Ladies and Gentlemen,

Three weeks is too soon. It should not happen this way. Looking at the pictures and reading the journal is not enough to satisfy the need.

I just prepared thin strips of beef, coated in seasoned flour and fried crisp. Served it with Mrs. Balls’ chutney accompanied by a whisky soda. Beef is poor substitute for buffalo, whisky and soda (while sitting in an air conditioned kitchen) is a poor substitute for sundowners under a black African sky.

I am drafting plans to build a fire pit in the backyard. Burning oak in a fire pit is a crime, or at least it should be. How will the acidic smell of oak smoke ever come close to the sweet smell of mopane?

You would think that after five safaris one would start to become immune to the intoxication of Africa. It doesn't happen that way, it only gets worse.

I am proud of myself, it was my wife who first said, "When are we going back to Africa?" I didn't tell her that I had been making a mental plan beginning the day after we returned.

You can pronounce zebra, impala and Castle beer the way the Africans pronounce them. You can use the terms "buggered" and "cheers" all you want. You can wear your elephant hair bracelet. You can call it "The Valley" like a Zim insider, but you won't recapture the true spirit of the bush.

You know, maybe it never left us - the feeling that Africa is our home. The odd satisfaction one receives from knowing that She cuts, She bites and She sometimes kills. There still lies, deeply inside us, the uncontrollable need for nyama. Let the hares eat vegetables, I kill and eat meat. OK, maybe not that strong, but in Africa never take eating or drinking for granted. Nine hours surviving only on Gatorade and hard candy while stalking buffalo and one remembers just how soft we have become. Maybe I am not the only one who has lost touch with my most basic instincts. My German Shepherd dog waits for his portion of the nyama I am frying. When he gets it, he acts like it is something he doesn't recognize. Maybe I have destroyed his spirit, once a descendant of the wolf I have weakened him with dry dog food and peanut butter flavored biscuits. Then I remember the resurgence of the wolf when he kills a rabbit. Yes, it still is a part of him - the wolf is concealed under a manicured coat of black and tan.

I would like to think that my own exterior also conceals the heart of a true hunter. Why is it that only Africa exposes my primordial self? Why is it that only in Africa am I truly sated? Maybe it is because, under this exterior of a balding, fifty year old man lies the spirit of a hunter. The same hunter’s spirit that remains suppressed in all of you until you too return home.

Regards,

Terry

I feel for ya man. I really do. I'd feel more if I wasn't still insanely jealous about your buffalo, ele, etc, but I do understand.

Actually I did make a firepit in my backyard. It helped. Copied the size of the one at hunting camp on my first trip. Only had pine or aspen to burn though....nothing like the red bushwillow we burnt in the Limpopo area. But it was worth doing.

Cheers,
Canuck

Terry: Nice post indeed. When I read it, I think most of us that post here are kindred spirits of sorts. My wife and I are going through pretty much the same withdrawal symptoms of africa as you. We just returned from a very nice dinner at Ruth Chris on the river here in Jacksonville, but even the most well-aged cut of beef and fine wine does not even come close to the taste of roasted buffalo tenderloin and a good Cape wine.
We do miss it so and we only take solace in the faact that our next trip is probably three years away. Something to keep us goinf I guess. jorge

Okay, so it's not quite the same. And I don't think my microwave popcorn measures up to your dinner either.

I miss the outdoor fires when I come back from hunting South Texas, and mesquite smells pretty good on a fire as well, if you can't get mopane.

Good luck with the withdrawal.

Terry, you are dirty dog! You put those pics up just to rub it in didn't you?! Well it worked, and I am still jealous!

If I had my pics handy, I'd post one of our firepit for you to admire. Just be thankful you are not stuck in a hotel room for the 4th consecutive week! 3 to go, then we take possession of our new home (new to us that is).

Cheers,
Canuck

ps: from your narrative, and from previous posts, I get the impression you might enjoy some of the same reading material as I. Its a little too deep for a lot of people, but I really enjoy it. I'll PM you with some titles.

You will be depressed until you plunk down the deposit on your next safari.

But I can tell that you pretty much know that already.

Terry,
I am with you. YOu were so kind to help me post the write up on my trip. I found that writing down my thoughts helped a bit.

A trip like this, to a place like this, evokes feelings like this. I just read some of Corbetts books on India, the most recent was "My India" where he talks about the people. Not the tigers or the landscape but about the hearts of the people. I think that is what gets to me about hunting in Africa. It invades my heart and consumes a great deal of my thoughts. I had a great trip, would love to repeat the experience but know, down deep, that you can never repeat an experience because an "experience" changes you and hence a repeat of that same trip/experience will not have the same affect on you. So, what do we do? Plan the next trip, live vicariously through books and others, dream. I would love to return to old trips, but can't and shouldn't. There is another "experience" out there to be "experienced". Look forward with hope and backward with appreication.

I asked my sons - do you want to go back? They each said, separately, yes - but let's do something different - different is fun and the unknown is fun.

My thoughts for what that is worth.

quote:

A trip like this, to a place like this, evokes feelings like this. I just read some of Corbetts books on India, the most recent was "My India" where he talks about the people. Not the tigers or the landscape but about the hearts of the people. I think that is what gets to me about hunting in Africa. It invades my heart and consumes a great deal of my thoughts. I had a great trip, would love to repeat the experience but know, down deep, that you can never repeat an experience because an "experience" changes you and hence a repeat of that same trip/experience will not have the same affect on you. So, what do we do? Plan the next trip, live vicariously through books and others, dream. I would love to return to old trips, but can't and shouldn't. There is another "experience" out there to be "experienced". Look forward with hope and backward with appreication.

Well said, dogcat! As they say, "you can't go home again". I generally dislike repeating trips (unless there is something different to do at the same place that I didn't have time to experience the first time), because it is always a let-down.

Terry,
It's increadible how identified I feel with you despite the geographic and the languaje/cultural barriers between us. The only explanation is the reason that keep us here, in Saeed's internet house, day after day.., it's because we are hunters before any other thing.

Good luck
L

Brilliant writing Terry. Quite profound.

Thanks,
Kyler

Terry,
I have been reading your posts for over a year now.. I do not always agree withn you, but on this subject all I can say is AMEN Boet.
P.S. Get a better looking hat!

Cheers,
Brian

Thanks Terry, I was doing just fine getting things togeather for next month, arriving one month hence in Bulawayo. Now I need to find other diversons to make the time go by faster.

quote:

Originally posted by T.Carr:
Ladies and Gentlemen,

You know, maybe it never left us - the feeling that Africa is our home. The odd satisfaction one receives from knowing that She cuts, She bites and She sometimes kills. There still lies, deeply inside us, the uncontrollable need for nyama. Let the hares eat vegetables, I kill and eat meat. OK, maybe not that strong, but in Africa never take eating or drinking for granted. Nine hours surviving only on Gatorade and hard candy while stalking buffalo and one remembers just how soft we have become. Maybe I am not the only one who has lost touch with my most basic instincts. My German Shepherd dog waits for his portion of the nyama I am frying. When he gets it, he acts like it is something he doesn't recognize. Maybe I have destroyed his spirit, once a descendant of the wolf I have weakened him with dry dog food and peanut butter flavored biscuits. Then I remember the resurgence of the wolf when he kills a rabbit. Yes, it still is a part of him - the wolf is concealed under a manicured coat of black and tan.

Terry

Some of the best writing I've read in a long time Well said sir.

Terry;

So well said!!!! As the others have already mentioned, you have expressed in words the feelings I have experienced IN Africa and returning FROM Africa!!!!!

Regars, D. Nelson

Terry well said, We to have built a fire pit in the backyard but alas its a poor substitute. The other sad thing is after the elephant I cant get all that worked up for the yearly elk hunt like I used to.

quote:

Originally posted by T.Carr Burning oak in a fire pit is a crime, or at least it should be. How will the acidic smell of oak smoke ever come close to the sweet smell of mopane?

If someone would just come up with a mopane substitute, it would help us all go back to another time and another place!

Terry, what you said... I just got back from my first hunt. I expect it has ruined my life. Nothing else that I do will compare. When I was there I felt that I was "home". I can't wait till I go back.

Hey guys, guess what I brought back in my duffle bag.....? 4 mopane logs, suitable for burning in my fireplace once I get my buffalo back from the taxidermist jorge