Guiding at last

We have been guiding now for a couple of weeks, since we got our papers, cards and certificates. Yes, there is a lot of paper work! We were able to go out with one other guide each for one day before we got thrown in at the deep end and had to take out guests all on our own... a bit scary, but also very exciting... Finally guiding!

On one of the first drives I stopped for a bright green chameleon on the road so that the guests could see it… big mistake! The little devil climbed up under the vehicle and continued to hiss at me every time I tried to get him out. Since you aren’t allowed to get out of the car while in Kruger, I also had to climb back in every time another car passed. The thing is, whenever a car has stopped others stop too, to see what you are looking at so this took some time. Finally I got him out and he was by then pitch black and hissing at me and it even bit me, poor thing. Finally he did calm down and the guests got nice pictures of their heroic guide saving a reptile, but we were a bit late back to camp of course. You would think I would have learned a lesson through this adventure, but no! With the Brazilians I stopped for another reptile, this time a bright green snake… which did the exact same thing! This reptile wasn’t to be found though and at this moment I learned that the lady in the back was afraid of snakes! She was standing up, saying a lot of nice things (I'm sure) in Portuguese. I was a bit worried too, but tried not to show it and told them that since it was green it is probably ok. There aren’t many venomous green snakes around, but the one that is, is highly so…

As it turned out it rained for about one minute on that specific drive when they were having heavy rains for hours back at camp, so Jonny didn’t have to worry. I had one of the best game drives possible. Not only did we see lots of elephants and rhinos, but also both a leopard and six wild dogs! Is that lucky or what, two of my favourite animals in the same drive (and also two of the hardest ones to spot)!? I was in an excellent mood dropping my guests off that afternoon and on top of all, I got a really nice tip (in spite of the snake incident)… thanks for not aiming at me Thor!

/A

Rain in Africa

We do bless the rains down in Africa, that is for sure!

I first intended to write about our first days as proper guides in the Kruger National Park, but as I am writing the rain is absolutely pounding on the canvas roof of our safari “tent” (the ones with a couple of wooden walls, structure and floor, but wrapped in khaki coloured canvas – just to get that safari feeling to it). It is a nice tent and all, but against the wrath of mother nature, or Thor (or whichever god of thunder and rain you prefer), it is severely lacking, leaking as it is through three of the canvas walls and forming a small stream over the floor in a north-southerly direction. I have moved the furniture, our books and the rest of our stuff to the middle of the room where there actually is a dry patch large enough.

Outside the sky is constantly lit up by lightning, one bolt rapidly followed by another. The relentless thunder (thanks Thor, that is quite enough now!) makes the wooden frame shake violently and Anja is out on a full day game drive in Kruger with three Brazilian guests. So Thor, if you are reading this and you still feel the need to be throwing lightning bolts around, please don’t aim them at her. I am sure you can find someone else… I can even make a few suggestions.

/J