Many of our lodge friends are leaving now to enjoy other parts of Africa. We did our fun stuff before the convention - so we got to tell them all about some of the things that they will now get to see. Sounded like natives. Feels like we're supposed to stay here.
As I arrived at the dining area for breakfast, the hospitality sister advisd that someone was at the lodge to see me. It was a sister I met at the Greendale congregation. I had seen her wearing beautiful African garments on Friday and Saturday and had made the mistake of asking her where I could buy one before I went home. Well, as I mentioned in an earlier post, you can't say you like or want something because these friends will go out of their way to make it happen. And so, she came early am to be sure she did not miss me and brought me a dress! When I saw her standing in the lobby I knew exactly why she had come. So I ran to my room and got the dress I had carried to the convention for her on Sunday and we parted ways with pieces of our hearts in the garments we exchanged.
Our first stop of the day was to a beautiful shopping area. Unlike the last shopping experience in Vic Falls, most of the goods were in actual shops, the prices were set and the quality was excellent. Thus, Kevin did not need to use his exceptional bartering tactics at this place. Which reminds me of another story:
Kevin and the Big 5
A popular feature of the African Safari is to see the Big 5 in their natural habitat. During our trip, we have been blessed to see the Elephant, Lion, Rhinoceros, and Buffalo - the only one we didn't see was the Leopard. Well Stacy met an artist who carved the Big 5 into a piece of ironwood. Absolutely beautiful artistry.
After Kevin took a picture of this masterpiece, Stacy asked how much it cost. The artist gave Stacy a price of $50. Stacy began to explain that it cost too much and was too heavy to carry-on, but the man was eager to deal. As we continued to walk towards the bus, Kevin saw his opportunity. He made ad offer, got a counter-offer, and then he threw in a curve ball. "You should really be paying me $5 because I took that picture earlier", Kevin says to the baffled man. Soon after, Kevin walked on the bus and handed Stacy his trophy prize. Final price paid: $20!
Final Game Drive
Back to the afternoon of our final day, we journey to Thetford Private Game Reserve. Another beautiful setting with lunch already setup for our group by the lake. After food, drinks and dessert, we were soon off for the game drive. This game drive was quite complementary to the other ones we had already enjoyed because there was no path or set route. The driver went go off road to get as close to the animals as possible. So close we could take a few selfies with the Wild. Too close for comfort especially when the 35 yr old Rhino started snorted at us. Got some pretty good pix of Zebra, Buffalo, Giraffe, and the magnificent Rhino.
What Had Happened Was. . .
Kevin added to our excitement with his own theatrics during the game drive. For some reason, (which we are still trying to understand), Kevin decided to try out his acrobat skills off the back of the Land Rover vehicle. I think someone dropped bottle of water on the floor of the jeep. Given the seeming urgency of the situation, and being the helpful guy he is, Kevin flipped himself out of the moving car to retrieve it. Never mind the fact that we were in motion. It would have been hard to explain to his parents how we managed to get him safely past all these wild animals in the Safari but lost him to a 4-wheel drive vehicle. No one would believe it - except those who know him.
At the end of our adventure, we were surprised to learn that our bus would not start. And of course, no one in our group thought to pack their jumper cables. So what do they do when a tour bus won't start after an African Safari? They tie a rope to the back of a Land Rover (normally used for the game drives) and pull the bus out to give it a jump start. Amazingly, after a few broken cables and multiple attempts, we were on our way.
Back at the hotel, there was no update yet on our lost camera device. So pictures are limited again on this post but hopefully more will be coming shortly. Many of the friends heard about our loss and have offered to send us their pictures. Not sure how we will be able to recreate our selfies, but we'll figure out that cut and paste project later.
Kevin, I know you're excited but please remain in the vehicle at all times
If they can't get the bus to start, does that mean we get to stay?
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