” I have four golden rules,” Nathan states as he paces back and forth closely observing each of us.” Number one, no talking. Two, stay in single file. Three, always listen to me, and number four is the most important. Never run. Even if a lion or elephant charges you. This is different from being in a vehicle. We are part of the environment .” He stops suddenly in front of me and peers into my eyes. I’m biting my nails nervously and glance up at him. He says with a smile,” You look nervous.” I shake my head quickly, but I’m sure my legs are giving me away. They are shaking like dead leaves on a branch. He is carrying a large gun, not to be used unless in an extremely rare circumstance. He asks if anyone has any questions. I have a lot but ask the one concerning me the most. ” Are you fast?” He laughs cooly and says with assurance,” Very.”
We head into the bush outside the lodge, and I’m decked out head to toe in khaki. My mother would faint if she saw me at this moment. She despises khakis. I’m digging it. It reminds me of all the great wildlife experts: Jane Goodall, Steve Irwin, and Lawrence Anthony.
Somehow, I’m in the dreaded back of the line. I should not be here. I’m clearly the easy target. I’m shorter than everyone in the group by at least 4 inches and there’s 4 of us. I start to imagine being pierced in the jugular by a hungry leopard when everyone suddenly stops.
There is a colossal intricately weaved web in front of us with a yellow and black striped spider on it that is larger than my hand. The spider is called a Nephila and she’s a female that weaves strong golden webs. He has us place a finger behind a thread and pull it towards us to feel how tough it is. It feels like you are pulling a tight cord and Nathan states that it was once used for bulletproof vest. He also points out her shriveled husbands on the web and her new one that she will mate with and then devour with no second thoughts. At this point I edge my way right behind Nathan.
The sun is shining brightly on the Savanna, and we make our way through tall grass. For once, I’m not fearing snakes slithering nearby, but instead I’m picturing lion prides in hiding. Looking back on this experience I realize that I should have been scared of the snakes. South Africa contains one of the most venomous ones after all, the Black Mamba.
We enter this open field which contains a water source nearby. We take care to search for any animals that may be hiding. Then we come across a Magic Guarri tree. Nathan shows us how some locals use the branches to make a toothbrush. He also states that lions favor lying under these trees for shade. I turn my full attention to similar trees in the area.
We continue on our walk, and he has us take a whiff of a different tree. ” Do you smell that?” he asks in a low excited tone. ” This is his spot. He marks his territory here.” In my head I’m pleading “Please don’t tell me I just put my nose to some random animals’ urine,”but alas it’s not. Turns out the wildebeest rubs his facial glands on it that secretes an oil. Nathan turns and points at some impalas grazing. He tells us the wind is in our favor and it’s the perfect time to see wildlife.
He suddenly spots a lone elephant bull in the distance. The month I’m here, which is April, is known for mating season and him being alone can lead to a dangerous situation. Quite frankly, if he senses us, he could run over here and stomp us into the ground. However, we decide to walk closer to him. We tiptoe and I avoid any twigs on the ground that may crack and alert him to our presence. Nathan pulls a piece of grass out of the ground and tests the wind. It’s still in our favor.
Nathan goes on ahead and then motions for us to follow when he feels like it is safe and secure. The excitement is welling up in me. Elephants are my favorite. The elephant is feasting on some leaves using his trunk, his beautiful ebony tusk catching my attention. I get sad for a second thinking about how elephants are beginning to evolve without tusk due to poaching, but quickly go back into admiration mode. After a few minutes, he is out of our view, and we walk to some large bones on the ground which once belonged to a hippo.
Nathan is in the middle of a descriptive explanation of how much force is behind a hippo’s jaws when we hear lots of noise across from us. The animal cannot be seen behind the dense brush and my heart starts pounding. Nathan tells us in a calm voice to walk slowly behind a bush.
As we stand debating our fate, I see something moving closer . I point it out to Nathan. He keeps speculating that it might be another elephant, when a harmless impala jumps out into the open. We all breathe out a sigh of relief and start walking back.
There is a wildebeest lying in the spot we had sniffed earlier. When he sees us, he stands up quickly and gives us a warning to stay away. He does this by grunting loudly. I do not want to be paralyzed by those horns so I stay very far.
We make it back to our tented camp and I thank Nathan with all of my heart for being a great guide and making sure we weren’t eaten alive. I can say with confidence that I will be going on another bush walk.
