Victory Lap

The next day we were all suffering from truck lag. This is a terrible manifestation of sleep deprivation which causes one to wake up at an ungodly hour as a result of having done it repeatedly even though there is nothing to do. We had great breakfasts and then vegged for a couple of hours. The internet connection at the hotel actually worked, and there was a lot of catching up. Eventually we went to the center of civilization in Harare, the Sam Levy Shopping Center, and bought all of the things we had missed over the prior two weeks. I learned something about crime control there. The security guards in the parking lots had been complaining that they couldn't see the bad guys over the cars.The obvious solution, build guard towers around the lot. Can you imagine this at Short Hills Mall. Anyway apparently it works.We were told definitively that the thieves are all gone.




That evening was the cocktail party and fund raiser. We all were dressed to the nines in clean t-shirts and went to the event in our new limousine, Peter's truck. What a scene. A few of the new fire engines ringed the garden, and a huge screen had been set up to show photographs of the trip. We even had the fortune to poise with Jarrett and the chief holding a banner for the Nephritis Foundation
 

There were a lot of people there including the mayor, the ex-mayor, the fire chief and a group of the local firemen and women, a number of cabinet ministers and the assorted hoi poloi.

After some warm introductions, Henry related his experiences on 9/11. I have to admit that while I do get emotional about that day his story is absolutely remarkable, and totally mesmerized the crowd. It was an education and revelation for everyone, and I suspect will be retold for a long time to come. Thank you for Henry for all you did and for sharing it with us.



The next day we  relaxed for a while but in the afternoon we went to visit Roxy and Craig at their remarkable rescue sanctuary. It is a place called Wild is Life, (http://www.wildislife.com/) and is just extraordinary. Please have a look at their web site to understand the work that they are doing. We were met as usual by a couple of cheetah and then wandered through to the main lawns. The herd has certainly grown. Pickles, the warthog came out to greet us. Who knew that warthogs like to have their bellies scratched, and will gladly kiss you for doing it?

The giraffe herd has grown to five and there are lots of kudu, a grumpy ostrich who intimidated the sable, and the pride of lions is still breathtaking. When they grunt at you they mean it. There is even a pangolin there and this is in itself extraordinary because of their scarcity. It is a Cape scaly anteater and is endangered because its scales which are made of the same substance as rhino horn, are coveted for the same bullshit reason. Apparently the Chinese are behind the trade in the scales, much as they back the poaching of rhino for their horns for its aphrodisiac power. The result is that this is now a very endangered species, and even seeing one is a treat.

Clearly though the highlight of the day was Moyo. This little fellow is just a few months old and is absolutely the cutest elephant I have ever seen. He is friendly and behaves like a puppy, except he weighs over 300 lbs. He gave me the most unique birthday kiss ever, planting the tip of a very wet trunk firmly over my nose and mouth, and sniffing me carefully. After lots of oohing and aahing, his handler led him away for dinner and then bedtime.

We also settled in to a lot of wonderful food, a lot of alcohol, and other intoxicants. Jarrett even made sure that the baby giraffe was well fed.










A little later in the evening, Craig took Jackie and me to see Moyo sleeping. Its quite an arrangement. Moyo has a large mattress which is on the floor in the center of the room. (He outgrew the old one and his handler wrote a note asking for a replacement because he was being shoved out of the bed by the little fella). He has a blankie and sleeps with his handler. On the bunk-bed to the right sleeps Pickles ( on the lower bunk) and in the corner is the dog who is really Moyo's best friend. If it sounds like a fairy story it probably is. Apparently the BBC is making a mini-series about the group.

Eventually the whole evening was winding down and out came my birthday cake. Great cake, made even better by the two "exotic dancers" who accompanied it. Charming young ladies who danced very well and weren't scared of mosquitoes biting them on bare skin. What a finale. Needless to say we stayed for an extra while ( some longer than others) and then made our way back to our accommodations. ( No, there are no pictures of the ladies!) 

We got up in the morning feeling a little melancholy. Time to go back to the real world. Most of us had different travel plans and so to put a final bow on the trip, we went to the Harare central fire station to see how our trusty steeds of the past two weeks were being treated. It was really well. The guys had out in the main yard and were examining the various pieces of equipment and getting the trucks ready for use on center stage. Lots of care, enthusiasm, pride, curiosity and a huge amount of gratitude.

                     
So thank you to all who made this great trip possible. Peter, it was an amazing journey in many respects. We made new friends, had wonderful experiences, ( some good, some not so), learned a lot, maybe taught each other a little, and did some good for a country that needs all the help it can get