Drinking the Night Away

After dark, they came to get us for dinner. We told the porter that an elephant had very recently been near the chalet; he assured us the beast had moved on and out of camp.

Wrong.

As we started on the path to the main lodge, he quickly realized that the elephant(s) was still nearby. It was pitch black dark so we couldn't see him, but he was around. The porter hurried us through the path making hand signals and looking a little nervous. I was so scared that I grabbed Anne's hand and made her hold on unti we were safely at the lodge.

We made a solemn vow to drink ourselves silly. (Which, for the record, I followed through on - Anne wimped out.)

When we got to the lodge, they had a fire going and cocktails were on hand. The lodge managers and other staff chatted with us as the other guests started arriving from their evening game drive. There was a brother and sister act from LA, there with their mother (a judge!). A lovely gay couple from London. And our dinner companions, a British family of four (American mom, Dad, Oxford-student son, and Rachel McAdams lookalike daughter).

We met our ranger (BT) and tracker (KB) briefly before the evening's entertainment started. The ladies of the camp came out and began to sing; their lilting voices blending with natural harmonies. They looked like they were having a ball. I was really enjoying it. The other people in the room were watching them passively as if this is something you see every day. Anne looked horrified. She repeated the phrase that we'd been saying for hours: "Three nights!?!?"

Of course, the singers chose that moment to grab Anne's hand and drag her up for a dance. I was the next victim and before long everyone was up, dancing, laughing, slightly embarrassed, but giving it up as a lost cause to fun. It worked. The ice was broken.

After dinner in the Boma, we were schlepped back to the chalet. On the bed, there was a lovely note from the lodge manager welcoming us to Sandibe, along with a book with stunning photos and information about their other lodges. Nice.

Also nice: hot water bottles for the bed. We were both worried that we wouldn't sleep.

Next thing I knew it was morning.