Time to get moving. Let's go, let's go.

Howzit Inkwazi Adventurers,

Picture this. You are in the Makuleke Concession, part of the Kruger National Park, on the Inkwazi Adventures Uhambo2024 Adventure. Situated between the Limpopo and the Luvuvhu Rivers in the northern section of the Kruger National Park is the Pafuri region, an area spanning 24,000 hectares (59,305 acres). Within the Pafuri area is the Makuleke Concession, the ancestral home of the Makuleke people and the most diverse and scenically attractive area in the Kruger National Park.

On this hiking trail and adventure you do not sleep in a tent nor do you follow any marked trails. It is a fully immersive experience where you carry everything you need for the five days in your backpack and your guide decides where you go and where you overnight. For five days, you are disconnected from the daily routines and digital noise.

The perfect setting to keep watch over fellow hikers: under a baobab tree.

Now imagine it is evening and you are sleeping under a huge baobab tree on the banks of the Limpopo river. Somewhere during the hours of 9 PM and 4 AM you stood watch for 90 minutes at the small campfire while your fellow hikers were sound asleep. All you can hear is the sounds of nature, maybe some elephants or hyenas... or maybe one of your fellow adventurers snoring as a "self-defense" tactic.

After your 90-minute watch, you got back into your sleeping bag and fell back to sleep.

Then, at about 5:30 AM you hear the following:

Rhodes' Wake-Up Call

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This was how Rhodes Bezuidenhout, our lead guide woke us up every morning. Personally, I think it is more powerful than any alarm clock, especially as there was no snooze button.

Over the four mornings, Rhodes never had to repeat his wake-up call. Every morning at the sound of his call, each of us would wake up and start moving. Either by opening our eyes and laying there, taking in the sounds of the bush in the morning or by lighting a little burner to boil water for our morning coffee.

Your senses come alive in the bush.

It was such a powerful and memorable way to wake up each day, and something we all spoke about with fond memories long after the adventure. Waking up to this call prepares you to take on the day, and look forward to what may be encountered.

Side note: A funny story is when Charles got back home to Australia and, without telling his wife, set his alarm to Rhodes' wake-up call. Let' s just say everyone woke up differently the next morning.

The Adventure Life Lesson

At Inkwazi Adventures, we believe there is a life lesson (or lessons) in every adventure.

It has now been more than seven months since our Makuleke hike on the Uhambo2024 Adventure. Every time I listen to the short audio clip from Rhodes, it still ignites the urge in me to get moving.

Morning guys, time to get moving. Let's go, let's go.

Here is what the "wake-up call" means to me:

Time to get moving: The word time could be interpreted in two ways. The first is in terms of timing (you have to do it now), because the day has started and does not stand still. The second could also be the mark of the end of one season/chapter and the start of a next season/chapter. (The night is over and day has come.)

The word moving suggests not standing still; whatever movement there is, whether it is small progress or vast improvement, as long as there is movement.

Time to get moving signals it is time to move forward and make progress in whatever situation you are in.

Let's go, let's go: Oh yes! To me this is just as important as time to get moving. You see, let's is a contraction of the words let us. Therefore, you are not alone on this journey; as Christians we know God is always with us. This could also be a friend, family member or mentor who is there alongside you, encouraging you by saying, "let us go". Let us make a difference. Let us attend that difficult meeting. Let us help that person. Let us (fill in the blank).

Let us go!

If you put the words together and repeat it two times lets' go, let's go, it also feels like someone cheering you on. Personally, it has a very potent motivational effect on me when I hear it. "Cornel, let's go, let's go."

Let's go, let's go, reminds us to encourage and cheer each other on every day.

Last but not least, the word go. This ties in so nicely with the word moving, because you can't be moving if you are staying here. You have to go. Go to work, school, gym even when you don't feel like it in the moment. Go and sit with that colleague who is struggling with something at work. Go call that friend you haven't spoken to in a long time. Go (fill in the blank).

Go and make a difference... every day.

Inkwazi Adventurers, my wish for you is that this wake-up call will become a simple mantra for you too whenever you need it.

Time to get moving. Let's go, let's go.

Retold by Inkwazi Adventures leader, Cornel van Onselen, as it happened on our UHAMBO 2024 adventure.