Happy Belated 4th of July everyone! I actually had the wrong date on my watch and totally forgot yesterday! I only realized this morning when someone said it was the 5th that I was off by a day. It was actually my new British friend and fellow intern that then said.. "you didn't realize that yesterday was your 4th of July?".. yeah, that was a tad embarrassing! Oh well, as it turned out i celebrated last night without realizing because our whole crew went to a pub in town to watch the rugby match between South Africa and England/ Ireland and then continued drinking and hanging out into the night! P.S. I love rugby! I also learned last night at the pub that ostrich is really yummy and that dry alcoholic cider is soooo much better than drinking beer! Again I felt a little silly to learn from one of the guys working here from D.C.that we have cider in the States! Who knew..!?
Sunday is our official day off but everyone was just sitting around mid-day so we all piled into the Jeep and went to check on the "Royal Family" pride consisting of a male that was rescued from a canned hunting camp, rehabilitated and then released into our reserve and a female and their three 1 and 1/2 year old cubs (2 males and a female). There is also another pride in another enclosed piece of land consisting of 2 females and two brothers (I think!?). So, this afternoon was my introduction with the Royals and they are all magnificent healthy white lions. After watching them drag around a Giraffe leg (that had been left for them to find due to their natural hunting skills still being a little less developed than fully wild lions) we were ready to head back to camp when the dominant male decided to take a nap beside/ against our back right wheel thus trapping us between him and an acacia bush that was in front of our car. Some impatience from inside the Jeep eventually lead us to take out the bush in front of us and the male could not have cared any less!!! The cubs were a little more curious and galloped after us for a coupe seconds before stopping to watch us roll away! This afternoon check is done everyday as well as a nightly one so depending on my schedule around camp with research assigned to me, I will have plenty of face time with these gorgeous cats! I couldn't be happier about it!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.