Travel Series
African Safari
“Until the lion tells the story, his hunter will always be the hero” ~African Proverb
African Safari
“Just as I thought the experience couldn’t get any more profound, the guide’s voice, a low rumble, broke through my awe. “And there, to your right.” My gaze followed his finger, and my breath hitched. Not ten yards away, stretched out in the tall grass, was a lion. He was magnificent! His golden mane catching the sunlight like a crown as he lay there, a picture of regal indifference, yet his very presence commanded the landscape.
This wasn’t just a lion; it was a living emblem of power and grace. I felt an unexpected rush of emotion. I’ve always admired the strength and courage associated with these creatures, often believing I had the “heart of a lion.” Now, seeing this majestic beast so close, I felt a quiet surge of that very same bravery within herself. His amber eyes, half-closed, seemed to hold ancient secrets, stories etched into the very fabric of Africa. This encounter was truly something to lionize, a moment I knew would forever be etched in my memory.”
Safari Desires
The excerpt above is what I had dreamed of for yours. The thought of seeing a lion in real life was exciting to me. The scariness of it was, maybe, an adrenaline rush? It’s not like I watched a TV series or heard a story from a relative… I just wanted to go. Well, now that I think about it there was the movie “Out of Africa”, that might have stuck in my mind. If so, it struck me for a reason, that strong desire I felt within.
That desire was so strong that I forgot about the nightmare I had as a child. For a good while, I had this recurring nightmare that a lion was on the roof, trying desperately to get inside, to get me. When it finally got in and was about to pounce on me, I woke up. Yet, still the safari desire remained.
In my thirties and forties it became even stronger. Along with it was the yearning to go to Egypt as well. I never questioned this, just looked at it as two items to put on my bucket list. Then, after leaving Northern Virginia and needing to do some soul searching, I visited my folks and decided to look through old photos. At the time I was mainly looking for photos of our time living in Germany. I came across childhood photos (below) from 1971 and 1972. I used to look at those photos all the time, when I was young. It had been some thirty plus years since I last saw them. I made a copy and did some research. They were photos from a ‘drive-thru safari park’ in Florida.
Drive-Thru Safari
Beginning of my love for traveling
A day or two later, as I was doing something altogether different, it hit me. This is where my deep desire to go on a Safari came from, not some movie or book I read. Other than those photographs, I don’t remember anything about it. Did the lion get on the roof of the car, is that where my nightmare came from? I just asked my folks, they said the giraffe may have gotten close to the car but that’s it. Anyhow, these photos make me smile and since I was so young, this was the beginning of my love for traveling.