Before dawn in the bushveld

My game drive of choice is always the early morning one. Yes, it’s a ruthless wake up call to be at the vehicle by 04:15; and it can be very cold. But then, there is always the promise of the golden hour as the sun rises over the African Bush. It is always such an awe-filled privilege to be there.

The noises of the Bush waking up in the misty morning are balm to the soul. The sounds of the animals moving quietly and munching their vegan breakfast, a reminder that breakfast is a good way to start the day.

You’re never sure who is going to grace you with their presence during that morning game drive.

Here are some of my golden hour photos from our most recent morning game drive in the Kruger National Park.

“A kind of golden hour one remembers for lifetime…Everything was touched with magic.”— Margaret Bourke-White

Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.  -Horace Mann

God must’ve had a blast painting the stripes on the zebra, hanging the stars in the sky, putting the gold in the sunrise. What creativity! – Max Lucado

I asked the Zebra, are you black with white stripes? Or white with black stripes? And the zebra asked me, Are you good with bad habits? Or are you bad with good habits? Are you noisy with quiet times? Or are you quiet with noisy times? Are you happy with some sad days? Or are you sad with some happy days? Are you neat with some sloppy ways? Or are you sloppy with some neat ways? And on and on and on and on and on and on he went. I’ll never ask a zebra about stripes…again. -Shel Silverstein

If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa. – John Hemingway

You can read my post The Kruger is Pink here.