The park is separated into two main sections: one for herbivores like ostriches, kudus (which we've now spotted on safari and eaten at a restaurant), and zebras; one for the big cats and other carnivores. The lions didn't look like they were itchin' to go anywhere (lions sleep like 20 hours a day) but the cheetahs paced along the fence in the cage that they could have crossed in milliseconds at full stride. That made me a little sad. I've seen cheetahs on television, but didn't realize they were so large or looked so fast. Their legs look spring loaded at every point in their stride. Now that's power.
The highlight of Lion Park was that we did get a few minutes in an enclosure with lion cubs! Sidenote: "Simba" means lion in Swahili (Simba also has a brand of chips that features a Tony the Tiger-like mascot). They had semi-long shaggy hair and comparatively huge paws. I'm not sure how old they were, but they stood about two feet high on all fours. We didn't have that much time in the cage and the park makes no strong attempt to make the cage a learning experience for visitors. They ushered us in and out quickly, because about thirty noisy children were about to enter the cage for their turn (poor little lions). The enclosure had about six lion cubs, all around the same age biting and playing with each other while we pet them. They must've been annoyed by the people, and I did feel bad supporting the park that raises lions in captivity. But, I'm not sure of the circumstances of the lions and why they are there, and it was so freakin' cool!
I told my conscience that I'll only pay to perpetuate
lion cub captivity once, then it's cold turkey.
I could have spent all day with those lion cubs, but the school children coming up next were itching to stick gum in their fur and feed them crayons, so we left Lion Park and headed to Regina Mundi Church for our next stop. It appeared just as it was described in the guidebook. It's a powerful place and stands out not because of its opulence. The building is notably plain for a Catholic church (known for their big hats, fancy dresses, and general opulence). What does make it stick out is that it's one of the few large buildings--if not the largest--in the Soweto Township that is known for its shanties and poorer community (small houses, dirt roads, and corrugated metal shacks). We happened in on a choir giving a special performance for a tour group. So, we were allowed to stay for one song, and they were amazing. While I admittedly know very little about this place (need to do some research), I did learn that in Apartheid South Africa, the church served as a meeting place and staging area for the anti-apartheid movement headed by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu (who happens to be Anglican). The books said that there are still bullet holes in the walls and windows that clue visitors to the fact that police fired on the church when it was used as a hideout during the famous Soweto Student Uprising. I think we saw many of them, but since we were not on a guided tour, I can't say for sure. Regardless, the history of this building made it stunning and hearing the beautiful choral concert inside gave me chills.
I don't look happy, but I am. Video clip of choral
concert coming soon.
With that, the sun set sadly on our last full day in South Africa, so we headed home to prepare for our last fling, dinner with our liaison in South Africa, Warren. We headed to Carnival City, which lies just between Nigel and Jozi. Carnival City is a casino that looks like a huge circus tent and is operated by the same company that owns Sun City, so we knew some pomp and lavishness were in order. We met at a restaurant that had gone through a variety of name changes as a result of a combination of poor cell reception and misunderstanding Warren's South African accent. We asked around for "Sabbels," "Sebbles," "Saddles," and got lots of head shakes and confused looks.
Finally, we settled in at the country-western-themed Squires after that short adventure. Don't ask me how we went from Sabbels to Squires, but it happened. I ordered more castle beer in a last ditch attempt to get Tshabalala's player can. Again, I ended up without it, but I do have five or six other ones. We had a nice dinner with Warren, and delicious food. I ordered a juicy Jalapeño steak (they haven't gotten word from Spain or Latin America that you're not supposed to pronounce the hard 'J') which was more than enough. I think Rena and Tariq ordered the piece(s) de resistance though. Deep fried chicken breast stuffed with cheese and bacon. For desert we ordered a some delicious chocolate fudge cake, and Tariq and Rena ordered a double coronary bypass (which they apparently don't offer on-site).
Us with Warren, our host. Cool guy. Really helpful too except when
he tells us the name of the restaurant we're meeting at.
The time came to end our adventure, and when it was all over we headed home to give our vuvuzelas one last sad and fleeting toot before wrapping them with clothes to pack them safely away for our trip back to The States.
