Sitting idle during the nationwide lockdown has provided me with the time to reflect. I am lucky enough to be with my family during this time which has led to my sister, Amy Attenborough, and I more often than not laughing about the quirky characters you find at Londolozi as well as reminiscing on the amazing sightings each of us has experienced.
Amy is a former Londolozi guide and member of the media team, who I unfortunately never overlapped with in terms of working together. However, we do share some unforgettable memories with one another at Londolozi when I visited Ames during her time there. It is in amongst these memories that Ames and I are going to share two snapshots which had a profound effect on both of us and that ultimately highlights the value of reflection.
A small group of us headed out on a calm winter’s afternoon. The sun was still warm on my back when Ames turned to me and told me that we were close to one of her favourite spots on Londolozi. We meandered along a road that passed through open crests which soon gave way to Guarrie thickets and then into riverine vegetation, mostly dominated by thick Weeping Boer Beans growing out of huge termite mounds. Everything was big.
Of all the bush places I had visited growing up, none of them told a story of age like this place did.
Hugging the edge of a dry riverbed we passed through pockets of dappled sunlight as the trees grew in size and number while the rest of the bush faded away. The vehicle slowed down and I noticed that the conversation had dwindled, not from discomfort but by choice. Ames turned to me, her eyes bright with excitement yet her face and tone serene. “This is the Leadwood forest,” she explained.
The vehicle stopped and I looked up, allowing my eyes time to drink in the scenery. Solid grey trees with wrinkled bark dotted the dry earth like ancient time stamps. We climbed off of the vehicle and stepped through the invisible barrier, deeper into the forest. Standing quietly, we watched a herd of elephants in the distance use their tusks to dig holes in the riverbed and then siphon clean water off using their trunks. A heavy blanket of calm settled around my shoulders as I watched the powerful yet tender movements of the herd from the safety of the massive guardians towering above me. Rubbing my palms along the evenly cracked bark I wondered what these thousand year old trees had seen.
A deep exhale some way off to our left drew us away from the elephants. Cautiously we approached where the sound had come from. Another deep breath. There! A bull rhino kept its head low to the ground as it grazed on tufts of grass. Unaware of our presence, it strolled behind a termite mound. In single file, we stealthily crept up onto the mound to watch the rhino feed noisily until his large rear drifted out of view into the bush.
I smiled with appreciation, at the people who shared this moment with me and at the landscape that allowed it, knowing that it was one that would stay with me for a very long time.
Reflecting on this vivid memory, I realised that this was one of the moments that pulled me in the direction to where I am today. A place where I do what I love, with like-minded people, hoping that I can inspire some of the wonder I explained above in guests from around the world. Another one of these moments is anchored to a specific animal, a Londolozi leopard in fact.
But I’ll leave that for Ames to share with you tomorrow…
Lovely blog Josh. This is a time for us all to reflect, a time of peace. A time to go back to basics and appreciate the good times we had in nature and looking forward to many more.
Thank you Marinda. You’re spot on. Stay safe!
Josh, what a wonderful blog – Ames was his sister, looking back again!
Thanks for a lovely post Josh. I share the same sentiment about special places in the bush. We have been on drives before where I have literally felt this pull to get out and be near these ancient trees and just touch them. (So I do – and no one laugh when I do it again next time). Just being near something that has been here long before me and seen so much is comforting.
Definitely no judgement there Kara. I do it all the time – certainly won’t be laughing. Hopefully we can experience the leadwood forest together some day.
Josh, What a beautiful story. That forest is also one of our favorite places at Londolozi and many times when thinking or imagining ourselves there, it is moving through that forest that gives us inner peace when needed! Best to Amy, we miss her but still enjoy following her journey!
Thank you Michael and Terri! That forest is truly special. It’s so awesome to hear how much of an impact it made on you. I’m glad you can keep going back to your memories there whenever you need to. Amy misses you too. Best regards.
Beautiful post, looking forward to reading tomorrows post too!
Stay safe, stay snug – hopefully the guests will be back as soon as the Lockdown lifts
Wonderful reminiscences. Thank you for posting!
Amy had a brilliant photo: ‘Giraffes Necking’
Thank you Josh for your reflections of time spent in Londolozi with your sister. I loved reading her blogs and had hoped to enjoy my Safari in her Landy in late 2018. Sadly for me, she left to pursue her passions in life coaching, yoga, etc. but I had an amazing stay there anyway and have followed her journey over the past year. I was pleased to read you were following in your family’s legacy of promoting the conservation of land and wildlife, by joining the Londolozi family of guides. Take care and continue to enjoy your family time during the shelter-in-place rules. It’s all good!!
Thank you Denise. Hope to see you back at Londolozi when everything goes back to normal. Best regards.
A really nice blog James and nice that you were able to have this experience of a lifetime maybe with your sister. I am sure that things are very quiet at Londolozi right now which is truly a shame. I sincerely hope and pray that you are all well and are safe. This is a troubling time for the entire world and we can only hope and pray that it will soon be over. We will have a new normal following this and will have to see how that plays out. Thanks for sharing with us. To all at Londolozi – be well and stay safe. God bless.
Thank you very much Leonie. Stay safe your side as well.