“Jambo, jambo!”

Dr. Robin Huebner greeted listeners during her joint presentation with Ruan Pohlman, both of Stanton, about their journey to Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the fall of 2013, these two women decided on taking a journey that had countless surprises awaiting.

Last Tuesday, the two spoke of the flora and fauna of various parts of Africa, mentioning over twenty different animals they saw along the way.

Huebner mentioned she liked to see “how the animals reacted to each other,” giving the example of a herd of wildebeests lounging within pouncing distance of their predators.

She said it was peaceful. Pohlman laughed about a different animal experience, this one taking place along the river.

“You could hardly get the boat ‘parked’ because that one naughty elephant was always in the way,” she said.

The two also met many people on the way.

The travel partners spent a short time in a boma, or village, with a group of native people living communally in huts. This community was polygamous: five men and fourteen women made up the group.

Botswana wasn’t the only place these two experienced. They toured Kenya, the Serengeti, Victoria Falls and South Africa—just to name a few. They found their own tour guides and simply had to follow their instructions.

“You just trust them. You do it, and it all worked out great,” Pohlman said.

All around Johannesburg, South Africa, the two saw signs about harmony and accord. One read “There shall be peace and friendship.” Pohlman and Huebner also got to visit Nelson Mandela’s prison cell where he was held in solitary confinement.

While both being on the same trip experiencing the same things, they each had their own special memories.

Huebner recounted one evening sitting by the Okavango River in Botswana. The sun was setting in that envisioned African way, and the sound of wild dogs could be heard all around the vehicle.

“This is Africa,” Huebner thought.