Last day at Zulu Nyala

(TOM) Today was our last day at Zulu Nyala. So, of course, we spent most of it at Hluhluwe (shloo-shloo-ee), a major game reserve nearby, just to see another experience. Wow was that a mistake. Not only is Zulu Nyala, I think, much more beautiful, and has a higher concentration of animals, but it really made us realize just how amazing Pen is. Not only is he very knowledgable of all the animals and plants, their scientific names and history and growth and life cycles, their relationship to other plants and animals, but he also knows and loves the folklore around many of the loacl plants and animals. About the way Hippos swish their tails like windshield wipers on highest speed when they poop because they made a deal with God to not eat the fish in the waterholes they stay in and God wanted proof so made them spread their poop around to prove there are no fish bones in their poop. On top of all that, he is a genuine and warm person. He is very thoughtful, works very hard to be better at his craft, and is just a pleasure to be around. Pen is only 33, but he is a very old soul; very grounded, very focused on things that matter, and very wise for his age. We will miss him very much. We will also miss the Mays; Danny, Lisa, and Jess (ie) (ica) (you can pick which you want to call her). They were at our table the first night and have been on every game drive with us at Zulu Nyala and every dinner since. They have also come along to every day trip we've taken. Like most people, I suppose, they are very different in some ways (i.e. I'm sure Danny will get a "NoBomma" bumper sticker for his car as soon as he gets home), and in other ways very similar (humor, relatives, etc.). Mostly they are just fun folks. They live in Florida and in North Carolina. I'm sure we'll see them again after tomorrow. So, our last day. We went to Hluhluwe and saw nothing while with the ranger, then as soon as we got in our car (a tiny Toyota) we saw two rhinos only about 5 meters from our car, crossing the street. Really, I couldn't use my zoom lens. It was a little tense, especially considering how anxious Pen gets whenever we've been near the dominant bull at Zulu Nyala. But I'm glad to say I won't need to use the very expensive extra car insurance I am paying for. Then, we came back to Zulu Nyala for one last drive with Pen. He had been out all day tracking the elephants, finding fresh poop (he is really quite smart about poop and tracking), etc. and getting their general location. He also got some appetizers and a bottle of wine, and was ready to show us the elephants and an amazing sunset. Needless to say he tracked down both. It was perfect. At the end, he even let us all get out of the truck for one group Photo. We're about to go to dinner, and Pen is going to join us, which he has not done yet because he likes going home to his family every night (and his soccer matches as well). As we leave tomorrow for our time volunteering in the Zulu village of Impendle, his insights and tips have been helpful. He promised to tell me more this evening. he is very proud of his heritage, religion, and culture. Not in an arrogant way, but in the quite way that immediately demands respect. He reminds me of my father-in-law, Fred in that way. So, we may have time to post once more in the morning, but honestly, this is likely the last post we will make for 6 days while we are in Impendle, as there is very little electricity, and no Internet access. Our next phase is about to start, and it is going to be a major shift from private game reserve resort, to living in a traditional Zulu village home and working very hard. It has been an amazing time at Zulu Nyala. It has been more full, more awe inspiring, and more beautiful than I thought possible. My time with Miranda has been terrific. She's a great kid, and so smart and worldly. But even for her, Impendle is going to be a challenge. I think I'll let her have 2 desserts tonight...