Someone somewhere once said you haven't lived until you've seen an African sunset.  Truer words are hard to come by.

Two glorious weeks in the African bush has left me completely and utterly paralyzed with awe.  Having dreamt of the day we would finally pack our bags and head of into the loving arms of the open road, it was almost too good to be true when the news came that we would be leaving a week earlier than planned, as a matter of fact that very night!  Faster that we ever thought possible, we packed, we bought supplies, picked up our friends, packed everything in my dad's bakkie and sped off to the vacation we craved more than anything else.

In true African form, we arrived almost three hours late and with more people and baggage in the car than I think is legally allowed?  Hehe but that didn't matter, because as we were sitting all squished up, we could smell the air getting cleaner and drier, we started taking off our winter jackets and enjoying the lazy winter sun.  Watching with joy as the landscape unfolded into the sights I daydream of (to the endless irritation of my teachers!) I couldn't help but imagine my children, one day, sitting where I was, watching and dreaming of the day they'll be walking over the golden hills of Dullstroom again, or when they'll taste the Blyde River's water while driving through the sheer cliffs in the Abel Erasmus pass.  Stopping at the fruit stalls and curios vendors, a simple "Sawubona...Ujani?" splitting the dark sunbaked faces into smiles of perfect white.  We drive through the towns of my childhood, stopping at my grandfather's old farm, reminiscing of the days when we used to climb trees that never ended.  We would snack on padkos near Jock of the Bushveld's grave and talk about the bygone era's of the Afrikaner and the wars our people have proudly and bravely fought.  Through Lydenburg, it's on to Hoedspruit, the last stop of semi-civilasation.  At the huge Baobab we buy our last fruit and head off into the prestine South African bush.

An hour's drive from Hoedspruit we find ourselves in the diamond of our hearts.

Ingwelala is nestled between three of the most well-known reserves in South Africa - the Klaserie, the Umbabat (including the Timbavati) and, of course, the Kruger National park.

We enter the gates and Santos, the short gate-watch greets us with a toothless smile.  Frivolous small-talk finally leads to the signing of the logbook and the opening of the gate to our little slice of heaven the Lord has granted us.  I have to almost fight back the tears while watching the sun dancing playfully through the red, orange and green leaves of the Mopani trees.  The dust smells so good!  Unpacked in a flash and we head off to pick up our Land Rover - I firmly believe that there is no better Landie in the entire universe, and even though it breaks at 72-hourly intervals, to me, it will always be indestructable.

On the Landie, with tea and snacks all packed, we head off into the serene veld.  I pick up the radio for a quick radio check and is greeted with the usual "Goodafternoonfivefiveforradiocheckthankyou!"  I still don't know if it ever truly is five out of five, or if Santos only memorized the line (I think the latter applies)  Soon we're cruising in second gear, scouring the veld for any sign of life.  Well, life is certainly what we found, and life abundant!

To cram two weeks of sightings into one blog will do unnecessary harm, so I'll write later about the great experiences, and just list the sights - if I can remember them all!  There were the normal Impala, Steenbokkies, Duiker, Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Sharpe's Grysbok, Waterbuck, Blue wildebeest, Zebra, Nyala, Kudu, Giraffes, Warthogs, Hyenas, Vervet Monkeys, Baboons, Hippo's, Large and Small Spotted Genets, Civet cats and African Wild cat's.  Special mention - goes without saying - to the big five.  Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lions and Leopard.  And more birds than I think I even want to know the names of!

One great moment was when we drove through the breeding herd of Elephant, there was a calf barely a week old, not taller than the grass around him!  And then driving oursleves smack bang into the middle of a buffalo herd of upwards of 300 buffalo!  It was really special when they started moving closer to our awesome Landie and bustling around us.  Suddenly all the bulls moved off to the left, and all the cows and calfs huddles to our right, even those who have crossed the riverbed returned.  We knew something was up, but couldn't see what it was.  When they moved off, we decided to move to a better vantage point.  Good move!  When we arrived at the lookout, it was as if we were analyzing a battle from the outside.  In front of us, 300 buffalo were spread out across the riverbed, and then suddenly we saw the movement of a solitary male lion.  He was following them in plain view.  Now, majestic is the only word I can think of to describe that lion, but it still falls short.  The mane turning from glimmering gold, to fiery red, to the darkest black, covering his entire head and belly, even spreading to his elbows.  Watching that lion walking with the confidence of a King, moving 300 tonnes of solid muscle into the exact position he wants, it's a truly humbling experience.  Anyway, we then followed the buffalo-herding-lion towards a dam on another farm.  When we were settled, the lion started moving towards one of the trees and stretching himself out, reaching the lower branches.  Imagine our suprise when he landed on the ground with an Impala leg in his mouth!  There was a leopard in the tree enjoying a well-deserved meal, and the lion took his share, simply beacause he could.  Soon the leopard dissapeared and we sat in total disbelief between the buffalo on our left and the lion on our right, with the leopards kill still dangling in the tree.  When it got darker the lion and buffalo moved off where we couldn't follow them anymore, we then sat and waited for the leopard's return.  About three hours later, we saw a movement and the phantom of the bush (as it is known) reared it's lovely head from behind the branches he had silently scaled under our lazy watch.  He quickly grabbed the kill and made a run for it.  A three hour wait, well worth it for the 30 second sighting!  What a day!!  Four of the big five!!!

For the rest of the trip we took things easy, and tried to enjoy the serenity of the bush.  Enjoying the smaller things, like the sun playing throuh the golden grass, the occasional flash of pink from Impala lillies, the glistening water and the sounds of the bush.

The sunsets were spectacular, as the usually are, yet I can't get enough of it.  The silence of the world, as the bush sighs a sigh of satisfaction after a day's hard work.  The sky lights up in a flurry of colours, ranging from the lightest blue to the darkest blood red.  Seeing something as beautiful as that in such an unforgiving environment, reminds you of the power and love of God and the blessing that is nature.

Having to leave that behind today, broke me.  I left my heart somewhere in Africa, and now, I'm surrounded by alarms going off and pollution in the air, the sun hidden from view behind building after building...someday, I'll go there and won't return.  Someday I'll be forever peaceful, until that day...I dream of Africa.