I definitely saved the best for last, as Africa is amazing and fulfills all of my expectations. I arrived safely in Johannesburg last weekend, and just hung out resting in preparations for arrival at the consevation. Monday I flew up to Polokwane, and was met by Mark, and the Danish~Henriette and Casper. Mark is in charge of us currently, and is pretty awesome, the Danish, are volunteers like myself. We did a bit of shopping in town, and then headed north 2 1/2 hours to the camp, just south of the Botswania border.
Arriving safe, and meeting the other volunteers, I immediately knew that I had landed in a great spot. Most of the other volunteers are much younger, some fresh out of high school, and it is inspiring to see the independence and determination that they exert. I don't think this would be a journey I would have been prepared for at any earlier stage of my life, but I am so very thankful to be here now.
Everyone asks how I chose this particular volunteering opportunity, I don't really have a reply aside from the fact that I wanted to see and experience Africa in a less touristy environment, and really didn't want to be subjected to too much poverty on my vacation. I really couldn't have chosen a better avenue. Most of the volunteers are here for much longer than two weeks, but I think my timing will be perfect, as I am also looking forward to the kitesurfing school in Capetown.
Driving in to camp, we passed giraffes and wildabeests, and impala, and countless other animals. On the first day, it was mostly an introduction for me, yet on our afternoon drive we saw hippos and a breeding herd of elephants at one of the water reservoirs. The landscape is stunning, and just as I imagined...open land, with a sandstone shrubbery backdrop, and sunrises and sunsets which seem magnified in their beauty. We went out on a night call which consisted of playing this shrill sound of a dying buffalo for five minutes on, and five minutes off in an effort to entice wild animals. We played this sound over a large intercom which rested on the hood of the cruiser, and parked near a dead carcass which they had hung earlier from a tree. Although we didn't see much at the carcass, we did have an elephant cross our path in the road, and proceeded to eat his way through the vegetation quite close to the car. Apparantely the elephants can be mean, so we turned off the engine, and sat quietly while it ate. When we turned the engine on to leave, the elephant's African ears flared in all their glory through the shadows of the night. Too dark for pictures unfortunately~
We've been finishing a garden here at camp as well, which is quite nostalgic. It is nice to work, and I am reminded of the joy experienced throughout the process of seeing projects through from beginning to end...it's fulfilling, and helps prepare me for the work I will jump into with the move upon return. We went elephant poo hunting, as it is used in the soil as a coco/nitrogen source. It's consistency retains the water quite well, as the soil itself is super sandy. I was initially opposed to picking up the poo, but it is quite dry, and wasn't like scooping shit...thankfully! The heat here can dry anything fast, so I have been trying to stay hydrated...Africa hot is real.
Friday we woke early to go lion tracking, as the conservation has collared a few of the lionesses. With Henriette's guidance and use of the tracking tool, we were able to locate Bentley in a riverbed. It is amazing to see these animals in their natural habitats. After locating her, we went to pick up a dead carcass that we drove back to the spot where she was found, and hung the impala in a tree with hopes that she would return to feed later that night. I ended up volunteering to split the belly to sternum, afterwhich Mark warned that there may be spewing blood and other bodily fluids. Reluctantly I proceeded, and gratefully the liquids streamed out of the lifeless body, with none landing on me. After which Mark beat the belly with a stick until all it's intestines were hanging out...the pic's are awesome!!! Unfortunately internet here is too slow to upload all the pics, but I have some amazing ones, and will look forward to doing so. After dinner we went back to the spot and witnessed the most fantastic display of National Geographic...LIVE. There were six lions there in total, 2 mommas, 2 cubs, and 2 teenagers. We quietly watched the cubs play tug of war with the antlers while the teenagers and mommas just feasted. Truly an amazing sight. After the lions had left, we were going to fix the cameras they had knocked over. While approaching the cameras with the vehicle, a male lion stepped into our headlights and just stood there as if allowing my photo op. The night pics are iffy, but I did manage to get a few fantastic ones.
The weekends here are mellow, and after cleaning camp yesterday, it was an afternoon of drinking, rugby watching, and pizza making. Today we arose and drove out to a lovely spot overlooking a reservoir and had a bush brunch...awesome! One of the volunteers, Mia, is leaving tomorrow so we went for an evening sunset cruise and climbed up to a spot on the rocks in which we drank some wine, and just hung out. Tomorrow morning is another early one as we are lion tracking again. The managers of the conservation are trying to get an idea of their locations so they can recollar them~it's all quite fascinating.
Will be here for another week, and cannot wait to see what the days will reveal~
Love!!!
