Of patience and elephant bulls

[knapie]

We live in a world of fast changes and instant satisfaction. Everything gets bigger, smarter, and faster. Everything revolves around me, now, quick, this moment. We get fed a daily dose of satisfying all our needs in a flash without any hassles, quickly and painlessly, thinking it would be more gratifying.
Patience is not something that has a big role to play in society today. Just have a look around you – the irritated people in the bank queue or at the supermarket till, looking at their watches constantly, swearing under their breath at the incompetent teller. The angry faces of drivers in traffic, battling to control their emotions as they sit in their cars which barely crawl forward. Where’s my food waiter?? I’ve order 10 min ago!! When is this movie gonna start now? Ag lets just change the channel!! Always in a hurry, always in a rush to be there first, to get it done, to finish quickly. We all know it…
Patience is indeed a virtue…
A lot of us go to Kruger in the same state of mind. We struggle to switch off, to let time be and just enjoy the peacefulness, the slow pace at which things seem to happen in nature. We hardly stop for anything after a day or 2, unless its something big like a lion, and then only for 5 minutes max. Surely there must be something bigger and better just down the road! Hell, we hardly stop for elephant on the second day, merely giving them a glance, as they are so numerous these days. What? Another nyala? Why are you stopping? Lets go!
There is just so much to see, and the park is so enormous, and we try and squeeze as much as possible into each visit.
This is a common theme amongst a lot of Kruger visitors. Although I am a veteran Kruger visitor, I used to be one of those always-in –a-hurry-better-sightings-just-around-the-corner visitors.
Then I got introduced to a different way of visiting. To a much slower, much more relaxing, much more rewarding kind of visit. Taking it slow, stopping and spending some time with the animals, observing, learning. Not try and cover the whole park in 2 days, and forget about watches and phones and work completely. This was all the work of my brother, Don Tour Guide, who has an immense love of the bush and especially Kruger. Although it was hugely frustrating in the beginning, I cannot imagine a different kind of visit today.
We love parking off at a waterhole, switching off the car, and just spend some time observing and relaxing. Its amazing how much life there is around a waterhole, if you just exercise some patience. Girivana waterhole close to Satara is one of our favourites. There always is something happening, and some life, even if it seems lifeless on approach. Just wait, sooner or later something will appear. We even had a very entertaining show by our air force late one morning, as the pilots from Hoedspruit Airforce Base went on a training session. Our very own airshow!
One Saturday afternoon late, myself and Don Tour Guide found ourselves at Girivana again, and, as usual, it was teeming with life. Zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, warthog and buffalo all made the rounds, and the birdlife was fantastic with saddle-billed storks, herons, woodpeckers and brownheaded parrots all making an appearance. We even spotted an hyena slinking slyly towards the drinking trough. For those of you who are familiar with Girivana, we were parked in the area underneath the trees, if you turn left at the waterhole if approaching from the S41 from Orpen’s side
We really enjoyed the moment, taking photos and scanning the area for movement, when Don Tour Guide said: “Elephant behind us in the road”. I turned around and saw a big elephant bull some distance back standing in the dirt road. “Just keep an eye on it, we will move if it gets closer”. And we both got busy with the cameras again, totally forgetting about the bull. 5 min later Don Tour Guide said; “He’s getting closer”. I turned around again and saw the bull walking down the road, and coming to a stop very close to the turnoff to the open area where we were parked. “Maybe we should leave, if he gets closer we’ll be stuck with nowhere to go” I said. But before we could even start the car, he moved again and this time he stopped right in the middle of the turn off. With only one entrance to the open area, and thick bushes to our left, and a steep embankment to our right, we had now where to go to avoid 3 tons of angry elephant. “Lets hope he keeps on going, and stay calm” said Don Tour Guide. And so we sat, waiting….never taking our eyes of the elephant. For what seems like an eternity, the bull just stood there, looking at us suspiciously. Ears flapping, trunk never still, always moving. Then he gave a few steps in our direction, and stopped. Another few steps. Stop. “Should I start the car? We can still try and get past him if he gets angry” said Don Tour Guide. “Lets just wait” I said. The bull was clearly uncomfortable with our presence, but did not seem visibly angry. Maybe he will change direction…Patience….Then he moved again, another few steps in our direction. “Maybe you should start the car” I said “He is to close now” whispered Don Tour Guide. Patience…. Shaking his enormous head constantly, with ears flapping wildly, the big bull walks within a hair width past our car. So close that Don Tour Guide could have touched him easily if he so wished. We both let out a big sigh of relief, and watched as the bull, now very calm, makes his way down to the cement dam. Patience can be so rewarding sometimes…

[Richprins]

Excellent first post, knapie!

Some very valid points indeed!

[Flutterby]

Great story telling Knapie...I could feel the tension!!

I also love Girvana...very relaxing to sit under the trees..if there are no ellies around!

[Toko]

knapie

Cultivating patienence is awesome

and Kruger can be a difficult place sometimes to slow down senses and mind

[Lisbeth]

Knapie!

Anywhere there is water, there is life, if you have the patience to wait for it and the eyes to see it