfect Tarzan.
I grew up believing Africa was like these films. It was a place filled with towering trees each with a broad branch to stand on and multiple vines that would support the weight of a big man that would allow you to swing in a straight line to a waiting platform. He was like a naked spider-man swinging around to stop evil.
In Tarzan's jungle there were lions, bears, elephants, apes, etc. None of it was real, of course, but like many Americans you believed that this is what Africa looked like. Dark, mysterious, and dangerous where only a naked white guy in a loin cloth could get you to safety.
There may be places like that here on the continent, but not in South Africa. Elephants and lions do not live in dense rain forests. They live here in the dry Savannah as do many of the most interesting wildlife in the world. There are no vines and I have not seen a white guy in a loin cloth…..yet. The trip is still early.
We have been on three ‘Game Drives’ so far and initially they were not at all what I expected. Like may of our trips, I watch a lot of travel videos before hand to learn as much as I can about a location. I enjoy seeing things in context.
After spending a lot of time with these informative mini-documentaries I came away somehow with the impression that all of the animals in the reserve went straight to the road every day and laid down waiting for you to come by.
“You want a selfie with my lion cubs? Sure!”, the mother lioness would gesture for you to step out of the car and come over.
As I boarded the jeep the first time, I felt sure as soon as we left the compound, all of Noah’s Ark lay just outside the gate. Furthermore, on many of the videos, there was something odd. One of the guides was perched on a seat on the hood of the vehicle. I could not understand why one would want to be in such a precarious position.
“Was he a guard?”, I thought. he had no weapon. “Bait?” — No, no that seemed wrong.
So I was surprised when I boarded the jeep and met ‘Musa’, the gentleman who literally ‘rides shotgun’ on the front of the car like a living hood ornament or a scene from a Mad Max movie. We left the compound . I gripped my camera tightly and we found…..
Nothing.
It turns out these are wild animals and, in general, they do not wish to be found. Who knew?
It was then I learned what Musa does. He is a professional tracker. He sits on the front looking at the dirt road in front. He is looking for tracks while ‘Amos’, our congenial driver, serves as narrator and guide. He is constantly speaking to Musa in Shangaan, the local native language. They confer on where to hunt.
(I am sitting in an outdoor lounge typing this entry and a Velvet male monkey just ran under my desk. It’s testicles are Robin’s egg blue! I don’t make a habit of admiring testicles, but damn, those were amazing. ‘Salute’)
Back to the story — So on these Game Drives we are not at an amusement park. We have to go and find the animals. In a real sense, it is a hunt. I did not expect that and it made the drives all the more thrilling.
This is where Musa would come in. He would sit majestically on the front of the jeep rather like a harpooner on the bow of a whale long boat. Amos would prattle on about this plant or bird as we went down the dirt roads into the wild.
We would look around hoping to catch a glimpse of something but inevitably Musa would see it first. He would hold his fist up to stop the jeep like a special forces soldier on a mission. Amos would hit the breaks. Musa would peer in a direction and we waited in anticipation. Then, like a conductor about to signal the trumpet section to play, he would make a grand gesture towards the bush. Like magic, he seemed to will an animal to appear and out would walk something like this below.
Musa has impressive skills and we soon learned to relax and let Musa point out the animals as he called them forth into being. It has only been two days but we have already had some impressive encounters. We have seen dozens of animals and managed to check off 4 of the “Big Five” in only two days. (See an earlier post).
(L-R These are shots over the last two days. Elephant, Lion, Leopard, & a White Rhino. We are still missing the Cape Buffalo -- Again, this is a fake 'Marketing' list but still it provides a useful benchmark)
So I am so glad that if we get into trouble it will not be a crazed, mostly naked, white guy coming to help. It will be Musa.
Tomorrow we will leave this lodge and head to Kruger National park.
Here is some information about our next stop.
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