Eles!

johnny, leah and christine on Liwa the Ele | 04.11.08 | mosi-o-tunya park

Today, we got up bright and early to go on an elephant back safari, which I was a little nervous about considering my pulled muscle from the other day. How the hell was I supposed to climb on top of an elephant considering I could hardly maneuver getting into bed without wincing?

Yes, I, too, do not understand how I got hurt. But then again, I jumped off a bridge with a rope tied to my legs. And my name is Leah. It was explained to me yesterday, that Leya, is the language of a tribe here in Zambia that means 'to divert' --- as in from the crowd. Every other jumper came out fine. I didn't. Are you really surprised?

When we arrived, we signed our lives away and learned that a guide with a gun would follow us, in case any rogue elephants came after us in the bush. Exciting!

I got of climbing on the biggest, alpha male elephant, by trying to explain that I hurt myself bungee jumping and couldn't climb him -- of course all while J is shaking his head and N is laughing. I got on the shorter female ele, Liwa, the mother of the ever-so-cute, baby Nandi. Liwa was a great elephant, although she was more into eating branches upon branches of trees instead of keeping up with the pack... that's my girl!

From the great vantage point being on top of an elephant, we were able to see some birds, some pumba - sans timon, buffalo, wildebeasts, and impala but no hippos - much to my dismay. Oh well... I got to ride an elephant and not at some lame-o state fair.

clockwise from the top:
1) hornbill in a tree 2) liwa and nandi 3) water buffalo 4) us on the elephant

Post ele - we went out to our last dinner here in Livingstone and ended the night singing (and dancing) to the live band in at the pool bar. It was nice drunken night to a great week.