Arriving in the bush – my first few days in camp

It may sound crazy, but this journey began... with food poisoning. Even before I had set foot in the bush, I was laid low – Africa, you don't do things by halves.

But once that was over, my head was clear. Ready for whatever was to come. And what came next was nothing less than a new daily routine – somewhere between dust, bird song, tired eyes and a lot of luck.

A daily routine like no other

Our days start early – very early. At 4:30 a.m., the alarm clock goes off, and shortly thereafter we are already sitting in the safari vehicle or lacing up our hiking boots for our morning walk. When the sun rises, the bush is most alive – and we are right in the middle of it.

Back at camp, breakfast is served before we gather for the first lecture. Topics such as ecology, tracking or animal behavior are on the program, followed by a daily test. Sounds like school? Maybe a bit – but with acacias, antelopes and the occasional hyena track on the way to the classroom, this is a classroom like no other.

At noon, there is food, then everyone lies down in the shade – or wherever it is bearable. The heat is merciless and penetrating. You cannot escape it, but somehow it is part of it. So you stay calm, move slowly and learn to let the day flow at your own pace.

In the late afternoon, it's time to go out again: walk or drive, depending on what the day brings. The mood changes as the sun goes down – the light becomes softer, the animals more active again, and sometimes it almost feels a bit like magic.

Between birdsong and Diet Coke

During a particularly hot lunch break, we lay in the shade of the awning, Coke Zero in hand, our bodies heavy from getting up early and from the heat. The fabric below us was stained from sweat, and above us, the gray “go-away birds” fluttered through the branches of the jackalberry tree, accompanied by their annoyingly endearing call.

Someone was playing birdcalls on their cell phone, and we tried to guess which ones they were – a kind of mini-training for the regular birdcall quizzes before dinner. Such little rituals give structure to the day. And suddenly, between sweating, guessing and laughing, the sentence “I think I've never been as happy in my life as I am right now” came out of my mouth.

life stopover

It wasn't a cinematic moment, no dramatic sunset on a mountain top. And yet it was one of those rare moments when everything was just right. No noise, no distractions – just the bush, a bit of birdsong and the feeling of being in the right place.

How long will it last? No idea. But for now, all that matters is that I'm here. In the dust, in the heat, in the adventure.