6am
was becoming very familiar by the third day and the birds and
monkeys were in full voice as usual. This morning we were going to
walk to Chindeni so my bag was all packed and ready to be whisked
away to my next port of call. A quick brekkie and we were off and,
after another enjoyable walk, we arrived at Chindeni in good time
for brunch. Marianne, our new host, came to meet us and showed us to
our homes for the next two nights. I still can't believe that tents
are made like this. En suite for a start (never had that in the girl
guides!) with beautifully hand-painted wash basins and fluffy
embroidered bathrobes and then a luxurious-looking four-poster bed
in front of a spectacular sundeck overlooking the lagoon. Once
again, the attention to detail and comfort was evident in every
aspect of the room. My bag was already there waiting for me as a
grabbed a quick shower and headed for brunch.
Marianne had concocted
a mouthwatering spread. As well as the normal breakfast she had
produced a delicous spicy pasta bake and a yummy apple and cinnamon
pie. I was fascinated as to how she came up with food like this in
the depths of the African bush and even more so when she showed me
round the kitchen later on. All this amazing food comes from one
tiny, wood-burning stove - barely one step up from a campfire. I
couldn't imagine how she managed it, but the kitchen, for all its
size was clean, cheerful and she and her assistant obviously knew
their stuff.
I spent the afternoon
on my sundeck watching the animals below on the lagoon. Afternoon
tea was served at 4pm - so civilised - and then we all piled into
the vehicle and headed off for a night drive. As the darkness crept
on, James started to use his spotters lamp to scan the bushes,
looking for an answering glint which would indicate some animal
lurking in the undergrowth. It was a night for cats, Keennan said
and sure enough, before long we came upon our old friends, the lion
couple - still at it! . James spotted a delightful civet, on the
prowl for some dinner and we caught a fleeting glance of the rare
genet as it streaked away to the bush on our left. And finally James
picked up the glint of a leopards' eyes in the undergrowth. Keennan
ground to a halt and we waited, breathless with excitement to see if
it would emerge. The absolute darkness of the African bush was now
upon us and for a moment, I felt a chill of fear as I sat at the
back of the open vehicle with only James' lamp providing a thin,
insignificant beam of light on the bushes.
What happened next was
undoubtedly one of the most incredible experiences of my life. As we
watched, the leopard slowly sauntered out from the bushes and
crossed over towards the vehicle. Closer and closer, with James'
hands as steady as a rock on the light and then it sat down, so near
to the front passenger door that he could have leant down and
stroked the top of its beautifully marked head. Everybody froze,
hardly daring to breathe, as it sat there for three, four, five
minutes before deciding to set off for its night hunting and stalked
off into the dark. We all heaved huge sighs of relief and excitement
and then everyone started talking at once, reliving this
closer-than-we-ever-dreamt-possible encounter with one of Africa's
most awesome creatures. Fantastic, utterly fantastic.
After a few minutes,
Keennan started the engine and we headed off in the same direction
as the leopard. But our luck was over for the day and it had
vanished into the undergrowth and wasn't to be found. We turned and
headed back to camp, full of what we had witnessed that night.
Luangwa had produced one of the most thrilling experiences of all
our lives and as I fell asleep that night, the memory of that
beautiful, powerful animal stayed with me in my dreams.
.
