I tackled the first PM game drive solo since Taryn wasn't feeling well. The evening drives were like the perfect afternoon treat before dinner. The biting chill of the morning was now now a warm blanket of sun, we've are full with lunch and the ride is the perfect way to digest and chill out. It's also around the time the big cats start to wake up from their lazy days.
I took a seat behind our German friends from the first drive and met three new german women from the Mushara Bush Camp just down the road. The first part of this drive started with a few of the bush regulars: giraffe, elephants, and horned and hooved animals.
The animals were also less hesitant to be near the jeep. Giraffes were starting to cross the road, impala were staring to cause road blocks and zebras were now running along side us.
Much like the AM gamedrives, the PM game drive included snack time. It was here in this Jeep in the middle of nowhere Namibia, that I learned Gin and Tonic is in fact a universal sunset drink. Every PM game drive about and hour into the drive, Peitrus would park the car near a waterhole and offer us a drink and we would chat and laugh and have a good time. Not too mention, each time we drank, we saw a big cat. It soon became a superstition that it was good luck to drink alcohol on the afternoon drives.
The first time it happend, I thought it was just luck. We had been called to an area where a cheetah was napping. Barely visible without binoculars or some type of zoom lense. As we waited, Peitrus told us not to worry and poured us all drinks. As he was about to pour mine, the last one, the cheetah stood up from her napping spot and began to walk toward the road.
I saw each person's eyes light up at the sight of the cheetah sitting straight up, eyes...on..something. We began to figdet anxiously at the thought of losing sight of her. I turned to our guide. I could tell he was trying to be polite to finish pouring my drink but he too, was nervous about losing sight of the sheetah. "Peitrus..." I said, "Put the glass down, my drink can wait. Let's go see the cheetah!" Peitrus looked back at me, smiled and nodded. Before we knew it we were within feet of the her and she was coming closer.
Then as quickly as it happened, it was over. The cheetah was gone. It was time to call it a night and head back to the gates. Overall, I'd say it was a succesful afternoon game drive, we even ran into some of our friends on the way back.
Over dinner, I told Taryn about the cheetah sighting and the gin and tonic good luck charm, trying to get her excited and feeling better. I was actually really excited because stuff like that normally only happens when she was around. So...ok, maybe I was bragging a little. After we finished eating it was straight off to bed with high hopes for the next drive.
