You no longer run into rhino,
sleeping in waterholes,
visited by a friend.
There is no need to break for baby waterbuck,
crossing the road to mama,
protected by papa, and watched by a drifting hippo.
And of course you no longer see the elephant herds,
with all the happy babies.
Thank you for coming with me to Africa. I hope we can go back there someday.
Cheers to you from Africa’s wonderful wild creatures~
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What incredible photos of an amazing trip, Cindy. Wonderful memories. I must admit, I thought the rhino in the first picture was dead and thankfully you clarified that. I particularly like the picture of the male waterbuck giving you the eye.
Isn’t that waterbuck gorgeous. These animals are so incredible. The thought of hunting them for fun or trophies is so remarkably cowardly~
What an incredible adventure, I can see why you miss it. Every place else seems kind of dull compared to it!
It does, although I was shocked by the wild animals I encountered next in London and the golden eagles carrying on at The Holler right now. Thank God we have the wild things!
I loved this series. It made me happy.
Ohhhhhh, this makes me happy! <3
Lovely, Cindy. Maybe someday we can go. What a wonderful experience.
Leslie
Let’s go! Please……. <3
Wouldn’t that be fun, Cindy! I did a painting of some mating lions. I’ll put it out at some point.
Leslie
oooooh yes! Please!
Another incredible journey, Cindy. Thanks for taking me along! 🙂
You are the very best traveler Bette! Where are we going next?
You have posted a lot of unbelievable photographs, it’s no wonder you want to stay there a little longer! 🙂
So kind Ranu and I am so glad you came along with me. It made the experience richer my friend~ <3
Such wonderful photos, Cindy, thank you so much!
Awwww, thank you more for appreciating the wild things!
Aw, yes indeed it’s hard to say goodbye to this and hope that you’ll take us back to Africa again in the future! By the way, those waterbucks are beautiful. This is the first time I’ve seen them and hadn’t any knowledge of their existence until you shared this post Cindy! I just love the markings on their fur! <3 ~Lynn
Yes, I never knew of them until my first trip to Africa, where I was leafing through the guide book trying to identify them! 🙂 Aren’t they gorgeous. Thank you so much Lynne for sharing my love of these wonderful creatures. Blogging is rewarding because of people like you.
Cindy, It has been a glorious visit! 🙂
I am heading up to your territory next Resa, gotta find me some bears!!!! 😉
It’s amazing how far elephants travel too 🙂
How far can they go?
Apparently miles upon miles to the nearest water source, across fields 🙂 how do they always know where to go though? wow 🙂
They are very intelligent in ways that humans are not!
Wow, so wonderful!
Awwww, so happy you like the wild things too! <3
I sure do!
<3
Great series and it looks like you have enjoyed Africa so much, and getting the best of your last days there ~ the waterbuck shots are my favorite, beautiful animals. Safe travels ~
Thank you my friend and so glad you traveled along with me!
Amazing photos Cindy. I hope to visit one day.
I can’t wait to see your fotos when you do!
Will we still be blogging then? 😜
Of course, why ever not! 😉
I’m sad to see Africa in your rear view, too!
Darn it, we need some of your fairy dust to take us there right now, as soon as your kids go to sleep…….
Your pictures are all the fairy dust we need. 😀
<3
It was wonderful to go with you to Africa! 🙂
Alison
I cannot wait to go with you Alison!
Cindy, thanks so much for taking us along on your trip. Your photos made it seem as if I was actually there.
Thank you and I wish we both were now! <3
I have enjoyed your photos from Africa so very much and Ty for taking us along with you in your photos.
You are a joy to have along my friend!
Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos. 🙂
Thank you more for appreciating them!
Looked like an amazing trip. So sad to see the poached rhinos. The animals are all so unique in character and habitat, and every one poached or parts taken for souvenirs like the ivory from elephants is a sad reality.
It takes such cowardice to approach peaceful, grazers like this and shoot them with rifles. Remember Bungalow Bill? “Went tiger hunting with his elephant gun. In case of accidents he always brung his mum. Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill?” Yuck.
Such stunning photos! It makes me want to get on a plane.
It is amazing to agree 100% considering how much I hate flying…. 😉
Thanks for the fabulous e-tour (*‿*)✌
Thank you more for coming along!
That’s really hard, I know. Thanks for all the wonderful pictures from your trip, Cindy!
I think all the time about my friends like you who actually lived there and left. It must be the penultimate homesickness. But at least you were lucky enough to live in a place that inspires such feelings.
Photo-safaris are the best safaris Cindy 😀
Thank you very much for sharing your adventures 😉
I suppose if I encountered trophy hunters in Africa, I would take a bunch of photos of them and post them online, hoping they would get the reaction they deserve.
I think that you are right Cindy.
I do know some people who made a business with only photo safari and it became very popular with animal lovers 😀
Cindy, lovely pictures. Hope you will go back some day. Africa must be so interesting! Hugs! Veraiconica
Hugs & cheers back to you my friend~
Thanks so much for this beautiful series! Bravo, dear Cindy!
Ahhh, thank you more for appreciating the animals my friend~
Will look forward to returning there with you, Cindy 🙂
I can’t wait!
You are the best travelling companion, Cindy. Where next please?
Visa versa 2 U X 2 Anne. Next is Yellowstone, Glacier and Waterton National Park in Canada. Looking for grizzlies and wolves! Hope you are coming along. You bring me luck.
Sure, count me in. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful adventure Cindy!
Thank you more for joining me!
But how very wonderful to have been! 🙂 I love that last backward look over his shoulder!
Aren’t wild animals incredible. Every time I first spot one with my camera, they are already looking at me, evaluating…….
I’m so pleased I was able to travel along with you on this fantastic journey Cindy. Now I wait in anticipation for the next destination… 🙂
It wouldn’t be the same at all without you Pauline!
These have been some of the most wonderful photos I’ve seen on Africa, such a treat to find them every day.. you are so skilled with words and pictures, its been a most moving journey with you, thank you Cindy
Awwww, people like you Valerie, are the reason I love blogging. <3
I love all of these photos Cindy! The Waterbuck family are my favorites!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful Africa photos! Huge Lisa and Bear
You are Bear are really the best of traveling companions my friend!
Especially when you were born there and lived there all your life. Glad you enjoyed Africa, Cindy. Thank you for your wonderful images.
Yes. I think of this every time I post on Africa. The homesickness engendered by leaving such a birthplace by my friends like you who lived there. It causes me grief leaving, and I have spent a month total there. I think that maybe the best way to look at it is how incredibly lucky you were to have lived in a place that inspires such grief upon leaving. “It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” Still I feel for you. I can clearly feel the nostalgic pull in the written comments from my blogging friends who lived in South Africa, and left, and I fully appreciate it Don. <3
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
Cindy Knoke has been in Africa for the last few weeks with her camera of course.. and here are some of her final shots of her trip.. If you have not yet visited Cindy’s blog then please do so but be prepared to stay a while as you marvel at her photography.
You are so kind and such a wonderful bloggin friend! Thank you~ <3
Thank you, Cindy, for taking us to the long and interesting trip to Africa.
It has been a wonderful whirl hasn’t it! Thanks for coming along~
Thank you, Cindy for taking us along! You took so many special photos letting us enjoy seeing these majestic animals that we won’t have seen otherwise.
Imagining a world without these magnificent creatures is imagining a world without hope.
Stunning photos!… Wild natural life is perfect…
All my best wishes, dear Cindy 🍃 🍃 Aquileana :star:
Gracias mi amable amiga! <3
I don’t know about you but that sleeping rhino looks dead. That was some trip!
Until he wakes up! 😉
What an amazing experience
and I forgot to say I think that your photographs are great
I think the same about yours!
Glad you are heading home though…and more tales from the holler….
Yep, The Holler critters put on quite a show, which I will post, to let me know they are just as important, in a more subtle way! 😉
Thank you for carrying me away to Africa, if only in my mind, via your photos! I hope someday to go there, but until then, your blog is the closest I’ll come! Your travels bring the world closer for so many of us — your work is wonderful!
Awwww, such a lovely comment that moves and motivates me my friend. Thank you~
Cheers Cindy, and glad you enjoyed the African trip.
It really was a trip! 😉
amazing photos – thank you for sharing.
cate b
Thank you more for appreciating~
I’d never seen a waterbuck before — what a darling baby!! And I just can’t get enough of photos of elephants. Such splendid creatures; such a shame what poachers are doing to them.
If I think too much about poachers, I get despairing. so I don’t. I wonder how animals differentiate among humans and forgive us? I was reading documentation of all these deep sea dolphin rescuing humans. I wonder at their capacity for forgiveness~
Excellent captured, Cindy… 🙂
Merci beaucoup mon ami~
Cindy, you obviously will be reliving this experience and its multi-layers for many moons. It must be humbling to see such creatures as well as a land with such strong culture, history and politics.
It is a spiritually mind expanding experience that never leaves you. Africa has so much to teach us, ion so many levels, and I barely scratched the surface of one tiny part. Humbling indeed. Majestic too~
A poignant farewell! Lovely❤️❤️❤️
Such a happy gift to hear from you Rebecca!
What a trip! Beautiful photos as always. 😊
Mil grazi!
What a magical journey. So delighted you shared this with us. Not sure you’ve seen it, but it’s been making it’s way around FB. They are dying rhino and elephant tasks pink. It makes them unsalable on the black market.
I haven’t seen it, and it is a brillant concept. So simple, like all great ideas. God, I hope it works!