Three days of endless presentations, one after another from 10 am to 7 pm followed by dinner meetings, one didn't really knew how time went by. When one woke up to the reality, it was time to pack the bags and bid good bye to Johannesburg.

The hospitality of our hosts notwithstanding, one really looked forward to the two and half hours' drive to Pilanesburg, for one had been told that not only it was home to the 55,000 hectares National Park, but it was the very place where the famous Sun City was housed.

As soon as one checked out, there was a pleasant surprise. Carol, a young lady greeted good morning and said she was going to drive us all the way to Kwa Maritane, wildlife resort where we were supposed to spend for the rest of the trip.

Having learnt a few Afrikaan words, one took the effort to impress her a bit. Whenever she opened the door for us to get inside the van, "Baie dunkie" (pronounced something like Buy A Donkey) was said to her. She smiled in appreciation. Oh! it was just saying a plain Thank You.

One must admit, Carol was a bit harsh on brakes and the journey towards Pilanesburg was not without some exciting moments. But the most exciting of them all was the South African Communications Minister, whom we had the chance to meet en route Pilanesburg at Pretoria's National Building. A man with Indian origin, Essop Pahad loved to talk and talk and never finish. Sadly for us, he was stepping on the deadline as we needed to check in at Kwa Maritane before 11 pm.

Nevertheless, having managed to cut short the minister, there we hit the highway.

Grecelle, our guide all throughout the trip and presumably the most patient lady that one has ever come across, insisted we sang all the way through the 2 and half hours of drive. From BoneyM's Babylon to Kishore's Pal Pal, Pankaj Udhas' Chandi Jaise Rang and Tombisana's Panthou Mangol Khenjong Lang , the ladies were treated with a variety of music.

It was pitched dark when we entered the wild life reserve and tall yellow grass on either side of the narrow road made one wonder who's behind?

The curosity was to be solved the next day early morning when we go for the Safari! Yes an African Safari on an open truck to get as close as possible to the rich wildlife the Rainbow Nation.

6 am, it was still dark and not even twilight. All the 23 tourists, including our group, were briefed by the tour guide of the do's and dont's. The South African early winter winds were as chilly as the Wakching gi uun puba nungsit. But the very thought of coming face to face with an African lion, zebra, giraffe and a host of other wild animals gave one very warm thoughts.

After more than 30 minutes of drive, the sun rose on the eastern sky amidst the golden hues. It was a sight best captured on the camera.

"There there, on your right," one of the fellow tourists yelled out. "It's a wild buffalo". Everybody was excited to have the first sighting of their trip. After many flashes and clicks, it was time to move on....looking out for a more exciting animal.

The bathing beauty hippo was good, so was the shy African Rhino. The antelopes were snobbish while the crocodiles least bothered who came to meet them. The giraffe was pricy and took her own time to pose for us.

So far, the excitement was missing as we had been able to spot only the footprints of a LION. The real zing was lacking...so our guide drove on and on. In a sense it was foolhardiness to search for a lion early in the morning, who probabaly must be on the look out for breakfast!

Finally, a young lion strolled out, crossing the road. That's it. Hell broke lose inside the truck as everyone wanted to shot him, no not by gun but by their cams.

Amidst the excitement, a sudden thought struck one's mind. What if we have a similar organised trip at Keibul Lamjao. How much people would be excited to see the only brow antlered deer on Earth? While millions of tourists flock the reserve every year to witness the wildlife in Africa making it world famous, why can't we also do the same and let the world know the richness of our state. Probably, the answer lies somewhere else. Sangai remains a only Sangai waiting for her moment for a place in the Sun.

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* A vsit to Pilanesburg is incomplete without seeing the Palace at the Sun City and having a sumptuous lunch. But don't be surprised to find Mairen Chamfut in the menu! But hey, its best advised to stay away from the casinos.

Read Part I here