Africa Calls.

Chapter 11.
                                                               

Today they were in for a full and  long days drive. Hoping to visit the lake and see the flamingo's, and more of the storks that were around.  Some really looked like old bald headed men!
A picnic lunch was arranged and a couple of stops along the way if needed. With the bumpy roads this was usually a must with the ladies.
It was a beautiful morning, a slight breeze blowing, enough to help with the heat that was building up.
Along the way they came across some buffaloes. They stopped to look but  the driver who they had today was a different one and not so chatty. Thomas was having the day off. They were missing him already, but as they were with another group, it would not have been that easy to chat with the driver, like they had been doing.
They smelled the lake where the flamingo's were, and then the whole area turned into a pink haze. They were all spell bound at the sight. From the sky down to the water as far as the eye could see were flamingo's. Everywhere pink swirled and turned as the birds strutted about, wading in the waters edge, other flying off and others landing back in the lake.
Dawn and Nick were mesmerised with it all, as were the others. Only the noise of bird chatter that assaulted their ear drums, as did the smell of decaying fish and muck to their noses, made it not quite so fairy tale.
A fish eagle sat in a tree top overseeing the whole panorama, while storks and vultures picked around at what was going free.

On the way back they came across the rhino. A real prehistoric animal  to be found. Thankfully he was busy grazing and not interested in them
What a morning it had been. All were looking forward to the camp lunch they had been told about, and just getting off their sore bums for a little while. The roads and game trails had left their mark. They had all got out whilst rubbing their  bottoms and a stretching of the shoulders to ease the odd ache.
But this was the experience of a lifetime.What was an ache or two.
"Cold drink ready for you, and we have been asked to let cook know what meat we want to eat" called out Nick "Back in a sec"
The aroma of barbecue meat tantalised Dawn's taste buds, she had  not realised how hungry she was. Finding a seat for them both at the makeshift table on which bowls of salad were under net covers, she thankfully took several gulps of the cold fruit juice, 'nectar' she thought as the cold drink slid down her parched throat. Nick pulled out his camp chair and  with a beer in his hand sat down.
"Wonder what we will see later" he remarked as he ate with relish their meal, considering it was cooked out here in the bush, it tasted fantastic.
'Yes, this was the life, bring it on, he felt ready for anything.
With only a couple of days left of this wonderful adventure, they were keen to see as much as possible, but it was not quite the same touring around with other people. They had been spoilt by having a jeep to themselves with Thomas. Hopefully he was all theirs tomorrow.
"Come on old girl, time to get back on the bone rattler" said Nick with a grin at his wife."Not so much of the old, even if I feel it right now " she threw back at him with a playful punch to his arm.
"It's a long way to home " they whistled as they made their way through the grass behind the others back to their transport.
Somewhere not so far away, life would not be quite so happy.

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I have now finished filling in everywhere and will now have to find a spare place on a wall to put the picture, once it is framed. Now to choose my next one.


                                   

"Ratty"

                       

Do came back next week.