"He Even Took the Gramophone on Safari. Three rifles, supplies for a month, and Mozart.""

-Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), Out of Africa (1985)

         After a low-key Thursday, we were well rested and got an early start to Friday. Up and out around 7:00, we had a two and a half hour drive out of Cape Town to Inverdoorn Game Reserve. We hadn't spent too much time in the car so far, but today, two and a half hours each way would be a small price to pay for what we had in store. We arrived at Inverdoorn just before 10:00 and had about half an hour to drink some water, sign some forms and eat a light breakfast before heading out into the hot African sun. It was only 10:00 but we could already feel the intense heat radiating from the sun. SO we stocked up on water as we prepared to head out into the open.

Preparing for the Safari

Grandma Sal watching a Cheetah walk by just before the Safari begins

          Looking around in every direction there was nothing but small bushes and mountains in the distance. This was much more the type of landscape most associate with Africa. Though only 2 and a half hours from the western, developed city of Cape Town, it felt as though we were in the middle of the continent with no major city for days. This is exactly what we hoped for and we knew we were in for a great experience. Before we left, we even happened to see a Cheetah being brought through the Safari launch area on the way to the Cheetah reserve. Seeing the cheetah being walked around on a leash like a dog was something we'd never seen before.

"Well if any of these Lions have any sense they'd be camped out under a tree in the shade" 

            Our drive started in the Lion projects. The Lions had to be kept in a separate area from all of the other animals, otherwise many populations of animals would quickly decline. Our guide gave us a number of safety warnings before we entered in one of the Land Rover Safari Trucks (as seen in the previous picture). He told us that Lions see the truck as one huge beast/truck/whatever it imagines a truck to be. The lion does not see people inside of the truck. This fact is what keeps us safe, if we were to stand up, stick our arms out the side of the truck or get out of the truck and run around, it is likely we would not be as safe. He also informed us that Lions tend to blend in with their environment and do not expose themselves out in the open, especially in the middle of the day. So, we drove around hopeful to get a glimpse of the king of the jungle, but for the first 15 minutes we had no luck. While this seemed to be a disappointing, we realized safaris risk not seeing all of the animals, but when you do see them they are in a natural habitat rather than in a cage like at a zoo. Just as we thought we weren't going to see one, Sally commented, "well if any of these Lions have any sense they'd be camped out under a tree in the shade." We laughed, not knowing whether or not the Lions would find the heat unbearable as we did, and just then Grandma Sal spotted a lion calmly sitting in the shade. We alerter the driver, and got as close as we could without being at a dangerous distance. Grandma Sal had spotted the Lion and sure enough, just as she'd said, it was leisurely sitting in the shade. 

Giraffes cannot be truly appreciated until you're close enough to see how incredibly long they are

        The Lion was a truly regal sight, and without Grandma Sal's wise words and eyes we wouldn't have seen one. We enjoyed viewing the King of the jungle for a few moments before leaving the Lion projects for the open reserve. The open reserve was so large it was hard to tell there was any limit to it in any direction. It seemed like the mountains were the only limiting factor the animals had. We entered the reserve and immediately could see long necks extending above the trees and we knew right away there was a large pack of Giraffes. We drove up close to the Giraffes and were allowed to exit the truck to get up close and walk next to the Giraffes. The height of these animals was simply unbelievable. Their legs alone seemed like an architectural feat to support the huge mass of body that was several meters above the ground. They were calm and peaceful, chewing leaves and looking around unassumingly. The pattern of their skin was so much more beautiful in person that you ever see in animal prints. Being able to get out and walk up close to them was one of the most incredible interactions I'd ever had with an animal. Grandma Sal climbed out of the truck to get a better look, and we all appreciated the height and size of these creatures.

Ostriches, the class clown of the safari

                   While driving we spotted a group of Ostriches awkwardly running together away from the big truck grumbling through the open plane. We had eaten Ostrich on several occasions and but it seemed much less appetizing when you see what the creature looks like up close. I rode an Ostrich, a few weeks back, and had learned and seen much about Ostriches. We got a chuckle watching them move in the strange way they do, while we passed them searching for more animals. Up ahead we saw a harem of Zebras and headed for them. 

Grandma Sal looking on towards a Harem of Zebras (a Harem is like a Herd)

          We approached the Zebras and were able to get quite close to them without them moving. They were in the midst of relieving themselves, and were standing out in the hot sun like it was nothing. Grandma loves the Zebra print pattern and watched them cheerfully, while Nicku informed us that Zebras are black with white strips, not the other way around. Seeing them up close in the wild made them seem much more like horses than I previously thought, but their unusual skin makes them a sight to see. After viewing them up close for several minutes we headed away from the open plain and into the bush where we hoped to find more animals hiding from the sun.

Zebras relieving themselves in the heat

Cape Buffalo, one of the Big Five along with Lions, Leopards, Elephants and Rhinos.

                 In the bush we immediately came upon one of the Big Five, the Cape Buffalo. There was a large herd of the Buffalo milling around in the shade of bushes. Only one bull was with them, but the bull was a sight to see. It was massive with the fattest horns I'd ever seen on any animal. Nicku informed us that they can get quite aggressive, but the size of our truck will keep them at bay. Next to the Cape Buffalo was a herd of Wildebees, thin awkward looking creatures that Lions eat like a bag of chips apparently. Nicku told us they would be the first things that a Lion would decimate if the Lions were introduced here and they would be eaten by Lions "the way humans eat McDonald's" Nicku commented. Having seen our second member of the Big Five of the day, we continued along in the bush and were lucky to spot a third member of the Big Five. It took a sharp eye to catch it, but once it was spotted it was pointed out to all of us. The White Rhino, which is not actually white, was hiding from the sun in thick bushes and we happened to drive by and see  what appeared to be a rock from a distance, breathing. We did not have a great view of it, but could make out the shape of the Rhino and were able to learn a bit about them. There was a miscommunication that lead to the animal being named the White Rhino. Natives used a word that sounded similar to white to describe the rhino but it did not refer to the color. Europeans misunderstood the word and spread that the animal was referred to as a White Rhino. White Rhinos are hunted by poachers for their incredibly valuable horns. Their horns are worth hundreds of thousands or Rand (as much as $100,000) and poachers kill many Rhinos in South Africa and the rest of Africa every year. South Africa is doing a better job than most countries protecting the White Rhino, but the price tag on their horns make them difficult to protect. We moved on from the Rhino and headed back out of the bush. 

Mother Giraffe and her Baby reuniting in front of us

We were on our way to the lake when we came across and incredible sight. A mother Giraffe and baby Giraffe ran from a distance towards each other and had an affectionate moment when they reunited. It was something else to see the size difference and the sensitivity the animal displayed as we stopped and watched in awe. Nicku explained to us that when baby Giraffes are born they fall about 2 meters out of the mother and then are given a few hours to stand on their own or they will be abandoned by the mother. The Giraffe we saw with tis mother was only about 3 to 5 months old and and was already sizable. Nicku said the birth of a baby Giraffe is no small feat as they come out quite large. We kept moving towards the lake after watching the moment the Giraffes shared and before long found our path being overtaken by Antelopes and Springboks who quickly scurried when they heard the truck come roaring through.

A large Antelope crosses the road with many little Springboks in the background

Hippos with the right idea on how to stay cool on a hot day that approached 100 Degrees Farenheit

            When the Antelopes and Springbok finally cleared our path we made it to the lake to see two Hippos happily relaxing in the water attempting to evade the sun's rays. 90% of their lives are spent in water, yet they can only hold their breath for a 3 or 4 minutes, we learned. They are strong, powerful creatures that are very territorial since they are not mobile. We were jealous of them being in the water enjoying a nice dip on this blazing hot day. It was approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit and our water bottles were beginning to run low. We left the hippos with the gorgeous view of the mountains behind them to visit one final stop before our safari would be complete. 

Cheetahs taking an afternoon nap

                We entered the Cheetah projects as the last leg of our safari that had seen a range of animals over three and a half hours. Sally was the resident expert on Cheetahs after her encounter with one just two days before and we had front row seats to view a group of Cheetahs taking an afternoon nap together. For the fastest land animal in the world, these Cheetahs appeared the be quite lazy. Nicku told us that sine they exert so much energy in just a few minutes of running, most of their time is spent resting and cooling down so they do not overheat and die. They can spring for about 800 meters at roughly 125 km/hr. Soon it was time to say goodbye to the Cheetahs and head back in towards the main building. It had been quite a sight seeing all of the animals in the environment they belong in. We were sat down to a nice lunch when we returned and drank plenty of water to keep from becoming victims of dehydration. It had been another remarkable day event and many of the animals we wanted to see were checked off of our list. Our guide Nicku was very well informed and put us in great positions to see every animal. Other Safari guides were following him or asking him where was best to go. So we considered ourselves lucky for being able to see such a mixture and had plenty of great pictures to tell the story of our safari.

Resident Cheetah Expert looking on towards a group of Cheetahs

           We headed back to Cape Town and caught a bit of traffic on the return trip. Though it had been a long time spent in the car, it was well worth the journey. Our guide Nicku (below) was very informative and helpful in teaching us and showing us about many animals in their natural habitat, and the sights, views and experiences we had with the animals were ones we may well never have again. Sally was happy to have seen so many beautiful animals in their natural habitat, although we were disappointed she did not get to see an elephant. Before long we were back by the pool enjoying some of the afternoon sunlight that still remained and made preparations for a dinner that with be fitting with our day's experiences.

Sarah, Peter Sally and Me with our Safari Guide Nicku

             Peter had not yet been to a dinner on the waterfront and we found the perfect place to try after having been on safari, with only two dinners left on Peter, Sarah and Sally's trip. So after the sun had set we headed off to Karibu, a South African restaurant, with traditional South African dishes. Most South African dishes are meat oriented, if not exclusively meat filled. Braiing (known as BBQ back home) is the specialty of South Africa. So, we enjoyed a nice setting and some delicious springbok, ostrich, beef and steaks all cooked on skewers and brought out in medley with vegetables and washed it all down with some local beers and wines. It was a great experience to have a truly African day. The waterfront at nighttime offered beautiful views and Karibu was up high with terrific perspective on the city. As always the meal was not complete without dessert and we enjoyed some delicious desserts, passing them around so all could try before returning back to the Villa.

One of the best sunsets of the trip over Camp's Bay before heading for a South African Supper

        Another day had come and gone and another great success had been achieved. It was hard to believe but tomorrow will be the last full day of Sally, Peter and Sarah's visit. With precious few hours, we left plans mainly open so we could enjoy the last day without too much of a regiment set for how the day would be enjoyed. Unsure of what the final day had in store, we said our goodnights and Peter, Sarah and I headed out to a bar in Camp's Bay briefly. After just a short amount of time out, to show them what the scene was like down here,  we came back to get a good rest for the last full day. 

"He Even Took the Gramophone on Safari. Three Rifles, Supplies for a Month, and Mozart."