South African Safari

A lone Giraffe grazes in the bush at the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

It’s been a busy 2012, with my travel demands ever increasing.  Last month alone, I arrived home after our four city seminar tour in Australia and two days later flew to Chicago to teach our Impulse Adjusting Course on the weekend. 
On Sunday, I took a small plane to Moline, Illinois and drove over to Davenport, Iowa to have meetings and present at Palmer College, the next day where our Impulse Instruments have been installed into their Clinics System on three campuses. 
On Wednesday of that week, I flew to Durban, South Africa to speak to the students and tour the Durban University of Technology (DUT) last Friday.  Visiting two chiropractic college campuses in one week wouldn’t normally be a challenge aside from the fact that they are 10,000 miles away from one another.  It was a 32 hour journey to Durban.
On Saturday, May 5, I moderated our first International Spine Research (INSPIRE) Foundation course in Durban.  The conference featured seven speakers converging the professions of chiropractic, spinal surgery, and biomechanics.  The next day (Sunday) we held our first Impulse Adjusting System Course there as well.  So after teaching for three days straight, I was ready for a short break to relax and recharge.
A short flight from Durban took us into the Bush to the outskirts of Kruger National Park to a luxury game lodge to spend a couple of days on Safari.

Inyati Game Reserve, Sabi Sands, South Africa

The two hour drive from the airport to the lodge provided incredible vistas of the South African landscape.  Macadamia nut trees, banana, avocado, and citrus trees, and eucalyptus trees lined the landscape. 
We passed small villages that provided a small glimpse into how the locals modestly live.

Arriving at the Inyati Game Reserve Lodge revealed a tranquil oasis in the jungle.  The guest rooms consist of a dozen or so alone Chalets filled with charm.


The helpful staff escorted us to our Chalet and explained the rules of the resort…. Including, the fact that there is no fence around the property – in other words, we are sharing this land with the animals and wild game commonly walks across the property especially at night. 
Inasmuch, no wandering off in the surrounding bush and no leaving your Chalet after dark without the escort of a Ranger.

When these rules are delivered to you, you quickly understand that the tranquility is shared with real danger.  Admittedly, even when escorted to by the Ranger at dark, I found myself looking over my shoulder for a lion or leopard.  This only adds to the excitement of the adventure.
After getting settled in it was time for our afternoon Game Drive.  Our jeep was driven by a Ranger and a tracker sat on a seat above the bumper.

I’m diggin’ our open air Land Rover … three tiered explorer … We need one of these for Fair Haven!

The drive is scenic and peaceful out in the open air with the incredible excitement of the wildlife we were about to see.

Along the trail, we came upon a pack of Guinea Fowl.  It wasn’t long before in the distance we found a group of Zebras.

Shortly thereafter, as we were driving along, the foul odor of death was in the air.  We saw a Water Buffalo carcass and guarding it closely nearby were a pack of four male lions who had recently killed it. 
Three of the four snoozed with full bellies while the other kept guard lethargically.  With this understanding, our guide knew it was safe to approach for up close viewing and photo opportunities.  This wouldn’t be possible if the lions were hungry.
Our Ranger was very familiar with these lions, as he has watched them grow since late 2007 when they were born.  He told us of the story of the recent territorial struggle between these younger lions and three senior males.

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As dusk approached, we stopped off for sunset drinks in the Bush.  A traditionally British Gin and Tonic was poured and enjoyed.  All we needed was our Khaki Safari outfits to make it complete.
Returning to basecamp, we got ready for dinner.  The resort offers gourmet meals paired with fantastic South African wines. 

Once I found the wine cellar, it became a favorite stop off for viewing and best of all.
The SA Chenin Blancs are superb and anytime I come in contact with Pinotage varietals, I really enjoy them.  These wines paired well with our Kingklip (fish) starter and springbuck (deer) main courses.
Another evening we had a fantastic 2002 Vergelegen, that was quickly recognized being a memorable property that I visited in the Stellenbosch region five years ago.

This is a great shot of my new friend, Levy, the bartender and sommelier who has the most joyful laugh that I’ve ever experienced.

The next morning began with a 5:30 wake-up knock on the door.  A quick coffee and into the Jeep we’d go for our morning game drive.

Here’s the day’s agenda:

5:30 a.m. – Wake-up and Coffee
6:00 a.m. – Morning Game Drive (3.5 hrs.)
10:30 a.m. – Brunch
3:00 p.m. – Afternoon Tea
3:30 p.m. – Afternoon Game Drive (3.5 hrs.)
5:30 p.m. – Sunset Drinks in the Bush
7:00 p.m. – Cocktails
7:30 p.m. – Dinner

The scenery of the South African landscape riding along the trail is simply fantastic.

Off in the distance we spotted a warthog.  He leisurely trotted to his den while keeping his eye on us.  I couldn’t help but think of the movie Lion King as his trot was absolutely identical! 

Next on the trail we were fortunate to come upon a family of Rhinos.  These impressive animals are endangered due to poachers and the thought of them being slaughtered for their tusk is just inconceivable.

It was great to see the baby Rhino giving way to the next generation.

A mongoose scampered along the trail as we continued onward.

We next came in close proximity to a herd of Elephants.

Heards of Impala were bountiful and everywhere to be seen.

Dinner that evening was served in the Bomha (an acronym standing for British Officers Mess Hall Accommodations), outside by the open fire. 



The next morning began with our Ranger and Tracker tracing leopard tracks to determine the route we would take.
They identified fresh tracks and soon we were on our way to see if we could find them.  They also used the warning signs of monkeys calling to help identify the leopard’s location.

It worked.  Soon we found a leopard napping with a full stomach.


A Kudu was next seen just off the trail.


We saw the true king of the jungle, the Buffalo grazing quietly just off the trail.

On our last Game Drive, the Ranger asked if there was anything else that we’d like to see before departing.  I asked to return to where the four male lions had made their kill a couple of days ago.  
We found a vulture scavenging the last remains of the buffalo and sure enough, off in the distance were the lions. 
While heading back to Inyati, we saw a family of seven hippos bathing in a nearby pond.

The view of Inyati Game Reserve as we returned to base.

This travel experience is undoubtedly one of the best that I have ever experienced and is something everyone should do at least once.  It’s truly the trip of a lifetime.
Neuromechanical Innovations is the Platinum Sponsor of the World Federation of Chiropractic Congress in Durban, South Africa in April 2013.  Our team will be attending and going on safari.  Perhaps you’d like to join us?  You can find more information about the Congress at www.wfc.org.  Thanks for visiting the lounge.