BABOONS IN THE PARKING LOT

BABOONS IN THE PARKING LOT

             by Fred M. Allen

As my wife, Joy, and I were strolling through the parking lot to view the historic Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of the Republic of South Africa, we heard children screaming to high heaven and saw a young woman standing outside her car with the door open and jumping up and down.  I rushed to see what in the wide, wide world of sports was going on and she said, “There’s a large baboon in my front seat and our kids in the back seat are hysterical; I’m afraid he’s going to attack them!.”  She was afraid to enter her car for fear of being attacked herself. I hastily opened the passenger’s door and screamed to the top of my voice, “GET OUT!” Apparently the baboon understood my Texas English for he scampered away in a hurry. Or could it have been that, when the sun reflected off my bald head, he was frightened?  The children and the mother thanked me profusely. As Joy and I continued our walk to the very tip of the Cape Point, I noticed the baboons were keeping their distance.

As we stood there observing the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the water was very choppy and restless. We were told that ships and especially small boats often faced a hazardous journey around the Cape because of the dangerous waves.  It was a moment to remember.

Tourist attractions in South Africa are many. We did not get to visit their great game parks, but I want to share briefly some of the experiences we had there.

The east side of the Cape was first sighted by Portuguese navigator, Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. It was a historical site to see where he landed. It is the southern-most site in Africa. Also, visiting the Rock Shop at Sharpstown on the East Coast was so nice. We viewed the beautiful polished rocks of all kinds and especially enjoyed walking in a yard covered with polished rocks.  We picked up what we wanted and were charged according to the size of the zip-lock bag we were using.

To eat out in Johannesburg was a rare privilege especially for missionaries who had been serving in developing countries in the area where nice restaurants were few. One night several of us staying in the guest house went to a restaurant featuring racks of beef or pork ribs. I could not believe it when they brought my rib rack which measured about one foot on a large platter, plus the vegetables. One had to have a huge appetite to consume all the meat on the rack at one sitting. On a similar occasion we ate dinner in the revolving dining room on the 50th floor of a tower. We decided to order something different, so Joy ordered goose and I ordered wild boar steak. I took one bite of the huge steak smothered in black sauce, and it was just too strong. I finished my meal with vegetables; but to think that we were eating in a revolving restaurant 50 stories high in Africa really intrigued me. It was fun, but I did not try wild boar again. To shop there was an experience with 72 checkouts in one store!

One day in Zambia I took our family of six to a new Zamby’s Hamburger Shop to enjoy burgers in a new fastfood place for a change. We were greeted warmly by a waiter. I asked a frivolous question: “Do you have hamburgers today?” He said, “Yes, except for buns!”  We ate sandwiches instead. When eating in a small restaurant in the rural area of Zambia with my evangelistic team, we ordered chicken. The waiter said, “We only have one chicken and its running around outside; if you want to buy it, I’ll kill it and cook it for you.”  We agreed. After some time, he served two team members wings and another got a drumstick and I got the neck! All the other parts of the chicken were apparently kept for his family! There was never a dull moment while living in Africa. They say you can take a person out of Africa, but can’t take Africa out of a person. I agree, for after living in Zambia 27 years, very few days pass without my thinking of Africa.  When I enter a Walmart parking lot, I look for baboons!