We Just Lovett: Where the wild things REALLY are

As I mentioned earlier, Kruger National Park in South Africa felt like an entire vacation in itself. The up close and personal experience with some of the most revered and feared animals in Africa gave us all a sense of adventure and a bit of danger. We were terrified to get out of the car and certainly did not exactly feel safe behind the flimsy electrical fence around our camp at night.

Well, then we went to Luwire. Suddenly our safety net was gone. There were no electric fences and no locked doors. We were up close and personal with the African bush, living as Livingstone, Stanley and Burton might have along the riverside listening to the wind whip around our tents and the occasional animal call in the night. Well it would be just like Livingston if only he had generators, hot showers (albeit river water), hunting guides, a bed to sleep on and all the wine and food that you could eat and drink. But there were tents!

Hot showers, a toilet and a sink with a mirror...not exactly roughing it

Like I said previously, Bekki and I didn't get much sleep the evening before we left on the 9 hour trek from Pemba to Luwire, but what I didn't mention is that I was also nursing one of the most bizarre sunburns I've ever had from our ~~fishing~~ sightseeing trip the day before. I used the spray-on sunscreen and somehow missed one strip right down my leg. Of course Dr. Watts was on it and got me cream to keep from blistering, but my leg swole up like a baloon! I was a mess, determined to be a trooper, but a mess! I don't know if it was exhaustion or a deep desire not to let Larry say "I told you so," but I did my best to sleep through our trip and to complain as little as possible.

A really incredible benefit of driving instead of flying to Luwire was the ability to see some of the more remote villages and landscapes of Mozambique. We tried to wave to every kid we saw. Most of them enthusiastically waved back and the others were quite in shock that we were waving at them and starred at us slack-jawed. There is nothing that will fill your heart more than these precious kiddos.

I don't know exactly what I was expecting this trip to be. When Alan told us we'd all been invited up to Niassa to stay and hunt, I had no idea what was in store. I always underestimate Africa.....always. It unfailingly takes longer, is more difficult and more magnificent that I dreamed. I guess my brain is hardwired to American expectations. We met Derrick and Paula, the professional hunter and his wife who run Luwire a few evenings before and asked them 1 zillion questions about what our trip would be like. Yet, I was completely floored when we got there. I guess its not the same for everyone, but there is something about the African outdoors that my soul immediately connects with. You feel closer to God, more spiritual. The second we stepped out of the car I had that old familiar feeling that I did looking at Victoria Falls and the great Zambizi River. You become immediately aware of how powerful our Creator is and humbled to be a witness to his greatness. We quickly settled in and set down to amazing dinner of reed buck. Yes, I ate reed buck....and it was delicious! The group was going to begin a buffalo hunt the next morning and we had to get to bed early.