Sumwe Journal

june  back in the land of blood red sunsets, elephants in your front yard and a fast beating heart. it is so good to be back, to hear the thousands of different species of birds, to smell the smokiness of the fire and watch the sparks drift amongst the sky littered with stars. i stare into the embers of the fire, it's like staring into a soul, a soul full of life, just like africa. letting an ice cold beer slip down your throat as you listen to the low whooping of the distant hyena. the coolness of the night makes its way into your bones, but you don't care, you need to be out, out beneath the stars and with the sounds of the nocturnal animals. and then, hot, very hot. the dry air of the day and glaring sun, beams down on you through the open window. the dust fills your nose, but it feels so good to be in the bush again, using all your senses. watching and observing the signs of the bush, you discover so much more. the alarm call of a francolin and the staring eyes of prey into...

T he sky is black and clouds heavy with rain, hover just above the horizon. The first winds of the storm whisk up loose pieces of grass, dust and the first few raindrops. In a few seconds the full storm surrounds us. The air is full of energy, thunderous clouds shut out the last bits of light and it feels as though night has fallen. The sky opens and huge drops of rain slap the red dust on the ground, making an intense sound. The birds sing out an African tune, thankful for the freshness of the storm, a break from the blistering heat of summer. Driving along the now muddy road, I put my head out the window and look up squinting, as the rain drops sting my skin. Open mouth and open heart, I taste the rain, the smell fills my nose and it drenches my hair, making it stick to my face.

G olden light that mesmerizes the soul. Up and out the tent at 4:30am on a cold morning, we fill up our flasks with hot water and strong coffee. Blurry eyed and big jackets on we stumble into the landy and out the camp gate.  Along the road we go and a surreal scene unfolds: the shadows are still sleepy and the sun is creeping up to the horizon, the world around slowly comes alive. Orange and coral colours dance upon the water creating liquid gold for the baby hippo to play in.   The copper sun makes a brilliant display as she bursts out from behind silhouettes. By this stage of the morning the hyena clan lazily make their way onto the road to take in the first light. The pups walk right up to our car and we peer down at big black eyes filled with curiosity. This light is just magic.