My Horseback African Safari

September 30, 2010 by Taylor Studios in Professional & Industry Tips

This is my first morning back in the states. I woke at 3:00 a.m. (11:00 a.m. in Africa). I’ve put on a dirty safari shirt. I fear I will forget Africa. I want the shirt to remind me of the smell. This place took my breath away. If only I was a poet and could express its grandeur in a lullaby of words.

I’ve opened my windows as I sit here and write, but I don’t hear the morning cacophony of sounds of The African Bush. This cradle of civilization where the landscape is harsh and the sounds are music to the ears. There are thrills, hoots, hollers, twitters, roars, crackles and an all out ruckus from time to time. Here in my home I hear electricity – a clock ticking, corn driers drying off in the distance, a dehumidifier buzzing, the refrigerator running – and I live in the woods on the prairie. I already yearn for the sounds of Africa.

There were animals, animals, animals – everywhere. I told a friend it was like Noah’s Arc every day. As we rode out onto the thorny, dry, dusty plain with spots of green here and there we were often surrounded by herds of animals. Off in the distance you would see zebra, kudu, rhino, Eland and the fast food of the plains – the impala. Nearby you might spot those silly little warthogs with their tails pointed to the sky. Occasionally, a rabbit would race by, never stopping for a photo. There were hundreds of exotic birds – Eagles, Kingfishers, Herons, Owls, Hawks, Ducks, Warblers and those Weavers with their nests.

This is a place where nature is celebrated every minute. I knew it was grand when even our guides were taking pictures and were saying “wow”. They live there everyday – yet seeing a leopard proudly resting in a tree with freshly killed impala at its base is a gift to observe no matter where you live. Or being surrounded by a herd of elephants while on horseback can make anyone’s heart race. We celebrated red sunsets, the moon rising, the planets shining, the shuffle of a rhino’s feet, the grunt of a lion in the middle of the night, etc. One of the guides said this place will seep into your veins. It’s in yourDNA. Your soul knows this is where human kind first began.

As the sun starts to rise here on the IL Prairie, I think I will close my eyes and dream of Africa.