3/5

In between project business last week, we had the opportunity to be given a tour of the local Umfolozi/Hluhluwe game reserves by Fr. Loftus. He was a great tour guide, and must look the part because the people at the front gate didn't believe him when he told them he was just a priest. Within the first five minutes of driving we saw a hyena and several deer off in the distance. Pretty cool, but lacking in the excitement department. We were all on alert for bigger game because the rangers at the gate let it slip in Zulu that lions were seen feasting on a giraffe carcass a few kms from the entrance. We drove to the spot but failed to see any flowing manes, hear any roars or see any carcasses being feasted upon.
We DID however see a family of 3 white rhinos scurry off into the bush, and not 10 minutes later we came upon a little pack of giraffes. The rest of the day consisted of deer, some buffaloes, more lame deer, impala, zebras (which look a lot less noble up close. Think "exotic donkey"), washboard roads and lots of dust. We stopped at Hilltop Camp within the reserve and had some decent burgers and sampled some African beers overlooking the park and the Umfolozi river that snakes it way through the scrub and brush. The view was pretty hazy from the ever-present cane smoke, but if you squinted hard enough and added a bit of imagination, you could almost see herds of elephants and prides of lion roaming the landscape.
We paid the bill and left, all of us exhausted from the constant neck craning and rough roads; happy that we saw 3 out of the famous Big 5, but bummed we seemed to have missed out on lions and elephants. But by some insane stroke of luck, the shape of an elephant cresting a nearby ridge came into view just as we rounded a bend on the downhill. The road we were traveling on was actually taking us on an intercept course, and by the time the our two paths converged, the lone bull elephant and our truck were only 30 yards away from each other. We braked to a stop and all just sort of quietly stared out the window while the bull sized us up. He was magnificent, every bit as noble a creature there ever was, his white ivory glinting in the afternoon sun. Our collective moment of awe came to a close with Fr. Loftus honking the horn and getting the old bull to flap his ears in return. "Thats what they do when they are about to charge" he casually added. And with that comment we shifted into gear and rumbled off, leaving the flapping ears unchallenged... Next week sees us visiting the Bishop in Hlabisa since he is the authority on technological advice in the area and we are eager to move forward with our communication goals. Stay tuned.

Words: Hamrock

Photos include: Zebra, kudu and impala drinking from the Umfolozi river, a shy white rhino, impala closeup, lounging buffalo, giraffe striking a pose, elephant on the ridge from a distance, elephant getting ready to charge

Photo creds from the top: C, C, C, H, H, H, C, H, H