The Watering Hole: A Sanctuary

The Stage: Halali Watering Hole

I hope I can aptly encapsulate how amazing this watering hole is.  Designed for animals to have a place to drink water (aka manmade and maintained), it is conveniently located on the campsite’s property.  You walk a short distance to a parking lot, where you are greeted with a sign that says “Silence Please.”  From here you walk up a rocky stairway, where the silence and tranquility become almost tangible.  As you approach the top stair, you walk a little to your right and see what looks like an amphitheater setup: wood benches and a canopy above to keep the sun out of your eyes.  And in front of the amphitheater: the stage.  A small pond with brush surrounding the area, the watering hole is lively with birds and mosquitoes all getting their share of water.  Look out into the distance and all you see is brush for as far as your eyes can focus. And above the watering hole is the sun as it slowly begins its descent for the night.

SHHHHH!!!

The entire audience is silent, save for the occasional click of a camera or the shuffling of feet as people walk in and out of the viewing area.  There are the occasional loud-whisperers but for the most part people respect the silence request.  It’s as much a sanctuary for us humans as it is for the animals in their search for water.  We sit and await the beauty to unfold in front of us.

And beauty appears in various shapes and sizes.  From the left you suddenly see a springbok tiptoe its way toward the water, ever wary of predators but lured to the hole.  Guinea fowl fly to and from the area, chirping away in satisfaction.  Insects you can’t see but can hear in a far distant tree serve as the orchestra for the show. Then suddenly, out of complete silence, an elephant emerges through the bush.

I’m not sure if you can visualize an elephant virtually tiptoeing into an area, but that’s exactly what it appears to be doing.  For such a large animal, he moves with such grace and softness that it’s hard to ever imagine him using brute force to knock over a tree or car.  He makes his way to the hole, always on alert and looking around/smelling the air for any threats (elephants don’t have good eyesight; their nose and ears well make up for it though).  Satisfied, he walks over to the water, and begins to fill up his trunk, and slowly pour the water into his mouth.

This goes on for some time-elephants can drink gallons of water.  And while he’s busy draining the hole, we see a rhino entering the watering hole from stage left for his turn at stardom.  You can hear the excited movement from the audience and the sounds of cameras getting ready for that magnificent shot, but it’s watching the 2 actors on stage view each other that is more fascinating.  The elephant, clearly not happy to share the stage with the rhino as he’s not yet sure if this is a potential threat, stands on guard to assess the newcomer as he boldly makes his way to have a share in the water.  After a minute or two, the elephant resumes his drinking, comfortable enough with the company he has to keep.

The players: elephants et al.

While these 2 large animals drink their share, a few smaller creatures tiptoe in to play out their scene.  They walk in, head straight to the water and, before anyone can look up to snap their cameras, are gone as quickly as they came in.  There seems to be a flurry of activity around the watering hole, but nothing moves fast.  In fact, everything seems slow, deliberate and cautious.  No one is in a hurry; and yet once each animal has had their fill, they disappear off stage in a flash. 

The best is watching a large animal like a rhino or elephant get into the watering hole to bathe.  It’s as if the rhino is also taking a moment out of his day to reflect on his thoughts as he cools himself down.  No movement within the water, he simply stands and looks down as if in a meditative state.  As he moves through the water, he looks as though he’s gliding.  Once again, seeing a multi-ton animal gliding is pretty impressive.

The audience is captivated; somewhere between church and an award-winning play we are sitting in silence, revering the display before us.  We are finding ourselves staring at these creatures in awe, all the while sitting in our spots and reflecting on our thoughts.  For the silence seems to command that we use our time at the watering hole to just enjoy nature.  We aren’t there to own the memory; the memory owns us.  And no doubt, it has done just that.