Bibliomaniacs in the Bush October 06 2015

Life In darkest Africa

It is a hard life.

Packing the car full of rusks, dried fruit ,crisps and drinks and heading off to the game reserve.

Why does one have a compulsion to eat constantly on a road trip?

I draw a line at letting my fellow travellers eat biltong while viewing living and breathing animals.

I also needed to pack eight novels (for four days) and a huge basket full of pens pencils and colouring books.

I had hoped to be an easy passenger.

Quietly reading my novel until the fellow passengers spied a lion eating a kudu (they did) buffalo, rhino et al.

I would then look with wonder and awe and then return to the novel.

This did not suit my family.

They were very strict and I had to abide by the rules.

Keep a sharp look out and do not even think of reaching for the book on my lap.

No problem.

I would wait until we reached camp and would haul our my colouring books and quietly draw while dinner was being prepared by the menfolk.

This did not quite work out.

Sunset drives were organised.

Early starts curtailed late night reading.

And so I returned.

I read only one novel (It was very short)

I coloured half a flower.

But I did see a baby hyena.

A newborn Zebra which stood awkwardly till it worked out how to move its legs.

Lots of Rhino,hippos and elephants

Herds of buffalo.

And the lioness devouring its recently killed kudu.

Not so bad after all