While it sounded horrendously inappropriate when he first used it, Christie and I ultimately decided that it was an apt description. If I'm frank, it was one of the points of the trip. We live in a very homogenous mountain community and I was excited to expose him to another culture and have him observe how people look, dress and live in other areas. So it seemed counterproductive to bring him for that purpose and then discourage good questions he had about differences he saw because they suddenly seemed uncomfortable when actually vocalized. Q: Who carries more guns (a question that grew from having seen a number of soldiers in public with big guns)? A: People of all skin colors carry guns. Q: Who runs fastest? A: Well, the reality is that guys with light skin are the minority in a 100 meter dash final at the Olympics, but I don't really know why. (That one undermined my message of sameness and made me wonder if the trip was actually introducing Dez to concepts of race and racial differences rather than the opposite.)
The challenge of essentially introducing concepts of race at the same time of trying to teach that they don't matter or are arbitrary distinctions was especially evident when I tried to give him a great pep talk on how everyone's the same on the inside no matter what they look like on the outside. He looked at me like I was insane and said that he totally disagreed and that he and his friends are very different from one another and not the same at all. (He gave the example of one friend who gets mad more quickly than other kids, to which I was inclined to suggest that it was the Italian in him, but that seemed like it would be a bit counter to my message.)
Interestingly, Christie and I ended up on human safari of our own observing tourists in other jeeps. As quick context, the South Luangwa National Park is a protected area with some lodges inside of it and others just outside the main entrance. The lodge we went to, Chichele, is a former presidential retreat now run by Sanctuary Retreats, a management group overseeing luxury properties with an eco focus. Christie chose it based on the outstandingly low rate available to people with local resident cards (making it on par with or less than non-luxury options), the environmental focus (which appeared to be truly carried out and not just for marketing) and the location inside the park. While some areas of the park (especially near and just outside the entrance) have a cluster of multiple lodges, Chichele and its sister property, Puku Ridge, are the southernmost lodges, making them furthest from the entrance. It means that the drive in from the airport is a safari drive in and of itself, and also means that you see very few other safari vehicles while out on drives. Both lodges also attracted a very international and diverse crowd (while we were there other guests included Brits, Serbians, Indians, a conservative Muslim couple, and a South African family, including a 5 and 7 year old, currently living in Malawi). Despite the diverse backgrounds, however, all guests shared a similar respectful approach to the preserve, wildlife and lodge staff.
We went to the more populated northern part of the park one evening on a drive because there are more lion prides in that area and were stunned to see about 10-15 vehicles all circling the same open area. Some had two people quietly photographing and wearing neutral tones, others were jammed with 8-12 people with bright clothing and a variety of electronic devices. There were elephants and impala, but it was so easy to these animals elsewhere in the park that it just seemed obnoxious to have all of those vehicles around them in one spot. Some of the crowded jeeps had people yammering loudly away, almost yelling to one another over the engine and the other conversations. Many of the people on the more crowded trips also were spending far more time talking than looking outside the vehicle. That struck me as odd because I assumed the crowded jeeps were from budget lodges trying to maximize costs (gas is very, very expensive in Zambia), and you'd think if you're on a budget and staying at the least expensive lodge you can, it would be all the more reason to focus on the safari and biodiversity and get your money's worth. But who knows - maybe some people just wanted jeep rides.
That's such a mom thing to say. But it would have driven me nuts to be crammed in a jeep with loud gabbers.
Safari clothing always seemed a little hokey, but I have to say I'm now a big fan of tan and green. Even if wearing earth tones doesn't actually make a difference in what animals you see, it makes a big difference in terms of the aesthetic of the park. And overall the clothes people chose seemed to match their noise level and go hand in hand with whether they were part of one of the lodges more sensitive to animal-behavior or if they were just on a fun adventure.
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