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Published: July 17th 2007
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Day 2, Nicole and I decided we were going to do a self-drive through the park while half the group went on their morning guided drive. We went and parked the car in line at 5am, bribed the gate guard to watch our car, then ran back to have breakfast and get our stuff together for the day. We were the second car through the gate when it opened at 6am, and third in line to pay. Britt, another girl in our group, caught up with us at the gate, and by then the line was about 100 people long. Again, we exerted the power of bribery on the gate attendant to secure Britt’s entrance into the park without standing in line. It’s amazing how much the term “money talks” really applies in this country.
The big impressive sightings of Day 2 really happened in the first two hours of the day. A huge herd of buffalo crossed the road right in front of us, and were lingering maybe 20 feet from the road. We got a good look at them, and they aren’t anything like the buffalo in the States. They have these huge horns that look like
the hairstyle that the Monopoly Man has. Although they look as docile as cattle, they’re actually pretty temperamental and vicious…I wouldn’t want to get too close. As we drove along, we noticed a lion walking alongside the road…well, apparently he was tired of walking through the brush, so he decided to cut out and walk right in front of Nicole’s car! He just started plodding down the road, oblivious and uncaring of any of the other cars lining up behind him or alongside him. Nicole, who we teased the entire trip to Kruger for her tailgating tendencies, put those skills to use as we trailed the lion by about 5 feet. His paws were huge, and you could just see the muscles bunching and relaxing under his coat. It was really amazing. He joined up with his pride, and we saw a bunch of lionesses rounding up some impala, which started looking mighty nervous, but they ultimately didn’t go in for the kill. There were two baby cubs there too, scampering and playing with their mother’s tail. I almost died from the cuteness. Britt, Nicole and I basically couldn’t stop shouting and screaming about how incredible it was…good thing our
windows were up, otherwise the lions might have had an American breakfast. Britt asked “are the doors locked?” and later, Katie answered that question by saying “why, do the animals have opposable thumbs?” Good point, Katie.
We also had a rather unpleasant encounter with these nasty little creatures known as Vervet Monkeys. These monkeys are deceptively cute, with grayish bodies, long tails, and adorable faces, and they tend to scamper in the trees. When we stopped at a rest camp within the park for bathroom use and snacks, we encountered a bevy of the monkeys, who looked quite adorable. We approached them to attempt to take pictures, and the monkeys became really aggressive, and started swiping at us and chasing us. One actually hit my shoe, and made biting noises at Britt! As we observed them (from a distance, this time) we realized that they were so accustomed to getting food from humans that they are completely unafraid…Kristin, a girl on my trip, bought a plate of french fries that the monkeys felt like she should share. They hopped on people’s tables, took food off of plates, swooped out of trees…really, if the army could train them up a
little bit, I’m sure the Iraqi insurgency problem would be solved. Grown men scream like girls and run away from those buggers.
Nicole and I headed back to the main entrance to the park where we met up with Dingaan again, with whom we had set up a sunset drive. Katie met us, and the three of us joined a tour of Afrikaaners from Pretoria, who decided to turn the safari vehicle into a party bus. Dingaan had told us that the sunset drive was the best time to try and spot lions and leopards, but it soon became evident that we were not going to see much game. The Afrikaaners were becoming increasingly drunk, loud, rude, and boisterous…to the point that two hours into the drive, the three of us were sitting in the front, trying to ignore the Afrikaaners who were throwing up off the side of the vehicle, urinating out the side of it, smoking, and tossing bottles off the vehicle.
The worst part of it all for me though, I think, was how they treated Dingaan. Only 12 years out of the apartheid system, I liken the situation in the Eastern part of the
country to the sentiments in the Deep South during the period of integration in the 1960s and 70s in the United States. The whites (and I’m trying not to stereotype) seem to be much more close-minded than the people I’ve met in Cape Town, and really believe themselves to be superior. The blacks in South Africa, however, do not have the same attitude of empowerment as a lot of contemporary blacks do in the US: they lack self-esteem, and are so used to being subjugated that they don’t hold themselves up in the same way. It’s very disheartening to see. The Afrikaaners kept stuffing money in Dingaan’s shirt and pants, telling him to “learn obedience” and to “be a good boy.” The three of us were obviously horrified, and finally Nicole turned to one of the most obnoxious Afrikaaners to say to him “sir, money may be able to buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy you class.” Needless to say, we were not the popular kids on the bus.
Finally we finished the drive, and finished up the evening with the worst meal I’ve ever had in my life. My small intestine is still protesting,
I think. On Sunday, we drove back to Joburg rather uneventfully, and flew back to Cape Town. All in all, it was a great trip, but really also an eye-opener as to how diverse and complex the race relations situation is here in South Africa.
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Uncle Kevan
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great safari
Marlin Perkins has nothing on you, kiddo! Great job and nice photos.