Tembo Fever

...no man has ever seen the elephants dance.
'Toomai of the Elephants', Rudyard Kipling

I dunno whether its because I'm tired or Im sad that the end of the assignment is getting closer or what. But I'm getting elephant cravings again. Some of the best times I have had here have been the contrasting silent, tense tread of the guide and the clumsy crashing of the eager mzungu stalking towards some rumbling, flapping shapes in the bush ahead...testing the wind to make sure the near-sighted beasts cannot detect you...only a stick for protection...its primal,its reckless and its magic. An encounter with a creature that is totally disinterested in you, except for when you annoy it. Wandering in places where elephant, not humans hold sway....I could go on. Yes, I am odd.

The Lake Chala area (was there 2 weeks ago) intrigued me with its mix of scrub and thorns and wild and creatures comparatively so close to Moshi. So this weekend, I've quietly organised a driver, will get a local guide and want to do some hard slog tracking elephant in the bush. So colonial of me. You only live once though right? Im going without wifey (with her blessing) so I can exorcise my masochistic cravings for thorn cuts and angry hulking creatures alone.

Ah, maybe I wont even see anything. But I'll give it a crack, be good to do some hiking and thinking.