Don’t Stick Your Fingers in the Water!!

While we were in Gorongosa, we had the opportunity to take a canoe trip down the Pungue River.  We jumped at the chance.  Early one afternoon my husband and I plus two women from our group were driven to the river.  Bob and I crawled into our canoe and Teresa and Paula crawled into the other one.  One guide sat in the back of each canoe.  We were all wearing life jackets and valuables were secured in wet bags.  I was ready with my camera which was protected under a poncho.  Teresa and I, who were in the front, got a paddle although we didn’t really have to do much because our guides were perfectly capable of paddling alone.  I did use my paddle because I had a little experience canoeing.

Bob reached down to check the temperature of the water.  “Don’t stick your fingers in the water!” said our guide.  We soon learned why.  We hadn’t gone far before our guide pointed out a large crocodile lying on top of the bank.  Just as we were passing, the crocodile suddenly lifted his head, turned and began heading down the bank toward the water.  He was looking directly at us!  Where was he going?!?  He hit the water and turned to his right, away from us.  Phew!

A minute later our guide declared that there was a crocodile right under us.  I was too far forward to see it but Bob saw it.  He said he could have reached out and touched it.  Soon we were distracted by large birds flying directly over us.  I managed to snap a few photos.  They are called African skimmers.  Their pointed wings and bright red bills were striking.  They were gone so quickly.

Our guide showed us breaks in the foliage and huge flattened areas leading to the water.  This is where elephants leave the park and cross the river to the village on the other side to raid their crops.  As we floated further down the river we observed an odd structure to our right.  Our guide explained that it was a fish trap.

We began noticing many small, colorful birds.  They filled some of the trees.  These bee eaters live in holes in the river bank.  They were so lively and beautiful to watch.

There were so many different types of trees and bushes along the river but the strangest one was probably the sausage tree.  Their huge fruits are a favorite with not only humans, but baboons, bush pigs, elephants, hippos, bats, and more.

As we neared the end of our canoe trip, we passed another crocodile.  This one was much smaller and was resting his head on a little island.

When our guides prepared to land our two canoes they realized that they couldn’t go in where they usually went in because the water was higher with all the rain we had been getting.  Suddenly, I needed to paddle and fast.  We were turning against the current and got caught on a stump sticking out of the water.  I pushed with my paddle with all my might to move away from this obstacle.  The canoe was wobbling and I was afraid that we might turn over.  I was worried about my new camera—I didn’t even think about the crocodiles. . . until later.  Finally, we were safely on dry land and we climbed out of our canoes.  The sun was setting so there was a lovely table waiting for us – sundowner time.  As we downed our gin and tonic, we watched our guides drag the canoes across the sand.  Carol and Gabby, who had come to pick us up and had prepared the table for us, finally took the canoes from the guys and dragged them up to the vehicles.  We joked about the women doing the hard part.  It took strength to get those canoes up that embankment.

The sun had set and we drove back through an increasingly dark jungle.  It looked like we were going through a tunnel.  The entire time our guides were watching for animals.  We were able to glimpse a spotted eagle owl and a mongoose.  We heard elephants crashing through the trees—and a couple people actually saw them.  Under the cover of darkness they were heading to the Pungue River.  And we knew where they would go from there.

The Senators and Us

The members of our group had seen photos and video of the lions of Gorongosa but we were eager to see them in person.  Where were they?  After a very full day on Wednesday of our stay, we climbed into two vehicles for our evening game drive.  Our guides were determined to find lions for us.  We took off in different directions and kept in contact by radio.  Finally we got the call that the other vehicle had found lions.  Our guide raced down the dirt roads then headed off cross country until we found the other vehicle . . . and the lions.

Lying on the ground close to each other were two adult male lions, brothers, known as the Senators.  Both of them were wearing tracking collars because they are part of the park’s lion study.  I was amazed at how close we were able to get to them.  They looked at us and then mostly ignored us.  All of the other animals we had seen up to this point were not happy to see us and would often run away.  Not these two.  They were totally blasé about our presence.  They even yawned.  We had plenty of time to take photos and just sit and admire these beautiful boys.

It was getting dark so it was time to return to camp.  Our guide, Castro, started up our vehicle and the other guide, Monte, tried to start up his.  And he tried again, but it wouldn’t start.  He had left the lights on and the battery was dead.  Of course they didn’t have jumper cables.  Monte convinced Castro to give his vehicle a push.  Castro backed up our vehicle into the back of Monte’s vehicle and began to push.  No luck.  The engine would not turn over.

While our guides were concentrating on the vehicles, we were watching the lions.  These two guys who had been ignoring us were suddenly very interested.  As we moved, their heads moved together following the movement of the vehicles.  The look on their faces was along the lines of “What the heck?!?”  What were these crazy humans doing?

Gorongosa is a wild park.  You can’t just call AAA for a jump.  We couldn’t get out and walk.  And it was getting darker.  Castro drove our vehicle right up next to the other one.  One by one people climbed across to our vehicle.  Nobody stepped foot on the ground.  There were wild animals out there . . . like lions.  We had 20 people in a safari vehicle designed for 10 people.  I think somebody took a photo.  We looked like something out of a comedy routine.  During all this, one of the lions got up and walked a bit farther off.  Perhaps we were too much for him.

Despite our pleas, Monte decided to stay with the vehicle.  We learned later that he felt he needed to stay there with the radio so they could find the vehicle again.  So we returned to camp without Monte.  Later, while we were eating dinner, some of the staff showed up and we learned that Monte and the vehicle were rescued and had safely returned to camp.  The next day we were told that they were now carrying jumper cables.

Searching for Elephants

Our group had been in Gorongosa Park for a couple days.  The game drives were great.  We had seen all kinds of beautiful birds and all sorts of antelopes.  However, we really wanted to see something larger.  Much larger.  Like elephants!  Earlier in the day several people in our group had seen two elephants walk across the airfield.  So when our guide asked us what we wanted to see, we all agreed it was elephants.

Elephants are quite large, right?  Who would think that they can be hard to find?  Well, we learned that you have to search for them.  They aren’t simply standing out in the open.  Elephants can be well hidden by the vegetation.  On top of that, Gorongosa elephants are not particularly happy to see humans.

During the civil war in Mozambique, many of Gorongosa’s elephants were killed by humans.  The older ones remember this.  When the park first reopened, elephants would charge people in their vehicles.  As time has passed, these attacks have become less frequent, but they still happen.  Every one of our guides had a story about an elephant overturning his vehicle or a similar story.  Park employees know to be cautious and quiet around these huge animals.

Our guide drove off across the airstrip to find the two elephants that people had spotted earlier.  Within five minutes we found them—two males.  We were so excited but we were reminded to remain quiet.  All of us were snapping photos like crazy.  After a few shots my camera’s battery went dead, followed shortly by the little digital camera my husband was using. While we madly changed batteries, the two elephants moved around behind our vehicle.  The younger one made a big display, trumpeted, and then they moved on.  Yeah, I missed that shot, although realistically I was in the wrong place in the vehicle.  Afterwards our guide explained that he was not terribly concerned with young males showing off.  Females with babies are another matter—you don’t want to mess with them.

As we searched for elephants, our guides explained how to track them.  They showed us their footprints and pointed out how their hind footprints crossed over on the prints of the front feet.  You can tell how tall they are by measuring the circumference of the footprint.  Double that number and you have the approximate height of the elephant.  And then there is the elephant dung—it is hard to miss.  Elephants are constantly eating and they leave a lot of dung behind.  Their digestive systems are incredibly inefficient; about 60% of what they eat simply passes straight through them.  This is why their dung does not have an odor.  It provides food for other animals.  One of the reasons that many zoos are unable to keep elephants is because of the huge amount of dung they produce.  What do you do with it?

Our next elephant sighting was the following day—a glimpse of one male.  We had to wait two more days before spotting any more elephants.  I yearned to see some females and young ones so I was delighted when we came across a group of seven elephants—two adult females and five young ones of varying ages.  They were a bit shy at first.  Note the photo with all the behinds.  Gradually we were allowed to see their faces and observe them eating.  I did notice that the matriarch kept her eye on us.  A few hours later we saw two more males.  They were very much aware of us but were too busy eating to pay much attention.  Later that night, we had another elephant encounter.  We were heading back to camp after dark.  We could hear the elephants and see the bushes moving and those in front actually got a glimpse of them.  They were crossing the road and heading toward the river.  Most likely they crossed the river to the village beyond.  Unfortunately, elephants do a lot of damage to the villagers’ crops.  It is one of the issues that park authorities must deal with to maintain good relations with the people who live around the park.  The next morning we encountered a very animated male.  I wondered if he was thinking of charging us, but then he turned and ran off.

 

The last elephant we spotted in Gorongosa was a baby.  It was our last night there and we were driving back to camp as the sky darkened.  We did not stop to look at it but kept on moving.  One of the guides explained that it wasn’t safe because we didn’t know where the mother was.  I didn’t get a photo but the image of this beautiful baby is imprinted in my memory.  It was such a privilege to see these large beautiful animals in their natural environment.

River Rocks

I have an entire river in front of me—a roaring, rushing river.  Yet my eye is drawn to a small group of rocks by the shore.  It is out of the main flow of the river.  Instead the water gently moves around them.  Small reed-like grasses grow around these rocks, reaching towards the sky, blowing in the wind.  This spot is mostly unaffected by the rushing water beyond it, or the rafts full of people, or the boats with fish lines whipping in and out.  Why am I drawn to this?

I sit here listening to the water and feeling the cool breeze and sun on my arms and face.  It is peaceful.  I see the people rushing by, paddling and fishing, but I am separate from them.  We are leaving this restful spot soon and heading home.  Can I take it with me in some way?

Sitting By the River Once Again

(I am taking a break from posting about my Africa trip to share a little about my camping trip.) 

I am sitting next to the river at my favorite campground.  It’s been 2 years since we have been here.  I’ve missed it.  All I can hear is the sound of the river rushing over the rocks and birds chirping.  I can take the time to ponder life. . . or just simply be.

Why do I feel closer to God here?  It’s an illusion really.  God is always present, a part of me actually.  Here the distractions of the world are far away.  Life is more basic.

There are times when words aren’t necessary, when words can’t possibly express my feelings.  I will accept that, take a few photos, and then go for a hike.  And thank God for all that surrounds me and permeates my soul.

Written on 8/1/2018