The Adventure Continues by Cheri Roland

Semester break. I remember those with extreme fondness - uninterrupted sleep and interrupted routine, like good food, staying up late, and watching TV. Well, Doug and I just returned from our first semester break here at the seminary. And, yes, it was all I had remembered from years ago, except for the watching TV part. It was all I had hoped for and anticipated – and more. It was one big check mark on our bucket list – a true African Adventure.
Sunday AM we packed up and drove our little white (now tan) Toyota four+ hours up BIG hills and down, north along the coast, then west, to the premier provincial game reserve called Hluhluwe (pronounced “slu-slu–we”) - Imfolozi, two reserves joined at the hip. It was sort of like camping in a thatched hut with hot water and electricity, equipped kitchen, bamboo walls and stone floors. They call it “self- catering”. We even had a little deck out back, virtually at the forest’s edge, for our borrowed gas braai (barBQ) and critter-watching. The entire camp is “protected” by an electrified fence, which we saw several nyala leap over in a single bound… While we were moving in, a troop of inquisitive monkeys leapt through the surrounding trees, checking out these new Americans who were undoubtedly easy marks for snacks and fruit and overall fun. We were thrilled at their reception and our great photo opts, not realizing we were being set up…

FLASHBACK: Do you know about Flat Stanley?? Second graders at St. Mary’s have an annual project involving a little boy who has been squished under some unfortunate circumstances and rendered unable to locomote under his own power. So now he gets mailed to various places to have adventures. Our “adopted granddaughter”, Mary Grace, the cutest and smartest second grader ever, sent Flat Stanley, in his blue jumper (sweater) and yellow pants, to us for unequaled thrills and chills. We laminated him for posterity. He already was getting acclimated to this culture and begging for more. Particularly excited about this trip, we photographed him on our steering wheel (wrong side of course), as well as on the railing of our hut in the park. He absolutely loved those flying monkeys. He could even follow their route, crashing through the trees as they soared from one to another. What could be more fun?
So we now return to our story.
Monday morn started at “O-dark-thirty”. We, Doug and Flat Stanley and I, hustled to be at the main building by 4:50, forgetting to bring the ticket for the game drive. Doug hurried back to our hut and returned, huffing and puffing, before hopping into the canvas topped, open air bush vehicle. We had a thrilling quiet, slow bumping ride around this huge reserve for three hours, seeing animals we thought only lived at Busch Gardens or the zoo. (Check out the photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067458&id=1011247864&l=ab592b44dd ) BUT, when we stopped mid-way for tea and biscuits- only proper, don’t you know - Flat Stanley was NOWHERE to be found! Oh horrors of horrors! What kind of grandparents can loose thelaminated child lovingly entrusted to their care???
This really weighed on us, as you can imagine. Our game drive mates were upset, too. Upon our return to camp, we scoured every path, vehicle, trash bin, and nook and cranny in our hut. We quickly informed the authorities. Word spread through the compound like wildfire, but that’s another story. Everyone was on the lookout for little flat American boy, notable since we were the only Americans there.
Dejected and heartsick, we sat on our deck to mourn our loss. Absentmindedly looking up, I thought I saw a flash of blue and yellow in the trees. I consulted our bird recognition page. It didn’t show that particular combination...
Then we heard them. The monkeys! The surrounding trees were full of them. And they were absolutely laughing at us! We looked at each other. Incredible! The nerve of them!!
In retrospect, what could be more exciting for Flat Stanley than swinging through the trees with his own troop of marauding pals, every branch a new vista, a new adventure? I guess it is a happy ending, after all.