Legacy

Every two years a group of Rhodes scholars get together and organize a trip to South Africa over the spring holiday. It's a chance to recharge in the sunlight after a long, dreary winter in Oxford, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to learn more about the region where Cecil Rhodes made his wealth and think about the problems imperialism left in its wake. This year we had about a dozen scholars signed up to go and an action-packed two week itinerary.

We flew into Johannesburg airport and immediately piled into a minibus for the six hour drive to Kruger National Park, a six million acre game reserve where we would be spending our first four days. I'm a big fan of car trips. It's probably a survival adaptation I developed as a child when my parents piled us into a hideous purple Econoline van every summer for multiple-day treks from St. Paul to San Diego or St. Paul to Hilton Head. One year when they were feeling particularly bold, we drove coast to coast from South Carolina to California. I've never been able to play I-spy since. Team van rides up and down the California coast are also some of my favorite memories from water polo, particularly an all night drive from San Jose during the 2003 wild fires, but that is a separate story. Anyway, our ride across the grasslands of South Africa didn't disappoint. It was a great way to get to know everyone a bit better and our conversations ranged from the pedagogical weaknesses of Oxford to gardening and foreign service careers. 

We arrived at Kruger just before they locked the gates for the evening. Large sections of the park are fenced off to keep the rhinos from wandering into local towns and to keep tourists to trying to sneak in to steal a peek at the lions during the night. During the days cars can drive all over the paved roads but you aren't allowed out of your car unless you are in one of the gated campsites.  Apparently one too many Kodac-happy visitor got munched by a lion. 

Our timing couldn't have been better. The day was finally cooling down and the sun was beginning to set. Almost immediately we spied zebras hiding in the bushes. Then another mile on there was an elephant casually ambling along the side of the road like a hitchhiker looking for a ride. Unfortunately, we didn't have room. We saw a rhinoceros and baby rhino grazing in a creek bred and then practically hit three bison as the sauntered across the road. I guess they don't take J-walking very seriously in Kruger. 

It is incredible to be surrounded by so much open space. I forget how cloying Oxford is. Here there is bush as far as the eye can see and the sun set in an explosion of burnt orange splashes against a backdrop of lonely trees flecking the horizon.

We stayed at the house of one of the South African's friends, who is the doctor at Skukuza, the largest camp in Kruger. It had a sprawling backyard with a massive deck and fire pit that opened up onto a river. It was too late to see anything when we arrived but Lyle assured us that it is usually teeming with hippos and crocs. After everyone settled in we had a braai (South African style BBQ- I can't really say how it is unique except that they use link sausages curled up in tight spirals). Grilled meat was an amazing change after all the roasts in England. We all went to bed with high hopes for the adventures that lay in store for us.