FACES OF AFRICA !

IF WE COULD TALK TO THE ANIMALS !

There's no whinning in Africa!

KULUNGI LODGE --- LIONS TO THE LEFT OF ME ...ELEPHANTS TO THE RIGHT

Lions to the left of me…elephants to the right of me…stuck in the middle with you!

The African bush is by far the most exciting place we have ever experienced in all of our off the road adventures. In fact, we loved it so much that we actually rerouted our last few weeks to return to the bush.

During our over 900+ miles of guided and unguided game drives, we had seen thousands of animals including four of the big five. We saw the Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Rhino and Leopard but no Lion. That’s right; the King of the Jungle had eluded us. It had driven us crazy since we have heard them roaring at night, saw their paw prints and even caught a glimpse of their tails as they ducked into the bush.  

As the final days of our trip approached, we had reluctantly accepted the reality that we would most likely have to wait until future trips to see the King of the Jungle.

So, we moved down the road to our last stop, a fantastic bush lodge called Kulungi that was run by a spunky SA woman named Cheryl. She is one tough cookie since her lodge is in an unprotected area where not only large game run free, but also Black Mamba snakes are occasionally spotted. Top that with she is often there ALONE!

During our five day stay, we had the fortune of being Cheryl’s only guest at Kulungi. We shared a mutual love for the animals and instantly became friends. Cheryl had a passion for elephants and was delighted that on several occasions we were able to see them right from our front porch as we sipped our morning coffee.

During our visit we had told Cheryl that we had not been able to he see a lion and she enthusiastically suggested that we all venture out that evening in the game reserve surrounding her lodge. She explained that she would drive, Roy would be in the back of the pickup with a huge spotlight and that I would ride shot gun (no gun included). I was really excited until the little voice in my head said, “Is this really such a good idea”? I quickly squelched any apprehension by answering the voice with, “nah we’ll be fine… we probably won’t even see any lions.”

So, as night approached the three of us loaded into the truck. Cheryl and I in the cab and Roy standing in the back holding onto the roll bar, flashlight and movie camera. We drove for about an hour seeing very little game as the sun set. In what seemed like no time at all it was pitch black the night being illuminated by the headlights and Roy’s spotlight as it scanned the bush.

The sound of animals lurking around us pierced the silence and I started to wonder again if this was such a great idea. After all, my husband was in the back of a pickup truck as lion bait.

Sitting in the truck bouncing around, I remembered back to when I took my dad on his 80^th birthday for a ride in a blimp. As the blimp lifted gracefully from the ground, my dad with eyes big as saucers, turned to me and said, “if only my dad could see me now”. Coincidentally, at that moment I had that same thought. But it was followed by he would kick my butt!  I couldn’t help but wonder, was this blast from my past or a warning from dad?

We continued on our quest weaving down dirt roads marred by deep holes and big rocks. Dirt and dust all around us at times making visibility nearly impossible.

Then it happened. Cheryl and I both spotted it at the same time, two dark figures standing proudly on the side of the road. We both gasped and in unison said “lions”!  I stuck my head out of my partially broken window and shouted to Roy LIONS! He shouted back “where”? I tried to point but in the dark it was impossible. When Roy said where again, I started to open my car door to direct him. Instantly, Cheryl quickly pulled me back into the car and said, “what are you doing there’s lions out there”? Finally, I heard Roy say I see them… followed by “OH MY GOD”!

There standing about one hundred yard down the road were two lions. I could only make out one and it was clearly a male with a large mane. As Cheryl inched the noisy diesel truck closer, they turned and ran into the bush.

We were all so excited. Finally, we had our prize and we had survived our adventure unscathed. The BIG FIVE is ours!

We drove around for another hour and then returned to the lodge to eat dinner and celebrate. As I lay in bed that night remembering our adventure, I gave thanks that we had survived another day in the bush.

The next day, unanimously we all agreed to go out that night to find the lions again. It seemed our success the previous night had emboldened us.  

Although the time leading up to our next hunt was spent relaxing and packing for our trip home, I did notice Roy checking his watch several times late in the day. I wondered, was he excited or dreading tonight’s big hunt.

When the time finally arrived to get in the truck, I insisted Roy also take the large stick I had found near the lodge. As Roy threw it in the back of the truck he laughed and said that by the time he picked up the stick the lion would be on top of him. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t etch a sketch that vision from my head.

We drove for about thirty minutes when we came across another truck. The man in a khaki hat and shirt pulled up next to us and said, “are you looking for lions”? What? I wondered if that was a standard greeting amongst bush people. After we said yes, he preceded to tell us that they had been spotted just up the road at the four-way crossing.

I looked over at Cheryl only to see the look of a mad hunter in her eye. She said let go and firmly put her foot on the gas pedal. The old diesel truck spat and spit as it maneuvered the dusty dirt road. I yelled up to Roy “did you hear what that guy said”? He said, “yes …I know watch for lions”.

We crept around the corners with our big light rounding trees and illuminating the shadows. About a hundred yards from the four way crossing, we spotted them. Cheryl shouted to Roy to be careful there may be more lions in the area. MORE! I thought this is getting crazy. I suggested that Roy come in the truck, and I could sit on his lap. But he insisted that he was fine. I started to develop my plan should a lion jump in the back of the truck and try to devour Roy. Nothing I imagined had a good ending. The best thing I could do is divert the lion(s) briefly with the option of a dinner of two. Luckily, after staring them down briefly the lions disappeared into the bush.

Again, we all cheered and proclaimed success. Silently, I thought thank God now we can all head back to the comfort and safety of the lodge. 

Several miles down the road we encountered a huge elephant in the road. Cheryl tried to persuade him to move off the road, but he stubbornly held his ground. Nervously Cheryl moved the car several yards in reverse than forward. She yelled to Roy that she had to keep the truck moving just in case the lions were in the area. LIONS??? Oh, hell I forgot about the lions. She scolded Roy again and reminded him to shine the light around him and watch for lions.

Referring to himself, I heard him laugh and say that the lions don’t want to eat some old man.

Minutes seemed like hours, as Cheryl continued to move the truck first back then forward all the time swearing under her breath at the elephant blocking our way.

Several times she expressed her concern for Roy and the LIONS! Reassuring me with comments like, “Did you know that lions can stalk their prey for miles?” I wondered how I was going to explain to Roy’s mom that he was out with two crazy women hunting lions standing in the back of an old diesel truck with NO GUN.

Then the night was pierced with Roy shouting “their behind me!” I said, “What’s behind you?” all the time thinking that there must be more elephants. Then he said, “THE LIONS!” My heart stopped as the darkness became more real and the silence deafening. I turned my head to look behind us and there they stood a huge male with a wide mane and his companion an equally statues lioness.

Realizing the potential gravity of the situation Cheryl tried to keep us somewhat in motion so not to appear to be easy prey.

I shouted to Roy are you okay and he said, in a voice I had only heard once before and that was when we were charged by a crocodile in Belize, “Hell, I would feel better if we were out of here”. I told Cheryl she would have to pick a path now. Either try and inch by the huge elephant or back up by the two lions. As the words echoed in the car it occurred to be how surreal it was that I even just said that.

Finally, the elephant moved off the road and Cheryl maneuvered the car around it. Now the problem was that our lodge was back the other way. Yep, right where we had just seen the lions.

Cheryl slowly turned the truck around and headed back inching her way down the road. Roy said sarcastically, “hey Cheryl can you go any slower?”  My heart beat uncontrollably as we made our way past the area where only minutes before we saw the lions.

Thankfully, minutes later we were cruising up the road leading to the lodge. That’s when I heard Roy singing in the back of the truck…lions to the left of me… elephants to the right… stuck in the middle with two crazy ladies.

Hyenna scare's the XXXX out of us!

Riding Horses in Africa!

WE CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW!

So, today Roy and I took a VERY long shopping trip to Swaziland - Africa. I will be writing about our adventure there in the next few days so stay tuned. 

Today’s blog, however, is about my new friend Agnes who makes handmade gifts that she sells on the road with some of the other women from her village.

After having a lot of fun shopping at the stands we finally finished. That's when Agnes asked us if we would give her and her nephew which was bound to her back with a shawl, a ride down the mountain. Now please understand that we are not in the habit of letting strangers in our car in any country - even our own. But she was so sweet and polite we just couldn’t say no.

So, we rearrange our car and made room for Agnes and her little baby nephew in the back seat. While we were driving, I took the opportunity to get to know more about my new friend. I was surprised when she told me she was 48. Both Roy and I thought she was younger. Then she said that she had seven children the youngest in 4^th grade. Like all moms, she bragged that her oldest was studying at the University and was the first in her family to ever do so. She also mentioned that she loves Oprah and thinks Obama is handsome. When I complimented her on her English, she beamed.

As we continued further down the mountain, she said to me “I have a question maybe you could help”? I said, “Sure what is it”? She then said, “My eyes hurt me a lot at the end of the day. They tear up and I can’t see so well”. At first, I thought, why is she asking me this…does she think I’m a doctor? Then, I remembered that one of her friends at the roadside shopping had a sore throat and fever and I went in my purse and gave her a bunch of aspirin to make her feel better.

Now anyone that knows me well, also knows that I am certified as “Dr. Google”.  Why?  Well, I am in the habit of medically diagnosing through my Google research all my family and friend.  

I almost started to hyperventilate…my first real patient! I started to ask Agnes if maybe she is allergic to something. She said, “no she didn’t think so”. Okay no allergies—check. I then ask her when her eyes started to bother her. She said, “it started a few years ago but has gotten worse”. Mmmm! I asked her if she can read, and she said “yes”. I handed her the map that was lying across my lap and ask her to read it. She took the map and held it in front of her at arm’s length. Something I have done and seen many people over forty do a hundred times. I then took off my rainbow-colored reading glasses that by the way I got from my sister-in-law Evie's rummage bags last summer and handed them to Agnes. She put them on moved the map close to her and said, “OH MY JESUS I CAN SEE!” Then full of excitement, she started to read out loud to us all the places on the map. I explained to her, that her eyes were probably tired at the end of the day from straining so hard to focus. I told her that almost all of us over forty start to lose some of our eyesight as we age especially for things like reading. “So, I’m not sick” she asked? I said, “no I don’t think so”. I then told her that she could keep my glasses as a present from me. She was so excited she thanked us and blessed us and thanked the Lord and said this was now a very special day for her.

Shortly after that, we reached her destination near the bottom of the mountain. After giving her a bag of home medical stuff like band aides, antibiotic cream, thermometer etc. and some paper and pencils for her kids, we hugged and said our goodbyes. As we embraced, she whispered in my ear “thank you I will never forget you”.

As Roy and I continued down the mountain and to the border we were both smiling ear to ear. Yes, Agnes was right this was a special day. And yes, Roy and I can see clearly now that life is full of surprises and God’s gifts. Thank you, Agnes, for being our glasses today.

By the way if you would like to help, please start saving your old glasses for our next journey.

The shopping area!

OUR NEW FRIEND AGNES!

But it's BEAUTIFUL!!

The shortest distance between two points is not always the quickest. But it’s BEAUTIFUL!

So, Roy and I woke up early this morning and decided to leave Knysna and head to Lesotho which is a small country in the heart of SA. We looked at the map and decided that we would take the back roads since it would be more interesting and actually should be a faster path from point a to b.

The road started out bumpy, I mean literally bumpy. But that’s not unusual when you travel in Africa. Surely, the road will improve and if it doesn’t… no big deal it should be a short ride maybe 20 to 30 minutes.

About 45 minutes into our drive, we stumbled across a park that boasted of a 650-year-old large tree. We decided to check it out since it was right off the road. When we pulled up to the entrance, we were a little surprised that there was no one there and all we had to do is fill out a slip of paper and we could enter free. We found the tree just a short drive into the park and it was amazing! We left the park and tree very happy and thus far our morning had proved to be very fruitful. We actually felt sorry for the average travelers… they miss so much.

As we drove down the road, all I could keep saying to Roy was how absolutely beautiful everything was. The trees were beautiful, the thousands of ferns lining the road were beautiful and even the little dirt road was cute. At one point we stopped to take pictures when we reached new heights and became one with the clouds.

As we pressed on, it wasn’t long before we were inching our way through the mountains winding up and then down on the narrow road often looking hundreds of feet down with no guard rails.  

Surprisingly, we had been driving on the dirt road for about an hour and remarkably we hadn’t even passed another car. Oh well, I guess this road is a well-kept secret.

Suddenly, the road became a ONE lane dirt road. We surmised that we were almost to the paved highway.

As we traveled up another mountain and down another pass all I keep saying was how beautiful everything is. I told Roy he should look, and he said rather testy “honey if I take my eyes off the road we’ll probably die”! Okay, sorry I just thought…

Now we are one and a half hour in, and the road is almost impassable. But what can we do? If we turn back, it’s another one and half hours back. We reassure ourselves that we are getting close to being out of the mountains.

Although I’m thankful there are no cars, I am now starting to wonder why no one else is on this road. So, we keep moving on and by now my heart's pounding and Roy is white knuckled as we continue winding through the mountains.

Then I realize no one even knows where we are! I imagine our little car flying over the cliff disappearing forever never to be found.

Two hours in and Roy said, “if you say beautiful one more time you have to walk”. OUCH! Suddenly, the beautiful mountains are getting uglier by the minute. I want out!

The only living thing we have encountered is a family of baboons and even they looked surprised to see us. Roy said reassuringly that this has to end soon or was he just praying out loud?

Two and a half hours… is that rain? Please no rain! I tell Roy go slow don’t look over the cliff you’ll get sick, really, I mean it don’t look it’s really bad.

Three hours in OMG not another bleeping mountain. I am now convinced we are in hell. In fact, I’m sure of it. The we saw it… a two-lane blacktop road in the distance. We’re out of the clutches of the mountains and free at last!

As we traveled down the black top road feeling confident that we would live, we laughed about how fun traveling the back roads can be. It can be BEAUTIFUL! Thank God for short memories!

BABOONS!!

Just a few thoughts on RACISM AND SLAVERY -

This may be an uncomfortable subject for some people, but I would like to talk about racism and slavery.

Traveling through Africa and speaking to Africans, has given me some food for thought that I would be remiss if I did not share.

By no means, do I claim to understand, or do I believe I can truly ever understand the depth or complexity of slavery. But I have initiated conversations with whites and blacks during my travels and found both very open to speak on the subject.

First, I would like to start out my blog recounting an experience I had in Lesotho, a small country within South Africa. When touring a makeshift museum, a young African woman, maybe twenty, volunteered to be our tour guide. She was one of the sweetest people we met. During our conversation she referred to us as being with the American tribe. Roy and I looked at each other and smiled “tribe”? I thought about it, and we do fit the definition of a tribe. Any aggregate of people united by ties community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc.  So, if we are a tribe, then maybe we aren’t that different from other tribes in all parts of the world?

Roy and I also observed a rather enlightening exchange one night sitting around a campfire in a bush camp. The conversation was between a Tembe tribesman and a rather crusty white South African. I actually prompted the conversation by asking about the Indians from India that I was told were enslaved and brought to Africa by the missionaries to cut cane.

As if we weren’t there, the two of them went into relaying to each other racial jokes about the Indians. In fact, one even recalled a bumper sticker saying, “we should have cut our own cane”. These two men were actually united in the racism of Indians. It was surreal for us to witness this.

Then there was the hotel clerk in a small town that when asked his name said, “My name is Mohwanado but my slave name is Mike”. Stunned, I said “your slave name”?? He said, “Yes, we are required to have a slave name in Africa”. I said, “REQUIRED”!  He explained that the people here can’t pronounce the tribal names so he has to pick a name they can say. In this day and age??? I was appalled! To me my name and my family name are so important and makes up not only my identity but the very core of who I am. The young man was shocked at my disbelief that the government required such a thing. I asked him to write down his real name and then I promised to use it when referring to him during my stay.  He smiled proudly.

I went to my room that night and had trouble sleeping thinking about my conversation with this nice young man. I know when my family and many families came to America our names were altered either accidentally or for the ease of the person admitting them in. I also know that the Native Indians had tribal names and although many white men did not use those names, they did use their meanings Big Foot, Little Bear etc.

The young man told me is first name meant warrior and his last name meant kingdom. I understood why Jack or Mike, or Bob was easier but not better. Further, I have to say that the Dutch influence here has resulted in the naming of many many places and things and their words are unbelievably complex. So, I don’t get it. Is this practice racism or just laziness? Or BOTH!

Today, every black African I met and many white ones to were very excited about the election of President Obama. Clearly, he has given them hope for the future. I will also tell you that although my opinions on government differ from our President, I was very proud to be his good will ambassador everywhere I went.

I was also a little surprised, that in my travels, I did not get a sense of any animosity regarding America’s history of slavery. Maybe because they the Africans still residing in Africa, were the ones left behind and many other things like Apartheid have left deep personal wounds more recently.

So, I don’t know what all this means today or even for the future. Understandably, the wounds of American slavery do not seem to be as deep from the people who were taken from as from those taken.  Perhaps it is because the people taken from this beautiful place called Africa will never know if they were plucked from their destiny or sent to fulfill it.

All I know is there is something magical about this place that I wish like their name, I could give back to them.

TOTO WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE!

TOTO WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE!

Sometimes when you click your heels and say there’s no place like home there’s no place like home - you don’t end up at home, but in a place that feels like home. That was the case in two very special places that Roy and I stayed in while visiting South Africa. Of course, the game lodges were amazing but being a guest in a SA family’s guest house is really special.

The first one is Glenrock Game and Trout Farm in Mooi River SA. The minute we met our host(s) and took our first glimpse of their farm we felt like we were in a very special place. From the moment we arrived we were welcomed literally with open arms and told that we could go anywhere on the farm to enjoy our stay. We were shown the stocked trout pond; the new baby lambs, the zebra’s and even their little dog became our companion. Our cabin was fantastic. It was such a peaceful place and at night the stars were amazing. Glenrock ROCKED!

The second is Jessie’s Place in Seaview near Port Elizabeth. This charming loft is furnished with everything you need including a welcoming fruit basket. The nice couple that owns the property appropriately named it after their delightful daughter Jessica. The view of the Indian Ocean is one the best in Seaview but for total relaxation the pool is only steps away from your door. Roy and I grilled every night and slept with our door open so we could hear the sea. It was AMAZING!  

Beautiful views and wonderful accommodations are great, and both of these places had that and more. But feeling at home comes from the people welcoming you not only into their homes but also their lives. At both these wonderful places we felt like family which made our stay very special.

So when Dorothy said “there’s no place like home” she should have stayed at Glenrock and Seaview, two places that feel just like home.

ROYS A BIG HIT IN LESOTHO!

Roy’s a BIG HIT in a small village in Lesotho – Africa!

Today we arrived in a country in Africa called Lesotho, where we will be staying in a native village for a few days. Our accommodations are modest, a hut with a full-size bed and a grass roof. The people are very proud of the hut since it is by far the nicest one in the village.

As soon as we arrived, two little barefoot boys ran up to us and hugged us. It was the most heartfelt hugs and Roy and I just looked at each other and smiled. They both tried to carry our backpacks which weighted more than they did. The boys were so cute Roy motioned them over to the trunk of the car and told them to pick out a Bennie Baby. They both found cute monkeys and laughed and smiled ear to ear. Of course, they couldn’t leave without a new toothbrush too. They were ecstatic! Within minute they disappeared into the village and brought back with them about twenty other kids. All the children in the village converged on Roy and the trunk of our car. The younger kids got to choose a Bennie Baby, the young girls got hair ribbons and barrettes and all of them even the two Grandmothers that stopped by got toothbrushes!

A few minutes’ later, two young girls’ maybe eleven or twelve knocked on our door. They apologized that some children took two and then handed us back a Bennie Baby and a toothbrush. How sweet was that??

I took a few pictures of the kids since they were so cute, but I didn’t want to overdo the picture thing. Then there was another knock on our door and some of the kids asked us to take their picture too. So, tonight I’m going to make a movie for them with their photos and I can’t wait to show it them tomorrow.

Thanks again to everyone who sent us Bennie Babies they sure made the kids happy.

Thanks also to my brother Dr. Ken and the girls in his office who contributed enough toothbrushes to brighten the smile of an entire village!