The mid-summer day dawned cloudy and foreboding. Dark grey clouds hung heavily in the sky and the taste of rain was still in the air. "Oh no!" I thought, "please dear Lord, don't spoil this Sunday for me". It was the long anticipated day to celebrate my 70th birthday.
Nicky, our eldest daughter and her long time good friend Karen had promised to take us out for lunch to a special venue called Heia Safari Ranch. This ranch is located in African bushveld, close by our Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site. I was excited at the prospect of visiting this spot for the first time.
Ray, my husband, and I made an early start, as we weren't too sure of the travelling distance involved. We had agreed to meet at noon, but arrived a whole hour earlier. We parked near the entrance to the lodge, prepared to wait for the rest of the party to arrive. We phoned Nicky to let her know that we had arrived at our destination with no problem. Nicky told us to go in so long and acquire a table for five. We could choose the location, indoors or out.
I studied the cloudy sky, noting that the ominous dark ones had disappeared. I opted for a table on the patio. A gentle breeze caressed us while we waited for our sodas to arrive. We admired the view from our seats, noting the ochre painted walls of the restaurant and near-by rondawels (round houses) [guest accommodation] all with thatched roofs. A sparkling swimming pool close-by resounded with children's laughter and splashes. In the distance we saw the glint of water from the 'lake'. It is one of the largest hand-built stone dams in Africa. Soon we noticed a pea**** strolling between the tables, obviously unperturbed by the human intruders. Unfortunately, there was no pea-hen in sight, therefore he was not displaying his plumage in all its glory. As we watched in silence, the bejewelled bird ambled right up to our table, fixing us with a beady eye. Ray managed to click off a couple of photos of our brightly-feathered visitor.
Our chilled drinks arrived, and so did a couple of inquisitive bees. As we sipped our sodas, the bees seemed to think that they were invited as well. They helped themselves to our refreshments by crawling into cans and attempting a tunnel-crawl down straws. We just watched, fascinated. Time flew, and soon we were joined by Nicky, Shenay (our granddaughter) and Karen, who too ordered sodas. The sun came out and so did the bees, en force. Soon we put out a saucer of soda for the bees, then moved to a now vacant table in the shade, leaving the bees to enjoy their banquet.
We ordered our own scrumptious feast and were soon tucking in. Ray and Shenay had ordered more soda, while the ladies shared a bottle of chilled wine. The chatter and laughter flowed between mouthfuls; everyone was having a great time. Suddenly, a bee alit on an ice-cube in Ray's drink. I noticed it struggling and dipped my finger in, in an effort to rescue it. The bee obviously didn't appreciate my endeavours, promptly stinging me on the tip of my ring-finger. I hurriedly scraped the sting out with a knife while the family watched with concern. I grabbed an ice-cube from the ice-bucket, applying it to my rapidly reddening and throbbing finger. I was NOT going to permit this mishap to spoil our day, consequently holding my hand out of sight, beneath the table.
After our leisurely lunch, while we were still chatting around the table, we heard a commotion coming from down the gently sloping hill. A dust-cloud started forming between the rondawels and the sound of galloping hooves filled the air. A man, apparently an employee of the ranch, oversaw the rapid evacuation of the swimming pool - the Zebra were on their way to have a drink. The stallion, I presume, stood guard while his little herd drank their fill. The leader took his turn while others kept watch - it looked as if they were posing while cameras clicked on all sides. As abruptly as they had appeared, they now took off again away from the pool, retracing their steps. Suddenly an incongruous sound was heard. It was only then that we spotted a Zonky among the herd. A Zonky you ask? That is a cross between a Zebra and a donkey. This one brayed like a donkey and looked like one except for a few stripes on his hind quarters.
Soon after the Zebra 'exhibition' we all piled into Ray's aging Mercedes to drive around the ranch. Ray found a narrow track and we bumped down the hill to find a family of Giraffe serenely browsing on overhanging foliage. To our surprise, there was the cutest little newborn with the umbilical cord still dangling between its scrawny legs. We all got out of the car and for a while, watched these tall, graceful animals from a distance. The mother stood surveying us from her dizzy height while her mouth moved ceaselessly, chewing her cud. By this time, the sun was blazing down from an impossibly blue sky. All the clouds from earlier had dissipated leaving the ground to scorch in the African afternoon.
We trundled on, coming across another smaller herd of Zebra, looking lost, and just standing around on a piece of levelled open ground. A bit further, we spotted a herd of Thomson's Gazelle delicately nibbling at the sweet green grass. Some lifted their heads to glance at us with their gentle eyes then went back to their repast.
Ray followed the rocky track to its lowest point. The others climbed out of the car to view the dam wall and photograph the water as it cascaded in shimmering sheets to the pool below, draining off into a stream, and under a rustic hanging bridge. I stayed with the car as it was far too hot to shut the windows, also, I was disinclined to walk on the uneven trail. A while later, as Ray was turning the car around, he spotted a herd of Springbok placidly grazing and resting in the shade of nearby acacia trees. To our enchantment, he pointed out a black Springbok - it is said to be an aberration of nature.
We then drove slowly along the near- side of the dam, seeing campers and fishermen, enquiring if the fishing was good. One jovial man indicated that the fish were of medium size. We spied a family of wild ducks and a covey of wild geese, both foraging in the shallow waters. On our way back up the rise we passed the employee's quarters. Gosh! I wouldn't mind living there. Each neat home had a small veranda overlooking the dam - perfect for sundowners.
Our magnificent day was almost at an end. We dropped Nicky, Shenay and Karen off in the car-park at Nicky's car, expressed our thanks and bade fond farewells. On our way out of the premises, just before the exit, we were given one last look at the wild life - a small herd of Wildebeest grazing in the long grass. Of course we had to take one last picture.
