African Safari - 03/25, PT. 8

Today is last day. Everything was loaded into the truck by 8:30am. My phone is on the charger. My skin looks like a lobster, but the tenderness of the sunburn had faded since last night. We headed into town and Christo introduced me to his tattoo artist, and what had started as kind of a dare was turning into reality; I was getting a springbok tattoo to commemorate my first trip to South Africa. We saw Rosaline one last time, pulled out some money for tips and to pay the tattoo artist, and went to the tattoo parlor. Quentin, the artist, was stoked to be able to do that particular tattoo, saying he loved doing springboks and portraits. After the usual questions were asked, I took off my shirt and lay down on the table. One of the guys there was admiring some of my other ink, and I chatted with him about the wheres and whys as Quentin started putting fresh ink into my skin. The tattoo went a lot quicker than I had anticipated, and after paying the man for his work, we headed out to the airport in Port Elizabeth. Once there, Christo and Arno and I sat together and drank a few more beers before I had to get on the flight.

The outline. Note the recoil bruising from that old single-shot 12 gauge.

Halfway done.

My finished springbok.

Christo, Arno and I had a couple beers while we waited for my flight.

After traveling back in time for a day, I landed in Atlanta around 11pm on Thursday. The last 24 hours, about 19 of which having been spent in the air, were a giant blur. I tried to get some sleep on the flights from PE to JoBurg and from JoBurg to ATL, but it was spotty at best. Once I had gotten my rifles and luggage cleared through customs, I headed to the terminal where my flight back to Oregon was to leave from (but as with anything regarding airlines, subject to change). I sat sipping beers and reflecting on the last 8 days, thinking about the people I met, the friendships I’d made, and the things I’d experienced. It was a fascinating journey, and it had been over a decade since my last voyage outside of the USA. The plan for the next hunt is to go for a 12 day trip, whenever I am able to. I sat and watched people run through the terminals, rushing and fretting about missing their connecting flights, and I’ve got nothing but time. As I sip my beers, I have this heavy feeling in my heart, as though I’ve left a big piece of it behind in South Africa.

Special thanks:

Christo Kemp, CK Hunting Safaris.

Book a hunt here, and be sure to tell Christo I sent ya!

https://www.ckhuntingsafaris.co.za/

Jeane Grieve (and Jackie, as well as the rest of the team at Taxidermy Africa)

https://www.taxidermyafrica.com/

Juanette Mostert, Travel Router

Book your flight:

https://www.travelrouter.co.za/

And Angelica, my wonderful girlfriend, for being so supportive of my adventures and hobbies, and generally putting up with my shit.