Last Game Viewing Day at Inyati

Monday, October 4

Same as yesterday, other than an extended stop so that Sarah could do a photo shoot of a bottle of tea for her daughter, who is marketing that brand.  Our guide, Khimbini, is an excellent photographer, and he got into it, too.  The rest of us enjoyed watching Sarah and Khimbini lying on the parched ground taking photos of the bottle, photographing it in dead trees and next to live trees, etc.  Shane…you owe your mom for this one!

On the way back, we stopped and walked about 20 minutes with our guide, while the tracker drove the Land Rover back.  Since we didn’t know what game we might encounter, we were told that the rule is “Whatever you do, don’t run.”  We did see some cape buffalo, which are to be avoided at any cost, and took a detour around them.  Fortunately, no carnivores encountered!

The afternoon drive was overcast, and fewer critters encountered, but still pleasant.  Our break was at the hippo lake that we visited earlier today.  As it was getting to be dark, the hippos wanted to come out, but wouldn’t while we were there.  Thus a sometimes vocal protest and yawns to show their teeth, both saying “beat it.”  We ultimately did.  We also saw our only crocodile on an island in that lake.

After the drive, we said our goodbyes to Khimbini and Richard.  Dinner was served in a round bamboo enclosure known as the BOMA, which stands for British Officers’ Mess something-or-other.  A log fire was in the center, and after-dinner entertainment was singing and dancing by some of the staff.

We’re sad to be leaving this wonderful place, but will have game viewing again later in the trip.

So here’s just some photographs of what we saw (and did) today:

The smallest African critter I photographed!

Who knew that monkeys grew on trees?

Note the little Ox Pecker doing its job of keeping ticks and other pests off the giraffe.

Still life:  Elephant dropping and plant.  OK...it's no Picasso!

Sarah and Khimbini in photo shoot for Shane's bottle of tea.

Sarah, Khimbini, Richard and Rita

The only crocodile we found...glad he was across the water!