DAY THREE – 19 October
The fires which were started to control the foliage continued to skirt the property through the night, coming so close to Peggy and my tent (we were roommates during the Safari). We woke up to crackling sounds and saw flames when we opened our tent. We called for help and the boys said all was okay. In the morning, we found out that they stayed up nearly all night fighting it off and making fire breaks.
The fires seemed to calm just a bit, though 
we could still hear the crackle and our lungs were still filled with smoke. We moseyed out on our morning safari having some beautiful sightings of a lioness and 2 cubs right as we set out, watched the brilliantly colored violet-breasted roller birds feast on grasshoppers as they leaped from the edge of the hot flames, spent time with elephants, hornbills, jackals, Impala and such, returning to camp with big smiles and contentment. The morning progressed and we had some down time. Sandy reminded us that fires have a cleansing connotation and this metaphorically was a nice way to start the safari from a spiritual standpoint. …HaHa!
By the time we met for class about 11:30am the winds were picking up in the wrong direction…strait toward camp! The flame grew taller and every staff on the property came running with large fly-shatter-like tools to stamp out the fire, they ran in with buckets of water and drove in with a big black tank of water, which later melted into the once red, now blackened soil.
The energy rose and the fire gained momentum and strength against all efforts. For us to get involved would have been a burden so we turned our attentions toward holding back the fires energetically, but Mother Nature had other plans, she was going to purify our group with fire and that was that. The flames grew closer and the winds picked up despite everyone’s efforts and it became clear we needed to get out and let Nature do as she will. The smoke was so thick and billowy no one could see to go in and see what state the tents were in. The boys looked disappointed, throwing their buckets down in defeat, standing back and watching knowing their jobs were about to change from service to rebuilding very soon. Luckily they had insurance and we discovered days later that they were up and running again within 2 days.
We all piled into a couple trucks and drove off away toward the other end of camp, where the fires had raged in the wee hours that same morning. The smoke and flames moved onward motivated by the winds and eventually passed enough to see what was going on. Our driver, Philip and Gen managed to go in around the back of the tents to gather the bags and belongings they could immediately find, stuff them in the truck and come back around to the front of the camp’s main tent which skirted the excitement by just meters. Time seemed insignificant, so eventually the fires passed leaving a black landscape in its wake and all 4 tents standing. The grasses had been cleared for about a meter around each structure which was enough to keep the tents safe in this case, but much of the plumbing and infrastructure was melted and destroyed rendering the facility sadly non-functional.
We were allowed back to the tents to remove any remaining items and say our good byes to what was our temporary “home”. The manager, Thomas. managed to serve us a lovely pasta lunch and we topped it off with celebratory warm beers. He showed us their gas tank, which they’d removed from the back and brought to the lobby for safety. We all had much to celebrate. First of all, everyone’s safety and second, all the guys who poured their hearts into rescuing the place.
After repacking, we loaded up the truck and said sad farewells to our new friends who returned the heartfelt hugs with a dance that made us want to stay all the more. They clapped, sang, danced and wriggled with big 2-handed waves and thumbs up… We returned the enthusiasm as the truck pulled away.
Throughout the day we thought of the guys and arriving at our new locale at Tarangiri Lodge, a far more popular and established joint, we longed for them all the more and thought about then as we faded off to dream land.
Between the fire and the Lodge, we were able to see the lioness and cub again on a fallen baobab tree (FACT: which is the God for the Masai) in the smoldering surrounds and the lovely morning light, many zebra, 
lovely times with elephants, Impala, hornbills (“Zazoo”), brilliantly colored roller birds feasting on grasshoppers leaping for their lives from the flames, wildebeest, reed buck, juvenile harrier and saddle billed storks, an exceptional time with 2 brother cheetah gnawing in the shade of an acacia on the remainders of a young antelope.
We returned later to see the outgoing brother on display for the photos next to the road and his brother enjoying his privacy on the other side of the bush. We spent time with more elephants rumbling their summons to bring another couple with them then onward to see a huge herd/family of perhaps 75-some odd all together, a good bunch of whom hung with us for some time.
Meeting with Isau
Little did I know that this day was going to change my life forever. Everyone on the Safari knew about my connection with Isau and there she was. Everyone noticed her immediately and she matched her description to a tee.
Isau in middle (largest elephant) with babies
I was elated, felt like my heart was going to explode, and could barely talk. Many of the group found it to be emotional, inspirational and truly lovingly powerful. They were surrounded in the love of Isau with all those brilliant elephants and their families and all felt something quite profound in wonderful ways. Sandy said that it was another connection with the elephants that she would remember forever.