Saturday morning, bright and early, we all piled into the car and headed out for Imfluzi National Game Preserve. It's a national park that holds all of the "big five" (lions, elephant, cape bufflo, rhinos, and cheetahs). The road up to the park (which was about three hours away) was exceptionally well paved and fast. We were soon on the way (with the help of Gertrude) and out of the city. First, we passed through areas of suburbs that looked very much like where we were staying, then slowly the landscape became dryer and more arid. The houses, instead of being made of corrugated tin, were made of mud, and they were round shaped with thatched roofs. These are called Bosutos and are very common in Lestoto.
After driving for about three hours, we arrived at the park. The very first thing we saw as we pulled in the gate was a zebra standing by the lodge eating away. And then, from somewhere in the grass, a family of warthogs apeared and the little ones stated playing. There were six babies and one large, but very ugly, mother. We sang "Hakuna Matata" for her, but I' m not sure she appreciated it.
Our safari guides arrived with two huge, ten-seater open vehicles. This made me a little nervous, remember that at Lion Country Safari hands and arms were to remain inside at all times! but i figures the guides knew what they were doing. I got to sit next to Prof. Mallinson, who had shown up with his students from Swaziland. They were all traditionals, so we let them ride with Endera, Jill and Jenn and all of the adults came with us in our huge jeep. As we took off, we could see this huge expanse of African landscape spreading out before us. It was truly amazing, with hills in the background, acacia trees everywhere, and lots and lots of grass for animals to hide in. Along the four hour trip, we say some amazing things: an elephant that was eating right up next to the road, so that we could smell be sap fromt eh bark; a giraffe who was surprised by the appearance of the jeep and started running right along side us; a very far away view of a watering hole with impalas, zebras, elephants and cape buffalo. Lions who had just killed something and were lounging down by the river. The baby rhinos who were following their mother.
The driver told this great story about a obnoxious group of high school guys (rugby team) that he had in his van. They were so annoying that they threw a can of coke at a cape buffalo (the most dangerous animal in Africa, they don't stop attacking until they are sure that yo uare dead). He got so annoyed that he told them that was the end of the trip, and headed back for the gate. As they were nearly there, they ran acorss a pride of lions, resting right by the road. The guide took the keys out of the Jeep, tossed them among the lions and told the boy who had thrown the can to go get them. The boy was terrified, and crying, and then the guide stepped out of the Jeep, clapped his hands twice, and teh lions got up and trotted away. He said that we were much better than those kids.
We had to leave the park when teh sun was setting, and the light looked absolutly lovely on the landscape. It was dark when we got back on the main road, and about two hours into the trip we started to see lightling on the horizen. Then the wind started going wildly, and we were suddenly involved in a huge lighting storm. The only other storm I've ever seen like this was when I was at camp and we went on the trail ride. The sky was just a constant, moving picture of lightning going off, and we were sitting there transfixed. Bob got us through fine, and by the time we had gotten home it had died down, but it was still a scary experinece.
The next mroning, we all got up early and put on our Sunday best, because we were heading to mass at the Church on the Hospital grounds. When we arrived at the church, a line of white-dressed boys was heading in with insence. Singing was going up around them, and it was cear that there were too many people to go into the main door. We ran around to the first side, but that was full. Finally, we tried the last door and the usheress led us to seats right up front, with a wonderful view of the church. THe church was lovely, it and open with paintings of angels and two huge murals (one with the sacrafice of Isaac, one with the Last Supper). At the start of the service, the organ played a hymn and the whole church started singing. The voices had that slightly off kilter sound of African singing, and as they went on people started clapping and swaying from side to side. Through the whole service, whenever the music stopped a voice would cry out, either from the side or the back, nd the whole congregation would start sining again without accompaniment, even more joyfully than when the organ joined them. It was impossible not to sing along, even though I didn't know the words (a lifetime of following Hebrew has made me good at picking up the gist of sounds). I sang, and clapped, and amused the little girls in white dresses who were sitting directly across from us in the church (in the universal way of children, they were not paying much attention).
Our safari guides arrived with two huge, ten-seater open vehicles. This made me a little nervous, remember that at Lion Country Safari hands and arms were to remain inside at all times! but i figures the guides knew what they were doing. I got to sit next to Prof. Mallinson, who had shown up with his students from Swaziland. They were all traditionals, so we let them ride with Endera, Jill and Jenn and all of the adults came with us in our huge jeep. As we took off, we could see this huge expanse of African landscape spreading out before us. It was truly amazing, with hills in the background, acacia trees everywhere, and lots and lots of grass for animals to hide in. Along the four hour trip, we say some amazing things: an elephant that was eating right up next to the road, so that we could smell be sap fromt eh bark; a giraffe who was surprised by the appearance of the jeep and started running right along side us; a very far away view of a watering hole with impalas, zebras, elephants and cape buffalo. Lions who had just killed something and were lounging down by the river. The baby rhinos who were following their mother.
The driver told this great story about a obnoxious group of high school guys (rugby team) that he had in his van. They were so annoying that they threw a can of coke at a cape buffalo (the most dangerous animal in Africa, they don't stop attacking until they are sure that yo uare dead). He got so annoyed that he told them that was the end of the trip, and headed back for the gate. As they were nearly there, they ran acorss a pride of lions, resting right by the road. The guide took the keys out of the Jeep, tossed them among the lions and told the boy who had thrown the can to go get them. The boy was terrified, and crying, and then the guide stepped out of the Jeep, clapped his hands twice, and teh lions got up and trotted away. He said that we were much better than those kids.
We had to leave the park when teh sun was setting, and the light looked absolutly lovely on the landscape. It was dark when we got back on the main road, and about two hours into the trip we started to see lightling on the horizen. Then the wind started going wildly, and we were suddenly involved in a huge lighting storm. The only other storm I've ever seen like this was when I was at camp and we went on the trail ride. The sky was just a constant, moving picture of lightning going off, and we were sitting there transfixed. Bob got us through fine, and by the time we had gotten home it had died down, but it was still a scary experinece.
The next mroning, we all got up early and put on our Sunday best, because we were heading to mass at the Church on the Hospital grounds. When we arrived at the church, a line of white-dressed boys was heading in with insence. Singing was going up around them, and it was cear that there were too many people to go into the main door. We ran around to the first side, but that was full. Finally, we tried the last door and the usheress led us to seats right up front, with a wonderful view of the church. THe church was lovely, it and open with paintings of angels and two huge murals (one with the sacrafice of Isaac, one with the Last Supper). At the start of the service, the organ played a hymn and the whole church started singing. The voices had that slightly off kilter sound of African singing, and as they went on people started clapping and swaying from side to side. Through the whole service, whenever the music stopped a voice would cry out, either from the side or the back, nd the whole congregation would start sining again without accompaniment, even more joyfully than when the organ joined them. It was impossible not to sing along, even though I didn't know the words (a lifetime of following Hebrew has made me good at picking up the gist of sounds). I sang, and clapped, and amused the little girls in white dresses who were sitting directly across from us in the church (in the universal way of children, they were not paying much attention).
I couldn't say anything about the content of the service, which is too bad because the priest was clearly very passionate. His style of preaching was more what we would associate with a baptists or other kind of clergy than a catholic priest. One woman even "caught the spirit" while he was preaching, which the catholics among us said wasn't usually for their churches. Otherwise, things proceeded in a way that I am told is fairly typical for mass. At the end, the congregation sang "Hark! The Harold Angels sing" and "Oh, come all ye faithful" in Zulu, but I sang along happily in English which made the lady across from me smile. All in all, it was a great experience.
After Church, we headed into Durban to do brunch at a art gallery there. The brunch was lovely, and the shopping was amazing. Everything was produced by local artists, and we spend many a happy rand (and hour) there getting gifts to take back. After our shopping, we wanted to head to the beach. The best beach is Durban is found near the Suncoast Casino, which was a glitzy place which wouldn't have looked out of place anywhere in America. We headed in, and I noticed immediately that the vast majority of people inside were Indian. This was interesting, since we hadn't seen many Indian people, but I guess that this is where they hang out. The beach was great, warm water with big waves. I didn't swim, but I waded in and had a great time. Then we all sat on the beach just enjoying the fresh air and the sense of peace. We had dinner overlooking the water at a restuarant in the casino, and then headed home.
After Church, we headed into Durban to do brunch at a art gallery there. The brunch was lovely, and the shopping was amazing. Everything was produced by local artists, and we spend many a happy rand (and hour) there getting gifts to take back. After our shopping, we wanted to head to the beach. The best beach is Durban is found near the Suncoast Casino, which was a glitzy place which wouldn't have looked out of place anywhere in America. We headed in, and I noticed immediately that the vast majority of people inside were Indian. This was interesting, since we hadn't seen many Indian people, but I guess that this is where they hang out. The beach was great, warm water with big waves. I didn't swim, but I waded in and had a great time. Then we all sat on the beach just enjoying the fresh air and the sense of peace. We had dinner overlooking the water at a restuarant in the casino, and then headed home.
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