Elephant Sands yi 54 km kumntla we Nata, Botswana. Ihleli entlango engekude kwindlela, iindlovu ziye zayibiza le ndawo ngokuba likhaya. Umda weElephant Sands "kulapho iindlovu zilawula khona." kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo bayakwenza.
Njengoko sasifika emva kohambo lwethu olufutshane olusuka eNata, samkelwa yindlovu eyayizulazula kwinkampu. Oku kuya kuba mnandi, sacinga. Akubanga thuba lide emva koko indlovu yatsibela equleni ukuya kusela.
Iyamangalisa indlela indlovu ethe cwaka ngayo xa isondela. Umnikazi wawo, uBen, wasixelela ukuba kwiiveki ezimbalwa ezidluleyo, amantombazana amathathu ayezula-zula equleni yaye, engazange ayive indlovu isiza, othuswa ngokupheleleyo aza engumkhenkce xa inkunzi yendlovu enkulu yeza kusela, ithoba umboko wayo equleni. , ungabi ngaphezu kwemitha okanye ezimbini ukusuka kubo.
Iindlovu zinokulawula kwiSanti yeendlovu, kodwa zinobubele kwaye ziyathandeka. Bendingazukude ndihambe nditsho kamnandi.
Indawo yokulala yayicetyiswe kuthi - kufuneka uhlale. Kwaye ndiyavuya kuba ndiye ndathatha ingcebiso. Indawo yokulala yenye yezo ndawo zikhethekileyo ezisentsha ngokwentelekiso (iminyaka emi-4½), kwaye umniniyo wayakha kuba ewathanda amatyholo kwaye ufuna abantu bawonwabele, nabo. Ikude lee kwii-lodge-chain corporate, ezixhaphake ngaphakathi ngaphakathi kule mihla.
Emva komhla wobuvila ubukele umngxuma okufuphi wamanzi kunye neendlovu zihamba zisela amanzi, sakhwela kwinqwelo ye-safari ukuze sikhenkethise indawo yokugcina izilwanyana ekufutshane. Indawo yolondolozo yeyorhulumente kwaye ikhuselwe ngabo egameni loluntu. Ngenye imini, ithemba lelokuba indawo yolondolozo iya kubonelela ngengeniso kuluntu olukufutshane. Indawo yolondolozo ikwakumgama omfutshane ukusuka kumda weZimbabwe kunye neHwange National Park. Akukho zicingo. Izilwanyana zihamba ngokukhululekileyo kuphela ngethuku lazo lokuzikhokela.
Saqhuba uhola wendlela, sangena ngesango lenyawo nomlomo, sangena kwindawo yokugcina izilwanyana. Ingca iphezulu kwaye netyholo lingqindilili ngeli xesha lonyaka. Indlela inamagingxigingxi. Kwakungekho nto ingako yokubona, ayimangalisi, kunjalo. Kodwa akuzange kube namsebenzi konke konke; ubuhle behlathi ngeli xesha lonyaka kukungangeneki kwalo.
Safika kwipani ebizwa ngokuba yiMotsweri Wamudimu (God's Leadwood). Le pan ithiywe ngomthi wamandulo we-leadwood, owawumi emanzini ukhangeleka umdala kwaye ungusolusapho. Isithethe sithi nawuphi na umzingeli kule ndawo kufuneka eze emthini ukuze abonise imbeko ngaphambi kokuba aye kuzingela.
Ngenene sasingaboni nto endleleni eya epanini. Ndicinga ukuba yayiphoxekile kuba indawo yokugcina izilwanyana ilikhaya lazo zonke iintlobo zezilwanyana eziquka ingonyama, ingwe, inja yasendle, nezinye ezininzi. Yayiyenye yezo zinto. Sasingekaboni neendlovu ezininzi. Kodwa iindlovu zadlala endleleni ebuyayo. Sadibana nomhlambi wentsapho wamashumi amabini okanye ngaphezulu, kunye nolutsha. Babelumke kakhulu nabancinci, bephakamisela phezulu imiboko yabo ukuze banukise abangeneleli. Noko ke, sasingesosisongelo, yaye sahlala sawubukela umhlambi kwisibhakabhaka esimnyama kangangexesha elithile.
Safika emva kwexesha sabuyela kulo lodge. Ekubeni ndandingenangqondo kwaphela, ndandicinga ukuba sinexesha lokupheka size sitye. Senjenjalo, kodwa kwabetha u-10:00 ebusuku ngaphambi kokuba singqengqe ngaphantsi kweeduvethi ukuze silale. Kwaye ke, ebusuku, iindlovu zaqhubeka nokonwabisa, nangona sasingekho kwimeko kwaye sasifuna nje ukulala. Bafika equleni; bafika kwiswimming pool. Basela, badlala – bephazamisa kakhulu. Ndiphantse ndaphuma ententeni yam ukuze ndibaxelele.
Ekuseni sasinecebo lokudlulela eZimbabwe naseRobins Camp eHwange. Asizange sikhawuleze, nangona kunjalo, kwaye asizange sihambe de kube yintsimbi ye-10:00 kusasa emva kokuncokola, ukubukela umngxuma wamanzi, kwaye sonwabele i-ambience ye-Elephant Sands – ebaluleke kakhulu. Yizame ngelinye ixesha.
INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:
- Ben, the owner, told us that a few weeks previously, three girls were lounging around in the pool and, not hearing the elephant approach, were totally stunned and frozen when an enormous bull elephant came for a drink, lowering his trunk into the pool, not more than a meter or two away from them.
- After a lazy day watching the nearby waterhole and the elephants wandering down to drink, we climbed on the safari vehicle for a tour of a nearby conservancy.
- The tradition goes that any hunter in the area has to come to the tree to pay homage before he sets off on a hunt.
