Africa Hot

We have been on safari for less than 48 hours and already we have racked up an impressive list of sightings: elephants, giraffe, leopards, lions, buffalo, rhino, hippo, wildebeest, kudu, waterbuck, hartebeest, kipspringer, duiker, zebra, vervet monkey, baboon, and countless impala (who seem to be filing the feeder fish role in the Kruger Park "aquarium"). What is most surprising, however, is the fact that we have finally shaken off our jet lag and woken up twice at 5 a.m. without complaint.

We are at the height of South African summer, so -- much like the animals -- we only venture out during the morning and afternoon when temperatures dip below broiling. Our days consist of of two three-hour drives separated by a constant battle to keep cool. Many of our fellow safari guests have chosen to sleep in the quaint air-conditioned,
thatched-roof bungalows that dot the park's camps. With one eye on the bank statement, we booked a standard tent, convincing ourselves that Africa should be hot. This has proven to be an understatement.

Our current technique is to jump in the camp pool (note to the U.S. National Park Service: a pool at the Grand Canyon wouldn't be such a bad idea), followed by a few hours laying on our refreshingly wet towels. Just this afternoon we found some nice shady park benches beside the Sabie River. As we write to you, we are enjoying a lovely breeze and marveling at the hippos noisily surfacing. If we had decided on a climate-controlled bungalow, we would never have found such a wonderful spot.

By Meredith Bragg |  January 15, 2006; 6:04 AM ET  | Category:  South Africa
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