As we past the front of the lodge, there on the other side of a low stone wall, really in the back of the garden, were five rhinoceros, renosters!!! Janita was at her camera bag in a jiffy. I practically ran to the cottage to gather my wits. The smiling face of our greeters merely smiled deeper and shuffled me on to the cottage. We stayed in a rondavel, a round thatch-roofed cottage built with wood, stone and slate. It is a typical style for lodges because it just exudes Africa, plus it is the best for keeping in or keeping out heat. It is also beautiful! The farm has 6 rhinoceros, down from at least 10 last year due to poachers. Rhinoceros are being slaughtered for their horns because it is believed the horn has medicinal properties. In Asia, it is believe to improve virility, cure cancer and a number of other health problems. Rhinoceros horn is made up of the same material as our fingernails. Chewing our nails is probably just as effective. But, the market is driven by greedy men. The problem now is that instead of just poaching for the horn, they are killing the animals to extinction to make the product priceless! South Africans are livid and are eager to prosecute harshly. Unfortunately, the poachers are difficult to catch, well armed with the highest technology to find the animals, and generally are very poor Africans that are hired by the really bad guys. Similar to the mafia, the big honchos rarely get caught. Ant's Nest has taken to feeding the rhinos morning and evening to keep them close by when they are the most vulnerable.
The afternoon was spent on a birdwatching bush walk, just Janita, Nick the fabulous guide and myself. We learned so much about the flora and fauna. Nick could identify animal tracks so expertly that he could determine the gender of the banded mongoose who had walked along the track. He told us about the Lion Ant, the African Gardenia, several very thorny bushes and many birds, mainly by their calls. We were both beside ourselves with happiness. I had so longed to be out in the bush, safely, since I first came to South Africa! That was 2007! The car or Land Rover had been too confining, not a way to really know Africa, her land, her smells, her sounds and shapes. We returned to the lodge, after the sundowner and rhino show, of course, full of sights, sounds and smells that I will never forget. At that point, both Janita and I were committed to taking the guide course that Nick had taken and be game guides right there. Well, at least the short version of 2 weeks. A year out in the bush camping every night might be hard on two 53 year olds. What the heck, I can start something new anytime!
The last of our adventures at Ant's Nest was still to come. That night, unfortunately our last there, we had to find where dinner would be served. As I left our rondavel in the dark, to my right I saw a flicker of light from a fire or flame. We discovered a stone wall encircling a private, firelit boma, open to the stars! There were oil lanterns, chairs in a half-circle around a huge blazing fire, a candlelit table set for all of us and an open fire with another beaming staff member grilling. Meat is an essential main event in every lunch and dinner in South Africa, be it beef, kudu, springbok, ostrich, mutton, chicken or eland. The boma kept us warm-ish. There were blankets on the back of each chair to help with that. No one wanted to leave that night, cherishing the company and the unique experience.
Our visit to Ant's Nest concluded with an energizing conversation with the owner, Tessa Baber, about the social and economic needs of the area. She was actively involved in the upliftment of Vaalwater and the neighboring settlements. We talked about efforts initiated and the unmet needs of the young adults who were floundering. We heard about the country's large problem of teenage pregnancy, potentially encouraged by the minimal subsidy the young mothers could get from the government each month. Minimal is an understatement. The bottom line was that basic skills were lacking; especially business, money management and the motivation or sense of the possible. Skills for Africa, where could we fit in? Here were active efforts and need for more in cultural, social and environmental areas! I was ready...
We lastly stopped at The Fold, a home for orphaned and "vulnerable" children. We brought a bag of clothes, school supplies and toys. There were about a eight kids there when we arrived who greeted us with a hug. I felt uncomfortable mainly because I didn't want to be the white lady who brought things for the needy black kids, but I was. Silly, sad. They posed for a picture each holding a donated item then sang a song, something about Jesus being King or the like. The Fold founders were very Christian and from Oklahoma.
From an unknown mountain area in the rural province of Limpopo, the Waterberg transformed in our minds to a vibrant, exciting and rich place to return to, possibly to settle?
HEy fabulous photos! Miss you both! Dont go settling anywhere yet! I still gotta see the slides from the last trip!
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