A long overdue thanks to our first visitor: Armand's sister, Rachel. A fortunate combination of expiring vacation time and our move to the new house meant that Rachel had a really good trip to Swaziland. And although we don't typically wear helmets around each other, they are required for zip-lining in Malalotja Forest, a lush green reserve about 30 minutes outside Mbabane.Although Rachel was only here for a week, her time was filled with visits to handicraft markets, good meals, day trips around Swaziland, and a few nights in Kruger.
After a brief drive into Malalotja Forest and a short walk to the first platform -- the pleasantness of the hike briefly interrupted by a half-coiled puff adder choking a frog down its throat -- we were off. Rachel, the experienced zip-liner, merrily took to the lines. Informed by the instructors that if I pulled on the line too much to brake I would lose momentum and have to pull myself, hand over hand, to the other side, I quickly developed a penchant for lightening fast approaches to the small wooden platforms bolted to the other side of this gorgeous canyon.
The lines, about a dozen in all, crisscrossed the forest with a stunning river flowing about 100m below. The views were gorgeous, and save for a wobbly suspension bridge that felt completely unfit for taller people with high centers of gravity (like me), it was a blast.
The afternoon of Rachel's arrival, though, we started with animals. One of our favorite parks, and Swaziland's first nature reserve, is tucked between the airport and our house. We drove the dirt roads, spotting wildebeest and impala, warthogs and crocodiles, as they searched for shade on an unusually hot day. We also came upon this amazing hippo-out-of-the-water sighting. My limited understanding is that hippos stay in the water because of sun sensitivity, and I've never really seen them laying out like this midday. The luckier sighting would have been watching them climb onto their tiny island perch, but all told this wasn't a half-bad consolation prize.
Our three days in Kruger was the place for animal sightings, however. Within minutes of entering the gates we'd spotted giraffe searching for food and elephants in the distance. The rains hadn't come in full and it seemed that the scarcity of food drove animals to the rivers and watering holes throughout the park.
The elephants were too numerous to count. And while the rhinos kept more of a distance, the elephants often strayed close to the roads and dirt paths, adding a real intensity to our daily sightings.
Rachel, a nocturnal creature if ever there was one, also pushed to go on a night drive. Although I was a bit reticent -- it seemed invasive to shine bright lights on animals -- I was probably a bit too skeptical. Many animals don't come out, or really move around, until night falls. And it's peaceful to be out in the park, after everyone else has settled in for the night and non-park vehicles are prohibited from driving the roads. We didn't encounter another car for the 3 hours we were out and we saw things we wouldn't otherwise have been able to: several hyenas on the prowl, an African wild cat, hippos out of the water looking for food, and some rodent-sized kangaroo-like creatures, hoping around in small groups. Nothing photographed well, save for this owl, perched on a bridge high above the Olifants River.
Our closest encounter was saved for the last day, though. As we made our way through the middle of the park, two lions rested along the side of the road, largely ignoring our car and the few others that passed by. We turned off the engine and spent a long while sitting there, within feet of these very sleepy cats. It was spectacular. Those paws are like baseball bats.
Back in Swaziland, Sarah, still studying for the Boards and unable to go on a lot of these trips, searched for a proper send-off. She quickly plucked mulberries from our tree and strawberries from the garden, putting together this impressive tart.
Rachel made it happen. She got to Swaziland first and we couldn't have been happier to have her. It was all the better in our new house and with so many places to explore, new to both her and us.
