An elephant is a mouse with an operating system

It is 3:30 in the afternoon. The sun is beginning to dip and there is a chill in the air. The birds are warming up for their afternoon chorus to end yet another day. A shadow is covering the trees as the blanket of the night prepares to move in and coat their leaves.

It has been yet another glorious day of sunshine and sounds.

I arrived to "work" this morning and was greeted by a very disgruntled boss, who explained that gaiitjie our male elephant had chased her last night.  Much to her disgust he ran at her with absolutely no intention of stopping. She made a great escape in reverse and called a fellow ranger who intercepted the two and chased gaiitjie away. Apparently gaiitjie is in musth, meaning he is looking for a lady lover and can be a little feisty.  

My day that had started fairly quietly soon became an endless string of events. From receiving stock, to menu planning, to gallivanting around in the bush looking for flowers for our arrangements.

So as I sit here pondering over my last few hours and soaking up the last warm rays of the African sunlight, I cant help but wonder. Are we on the land of the elephants? or are they on our land? And I have decided like many times before, that Africa and its land, demands great respect, and so I truly believe we are mere passerbys in the land of the grand elephant.  We are privileged and blessed enough to leave a footprint, that will remain for such a short while, before the wind scatters a layer of the red earth over it.

You are a spectator, a visitor, and if you have respect and understanding you may consider yourself a guest. For Africa will treat you well, and bring fire to your eyes, but tread carefully, because her creatures will leave their footprints on the same dirt as you, and their legacies will be carried through in stories that will be told to teach your children about values and respect. 

As they say in Kenya " Hukupata nguvu za kushinda njovu" .You do not have the strength to defeat an elephant. 

African footsteps

Africa is a place that paints your footsteps with its earth, and colours your soul with its sunset.

I have been here for officially three months, and have no desire to leave. Everyday rolls smoothly into the next and every morning greets me with love and passion.

The local people approach you with caution and then embrace you with their hearts. I have yet to be disappointed by mother nature and yet to be heartbroken by her ways.

Yesterday I spent the day looking for Rhinos, and the day before I encountered our male lion Mohawk. He crossed the road and then stopped when I switched off my engine.  His eyes stared straight into mine and he made me feel completely naked and humble. He walked straight up to my window, not taking his eyes off mine for even a second. When he reached me, he shook his head, roared and walked off. I knew at that exact moment, that he was the king of that land, and I was merely a passerby who needed to be reminded to have respect for my beautiful surroundings.

Each day holds something different, and each day is as fulfilling as the last. Surrounded by people who have a wealth of knowledge about a place that demands respect, maturity and realism, I have grown so much in heart and in fact. I await every new morning eagerly, and start each day steadfastly.  This is a place that separates men from boys, and grants you the chance to become a raw version of yourself.  This is a place that teaches you respect and manners. This is a place I do not want to wander away from again, for a very long time. This is my heartbeat. This is Africa.

Lets try this again.

It has been almost three months that I have been back on land.

I never found time to write once I had returned to the ship because I was often pre-occupied.

While sitting on the floor at St Maarten island, I received an email requesting to come in for an interview at a game reserve.  At that stage I had plenty of time at my disposal to consider this. As I had arrived at the airport and been informed that my employers did not confirm my flight from the island, and I knew I had paid for this flight, and would miss my connection if someone did not fix this in half an hour or less. Oh well, at that point so many bad chain reactions had happened prior to me getting to the airport, I had no choice but to sit on the floor, try and contact someone, and hope for a miracle. All in all, I was quite relaxed and had befriended a few airport employees.  I would have been ok if it became fact that I would sleep at the little island, with next to nothing. No, not worried in the least, I began to read emails, and found this interview request.

So here I am, three months later, not many itchy feet travel attacks, much happier and enjoying life in the bush with clean eyes. My view on Africa has changed so much, and sometimes it feels like I'm living here for the first time. Who knew it smelt so nice, and the sunsets and sunrises were so golden and pink. Who thought elephants would roam in front of your morning view.  I never knew, and I never thought that my morning drive would consist of  no traffic, sunrises, sunsets and an odd elly.

I haven't thought much about exploring anywhere else right now. I am rather enjoying the transition between crazy travelling to a more mature way of indulging into my passion of travel. Ah the simplest of joys, how much calmer I feel not rushing around with complete uncertainty of the next point, bus stop, or plane.

Oh yes, it is really lovely here in Africa, so many wonderful places to see.

Who do I thank for this wonderful passion? It could not have been my mom, who has always been rather introverted nor my dad who has limited his passion for so long. It may have been my grandfather who told me stories about adventures and travel for two hours while he was getting ready to leave us. Or maybe my grans naughty streak and her determination to embrace and go against a few rules, as long as it was done in a ladylike manner, who gives a damn!

Maybe it was my granny and gramps from moms side, who took me camping from nine months old. I remember endless warm days lying on a mattress at the back of a bakkie, staring at the passing trees and scenery whilst we made our next journey to new adventures of camping, fishing, friends and playing games in the dark.

In fact it could have been a combination of many in my life. My mom's encouragement to think for myself, and not to rely on anyone, my dads sense for adventure and drive, my grandparents old souls and positive thinking, my aunts stories of travel and freedom. Who knows really. Maybe it's just me and what I like doing. Following a passion can often lead to irrational behaviour and decisions, but you go for it regardless.  Sometimes it leads you to exactly where you need to be. Self discovery is often found in the journey of life, so why not just be true to yourself by following those inner desires and enjoying a satisfying path discovering who you really are, what your inner wants are, what your passions are and how much peace and joy you receive really going for what you value. I doubt anyone could be negative or resentful after really living in a way that embraces all the things around them. It can only cause a chain reaction of positive go getters. Lets face it, it seems that everyone around seems to be heading towards the same goal. Everyone just wants to be happy or loved.