We arrived at the gate to Kruger National Park just before dusk. Enough time to see a few animals on the way to our campsite just inside the park. We played a game throughout the course of our days here: who can predict the first animal we will see every morning? Needless to say I won the entrance by saying a bird or a deer. Excuse me for being boring but it was a good guess. Naaa... the prize went to Diana. She made a guess that was more "legitimate". AKA - she guessed something more extravagant. Something that we wanted to see more than just something that was inevitable to be seen.
Over the course of our four days and three nights we saw over a thousand Impalas, roughly 150 Elephants, 40 Giraffes, 100 Hippos, 10 Warthogs, countless Cape Buffalo, birds of every shape and colour, 160 Zebra, and all sorts of small creatures. I can't even describe to you how beautiful it was to be in the presence of so many animals. Ever since I was very young I loved animals and this was a wonderful experience for me. Somewhere amongst my possessions back in WI there is a large tub of plastic animal figures that I would play with on the floor for hours. There's something about the animal instinct, natural hunter-hunted scenarios, sounds, shapes, colours, and reproduction that just makes one wonder how big our God is that He could come up with all these things for us to live amongst. Mind you, most of them have been put into rather large "cages" (parks, reserves, etc.) but they still live and function as they would without us. Every thing on this planet is a testimony to the vastness of our Lord. Go beyond this minuscule celestial ball and you find things that are beyond comprehension. It's all screaming intelligent design, Creator, One who loves His creation enough to leave it there for them to fall in love with Him. Breathtaking...
If we had wanted to drive through the entire park in one day it might have been possible. Highly unlikely though if you actually want to see things. So we stopped at Punda Maria, Olifants, and Skukuza rest camps to sleep and relax before continuing. Mike and I slept in our tent while the girls enjoyed the other tent and it's confinement. There is a confession to be made on my part. One night, Mike and I slept in the car. Don't even say anything, feeling bad enough about it as it is. Not really though, we thought it ingenious. In the morning there was nothing to take down. All we had to do was but the seats back into the upright position so the girls could get into the back seat. May no one take this as grounds to say I'm not an outdoorsey person. Bring on the wild.
Have you ever seen a sunset with giraffes in the foreground? Perhaps elephants? A riverbed with crocodiles laying on the bank? I can proudly say that I can now. This part of the trip blew me away and I shall never forget all of the things I've seen.
On October 8, 2008 we left Skukuza and departed from the glories of Kruger National Park. It was odd being outside the gate and seeing people walking on the road instead of elephants or springboks. We kept expecting to see a wild animal off to the right or left but nothing. Eventually we were back to the normal thinking of people on the road. Music, laughing, fussing, "singing", and fellowship. What more could one ask for on a long trip than Ken, Judy, Barbara, Sandra, Tara, Sasha, Diana and Mike? For me it was just fine to be with them.
And now on to the landscape capitol of my world. I say my world because I'm not a world traveler... yet.
SWAZILAND! OH MY GOD, YOU ARE MAGNIFICENT!
The mountains and the sunsets. The people and the smells. The cows on the road? Oh yes, just like when I was young and we would have to stop on the way to church to put a cow back into it's designated pen. This reminds me of my dad shaving on the way to church in our big van. The sound of that Remington. Probably why I use one. Don't worry, not while I'm driving.
To my merry pleasure we were visiting Dick Van Dyke and family. Take the figure of that famous actor and reverse it. That's what this Dick looked like. Short, stocky, and bearded. Personality wise you could relate them however. He was a very jovial person. Something everyone should strive for more of... JOY! His house was one for the books. The scene off the back veranda was one of white geese over a small bridge to an island with the mountains in the background. Lush green grass and flowers at your feet in the lawn. Absolutely stunning. The girls stayed here, of course. Mike and I got to stay up at the African Christian College with one of the instructors. The first night in we went to the Van Dyke's house and had a study. It was very cool to hear him speak on biblical matters with his experience. Ken and Dick go way back and that's how we came to visit them.
Our time at the college was wonderful. They have a large Macadamia nut orchard. The view with the orchard in the foreground and the mountains in the back was something to wake up to and go to sleep to. Never a day that's not filled with splendor here. Everywhere there's splendor, one must know how to look for it.
We stayed with the Platt family (Kurt, Wendy, Christy, and Karen). Mr. Platt is an instructor at the college and we had some very interesting conversations about the Holy Spirit. Very intelligent fellow. While we were visiting I finished the book The Shack and it was brought up how our relationship with God looks. He really prompted some question asking and thought. I truly appreciate that about my time with him. I left wanting more. Not every place you visit does that to you. For me, the ACC did.
In Manzini where we were located we visited a primary school to speak to them about the curriculum. Kena and Judy have had contact with them for some time and wanted to catch up on a couple things. The principal at Tubungu Primary School, who is also the personal tutor to the Queen mother, has connections in the department of education and it's possible that someday Lessons To Live By will be in every primary school in the country of Swaziland. Pray for this...
For all you Monroe people out there we went to a homemade chocolate place called Chocolate Temptations. It was right next door to the Swazi Glass Factory and an old man's shop where he makes rocking horses. I have only seen glass being made once before going to the factory and I was, once again, fascinated by the process. The works that are on display in Cafe Claudeen by Gabriel Breadon's son come to mind. So many beautiful pieces that seem impossible to accomplish. If given the opportunity I would just sit and watch them all day. It's very hot in the shop, though. The workers wear overalls too. A mad props to those guys. So, a couple of chocolates, a chat with the rocking horse maker, and a few glass pieces later we're on the road again. This time to Durban.
We bid a very fond farewell to the Platts and headed towards Durban. We already had contacts here because of the SABS Lectureship. Mike and I stayed at a house straight out of the OC. For all you who don't entertain yourselves with dramatic, mindless rubble it's a television show. The Orange County is what it stands for. Lots of rich people with dumb problems. But their houses are beautiful. This house was beautiful. A large pool in the front and an entire other house in the back for the people's mother and grandmother to stay in. It was nice to be able to go for a swim the next day and relax in a comfortable bed. On Sunday morning at the Queen Mary Avenue Church of Christ the preacher talked about guilt and why we do things. One point he made that stuck with me was:
Rationalize = Rational Lies
Think about it. What do you do when you want something to be okay and know it's not?
In the afternoon we went to the beach, a braai for the journalist of the year of some publication, Angie's house, and small group that night. It was a video series called The Truth Project.
That was it for Durban. Just one night. At this point we're headed to Kokstad and the final night of our trip. This was great fun because our purpose for going was fellowship. The people who live there aren't part of an established church so they're starved for consistent Christian fellowship. They were delighted to have us and we were happy to stay. That night before supper Sasha, Mike, Diana and I play croquet. It had been a long time for me but oh, what fun. Mike had never played before and yet he won the second game. That night I had the opportunity to sleep on a down-feather bed and I took it. So soft and big I almost felt swallowed by this colossal pillow type thing. Waking up in the morning to breakfast and packing up again. This was sad but inevitable. The man of the house works for Clover (a dairy company) and, we initially met him at the factory before his house, it felt a little like home. {There's a lot wrong with that sentence}. He bid us go and we went. It's a nice feeling knowing that just being around has brightened someone's day, week, maybe even month! God is so good like that.
And now we come to journey's end...
Tuesday 14 October 2008
8:00 AM departure.
On the way back to PE we hit up East London(EL) to get some "American supplies". Kind of sounds like we're playing Oregon Trail or something. A suburb has a special Spar that imports stuff so whenever anyone goes near EL supplies must be gotten. I myself didn't buy much, but it was a hay day for others.
Now we hit the final leg of the journey. I drove with Sasha, Tara, and Diana in the passenger seats. We screamed really loud, talked about nice things that we like about each other, and played "freeze out". It was pretty chilly but not freezing outside. "Freeze out" is where you crank the air conditioner and roll down all the windows while driving fast. It was intense and lots of stress, screaming, and shivering ensued. Eventually someone gave in and we rolled up the windows. Fun none the less. After much picture taking and talking we hit PE around 20:00 PM. Brittney, Lize, Auntie Kathy, and Auntie Ethel all met us at the nest. Arrival at Ken and Judy's was sad but good all at once. This trip was such an experience that we never wanted it to end, and yet it was time to move on.
So, we got our stuff separated and headed our own ways. Brittney and Liz gave us a ride to our place since our car was being taken care of by Lindsay. She even took it in to get serviced while we were gone. Sweet of her. Especially since it was doing something funky, she said. The next morning we wouldn't have a car right away but the positive: we have a vehicle that is fully ready to be used. Mike and I hit our cottage and proverbially dropped to our knees. Our own beds. Our own showers. Wonderful... so very wonderful.
This is the conclusion of our trip. It's long and if I ever cross paths with you, my reader, someday then you must ask to see pictures. Love you all. Sorry it has taken so long to finish.
Cheers!
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