This is a game

This is a game. Do you see the animal? Do you recognize it?

Having the guide all to myself, well, myself and his six year old son, was fabulous. We got to stop for whatever I wanted, even landscapes and flowers and lots and lots of birds (for my friend who is into birding). I didn’t feel guilty about taking the seat with a functional window a second day in the row. The boy felt more comfortable with only me, so he made noise and spoke and played. Sleeping children are so sweet. 

Hippos are dangerous because they are invisible. There can be five or more of them, but all underwater, so you have no idea you are about to boat right over them, piss them off, and cause them to stomp on you. We saw so many hippos, even when I was not expecting them! Delightful surprise. 

We saw a baby zebra, a baby elephant, a baby guinea, a nursing baby elephant, a nursing baby impala. We saw crocodiles. We saw everything except the leopard and I was nervous to see a leopard because I didn’t want to see one eating someone. 

On the drive home we saw two windmills for water pumping - something that, a few years ago, when I was arguing for, I could find no evidence of existing in Africa. My guide, from Zimbabwe, told me that farmers there use them. The next time I argue for that, as the technology that allowing farming throughout the US, I can answer the argument of, “if it were a good idea it would be done already.” But I have no pictures because we were on the highway. 

The guide changed the tire when it blew on the way home. That was exciting and I took a nap when I made it safely to my hotel room tonight.