The Hide Safari Camp

THE SETTING
It is Saturday at approximately 2 pm.  I am sitting on the patio of the main lodge at The Hide Safari Camp having the first real opportunity to write since arrival in Africa on Tuesday.  The serenity does not get much more real than it is in this very moment.  In a lounge chair on the deck of the main lodge, with IPad on my lap, I am literally overlooking a watering hole where there are 14 zebra drinking whilst the sun glistens off the water creating a mirage of a million mirrors. There is a mild breeze and the air temperature could not be more perfect, nearly 30 or more baboons are running and sqwaking at one another, the kudu have come and gone, and one lone wildebeest stands amongst the zebra grazing on the tall grass. The elephants were drinking from this same spot last evening while we sat around a fire on the patio, with cocktail in hand, and met our campmates.  One family is here from my home state of Connecticut, another from California, and others from England.  There is a tunnel between the deck of the lodge and the watering hole.  When you reach the other side you are only feet from the water's edge and can gaze through the tunnel's open window at the wildlife just beyond.

MY ARRIVAL
We arrived yesterday afternoon by 3.5 hour road transfer from Victoria Falls.  Our safari guide, Nicholas, is terrific.  He's extremely knowledgable of the wildlife and plant life, personable and well spoken.  We've had intimate, extensive conversation regarding the conservation efforts of the bush, the potential detriment of the large elephant populations in some areas, sociology of the people of Zimbabwe, and the AIDS epidemic of Africa.  Thus far we have been incredibly fortunate to have a private safari with Nicholas.  The accommodations here are magnificent, the staff is inviting and friendly, the setting is spectacular, and the food is delicious.  We eat at a community table with our campmates and enjoy each other's company.  On our first game drive yesterday afternoon we saw impala, elephant, giraffe, kudu, zebra, baboon, and many bird species.  On our first night game drive we saw more elephant, giraffe, impala and a spring hare.  On our second day morning game drive we also saw jackel, ostrich, waterbuck, buffalo, and a python in a tree.  We are leaving shortly for my first walking safari.

THE ELEPHANT CHASE
It is nearly 11:30 pm on Saturday and I should be sleeping, as the wake up call (knock on the door) will arrive in only 6 hours.  But it is nearly impossible to even consider as I am intently listening to the buffalo that are literally in front of my tent chewing their cud, and the throaty roar of a male lion nearing.  Is it possible that one of these buffalo will be its prey tonight???  An elephant just trumpeted, I suspect as an alert of the approaching lion.  The air temperature is carrying quite a chill and I am in long johns beneath the white quilt in this comfortable single bed, with a hot water bottle laying across my lap for added warmth, which the camp provides when they prepare the tent for evening.  I cannot yet tell if the lion is approaching or if its rumble is now further away.  We tracked a lion today on our walk.  We left camp with Nicholas on foot and he was armed with a rifle.  We walked the opposite direction of the elephant herd that had just been drinking and bathing in the watering hole, as there were many youngsters in the herd and entering their comfortable distance zone would be too dangerous.  We encountered impala, baboons and zebra along the way, and Nicholas somehow spotted a python burrowed in a tree.  Then we heard it, the very low roar of a lion.  We stopped to listen for its direction and headed that way.  About 15 minutes later we knew we had followed the correct path, as its grumble was suddenly quite close.  Nicholas radioed his colleague who was game driving other guests, advised him of the lion's location, and instructed him to pick us up on the roadside. Nick explained that if we invaded the lion's circle of space it simply would have run away.  He further explained that lion behavior differs by locale, where in some areas you could approach at a far lesser girth and the lion would be relatively unalarmed.  The jeep arrived and the only remaining seats were up front with the driver.  We loaded in and blazed down the sandy road only 200 or so meters and found the big male laying in the tall grass beside the road.  He roared to call his mates who eventually responded in turn, as he rested beneath the setting sun. The guides are required by law to return us to camp by sundown, and as the sun had now dipped below the horizon, it was imperative that we depart.  We do not know how his story ended; however, if it was the same male we admired this afternoon, he was just in the wooded area beside my tent.  He was clearly tracking a lone elephant.  I could hear his every footstep as the elephant called out in fear and the branches broke beneath its feet as it ran past.  I heard the roar of another lion, possibly a female, approaching from the west I believe.  They were closing in from both directions.  They were so close that I could feel the elephant's fear running through me.  I have been standing by the tent window with bated breath, my nose and fingertips frigid. The chase engaged for about 15 minutes.  I am now back under the covers, the elephant's trumpet has ceased and the lion has continued to groan.  I am fairly certain they got the kill less than 100 yards beyond my tent, and he is now calling to his pride to come feed.  In only a few hours I will have confirmation when the staff knocks on the door.  Welcome to the wild.

FIRST LION SIGHTING
I managed to sleep a few hours.  I have now found that there is no sleep more peaceful than in the bush.  The brisk chill is filled with fresh air and the quiet of the night beyond the calls of the wild is deafening.  With such sound sleep I only require a few hours to have sustainable energy for the following 18 hour day.  I sat up abruptly at the morning knock on the door at 5:45 am and quickly asked about the chaos of the night. Our security guard, Temba, confirmed that the lion had walked right past our tent and the elephant chase ensued in the wooded area just beyond, and 2 lionesses had entered camp from the west. I was wrong however, the elephant got away!  Everyone left camp this morning on their respective jeeps in search of the lions, and within one hour we succeeded to find the big male.  We followed the tracks of the 2 lionesses but have not yet uncovered them.  Perhaps we shall on this afternoon's drive.  The male journeyed further into the bush and we continued on our drive.  We met our campmates in the Acacia forest for coffee and tea.  We shared the space with 5 elephants who were equally curious about us.  Nick then guided us to the Kennedy Two watering hole where we sat amongst 20 bull elephants, some of who approached with trunks raised high taking in our smell within 10 feet of me.  The softness in their eyes is so delicate, it is no wonder they are called the gentle giants.  Nick suggested we return to the site of the lion and we anxiously agreed.  From the roadside I spotted him laying gallantly beneath a Teak tree.  We approached in the jeep and he abruptly stood and began to run.  In a short distance he nestled again in the tall grass and we slowly drew near.  He allowed us within a 20 foot girth.  He raised his head in curiosity and defense and Nick advised that he may charge.  We held our ground as Nick previously instructed and the lion did not engage any further.  We snapped our photos of the handsome beast and journeyed on.  Nick later explained that the lion's behavior was unusual in that he typically shows complete disinterest in our kind.  He's not sure what prompted it, but it certainly added to our personal experience.

THE PUNGENT SMELL OF DEATH
Everyone was anxious to find the lions this morning, as we heard them roaring not far from camp much of the night.  It didn't take long before we located Cecil, the big male, lounging in the sun beside a bush.  We were able to drive within 20 feet of him and he was calm and regal in our presence.  We enjoyed his grandeur for some time and then proceeded on toward the others we heard nearby.  Across the road we discovered Jericho, the other male, and Kathy, a lioness.  These lions have been named and collared for GPS tracking and study by a research group in the region (but the safari guides have no access to their information).  Kathy was a bit startled by our approach and with grace she meandered into the bush.  Our next destination was to find the elephant that had been taken down by lions the afternoon before.  As we neared, the pungent smell of death became apparent.  It was a large elephant for lions to have killed, and therefore presumed to have been ill or injured prior to the attack.  The prey was laying on its side facing away from us with the partial pride beside it on break from their meal.  We could not see the innards of the elephant but the view was quite gruesome as its face had been devoured. 

We then traveled on to a viewing platform over a watering hole in the park where we saw our first hippos and crocodiles, and a sea of stripes.  The zebra were in abundance quenching their thirst.  In the afternoon we departed with Nicholas on foot once again and found ourselves in close proximity to a stampede of zebra running through the bush.  The sound of those galloping footsteps joyously reminded me of my summer days at horseback riding camp as a child, where I experienced the rush of riding a 17.5 hand high retired thoroughbred.

NEWS FROM AFAR
It was no coincidence I'm sure that I had the temptation to check my phone just as I was finishing our scrumptious dinner, when at that very moment a message arrived from my sweetheart notifying me that we were approved for our new home.  I shrieked in excitement.  It's a rather indescribable feeling to receive confirmation of the new life that awaits me upon my return to Arizona from 10,000 miles away.  I retired from the dinner table to the campfire with Lindsay, a staff member at camp, and was blessed with the opportunity to share this heartwarming, thrilling news with my new friend.  I thoroughly enjoyed our engaging conversation about relationships and life for the next hour, while we sat beside a herd of elephants drinking from the watering hole.

TARA'S FIRST GAME DRIVE
Tara, another staff member, had asked if it would be okay for her to join us on our next morning game drive, to which we emphatically said yes. I was entirely shocked to learn it was her first game drive despite that she's a Zimbabwean, but only working at The Hide for a portion of her summer break from university in Florida.  I was honored to have shared the experience with her, and it made for such a pleasant afternoon sharing life stories, and learning about the possibilities for her future, which I truly believe are plentiful.  Upon our return to camp Nicholas informed the other staff that Tara and I had talked the entire time, of course those of you who know me can imagine that I barely stopped to take a breath.  The personal connections made along the way in this journey are such an integral part of this experience.  And now, thanks to the availability of social media around the world, we can continue to follow one another's lives and hopefully cross paths once again.

DEPARTURE
It is my final morning at The Hide.  Our charter flight has been delayed but we were notified before leaving camp, which has provided a lovely opportunity to eat a leisurely breakfast of yogurt, fresh guava and sliced almonds, accompanied by a fluffy omelette, toast with marmalade, and coffee.  I am eating alone for the first time since my arrival in Africa, sitting on a cushy chair on the patio in the glorious sun, all the while gazing at the wildlife at the watering hole.  Truly I've known no peace like this before, each day seems to bring more than I can even comprehend. 

air jeep to the airstrip in the bush for my first private charter flight.  Along the way we first encountered the heavy smoke and fire from the controlled burn ignited on behalf of the railroad line that owns the land in the concession area (outside the national park) wherein The Hide leases it land.  The "controlled" burn had abruptly become out of control, as the flames jumped the natural road break due to winds.  Our guide had relative confidence that they would manage to regain control as there were other natural fire breaks beyond, but at this time I am unaware of its status. 

...my journey from Arizona to Zimbabwe and beyond

A2Z Traveling Roadshow

Click here to view the gallery of Photos on Safari in Hwange National Park

The animals began to approach at about 8:15 am.  The first were 3 impala, 2 males and 1 female.  The males began to bat their horns at one another, perhaps vying for the female's attention or fighting for dominance of the herd. Then along came one lone zebra.  (S)he walked directly up to the 2 battling males and seemingly told them to cut it out.  They separated and now appear to be friendly with one another.  Next entered the baboons, first one male, then a female with her adolescent, and then by the dozens. Birds started to chirp in uproar and the big injured mail baboon, the leader of the pack who we've seen before, made his way over the hide where 4 bird eggs are nesting.  I (inadvertently) frightened him away, but for which the staff was pleased as they'd like to see the eggs hatch.  We were driven in the open

Despite this added delay our guide made good time and delivered us to the 4 seater Cessna on time.  Captain Sydney boarded our luggage and safely landed us at the bush airstrip in Bumi Hills.  My travel mate, who is a former private pilot, had the opportunity to fly us a portion of the way.  The sights of the bush, rivers and Lake Kariba from above are breathtaking.  Conrad, our next guide, awaited our arrival in his jeep and ventured us back into the bush....

The next impediment was a bull elephant blocking the road on the way to the airstrip.  He shook the Acacia tree beside the road with his trunk and tusks to drop hundreds of pods from the large tree, and then proceeded to eat them one by one in the roadway.