Page 14 - Pierce County Lawyer - May June 2024

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Travel
14 PIERCE COUNTY LAWYER | May/June 2024
A South African Adventure
By Sarah Richardson
When my dad asked my husband and me if we wanted to go on a bird watching trip with him to South Africa, we immediately said yes, despite knowing his penchant for cheap lodgings and monomania for birds. Except for one spa massage, this was not going to be a vacation by our definition, but we knew it would be an adventure.
The trip was through a tour company that specifically caters to birders. Two retired Canadians were the only others in our group, besides a British guide who’d been to SA more than 20 times. We all met in a swanky airport hotel in Johannesburg on September 2nd, the evening that Keith and I arrived after more than 20 hours of flying. We stayed the next day mostly in the hotel after being warned not
to travel into the city. It was disappointing, but our trip preparation consistently advised us to heed local safety warnings.
We briefly walked a few residential blocks around our hotel.
The hotel had several gates and guards, and every house in the neighborhood, though small and ordinary, was surrounded by a tall fence or wall. Many also had surveillance cameras and bars on the windows. This level of security turned out to be norm throughout most of the country, even in remote areas. Dad was thrilled to spot a ‘life bird’ for him, the pinnacle of birding success, but we kept the stroll brief because of heavy air pollution and safety concerns. Once back at the hotel I took advantage of the favorable dollar to rand exchange rate for an excellent 2-hour massage for $40.00. Thus the magic of South Africa began.
Dad had arrived a few days earlier than we did, to visit Kruger National Park. He took several van trips with tourists to see lions, elephants, giraffe, water buffalo and more. These are wild animals protected by the park and watering holes are kept filled for them. Dad was mildly annoyed that no one else was interested in birds, but he still recommends visiting the parks. He spent time talking
with the local driver, who confirmed that racism against black residents is still very prevalent. We noticed that immediately and continuously on the trip, despite anti-apartheid signs and messages posted throughout the country.
They also discussed South Africa’s politics and economy. SA suffers from a failing electrical grid, which causes both scheduled and unscheduled power failures (called “load shedding”), multiple times a day. The old infrastructure can’t keep up with the needs of the country. According to the driver and others, government corruption and graft is to blame. The load shedding disproportionately impacts lower economic groups, many of whom are black, because of historical apartheid and colonialism. The intentional outages are pre-determined and only the wealthier residents can afford back-up generators. Neighborhoods, schools and jobs seemed to be largely segregated by color to the extent we could see.
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