Aberdare Country Club — the first day of my first safari. Around noon, Amos and Geoffrey drop us off at the entrance to the main building. They turn out to be Ingrid’s ‘dream team’, and that description is spot on. Besides being drivers, they are also wildlife guides, trackers and storytellers — and, above all, they have an incredible talent for spotting animals. “Owl in that tree, to the right, behind that bush.” “Kudu hiding in the bushes on the left.” “Where? I can’t see it!” “Wait, I’ll reverse a little.” “Leopard’s leg dangling from that big tree over there.” And that last one is some 30 to 40 metres away from the jeep! At the Country Club, you can wander around freely, as there are no predators on the grounds. There are some very approachable bushbuck and impala. A little further on, a first dik-dik slips away between the bushes. Damn, I pressed the shutter too late! Little did I know that dik-diks would become one of the recurring themes of this incredibly beautiful story. Further away from the buildings, on an open plain, there is more to see: several zebras in the distance among the trees — my first beautiful wildlife photograph. Then there are a few warthogs, including a magnificent male with a beautiful mane, and a troop of baboons. It is wonderful to watch the dynamics of such a troop, especially as there are a few females with newborn babies among them — an extremely high ‘cuteness factor’! The afternoon ends with two black-and-white colobus monkeys, swinging effortlessly from treetop to treetop, just as monkeys do. Very difficult to photograph, but look: one shot actually turns out sharp. Hooray! And this, as it turns out, is only the appetiser for an intoxicating, brilliantly organised journey. From the very beginning, it is crystal clear that Ingrid has an enormous amount of experience. A hundred times ‘Asante sana’ (thank you), Amos, Geoffrey and Ingrid!