Zulu Nyala Game Reserve - Not a lot of words

It's a good thing a picture is worth a thousand words. I don't think I have a thousand words to describe this place. It is at once dramatic and achingly scrubby; lushly green and dry bone-arid, noisy with bird calls, chirps and cries and silent, save a whispered breeze. Because it's spring, small wildflowers peek out from under the scramble of brush. Because it's spring, baby rhinos scuff and play with their mums. Because it's spring, insects buzz, beat, and bomb you. Because it's spring, temperate days on the brink of warmness are snatched away once the sun goes down.

This morning we took our first game drive and were treated to a beautiful sunrise, giraffes, cape buffalo (the ones with the horns that look like a terrible hairstyle), wildebeests, rhinos, elephants, nyala and oribi antelopes, birds too quick for our cameras, warthogs (the plucky comic relief), and zebra. (Which, by the way, all of us must now pronounce zeh-bra...because that's the way South Africans say it. And did you know the collective noun for zebra is called a "dazzle," as in, 'Look, there's a dazzle of ze(h)bra behind that acacia tree.')?

We had a spectacular game ride this evening, as well. I haven't uploaded all the pics from our fancy camera, but here are some of the 1000 word images from my phone.

Two spoonbills and a great gray heron

Leopard tracks - fresh

bush treasure - snake skin

white rhino and calf

lovely pond...with hippos

three elephants on property - all female

I'm your huckleberry  

a dazzle of zebra

white on black or black on white?

not sure what the collective for wildebeests is

friendly fellow

black rhino - you can tell the difference by the shape of their jaw and the way they hold their head (white/down on the ground, black/up as if to charge)

dazzling!

loads of paths to follow

baboons!

different mom and calf

I'll look it up, I promise!

lumbering land whales

what...?

afternoon nap time for the rhinos

except this one

came upon a herd - about 20 of them

hyena tracks - also fresh

sunset

can't wait for tomorrow

Tomorrow, we're on the hunt for elusive cheetah, leopards, and hyena.

A Hard, But Awesome Day

First a quick bit about dinner Wednesday night.  We got to talking to our wine steward about beer...he brought us two craft beers with instructions to take them back to our room and try them, then let him know which one we liked best.  So generous...and an affirmation that the craft beer culture is alive and kicking!

It's actually Friday at this posting...the internet said, "fuck it" last night while I was trying to post.  Anyway, our tour of JoBerg on Thursday was hard, but so powerful.  We visited the Workers' Museum which memorializes the migrant workers who mined the gold that brought Johannesburg into existence.
Back in 1886, a large gold reef was discovered under the veldt of South Africa.  The wealthy white land owners needed workers to mine the gold, so they drew in blacks and other people of color who were desperate for work/money.  The conditions were horrible, the treatment, reprehensible, and the indignities, many.  There were several large compounds of workers around the city.  In front of the one we visited, there's a tree that used to have a shackle attached to it.  Workers who defied rules would be tied up to the tree overnight as punishment.  Shiver.

Next we went to the Apartheid Museum.  The beautifully curated and massive collection is impressive, though chilling.  We had the bonus of a special Mandela exhibit.

Many nations have racial segregation problems, but in 1948, South Africa actually put a name to it and codified it!  Thankfully in 1991, Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk put an end to it and unified the nation.  The museum chronicles the discrimination, the oppression, the protests, the mass murders, the uprising and finally reconciliation and the publishing of a new South African Bill of Rights.  It took about 3 hours to go through, and I was exhausted by the end.  I cried, I was repulsed, I cheered.

After a quick lunch we stopped at the Hector Pieterson memorial.  Hector was a student in the 1976 Soweto uprising.  Black students were protesting against the white Afrikaaners who were not allowing them a proper education.  Instead of learning arts and sciences, the black students were learning how to cook and clean and tend to other...effectively learning to be slaves.  The students spoke English, the police state spoke Afrikaan...because they could not communicate, the police (and their dogs) set upon the students.  This photo became a signal fire to the rest of the world as to what was going on in South Africa.  As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

There's also a great piece of art work on the spot where the photo was taken.

Kind of hard to see in the pic, but it represents the students holding signs and showing raised fists against the police.  Wow.

After a long day of in-your-face South African history, we were spent.  Graphic and real...hard to see, hard to bear...but nothing like those who lived it.  So powerful.

Tomorrow Durban and we head out to the bush!

We've Arrived!

After an almost 30-hour flight/layover/flight, we're here.

Our flight from Denver to London: 8hrs; an 8-hour layover in London; an 11-hour flight to JoBerg, plus time in the security line, customs, etc.  But first impressions?  Totally worth it!

Our guide for Johannesburg is Jon...he's English, but a native of the city.  JoBerg is one of the most dangerous cities in the world - it's getting better, but still iffy in many parts.  When we began planning this trip, we decided we'd feel better if we hired someone to show us around.  So, today Jon picked us up at the airport and delivered us to our hotel...we're exhausted...so, he'll show us around tomorrow.

Our hotel (Thaba Eco) is just southwest of the city on a reserve.  Three ostriches greeted us as we drove past the gates.  Sorry, couldn't get my camera out fast enough.  We got checked in and hit the shower.  Man, a shower has NEVER felt so good.  We thought we might go for a walk, but before I knew it, Joe was sound asleep, and I couldn't keep my eyes open.  BAM, nap time!

Three hours later...  Time for lunch!  The hotel has a highly-rated restaurant, and we sat outside in the sun and enjoyed a delicious meal, including an appetizer of house-made chakalaka - a vegetable relish that originated in Johannesburg.  Beans, onions, peppers, curry paste...yum!

Lovely sideyard of the restaurant.

Peahens (and peacocks) are everywhere.

The view of the veldt...through an electric fence.  I'm sure it's to keep big cats and t-rexes out.

This is a Rock Hyrax, also called a Dassie...South Africa's wild guinea pig.  They scuttle about in groups and dig into the safety of the rocks.

After a bit of a walkabout, we headed to the bar for happy hour and then back to the room for a quick nap.  We'll go back for dinner later and then rest up for tomorrow.

Tomorrow's agenda?  JoBerg driving tour, the Apartheid museum and SoWeTo (Southwestern Township) - Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are famous SoWeTans...as is Trevor Noah.

We Leave Tomorrow!

Laundry is almost done.  A bit of housekeeping is on the agenda for this afternoon.  Packing is pretty much done.  Batteries are charged.  Binoculars are polished.  Itineraries and vouchers are printed.  I think I'm ready.  And I'm soooo excited!

Although, Joe did put a dent in my joyride this morning.  It seems that Zimbabwe and South Africa are having a spat.  Grace Mugabe, the Zimbabwe President's wife (who is apparently crazy), was in South Africa and assaulted a housekeeper at her hotel.  Naturally Grace was detained by South African authorities.  But in retaliation, Zimbabwe has canceled all South African Airways flights in and out between the two countries.  We're flying SAA from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls on the last leg of our trip.  Sigh.  Yes, we have contacted our travel agent.  Yes, we bought trip insurance.  And yes, this will either be over by the first week of September, or they'll be at war...either way, we'll have a clear choice about what to do.  Stay tuned.

Eleven Days Out

So it's getting to be crunch time.  Our trip begins August 21st with roughly a two-day flight to Johannesburg.

I've been looking at our hotels online, and, wow.  So much beauty.  The landscape is amazing...and that's just the pictures of it!  I really can't wait to see it in person.

Just imagine you're sitting at the pool and a Nyala walks up.  Hello there!

This is shaping up to be a great adventure, and I hope that I'll be able to capture it here in narrative and pictures.  I'll do my best.  Impilontle! (Zulu for Cheers!)