The Elephant
My first encounter with an elephant in the wild
Long before this trip began, elephants already occupied a special place in my life. They represented something I could never quite explain as a child – wisdom, steadiness, memory and emotional depth. Over the years, they became a symbol of the kind of presence I longed for in the world.
So, entering Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park in South Africa with our friends Mark and Marel carried an emotional weight I hadn’t fully anticipated. I thought I simply wanted to see an elephant in the wild. What unfolded felt far more personal than that.
“ We continued to drive. As the afternoon stretched on, I felt the familiar slide from hope into resignation. We were nearing the exit gate. I had already begun telling myself it didn’t matter. We had months ahead of us. We would see elephants somewhere else. I had all but given up.
And then.
Quietly, majestically, he came out of the bush.
An older male elephant. Alone.
He moved towards us, unhurried.
And stopped.
So close.
Close enough that I could see the texture of his skin, creased and folded like old parchment, each wrinkle holding dust from the day’s wanderings. Close enough to see the gentle sweep of his eyelashes – long, unexpectedly delicate against the vast architecture of his face.”
Excerpt from: The Accidental Motorcyclist, 2026
Even now, it is difficult to explain why that encounter affected me so deeply. Perhaps some moments bypass language altogether.
They simply stay with you as reminders that wonder and awe do still exist.
