LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE. INDEED.
It is always such a special treat to be included in out
rides at Pakamisa Private Game Reserve. I am a bit of a plodder and was
grateful that my steed for the day was Badger. He is a gracious old gent and
understands my need to take it slowly. My companions were clearly much better
riders than myself and they kindly tolerated my lack of horsemanship.
Pakamisa is the best place to amble through the pristine
bush.
The horses have been trained to accept the wildlife we encounter, and they too remain calm in our presence.
The horses have been trained to accept the wildlife we encounter, and they too remain calm in our presence.
Isabella Stepski, who owns Pakamisa, led our ride. She was born
in a saddle and her love for horses is so obvious. Her horses are in excellent
condition as is their livery. Isabella welcomes volunteers who spend anything
up to 3 months at the reserve escorting guests on rides. They look so elegant
on horseback and maybe one day I will get there too. Most volunteers come from
Europe – Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As many guests are European they
feel quite at home chatting in their mother tongue.
The balmy sky was quite dramatic with the threat of a storm.
The afternoon light was so beautiful and taking it slowly we went through
tamboti forests and down farm roads making it easy to forget all the troubles
of the world.
Learning the Zulu names for the animals is fun on a ride.
Pakamisa has a journey of giraffe, or indlulamithi, who are so used to posing
for photographs with riders, etching the memory of the encounter forever. We came across a small group with a youngster
who put on a lovely show for us, bucking as he slipped deeper into the forest.
The warthog, ntibane, are great opportunists and frequently hang around the
stables, greedy for scraps.
A family of ostrich, intshe, are also always close
by. They have raised many chicks in the past, but this year their nest of eggs
was vandalized by predators. Eggs are laid in a communal nest called a dump
nest, which can hold about 60 eggs at one time. The Zulus haven’t quite wrapped
their head around a name for impala, and they remain as ‘mpala’. These delicate
antelope will start rutting soon and their guttural call can be heard day and
night. Kudu in Zulu are called mgankla or tshabalala – what a fun name! The way
they negotiate the thickets with their majestic horns is incredible. Finally,
the comedians of the bush, nkhonhoni or blue wildebeest can keep you entertained
for ages.
So, despite not galloping on the beautiful open plains at
Pakamisa I believe we all had a magical ride taking in the sights, sounds and
smells of the Zululand bushveld. We were rewarded with a spectacular storm
drenching the reserve with much needed rain.
Thank you Badger for this wonderful experience.
