Dream Trip 2008: September

Great Travel Moment

On safari, we learn patience. Early morning drives and eerie night drives are accompanied by heightened senses as we watch and wait for wildlife to appear. We're ever hopeful, and grateful to see these animals in their own habitat---knowing it's on their terms, when and if they choose. Driving through Botswana with excitement and expectation, cameras in hand, we're delighted to see a graceful giraffe here, a boisterous herd of elephants there. But nothing compares to the moment we rounded a bend and came face to face, eye to eye, with this magnificent lioness. She sat regally on top of a rock, a mere 10 feet away from our open jeep. All motion ceased as she slowly acknowledged us-----we held our breath as she gazed with those fierce yellow eyes. The encounter was brief---the memory lasts forever.