Africa – 9th Sept 2008 – Day 7

Today began with the drum call at 5.30am. What a time! We hauled ourselves out of bed, dressed and met everyone else around the camp fire. We drank our tea and coffee watching the pink sun rising over the camp.

We boarded our van for the morning drive. We quickly found three great elephants who refused to get out of the road for about 20 minutes. We saw giraffe, hogs and a whole host of other wild life.

We arrived back at camp for 10am for a full breakfast which was very well received. We Decided not to join the mid day event, but to relax back at our hut. We have a sizable bath on a raised platform out side the hut. We filled the bath and paid in it listening to the hippo and birds.

Fiona popped out to dry off and John remained. However, after 10 minutes a great deal of bush noise began from just behind the bamboo and reed screens. I looked over the screen to see two large elephant ears flapping vigorously. I jumped out of the bath just in time to see three elephants (two adults and a baby) heading for our garden The three took 15 minutes to walk through, eating leaves as they went, sniffing the bath and looking at us both with interest.

We relaxed in our room and in the hammock for the afternoon, before joining the 4pm drive. We visited the elephant hide. The hide is perched 30 ft high in a tree on a platform. The platform also doubles are a night stay over location, as it contains a mattress etc.

We sat on the platform talking to Dave, Martin, Judith and Jo, all of whom live in Kent. Our guide Ratiff, made excellent G&T’s and we chatted, listened to the wild life and relaxed, watching the sun waning over the river.

After Sundowners, we drove back to the lodge, showered, dressed and met some new folk who had arrived during the day. We sat next to two of then. John got chatting and it soon turned out that they had both been at Bradford University when John had been there. They discussed the local clubs and curry houses and university life over dinner.

The dinner was very good indeed and we all went to bed, ready for a good nights sleep.