#TBT: Staff Outing on a Game Drive

*Note: this post is a throwback to an event that happened in December 2015.

As the school year draws to a close, my colleagues at school decided to go on a staff outing. They had been setting aside a portion of their paychecks since the beginning of the school year with the idea in mind that they would celebrate in some way before the school closed. My colleagues decided that they were going to go on a game drive. What was more, the teachers said the outing wouldn’t be complete if Michelle didn’t join us. I was excited about the prospect of doing something together as a staff.

Joe and Some of His Colleagues Seated in the Safari Truck

There’s a game park fairly close to our shopping town. It’s named after the local chief because his family donated the land. The park boasts many elephants along with a variety of other animals, including rhinos, zebras, leopards, and many more. It wasn’t until I was at the park waiting to get picked up by our safari truck that I learned lions were also at the park. My excitement heightened when I realized that there was a possibility we would get to see one.

A Herd of Impala Grazing

One of the Elephants with an Upraised Trunk

Rain threatened the forecast, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. It wasn’t long into the game drive that we saw a herd of impala and springbok. After a few more turns, the guide told us to get quiet because up ahead he spotted a herd of elephants. They were taking advantage of the rain to shower their bodies with dirt and sand. Fun fact: elephants splatter themselves with mud because it helps protect their skin from the sun and parasites. Ahhh… the irony of showering with mud during a rainshower – haha! We spent several minutes taking photos and gazing in wonder at the giant beauties.

Hey - watch where you throw that sand!

No big deal... just cruising behind a few elephants. :)

After the elephants sauntered away, we drove around a few more bends and came upon one of the watering holes located within the park. As we approached, Michelle whispered, “Look to your left. There, on the hill!” I couldn’t believe my eyes – on the hill stood two lions! Some of the other teachers had been to this game park once and twice before, but this was their first time to actually see the lions. There was much excitement in our truck. According to the guide, the lions were relatively young. I joked with Michelle, “If we call puppies pups as they age, and lions are called cubs when they’re babies, does that mean we can call these ones ‘pubs’?”

A Couple of Lions Seeking Shelter from the Rain

After the game drive, the rains cleared, which made for perfect timing because the staff and I were going to have a braai* next. I’m sure the carnivores of the game park were salivating as we grilled steaks, vorse*, and chicken. It was a good thing for us that we were safely separated by a sturdy, electrified fence. While the meat grilled on the braai, the teachers danced to tunes pulsating from one of the teacher’s cars. It was a fun site to see everyone, including the principal, get down.

What a Great Staff!

The staff outing is definitely one of my highlights of the school year. And with only one week until the school officially closes for the December break, I’m grateful that we were able to have that time together.

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*braai = barbeque
*vorse = sausage