Cyclists & Pedestrians: Beware of Lion & Elephant

So you must know me by now. There are a few things that get me really excited and they mostly revolve around kids and animals. I love them both!  So the trip to Swaziland was right up my alley. On Sunday before leaving Swaziland, we took a trip to the other side of the country to a game reserve. The drive took us just under 2 hours and across most of the country. One of the coolest parts about being in a place so unlike your home, is what you see when you’re driving through the country. A few things to note & a few pictures to help illustrate:

1)    Skinny cows everywhere! Unfortunately not the ice cream, but literally, just very skinny cows. PETA would have a field day.

 

 

2)    Hair salons on the side of the road created from a tarp attached to 4 sticks. Pictures of the hair styles are outside so you can see your choices.

3)    More hitchhikers.

 

4)    Billboards & signs advertising help for AIDS/HIV, practicing safe sex, and using condoms are everywhere.
 

 

 

 

5)    Government corruption is universal.

6)    Speed traps (this is also a universal revenue generator).

7)    Skinny goats.

 

8)    Lots of fruit stands and other stands of sorts.

 

 

 

 

9) People in beautiful traditional dress parading to church together. Greens and blues and oranges. It is rude to take their picture, but I was able to snap a few from behind.

 

10) Other

 

 

 

 

As we entered the game park, there was a sign warning cyclists to beware of lions and elephants! Ha! A we pulled up I saw some large gray masses roaming around behind the main lodge. Hippos and Rhinos oh my!!

We loaded into the jeeps and off we went on Safari. This game drive was very interesting because the Swazi government has actually segmented the park in an effort to protect the animals, particularly the rhinos, from poachers. They keep the Rhinos and hippos close to the main lodge and in the center of the park. Then there is an antelope and small animals section, and then there is the Big 4 section on the outside of the park.

We encountered numerous elephants, 1 lion who perked up as I sang “Soft Kitty” to him, 1 giraffe, antelopes galore including a few baby impalas who were born only a few hours before, and of course the hippos and rhinos. It was absolutely fabulous.

 

 

 

Back across the country, back through the border and back to South Africa for our last week in country. We stopped at the Rhino rest stop on the way home for dinner. It’s basically like the Iowa 80 truck stop if you’ve ever been there, it just needs a dentist. We past an accident on the way home that night. A large truck had collided with some junkers in a pile up. There were 2 people lying on the side of the road. Q told me to look away but I couldn’t help but stare. I can still see them lying on pavement face down. From the look of things, I don’t believe they were still alive. It was a somber moment. As we continued on down the road, the ambulances started to head toward us toward the accident. The car went silent as our prayers went out to those in the accident.

We drifted off to sleep and woke up back in Johannesburg to fireworks displays celebrating the Indian holiday of Dwali, the celebration of lights. The week would continue to be a juxtaposition of emotions. Just 5 more days.

Something new every day…