I was on my way alone to a safari lodge in South Africa once in a hired car, and had already driven about 500 km and was nearing the Mocambique border. I was a bit late, and I was really pushing it along the dirt road up to the lodge. It was way out in the bush, with giraffes and elephants and zebras and stuff all over the place. I was on a stretch that was flat and wide, going about 100 km an hour, when I hit a patch of dry sand on hard base. I instantly lost control, rolled the car once and spun it twice before going through the fence beside the road. The windows were open and my camera and a couple of lenses on the front seat. I can distinctly remember hanging upside down in my seat belt as I rolled, listening to the crashing of glass and thinking “how am I going to get out of this belt?” (Funny how it all happens in slow motion isn’t it)



I managed to get out of the car with some difficulty, and presumably went into shock. I found one of the lenses about 20 meters away, walked back to the car, took the camera out and took some of pictures of the car and then put the camera back on the front seat. Then I went and just sat down in the middle of the road. How long would it be before I was found? Could be hours and hours. How long before the lions find me and eat me? Could be any time!


Why is that idiot sitting in the middle of the road?

I have no idea how long I sat there, probably a good half hour. Then miraculously, an old couple came driving by and gave me a lift to the game wardens house.
Two hours later I was sitting in an open Land Rover surrounded by a pride of lions.

That was a very weird experience.

jonza