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Elena Hiatt Houlihan Issue 32, December 2018
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PLEASE NOTE: This is a new format designed for mobile devices. If you are reading this on your computer and don’t see the photos, please click “Display Images” in your browser.
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NDEBELE DESIGN PAINTED ON HOUSE
LESEDI CULTURAL VILLAGE, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
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LIONS, AND LEOPARDS AND ZEBRAS, OH MY!
Dear Friends and Family, Old and New, Near and Far:
Might as well open my tales of Africa with our long-sought Lion King. After numerous game drives at
Chacma, our luxury camp sojourn on the western edge of Kruger National Park, we almost gave up, then right before dinner, there he was, outside the camp entrance. His buddy was not far away, and they had a roaring contest to mark their territory. Rather heart-stopping! Our guide assured us he had already eaten which was why he was resting. How fortunate for us! As for the leopard, he was so shy and distant that I never got a decent photo.
So many elephant photos, so hard to choose! We saw elephants with babies, elephants in the mud, elephants crossing the road, elephants munching on trees, elephants in our camp; and I loved them all. Fortunately he doesn’t know that elephant hunting is allowed again across the border in Zimbabwe.
And the zebras! I loved the variation in their stripes. If I had a costume like this, I’d give up cosmetics!
My traveling companions, Pat Kelly, who is volunteering for a year at Daktari Bush School and Animal Rescue Center, and who inspired us to make the trek; our friend, Safari Bob, who arranged the trip, Christina Dickinson, and myself. Despite lots of teasing and laughter from his three “wives” with no privileges, Bob survived and will be leading more safaris next year. His itineraries can be seen at
safariwithbob.comStudents from a nearby village learn about the environment and how to care for animals at Daktari. To support their mission, go to
Global Giving. |
After our 2 days at the luxury camp, and several other sites in Kruger National Park, we drove way north to a true bush camp with no electricity or running water. CALVIN AND SEAN, were our guides and protectors at the
Pafuri Walking Camp
near the Limpopo River. Yes, even I got
up at 5:00 AM, drank a bit of coffee and went hiking up hill and down dale, over rocks and past thorn bushes to learn about fever trees, termite mounds, and see rock drawings by ancient bushmen.
There were only 8 guests at this special camp, and we were privileged to share this educational and ecological experience.
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CONTEMPORARY ART IN AFRICA…
Of course, you can still find fabulous masks, old and new, beadwork, exquisite fabrics and decorated pots in Africa, yet Christina and I were excited by the contemporary art we discovered there. We had a supreme artistic experience visiting the sculpture garden of
Dylan Lewis, an internationally-known artist. Lewis explores the wildness of both man and animals with sculptures arranged on winding paths and beside lakes on the slopes of Stellenbosch Mountain in the wine country outside Cape Town. It is a “must see” if you are ever in the area. And believe it or not, we passed up drinking wine at numerous vineyards in favor of seeing the ones with outstanding art galleries. These faces, each about 5′ high, are from the series “Faith,” by Anton Smit.
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THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND..
is a huge area outside Johannesburg, the site of hundreds of caves where skeletons of
Astralopithecus and the newly-discovered
Homo Naledi have been unearthed. I felt like I was going back in time when we descended 200 steps and clambered through the Sterkfontein Cave where “Little Foot,” a 3.5 million year old boy was found, one of the most complete skeletons to date. Simultaneously, there was a recreation of the Lascaux Caves at the
Sci-Bono Discovery Center where I was awe-struck at the beauty of the cave paintings created 17,000 years ago.
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One of the open areas in Sterkfontein Cave….there were passages less than 3′ high we had to crawl through, and the hard hat saved my skull from being gashed!
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THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES…
When we travel with an open mind and an expectant spirit, it also opens our heart. Time after time, I was moved by the stories of ordinary people like my Uber drivers Aaron and Anna, both of whom speak several tribal languages as well as English and who have visions of creating new possibilities for themselves in a country which persecuted them for so long.
slammed that history into my brain,
yet none of us can deny that we
have all sprung from the same
ancestors. Those early hominids
altered characteristics as they ventured across continents, yet underneath our various external tints, we are all the same.
As Nelson Mandela said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
Meanwhile, in the midst of this holiday season, I hope this finds you joyful in where you are in the world, surrounded by loved ones. Once again, remember to take care of your special selves, follow your dreams, and express your love fully to those around you. We are more perishable than we think.
Abrazos y besos,
Elena
AND PS: Because I am now in Mexico and surrounded by the color and ceremony here, I might just send another newsletter very soon!
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