Friday, August 11, 2017

Back To Reality

I feel completely deflated! My reason, I was hit with a reality check today. I was reminded of the cruel, gruesome environment I live in! I was on such a high and hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind right out of me.

I have just spent a glorious week in the African Bush. My sisters and I went on our yearly break to Dikhololo Game Reserve in the North West Province. It is about an hour and a half drive from my home. We all needed the break. The stresses of life just get unbearable to the point where you seriously start feeling it build up in your body! I had such pains on the right side of my back it was actually getting so uncomfortable. Then the magic happens...you arrive in the bush on a Monday just after lunch...You breathe in the fresh air of the African bush...you hear the birds...and you know the animals are out there...there is no traffic...no noise...just peace and quiet and immediately you feel the stresses of life melt from your body!!

We got to the chalet, unpacked and then went to get Charcoal for the fire and the plan was then to go for a brief Game drive. Our Game drive began the minute we left our camp. Just round the corner we encountered a whole herd of Kudu on each side of the road. It was amazing. Right there! They even had new baby Kudu with them. On our Game drive we encountered Blue Wildebeest, Eland, Rooibuck, Impala, Blesbuck and Springbuck. We never saw Giraffe on that drive. We got back to camp and started the fire for the BBQ or as we say here in South Africa - the braai. The evening was absolute bliss and we even got to see the partial lunar eclipse! 

Tuesday morning we went for a long walk got back to the chalet, showered and had breakfast. I had a lot of work to do that day so while I worked, Angie just chilled. My sister, Rita,could only join us from Wednesday. So Tuesday was just a chill out day for Angie. 

Wednesday Rita joined us. We cycled through the bush late afternoon and again had a braai. Thursday we once again went for a long walk through the bush but possibly left it too late to really see any animals as we had slept late, it was mid morning by the time we got out. The animals were clearly already gone for their Siesta! Early afternoon we decided to go find Giraffe. Well, we did not have to go far. As we were about to drive off we saw them right there in our camp so we just got out and took some pics. What a graceful animal! I love them!! We then took a drive to the dam and just sat there on a bench and relaxed while watching some Zebra drinking water and some Stork catching fish. Late afternoon we cycled again. We did not even get to the pool. That is not such a huge issue as it is still too cold to swim right now!

Friday came and that was when reality hit me smack in the face! First thing this morning I get a warning message to becareful. A couple was hijacked in Bryanston, which is just "up the road" from me. The woman was rushed to hospital as her finger was bitten off for her wedding ring!!! Excuse my language here but FUCK man! Really?? What the fuck kind of person goes and bites a woman's finger off just so that he can get his filthy hands on her wedding ring? That is no "normal" human being!! I hate this place!! The people are just getting more and more violent. To take a life is just so simple for these perpetrators. It has gotten to the point where they kill for a cell phone! Then I hear some politician was shot in his home. Then I hear another's grandson was gunned down the night before in a drive by shooting. A young woman of 19 was found in a field with two bullet wounds in her head!! All this I hear in a space of not even one hour. Crikey Moses man! That is enough to just bring all the stress back again. This is my life! I don't even listen to the news anymore as I just cannot handle it all. I have to just look the other way - turn a blind eye and block my ears. I have to just get through each day and make the most of it. The scary thing is that the white people are the minority here in South Africa. There is nothing we can do to change any of this violence. Our pleas for peace and harmony have fallen on deaf ears....


The full moon just before the partial lunar eclipse

Angie in the Hammock

A Hyrax on the wall at our chalet

This Kudu decided to follow us back to the chalet on our walk

This little Mongoose was so cute lying right at our front door

The Giraffe right in our camp...so close I could almost touch him!

Rita on the left and Angie on the right

Zebra drinking water at the dam

A Stork fishing

Me feeding a carrot to the Kudu





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