Very interesting all the stories and summeries - will get mine done also Tobi.

Okay Tobi – as per your request; here is my piece of memory thrown in….

How and where to start…..???
I had just completed the purchase of an abandoned house in Wimbledon when my girlfriend decided that she would move in and take over the complete restoration of what was supposed to be my 1st proper bachelor pad….
The dream of decorating my home with a large tv, stereo, comfortable couch and of course a proper size fridge stacked with all sorts of 6 pack goodies to compliment the latter 3 mentioned disintegrated with her moving in.

My original idea and version of decorating the house in one day was soon moulded into months of window shopping, walking in and challenging various assistants in furniture shops from Furniture Village in Guildford to Harrods in Knightsbridge. I was soon introduced and made familiar with all types of hand crafted fabrics from road side shops in Patagonia to the finest pashmina stalls found on the highest peaks of the Himalayas, various types of aged wood furniture brought in from the corners of southern New Zealand to the sun bleached deck of the Bismarck!
You name it – we had to see, touch and most of the time purchase it….

However, when she decided that the living room with a large open fireplace was going to be the “African” lounge and skilfully placed carvings, oil paintings of wildlife and jacaranda trees and furniture which my grandfather and father had purchased in several countries in Africa before and after the last great war – I knew that luck had finally come down my path. There I was, standing in my living room on the outskirts of London – owner of perhaps the only living room in Wimbledon fit to receive any African tribal leader and make them feel totally at home.
I was amazed especially has I had never introduced her to Africa and she still had no idea about the famous bug!
The time had matured to change someone else’s life…….

1996 – Dad was living in the Masai Mara and it was time that he met my girl friend but more importantly for me to understand if she could handle the bush….

We flew out from Mombasa to the Mara in a semi battered typical twin otter with Captain X who I had been sharing a bottle of Rum and Coke the night before in Pirates local club in Bamburi!

The other 16 German speaking passengers dressed in safari green matching bush slacks, shirts and folded material hats – all with Karibu Kenya and a kudu head embroidered on the material, each one armed with camera, binoculars and Swiss army knife had no idea that Captain X and I were waiting for Headex Extra to take effect and rid that horrid thumping sensation that only real cheap Rum can inflict.

45 minutes into our flight and 15 degrees colder – my favourite land mark came into view. Her beauty sprawled across the horizon. From the gentle green slopes of her legs up to her sparkling bright snow covered head – her magnificence dominated the Serengeti plains below – a sight so unique that silenced even the loudest of our passengers.
My wife to be looked across and I nodded – from my stories she knew that only Kilimanjaro has such beauty seen from any angle. She stared out of the plane window until Africa’s highest mountain disappeared behind the back wing.

My father met us at the airstrip with Charles – a life long friend who took me into the bush since the 1st day my parents lived in this incredible area and taught me how to spot, understand but most importantly respect wildlife and its surrounding.

Living and working amongst the busy, noisy and polluted city of inner London, I had forgotten that life was really worth living out fully…. An inner feeling of relaxation, carefree and happiness that only those who can find complete peace and tranquillity in the African bush can appreciate and understand.
There we were – my lady friend, Charles, my dad and I drinking cold Whitecaps in front of a small bushfire talking about what I had been up to the past year and what our plans were for the following days.
Dad came up with the idea for us to follow the migration towards the Tanzanian border and wait to see if we could just be lucky enough to see the “big crossing” of the Mara river.

4am the next morning, a slight tap on the door and Charles’s heavy accented Mkamba voice bellowed out for us to get moving!

4.30 am and we were off towards the Tanzanian border in a 4X4 Toyota Land Cruiser better known as KC - kidney crusher. About an hour of driving through the bush, a crack of light appeared through the black darkness, and gently the sun rays unfolded beyond the vast plains, changing the vibrant horizon by the second. The cold morning mist blanketing the plateau soon vanished as the scorching heat drained any soothing moister from the lush grasslands. Harmoniously, with the strengthening of daylight, the whistles of king fishers and beavers broke the morning silence.

Charles cut the diesel engine and stepped out of the Land Cruiser. We could feel that they were close and could image large grey shades gently and silently flowing like the great Zambezi, walking towards the forest of acacia trees which I knew was beyond the next row of hills. Within an hour they would congregate at the Mara river and decide which dominant males would risk the crossing….
He picked up a hand full of the fresh excrement and pulled it apart. A small amount of steam slowly emerged from the inner part of the manure. He did not need any further convincing, it was fresh, very fresh.
Twende he said and got back behind the wheel, started the engine and headed for the clouds of dust forming on the crest of the horizon.

To be continued….. Cody

© Bushdrums 2009

Hey do you want my wild oats days as a lad as well?

Wow Cody. You have me wanting more! You write beautifully and really should consider putting it all in book form. I'd buy several copies.

Please keep the story coming!

Cody, this feels like watching the most exciting movie disrupted by advertisement when you can't wait to continue ... Please go ahead!

Kipper, we want to know everything !

Cody, where remains the second part ?