One Night Alone in the Bush
For me, nothing is more meaningful than spending time in the bush. Throw your leg over the side to climb into the jeep, at dawn, while you anticipate what surprises might await you in the bush. It’s a rush.
After a wedding weekend in Cape Town last year, we flew up to Sabi Sands to spend 2 nights in the Lion Sands Private Reserve. There are so many fantastic lodges to visit, and as I’ve only visited 2 in South Africa, I am by no means an expert but I chose Lion Sands for one specific reason- the option to add on a night in a private multi-level open-air treehouse in the middle of the bush.
At lunch, that day, our caretaker, Jeffrey, shared the picnic dinner he had planned for us that would be waiting at the treehouse for us. He gave us the wine list and asked us to pick. Not wanting to be those obnoxious Americans, we chose 1- knowing that there would automatically be a bottle of sparkling waiting for us. After he looked over our choice, he came back to our table, asking, “Only one”? After all, we were going to be stuck in an open-air, fully exposed, treehouse, that we could not leave until picked up in the morning- it seemed more than one bottle of wine was probably in order. We chose a South African Pinotage.
We arrived at the treehouse just before sunset. Oil lanterns lined the stairs and deck of the upper level of the treehouse leading to the bed we would sleep on covered in heavy blankets and surrounded by mosquito netting.
After making sure that the 2-way radio worked in case of an emergency, we popped a bottle of champagne and waited for nightfall and the real bush action to begin.
We feasted on pomegranate cold chicken, roast beef, couscous salad with feta, bacon, and tomato, roasted vegetables, and cold potato salad. Dessert was not forgotten- strawberries and chocolate mousse pops as well as lemon meringue pie taking breaks to investigate the sounds of rustling from below. We witnessed a small black rhino, running through the brush not too far from the treehouse.
With our bellies beyond full, we headed for bed, burying ourselves under mounds of blankets. In a half dose just after midnight, it all began. We heard the sounds of a distressed herd of impalas, the sounds gaining strength as they alerted the bush that danger was near as they scrambled away to try to find safety. Abruptly the bush was silent followed only by the sound of a roaring leopard who had conquered its prey.
It was incredible to be reminded of how the animal kingdom works and the sound of the leopard is still embedded in my brain even over a year later. There’s a sense of clarity that comes over you after spending time in the bush. Things that seemed significant or bothersome are put into perspective and you are forever changed.
