The savannah spread out before us, a sea of
green interrupted by dense patches of forest. There were no houses, no sea,
nothing to interrupt the savannah, and it spread clear across to the
horizon. I turned to my roommate and
neither of us could speak, but I knew we were thinking the same thing: “We are
so lucky to be here.”
After six weeks of working in the
hospital, we were both ready for a break. We could only do a short weekend
trip, so we opted for a visit to Nyonie Wildlife Reserve. The savannah that
left us speechless is the center of the park, which also has a beach and more
denser forests. The park is located near the capital of Gabon, Libreville and
is extremely well organized. Run by a small team, the park arranges every
aspect of your visit, including the boat ride across the bay, a safari, a
nature walk and all sleeping and eating arrangements. Basically, it was an easy
way (and quick) way for us to get a chance to visit a national park.
In order to go we arranged for a taxi ride
from Lambarene to Libreville ($12 each way). Then we spent the night at a hotel
in the capital. I adore Lambarene. I
love the river, the villages nearby and our small hospital community. But after
six strait weeks, I was so happy to be near the beach and in the city. Our
hotel had a small but very nice beach.
We had a nice meal (first time I ate
something other than fish in Gabon) and spent the night there. In the morning
we took a taxi to the marina where we took a boat to the park.
On the way, we came across a swarm of
insects (which we assumed where flies). However as we got closer, we realized it was
in fact a swarm of butterflies in beautiful irridescent blues and yellows. We
had arrived at the park precisely during butterfly season. As the butterflies
surrounded us, everyone on our boat was silent. I assume they were silent for
the same reason I was: it was mesmerizingly beautiful and the first of many such moments at Nyonie Wildlife Park. (I apologize for not taking pictures of the butterflies.. I was too stunned to even reach for my camera)
During our stay, we spent time on the beach and on a safari through the savannah. It was an experience I will never forget. Here are some of my pictures from our trip:
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