Out of Africa- Eleanor and Richard up in a tree-3

o We stayed overnight at the Pezulu Treetop Lodge, a unique and luxurious experience!

o The view from the veranda of the savannah was tranquil, with a low sky and seemingly endless hay-coloured tall savannah grass, and the occasional tree. The first time we climbed the ramp to our house, about 25 feet off the ground, we were able to see 2 giraffes having lunch on the tree opposite, as well as 2 impalas who were sitting below waiting for the birds to drop the merula fruit.

o We went on one game drive. The park is highly populated with about 30 varieties of larger and smaller antelopes, ranging from the tiny dik-dik to the large magnificent elands; there are, nominally, no predators here. We saw the occasional giraffe, zebra, rhino, and had our first sighting of kudu and a small herd of Blue Wildebeest.

o Walking back to our tree house after dinner at the lodge, we were startled to hear the roar of a lion, since we'd been assured there were no predators on the property. That evening in bed, we heard the roar of a lion in the distance several times. The next morning, the owners told us that the property next door did have lions, and that's what we'd heard. Stupidly, Eleanor asked if the lions ever escaped the other reserve. "Yes, occasionally. In fact, we found 2 of them near here a couple of months ago." Gulp.

o In honour of our visit to Pezulu and given that we found a skink (small lizard) enjoying the dripping tap in the copper sink in our bathroom, Eleanor has composed the following ode to commemorate the experience. Move over, Dr. Seuss!

There's a Skink in our Sink

Rockabye baby, high in a tree,
We're in a cabin, snug as can be.
Hot and cold water, comfortable bed,
Mosquito net canopy draped overhead.

The bathroom is up one more branch on our right,
It's lovely by day but a cold trek at night.
A shower, flush toilets, a large copper sink
That we share with a lizard-like thing called a skink.

The tree is alive- a merula, we're told,
30 feet tall and it looks very old.
Birds love its fruit so they come and they go,
Small antelope eat what they drop, far below.

Sit on the deck, watch the wildlife pass by;
Giraffes come so close that we meet eye-to-eye.

At dark, the full moon paints it silvery bright
And the roars of the animals ring through the night.

The brown-hued savannah, the bright-coloured birds,
The soft-filtered light--how can I find the words
To describe all the wonders we saw from our tree?
It's a brand new perspective for Richard and me!

o We are now at the Kuname private game reserve, where we caught a lion couple at a very intimate moment, and who almost looked cute in their post-coital repose. But more about Kuname in our next report. Stay tuned......