sticky Posted July 22, 2006 Report Posted July 22, 2006 Crosby baseball coaches go on photo safari By Michael Pineda Baytown Sun Published July 21, 2006 Most of our knowledge about Africa is limited to what we see on National Geographic or CNN. But seeing images and hearing the news is often not a true indicator of what life is really like there and leaves us with the wrong perception. That was the case for Crosby head baseball coach Marcus and Michael Thompson, an assistant baseball coach for the Cougars. Earlier this summer, the Thompson brothers traveled with their mother, Vickie Johnson, to Africa for a weeklong vacation. During the week they spent on the continent, they had the opportunity to experience a culture that has withstood the test of time. They also saw things up close that are usually reserved for the safety of a zoo or prime time on the Animal Planet. “My mother has been seeing someone who is a guide in Africa three months out of the year and that got her interested in visiting,†Thompson said. “She called me one day and asked me I would like to go to Africa. I thought she was joking but she made it known she was going and would like for my brother, my wife Emily, and me to go. “I discussed it with my wife but she wasn’t having any of that.†The flight to Africa took 18 hours as the trio departed from Atlanta and flew into Johannesburg, South Africa. From Johannesburg, the trio boarded a prop flight that transported them to Kruger Park near Hoedsprait. Then the group traveled to the Umlamie bush camp that was to be their home for the next three days. “The airport we landed at in Hoedsprait could have fit into the Baytown Sun, “Thompson said. “Flying in we saw a herd of giraffes and packs of baboons and warthogs. Once we got into camp we went out on safari where we saw a rhino. “The selling point of tourism in Africa is what they call the “big five†which are rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards and cape buffalos. We saw all five within two days.†The camp that Thompson stayed in was primitive, as there were no fences or electricity, a fact that the travel agent never bothered to mention. The huts were made of bamboo, with thatch roofs made of elephant grass. On the first night, the long flight from the states combined with a safari, sapped Thompson, as he fell asleep rather than eat dinner. A noise woke him up at 2 a.m., which turned out to be a cape buffalo. Thompson turned around to go to sleep only to discover a 6-inch spider five feet away from him inside of his mosquito net. It was also not unusual for the hyenas and other wildlife to wander the grounds during the middle of the night, which resulted in a couple of sleepless nights. During the stay at the bush camp the group spent a day at the Songwe Village. At the village, Thompson had the opportunity to experience the daily life and rituals of the people that lived there. “There were black pots around the village in which they prepared the food,†Thompson said. “Most of the food was much like American fare although it was prepared different. In one pot there were caterpillars and I ate a couple of those.†Following dinner everyone gathered together for tribal dances and songs. There was also a game of charades that was played to the beating of the drums. “It was like you would imagine,†Thompson said. “It was almost like clearing the dance floor in a club. We sang the songs that they were singing although we were pretty much humming in the background.†During charades, Thompson acted like he was shooting something with a machine gun. There was also a talent show in which Michael made a toothpick levitate. The village chef was so impressed that he learned the trick with the idea of going into town the next day to make money on it, but not until Michael made him promise to call it the Texas Toothpick. While in the bush camp, the group had an opportunity to walk among a pride of lions. The lions had interacted with humans in the past but they were not tame. The group watched a safety video before they went into the pride. Lions stalk their prey from behind and the group was told that if a guard gave a warning, the person was supposed to turn around and acknowledge the lion with eye contact. “I was last in line and mom was in front of me,†Thompson said. “All of a sudden mom said ‘Whatever you do, don’t move.’ I thought a bug was on me or something. The guard said ‘Watch out, watch out.’ I turned around and there was a lion five feet in back of me. As soon as I turned around it went on its own way.†Following the stay in the bush camp it was on to Livingstone, Zambia for four days. The living conditions were much different as they stayed in a five-star hotel. “I went from the most remote place that I have ever stayed to the nicest place that I have stayed at,†Thompson said. “It was wintertime in Africa which is like the late fall here. It was nice during the day but it got nippy in the evening. We visited Victoria Falls, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The guide told us that over two million gallons per second go over the falls.†For Thompson the trip was more than seeing exotic scenes and animals. It was an opportunity to learn about people and the differences in cultures. What Thompson saw and learned had an impact and left him with some deep impressions. “We never got hounded for anything by the people,†Thompson said. “They were gracious and warm. I went into a village with children from infancy to adolescence orphaned due to HIV. They lived in mud huts and worked from sunup to sundown. It really humbled me and made me appreciate what we have in America. It also made me realize that sometimes our attitude here is ‘what have you for me lately?’ The kids were happy for their health. The value of their appreciation was overwhelming. It was disappointing that it reminded me of what kids here take for granted.†While in the village, Thompson also learned about how the village governs itself. The punishment system had an effect on him as well. “When there was a disagreement or a problem the people would hold court under a tree where the 84-year old queen of the village would hear the problem and make a judgment. Thompson said. “One of the punishments was a person would be given a teacup and walk a mile to a pond where they got their water for drinking. They would walk back with the cup filled with water and pour it into two 50-gallon barrels in front of the queen’s hut. They did that until the barrels were full. I asked them how often that happened — which wasn’t that often. It was a reminder of good old-fashioned accountability for actions.â€
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