Report from the African bush, first in a series.

So it has now been five days since our last report from the city of Durban (well, actually the beach side suburb of Uhmlanga Rocks, but I digress). Christine and I have now completed our first rotation in the African bush at two separate lodges in two game reserves. It has been exciting. It has been fun filled. It has been rough on my gluteus maximus. All in all, a very good first safari adventure with even more still to come.

So much to describe, so little space, so I'll try to stick with the anecdotes rather than the play by play. First of all, for all you Disney fans, let me make a few comparisons as that is the closest I had gotten to a safari since my arrival in Africa.

#1: You do not say "Jambo!" at the beginning of the safari drive. Anyone familiar with the safari ride at Animal Kingdom will know that's how it starts. So far here, it's generally been good morning or hello.

#2: People with back and neck problems should not board this attraction. Our ranger on the first reserve, Kyle, drove us around in an open topped land cruiser. The guy was a great ranger, and very enthusiastic, but drove like a wild maniac. It was like riding the Indiana Jones Adventure for four hours straight twice a day.

#3: Keep your hands and arms inside the safari vehicle at all times. Related to #2 above, as our ranger offroaded through thorny bush and backed into a couple of trees.

#4: Never, ever leave the vehicle unless directed to do so b the ranger. While at disney, it's done to follow strict protocol, in the bush, the animals will maim and/or eat unsuspecting tourists. Adrian, the ranger on our second reserve, nearly got himself killed trying to locate a black rhino for us when he literally stumbled onto mother rhino and calf. Also the many tales of deadly hippo encounters, and ranger Kyle's belief that crocodiles kill the most people in Africa, more than hippos, because they drag people off into the water and leave no remains.

However, so far the number and quality of sightings have been stunning. We already saw all the big five (rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, and elephants) as well as untold numbers of antelopes. Most impressive were the cheetah, and I got some good Nat Geo type shots of them.

I'm sure Christine will add more details in the coming days, but il leave it at that for now. First report of many to come...