Dangerous Beauty
Life and Death in Africa: True Stories from a Safari Guide
by Mark C. Ross
Overview
From Bookcloseouts.com
On March 1, 1999, American safari guide Mark C. Ross was camped with four clients in Uganda, searching for endangered mountain gorillas. By day's end, two of these clients and six other tourists were dead at the hands of the Rwandan rebels slipping across the border from the Congo. The tragedy made headlines around the world, and Ross, grieving for his lost clients and friends, realized his life had changed forever. Ross is one of the most seasoned and skilled safari guides at work in Africa today, and he writes here about his close-hand encounters with danger and natural beauty in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
My thoughts
I could not put this book down. I wasted the day away today as I was reading, unable to stop even knowing that I had a million other things I should be doing. I had to know what happened next.
Mark Ross is a very talented writer, a skill that matches his expertise as a safari guide in Africa. I hung on every word as he described outings with his clients. I felt as if I were there. I sensed the danger and the thrill of the hunt.
The book begins with the ending; that is, you know from the start that he is leading a safari when trouble finds him in the way of guerilla fighters. You know that not everyone escapes with their lives. However the book then jumps back a bit, to the days preceding the trouble.
Just when you're hooked on that adventure and discover that the trouble is about to begin, the author jumps back to his early days in Africa.
Each story is intriguing and I was spellbound by the descriptive and exciting writing, but in the back of my mind I kept waiting for the disaster. I didn't want to rush the rest of the book because the safari stories are incredible, but I also knew that he would meet with an animal more dangerous than a cheetah or leopard or rhino -- that being man.
I've just finished the book as I write, and I am emotionally disturbed by the tragic events that unfolded. I don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this. Mark Ross writes about the incident in as much detail as he writes about his safari experiences. It's disturbing to read about a kill in the wild, predator vs prey, but you justify it by saying it's "only" the animal kingdom. But when human lives are at stake, it suddenly takes on another tone, an added dimension, high trauma.
I loved this book but I'll be honest that the end of the book is horrific. It's not for everyone. I cry for those who went to Africa in search of an adventure, for those who wanted to get away from their high stress lives only to be met with fear and bloodshed. What a cruel world it can be sometimes. I cry for Mark Ross, who loves Africa so dearly, and found the greatest enjoyment by passing along that love to travelers. I hope that by writing about his experiences, the author's wounds can heal.
This book hurts. I've put it down feeling scared and vulnerable. I fully expect to have bad dreams tonight, maybe even nightmares. I wish the very best for all who suffered in this tragedy and in others like them around the world. And I pray for peace.
Favorite Passage
One day I had a distance runner, Mike, with me...Before we started off again, however, I ran over the drill with Mike. Buffalo: run for a tree. Elephants: wait for my command. Lions: never never run, but slowly give ground, facing them the entire time, and do not trip as you retreat, for falling down would almost certainly bring a charge down on us, even if one hadn't been intended originally...
With air at a premium, I reached out and arrested Mike by his left arm. He pulled up short, looked at me, and then followed my gaze up the embankment. Four lions were crouched there, all adult males with impressively dark manes, lined up in a row, eight huge paws hanging over the edge, eight inquisite eyes casually looking at us.
"Lions," I stated rather unnecessarily. "Slowly start backing up, and just keep facing them. They don't look angry, more just curious about us. Just keep slowly moving and don't stumble on anything behind you."
I was talking to myself, however, for Mike was long gone. I craned my head away from the lions as far as I dared, expecting to find him crouched in the ditch on the opposite site. I located him instead at least one hundred yards down the road, running hard, and showing no signs of slowing, in spite of the altitude. I kept backpedaling slowly and the lions gradually raised their heads higher and higher to keep me in sight as I got farther and farther away. Finally they all stood up to watch my departure, not one of them making even the slightest move my direction. When I was at least seventy-five yards away, I finally turned to trot off, but I kept looking back every third or fourth stride, just in case any of them had a change of heart.
