The Tau of Madikwe

Time to catch up on my blogging.

This past weekend was incredible. We took a roadtrip across the border to South Africa - which entailed multiple stops for passport checks and customs at BOTH sides - and, in less than 90 minutes from our flats arrived at our destination: the Tau Game Lodge, in the Madikwe animal reserve.

This place is incredible. Think rustic but luxurious. Think world-class dining. Think beautiful accommodations with a private, open-air shower.

So, yes, I was impressed. But then I walked out onto my patio and this was my view:

Again, THIS WAS THE VIEW FROM MY ROOM! The lodge was cleverly built along the edge of a major water hole, where animals flock to drink. Elephants, who drink on the order of 50 gallons of water a day, naturally love to congregate at the water source.

And then came the evening game drive:

Hangin' with the Rhinos: with my new friends Andrea and Charles. Charles is one of my co-residents on the Male Medical Ward. Andrea is a pediatrician working here through the Baylor program.

Up close with the lions: on spotting these lions - two males and a female - our guide fearlessly drives up to say Hi:

Oops... either this lion is not very welcoming or... whew, it's just a yawn...

After a stop for some drinks, the sun sets quickly. It's now pitch black.

Our guide asks: is there any animal we REALLY want to see. Now, I can't complain about what I've seen so far, but I've always had a fascination with the Hyena. "Are there Hyena around?" I ask. He hits the gas... "there's a hyena den I know of," he says, "let's see if they're there!"

We drive down the dirt road until it intersects with a poorly-maintained road, or possibly just a set of tire track in the vegetation.

What follows is the most AMAZING experience, and not one I'll forget soon:

Our guide, Wynand, is holding a probe light to guide him and allow for viewing. And we're driving through the bush on a side-road of a dirt-road in the middle of an African safari.

Suddenly we stop. Ahead of us is an adult elephant almost blocking the road. Wynand lowers his probe light so as not to disorient it; he fiddles with the light and when he brings it up again, it's passing through a mellow green filter that is a little less jarring for the animals. We drive several feet forward and then he shines the probe to see what's around.

Now, remember, it's pitch black dark out. There's just one eerie green light reminiscent of the hue of military night-vision goggles. And... surrounding us we discover maybe a dozen elephants, large and small, young and old. And they do NOT look happy with us.

A large elephant to the right raises its trunk and sounds a trumpet to declare its displeasure. Commotion increases. Tensions rise. Noise all around. All of a sudden it occurs to us: we are in danger; we are surrounded by a large group of angry and wild 5-ton animals. And, then, the large elephant mock-charges our car...!

After a split second of taking it all in, Wynand slams on the gas; tires burn loudly against the sand, and he booms out a shout in Afrikaans in a desperate attempt to hold back the elephants' rage. In a flash, we're out of there.

Close call!

In the interest of space, I'll quickly summarize our phenomenal game drive the next morning: lots of Zebra, Wildebeest, elephant, and other grazers. A LEOPARD lying in a tree right off the road. A lone buffalo bull. And - for some reason my favorite - some wild African dogs:

Another unforgettable weekend in Southern Africa.

As for the weekdays... I realize I've been somewhat silent about the hospital work. It remains an amazing experience, and I promise to write more about it. So much to say! I'm still trying to put together my thoughts; it's a harder story to tell than the Wilderness Weekends.