I’ve now arrived in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, translated into English as ‘The Great Thirst’. I was last here as a 10-year-old boy and my memories are of long, dusty roads, the sounds of springbok and wildebeest hooves on the dry Auob River which flows once every 50 years on average), the shrill call of jackal in the night, and my dad making a braai outside our chalet at Mata Mata camp while my Ma and my two sisters chat around the warm fire.
Well, it’s so good to be back here. I feel like I’m reclaiming some of my childhood memories, life seems to go so fast! Which is one of the reasons I love being here. There is space. There is silence. There is slowness. This massive semi-desert area seems to reach deep into my heart, and shine its sun on all the wild dreams and hopes that I have. I really do feel an enormous sense of contentment out here. It’s hard for me to explain without getting sentimental or self-indulgent, but it’s what I feel … at times, when witnessing these natural miracles, like seeing the sun rising over a herd of springbok, or hearing lion roar in the mornings, goosebumps dot my flesh and tears fill my eyes … maybe its the cold, or is it my soul calling to me, reminding me that everything on this earth is sacred and priceless, and that I am so privileged to be witness to it? I really do need to remember this sometimes, because in the business and madness of city living, I do tend to forget it. Year in the Wild has required a huge amount of work to put together (with lots of trips to Johannesburg – argh!) and there have been times that I’ve drifted from my true self, so it’s wonderful that I can now come back to it.
Well, whatever this special feeling is, this planet – this Earth – is a marvellous place to be for 70-odd human years, don’t you think? Wow, the show is truly truly mindblowing, isn’t it? Last night we saw a brown hyena and spotted eagle owl on the night drive with field guide Byron Jansen, as well as several bat-eared foxes and a few Cape foxes. But for me, my favourite was way above our heads – the Milky Way – the brightest I’ve ever seen it. Thank you, Kalahari stars. I shall not forget you.
Read more about my adventures on Year in the Wild here or check out Year in the Wild’s website and Facebook page.
