South Africa Archives - Page 2 of 4

The lion, the bitching and my wardrobe

November 21, 2010

Maybe it’s because I’m a Leo, but I’ve always had a special affection for lions.

So when other travelers told me that Kruger National Park in South Africa was like one big lion’s den, I said bring it. Just call me Daniel and toss me in there.

Only it wasn’t. I know that driving around game reserves are one big crap shoot anyway — the animals aren’t exactly paid to stand on the side of the road, tap dancing for the humans’ entertainment — but I expected something. Anything. Even a vague hint of mane in the distance would have made me happy.

Then we happened upon this scene, in which a randy male lion was trying to woo his female prey in the middle of the road. (Cue the Beatles’ “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?”)

But, like any big game sightings at Kruger, the scene quickly became a crazy traffic jam, with each vehicle creeping through the lanes, cutting each other off, honking, yelling and inching forward until every human was thoroughly pissed off and every animal was terrified.

As we drove away, I spilled my hot coffee all over my brand new shorts, prompting a cartoon bubble of !^%$@#^%!#%^$# to burst from my mouth. Now what was I going to wear as I traveled through Africa?

So my car continued making circles around the park, frustrated, angry, sad. The horny lions were okay, but not as satisfying as we had hoped. (And definitely not as satisfying as it was for the cats.)

The gravel road seemed too bumpy and endless. We were hot and mad. We decided to screw this lion stuff and head back for camp.

Suddenly a lone lioness emerged from a thick clump of grass.

We were the only car on the road. It was just us and her.

We locked eyes. For a moment, everything was completely silent, the world on pause. Then the lioness found a satisfactory shady spot underneath a tree and plopped down.

It didn’t feel real that this gorgeous creature and I could be sharing the same space, the same air, the same landscape.

After a while, the scene felt almost too personal and intimate. This was her kingdom — we were only visitors.

We drove away, happy.

The landscape of Kruger

November 21, 2010

The animals at Kruger National Park hog all the attention — but the landscape deserves a look too.

The park is larger than Israel and contains a fantastic diversity of flora and fauna: Endless stretches of bushveld, crooked trees, ribbons of river.

Here’s a taste of what you can see.

Keeping the wild kingdom wild

November 8, 2010

Of all the animals in the world, bushbabies are among the most huggable. Looking part cat, part monkey, these nocturnal creatures are all huge eyes, teacup-sized ears and fuzzy coats. They’re like a 5-year-old child’s drawings come to life.

Lucky for my friends and me, we stayed at a lodge where the bushbabies come out to play every night. At 7 p.m. on the dot, tiny hands reached out from behind tree branches. Next came the tiny feet, tiny tails and finally huge ears. The bushbabies were ready for dinner!

The owner of the lodge handed us slices of fresh banana. We’d hold a slice up and a bushbaby would tentatively, carefully approach us, then snag the fruit from our fingers. It was awesome.

I was giddy.

Cut to two nights later, when we were camping out at Kruger National Park. Our campsite was encircled by electric fences. And beyond those fences, the hyenas were waiting.

They were there with good reason. Many campers cook on site. Then, not wanting to leave the food scraps by their tents, they toss everything over the fence.

Over time, the hyenas have learned that good food can be found there, quick, easy and without any effort. This behavior has been reinforced by the actions of other campers, who purposely toss the hyenas a bone or two.

Clearly, that is wrong — and not just because the park will slap you with a huge fine. It’s wrong because those hyenas have picked up bad habits, they have lost some of their wildness and they will likely become more aggressive toward humans because of it.

Then I started wondering what makes that so different from feeding bushbabies. Does it matter if the animals are more adorable and less threatening? Have I been acting selfishly?

Or, to get more to the point, is it always wrong to feed wild animals?

Unfortunately, I think the answer is yes. As much as I try to justify the bushbaby thing — because they’re so sweet and because it was something I really, really wanted to do — it doesn’t make it right.

Sometimes it’s incredibly difficult to put my cuddle instinct aside and act in the best interest of other creatures. But as someone who truly loves animals, that’s what I need to learn to do.

Streets of Johannesburg

November 6, 2010

I only knew Johannesburg from what I saw on the news as a little girl in the 1980s. Tanks rumbling through city streets, racial segregation and violence among the rubble.

It’s not fair, but those were the images that stuck with me, and it’s what I anticipated when I arrived in South Africa. Of course, the reality is a lot more complex and interesting than a 15-second clip on the nightly news. Not to mention, that was South Africa of the past, and the country has made great and wonderful strides toward a new future.

Unfortunately, many lovely Johannesburg homes are situated behind enormous walls, gates and coils of barbed wire, so I can’t really show you photos of those.

The city streets, however, are vibrant, colorful and electric — and welcoming to everyone.

Show me the bunny

November 6, 2010

This vegetarian has a confession to make — I love bunny chow.

Wait. Before you call PETA, you should know that no adorable, fluffy animals were harmed in the making of this post.

Bunny chow is a curry-licious South African specialty, invented in the coastal city of Durban. The area boasts a large community of Indian people, which makes for some of the most mouthwatering, spicy food this side of New Delhi.

Nobody knows exactly how bunny chow got its name — though there are a few theories — but rest assured, the dish doesn’t actually contain Peter Rabbit. It’s basically just curry served inside an enormous loaf of bread.

While you can get meaty versions of bunny chow, I can’t imagine why anyone would. The vegetable curries are laced with spice, rich with fragrance and heat — and eating them won’t make bunnies cry.

This isn’t the recipe for the bunny chow I had in Durban — the chef said it’s a closely guarded secret, probably because it was made of hellfire and Satan’s tears — but it’s close enough to give you an idea. A very mild idea.

YOU’LL NEED

1 butternut squash, diced

2 onions, diced

1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces

2 tomatoes, diced

2 sweet potatoes, diced

5 potatoes, diced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3-4 red or green chilies, depending on how hot you like it

1 T. chili oil

2 T. garlic, minced

2 curry or basil leaves, chopped

2 t. curry powder (or more, depending on taste)

1 T. canola oil

1 T. salt

2 cups water

2 loaves of bread

WHAT TO DO

In a pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic, chili and onions. Fry for a few minutes, until onions turn slightly translucent.

Add the tomatoes and fry for three more minutes.

Add the potatoes, squash, cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Add water and basil/curry leaves. Make sure all veggies are submerged under water.

Add the curry powder and salt to taste.

When the water boils, turn it on a low heat and let simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If the curry is still wastery after 90 minutes, mash some of the potatoes and stir. Curry should have a stew-like consistency.

Cut loaves of bread in half. From each half loaf, carve out the middle, leaving some bread on the bottom to form a bowl.

Fill the hole with curry and serve with the portion of bread that was removed.

No bread? Just serve the curry with rice.

Serves four very hungry people.

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