A Call in The Wild

Staying at Moditlo Private Game Lodge was a new experience for everyone.  They had never been to a 4 star property where every luxury from soaker tubs in the room, butler service and spa treatments were at your disposal while in an unfenced hotel literally open to the wilderness. 

We had been warned that when at the room, or sitting on the deck, to keep windows and doors closed so as not to encourage unwanted visitors.  Baboons, it seems love to forage in unsuspecting guests suitcases, dashing off with everything from glasses to cameras and cellphones. Chuckling about this, I visualized a cheeky monkey wandering off into the bush with someone’s underwear on their head! 

Fortunately, we were not bothered by them.  One did attempt to steal some fruit off the breakfast table one morning. The solution?  A staff member placed a cushion with the image of a lion on it facing outside.  This was enough to scare the baboon away!  Who knew?  The occasional quiet antelope would be found munching beside the path, but unlike other guests who claimed to have had a pride of lions near their doorway, we did not see anything menacing.

During the daytime, it’s safe to walk between the guest rooms and main lodge providing you stick to the boardwalk that has been constructed along the river embankment and is elevated across the river itself to the main buildings.  It’s a dry creek bed so no water is around, and elephants, baboons, antelope and  the occasional buffalo can be seen walking along the creek.  

Nighttime, as I mentioned in a previous post, is another story.  Everyone in the camp is under strict instructions to be escorted to and from their rooms by one of the staff members.

We had returned from our evening game drive elated at having seen the last of the Big Five – a herd of rhinocerous at a distant watering hole on the property beneath the breathtaking backdrop of the Drakensberg Mountains and a setting sun. 

Charles, one of the porters walked us back to our rooms in the dark and we told him the time we wanted to be picked up again after freshening up.  I asked him to come for me at 7:30 pm, giving me about 40 minutes to get ready.  Some of the others in the group went straight to the bar to enjoy a drink or two before dinner at 8:00 pm.  

I was ready at 7:25pm,  so opened the louvered blinds on the door to be able to see out when he was coming.  I’d been given a nice bottle of wine as a gift for my birthday, and decided to take it with me to have with everyone at dinner.

At 7:30 pm, I glanced outside.  Pitch black, except for my little deck light.  I waited.  At 7:35 pm I carefully opened my door and stepped on to the porch, eyes darting through the underbrush to see if there was anything out there, shadowy shapes, bright eyes staring back at me, listening for sounds.  All I could hear was the occasional laughter and merriment of people enjoying cocktail hour across the bridge in the lounge! 

By 7:40 pm I was pacing.  Why was no one coming for me?  What a ridiculous system!  It’s obvious now they have forgotten to come for me.  What do I do?  I could brave it, and run down the path in hope nothing was out there, but what if there was?   I could open my bottle of wine……

I didn’t want to use the Emergency Buzzer, after all, it wasn’t a real emergency.  But I was missing valuable time with my friends!  Damn it, where is Charles?

I stepped out on the porch again, wielding my bottle of Merlot like a weapon, in case something surprised me.  I paced under the little light, feeling really annoyed now.

I gingerly stepped down a few steps to the pathway to see if I saw a bobbing flashlight with Charles coming toward me.  Darkness.  And more laughter from the lodge!

“HELP! Is anyone coming to get me?”   I yelled out into the wilderness in the direction of the lodge.  Feeling brave now, I yelled it again.

A rustle in the bush.  I jumped, and scurried back to my room, fumbling with the lock on the door. I stood inside, watching out the window, willing someone to come.

It was now 7:50.  I was really mad now.  Frustrated at not knowing how to get someone’s attention,  I was just about ready to push the Emergency button when I saw a bobbing light.  It was Charles, practically running down the pathway towards my room.

“Charles” I yelled.  “What happened? did you forget to pick me up?”

“Yes Madam” said Charles, smiling.  “I was asked to do something in the kitchen and forgot the time”.  “Not to worry”, he said, “you haven’t missed dinner.  Your friends are waiting for you”.

When I arrived at the dining room, still seething, Grant said he had asked Donald, our butler nearly half an hour ago, to send someone to fetch me.   Seems, something had occurred in the kitchen that required attention.  As all the staff do multiple jobs around the lodge, they jumped to attention when asked and in so doing, forgot their guest was still in the room.    

Oh well, it is Africa.  Everyone was smiling.  It just meant I had some catching up to do…….

Post script

In my report after the trip was finished, I put in a suggestion to management regarding retrieving guests after dark from their rooms.  Hopefully it is taken seriously!