Lions, YES!
After an hour and a half of traveling we found
ourselves pitching the tents among a game resort. With excitement I set up my
new tent for the first time and found great anticipation with living in my new
private ca bode for the next month. Never have I found myself camping for so
long, but was looking forward to a new adventure. At least the showers were
hot, and the bathrooms held western toilets with seats! (This was a beautiful
thing!)
With exploration we soon discovered we were
surrounded by a host of animals, the main event being two lions. On one of my
visits to the “King of the Jungle”, I had the chance to step beyond the locked
gate and visit the younger, friendlier lion, Lucky. With his approach to the
gate, the interaction was quite friendly. He was a very large cat, with huge
fangs and a mane, who was purring and rubbing his body and face against the
fence. With eagerness I was able to pet his body and head, and stroke his tail.
I would have loved to cuddly with the thing, but then reality hit (it’s a WILD
lion), so I just sat there interacting with him outside the gate. J Further down the path
held a hyena, with guinea fowls and roosters roaming the territory. What an amazing thing living among the
wild.
That first night was filled with the discovery of my
new home, enjoying the amazing clear star filled African sky, finished with watching
a movie snuggled up in my tent. What a way to end a night and settle down for a
restful sleep. Or so I thought!
The night however was filled with several loud interruptions
of roars and sounds of the restless lions that roamed by us! What a complete
shock to be woken up by these huge cats. Usually I am awoken by a rooster’s
crow and not a ferocious roar. Welcome to Africa!
The next morning held yet another unexpected visit.
During my morning run I was introduced to another wild animal, this one being a
hog, a warthog that is. It graced my presence by running and squealing out of
the bushes. This was defiantly another first for me. I can’t wait to do more
exploring!
