Last Day at the Reserve

Today is Saturday and sadly my last day at the reserve. I'm waiting for breakfast to be served in half an hour (at 8:30 am) and then afterwards we all head out into town to visit the orphanage. It's a little bit hard typing, as I have both of my thumbs bandaged up because the ends near the nails have split in several places. I'll be leaving Africa sunburnt (despite suncream), bruised, scratched, a swollen foot, bandaged thumbs, and a few pounds lighter, but with a huge smile on my face. And much to think about. This is an absolutely amazing place and it can't easily be described with anything as simple as words. It would take volumes and volumes of books, millions of photographs, movies, and recordings and even then you couldn't capture the magic of Africa. It's a magical combination of incredible sights, wonderful smells, singing voices and smiling faces, elephants nuzzling up against you, lions swiping your leg with their tail as they pass, a millions different bird sounds in the trees, the calls of monkeys high in the trees, the list could go on. I'll try to write more to capture Africa's essence, but I know it will be an impossibility. You can't even begin to explain to someone else what you've experienced. Because no matter how poetic you may be with your words and phrases, nothing will ever adequately describe its beauty. Nothing. It just has to be experienced first hand. Looking back, this blog is really a pathetic attempt to diarize my experience here. It's actually just the beginning of a lifelong love affair with Africa.

That being said, I'll attempt to described my last few days through a few photos.

Here I am feeding Chisa:

 Trying to cuddle a wiggling Chundu:

Chisa being adorable (she knows no other way to be):

 

 Chisa (can't figure out how to rotate):

The Best Elephant in The World (Amai)

Kicking the soccer ball I bought for my nephew Phillip

Her best friend Tomby (another elephant) kept trying to help

Me yesterday with one of the younger lions, Kali:

Chundu's paw:

This is Chisa again:

I'm not certain whether I'll have time to post again before I leave Africa, but I'll try again later.

If not ... Happy trails ...