Lynn Munro talks about here experiences with EDGE of AFRICA
Visit http://blogs.statravel.co.uk/lmadventures
Lynn Munro from Scotland volunteers on EDGE of AFRICA’s African Big 5 Wildlife Project, Everything Elephant Project and Predator Sanctuary Project. Read all about it…
“Thank you to a scholarship from the royal geographical society I fulfilled a year of dreams, a gap year full off adventure! From working on a Game Reserve, to Elephant Conservation in South Africa ….
From Scotland to South Africa 31st august-29th November, a very cold and white Xmas and New Year back in Scotland before leaving once again 19th January to further a field New Zealand, onto Dubai 29th April before home on the 4th May 2010!
University 14th September Stirling; Environmental science with outdoor education!
Never stop exploring...never stop adventuring!”
South Africa as an EDGE of AFRICA Volunteer:
Part 1 - African Big 5 Wildlife & Conservation Project:
WOW! How can i capture what I have seen and done today.... photographs can provide an indication of some of the things i have seen, my description can provide imagery for you, but i don’t think i can explain and show enough pictures to capture today, look and read this combined and hopefully part of my day will come to you.
The alarm clock sounded at 7.30am and i remembered where i was, i reached and looked out my window, the feeling of seeing bright blue sky combined with the shades of green of the garden.... i could only smile. Walking into our kitchen looking out the window across the garden into the fenced area... 2 elephants stood!....yet again the smile across my face the feeling of finally seeing this in front of me!
This followed with meeting my two fellow volunteers, to then sit out and have breakfast and finally see the landscapes around me! Arriving last night at 10pm.....darkness took over along with tiredness and not quite knowing what i will wake up to.
Into the elephant enclosure to help clean them out, meeting 2 of there keepers, out to repair and get water from one area to another with Patrick who works on the reserve, normally in charge of the reptile park. First real insight into the reserve, helping to do this, seeing, giraffe, zebra, springbok, eland, blue cranes, as we drive around back and for to the lion enclosure where the main fixing and replacing of small sections of pipes took place, the 3 lions in the near distance watching what we were up to. Lunch followed, then a run into a nearby town, then back with Patrick,(who was delayed as he was getting a snake out of someone’s house in the town......proved not to be poisonous! Then to get meat to give to the cheetah, watching the cutting of the raw meat, (horse), we drove to the cheetah's then i flung two bits over the fence for them to eat, whilst we then went into there enclosure to clean out there water! The strong smell of raw meat and the feeling of it then watching as the cheetahs pick it up and run of to eat it!
Then with Hein to find one of the cheetahs who is in a much larger area, we gave her the rest of the bit of horse. The bone of the leg. The noise and seeing her eat the meat.....
Then to finally touch an elephant..... the beauty of such an animal standing right in front of you, the trunk as you drop food into it....and the soft slimly texture of its tongue! To then sit and watch it eat for a while, in its enclosure which it spends the night in.
Then as we walk back to the house the sunset, with 3 white rhino just over the fence from the garden, as the sun set, and the black silo-et of there shape stood out.
Let’s see what the next day will bring, i have already learnt so much- a lot to take in and remember however.
Funny moments; as i dropped food into the elephant's mouth it blew out its trunk onto me, i thought i seen several snakes....all being branches, we were looking for the carcass of a horse that the cheetah were eating the other day and i pointed and said is that it..... it was a tree stump.
Today was a 6.45 start, prepared the elephant food got them out there enclosures and helped to clean out the whole enclosure floor...every Thursday all the saw dust gets removed and the floors washed and disinfected, every other day, the dung gets taken out and the branches that are left from the elephants feeding the previous night.
The contents of the floor is shoveled into one large pile, the rest is then brushed into the pile, the tractor and trailer comes and it is then shoveled into the trailer. A ride on the trailer followed...this being sitting on the contents...we had bags to sit on! this was then emptied by hand onto areas of tracks that are very sandy, it helps vehicles to grip and it was phrased- It came from nature so we put it back to nature. No waist.
Breakfast next, followed by getting the last load of elephant saw-dust/dung mix, to the track with munto-who only speaks African; however by the ed of the morning he new what thumbs up meant and i now understand your meant to ignore him when he asks you to take a picture of him; he know wants the picture and every time i see him he dose an impressions of a camera!
The 3 of us(me and my fellow volunteers; Spanish couple) along with munto were to fill the trailer with clip's (stones/rocks in African) by hand! To then take the load and empty it by hand into metal cages which are part of the bridge we are helping to build. This was done twice...hard work in the heat!
Now i never expected this... we had 2 hours to relax at the lodge swimming pool, where the guests pay to stay at.
Then shooting practice, first shot at using one of the guns, we shot at a termite nest to get used to it, more tomorrow!
The day ended with feeding the 2 elephants!
Touch wood; no snakes yet!, Have seen a lot of plants that have adapted to the conditions, very dry, a lot of plants with the characteristics of coping with these conditions, small fleshy leaves, a lot of plants with very large thorns also. One plant in particular is abundant hear and its of the cactus family, it has aloe vera extracted from it, Hein said he is going to take us to the factory where this happens.
Oh and i had my first cup of South African tea yesterday, roobios is the national tea hear i am told, currently having a second cup right now, i had it black yesterday tonight with milk, its growing on me. Not resorted to my Tetley stock as of yet.
Today....next week- speechless!
Sitting out having breakfast as the sun starts to climb into the sky :)!
Today we started at 8, :)!!!; the elephants! Feeding, and then watching them walk out their enclosures! An hour later, branches were out both enclosures and put outside for burning, dung was wheel barrowed out, and saw dust leveled out again.
Onto the next job, helping with the bridge again, what were are doing is filling metal rectangular cages with rocks to redirect the river, when it rises, so far two cages are complete two more will be made and then the area beside it on the track concrete. Today was 2 loads of stones again, the trailer gets filled and emptied all by hand...hard work. The metal cages were not holding the wait so all the work yesterday had to be undone, stones were moved and taken out so we could had wire supports into the cages, then we filled them up again.!
This was done with 5 other workers, it is nice to speak with them and learn about there culture, and lives (sometimes its hard with the language but it makes it more interesting) listening to them talk in African; a whole new experience!
We had a long lunch and at 3 Hein came to get us......meant to be going to aloe vera factory where we get a tour and explanation of the process; the plants are abundant in the area. It didn’t quite turn out to be an afternoon in the factory. For nearly a month hey have been trying to dart and transfer a zebra but haven’t had a chance or enough people at the right time....but today....the zebra was darted and transferred...we were part of it! I injected the de wormer into the zebra before it woke up and jabby and monza(fellow volunteers) also injected 2 other drugs.! It happened very fast and the zebra made it difficult by running into the valley into a bush before falling down! But it was very successfully once complete, watching it waken up.....it lies there.....then out of know where it pops up and runs to join the 3 other zebra in this area!.....Speechless!. Patrick took pictures of each of us injecting the zebra we should get them tomorrow!
Hein then let us use the same riffle he used to dart the zebra, we were being taught about the types of darts they can use and the types of gun, we had a blank dart to shoot at a blanket which was our target.
5 o clock; elephant time! :):) Food prepared, at 5.30 the elephants come into their enclosures for the night! We waited for there branches to come...bo jackson (they eat the leaves and bark of this bush) once they arrived we put them in the enclosures with the elephants........passing an elephant a branch as its trunk curls round it to take it from you!
This was another day complete, however i like to sit and watch the elephants for 15 minutes at the end of each day and talk to Harrison or inist who look after them!:)!
Tonight we had a braai, open fire and BBQ chicken over it with fire bread! Looking at the full moon and clear sky's! Almost had my food pinched by one of the 2 very friendly springbok who came into the garden....one of the dogs happily chased it round and round!
Perfect evening, talked to Hein and next weeks plans :):):)!!!!!!!!!(i will keep them as a surprise to tell you after each day!
According to munto who we do the rocks with, i now drink power juice(my water), him smoking is his power juice!
You can learn from every experience you have.
This weekend i choose to stay hear at the reserve rather than go o a weekend trip with jabby and monza. Watched the rugby this afternoon; eating biltong and drinking coke and enjoyed the sunshine once again...as i would normally say....it was just smashing!
A game drive followed! I wanted to see what the reserve was like from a tourist's perspective. I was joined by 8 people who were staying at the lodge and our guide. It was a nice way to end the day as the sun set for the evening. It takes about two hours, as we stop and get told about each individual animal, a lot of information to take in, but you can really learn a lot form the guides in such a short space of time!.
I had seen all the animals through out the week, but i did gain a lot more information about them and got more pictures. I did learn id much rather be a volunteer and get stuck in to the work and see the animals as we are working.
Now the snake thing! Hein came in to our living room, i thought to tell me the fire was ready to be lit........ he said now i wont you to look at this and slowing put his hand out...... well i wasn’t sat at the laptop for long once i seen his hand!
The feeling of fear was through me, my legs were shaking, it was a very small brown house snake, not venomous, not out to attack, i eventually managed to look at it then stepped closer and closer! I was petrified but i was trying to make myself go close to it! I managed to touch it but couldn’t let my hand stay long enough to let it go onto mine, as it moved my hand didn’t want to stay there. I guess it's an achievement for me, as i would of ran out the house normally!
Tonight we had another braai, steak, sausage and liver, it was great! Chatting in front of the fire with clear sky's above us. It was a nice way to end the evening!
It's not until you see something that is right in front of you, that you fully experience it!
An 8 o’clock start, cleaning the elephants enclosures, becoming a routine. Once complete, helping to pick up the branches round about outside as seen in the picture! They get burned and the bigger bits kept used for fire wood. Nothing better than just hopping in the back of the truck and of we go, load up with branches and sit on top of them as we go to unload!
Feeding time....... 4 bits of horse....4 cheetahs, it was a case of just picking it up and throwing it over the fence, the sink to wash my hands....the sand on the ground and the towel to dry my hands one of the bushes! (That was until i got back to an actually sink!)
This afternoon, we helped to concrete a big post into the ground, this has a lick block on the top and we put sticks into the post to allow branches to be hung on them.....this is for the giraffe. The lick block is basically there medicine, contains a large amount of different minerals and they love the taste of it. The tools they use they call them sugar water; because after you’ve finished the job and using them you want sugar water!
I was going to ask do they replant any areas of land; before i could.... Hein told us the next job was to plant some cuttings where they had disturbed the ground building a previous bridge. Now i cant remember the name of the plant... it has very small succulent leaves and its more of a bushy plant. (i will find out)
Finally machete time!!! :)! First needed to pick up a trailer with the rubbish from the lodge.....we were going to the rubbish dump first! I was in the back of the truck with jabby....we drove to the town Albertinia, so on the main road....very windy! This is where my first sentence of this blog comes to! Driving through the town, some very poor areas, you can see this on the tv numerous times but when your seeing it with your own eyes! Going to the rubbish dump.....well of course the smell of rotting rubbish and burning rubbish.....but people walking up to look through your rubbish as you through it onto the heap! I wanted to include it on my blog as its a very important part of my trip seeing and experiencing very different lives!
Collecting the bon jackson for the elephants; this was my first trip to get it, monza ad jabby had done it on the Monday and Tuesday before i arrived. I loved using the machete takes a bit of practice however but a very handy tool if you know how to use it! I meant to ask if collecting it was free because its a pest species i think the place we got it from wants to get rid of it. We just drove in and collected it and they do this every day.
We drove back to the reserve, left the branches for the elephants, and scattered some out side for them. Finally putting some on the giraffe post, and that was another day done!
Today has been full of very different experiences, the cultural side and wildlife as the sun set i felt very reflective it certainly gets you thinking!
Home from home!
The elephant enclosures were cleaned up super fast today, by 9 o’clock it was all done!
First main task today was with Patrick! In the truck, with munta and Andre and the three of us. Monza and i were in the front with Patrick and the other three outside in the back. We drove to a farm where there was a dead cow we needed to pick up....this was to take back to give to the lions. Erm, i wouldn’t say it was the most pleasant of experiences, the cow died yesterday. It was attached with a rope and then attached to the truck, as the truck moved forward to get the cow away from the fence all the gastric juices sprayed out its nose and mouth! (i couldn’t stay very close at that point)! Well we got it on rather fast, used the gradient of the field, there was a dip that the truck went into and so the cow was level with the back of the truck. All that was needed was to just pull it on the back with the rope. Cow loaded on, we covered it up and drove back to the reserve.
The cow was then dropped of in the lion’s area! I never new this; cheetah will not touch anything that is a bit smelly or has been left decaying for a while. They like fresh meet appose to lion that will eat anything, apparently if it’s a female cow there getting they go for the udder as they like the horrible milky stuff inside. (Sorry if i went to far with today’s description)
I titled it home from home....why? Well it was rather wet windy and cold today....exactly like home! Not a nice day atol, we were inside for a while this afternoon watching planet earth. Back out to do some game counts, this allows the reserves carrying capacity to be checked, i.e. what the land can sustain. Some of the figers such as springbok will become less in numbers from previous months as the cheetah make kills. (We nearly watched a cheetah chase down a springbok but it backed of. Tomorrow we are going to check the cheetah reading(tracking system) as it's likely to make a kill by the morning. Along with game counts we were taking dung samples. When counting some of the animals we watched for them defecating, and you have less than 5 minutes to collect the dung and get it in ice. Today we got black wildebeest and a zebra!. It will get sent of to be tested for various things, it's a very useful tool as if certain results come back they can look at the meat there getting, or if the animal is individually ill etc.
I spotted a black backed jackal today and it’s only the 2nd one Heins seen hear in 5 years! ( i never new what it was.......erm what’s that thing running along over there?)
Now i learnt about some plants today :), the reserve has several medicinal species. One a very succulent leaved plant called ‘cotyledon orbiculata’ in which the leaves can be snapped and then put on your skin on any bites, or your lips for cold sores...also bushmen would eat some leaves before eating any meat they came across as it would stop them getting sick from the meat. There's one plant with very sharp spikes with a black tip; ‘azeematetracuthra’ known as the bee sting bush...if you fall on it its like getting hundreds of bee stings. There’s a common type of lamb you get hear called Karoo lamb, it eats capo bosh (wild rosemary) and it tastes of this plant...the animal seasons itself! This can also be used as a laxative. The poison milk bush; when one of its leaves is snapped it has a very milky sap highly poisonous, and there is a grasshopper and butterfly which when eating it becomes poisonous itself and the butterflies behavior is melinistic. Finally the duiker antelope will eat the flowers of this plant to control parasites in its stomach, also this is the only type of antelope which will eat birds if it sea's them nesting in this bush.
We also saw a cape eagle owl today.
Then to the aloe ferox factory for a quick explanation of how the aloe is extracted and all the products it can be used in. I got some tea bags that they put it in!. There are two types bitter that gets collected and the other stuff, the bitter is very strong. The extracts are used in hand creams, shampoo's, a drink, medicinal purposes and lots more.
Today ended with the elephants once more, and talking with Enis an Harrison :)!.
The night sky!
I now guess you know the routine, elephants first thing, cleaning the enclosure, which is not that bad atoll. It gets you warmed up...a chilly morning!
It got even colder as we went with munta to finish planting the little tree's another cold front was over the area, so just like planting trees at home, cold wet and muddy... but good fun as munta never ceases to make me laugh as he talks African’s while chucking in a few English words using hand gestures and you understand what he is talking about.....in a round about way! :)!!!
We drove round the fences as there was a part of the fence where a gap needed to be filled in, but we had to find it first. Rather wet by the end. However we were luck the weather soon brightened up and after lunch we could set up camp....we were spending the night in tents in the reserve with a fire and braai.....perfect!
Another trip to the rubbish dump... new what to expect today so wasn’t as hard to absorb. Then its machete time...fair getting the hang of it, however its quite lethal! Driving back to the reserve is awesome, sitting in the back with all the branches with blue skies and attempting to take pictures as we scoot along the road!
The elephants today came right up to us and i was standing in the back of the truck and there trunks came in and yet again there physical presence dominated!
Now there’s nothing quite like sitting round a fire with your tents pitched and chatting and watching the sun slowly disappearing with the songs of the birds in the background. With the black of the sky dominating we bry'd our food and welcomed the heat from the fire. The hundreds of stars that caught your eye as you look up into the night sky.... i love it!
Investigating the reserve from darkness.....in the truck we drove round, and used a spot light to look out for eyes reflecting back! Rhino, giraffe, springbok, rabbits, guinea fowl and duiker were on the list of what we spotted.
Into the sleeping bag watching the fire burn itself out, and the stars twinkling... i look forward to waking up with the sun rise tomorrow. (i wrote this entry on the 10/9/09;quite tricky to be having a computer when camping)
FEAR!
Waking up to the sunrise on a very cold and frosty morning!:)! The ice we had for drinks last night was still frozen, but blue sky's and it wasn’t the weather we thought we would wake up to! :)
The blue sky continued to stay as the sun soon begun to warm things up. Thursday...full clean up of enclosure today, sawdust into the truck and put on the track. Along the way African lessons for me and English lessons for munta. I now know, that buy a donkey; thank you very much, skip; jumper, a moore; go away rain. I no a few more through listening but cant spell or pronounce them yet. Three loads were taken and the cheetah spotted along the way.... sitting watching us and began to pick up speed as we started to drive away from her.
Back to the rubbish dump today..... nearly let someone take the elephants wheel barrow.... the people who want to look through your rubbish... we had the wheel barrow with us and lifted it to get the other rubbish out and someone came up and pointed "wheel barrow" so i gave them the thumbs up....close shave, Andre came and explained they couldn’t have it!.
Now i new what was coming after we got back from getting the branches so i didn’t want us to get the branches fast but it soon came round that we were back at the reserve. Andre dropped us of.....at the reptile park!
Fear can grasp a hold of you, when your legs start to shake and you just want to be somewhere else but you tell yourself you have to do this! There’s so many different fears we have as individual's; of other people, events, the unknown and the natural world. When you feel paralyzed by fear you understand how debilitating it can be to actually be scared of something.
I told myself that if i am going to over come this fear i had to walk through the reptile park with snakes on either side of me behind glass. Sitting on the grass once through, i listen to Patrick explain about the species of snake and there venom and categories. One of the most deadly snakes lives in this area also! And very dangerous one was spotted 10minutes previous just across the track from where we were!
He took the first snake out......... i couldn’t sit down next to it, i looked at it....bright orange "ok its got a lovely pattern not so bad....he put it on the grass and it did the whole snake thing,........ i quickly got a good distance away..... standing at a medium height wall...looked behind me and there was a small crocodile! Fright!!!
So i herd Patrick say ill put this one back and get you a python "are you going to touch it?" he went away to get it.
Ok i am faced with the mental knowing that there is about to be a very large snake a couple of meters in front of this very spindly bush i am hiding behind....i know i need to get over this fear but i feel mentally paralyzed i will look at the snake and decide. Patrick comes out.......no way!!! As much as i new i should i couldn’t get any closer than i was!
I guess its a very mental thing fear... i feel slightly less afraid after Patrick explaining about them and being able to look at one which was extremely close.... its enough for me for now.... (until tomorrow when we are meant to be involved in moving a cobra to be with another snake) i will wait and see if i can watch that happening!
Tonight we had another fire, and a poky (not the correct spelling) a big black metal pot that you put on the fire and slowly cook a stew etc in. Oh if i could take the food back i would, was amazing, Hein made a chicken one...secret recipe sadly!. A great way to end another day!
Tortoise pee!
Elephant enclosure this morning. A drive round the reserve with Hein, we saw the remains of the cow we gave to the lions....well there’s not much left of it! I learnt how to use the cheetah tracking system and we found the mail and female using it, the feeling of being meters away from such a beautiful animal which can easily come for you as you stand admiring it!
The sound of the young rhino suckling milk from its mother, and a giraffe popping its head about a bush in the distance. The bright red color from the red bishop flying around and its sound as it happily fly's about in the sun. The wonders of the reserve we saw this morning! :)!
Time for patching the road with munto :), filled up the trailer and of we went in the tractor. Once complete lunch time....time went so fast today. A quick lunch and once again to get the elephant branches, with a stop at the rubbish dump. The elephants new we were back and emptying the branches out for them, over they came!
So back to the snake place after we finished with the branches! Well only one snake was taken out...thankfully! However i was very scared but not as scared as yesterday....the conclusion in time i think i could get to the stage where i don’t like snakes but I’m not paralyzed with fear from them.
Patrick gave the green mumba a dead bird; (behind the glass!) it struck the bird like it would normally and waited for it to die with its venom. Then it did its snake thing and eventually had half the poor bird down its snaky thought!! This was a bright green snake and so i think it was less scary compared to other's however you will die from this snake extremely dangerous. Patrick then took out...took it out; a puff adder and transferred it to another snakes house for them to mate. Well that is a scary snake, very noisy when its angry!!!!
Now to a large friendly elephant :) much better! Food prepared i sat and watched them as the sun begun to set, we then took them into there enclosures....they both got in and Fankie, Salaty went into kiddybon's and they both ended up in the same one! You soon realize there physical dominance compared with a human when trying to get salaty into his enclosure! Harrison got there i the end.
I sat and watched as the sun went down.......and that was the last full day at the garden route game reserve! I am told i gained some luck today....we found one of several tortoise and it peed when we picked it up....so hopefully i am leaving with good luck!
If you compare human discovery to that of nature...it's only one raindrop in the ocean....we have the whole ocean left to discover! (David Attenburgh); so on to my next project time to discover again!
Part 2 - Predator Sanctuary Project;
You will learn from everything!
I arrived hear at Predator Sanctuary predator sanctuary on Saturday afternoon, I am the only volunteer hear for this 10 days that i am hear. The cats are incredible, first time i have seen a lot of what is hear. But what i really learnt since Saturday is that, when you spend time somewhere that you have loved and where you have made it home almost; when you leave to go somewhere knew you realize how hard it can actually be. The garden route game reserve will always be the first place i went to when i stayed in South Africa therefore starting again almost in the sense of meeting new people, new animal, new space, new accommodation, new everything it is something that you as a person can easily fall into and adjust or where it will take a little time. Every place will feel different and i needed that feeling of, slight hesitation and feeling unsure, it allowed me to ask questions, speak to new people, see where i fit in to this new place.
Its incredible what you will get from looking and listening!
The love for the animals hear immediately takes over, "the cats eat before we eat" a phrase i was told! Its a 6.30 am start each morning with the same routine. The feeling of walking in with 2 lions and 2 cheetah to take them outside to there enclosures! Incredible! The 4 tigers are then taken out to there enclosures.....the sun comes up into the sky and you stand looking at this as you watch 2 tigers being walked past you....!
Helping with enclosure cleaning, and the morning tasks follows, including chopping the food for the many rabbits that also live at the park, feeding the rats to, the chickens, and one duck who thinks its a chicken. Its not just big cats that live hear.
Snakes live hear also.....the second interaction with the snakes! I walked in and looked at the many they have hear yesterday and i went in alone tonight before dinner to look at them...in there glass cages....made sure none were on the ground...(paranoid) thought there was one huge one at a glance...however it was the peacock that also lives hear at Predator Sanctuary who kept me company as i hesitantly peered into the snakes...!
So the most important part of Predator Sanctuary, the stunning cats, each with there own personalities and all have names....im learning there names still! There's so much knowledge here and passion for there animals, i can clearly see why its such an important place. It all about the cats, providing as much information as possible as to why they are so important and need protecting...the statistics are........... No words!
To have a white lion so close to you and to feel its presence as it looks at you, as you stand beside a cheetah and feed it....as you look at a black leopard....the color of black you cant describe.....having a caracal brush past your leg.... experiences i cannot ever forget. These animals are not pets and never will be, you cannot pet a cheetah with out being aware, respecting it for what it is.
Still leaching the Afrikaans, a lot of which i cannot begin to try and spell on this! However a tortoise is a skull pat in Afrikaans! :)! Of course very interesting facts about the animals hear and about the cultural side also.
On the farm there are houses at the back where many local families stay, many to which are extremely poor and the children are being brought up in the growing environment of alcohol abuse. At 5 o-clock Jurg the owner, and two member's of staff go jogging, and have managed to get some of the young kids...5 years old and some older boys to go jogging with them. To try and get them into something fun and positive....they have t-shirts and shorts with the Predator Sanctuary cheetahs written on them. On Tuesday i went with them, one boy ran in bare feet, but to see the smile from his face as we jogged round, to see them play before we went to see they make a game from nothing! The jogging was good but what made it incredible was just running with them and a smile and thumbs up! Last night we ran again and they all had there t-shirts and shorts, we ran round and i was running beside one of the wee boys and he was really powering along beside me....i stuck my hand out and he held my hand as we ran....another boy looked and ran beside us so i stuck my other hand out and he took it....just for a few minutes before they powered away! It was indescribable for me... just to see such a happy smile!
If i was to be asked what will you remember most from Predator Sanctuary......... the people i am with.....the passion.....the incredible animals....and the smile of a Predator Sanctuary cheetah!
Shaka and Sheena!
As sleepy as i am when waking up at 6.15 am, i don’t think i will ever feel exhausted from walking into a room with 2 white lions and 2 cheetahs, then walking one of the cheetah to its enclosure. How will i ever get tired of that....its an amazing way to waken your self up, walking outside with the sun coming up and a cheetah right beside you!
The normal routine follows, feeding the rats, rabbits, chickens, duckie- the duck who thinks he's a chicken, then a brief look at the snakes...which i try to do each day. They were quite ‘snakish’ today, moving all over the place (behind the glass!).
Enclosure cleaning, a contender for the worst smell.....those jackals.....blah!!! But it's definitely worth it. Tied with the worst smell is the honey badger called Bixie!!
The weather has been quite changeable really hot a couple of days, always windy, and a couple of showers to remind me of what the cold is like.....getting used to this warmer weather however!
Something that makes me smile every time, helping to feed the cheetah at 4 o’clock on the feeding tour.....i don’t think i need to say any more, sitting beside them, listening to them, watching them, they are incredible....
Today’s blue sky made the sunset even more special, as we checked the electricity we had time to take pictures.... sitting waiting fro the right moment as the leopards come close to the fence, as a caracal washes its paws, the lion sits and rests as the sun sets, and Shaka and Sheena sit together and the light hits there fur the picture is perfect!
Bixie's damn...today's main task, taking ground in and out, re-arranging the place for him and a spot of building, all worth it for the little chap, who will have the whole place upside down within a few days... i tell myself all our hard work will not be destroyed by a badger...but its inevitable.
The afternoon was spent doing this, a feeding tour at 4, i was able to feed Shaka and Sheena once again :)!.
At 6.00pm, we take the 2 white tiger's in, Michelangelo normally i hang back and walk behind as there taken in, but tonight i was aloud to help with mich (mish).... the physical presence of such an animal as i walked with my hand on her head i couldn’t take in how incredible it was! i could only smile! The next two to go in are Tara and Lai the two Siberian tigers.... when they go in they get some milk each, normally i am outside and only Jurg and Robert go in, but Jurg asked did i want to help give Lai some milk.....i couldn’t stop smiling as i held the bottle, i looked into her eyes and felt honored to be able to stand next to her. I find it so hard to put into words how special it was, something i will have forever!
Once again i find myself writing about my last day somewhere, 10days past and tomorrow i am on the move once agian.
I love every minute of taking Shaka or Sheena out in the morning, this morning the female white lion Tandelay brushed against my leg with her head... wow! That means she was saying hello, and its the first time she has done that to me.
Today Predator Sanctuary had a large tour with school children so i was on the tour with them just making sure they were staying in the right place etc and i was amazed one little boy was asking me questions and then he said, are you Scottish? i said yes and he replied of yes i thought i recognized the accent.. he was only 5. Some amusing questions on that hour and a half, reminded me of the days when we were on school trips.
There was another tour at 3 with older school children which made the day pass really quickly, i couldn’t believe that was another day almost complete. I fed Sheena for the last time. We all got our picture taken together and some of the Predator Sanctuary cheetah's came over to and i got a picture with them, all smiles! The thumb's up, incredible :):):)!!!!!!! To finish the day, i was able to give Lai some milk again! I am struggling to find the worlds, it was so special to have the pictures taken and to then take the cats in, it really sums up my time hear as this is what makes this place.
Part 3 - ADDO Elephant Park:
5.4.3.2.1!!!!!!
Last night i arrived in Knysna at our volunteer house, it is awesome! There are 2 other volunteers with me Vincent and Dorus from Belgium, and a girl called Jo, i found out about a rather big surprise that was planned for on the way to Addo!
This morning, we left for Addo at 9, there was time for a quick cup of Tetley before we left to prepare myself. The car was packed, and something i wont forget traveling to Addo listening to Abba! Interesting!
So there was a large bridge.....a company called "face Adrenaline"; i guess we can fit in time for a quick bungee jump!
We drove to the car park and went to look at the bridge/jump......216meters " i am going to do it....well i think i am!". I signed the confirmation and the 620 rand was paid.... it was almost time. Harnesses on....walk to the bridge.... id lie if i said i wasn’t apprehensive...not scared of heights but wow its a big drop. So the 6 of us get onto the bridge....music playing crazy dudes everywhere who were awesome! "Ok guys there's no specific order the first jumper is number 4" i look at everyone then realize the number on my hand...J4! That’s me!!!!
i get roped up and later told ok you’re ready lets walk forward!..... One dude on either side then literally; 5.4.3.2.1 BUNGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! As they counted down the last thing that was in my head was...i am about to bungee...i lent forward and was falling it was like slow motion for a split second.....how could i close my eyes...to miss such an experience....my eyes were wide open its so hard to explain the feeling.... i had both thumbs up the whole time... couldn’t stop smiling! Its hard to describe how it felt.
Sometimes you just have to say YES to things or you’ll never do it, you’ll never experience it!. It was AWESOME!
After the bungee, we made our way to the place we are staying for the next 2 days "orange elephant" a backpackers house and garden you can camp in. What followed was a game drive at Addo as the sun set we were driving round the national park, 2 elephants walked past us on the road, yet again there physical presence and to see them that close out my window! It was a nice way to end the day, seeing warthogs, kudu, buffalo, elephants and the sunset with birds flying with the vast landscapes of Addo filling your eyes, the size of the park is incredible.
Tonight we had a braai, and a new food, ostrich sausages...very nice. Then headed to the bar which is 2minutes from are campsite, playing pictionary in a bar in South Africa! It was a lot of fun! :)!.
It's been an incredible day, a very long drive to get hear but very worth it, driving through Port Elizabeth was very interesting, and the change in vegetation and landscapes is extremely interesting to see as you travel along the coast.
To wake up to the sounds of birds, to sit and look out as the sun comes up and animals begin to appear, to feel the heat of the sun in blue sky's...how could i not smile?
This morning we spent nearly 3 hours at Addo, the sky was blue and the sun was hot, animals were popping out everywhere. It was incredible, we were sitting at waterholes recording what species were present and the distances from the vehicle they were, how many there were. Some of the waterholes were very quite, but when we were sitting at one of the smaller ones, to see elephants in the wild like that, seeing them splash about in the water, the younger ones trying to get the hang of there trunks! This was only a small herd we saw at first. As we drove around more and more elephants were appearing in the bushes.
To then see Meerkats was amazing, i couldn’t not smile, i thought it was amazing to see those elephants, but when we came to one of the larger waterholes....honestly i couldn’t believe it. The elephants that were there....more kept coming, there were playing in the water and cooling of. As more came i was speechless, to think how many were in front of us! As some left more arrived, i would of stayed and watched them all day, i could never get tired of them, that moment was incredible.
As we drove around we saw more animals...every time i saw a warthog i thought of the lion king. It so nice to have to look for the animals, it makes it even more special when you see them.
From Addo to the raptor and reptiles.... this afternoon we made a trip to meet some more snakes, so on Tuesday i managed to touch one for the first time at Predator Sanctuary.
We went in and literally the man took out 2 snakes and gave one to Dorus one to Vincent then he whipped out another one and was about to give it to me.....well i nearly had a turn...i wasn’t quite ready for that. But as i gradually went back inside, i was able to touch them and then.....i did it i held one in my hands. It was very soft and at that moment i realized you can really do anything, I’ve been petrified for so long, and i said to myself if i can touch a snake i can jump of a bridge, if i can jump of a bridge i can hold a snake.... it worked. The next snake i got was a bitty longer and i had it on my hand, it coiled round my hand and arm.....i think my arm was going to snap of i couldn’t of had it any further away from my body!" the snakes were getting bigger....but i was learning more and more about them. It was something else i could never forget!
Then to hold the tale of a crocodile.... that was another experience, it was a young one, there speed is incredible....the whip of there tale and sound as they bite! To then have a Bengal eagle owl on my head after that, to hold a Meerkat! The animals he has have all been rescued and have had a very poor upkeep; many get re-released into the wild and are very well looked after up until that point.
Another drive at Addo followed until the sun was setting, just to see the park again and drive in new area's trying to spot other animal's, i loved every minute of it. Another day where i have to pinch my self...am i actually hear. If i look back on the last 3 weeks its amazing to think what i have actually seen and done, but every single day has been like that, to do a bungee jump yesterday and to be at Addo and hold snakes today! Everything takes my breath away!
Part 4 - Everything Elephant Project:
The touch of an elephant,
The elephants…..this has been what I have looked forward to the most. The first time I walked into the park at 5.30pm to meet the guides…all new faces who soon will be like my family for the next 4 weeks, then to have the trunk of an elephant touch my hand, I stand in front of 10elephants who light up my face. I was speechless, walking with the elephants for the first time as the sun set, into the boma. It was hard to talk as i watched them for a while not wanting to leave. Seeing the elephants at the game reserve previous to this that’s where I will always remember my first encounter with an ellie but hear it is to become something special.
You can find so much in a smile….
EDGE of AFRICA Projects:
Half day today at the park, this morning I caught up with data entry and we left the park at one. This afternoon we had our township tour; it was something extremely interesting and certainly makes you ask yourself a lot of questions. It was an afternoon that made us all think and made me quite reflective. We drove through the township to a small pre school, as soon as we walked in all the children ran to the fence to where we were and were waving and saying hello, we walked in to see them and all they wanted was to hold our hands for us to pick them up and say hello…. That’s all it takes to make a smile… quite a contrast to some children in the western world! We visited a place set up for children that are interested in art called MAD about art “make a difference” the work the children had done was incredible they are amazing! Visiting these places was something I was so glad to have done, seeing the Rastafarians also and an NGO set up for street kids who have no place to stay at night but can go there for food and a shower/ shelter during the day it was something I will remember for a long time. To show us a complete contrast we went up to the heads,…naturally it is a contrast the natural beauty of the heads and the human contrast the size of the houses there and the expensive cars, it was a good way of showing us the opposite end of the scale. It won’t take much to make child smile that has nothing!
Weekend Excursions:
Discovery of new places and new experiences….time for another road trip!
We headed to Outdshoorn today; finally I was able to see some caves. Before the caves, we went to an ostrich farm for a tour; it was a very strange experience…. Of course it was time to be a tourist, we got told all about the birds, about their biology, how there farmed what there feathers can be used for etc. Then to see some of the birds, and the opportunity to ride on one…. As I watched these ostriches getting people put on them I decided it wasn’t for me I didn’t think it was write for me to be going on them. There speed is incredible, the tour was very interesting, it was just quite a strange experience!
A day with no power…
Sunday the whole of Knysna had no power today so it was a volunteer walk which started as a walk to the beach, along the way we stopped at a market where all people were selling all there hand made goods. It’s very special what some people can make, they always want to bargain with you, as soon as you walk near there things they come straight up to you asking you what you’d like to by. From there we walked but instead of heading to the beach we ended up at a restaurant at the heads for the afternoon. The heads is where the sea comes into the lagoon; it’s such a nice sight to see. As you hear the waves break on the rocks and watch the blue, blue color of the water enjoying the company of your friends…. Such a nice afternoon! The afternoon went fast but of course I was happy as it meant time to head back to the park. It’s the beginning of week two. As soon as we arrived I went straight to see the elephant’s come into the boma and to see the guides again.
Southern Wright Whales…The weekend was really nice, Saturday was quiet but today we went to Plettenberg Bay, we went on a boat trip to see the whales, there were 6 whales in front of us, to see there size as they come up to the surface and then when they dive down and you sea there tail…its incredible! We had a really nice couple of hours out on the water we saw hundreds of seals and had such a nice view of Plett. We spent the afternoon at the beach and going to some craft’s markets which was really nice. Then of course tonight we are back at the park.
Goodbye to EDGE of AFRICA:
The last weekend at the volunteer house…
Friday was the boys last night in South Africa so we had a lot of fun, we said goodbye yesterday and have had a really quiet weekend.
This last 8 weeks….. Wow! I’m no longer an Edge of Africa volunteer! My projects are officially finished! But I don’t think i am ready for them to be finished just yet, it’s been an incredible 2 months of my adventure. What I have learnt has been something incredible, I have taken so so much from each project. Is it what I thought it would be….well I came trying to have an open mind, I didn’t want to put expectations on each place, of course I had my worries and images created in my head that I thought it may be like, but the moment I woke up at the game reserve for the first time I just let everything go its own way. I tried to experience everything I possibly could. It’s been a real adventure, when I look back at my pictures and my blogs… I have done all that!!! At 17 I leave Edge of Africa with determination, excitement, new friends, new memories, and most of all I leave hear fulfilling so many ambitions and now I need to plan my next goals my next adventure as this one has been AWESOME; but its not finished yet I still have a few things I need to finish of and need to do so its not my final evaluation it’s the beginnings of it! Onto the next month!
It’s not always the last time, this time I saw a couple of snakes and caracal. But the lion’s leopard and rhino of course were not on our spotted list however it was still nice to go again. Last night the normal tradition; pictionary at the bar! This morning we spent it at the park but we never saw a lot this morning so it was soon time to make the long drive back to Knysna! Most of the trip I slept waking up to a shout for MacDonald’s… and some shopping!J!! So on Tuesday I was able to go back to the park again as I had quite a bit still to finish so it was so nice to be back for the day! When somewhere is like your home for so long it’s very hard to leave it if you’ve loved being there. It was such a great week, Wednesday morning it was another road trip to Addo. Along the way another stop at the bungee jump, so strange to go back when I never thought id be back there for along time. I was back on the bridge….this time as a bungee buddy for Ella one of the volunteers! From there to the backpackers Orange Elephant which is awesome, tents again and the afternoon at the reptile and raptor park! Snakes again, this time I walked straight in, so I wasn’t scared like the last time however not 100% comfortable with the large yellow python round my neck, but the littler ones on my arms were ok! Everyone….FACE YOUR FEAR!!! It really isn’t nice when you do but it proves that if you really want to get over any fear you can but do it slowly and step by step it will come in time. On Wednesday night we were at the backpackers and you can meet some awesome people when you’re at these places and there are a lot of people I have met that I will never forgot for so many nice reasons! Thursday a day at Addo it was just as good this time as the last, the elephants again JIt’s very strange when you’ve been so busy for 8 weeks and then you can take it easier, but for me that is quite difficult. On Monday I spent most of the day in town and found out I could go to Addo again for 3 days on Wednesday
Leaving Knysna:
Hop on hop of; into the wilderness!
Leaving Knysna today on the Baz Bus, it was quite hard knowing I’m not going on a volunteer placement, I’m not on a road trip, I’m not going somewhere new for the day, I’m on my way home!
It only took about 45 minutes to get to wilderness, i got to the beach house and it’s my first backpackers! A rustic beach house, just as it sounds, the beach directly in front with the sea staring at you, the cool sea breeze, with all your normal characteristics of a backpackers feel, very chilled out and relaxed. On my own for a day, very strange, but when you on your own you decide your plans, and u make it want you want to make it! I found myself sitting at the balcony writing my journal for a lot of the afternoon. From there i made the 15minute walk into the town, a very small town i looked around the small shops, buying tonight’s dinner and then made my way back to the beach house. Watching the sun go down as i wrote and wrote in my journal something i would always recommend to do it's a way of having what you’ve done write there with you. I sat as the sun went down behind the hills, and the sky went black with the stars coming out, such a nice peaceful place with the sounds of the waves!
Read more of Lynn’s Travel Blog at http://blogs.statravel.co.uk/lmadventures
For details on the projects Lynn volunteered on visit http://www.edgeofafrica.com/
