Against All Odds...

...not a single hungry lion felt that I would make an easy and delicious midnight snack and I returned from the Bush to the Urban Jungle safe and sound. After four days without water, electricity and mobile phone reception, I was dirty, sweaty and probably unbelievably smelly, but perfectly well and cheerful.


The days in the Bush were a rather surreal experience:


Living with the sun, we got up at sunrise to explore the Bush. On our walks, we came across elephant herds, were carefully eyed up by suspicious rhinos, watched in awe a stampede of buffalos running through a gorge, learned about the congenial hunting behaviour of insects, and were enlightened about the myths that hippos swim and elephants build graveyards.


At midday, we sat up camp in dried out river beds and had a nap under 2000 year old baobab trees. Returning to the camp, we would try to wash the dust of the day off us using a bucket of water and then sat around the campfire, grilling meat and sharing a communal bottle of whiskey. Above us, the stars were so bright that even the easiest constellations were almost impossible to spot among thousands of shiny stars, the Milky Way was oh so clear and dozens of shooting stars seemed to fall from the sky. Every now and then, a ranger indicated to be quiet and we listed to the sound of hyenas and leopards near by. And at night, we were woken up by animals grazing in between our tents...


Once back, the charms of civilisation – shade, a cold drink and running water – were much appreciated. But equally, the peace, quiet and pace of life in the Bush were quickly missed the second mobile phones started to beep again...