It’s catch up time for the journal. We’ve been busy and it’s been hectic around here. Emmett, Marsha, our friends from Colorado, and their crew arrived on Saturday and to judge by the preparations you would think it was a visit from the King. Marsha has become a close friend of Vanessa’s and is a big supporter of the Cheetah Centre and they always try to bring a group on their visits to Africa. There was a big dinner at the Lodge on Saturday complete with much drinking. It was great to see Marsha and Emmett and Neal and Louise are always wonderful. The rest of the folks are unaccustomed to this kind of travel and look at us as if we are some kind of gypsies with a death wish.
The group took the Centre tour on Sunday AM and we all went to Jo’burg in the afternoon to see the show ‘African Footprints,’ a wonderful tour de force of African culture and history.
Monday was another full day. First we trooped off to Parks’ school for the kick-off of the DeWildt Education Outreach program with Byron as the center of attention. Some of the Americans were concerned about traveling to poor area of South Africa but they relaxed when the kids we have been working with covered Connie and me with hugs. Then after a lunch prepared by the school, it was off to the Elephant Sanctuary, a hands-on meeting with African elephants. Most have been abused or traumatized (seeing their parents slaughtered and having part of their trunks cut off by snares are the most common) but now they are comfortable and trusting with humans. We touched, hugged, and otherwise bonded with, as Craig calls them, ‘little people in wrinkled, baggy suits’. He and Ann are doing a great thing and it was worth the $50 entry fee.
