Planet Baobob to Matopi

Another dawn… how do you like Da Brim?

Planet Baobob

Donkeys at Dawn

Matopi worms, everywhere. Huge, multi colored – the butterflies must be fantastic!

So. Many. Elephants.

Kenney and I ride together, Tallis comes past occasionally, patrolling where he’s heard of sightings.

First a big bull crosses and we watch him melt into the tall grasses and thorn bush. Tallis passes and I wave excitedly “elephant!”

He waits ahead, and we wonder why, but as we draw up beside him there’s a BIG herd just off the road

“Don’t stop… It’s alright, stay on this side of the vehicle, breeding herd, don’t want to piss them off”, and he crawls along in the Hylux while we cycle silently beside him

Soon after he leaves, a mom and the tiniest baby elephant cross in front of us…

Later, after I take a ride from lunch to camp, we pass another lone bull “ah, he’s stealing water from the well, being a naughty boy, and he knows it. See him back away… and then hide behind a bush waiting for us to leave…”

I only took the one photo though. They look so stately and slow, but by the time I stop, grab the iPhone off my bar and shoot… the moment has passed and I’ve missed it. Not the shot, me. I’ve missed the experience of it. So after the one attempt I simply enjoy…

It’s a blistering hot day, which I didn’t think was bothering me. But as soon as I step off the bike at lunch it hits me and I just sit. Errol feeds me cup after cup of energy drink, then plums and finally lunch. Tallis comes back to pick me up and I’m glad to get to the bush camp, but feeling worse – dizzy, racing heart, weird gut.

All we can do is shelter under the awning on camp chairs for hours until it cools off, and all I need is to lie down. So I roll under the back of the truck and rest.

Eventually the jokes turn to concern and Aleena the surgeon is checking me and again, feeding me endless soup and electro lights.

People are putting up my tent under the awning and going through my luggage to find my mattress. Sharita comes up with the idea of just putting my mattress on the floor of the truck – shade! – and letting me rest there. Which I do until I don’t know how many hours later. Dinner and bed, and a long restless night

Heat. It sneaks up on you. I felt fine until I sat down at lunch, then it just got worse and worse until I went to bed in my tent at sunset. Heat.