Makuya Game Reserve *

iNdlovu
Posts: 4319
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 11:58 am
Country: South Africa
Location: Lowveld, South Africa
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Re: Makuya Game Reserve

Post by iNdlovu »

Thanks for all the kind comments and the feedback on this TT, I don't know why I am having such a tough time in getting around to continue, but I guess it"s that I have so many things going on at the same time at the moment. Anyway, I do appreciate the comments and certainly don't mean to turn this into an RP type TT, so here goes with the next and probably final episode.

Friday PM contd.

We were all pretty loath to leave the shade of the trees along the river except for a couple of crazy ones looking for fishing spots....
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but we couldn't sit there for the rest of the day, so eventually got moving and washed and packed up the braai stuff and made a circuitous route through the bush, back to camp. We had decided that it would be a lot more sensible to spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool sipping on some cold ones than beating around the bush in that heat, which is exactly what we did. Cooler boxes lined up along the coping of the pool enabled us to stay in the water like hippos (a very accurate description considering the magnificent physiques of some of us) ^0^
As the sun was setting to end the African day, we ventured back to out tents to put on a clean pair of pants and some a shirt and met around the fire.
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What a glorious evening, by this time most of us had gone off the beers and onto something a little less filling, so the nectar slid comfortably down cooled throats amidst conversations on the wild, business, fishing and whatever else needed to be solved in this world we live in. A gentle cooling breeze picked up from the south west and the heavens produced an unbelievable display of glittering opulence.

The menu tonight was a traditional poitjie of Gemsbock in a mellow red wine, served over a nutty flavoured bed of rice. Obviously there was no salads, but we did allow a few nasty vegetables to be placed in the pot and simmered to nothing. Dave, the chef for the night knows how to make the best poitjie I have ever tasted.

Fully satisfied, the conversation quietened down to just above a whisper so that any night sounds would interrupt and be fully enjoyed by all. A distant flicker of lightening over the southwest horizon got us speculating as to who the lucky ones were receiving some rain, wishing that some of it would head our way. Gradually the breeze picked up a bit more and we decided to park the Landy behind us to shelter our glasses from the odd blowing grain of sand.
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The storm passed to the north west of us and we continued enjoying the kind of night that only Africa, in it's wild places, can conjure up. Peaceful, yet vibrant, still, yet knowing that the night was continually being stirred up by wild activity. Lightening flashes lit up the distant north sky, followed by the low rumble of far away thunder as the breeze dropped to a gentle leaf flicking movement of air. Most of us gradually slid down in our chairs, legs straightening towards the flames that flickered in the fire, comfort and peace.

A drop from the heavens brought on the wise cracks about overflying birds, one or two more drops and suddenly a crash full off the greatest power imaginable, the thunder instant. Another flash that back lit a boiling maelstrom of angry rolling clouds and the full anger of the storm was over us. We were reminded of a buffalo wounded in a hunt that had sneaked around to ambush his adversaries, his charge, short, instantaneous and supremely violent. The wind blasted from the north, blowing bucket fulls of sand and small branches, the air filled with sulphur and dust, smelling like a barrage of artillery Howitzers that had opened up on some distant target, the sound live in the thunder.

To a man, we grabbed our chair in one hand, our glasses in the other and surrendered the ground to the storm, making a B-line for the shelter of the kitchen, the only structure with solid walls. The wind gusts rattled windows and with a loud crack the roof to our tent separated and caught up in the surrounding bushes, support pipes bent and twisted like so much spaghetti. We quietly waited out the storm, conversation impossible.
As instantaneously as it began it was over and we emerged from our bunker to a night of fallen branches, leaves and twigs everywhere, damage inspection could wait for the morning.


Man was placed in charge and given the duty of caring for all creation, are we doing it?
iNdlovu
Posts: 4319
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 11:58 am
Country: South Africa
Location: Lowveld, South Africa
Contact:

Re: Makuya Game Reserve

Post by iNdlovu »

Saturday

Some of us woke early to a grey overcast sky, the temperatures had dropped considerably. We wandered around investigating the damage of last night's storm...
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The en-suite bathroom became an instantaneous outdoor bathroom
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but there was nothing we could do about it, so decided to pack some meat into the fridge as well as some beers and headed off for the river to see if we could find a fishing hole that would produce something along the way. We left a message that we were heading south so that the lazy ones could find us when they finally surfaced.
We tried our luck at various spots along the river but not even a bite. This was our last full day in the reserve so perseverance was the name of the game.
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Continuing southward we spied what looked like a promising spot from a high cliff and after grinding our way down, making our own track, we got to this pool. As we shut down the Landy a rather large croc scrambled the short distance into the pool, so needless to say one eye was kept on the fishing and one on the water where he surfaced from time to time.
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A tug on one of the lines and a fish was hooked, this one turned out to be one of two barbel (catfish) taken from this pool and released, but at least the drought had been broken. A celebratory cold one went down well at this stage, but thereafter the fishing went dead again. Nothing to do but tie the rods on the roof and head further up stream.
About an hour later we found another pool that looked even more promising so decided to give it a try. Smack dead centre of the pool was a pod of about 8 hippo,emitting grunts amongst flickering ears, but they were totally unconcerned with our presence.
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So lines in and immediately a hard strike revealed this fella
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Eventually were heard the sound of the other arriving
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and pretty soon we had caught and released about 10 tigers. The braai came out, the meat started to cook and soon some delicious, rare, juicy Prego Rolls were being devoured with gusto.
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No sooner had we cleaned up everything and the rain came down. Now I enjoy fishing (I prefer deep sea) but not enough to spend the rest of the afternoon on the banks of a river with rivulets of rain water running down my neck, into my shirt and down my back so we decided to call it a day and back to the shelter and warmth of the camp, where a few bottles of Johnny Walker lay in ambush.
We had a long drive home the next day, so nobody sat up for too long and after a fantastic sleep, with light rain falling on the tent roof and cool temperatures we loaded up and left this piece of paradise but promised to return in the winter months. This big old Baobab will still be there to greet us at the entrance to the camp I'm sure.
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Man was placed in charge and given the duty of caring for all creation, are we doing it?
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