Posts Tagged ‘ranger’

No5

Short version of this commentary is about bush/lodge vehicles,

Long version below, is the author being long winded in saying he has a character full vehicle, and that he dig’s it.

Every ranger, or lodge employee usual has either a vehicle assigned or if not assigned they have a favorite out of the vehicle pool, this is no exception for me, I too always have that favorite out of the selection of either mala-mala green or khaki colored vehicles that are stationed at a lodge.

Let me start off with saying that by no stretch of the imagination am I a mechanic, and that as said mechanic I could adjust or fix that worn vehicle that I have acquired out of the mound that is called the “lodge pool”. I have to treat it well, as my own baby and not drive it like I stole it.

I have to make do with what is there. And make it run for another couple of years, of course a couple of years are relative, a couple could mean ten…make that old vehicle work beyond his expire date.

Secondly, a vehicle (“mover”, as it is called out here) is either a skorokoro or is new.

Skorokoro is an African expression, it means too-old-to-work and new means the lodge owner spent some. More likely to get the former than the latter driving around lodges.

No in-betweens, either you see a out the box and be sure you do not scratch it on the hundreds of obstacles like branches, rocks, thorns, spikes and just about anything else out in the bush, or… you have the old faithful, the lodge run about that has a engine that will not die under a body that has been scratched on all the obstacles mentioned before. They are more than likely temperamental, stubborn, leaks some or other fluid and a general pain in the…

With the above in mind, I usually tend to lean to these skorokoro’s, as they have character, have seen the bush and been around the block (a few times). And yes you saw it coming, I can scratch it them. They are also the ones that usual pull the new boys out of the trouble!

I do consider myself a careful and aware driver, however all people of all ages think they are “good” drivers. All would judge themselves as “road savvy”.

Bush driving people are no different, all handle it differently and we all would consider our driving up to standard. With all these “good” drivers using these vehicles and taking into account the roads and topography these vehicles travel on and sometimes through. Parked wherever, during the dry and the wet season (everybody gets stuck in the mud in the wet, sooner than later) one could with out a doubt say that the vehicles take a beating from all sides. They get skorokoro very quickly.

This is the abuse no5 has taken over a few years; he has been there and done that, seen it and abused it.

I got no5, I took him (yes him, tired of vehicles always being a she) under my care. That is I was told to use it and make it work and treat it like gold.

As I have said I reckon I am no worse than most and have gently coaxed this vehicle around the bumpy, dusty and need-a-grader roads we have here. And I have fallen in love with him (in a heterosexual way!)

He is a character.

If no5 starts first thing in the morning I am lucky, if the diesel gauge is even close to being in the vicinity of accurate I am happy, the lights working  is a luxury I am happy without and the brakes braking are a bonus.

Last night I was reminded that no5 got me there and back, no complaints. Was a great little night excursion that made me ponder this vehicle I have been using.

Last night I took my no5 with another ranger, a few guests (and a radio for backup) on a night drive, we had heard the lions roaring a km from camp and after dinner set out to find them.

At this point all the character of no5 came out, engine coughed into life barely (feeling lucky) tried the head lights, and here is that fun loving spirit that is no5, if the lights  go one, the engine dies? Go figure? There was a slight burning smell emitting from under the bonnet and the front left wheel was shaking, the other ranger lent out during the trip and casual remarked that it looked like it was buckling? We found those lions using my hand torch to navigate instead of headlights and got back safe. No spotlight in no5

No5 would not start this morning, had to tow it and get it started with no9, had to do this in reverse! No9 is another story, no doors, no back seat, hollowed out front seat where the springs have given in, zero tread on tyres, not even a dashboard…oddles of character… another story.

No5 has no cover, so when driving down to the reserve airstrip you are boiling in the sun, make sure you do not leave the seat for too long at the airstrip, as this will heat up and when you get back in, you burn from above and below (wearing shorts on this seat does not help, exposed skin to the metal surface of a oven would be a comparison)

No5 has no backfire but a mean bellow of smoke when started, do not stand behind no5.

No5 may be a little bit aesthetically pleasing to the eye, pleasing that is, if you are a man that does not mind that it is raised at the back quite high as if it has been “pimped out” and has a paint job that holds the rust in place.

No5 is where the girlfriend cut her teeth on buffalo, driving through a herd 200+ on her second day.

No5 has transported staff too and throw, including the overweight chef, up and down.

No5 has come thru the raining season, remember with no cover, and was high but not dry at the end, now worries and no complaints.

I have used no5 to pull out a game viewer a lot younger than he; he did it with a cough and a gurgle which in engine language means a big fat ha ha, no sweat.

No5 is reliable in his unreliability.

He has a alarming grinding squeak when the brakes do kick in

No5 has brought joy to many during his service as a bush vehicle, earlier is his life being used as a game viewer. One could wonder what this vehicle has seen.

Long may I drive no5

Some guests reckon we have it easy, living and working in the bush, some thing it is all day driving around looking at nature, well we too have a our stress and worries. The last few days for instance, let me run thru the last few days, in a short form and not bore you with the details.

AS many would have picked up, there is a little thing called the soccer world cup in south Africa at present, this would mean a increase of international visitors to south Africa and hence a increase of visitors to my lodge i.e. WE Are BUSY. Well booked at the camps.

Been a few niggled things pop up here and there the last week, radio in my game viewer not functioning correctly, flat tyre etc  and a very slow reserve, seems someone forgot the gate open and the animals have all left…

Had guests arrive for another ranger few days back, had to rush them thru a check in and then link out with said ranger to hand over the guests somewhere in the reserve, of course could not link out as could not contact other ranger on radio, so had to do a impromptu drive them myself, with no cooler box for drinks break,(in Africa there is no excuse for a warm beer) no tracker, no spot light, no jersey, gloves etc (yes we are in winter) so a short drive, with freezing hands only my personal torch on the way home. When we did get home (did I mention cold) found we had no water in camp, which is the whole camp, from top to bottom has no water. Fight with the staff to come help (staff would rather have watched the soccer than help) pull up a 100 meter pipe from the bore hole to fix the pump at night. Water know trickling into water tanks, barley coming in. have to inform guests that we are on water restrictions, I have to switch off water for lengthy periods while the tanks refill at a snail pace.

Next day get my own guests, but have a stand in tracker who is not very good, and I have to remind him a few times it is impolite to swear on the game viewer. Game viewer is old to say the least, a bumpy ride ensues, and half way home the spot light breaks, with few animals seen. No hot water bottles either for guests, I feel like an idiot.

Dinner has me telling same guests can not shower as water restrictions… next morning, radio not working; I have borrowed my handheld radio to another ranger as he has nothing at all…

Next day, water still not pumping properly, tent 11 has leaking toilet, some guests understandably not happy with water times I have put in place. Miss breakfast as running around fixing camp problems. Arrange for some of my guests to go to other camp to watch soccer. These runs to other camp to watch soccer is becoming a regular appearance, so up at 5am go all day and in bed by 11pm.

Took a tight corner a little too hastily, Drove my tracker through a buffalo thorn, ripped his shirt, guests must think I am a moron driver. No animals or not much. Having to resort to Ferrari safari, just to sight some more awesome animals. Dislike Ferrari safari (being polite to say dislike)

Last morning woke up, brush teeth and dress, walk to main building to receive guests for drive, still busy wiping the sleep grip that accumulates in the corner of your eye, when grass splinters, twigs snap and turmoil, out the corner of my eye, no less than 3 meters away, out of the long grass, like a apparition, two gigantic horns rise out of the grass! BUFFALO! He rises there while I am caught in the open and taken by surprise! Training to hell, instinct kicks in, swearing and flashes of possible male lion charging,(lions do not have horns) leap in the air like a girl, more swearing when training takes over after that first split second and I stand my ground to confront. My god! Lucky for me the

Buffalo got a fright like me and ran in the opposite direction. (Possibly also swearing in buffalo lingo) made it to the lodge, still shaking. Had he not ran but took two steps foreword; he would have gored me before my morning coffee! Buffalo around camp every night is no longer a joke. Going to have a beer now and re group tonight. Lesson learned never forget where you are…

He lives to type this blog, maybe some other day…reason I am still shaking.

Buffalo 1 Ranger 0

Guests for that afternoon for me, only going to arrive at 8pm, gates close at 6, so have to contact reserve and arrange, also need our vehicle to meet them at the gate to show them the way in the dark. Late dinner and late check in, always wrong!

Bored with this, Rest of week in point form…

Some lights on pathway, not working, no spares to be had in camp

Chest in tent 9 broken by guests, they left and did not say a word

Monkeys are playing havoc around camp looking for food

Flat tyre at 5.45 am this morning, broke record changing to spare tyre

Vehicle leaking oil? Can not find source

Guests not happy with other vehicle (other guests or ranger), have to transfer to mine, know have 10 guests plus tracker on my old landy

Guests broke bar stool, Drunk Mexican soccer fans?

Utility old (read very old and tired) landy has been towing a tractor tyre behind, and know the chassis has cracked on both sides.

Buffalo encounters almost every night while walking back to my room.

…

The list goes on…

However I end the week with a sighting of note, 4 leopards, yep 4, a male, female and two cubs on a waterbuck kill. Makes it all worthwhile. Another reason to be shaking, this time, not an unhappy shake…

Back from leave and almost back in the saddle. Been a rest in the big smoke, the big smoke being Johannesburg. That is if you can rest in the big smoke? Had a chance to reflect again on the last couple of weeks in the bush, some funny moments and then some more funny moments.

Rock Python

Had to chuckle when I think of our poor trackers, those that sit on the little seat on the front on top of the bonnet, looking for game and spotting spoor, indicating to us rangers where to possible go according to the tracks they find. They (the tracker) and I work as teams to try come up with the four legs and a heartbeat. Most have amazing eyes and can spot a green snake in a green tree or a lion swoosh its tail at 50 yards.

Shame, I have lost count of how many spiders have built there web across the road and I have driven my tracker right through that web, leaving the poor spider hanging onto my tracker for all it is worth, until he gentle deposits it on the next tree close to the road. They never complain , my trackers no matter how many spiders they get a face full off nor when I take the corner (we go back later and out it back) and they are halve buried in the tree that was on that corner. How many close brushes with thorn trees I give these guys every drive is embarrassing and they do not moan.

They need these thorn trees in there lap like I need to take a bowling ball on drive with me, some of these encounters are close though, I had been driving down a particular “tall grass on the side of the road” patch with the sun below the horizon, visibility not so good, out the corner of my eye I saw a snake crossing , just at the last minute, that is to say, he was about to go under my front left wheel should I continue, so naturally what do I do, I hit anchors. But on the front left is where my tracker was, and I say was, as I hit brakes hard, he went flying off the vehicle, almost onto the snake. Managed just to doge the snake as the car flung him forward. Not a word, just a look in my direction, a look that said it all and back onto the bonnet with a smile just reaching the corners of his eyes.

I have had my tracker sit patently on the front whilst lions were a mere two or three meters from where he sat. All exposed on the front and all. Never forget Devance (a tracker) and myself tracking (no pun intended) the group of 7 lions down by the big dam, we saw where they walked, we saw where they stopped and lay to rest and where they were heading. After a half hour further along there chosen route, we bumped into them (they is they were obscured by grass until the last minute, then I was on top of them) engorging themselves on a buffalo cow they had killed no more than a half hour before. Here with fresh meat and nervous lions eating, all deviance did was sit back on his seat in front and enjoy the show. Having munching and crunching lions 2 meters away, glancing up and growling every know and then and all he does is seat back on his perch on the front of the Land rover , throw a cheeky grin  at the guests and smile. Gotta love the nerves!

Buffalo herds, elephant herds, rhino, male buffalo dagga boys and coalitions of cheetah and more, all no sweat for our trackers, there “office” on the front of my vehicle gives them the best seat in the house.

Poor Phillip (another tracker) on route home, him with the spotlight, tying to get the eye shine, when a bushbaby (small nocturnal monkey type) jumps the tree and lands no less than in his lap, Phillip of course unceremoniously dumps the bushbaby off his lap, onto the nearest bush, this little nocturnal creature then turns and jumps again onto Phillip, he of course now things this is a estranged  bushbaby out for vengeance? Attacking him? Yes even grown up trackers can shriek like girls. This poor little bushbaby attacked Phillip three times before I could control my laughter and speed of away from the scene, of the almost violation by a bushbaby. Elephant charge he can take, but an attacking bushbaby?

All respect to the guys who sit in front and take it all in.

Lions everywhere or none

Some days are slower; this morning was one of those days, not much happening in the African bush, not much at all.

Seems that someone forgot to close the gate last night and all the animals left? That is how we roll, and this morning was more typical, not always do we have four legs and a heart beat parading around for a photo. In these cases we can cruise, observe the smaller fauna and birds, and trees and… It’s nice to be out there wind blowing you back, listening for that faint rustle or call, smelling that fresh dung in the morning.

But not always… Read the rest of this entry »