Monday's Blog; The Wax Witch

Monday's Blog; Dancing Stripes

(A day late but life is full.) I can't shake from my mind the memories in the aftermath of our visit to S. Africa, not that I want to shake them away. The wildlife is, of course as spectacular as the people. This is not a revelation. Last week, I wrote a bit about the people.  In conversation, the questions of favorites always arises and I usually side step the question because picking one of anything is daunting, So I ramble on and attempt to sum up what may be favorites. 

Truly, my lifetime of delving into photography, art, design and the visual world influences my every thought. The strong patterning, my lean toward the contrasting tones and my love for black and white and the beauty and grace of the Zebra (pronounced Zehbra in the areas we visited) is powerful to me. Supporting the intent of my blog to be brief but with a message to share, I will simply share some of my photos of the zebra as seen in South Africa. I learned that as with every species in nature, there are many sub species and variations. It is so with the zebra, sometimes displaying brown tones in the stripes and in other physical characteristics. However, they remain distinctly "Zebra-like" and easily identifiable unlike the antelope family for instance featuring subtle nuances of difference and variation; eye candy for sure.

Face to face with the residents of Zimbabwe

More about my travels to South Africa, this blog centered in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). After a total fill of the wildlife as I have written before, we enjoyed many hours of "face time" interacting with the people, to get to know them, learn first hand about their lives and to visit and observe life in the towns and villages.

OAT, (Overseas Adventure Travel) is noted, among other activities for offering a Day in the Life, a chance to visit people in their spaces.  At the school we were greeted by the total student body singing and dancing for our entertainment and admiration. We met with the principal and several teachers to hear about their full curriculum, full classrooms and how they meet the challenges before them.

We then visited various classroom where each of us met small groups of students for discussion and dialogue.  How very ambitious the children are, most hoping to attend university and enjoy a career that a few years ago would not be within their reach, especially for women. most often in the sciences, medicine or social services. 

 A drum circle in another community

The whole school sang and danced upon our arrival

More song

children sing for us

It is common for village children to attend schools that are distant, demanding long and grueling walks to and from school for children of all ages. We see them walking as we drive by carrying heavy backpacks in all kinds of weather.  After school, they must return home and attend to their chores in the village. 

Briefings were offered about life in a village describing the typical physical layout of the buildings and farmland, the political structure including the chief, his assistant and the roles of the men, the women and the children as they carry out their daily routines.  They all face the hardships, the terrible effects of the severe drought throughout much of the South. 

In Hwange village, we joined the villagers in the community common area--the BOMA, a round peaked roofed building where meetings, rituals and community events are held. Each villager starting with the chief, the assistant to the chief and then the woman and children spoke to us of their lives and wants and needs. We in turn shared our lives with them. Most of the men were out tending to their chores, the boys left to play soccer or tend to the goats.

The boma

Inside the Boma

demo grinding the polenta. We were next

Want to give him a hug

Some of the boys

He stayed at my side, clinging to me

Finally we walked around the village to see the animals, the chicken coop, the homes (children's, parents and grandparents) and the silo. Sadly the silo was empty, sad as this is harvest time. They are plagued by drought, killing the plants they depend upon. Our group had raised enough funds to purchase and deliver staples to the community, including the precious polenta, flour, sugar, laundry
detergent, personal care items and more. It felt good to be able to help in this real and hands on manner. 

our gifts to the community

As photos tell more, I share images of the school children and the villagers we met in the boma. I can't help but wondering what, especially the children, make of our visit, our gestures and our show of warmth toward them all. 

Digesting South Africa

The recent tour of South Africa lasted 27 days. Processing, ingesting and digesting the experience will last for a lifetime and hopefully include at least one return visit. The purpose of the tour was based heavily on
photo safaris through the major reserves in Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Many of you have been on similar tours and I felt quite well prepared for the trip through conversations with travelers, my own study, the tour group (OAT) literature and an adult lifetime delving into the history, news and study about the region. 

Our group was so fortunate to meet and greet almost all species of the promised wildlife while nestled in the safety of the safari vans armed with cameras and binoculars. We encountered many unexpected creatures as well to our delight and enlightenment. I did not realize how many different "cousins" there were in the Antelope family, the bird or the reptile families. Statistics specify over 1,100 different species of mammals in Africa and over 2,600 species of birds.  

On several occasions, we observed the variety of behavior among the big cats, watching a mother lion adamantly defending her young from the abusive wiles of the daddy lion, the Black Rhino who kills his young to maintain his predominant male status. I relished the discovery of a small mammal, the Rock Hyrax, who is slated to be linked by genes and ancestry to the elephant. 

Sadly we observed the effects of the current drought in many of the regions we visited, depleting the food supplies for the wildlife and impacting the well being of the people in the villages and general population when their silos are empty after the harvest, food and fuel prices are sky high, unemployment is epidemic, and their currency worth little.  The impact of the most recent international economic downturn and political strife makes the news every day. With all of the hardships of life, I was astounded and struck by two attributes of the people of South Africa; their heritage being taught respect for others ingrained in their psyche from a young age and their innate sense of humor in the face of hardships they have endured. 

I observed this sense of humor almost daily interacting with staff in our tent camps, vendors in the markets teasing us as we tried on the phrases we had been taught in their native languages, children in school after their long walks from home to village schools

or the stern and official looking expressions, turned into a glimmer of a smile and welcome as the border guards loudly stamped our passports.  

I offer a poignant example and living proof of this sense of humor and courage felt during a home hosted dinner in a colored township near Capetown, S. Africa. Our hostess, Maureen, a widow, still working and avidly volunteering in her town along with her long time friend Wendy entertained us with a wonderful meal almost overshadowed by their steady comedic glee and almost show-stopping display of optimism and hope. They both acknowledged that moping and looking for pity was not part of their being and would only downgrade them to depression and hopelessness. Afterall, they now both enjoy having decent housing, food on the table and a comfortable life.

There are overwhelming hardships in their pasts and in their community, but they are proud to be able to give back to the community helping others. I will never forget the image of these 2 women vigorously waving goodbye to us as our van pulled away from their home until we were out of sight of each other, their faces bright with smiles, their eyes shining. For me, these faces are the faces of hope continuing to convey to the world that they are made of the same strength as the wild animals that are such a part of their world. 

South Africa at.Last

Magic Thornybush nature park adjacent to Kruger park. The 2 parks are currently merging during this long term drought especially to allow more wildlife to survive, Lakeside lodge is an A plus, too high scale but once in awhile it is good to be pampered. Pail has shared over all adventures in his blog, my short blog will pinpoint adventures, No photos until I find a way to load them in undr minutes per image.

We have enjoyed 5 safari drives and a hole led by Dan a native of SA. He can drive that Toyota mountain lion rig anywhere, and he did, thru brush thick and thin. We were in pursuit of a male leopard on the good. The gorgeous animal stayed in sight and did not go off into gullies so as not to be seen. In our speedy pursuit we climbed over trees, up and down "would be" mountains. and and logs. In the van we were ducking Acacia branches with their terrifying thorns and big branches. I was protecting my head but was punched in the eye to my dismay just as we began to track the beast, I could not shoot photos due to pain, I have quite a shner now but did get 2 shots. bummer! I m fine but disgruntled, However as we enjoy our final day here we anticipate more critters, Dan and hi co worker found all 5 big jungle animals,  amazing!!!

Monday's Blog; Thoughts on travel and packing

Three days to go before we trek off on a wonderful trip to S. Africa. No matter how many times I do the travel prep and check off items on the to do list, it is always a bit chaotic and stressful. Being in town for a month felt like a long time at the beginning. However, when we hover for a period of time in Rochester, we have the usual push to get to doctor appointments, making plans to see with friends, check off places to visit in town or take short side trips to visit family and friends and then handle the angst of not doing it all or seeing everyone we want to see.

Luckily, after enjoying so many extended travel adventures, the packing becomes much easier. The less taken, is of course better and we have become skilled at lightening the load so much over the years. Yesterday, we took a break and had the joy of once again, of visiting the Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion in Canandaigua, NY.  The mansion is open for tours, a massive 40 room Queen Anne structure built by Frederick Ferris Thompson and his wife, Mary Clark Thompson between 1885-87. 

What impresses me in the architecture and design of this mansion is the high regard the couple held for wall sized windows, large rooms and high ceilings reflecting their love of light and breathing space.  Learn more by going to http://www.sonnenberg.org/about-us/.

Reflecting on my efforts at getting packed, I chuckled upon viewing the various large and unwieldy steam trunks used in that era for travel by ship to Europe and the Orient. Not only were their travel times long but the fashions of the times had no relationship to our modern travel clothing that can be rolled and packed, hand washed and dried in no time with very little weight or bulk. Probably the bulkiest items we carry today are the binoculars, cameras and too many hand held electronic devices. They are not roll and stuff friendly or easily hand washed.

The fashions in the Thompsons' days, of course, included long and bulky dresses, voluminous hats, men's suits and jackets and more hats plus lots of accessories and toiletries. Many steam trunks were partitioned in layers and sections for specific types of items as are the modern packs and duffles of today but layering large and long dresses, crinolines, and all of the items of the period into the wooden trunks would be daunting. How heavy they were when fully packed. But travelers did not carry them or transport them. They had lots of help with strong backs in that department.



Keeping the ways of the distant past in mind relieves some of the stress and angst I may feel in preparing to depart. I anticipate many new adventures and will share them in the coming weeks. I also enjoy the great feedback I get from you folks and appreciate hearing of your adventures to some of the same regions. Enjoy the final weeks of summer.

Monday's Blog; Our perch over downtown

The arrival in Rochester this July was a bit traumatic and not according to our usual homecoming. However, all is well and we are nested among our favorite works of art, books, familiar items from a lifetime and fabulous friends and family. We have learned patience in awaiting the outcome of our RV repair or other choice. However, we are so busy catching up with our city life, preparing for our upcoming journey to South Africa and beyond that we have to make lists of our lists to remember necessary chores to get us efficiently moving ahead. 

I have always been a list maker. Even in facing advent of on line data bases, calendars, notebooks and smart phones, I still resort to handwritten paper lists and notes. My husband giggles but I stick to my old ways (along with on line resources as I am trying to stay up to date). 

I do maintain a paper calendar that hopefully reiterates the entries on our on line calendar, therefore hopefully avoiding double booking and having one car between us. Amazingly, we have discovered the advantages of living next to the relatively new Rochester Bus Terminal next to our St. Paul Street apartment. Often we will walk to a destination on Park or East Ave and then, using Paul's Rochester bus schedule app we can determine what bus stop to head toward for the next bus home. What bus line?  Park Avenue of course. Some things do not change. I have always been an avid people watcher and what better place than on a bus.  What a tickle it is to ride the bus at 50 cents per senior and then walk a short distance to our Apartment door. 

Of course, I reminisce. Having grown up in Rochester, I also rode the bus with my girlfriends to Grants 5 and dime. We were 7 or 8 years old I guess and carried our favorite dolls with us to purchase doll clothing and accessories. After all, my Alexander doll could drink from a small bottle and then needed a fresh diaper and perhaps a change of clothing. We rode the Park Avenue bus line from Edgerton Street into town. 

An image of a more modern Alexander doll

Or I would ride the bus with my mom or both parents to shop downtown at Sibley's, McCurdy's and Forman's department stores or purchase shoes in the shop with the hydraulic basket system flying over our heads to transfer the bill and payment from the sales floor to the sales office. And along with my memories, my mother was an avid list maker. So I come by it naturally and from a good teacher and role model as well. My den/computer room rises over St Paul street and as I type, I hear the buses pass by on their scheduled runs. A sort of percussion music to my ears. Back to my list, written of course.