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...

kosi bay 4:30 a.m. and the coffee pot is already on the coals. the boys are baiting up and  getting ready for a long morning of fishing. jackets on, we head out to launch the boat. there is no movement in the air so the water is a reflection of the sky, light pastel colours. we glide slowly over the crystal clear water, passing the traditional fish kraals that stand  out of the water. cows stare with blank faces as we drift pass, and still the sound of thousands of birds in the reeds fill your ears.   The channels can get pretty narrow and we watch warily as we pass hippo paths made in between the reeds. eventually we make it out of the channels and into the wide open lakes where we hope to catch grunter, mullet or kingfish.   Elegant pink flamingos dance across the water, sending ripples into their reflections as they go. This place is wild and fill of untouched land. after a few hours of fishing, nothing is taking the bait and our tummies a...