African McDonalds

In this first after a dearth of memorable dreams, I took my family to South Africa on holiday. My five year old daughter is a fussy eater, who takes after how her father used to be. Worried that she wouldn't eat any of the local food, I took her to a McDonalds in the city. Those with children know the irony of travelling halfway across the world to experience an exotic locale only to end up at a fast food joint. My Chinese in-laws were also with us, who it must be said, share their grand daughter's fussy habits, liking only Chinese food.

Compared to the UK, the McDonalds here was very quiet, and I was surprised to see white, middle aged British women working there. We sat down at a booth and were back and forth to the counter ordering drinks and chicken nuggets. It was a hot day, as it generally is in South Africa, so I was enjoying the lazy pace and cold drinks. I noticed that several birds were inside the restaurant, and I sat back to try and identify them. The far wall was a mass of greenery, which they flitted in and out of.

There was a bulky, dark bird with a long tail which fanned out like a peacock, or a grouse. I tried to point it out to my daughter, but she was more interested in her chicken nuggets, and it would fly away everytime she tried to look. Not only were there birds, but a white furry mammal skulked around the restaurant floor, looking for dropped food. I think it was a civet. The staff did not pay any attention to the animals, and I assumed they were frequent visitors.

When I was bored of watching these characters, I took a walk to the rear of the building where a length of glass windows offered a view outside. I was shocked to discover an Edenic paradise on the other side. Luscious green, tropical jungle, rolling mountains carpeted by trees, a sparkling blue waterfall, and occasionally the flash of sunlight on a window to remind us we were still in a city. Two elephants roamed about close by, and I saw the heads of numerous giraffes coasting through the treetops, one of them was an albino. I called my daughter over to look, and together we watched the inspiring vista.