November 5, 2021

 

Umlani Private Reserve, 1315

 

It’s hard to find time to write much. Oh, there are breaks during the day. Like from about 1100 to 1400 and then about 1430 to 1600, for example.  But it seems that I mostly try to use that time to nap or, in the case of today, to lay on my back under a fan, sweating. But today I can’t nap so I moved up to the small open dining room and I’m sweating at a table with a glass of water, and African rap playing quietly in the kitchen.

 

It’s hot today. I think it’s about 95 degrees and often without much breeze. When we arrived on Tuesday, it was about 105 F. That evening, a front blew through with big winds and the temps have been lower for the past couple of days. It was cool overnight.  But today it’s hot and the heat is building. There’s hope for rain this evening.

 

Recap of news -

 

·      We saw a mamba today on the morning drive. It was a two-second glimpse of a large mamba fleeing across the road in front of us. Unphotographable. Didn’t seem like a big deal to the guides or to the other guests, but I think that it’s awesome. My first confirmed mamba in the wild. Very excited about that.

·      We had vervet monkey adventures in camp. Vervets are smallish grey-ish monkeys, famous as thieves and troublemakers. Others refer to them as something like “cheeky buggers”, but I refer to them as the “Little Bastards” because, well, that’s what they are. Cute, yes, and respected for their intelligence and guile. And while they’re roughly the size of a large housecat, you won’t want to mess with them because they are strong and fierce and also because there’s a good chance they’ll outsmart you. I’ve experienced several episodes of thievery from them during past visits so I’m always careful to not keep food in the room and to secure to the degree possible. When I came back from the morning drive however, I found my jacket on the floor, and then my lens cleaning kit scattered about. The room had been tossed. I recovered everything and there was no damage except that they had found a pill-minder full of various meds and popped it open and all the meds were missing. I was able to eventually locate a few tablets scattered about but I’m pretty sure that vervet (and we did locate the young male who was the perpetrator in camp) will be very hypotensive for a while and is unlikely to get malaria in the near future. Hopefully, he’ll be ok. No obvious ill effects as we watch him. When vervets toss a room, they often pee and defecate in their excitement. I did find a bit of poo in the bathroom and thought I’d dodged a bullet there until I lay down to try to nap and looked up at the mosquito netting canopy and saw several balls of monkey excrement hanging over my face in the netting. But you can’t get upset. I’m in one of the most beautiful places in the world, surrounded by wildlife, and how can one think of anything except how lucky I am to be here, in this place.

·      Last night’s drive was quiet. More time with lions (a lion-themed visit to Umlani). We did see a mother white rhino with a tiny calf in the last bit of light and were able to do a bit of spotlight shooting with a flapped neck chameleon. 

·      Morning drive was quiet. Stopped by the buffalo kill and the lions had abandoned it, leaving it to the hyenas, which leads to all kinds of drama and hijinks. Then we found another pair of lions on a zebra kill. Lions all over the Timbavati.

·      Peter and Meg Beck left today. I was sorry to see them go. Very nice, very genuine people with a deep, sincere love for the bush. Peter spent a lifetime in banking and retired early after 30 years. Has since run his own business as an organizational development consultant but now mostly hangs out in the bush. The ability to make that transition from intense, competitive work with heavy demands and responsibilities to letting that shit go and enjoying each day that nature gives us is something that I strive for. Peter’s one of my heroes. And Meg is of course a hero for putting up with Peter. “Wife of the Year”, she tells me.

·      In case you’re wondering, the basic cadence of the day for guests at private reserves like Umlani is that you are awakened by your guide (Amos, in this case) at 0500. Time for quick coffee and a muffin or rusk and out on drive by 0530. Back I think by about 1000 for a hot breakfast (today it was cereal, yogurt and then omelet, hash browns and bacon).  Then off until 1400, which I think is technically “tea”, but it’s really a light lunch plate (and drinks if you want them). Then a break and then meet at 1600 for the evening game drive.  Usually back by 1900 or 1930, time to clean up a bit and then dinner. Then by 2100 to bed and start the cycle again. One is unlikely to lose weight on safari.

·      Tomorrow, I leave Umlani after morning drive and head to Eastgate Airport in Hoedspruit (about an hour away) to pick up a rental car, go grocery shopping in Hoedspruit and then drive into Kruger through the Orpen Gate. That begins 3 weeks of driving.