One does not always have the opportunity to live extraordinary moments; sometimes we look for them intensely and we never find them, and others they simply happen when you less expect them, though I wonder, they might not happen just by chance.

One of those moments occurred to me a few months ago. It was my fourth trip to Kenya and the first one to Tanzania. I was going for a Safari once more, but this time something was different, perhaps the date, perhaps my attitude or maybe all these things together at the same time. I admit I am not an easy fellow traveller; since I get into the car my only target is to enjoy the landscape together with all and each of the animals I have the opportunity to see. It upsets me to loose time in trivial conversations during those moments and I can´t stand meeting other cars that don´t respect the absolutely compulsory rules: keep silent and don´t disturb the animals in their daily routine, bearing always in mind that we are their guests, and we must behave ourselves as such.

In this frame of mind, this last Safari was already different because we were travelling alone Patxi and me, with the only company of our tourist guide and our driver, through the Parks of Tanzania. The trip had already started in a different way for Ray (our guide) and for our car driver “Swai” (his father) who by the way, is probably one of the most knowledgeable people in wildlife in Africa. We have always been confident during all our Safaris that we would find special and incredible moments, as it happened every single day without exception, but non of us were prepared, neither could imagine what we were going to experience one morning in the middle of our Safari in Tanzania.

First I must confess that although I love all animals I feel something very special for “dumas” (cheetahs) and both Ray and his father knew that, so every day we tried to discover some silhouettes on the grass to identify them. One morning we were about to leave our lodge and drive to the next one, and just before starting our new journey , my traveling companions decided to go for a last walk by the river which in those days and although it was rainy season, was practically dry. Finally, full of illusion and trust we set off. All of a sudden, few minutes after leaving, Ray told us to stop the car while he picked up his binoculars. We all looked at where he was pointing at but we weren ìt able to see anything. Suddenly his expression changed and told his father where we had to drive to. We asked him what he had seen, but he wouldn ìt tell us, but by watching his emotion my heart started to accelerate wondering if it would be a “duma”. When Swai drove slowly towards the designated point, gradually we sighted a duma mum with her two cubs by the river bank under the shadow of some bushes.

The image took my breath away and I wished they remained with us and let us observe them for a few moments. We approached them until we were few meters away. We could only hear the soft car’s engine. Finally, Swai stopped the car. I will never be able to forget what happened after that. They were lying down together and when the engine finally ceased they turn round looking at us without rising. Mum watched us carefully and we contemplated them holding our’s breaths. After a few seconds she turned her head, stopped watching us and simply relaxed. It seemed she accepted us and gave us permission to stay with them. The two cubs looked at us with curiosity , and suddenly, one of them rose and with decision moved towards the car. He stopped next to the driver´s door, and all of a sudden he walked towards the headlights and climbed to chew their cover. At the beginning it seemed he wanted to climb up the car and, when Swai warned us that if we sat down he might do that, the three of us sat down immediately without saying a word. We could only hear the “clicks” of our cameras taking pictures when our emotion allowed us, because we were mesmerized watching the scene. We saw his head over the hood, he was beautiful….his fantastic orange eyes, his black tears, his spots, his cub´s skin, his whiskers, his look…. Time passed without realising it. When he got tired of chewing the headlight he decided to lie down under the car on the shadow, then he started to play with a stone like if he were a cat (what he really is), and he attracted his brother´s attention who joined him in the game. While their mum looked at them and us completely calm, we were able to enjoy with their games, jumps, looks and their incredible company for almost an hour and a half, totally alone.

After that, and as it was getting hot, the mum decided it was time to change places. She stood up, looked at them and started to move away from us followed by her cubs.

We said good-by looking at them until we lost them in the undergrowth, tearful and with our most sincere thanks for allow us to share those moments with them, which I am sure they were consequence of our respect and affection for them.

Here, I show you some of those magical moments.

Enjoy them.