Today turned out to be a day of drama and adrenalin.

After the normal early start we were back on the road ( ie dirt track) to visit the Ugab River basin where the larger Mama Afrika herd were often found.

It had been a long drive in 38 degree temperatures but now 2pm and still no elephants to be seen. With our faces and clothes now full of hot sand we decided to stop for lunch and have our normal one hour siesta. Pictured below.

Most of the group were snoozing when our big man from Cologne, Tobi, shouted, “Elephants”!

Its hard to describe the view of a herd of elephants racing towards you, at speed, from the direction you have just come from (pic above) and you are lying on a piece of tarpaulin away from the jeep. Terrifying!

Adding to the drama of the moment was Andreas and Herman shouting sternly ( so, not in their character, and breaking the first lesson in elephant etiquette, not to talk, let alone shout), “get in the vehicles NOW!”. My recollection is one of the German women, Michelle, climbing in to the jeep drugged by sleep and acting on pure adrenalin. It was a serious moment. This is not like seeing elephants on a game drive safari. These were hungry elephants looking for an easy snack and they were running directly at us.

We hadn’t found the elephants. They had found us!

Each time we stop to camp, or have lunch we dig a bio pit, where vegetable matter is deposited and then covered with sand before we leave. The pit had been dug a metre away from the jeeps. Elephants had obviously smelt the contents (a couple of slices of staling bread and few lettuce leaves) and were racing to get these. I later learnt why those beautiful South African oranges had disappeared from our lunch menu. Elephants can smell them from miles away and will search them out.

It took our guide clapping his hands, to move them away from the jeeps and the bio pit. Herman intent that they be driven away, not to save our skins, but to discourage any future link between the jeep and a free meal.

Once the immediate danger was over we sat watching them move on. Attaching three videos that I hope you can see and listen to. The last video has wonderful trumpeting from the baby, Fiori. Otherwise, you will notice the silence and grace.

After lunch was finally packed away, stories told, and retold, we went in search of the elephants once again, finding them in the shade of a tree overheated and now docile.

That night in the most beautiful spot for a rough camp we shared Crocodile Dundee stories of close encounters and the beauty of the beasts.