South Africa: Day 2

Off to Pilanesburg for a Safari! We left Johannesburg at 7:30 a.m. for a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Pilanesburg — Bakubung Lodge. It was rather tight in our minibus and we had no choice but to get very close with our fellow pilgrims. While our driver, Victor, pointed out certain places along the way, like a secluded Africaans neighborhood where residents live the “old times,” Wilma discussed the South African political environment with those of us at the back of the bus.

As we were arriving at the lodge, we got a very close encounter with an elephant’s backside. Pictures included. We checked into our rooms and all the ladies were treated to massages — some before lunch, some after. Sorry gents, none for you. We then relaxed for a bit before we began our sunset game drive. For many of us, this was their first safari experience, including me! Dylan, our driver, was a phenomenal guide. He knows so much about all the animals in the park. We saw so many animals. We saw a waterbuck, another elephant, two rhinos, then a couple of giraffes, rhinos again, zebras, impalas, wildebeest, more rhinos (so many rhinos!), a crocodile, and more. It was a beautiful drive, topped off with a spectacular sunset.

As we were driving to the “Boma” where we were going to have dinner — under the stars around a fire pit — we had a very close encounter with an elephant “in musk.” It was already dark and we couldn’t see anything, but we could smell him from several feet away. As soon as we parked, we saw the elephant. He was so close. We snapped photos, of course, but he didn’t like that we were invading his space. He looked straight at us and began to approach us — so close that we thought he might charge the jeep. Fortunately, Dylan knew what to do. He turned off the jeep’s lights and told us to be still. We did as he told, some of us backing up as he approached, others (like me) frozen in place and staring into his eyes. You could call it a “God moment.” It was for me, at least. A feeling of awe and great respect for God’s creation. He stared us down for what felt like an eternity, then lifted his trunk, turned around and walked away. The relief was audible.



After that, we were treated to delicious food and local music and dancing. When we got back to the lodge, we had a debrief with Ann. She asked us where we saw God during that day. You know my answer. Others agreed. Yet others mentioned the scenery, the sunset, and Ann said it was drinking a cold beer after a very long hiatus. We all laughed. It was an unforgettable day.