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by Clare Johns
Special to Tropical Breeze
Well my Tropical Breeze got to go on a
cool safari to South Africa this time.
I’d never dreamed of Africa but
decided to go on a whim and had the trip of a lifetime. So far
away, so much to see and so little time. Nineteen days is hardly
enough as it’s so vast. The trip was through Grand Circle and
there were 37 of us on the Highlights of South Africa Tour.
After 18 hours on the plane from JFK I was
beyond pooped and surprised to see that our hotel did not have a
shower only a bathtub then to discover there was a stall shower
(you get the idea of the effects of sleep deprivation).
Anyway, after a bus tour of JoBurg
(that’s what the locals call Johannesburg) we visited the
former shanty town of Soweto. (Sooweeto) That is where Nelson
Mandela lived before his imprisonment.
It was fascinating to see the enterprising
reality of the people carving out a living as we drove by passable
houses. People were washing cars, cutting peoples hair in their
driveways, repairing cars on street corners, selling tombstones
from their houses, etc.
A scene that struck me as incredible were
two little boys running down the street pulling cardboard boxes
with strings for a wagon, laughing away and having fun. I thought
of all the toys my grandchildren have and it was mind blowing.
This account of my trip could go on for
volumes, but I want to center most of it on the Safari Experience
in the Kruger National Park. It was so beyond anything I’ve
ever done. It was like watching the Discovery Channel, but you were
there.
They offered us different options to
experience the Kruger. For example, you could go on the
air-conditioned bus for one or two days or go in open Jeeps that
held nine to 10 people, or stay at our beautiful hotel and relax. I
chose two days in the open Jeep and feel I made the right
choice.
Two 11-hour days in the Kruger brought
unbelievable memories.
Getting up at 4:30 a.m. was not my cup of
tea, but necessary to get to the park before sunrise. Yee gads,
I’ve never seen many of those before, to say the least. There
were nine of us dressed in many layers with hats, gloves and
covered with blankets driving along in this open Jeep chattering
when before us occurred this amazing sunrise. I was giddy with
delight and managed to take a picture. I then yelled to everyone
there is an elephant. It turned out to be a rhino. Sooooo sorry.
Victor, our ever vigilant driver/guide, spotted everything long
before us. It was an unending parade of animals.
Just an interesting tidbit, when I was on
a recent trip this gal told me of her trip to Africa and that she
had seen “The Big Five.”
She looked at me and waited for a
response. I said, “Wow, that’s great.”
I really didn’t know what the big
five were. I figured elephants, tigers and whatever. Anyway, now I
know how important it is — funny!!!
By mid-afternoon we had peeled down to our
shirts and were enjoying everything so much. We were becoming
experts at sighting the animals and becoming complacent as our ever
vigilant Victor scoured the savanna for us. We saw so many herds of
elephants, many rhinos, lots of giraffes, hippos, one leopard, two
tigers and hundreds and hundreds of other animals and special
birds. Just to hear the birds singing and the elephants chomping
and chewing away at the trees was so special.
Victor talked often on his cell phone to
other guides and this would send us flying down the road on a wing
and a prayer to see exciting things. My heart was pounding as I
held on for dear life over paved and dirt roads. We covered so many
miles in those two days.
A funny incident occurred while eating our
picnic lunch under a thatched roof with open sides. As I looked up
I screamed as I saw at least a hundred bats the size of fryer
chickens staring down at us. The ranger assured us that they were
harmless, but I ate my lunch quickly just in case.
Back at the hotel after our two days of
safari my fellow travelers were sharing stories of their
adventures. Sure enough I was asked if I saw the BIG FIVE! I tried
to look humble but stood tall and answered, “Yes, I
did!” Those that didn’t see the five actually seemed to
hang their heads as they admitted they only saw three or four. By
the way, the big five are elephants, rhino, lions, buffalo and
leopard.
This accounting of my trip could go on
forever but to spare you I’II only say we did so much and I
loved every minute. I never had the leisure time that was
advertised in the brochure but that’s okay. We visited an
orphanage in Swaziland. (It is a small country within Africa that
is very poor but beautiful scenery like Switzerland.) The children
were all left without parents who died of AIDS. I was touched by
their friendly ways and how they clung to us when we left.
We also visited the Cape of Good Hope
where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meet. It is the most
Southwestern part of Africa.
That’s the trip but such a small
part of the story.
Clare Johns is a Clearwater resident.
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