Random Thoughts and a Conclusion

Me and Leon

Bruce, Neo and me

Andrew, who was our guide twice in Kruger National Park.

The competition....

The last game drive together...

Saying my goodbyes.

We're off to the airport.

Koert and Timo waving goodbye.

I am very happy I joined Bruce for this trip to the Greater Kruger Area of South Africa. Initially I was a bit frustrated with the course, but ultimately, I had an excellent time, made new friends, and learned a lot about photography. We went on about 30 three-hour game drives in our four-week course for over 100 hours of viewing! Then there were five days in Kruger over three weekends where we spent about 10-12 hours per day driving… so that’s a total of over 150 hours of driving around in a game viewer taking photos! Yikes. I know many people who wouldn’t be interested or couldn’t do that. However, we really enjoyed it. You just never know what you will see that day or around the next bend in the road. We saw most of the wildlife we could reasonably expect to see (the nocturnal ones are very hard to find – aardvarks, genets, civets, aardwolves, etc.) and innumerable birds. The only animal we never saw was a leopard. We were always hoping to see lions or wild dogs, and when we finally did see them, the excitement was palpable. I really enjoyed riding around with friends, trying to take photos while enjoying the game, the nature, the sounds and smells of the bush and the chorus of bird calls. We were charged a couple of times by elephants which was very exciting, had a close encounter with a Cape buffalo, followed a pack of hunting wild dogs and saw a large pride of lions. It was a well worth while experience.

African Impact is a non-profit organization trying to positively affect the environment of Africa and its wildlife. They have been in operation since 2004 and offer volunteer projects in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Zanzibar, Mozambique, and Kenya. Their website states:

We believe in the spirit of Africa and that your experience is just as important as your impact. Volunteering is a two-way thing. It’s not just about the help and skills that you can bring; it’s also about what this amazing continent, its people, and its wildlife can give you in return. An experience filled with adventure, learning and breathtaking moments will make sure you go home, share the magic of Africa, and come back. 

Ultimately, we combine extraordinary experiences with genuine impacts!

The environment volunteers do a variety of activities: cutting down and removing the invasive cactus Queen of the Night, removing barbwire fences, collecting data on the number of species they see on their drives, setting and monitoring camera traps which record pictures of animals that trip them, etc.

The photography volunteers take photos of key species such as elephants, lions, giraffes and wild dogs in order to identify individuals and track their numbers and when they are in the area and where they go. 

The staff at camp were divided between three groups: the guides who did all the driving, the leaders of the research group and Paula, Timo and Tom who were the leaders of the photograph project. All of them were wonderful, dedicated young people who were very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. I was the senior citizen of the whole camp, with Koert a distance second at 61. I spent most of my time with Bruce, Koert and Matt, who were all excellent company. The three of them are avid photographers with more knowledge, more editing skills and better equipment than me.

As usual I really enjoyed talking to some of the local people. On this trip that meant Leon, the owner of the Kambuku II camp where we stayed and Neo, the young South Africa bartender and Andrew, the guide and driver who took us to Kruger twice. Leon is an ex-military, retired police officer who leases a piece of land in the Belulu Reserve where he built a small retreat originally for his family and friends. When he retired in 2000 he decided to try to make it into a money-making camp. He named it Kambuku II after the Kruger elephant that had the largest tusks ever. When COVID hit he had no business. He was approached by African Impact who were also severely affected by the virus and were looking for a new location for their staff. That is how African Impact came to be connected to the reserve camp. Neo was a delightful 27-year-old who had a wonderful smile and a great sense of humour. We spent a few hours talking about lots of different things including his several girlfriends. Andrew and his wife work for Leon and live at the camp, while their five grown children live in his house in Phalaborwa, the nearest town.

I am somewhat amazed that given all the hours of hard driving we did over bumpy, rocky, hilly terrain that we did not have any flats or breakdowns. The game viewers are obviously very sturdily built and stood up to the test. The guides were all excellent drivers and got us into many difficult positions to see things and trying to turn around on a two wheeled track and race to another spot where something special had been spotted takes a lot of skill.

The camp itself was pretty basic, the rooms were multi-share. We were served hot lunches and dinners. Breakfast was help yourself to muesli, toast, oranges and coffee. The food was mostly comfort type food with chicken and chips being a staple.

Rusks are a favourite South African snack. They are rectangular prisms of crunchy bread sometimes with raisins or chocolate bits. We had them at every game drive coffee stop. South Africans also like biltong, which is a stick of dried meat, usually beef, but can be impala and kudu as well. The third local food we had was boerevors, a South African sausage.

The only downside was the lack of physical activity. There was nothing available and we couldn't even go for a walk in the area as we were not allowed to leave camp on foot as there are many dangerous animals in and around camp including snakes and scorpions and bigger things like elephants and lions. We had an elephant walk through our camp twice during the night. However, exercise was not really the reason we were there was it? Time for that again back home.

Would I return to Africa? Yes, but sadly I probably won’t have the opportunity. However, if I did, I think I would go back to Tanzania or Kenya and the Serengeti, the Masa Mara and the Norongoro Crater. Africa gets under your skin; it is a fascinating continent and the wildlife is amazing.

I didn’t have a chance to say my goodbyes to the whole group on the last day (because most of the leaders had a weekend off), so I posted to our African Impact WhatsApp group what I had intended to say. Here it is:

As the senior citizen of this group of volunteers I’d like to take a moment to express my thanks to all of the African Impact staff and my fellow volunteers. I recently discovered I have a condition called dromomania – which is defined as: an abnormal drive or desire to travel that involves spending beyond one's means and sacrificing job, partner, or security in the lust for new experiences. People with dromomania not only feel more alive when traveling but also start planning their next trip as soon as they arrive home. I actually knew I had it but had never heard the word. I learned it from Michael Palin in his travel book Around the World in 80 Days. I have had the privilege to travel extensively around the planet during my lifetime. I have had innumerable wonderful experiences which I have detailed in my blog, and have met many wonderful people, present company included. I even came here with a recent friend who I met on a trip to the Antarctic. I would like to say two things to all of you. First, it makes me happy to see so many young people from different countries all here trying to make a difference for the animals and the planet. The world needs a lot more people like you. And secondly, never stop traveling and taking advantage of opportunities for you to travel. More people need a world view to realize we are in this together and can only solve some of the issues confronting us if we come together to solve them. If you talk to the local people here, you will realize that they don’t have the opportunities we have and are very jealous of us. So, in conclusion never forget how truly privileged you are to have come from an affluent country and have the ability to travel. It’s an accident of birthright. Go for it!