During my last trip, it became a wonderful animal adventure. I finally took the time to see some big game. It is usually the objective for the traveller to Africa to see the Big 5: Lion, African Elephant, African Buffalo, Black or White Rhinoceros, and Leopard. These Big 5 are not the biggest necessarily (although they are quite big), but are the most valuable game for hunters because they pose the greatest challenge to hunt. Many of the big 5 are endangered or protected species now so mostly shot by the cameras of the tourist. Unfortunately, senseless poaching and killing of these and other magnificent African fauna still occur. I was able to see 3 of the 5 during my month long safari: Elephant, Buffalo, and White (& Black) Rhino.
They didn't make the list, but two of my favorite animals were the hippos and giraffes. The hippos may seem cute, but they are ferocious causing many more deaths by unwary travellers then the members of the Big 5. The hippos I observed at Lake Naivasha in Kenya and in Swaziland. In addition, I tracked down the warthog and family, white rhino, zebra, impala, heron, and other birdies.
Now my excursion over the borders of Mozambique to Swaziland was quite an adventure into the wilderness. Swazi is so small that it would take about 45 min to cross the entire country, but it has great heart. It is a kingdom and more than 80% of the population is Swazi. They have wonderful game parks and the culture is rich in the area. Tragically, Swazi with all its natural beauty is being hard hit by HIV/AIDS with 40% of the population infected. This statistic is the highest in the world. But the statistic in reality means that when you look upon a Swazi, he or she probably has HIV. What I always find heartening, is that surrounded by hardship whether sickness or poverty, there is still survival and there is still laughter in their lives. Through African eyes I have felt the strength and tenacity of the human spirit. If one can smile in a place where only tears should be, I have no cause to cry in the face of my complaints.
My reason for visiting this new place on the map for me was to go to Mkhaya game reserve that was a private reserve that housed endangered animals. It was definitely a back to nature experience with a luxury edge. There were no cats but plenty of other beautiful wildlife to see. Once you entered the reserve, you were taken to the camp which was about 20-30 min ride into the bush. At the camp, I was ushered down dark paths to my cottage which could best be described as a stone gazebo with a thatched roof. Literally, there were no real walls or windows. When you sat on the toilet you saw Mother Nature staring back at you. 
Lovely. The beds did have nets to keep out the little buzzing critters and a gate to keep out warthogs. None of the dangerous animals came to the camp though, which was good. You were aroused from your sleep at 5 a.m. each morning by a Swazi with a tray of coffee, tea and a bit of morsel on her head. There were three rides during the day to see the animals: morning, midday walking tour, and just before dark. I met some other travellers including two pediatricians from Ohio who were doing a 2 month internship in Swazi. They were fun. The meals were delicious and quite decadent. This would definitely be a must do if you are in the area.
Lovely. The beds did have nets to keep out the little buzzing critters and a gate to keep out warthogs. None of the dangerous animals came to the camp though, which was good. You were aroused from your sleep at 5 a.m. each morning by a Swazi with a tray of coffee, tea and a bit of morsel on her head. There were three rides during the day to see the animals: morning, midday walking tour, and just before dark. I met some other travellers including two pediatricians from Ohio who were doing a 2 month internship in Swazi. They were fun. The meals were delicious and quite decadent. This would definitely be a must do if you are in the area. On one of these trips though, I must check out the cats. Until next time, remember that you are only limited by you. 
My first stop was my beloved Kenya well known for the Maasai—a semi-nomadic tribe found in various parts of Africa--and the Masai Mara—the vast park reserve in the Great Rift Valley where lions, elephants, hippos, giraffe, zebra, impala, and many others can be found (I will show big game in African Safari Part 2). 
The Masai people have become the well known and easily recognizable face of Kenya for they are a tribe that has shunned the garments of Westernization and worked diligently to preserve its culture. It is said that a Maasai that does venture into the more western sector of society will remain quintessentially a Maasai—with the same customs, minds, and behaviors of their ancestors. The Masai are a remarkable people with many stories circulating about their abilities in the bush including one traveler’s account of the Masai passing near lions with no fear and the lions giving them the respect of not eating him alive. 
It has come to my attention that the cute and adorable hippos are considered the most dangerous of African animals (if you don’t count the mosquito who I would not term an animal). It seems more people die from the hippo than from other animals like the crocodile or rhino or elephant. The hippo doesn’t even eat you since it is an herbivore but its massive jaws and body for that manner just can do you in one quick motion. 
Speaking of trauma, I did get a chance to visit my surgeon friend who specializes in trauma at the Kijabe Mission. The mission sits within the rift valley and provides health care to people that would not have access to healthcare otherwise. When you take the drive from the main road to get there, you really can appreciate the blessing the health facility must be for the people in the area. They would literally have to travel over and under and through the “woods” to get to any type of health provider. 
The reason for the title “naming names” relates to mini investigation I conducted in Kenya and Uganda related to how persons are named. In Kenya, there were names that I would see repeatedly and I first I wondered if persons were related. This was not the case. A common name is structured such that you have the first name, the middle name, and the surname/last name. The first name is usually a Christian name like John, Susan, Joseph, Amos, etc. The middle name can relate to the time one was born (morning, after lunch, evening, night), season of the year, or based on grandparents names. The surname comes from the father’s middle name and can be the full middle name or a part of the middle name. In the Luo culture (the tribe Obama descends from), the following names are used for girls and just add an “O” instead of an “A” for boys based on time or weather conditions at birth—what would your name be:
In Uganda, naming was done a little differently. The surname is written first and the surname is not the surname of your father or even your mother. The surname is based on region that the person is from whether northern, southern, central, western, or eastern part of Uganda. The first name as in Kenya is usually the Christian name. The grandparents play a large part in naming a child. I found it quite impossible to determine relationships by just peoples’ names.
In addition, I received a complimentary upgrade to world traveller plus on British Airways for transit from D.C. to London. I love the Brits and their airline--it is one of my favorites although navigating through Heathrow airport can be a bear. On my flight from London to Nairobi on Kenya Airways, there were hardly any passengers so I had three chairs all to myself--and being the petite one that I am, it was quite easy to lay out. It was the morning flight, but I heard from the agent that the afternoon flight is much more crowded for those thinking of travelling in the future. Kenya Airways is another airline that is not too bad and does give you a little more room in economy than some of the others. 
The prawns are fantastic and the people are welcoming. The country is making great steps in development and a South African I met in the travel industry said that Mozambique may surpass South Africa in tourism. 
Here are the highlights from my first visit to Manhica, Mozambique about 1 hour and 20 min from the capital Maputo's airport:
To obtain a better shot I moved closer onto a grassy ledge. Hearing something behind me, I turned around and saw a young man about 6 feet away saying something in Portuguese or maybe Shangaan. I gave him quite a quizzical look and indicated I didn't understand. He then moved to remove his penis from his pants and wave it at me. To this I was quite taken aback and firmly said "Nao...Nao...Nao!" He then shrugged and walked away. I am thinking he was asking for sexual favors and saw a young woman and thought he would give it a try. It was just fortunate that he turned away because I was debating what to do. Travelling alone as a woman is quite different and we have to take more precautions than men. It is not a gender equal world. A bit of advice: A friend of mine said that she watched a show with a prominent doctor that indicated that if you are attacked by a man to grab him firmly by the testicles and yank with all your might. It will instantly paralyze him. 
CISM was set up by researchers from Spain about 7 years ago and works to not only create a quality center to conduct research, but provides health care to the largest district hospital and trains locals to take on various leadership positions. 
It was smooth although the you must pass a lot which can be tricky. When I reached Beline, it was paradise on earth. It is a lagoon and I stayed at a lodge where you took a speed boat across the water. 
The lodge consisted of little cottages which were divine. 
In the morning after sunrise (which I missed since it was at 4:30 a.m. in the morning), I took at 20 min walk to the Indian Ocean where there was a beach undisturbed with crabs at play in the waves.
It was a restful and lovely time and a wonderful gift. Interestingly, this was not the best beach. There is still much to see. 
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