I had been sitting with “Uncle Mohammed” in the front of the Land Rover once again (its become customary), looking out the window.
A horse with no name fit the vibe perfectly – the sun slowly ebbing below the horizon of ancient mountains as our convoy traveled through the eternal grasslands of the Serengeti. We were transient beings in this place. We were returning to Olduvai, spotting hyenas which came from their dens, and black backed jackals which scurried in pairs. The sky was blistered with the hues of sullen red and lilac and blues, all draping the darkened silhouette of the arid mountains to the East – framing the rising moon as if a great, jaundiced eye.
I had thought initially that a week of safari was excessive, as unfortunately it seems that the more often you see an animal the less exciting it tends to become. For example, we certainly had times where we nonchalantly debated between seeing another hippo or a distant bull elephant. However, I feel that this pattern becomes entirely removed when it comes to animal behavior, and certainly rather rare animal encounters too.
What didn’t I see (rhinos and leopards, cry cry. I will explain later but somehow I kept manifesting things, so I just started saying I’d love to see a leopard eating a rhino while its getting destroyed by some wild dogs – didn’t work, somehow)? We entered the park to great brush fires fleeing toward the West, providing breathing room for the young grasses to take root. Shortly thereafter we happened upon a pair of ostriches, the female ruffled and waiting, and the male preparing for his mating dance. I suggest you research what it looked like as my description will no where near capture how funny it was, however, find comfort in the fact that I found the time to narrate the entire affair for the group. I also found the time to narrate the spotting of animals like I was in Top Gun, “This is call sign bravo charlie ermm what the sigma, Alpha leader we got a couple of bogies at 2 O’Clock, of the giraffid variety, prepare to engage.” and of course Dr. Solomon would respond with “Roger, roger.” It was very official, you might even say tactical. And as we continued on our way further toward enemy territory we saw the long rotted bones of ungulates, the heads of hippos resting in their pools, and the clans of banded mongeese pawing at their dens. But perhaps most jarring yet was the pride feasting upon their prey.
Minutes before its appearance I told everyone I needed to catch a break! Can a man just see a dead animal?! And low and behold, the powers of the universe throw a dog a bone and there we arrive to the fresh kill of the lionesses. The male, young, and themselves feasting in that order. Its lips removed in the act of suffocation, and the tail within the chaos of the hunt. A reminder of the brutality of the wild, and yet the nurturing circle of life – all has its balance and each bearing its purpose.
And of course I cannot excuse the lonely baboon upon a jutting rock of granite (perhaps a male searchin for a bachelor herd or on lookout duty for an unviewable troop), nor the yonder black backed jackals which returned as the sun came down and the dusts of the fleeting vehicles died away.
We had some unfortunate breaks, but all in a day’s work. First it was one, then another – engine problem, rough roads, balded tires. A blessing and a curse, they came arriving at dusk and yet afforded us the natural wonders often paradoxically hidden by the light of day. Brown spotted hyenas, and African wildcats. Nesting secretary birds and rock hyraxes.
It was a day of adventure and splendor, but certainly not one of rest. And that itself is a commodity I never realized l could ever be more obliged and excited to forgo.
We are still in tents and eating from foods cooked over open fires. We still have much work to do, and the anthropology only just begins.
As they say, “We ride at dawn!” And I believe they also say, “Bro what the freak!” among other sorts of tactical lingo. Here’s to hoping I can discover a new hominin species so I can name it Rubycus Cuteycus. Thank you for reading!
Godspeed,
Kamden or rather “bravo charlie ermm what the sigma”
