South Africa (Johannesburg, Ukutula Game Reserve)

I survived South Africa!

First, on August 20, I flew into Johannesburg, via Kampala (Entebbe) and Nairobi, starting in the middle of the night, and over a period of 15 hours. Pretty exhausting! Flying from Kigali to Johannesburg nonstop normally takes about 3½ hours, but of course this is the more expensive option. Have to watch that budget!

Anyway, upon landing I noticed how cold Johannesburg was. Daytime temperatures were between 10 and 15 degrees (Celsius), something unheard of in Kigali. South Africa is coming out of winter and entering spring. And of course, I had no jacket, no sweater. (All of my cold weather clothing is in the U.S.)

I was picked up by Patrick, a Rwandan brother who used to be in our congregation, and two other brothers who had just finished the last day of their regional convention. I was then dropped off at the flat where I was to stay for the next few days. This two-bedroom flat is occupied by Patrick's younger brother Colin as well as five Congolese guys (all Witnesses), most of whom are students at the University of Johannesburg. The university is conveniently across the street, but there are other areas of the campus further away.

Patrick and I went to town one day and looked around. Johannesburg is just a big city, in fact, the financial capital of South Africa, and not much to see from a tourist's point of view, so my main objectives were essentially to (1) change money, (2) buy a South African SIM card and a memory card for my new smartphone, and (3) avoid getting kidnapped. Ha! Just joking, although Johannesburg, despite having the reputation for being the carjacking capital of the world, is probably no worse than any other major city; you just have to be careful at all times.

Though my flatmates were pretty busy most of the time with their studies, we did spend some time in the evenings, talking as well as eating fufu and whole fried fish with tomato sauce. Though the Congolese are not particularly enamored of Johannesburg, they seemed to have adjusted to the lifestyle and the cold weather, and certainly the economic opportunities are much better in South Africa than in their native country.

On August 23, I hired an Uber car to get to Cedar Lodge, where I was to meet my American friend Jerry and his wife and two daughters, who had just come from the Mozambique branch dedication. Also in our group were another couple from the U.S. and a couple from Mozambique Bethel. Between the two nights of our stay at Cedar Lodge, we planned a visit to the South Africa branch. (Though I visited the branch 10 years ago, much of it has completely changed; in fact, they just had a dedication in April due to the enlarged printery.)

Sound wave of the name "Jehovah" spoken in English (wall decoration)

We met one of the animators of the Caleb/Sophia videos. He is originally from South Africa, served in Patterson for a year along with his wife, and then returned to South Africa after they had a child. He gave up a well-paying job and took up farming (something he never dreamed of doing) as part-time work to support his family while commuting to Bethel as an animator. What we didn't realize is that no one animator works on an entire video, because it would take too long and we wouldn't be getting the videos as quickly. Instead, each animator, wherever in the world, is assigned a small fraction of a video. Then, all the parts are put together to create the final product.

I must say, the South Africa Bethel tour is seriously high-tech, with all kinds of videos in multiple languages and hands-on displays, not to mention the elevated, window views of the printery, shipping, and laundry departments. I haven't yet been to Warwick (but probably next year), so the big question is, how does the U.S. Bethel tour compare?

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On August 25, we headed for Ukutula Game Reserve and Lion Park, northwest of Pretoria, where you can see lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and other animals. What an amazing experience! This reserve, interestingly enough, is owned by a Witness family, consisting of a couple and their grown children. They explicitly state that the reserve does not approve of hunting. It has been established for conservation and research purposes. There is a laboratory in the Conservation Center where research is done and biological samples stored for study and testing.

Our guide said that in the past, maybe 50-100 years ago, 70% of lions were killed by hunters. Nowadays, 70% of lions are dying of a disease called "bovine tuberculosis (TB)."
It afflicts cows, which then transmit the TB to other animals. There are only three kinds of animals that are immune to bovine TB, one of which is the hyena. (Hyenas can eat virtually anything and never get sick. How is this possible?) So, research is underway to determine how to create a vaccine that will save lions in the wild.

What is really unforgettable at the reserve, however, is the activity known as "Walking With Lions." Twice a day they take four male lions out for a walk (like you might do with your dog, sort of). It takes about an hour, and on the way the lions get to take a drink and also get fed dead chickens, which they can swallow in one gulp even while perched in a tree!

As tourists, we get to walk with them, only a few meters behind! The guides give you a stick and add that if you place it in front of you with one end on the ground, the lions know they are not to cross it. By the way, these lions are only 2-3 years old; once they pass that age, you can't walk with them anymore. And in the wild, the stick trick doesn't work, unfortunately.

So, how often in your life do you get a chance to have your picture taken with lions in the background? No barriers, no fences, nothing to keep you from being their next meal. OK, it's a bit scary at first, but these guides seem to have everything under control, and they boast of never having had any casualties. Yes, it was a small taste of paradise!

We were also able to get up close to four lion cubs, yes, even to pet them!

And yes, even, pet cheetahs!

By the way, there are two male cheetahs they allow you to touch. (And they are very specific about where you can touch them: head is OK, back is OK, but not the underside.) One of them is named Fast and the other is Furious. Between the two, Furious (the one in the video) has the nicer disposition, according to our guide.

Did you know there are only about 5,000 cheetahs left in the world?

So I would highly recommend visiting this game reserve. By the way, if you are a pioneer, they give you a 50% discount!

Next up: Durban, South Africa