Back in the bush

I never thought I would say this but I was happy to be in Maun. It’s laid back casual character was quickly embraced. Even when it took forever to get our bags off the plane it only made me smile. I like Botswana as a country. It’s well run. One of the best run countries in Africa.

As I mentioned, I don’t think I was ready to be back in a city. It was loud, the sounds rang unpleasantly in my now sensitive ears... I couldn’t wait to get back to the bush. Indeed I wasn’t ready to leave it when I did. In fact I would probably be happy to stay in it forever. The city is no longer for me, and likely never was, part of the reason why I never quite felt settled in myself I suppose. Living an out door life is glorious. While in the “cities” we spent a lot of time inside. I missed the fresh air and consequently felt quite tired and restless while there, not to mention my nightly lullaby of insects and hippo’s wasn’t there to rock me to sleep.

We spent a night in Maun, did the camp shop and made our way “home”. As soon as we crossed the buffalo fence, my shoulders dropped, I took a deep breath in and let out a sigh and quietly slid back into the serenity of my surroundings. The very surroundings that has had such a profound effect on me alleviating some of the pain and helping me deal with the death of my father. Its vastness allowing me the time and freedom to do so, to remember, reflect and accept. In retrospect I can’t imagine having had to do so any other way.

As I sit here and write this I am sitting in the vehicle next to a Jesses pond, we are waiting and hoping a herd of elephant pass through. The wind is gently blowing, the only sound is the rustle of the trees as the breeze passes across their tops and makes its way through the dry grass to travel across my skin. (ok the other sound is Graham snoring on top of the car) I pause only to stop the sound of my fingers on the keyboard and listen. The near silence leaves my ears tingling. I feel my father in the breeze that gently touches my skin and I am comforted by the feeling of him here with me in the wind that blows and the sun that shines. I am certain he is here with me.

While we were away the 6 month mark passed. The time “since” is one thing I am having the hardest time dealing with. I don’t want the time “since” to lengthen. It seems the longer it’s been the fear of the memory being further in the distance rattles me.

I digress, once again en-route to camp we see impala, giraffe and elephants. All so gratifying. The bush has changed quite a bit since we’ve been gone. The landscape has thinned out, giving a more transparent view of the horizon. The grass has changed color to a beautiful array of burgundy, light green and brown. Because everything is so dry now, when the wind blows the grass it makes a rustling sound that wasn’t there before. Though this rustling can easily be mistaken for an animal in the bush precipitating me to look twice a couple of times.

Winter is also setting in and the sun isn’t as hot. There is a chill that rolls in around 5pm that wasn’t there before we left. The late nights and early mornings are quite cool. To everyone in camp it is “freezing”. To this Canadian, it is cool, maybe cold. But freezing it is not. Our first day out on monday we were in coats and hats to keep warm. The open vehicle adds a wind chill to the air.


By 10am the layers are off and it’s a hot wonderful sunny day. Tank tops and shorts. The contrast in temperature in such a short amount of time I suppose makes the “cold” feel colder than it is. I quite like it. Sleeping is comfortable. I get to feel my cheeks cold and rosy as I might on a winter day at home and every day I get summer. A Canadians dream! It is with this that I realize it is June and at home everyone is excited for summer, I am sure there is that buzz in the air that comes with “patio” season. I realize I am missing the first patio drinks with the girls. That first warm night of the season when you get that email at work that says “perfect night to sit on a patio and have a glass of wine” and you sneak out of the office early to do so. It is what we Canadians wait all winter for. At home I probably didn’t realize just the impact “patio season” had on me, the refection on it reminds me that it is a HUGE deal. Cottages are being opened, boats put back in the water. Cherry beach is alive with people and dogs. Concert listings published. My grandfather has probably already been fishing, and I know Granny and Grandpa and Dan have been golfing already. With this musing I am missing you all very much and wish everyone a happy and safe summer. As one would say on the last day of school!


On our first day out I took in the beautiful sunrise that I missed so much. Watching the sun peep it’s smile over the horizon every morning and I have fulfilled one of my goals. To see more sunrises. With winter here, the mornings have an added sense of mystic charm and a light mist settles in over the pans waiting for the sun to burn it off. As in the sunset the dust stirred during the days leaves a coating on the tips of the grass and all over us.


While we were away “our” lions did very little. I am starting to come to the conclusion that lions are not the smartest kings. At least ours aren’t. Evidently they spent a lot of time following buffalo, coming within meters of them (smart) killing none (not so smart) and getting quite thin and hungry (boarding stupid). However I was excited to see them. We found them quickly that day, and also spent time with a herd of Elephants. For the first time in my life I couldn’t wait to be back to “work” and instead of the post vacation blues I was more than happy to be back.