Madikwe

So, for years now, I've been poo-pooing the safari experience thinking that the only valid way to really live in a new country is to travel and experience things as the locals do. And for those who know the way I travel, I like to bump around on public buses and eat at holes-in-the-wall and stay in rustic accommodations. I thought that working in a resource poor setting and tromping around the savanna in a range rover were mutually exclusive.

Boy was I wrong.

Oh, and thank goodness for the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn has a long-standing relationship with the main hospital in Gabs and there are always a mess of cool residents and med students and all of the deep secrets of where to travel to.

So, 8 of us including attendings and fellows, med students and residents (all Penn except me) got in a taxi to South Africa, which is 15 minutes away and then an hour of passport stamping, and then on the Madikwe game reserve, which touches the border with Bots, though is another good 30k in after crossing into ZA. This is a private reserve, meaning that you can't drive your car around inside, rather one has to stay at one of the many lodges and explore with one of their guides. This sounds kind of stringent, but after having done it, I realized I wouldn't have seen anything on our own, nor would we have been able to safely approach animals without a keen and ridiculously knowledgeable ranger.

Tau Game Lodge is an amazing place with main lodge and then guests stay in sort of traditional grass thatched huts like the rondavales, except equipped with decks looking out over the local watering hole and the best bathtub I have ever been in. Essentially, it's paradise. We showed up, they put a lemonade in your hand and then opened the doors to the viewing deck over the watering hole, where just by chance, zebra (pronounced zeh-brah by locals...who knew?), waterbok, springbok, impala, warthogs, kudu, and about 20 species of birds are all hanging out for a drink. Then your job is to birdwatch (choice of from top deck, pool deck, or your personal deck) and swim until 4:30, when we all pile into the range rovers with Morah, our awesome ranger, and drive around the bush until well after dark.

I'll let the pictures of the 4 game drives speak for themselves. Unfortunately, the camera was on the fritz, so I missed the last few lions and such. Essentially, we head out of camp and Morah tunes the radio to listen to the other rangers talk about the animals they are finding. Mostly just range animals that are pretty exotic to us, but you know, kind of run of the mill, like impala, oryx, kudu, waterbok (a large type of antelope) steirnbok (a large-house cat sized type of antelope) etc. But then someone radios a bull elephant at the dam, and we slam into reverse and rush down the single track to the holding spot where we wait our turn to approach the elephant. After which, he promptly stares us down and tries to decide how close he can get before we decide to let him have space (this is where trusting your ranger to read his body language is crucial...and also trusting that she's found an escape route for us if he's decided to get temperamental). The we cruise around a little more and WOW someone's spotted rhino....off running again. Before dark, we stop for some wine and snacks in the bush and then proceed to drive until it's well dark while swinging a search light into the hills for the nightlife. Seems crazy, but we find cervils, small spotted jenets, chameleons, and 3 species of owl, all while Morah is driving with one hand, holding her gun, and swinging a light across her hood into the hills on either side. Then back to the lodge, where we have dinner around a Boma, or traditional fire pit, and then play cards on the deck until midnight to the sound of a young male elephant trying to figure out how to be a teenager.

Next morning up at 6 for coffee and rusks and another drive until 9:30. This time it's 2 male lions, a crash of rhinos, buffalo, vildebest (wildebeast), eagles, guinea fowel, warthogs, and maybe a quick view of a leopard running through the bushes (maybe a cervil, but they might be even more rare and amazing-half leopard, half smaller cat). Back to the lodge for breakfast, a swim, some reading, lunch, reading, and then PM game drive. Repeat day 1 except for getting stuck in a herd of elephants (not recommended by the WHO or State department for health reasons). If you get in between a mom and her baby.....you get the point.

Oh yeah. and then we had a shit spitting contest. No lie. Apparently this is an international sport very popular in ZA, where one finds dried impala scat, puts it under your tongue, takes a swig of brandy, and then spits the scat as far as you can. Yes, I sucked on impala poo. Who wants a kiss?

Apart from this, an overall relaxing weekend. No more anti-safari from me.

Oh yes, and I do work in a hospital here. But I've only been at each of 2 hospitals for 2 days each and I just haven't finished absorbing things yet to get my head around a good post to write. Don't worry, there's one coming.

Here's a link to the photos....http://www.flickr.com/photos/deignacio/