By Samantha De Groote, SITA World Travel, Inc.

My husband, Doug, had lived and worked in South Africa for three years in the mid-1990’s, and he wanted to share with me his passion for the majestic beauty of Africa. We decided on a trip with a customized itinerary based on the sights Doug wanted me to see.

We flew from Los Angeles to New York, to Johannesburg, South Africa. We spent the first few days in luxury in Sun City (“The Lost City”), South Africa’s equivalent to Las Vegas. The funny thing is that we got lost on our way to the Lost City – and on the way back! I must admit I’m not very good with directions that involve pink chicken coops and kilometers.

Once we arrived, we were delighted to unwind from our long journey in a relaxed atmosphere. The Palace Hotel has nearly everything Las Vegas does, except the blinking neon lights. On the night of my birthday I even won at the slots. Of course, by the time my rands were converted to dollars, it was hardly more than $100.  Nevertheless three 7’s on a slot machine seemed like a pretty lucky way to start off the trip, which only got better from there.

Feeling refreshed, we flew to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where we were mesmerized by the rainbows. The falls were so powerful that walking around the river to admire them was like having an upside-down shower. The height of the splash rose well over our heads, so the spray hit us rising and falling. It was amusing to watch other tourists try to use umbrellas to stay dry. We knew that there was no hope of staying dry, so we just enjoyed the natural shower.

In Victoria Falls, our accommodations were permanent tents, with twin beds, a shower, bathroom and attached patio. I loved having coffee delivered to our patio every morning and then packing up my camera and film and joining Doug for a game drive. On one drive along the Zambezi River, we saw an old elephant grazing by the side of the road. Our guide coasted the jeep past the elephant, close enough for us to reach out and pet him. This aged bull had two broken tusks, but the scars and lines in his skin from years of living in the bush told us that he had been a dominant animal for a long time in this hard land.

On these game drives, I began to see and understand Doug’s passion for this land, and it seeped into my heart as well. After my first game drive, I was ready for a taste of Africa, and after my first cane (rum) and Coke, I was hooked.

Before going to bed, Doug was using the toilet. When he sat down, he felt a splash coming from the basin. The screech that came from the bathroom rivaled the hyenas as he noticed a frog had landed in his underpants. The laughter that roared from my belly rivaled the lions when I went to see what had happened and saw that the frog had leapt from the toilet for its dear life and was now clinging to the bathroom wall.

In the morning we enjoyed a second game drive and were lucky enough to spot lions along the road. We averaged one roll of film per hour, and on this day we saw bushbuck, waterbuck, impala, elephant, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, leopard and so many more animals, I was sure that Noah’s Ark must have been docked a few miles up along the Zambezi River. It was emotionally difficult to depart Victoria Falls as we had grown very close to the staff in just a few short days. However our itinerary insisted that we keep moving.

Kariba, Zimbabwe was our next stop. In the 1950’s, a dam built at this point of the Zambezi River formed Lake Kariba. Nyaminyami is the river god who is said to control life along the Zambezi. He is said to be angry about the dam. At times, locals will experience an underground tremor and say that it is Nyaminyami banging on the dam wall, trying to break it down so he can be reunited with his wife. Over the past 50 years since the dam was built, “ghost” trees stick up through the water as if to remind us that the land that was once was soil, trees, and grass, is now the underwater lake floor. It has a surreal quality that attests that nature has been tampered with.

We enjoyed game viewing on boat instead of jeeps, and the landscapes were beyond breathtaking. The panoramic views of zebra, elephant, bushbuck and egrets grazing together near the shore put any zoo to shame. . . here was the real thing spread out before us! A little further along the shore we met a herd of buffalo, and even an elephant bathing in the lake. Cruising back to our camp, I finally understood how Africa had become a part of Doug, because the same had happened to me. The sunset that evening burned deep in my soul. The ghost trees dotted the skyline and green and purple water hyacinth stretched out to where the sun dropped off the horizon. The burning red sky continued to glow for the longest time. I never wanted that day to end.

The camp at Kariba was the most remote place I had ever been in my life. There was no electricity except by generator, and we were asked to order our showers the night before so that the water would have enough time to heat overnight. This made for a night sky that a city-girl like me could never have imagined. For me, a nature walk in the Santa Monica Mountains west of Los Angeles was a remote activity. So it was an electrifying experience for me to finally see and truly understand what was a night sky without light pollution. Looking at the constellation of the  Southern Cross in that pure, dark sky, I knew why it had been an inspiration to many artists. I believe it was a gift to have witnessed it.

While in Kariba, we visited a village and happened upon the schoolteacher. I asked this young man of about 25 years who teaches first, second and third grade in one classroom what children answered when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He said to me that children wouldn’t know how to answer other than to say, “a fisherman.” Ninety percent of the villagers along Lake Kariba fish, and children are not taught to have ambitions like American children are. What we considered poverty was actually a simple and uncomplicated lifestyle devoid of Shaquille O’Neal and Britney Spears, but filled with raw beauty found only where nature is untainted.

We left Kariba for Cape Town and lost our luggage along the way. Fortunately my previous travels had taught me that nothing was more important than film, and our carry-on luggage was our camera bag. However, all of the trinkets we had picked up along the way were lost. So, during the two days we were in Cape Town, we replaced everything we had lost in our luggage. We don’t have many pictures from Cape Town, but we have many souvenirs!

Fortunately, there was a perfect ending to this perfect trip, which was when we were reunited with our luggage just before our homeward flight.

Now, when Doug speaks of the soothing sound of falling asleep to the sounds of lions mating, or hyenas chattering, I can snuggle next to him, and recall the harmony for myself.