South Africa Part 2

*I must have been delirious when I was writing my previous entry because I said the Victoria and Arthur waterfront instead of the Victoria and ALBERT waterfront.  Whoops.*

 

Day 5 and 6- September 30th-October 1st- Overnight Aquila Safari-

            Today we all had the chance to sleep in relatively late (9am) before we had to meet for our safari.  There were 24 of us total and we had two vans transporting us to Aquila.  The drive took 2 hours, but the scenery was breathtaking.  We went in the opposite direction as I did for shark cage diving, but the scenery was just as beautiful.  There were mountains, and vineyards, and orchards dotting the landscape everywhere I looked.  Ebie, our driver, pulled over a few times to let us get out and take pictures.

            When we arrived at Aquila, I had to round everyone up and have them sign forms and then we went to have lunch.  The facilities at Aquila were gorgeous.  It's a newer game reserve, so all the buildings are brand new and they are still constructing more buildings.  It was a four star facility, so just use your imagination to think of how beautiful it was.  Lunch was wonderful, of course, and there was a crocodile enclosure right outside of the restaurant.  Our first game drive was at 4pm, so we had about an hour to settle in to our lodges.  I was please with our accommodations and surprised that they were so nice.  We stayed two to a room and the rooms were beautiful.  They were decorated with African woodcarvings, the bathroom had a huge Jacuzzi tub (which I didn't unfortunately have time to use), and an outside shower which was magnificent.  It was an all-stone enclosure and it had one of those waterfall showerheads.  Granted, that night when I showered, it was about 50 degrees outside, so it was a little cold getting in and out, but the water was hot and plentiful.

            We started our game drive on time, and not even 10 minutes into it, we saw hippos.  They were lounging on one of the islands in their lake and they seemed so docile, yet I knew that they could be one of the most aggressive animals if you get too close.  After we left the hippos, we made our way further into the reserve where we encountered a giraffe and a few zebra's.  It seemed surreal at first until it sank in that I was on a safari in South Africa.  What?  A safari?  In South Africa??  Yep.  Oh, okay, it IS real...  We spent a little while with the zebra and giraffe, and then we made our way to where the ostrich were.  I employed my friend Brandon to either video tape or photograph the animals while I managed the other.  It worked out great because not only do I have pictures of all the animals, but I also have video.

            Here is a fun fact...Did you know you can ride an ostrich but you can't ride a zebra?  Interesting, huh?  After our ostrich encounter, we drove a little while longer until we came upon white Rhinos.  There was a large male and female and a little tiny baby Rhino.  He was so cute!  His momma didn't want you any where near him though.  She started to more forward toward the trucks when we got too close.

            After we left the Rhinos, the trucks climbed to the top of a small mountain where we had snacks and some champagne.  It was beautiful.  I cannot even describe what it was like to sit on top of a mountain overlooking thousands of acres of game reserve, knowing that the Big 5 (lion, rhino, elephant, leopard, and buffalo) were out there, probably keeping an eye on us.  The sun started to set behind one of the mountains, and I sat on a rock and stared out over a waterhole, watching the reflection of the setting sun.  That evening is forever engrained in my memory.

            We packed up the vehicles and headed off towards the lion enclosure.  Unfortunately, the lions here aren't free roaming because the reserves animals are too few because they are still young.  There are two separate prides of lions that will eventually be released into the reserve when the other animals have a chance to naturally increase their numbers.  Our truck was the last to enter the lion enclosure, and unfortunately, we had to back out relatively quickly.  One of the trucks ahead of us had a water bottle fall out of the back right in front of the lionesses.  The lionesses became too interested in what we were doing to safely approach them. Liza (pronounced Lee-Zah), our safari guide, decided to head back down the mountain and try to drive in from the other side of the enclosure.  I have never bounced around in a vehicle the way I did when she was speeding down that mountain!  I felt like I was going to dislocate my shoulder if the bouncing continued.  I guess she really wanted to get there.  Just when I thought the bouncing wasn't going to end, it did...abruptly.  Before any of us had time to think, Liza floored the truck in reverse.  I looked around frantically trying to find out why she stopped so suddenly.  Then I saw what I was looking for...buffalo were standing in the middle of the road and they are known to charge at the vehicles if they get too close.  It takes only one buffalo to flip a truck and that's not the kind of odds Liza felt like dealing with.  We ended up heading back to the lodges and weren't able to see the lions that night.  I wasn't too upset though; we would have another chance to see them the following day.

            The next morning, Jen, me, and a few others from our group woke up at 6:30 for a 7am horseback ride out on the reserve.  We could choose from a horseback tour or a quad bike tour.  Of course, I chose horseback.  It was the first time in 5 weeks that I had a chance to ride.  I was going through some serious equine withdrawal.  I must have spent a good hour or so alone with the horses that day, both before and after our ride.  The horses at Aquila ranged in size and type and were generally well-cared for.  I rode a horse named Shadow.  He was a gelding, probably of Arabian and Quarter Horse blood, grey, and about 15hh.  Most of the horses seemed to have Arab blood in them, most likely to make them heartier in a semi-desert climate.

            Our tour lasted an hour and a half and we walked off the beaten path throughout the lower part of the game reserve.  The sun slowly rose over the peaks of the mountains and I felt the day start to warm.   We saw springbok grazing in small packs a few times along our ride along with a solo wildebeest.  I never knew that the Beast from Beauty and the Beast was a wildebeest until I saw a real wildebeest in person!  I might have been the only person that thought the "dreadful" looking animal was cute!  Hey, I have a soft spot for funny looking animals I guess.

            About 40 minutes into our ride, we came across the male, female and baby rhino. There was a small watering hole between the rhinos and us but when our guide kept inching closer to them, I felt my adrenaline start to flow.  It would have been extremely easy for the momma rhino to charge at us if she felt we posed any danger to her baby.  I have some good shots of the three of them.  I hope that I'll be able to upload some pictures to my blog soon.

            Needless to say, I was relieved as we turned away from the rhinos and began putting distance between them and the horses.  Further into our ride, as we began making our way back to the corral, we encountered elephants climbing up the side of one of the mountains.  By encountered I don't mean twenty feet away, nor did I feel like they were going to charge us.  Unfortunately, they were a good half-mile away, but I was able to take a few pictures of them.  I was the only one who felt comfortable enough to ride without holding the reins so I was able to take shots while we were moving. 

            After we were back at the corral, I spent some time hanging out with the horses.  I needed some alone time with them.  It did wonders for my soul.  After I felt revitalized, I decided to grab breakfast with a few girls and then head back to the lodge to nap while the quad biking group went on their tour.  Unfortunately, my nap was cut short because I forgot we had to check out at 10 and I had a hotel worker knocking on my door for me to leave.  Whoops. 

            When the quad biking group returned, we all hopped in the 4x4 vehicles for the last stage of our safari.  Initially they said we wouldn't be able to see the lions because we were pressed for time, but after a few minutes of begging they decided to take us to see the lions, elephants, and cheetahs.  We entered the lion facility from the opposite end as the day before which worked out well because the lions were in the same spot they were in 12 hours earlier.  We parked the vehicles about 20 feet away from the lions, took some pictures, hung out for a few minutes, and then made our way out of the enclosure to go see the elephants.

            I never realized how intriguing elephants are until I saw them up close and personal on our safari.  Yes, I've seen elephants before in person...but those were definitely not wild African elephants.  The two elephants we saw were young males who were close in age and size.  I learned that every day they have spars to see who will be the dominant elephant for the day and act as the matriarchal female.  For the most part, they minded their own business, tearing bark from trees or ripping up plants from the dry dirt and subsequently stuffing their mouths.  I don't think I saw their mouths empty the entire time we were viewing them.  I guess if I were as big as an elephant I would eat all day long too.  As we were getting ready to drive away, the two elephants began a mock dual with our truck.  One elephant came along side the truck and the other blocked us in from the front.  This was the closest any of the animals had come to the truck so we were all on edge at that moment.  None of us knew what the elephants were going to do and the driver even seemed a little apprehensive.  As the elephant on the side of the truck started getting closer, our driver yelled, "Get back!  Get back".  Some of us laughed at the fact that our driver was yelling, in English, "get back" to a wild elephant.  Within a few seconds, the elephants started retreating and we sped away.  I think it would have made for a good story if the elephant tried to knock out truck over but at the same time, I didn't feel like being trampled.  I'm glad that situation ended the way it did.

            Finally, we made our way across the street to the cheetah habitat.  I was a little disappointed to see that the reserve only had two cheetahs, but again I understood that it was a new reserve (five or so years old) and they were still acquiring animals from larger reserves throughout Africa.  I was still excited to be less than half a foot away from a full-grown cheetah.  There was only an electrified chain link fence separating me and the fastest land animal on the planet.  I lay down on a small slab of concrete, camera in hand, right next to the lounging cat.  I heard him purr and I had to resist the urge to stick my fingers through the fence to pet him.  Instead, I stuck my camera lens as close as I could to the fence to get a few shots of Mr. Cheetah sans chain link.  Very cute indeed.

            We spent a little time with the cheetahs and then made our way back to the reserve entrance where our two transport vans awaited us.  We were all reluctant to leave Aquila, but were elated with the way the past twenty-four hours went.  The two-hour drive went by quickly thanks in part to the movie "Knocked Up".

            As we arrived back to the ship, there were cultural ambassadors standing outside the fence.  One boy, Brian, immediately told us to head inside to the Union because Desmond Tutu would be arriving shortly.  Desmond Tutu?  Speaking?  Now?  Wow!  We totally missed that memo.  The timing could not have been more perfect.  Jen and I dropped our things in our room and didn't even bother changing clothes.  We ran up to the Union and grabbed a seat just in time to see Desmond Tutu enter the room.  People stood up and greeted him with a huge roar of applause.  I eagerly awaited his speech.  I took some notes...here they are:

·        1st black south African to hold position of arch bishop...used position to oppose apartheid non violently...won Nobel Peace prize in 1984

·        Mr. Tutu talked about how some young people go off the rails...do drugs, become violent.  He went on to say "But this is not the only truth about young people.  In fact, it's not the most important truth.  Some young people do go off the rails.  Think of the pressures under which young people live today. Advertising is aggressive.  You think of the internet, some of the things you can access there...oohhhh...I haven't seen them *laughs*...but I'm told about them.  But I tell you, I mean, when I was growing up about the only drug that was available was marijuana.  Today you have really hard drugs, and you have drug pushers.  I would want to say 'look at these kids, aren't they just awful?'.  Hey isn't it extraordinary, that although all these pressures to which they're exposed, that so many of the young people don't give in. I take my hat off to yourself and your contemporaries."

·        "Some of you are going to be getting some extraordinary ideas when you are here and something is going to touch you, something that might change your life.  I'm telling you at least 2 people that I know tell me recently who were ion SAS.  One has started Crocs.  Crocs!  They have got holes!  Well, this ship, you have to be careful.  You don't know what's going to happen to you!  Fantastic!  It was someone like you who thought up this idea and now they're all over the world.  That might be you.  We'll be seeing you splashed all over.  We were on SAS together!  Well, of course, when the market settles.  I have see young people totally unsung, totally, quite hidden, doing extraordinary things."

·        "I'm gazing into my crystal ball and I see you...it's going to make you more caring, it's going to make you more aware of the interconnectedness.  We've tried to live a lie in that we can enjoy our prosperity by quarantining ourselves from the outside world.  Imagine if the US didn't have 7 hundred billion dollars...7 hundred billion.  It's nothing if you spend 3 hundred billion on Iraq.  Look what we could do with that money.  How many children could we feed, could have clean water, could have a decent home?  There are probably going to be people committing suicide because the markets are going wonky."

·        This next part that Desmond Tutu talked about was about how we are all God carriers; for those of you who know me, you most likely know my religious/spiritual affiliation and beliefs.  For those of you who don't know me and care to find out where I am on this matter, I would love to have a "conversation" via email about it (ALVeinott@semesteratsea.net).  I would rather keep this matter off the blogs though as I am writing from an unbiased perspective.  However, for the sake of quoting Desmond Tutu directly, I didn't change a word he said.             "You are of infinite worth...you are a god carrier.  You, you, you, you, you...you are a stand in for god.  FANTASTIC!  If we had the right type of eyes, and we looked at each other, we would be dazzled by what we saw.  God has been very kind, camouflages gods glory in creatures like me and you, so we can actually live and look at each other.  We don't believe it when we look at that smelling to high heaven drug addict...if we looked carefully, yeah, that drug addict is god.  Is god.  We ought to regard it as an incredible privilege to help them...to wipe the tears away from gods eyes...human beings are fantastic.  Really.  God has no body except you to help make this world a different world.  You young people.  Saying we want to make poverty history.  We are saying we want to have a world without war.  Saying we can share.  There is no reason whatsoever why there is anyone who goes to bed hungry anywhere in the world."

·        Two of my favorite things that Mr. Tutu said during his speech were "America is a wonderful place.  You have been given very many resources.  Why don't you export your generosity and not bombs?" and "You will never win the so call war on terror as long as there are people who are desperate."

 

            As Desmond Tutu was talking, I let his words sink in and I felt that he was talking directly to me.  I don't think I've ever been motivated more to do good in this world than after hearing him speak. 

 

Day 7- October 2nd- Departure Day

            Today was bittersweet.  On one hand, I couldn't wait to board that ship and help but become excited for India and the rest of the areas on Asia we are visiting.  On the other hand, I was extremely sad to be leaving all that I saw, all that I felt, and all that I experienced in South Africa behind.  I've become friends with locals and can't wait to see them again.  I'm hoping to return to Cape Town in 2010 for the World Cup.

            Jen and I were going to climb Table Mountain this morning, but we ended up sleeping in due to inclement weather.  When we did wake up, we decided to go for a walk down the docks and maybe grab some lunch.  We ran into Nanie, the man that I booked all my tours through (now who I consider one of my South African friends!) and he treated the two of us to a lovely lunch at a seafood restaurant.  The food there was delicious!  I am pretty much in love with muscles now.  I couldn't stop eating them...Nanie also presented me with a beautiful wood carving of the Big 5 that he got from Zimbabwe a while ago.  I felt honored that he passed this along to me.  It will definitely be something that I cherish forever.  Thanks again, Nanie! 

            After lunch, we decided to head back to the ship so we could make it back on before 300 other people decided to do the same.  Later that night as we were departing Cape Town, I climbed up to the 7th deck and looked out over the beautiful city and reflected on the past week I spent there.  I thought about all that I did, all that I saw, and all that I learned.  Unfortunately, I was abruptly brought back to the present moment by Bob "The Voice" Frank announcing over the loud speaker that we had approximately a half hour to secure all our things in our cabins so they wouldn't fall off the shelves.  I didn't realize how serious he was being until exactly a half hour later.  Walking in my room was a chore!  I never have felt waves that large in my life and I actually became slightly nauseous for the first time ever.  I was happy when that rocking stopped...