Nakuru National Park

We were privileged to see  10 different white rhinos in the Park. Poaching is rampant in Kenya as in the rest of Africa. Over 3500 elephants were murdered for their tusks and a rhino was poached in Nairobi Game Park just the other day. The cowards Maine the animal enough to bring it down so that they can cut the tusks or horns off. The animal often drags itself quite large distances to die a slow terrible death.
In the OlSeki conservancy in Masai Mara we witnessed a group of female and baby elephants mourning at the bones of a large elephant, perhaps their mother. The elephants gently stroked the bones with their trunks; they looked so sad.
If only the Chinese purchasers of ivory and rhino horn could be dissuaded off their passion for these animal parts the entire revolting trade would cease.

Arrive in Jo/burg

One moment a skinny tiny little African bloke painted up as a clown is juggling and dancing in front of the car at a 'robot', the next two white boys ultra trendy, 'with it' clowns come mincing and flirting along the road. A white old boy off on his bicycle, all different ethniticities buying gourmet bread.

Driving around Johannesburg is also all to do with contrast. You drive down roads like huge arbours with superbly lush gardens, a golf course and wonderful landscapes with gems of Cape Dutch style do modern movement houses tucked in behind 3 meter high walls with 8 strand electrics and razor wire. Then you are between crumbling concrete and render buildings lots of white burglar proofing grills, milling people and bicycles. All oriental suddenly; the Chinese Cyrildene ex Jewish area; sprawling around the old synagogue.

For lunch you would have sworn that we were in any sophisticated, high octane, fun gathering of the young and beautiful; white people. Parkhurst is nestled safely between suburbs and therefore the young white kids can safely gather in funky restaurants and shop in creative boutiques. Everyone a personal fashion statement accessorised with tats, that is the males - South African women would never allow themselves to become Bogons. In fact the number of amazingly skinny females with of course the maddest highest shoes was quite astonishing. Interestingly, it would seem that anorexia is still a hush, hush subject here, never to be spoken. One would not go near discussing the possibility of it affecting anyone you know for fear of great offence.

Hi

Here we are with our very own blog, where we can rabbit on, enjoy private jokes, philosophise, pontificate, all in the safe knowledge that nobody else will ever bother to read it!
Still it will be a relief to actually put my "gems" into writing and to have a record of special situations, places, spaces,  world /city /land scapes, animals, people etc.