Foto

This photo was taken at a picnic area in Mlilwane Nature reserve in the Ezulwini Valley. My husband daughter and I had just been standing at the short rock wall pictured here and we saw nothing but warthogs and a pond. So we sat down for lunch.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a huge school bus rolled up and no fewer than 50 teenagers piled off in maroon school uniforms and bounced up to the rock wall. Then they just stood there for quite some time. Finally I wondered what could be so interesting that 50 teenagers would stand still for so long. I crawled up on the rock wall and looked down on them. This is what they were all entranced by - Africa's deadliest beast, the hippo. The students seemed to be aware of this and when the thing snorted they all backed away. After observing the hippo for over a quarter of an hour they all piled back on the bus and disappeared in a cloud of dust. We never saw the bus again while we were in the park. I have no idea how they knew where to show up and at what time to see the hippo, but they certainly saw it.

Technically speaking, I know this isn't the best picture, but as a teacher, I love the fact that in Europe we take kids to the zoo, in Africa, they take kids to see the real thing.