Lion King Live! And No I'm Not Talking About Broadway!

After settling in and having our first real week of work, the weekend came quicker than expected. On Saturday, the whole crew packed into a van and headed north to Okapuka Game Reserve.  At the reserve, we all boarded ten person lifted jeeps painted to represent different African animals (i.e. zebra, cheetah, giraffe, etc). And off we went four wheeling into the open!

The tour started off with seeing some birds and plant life hear and there.  Boring. I wanted animals! Soon enough we saw springbok (think antelope) and oryx (think deer) prancing around giving me flashbacks of Bambi.  A little bit deeper into the trip we came across rhinos!! Five of them to be exact.  They came really close to the jeep, and at one point I was a bit scared to be so close to the edge!  But after a few seconds, we saw that they were friendly and harmless.  Our guide threw some rhino "chocolate" at them, which put them in an even friendlier mood.  Don't worry we didn't climb out of the jeep. Not far behind were a few warthogs who trotted past the rhinos. They are definitely ugly in real life.....sorry Pumbaa.

A little bit deeper into the trip we came across rhinos!!

Some of the cool animals to see were the wildebeasts.  We saw a large herd running in the distance.  They are quick, so it was really difficult to catch them on camera.  One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the giraffes, about 14 of them.  You could see their heads poking up from above the trees from quite a distance.  I find giraffes to be beautiful and elegant creatures.  Definitely a worthy animal.

We also saw crocodiles by the waterhole.  The beasts are huge and extra lazy if you ask me! Finally, we saw a lion and lioness get fed fresh oryx. It was actually pretty cool to see how ferociously the lions eat the meat.

Unfortunately, we didn't see zebras because they were hiding in the mountains.  Apparently, they only come down every once in a great while.  We also didn't see any cheetahs because they tend to stay really low in the tall grass.  I am still waiting to see one while we're on the road. Hopefully, I am in the safety of a vehicle if and when that time comes.

On Sunday, five of us went to a traditional Herero village about 1.5 hours away.  We had to wake up really early in the morning to bump along a gravel road in a campershelled pickup truck.  The Herero people are known for being cattle herders.  The women wear elaborate outfits with hats that look like horns. On the farm, we learned that the door of the main hut always faces the entrance to the cow pen.  If this doesn't symbolize the importance of the heffer, I don't know what does. We also were told that men look for women who are good cow milkers because it is a sign that they would make good wives.  Well go figure that there were four of us girls, and I was the only one who was able to milk the cow.  I was offered to be made secondwife of the homestead.  I think my facial reaction appropriately demonstrated my rejection to that idea.

After the cow milking, we all took turns drinking their traditional drink (aka sour milk covered in flies with a pinch of sugar).  Everyone passed this pitcher of curdled milk around taking turns trying it, while I lingered in the back praying to be invisible.  Unfortunately, I was not let off the hook and for the sake of not being rude I took the pitcher in my hands, swore under my breath, and took a sip.  Underneath my sunglasses, my eyes watered.  I coughed and then swallowed my early morning breakfast back down. By far the worst thing I have ever had to consume on any of my adventures. We also tasted homemade churned butter, which was not nearly as bad!

Finally, one of the last stops was crashing a Herero wedding.  It was a big outdoor campfest with people cheering as the bride and groom were being ushered into the car.  Weddings are three day events for the Herero people.  In addition, women usually come with a few cows, their little belongings, and a female companion to help for the first few weeks of transition.  The new wife is also supposed to spend a couple of weeks with the mother-in-law for "training." When she is ready, she is to join the man in the main hut to begin their new life or what I like to call, "the ball and chain." To top it off, if the woman wants out, her family has to pay something around 6 cows, and the wife has to endure the stigma of being a divorcee. Overall, the wedding looks like a good ho-down and reminds me a bit of a Mexican wedding out in the country.  I guess its a small world after all!