South Africa - the mother of all trips.

Mother nature is truly amazing. I know we have heard it countless times on National Geographic. "In the Serengeti, it is survival of the fittest". This and several other lines came flooding to me when I was sitting in a safari jeep at 5 in the morning, waiting for the cheetah to show up. Iconic scenes from "Out of Africa" and "The Ghost and the Darkness" had already romanticized the African wilderness for me.

When my husband and I got the opportunity to go on a Safari to South Africa, we knew it would be the trip of  a lifetime. Crossing the equator and setting foot on African soil was definitely on my bucket list. It was the longest journey we had ever taken - from the west coast of the US to the southern most part of Africa. We landed dazed and excited. Jet lag was a point we had crossed several hours ago. The thought of being with the Elephants kept me going. The Husband was raging with testosterone imagining a man vs wild encounter.

Johannesburg was our starting point. It was like any other big city with huge posters of Nelson Mandela and a little bit of Gandhi thrown in. It was weird seeing the Mahatma outside of India, but it also opened up a whole new chapter of Indian history that I knew very little about. I was amazed at how well Indians had integrated into African culture and society. Indians were also very much a part of African politics. Visiting the Apartheid prisons made me wonder how the world could let this go on for so long. That too in the modern era. The images were graphic and the history filled with inhuman acts. Our guide talked about how crime was a problem a few years ago. The scars from the Apartheid regime and the resulting unrest were still visible in the center of the city. Illegal immigration was also a problem in the city. But walking down the street, we could feel the colorful and eclectic vibe of the city. There still seemed to be an air of positivity and an almost cavalier attitude to life.

                                                          Gandhiji and the Guideji     

Our Safari transported us to another world. The vastness of the land completely engulfs you like no other. One week of long drives in the jeep touring Zulu land makes you feel tiny and insignificant. The animals so majestic and graceful. I felt awkward and out of place. Perhaps, the earth was only meant for the animals. Africa was really the first home of mankind. And I can see why. Its bold, beautiful and also tough. The safari and national park infrastructure was very complex. At one point, the Ranger had taken us to an elephant interaction area. We met three elephants that had escaped culling. Culling! Apparently elephant numbers were so high in some parts of Africa like Zimbabwe, that every year a certain number had to be culled. I was amazed that poaching and culling were part of the same system. Balancing man and nature is a complex and sometimes painful process. For six days I was mesmerized by the "land". Morning sunrises, Giraffes peaking through and Hippos snorting. The elegant Impalas leaping and the Zebras staring back at you with a depth only Africa could provide.

                                                                     Zebras at Zulu Nyala

I had also experienced my second snake encounter. I held a Boa Constrictor at a reptile park and watched crocodiles battle it out. I think crocodiles are the most vicious creatures I have ever seen. Even the lions and cheetahs couldn't instill the fear that I felt watching a crocodile open its mouth.

                                                                     Boa and I

We moved on to Cape town, the most beautiful city in the world. But I'll save that for my next post.