My room is a half mile walk from the club house. It’s an enjoyable walk actually. At night, all the lights are on sensors so as you approach you think you are in a scene from the wizard of oz...
The tiny tiny yet crazy loud frogs part for you to pass. The South African breeze is steady so I’m fairly sure by “secret deodorant and Nantucket briar perfume” has been identified as human. As I write this several significantly sized and relativity angry lizards have passed me. I suspect they are not happy about the light. I’m just grateful to be here in this late night South African breeze. Hunting for my home
0 Comments
I’m quiet today. The adjustment has not been easy. Sleeplessness, lack of water (Africa is thirsty), time zone change have all contributed to the hardship of adjusting.
So I’m quiet today. We’ve met a lovely couple from London. Carole and Ian. They are in their late 50’s, both work in finance, and they are new grandparents. Their grandson Caleb is 4 months old. Ian is a former “footballer” and won this trip at a fundraiser for his cricket club. Everything is “brilliant, lovely or spot on” when we visit. The elephants charged our Land Rover yesterday and the very polite Carole could be heard later on my video exclaiming “oh no!”. The doom of being toppled by aggravated elephant was avoided... but the Americans on board exclaimed “holy shit” and Carole let an “0h no” slip. I love watching her eyes light up when I ask about Caleb. She’s planning to care for him 2 days a week and will be choosing semi retirement. She’s so excited about this next phase of her life! She’s apologetic almost when she talks about her kids and her new grandson...as if she’s boring me. “Not at all”, I say! We lived this long so we can have these kinds of life style changes and conversations! What a gift to meet on Safari! What a privilege for her to be invited to help raise her sons child! What a blessing to be healthy and well enough to accept the baby challenge! I ask her every morning... “Any new photos of Caleb?” I could be persuaded to take “Annie Camp” to England... She’s not boring me in the least. Plus, I get to show her “the blondes”... we all have our reasons to “light up”! Her name is Beauty. She is Zulu. She waits on our table with great care and pride. We are one of many tourist she meets day after day. But to us, she’s our link to this new place. She is educating us on the ways of Zulu Nyala. She seems tireless. When she smiles the world lights up.
Then there is Princess. She greets my husband with respect when she recognizes his Zulu Love letter around his neck. She seats us and delivers our drinks. I love hearing her English. English as a second language is rarely sloppy. She is working hard at “getting it right”. The “love letter” is a beaded necklace that a woman makes to be given to her chosen suitor as a confirmation of engagement to be married. This necklace is delivered to the groom by the oldest sister of the bride. He wears the love letter as a sign to the community that he is spoken for. The bride and groom do not see each other until the wedding. If a man is chosen by a woman, this means he needs to give her father 11 cows. Marriage is expensive. The wealthiest men have many wives. One young Zulu man told of his 19 siblings. He is from his fathers 3rd wife. He is 21. He is expected to marry a young girl between the age of 13-16 whose family is well respected. He is studying at University. His first wife would then be the leader of future wives. It is good to be a first wife. A crash of rhinos
A journey of giraffes A drift of wart hogs A dazzle of zebras A flock of stork A lone eagle A cheetah 3 elephants 14 hippos and A guinea hen in a fever tree... Oh and.... herds of kudos, impalas, buffalo and wilder beast... ..I nearly forgot the wort hog with the two baby hoglets that were the size of a size six shoe... cute in the ugly wort hog way. This was a fun day of marveling at nature. I was mesmerized by both the calm and the frenzy of it. Exhausted and humbled...
The ride from Richards Bay Airportl to Zulu Nyala was startling. The shacks or lean-tos called home to most people and the out house next door. Women with babies strapped to their fronts and backs stood on the street hailing a ride like impressionable teenagers. There were local venders hawking their pine apples,wooden bowls or straw rugs. Our driver says the vendors live right there, in the woods behind the their merchandise. Able, our young Zulu driver, has a smile that lights up the room. He uses the word “lovely” as some would use ‘Mam’. So for the hour and a half ride he sounded like this: “How are you doing, lovely.” When we got stopped by the Police for a busted brake light, he said “not to worry, lovely, I am most apologetic.” Able has been working for Zulu Nyala for 2 months. He is Zulu. He is delivered by the tribe along with 30 other new employees in the morning and then carried back to his village at night. His gratitude for employment is palpable. As he drives away from the cop... he rakes his hand across his head several times in a nervous tick. “Oh, lovely, I am most apologetic the light was not broken when I left to pick you up today”. I assured him we understood and to not worry. Mark actually slept through the entire incident. It was then I realized this interaction with the road side police is a “fire-able” offense, he was literally worried about his future with the company! Once at Zulu Nyala we were checked in and shown around the newly improved campus. The landscaping that has been done is remarkable! But it displaces the zebras, monkeys and Nyala that used to hang out side the tents. There are lit pathways, water features with fountains and lots of giant aloe plants. The crocodile pit remains and those wonderful pre historic killers had just been fed and they were sunning themselves in the 80 degree heat. This place is so different from 5 years ago. Our “room” is a half mile walk from reception and a man smaller than our luggage leads the way. He is surefooted and knows every one we pass. He has worked here 20 years. When we arrive at our room we are stunned. The patio faces the mountains for sunset. The wall of glass as an entry way brings the outside in to this 600 square foot luxury accommodation. He puts our luggage down on the luggage racks at the bottom of the king sized bed and then teaches Mark how to use the Air conditioning. Our room has a couple of extra couches and two twin sized day beds. There is a “kitchenette” and a charging station. The bathroom is twice the size of our office board room. I’m humbled. So many local Zulu live in “lean to’s” with no bathroom facilities or running water and then smack dab in the middle of their poverty is this glamorous facility for first world guests. It has to be surreal for the employees. Dinner is served in and outdoor faculty under the stars. There are a lot of Americans here. All “winners” of auction packages like us. Mark and I are 24 hours without sleep so we snuggle in early as we have a 5:30 am safari run in the morning with James, our ranger. The tree frogs sing to us all the way back to our room. They are frigging crazy loud! |
|