An Elephant at My Door: On Safari in Africa

"Don't jump up to take a picture. Any movement will cause an animal to react-it will either flee or attack." I look at the camera strung from my neck and feel guilt wash over my face even though I haven't been on a safari drive yet. My husband's admonishing glare pins the ranger's warning to my forehead. So begins An Elephant at My Door, the written and photographic story of my three-week safari adventure in four African countries tracking wild animals through tall grasses and thorny bushes. Along the way, I sleep with hippos grunting outside thin, bedroom walls, face down an elephant, and watch as my husband almost loses his life for a hot breakfast. I come to respect the intelligence of the hyenas, the bravery of mother hippos, the hunting skills of leopards, the sensitivity of elephants, and the raw power of lions, the unrivaled kings in this world. A glide along the clear waters of the Okavango Delta, takes birding to another dimension as I encounter birds light enough to walk on lily pads, others tall enough to look me in the eye. In the Namib Desert, I witness survival and death. I savor the kindness of people in rural villages, see the desperation and hope of squatters living in "informal settlements" outside cities and find myself in awe of their courage and ingenuity. In Soweto and Johannesburg, with its gold and saffron colored air, I trace apartheid from its inception to its demise. I come away with greater knowledge of a continent, its treasures, and its people. In An Elephant at My Door, I share this special world with readers through stories wrapped up in a safari adventure.