Teary good-byes ....

Well, here I am, back in London already. Got home by 2pm. Didn't get much sleep on the plane and feel I haven't really slept properly for well over 3 weeks now so I am not sure I'll be much good at work tomorrow, but never mind... I'm sure they'll be understanding!

The last 3 days in Africa were very much the same as far as duties go and yet there are always little surprises. One night Princess (don't they all have great names?), the main 'vet' for the tiny cubs, asked if she could spend the night with us as she had just been given a 1 day old lion cub to take care of and it meant being up every 2 hours to bottle feed him. So, of course we agreed as it was better for her than to sleep in the nursery (esp. as the smell of pooh in the morning can be seriously overwhelming for all the bad reasons). She had to bring in more stuff than for a human baby I tell you... hot water bottles (stuffed in soft toys!), kettles, heaps of blankets, etc. As soon as the 2 hours were up, no need to use an alarm clock, the little cub would scream his head off, just as loudly as a human baby - his vocal cords made as much sound as 4 cubs put together, I'm not kidding... which is probably nature's way of saying 'don't you dare ignore me, my life is in your hands'. Which is why human babies are always so seriously irritating when they screech, right? SO THAT we just cannot ignore them !!!

It has been really interesting actually to see how she monitors its progress and how they have to record every single feed for all their cubs... The amount of work that goes into saving one single cub is astronomical. The dedication of the staff was really moving. They totally live for theses cubs whist on the premises. Their whole schedule is dictated by their needs - and boy, are they needy! So I could see that volunteers would be useful to wash all the bottles, sterilise them, etc. so that she'd be freer to deal with the more important stuff. The one thing I didn't do was cut the meat for the bigger cats...

The following day, yet another cub was found. A Polish tourist came to me whilst I was on duty at the gate collecting the entrance tickets and told me that she'd been driving around Camp 3, where all the bigger lions are kept and she had witnessed a lionness throwing a cub in the air, as a cat would do with a mouse, to play. She was horrified. Reported it straight to the guard who called Princess, who rushed to the rescue... Getting the bigger cats away from this little helpless cub was the hardest job. But somehow, they managed. The poor little thing was shaking from head to toe when she managed to save him and cuddled her against her breast. I'm sure it must have thought his last hour had come. It's strange how nature can be so incredibly cruel sometimes. Lionnesses are usually very sociable and happily share the nursing duties, but sometimes they refuse to do so.

Anyway, so with 2 cubs now to take care of, she said she'd have to sleep in the nursery for the 2nd night as she was going to need to make lots more bottles, etc.

We also had a wild dog give birth 2 days ago, they'd been watching her closely as she had buried 'by mistake'(?) her 2 previous lot of pups by trying to dig a bigger hole for them. But though we gave her lots of food so she wouldn't have to stress about feeding them, she still ate them. The theory is that maybe the public was a bit too close to the den for her liking (even though they were kept behind fences)? Or maybe she didn't want them to be born not free ??? Strangely enough, though wild dogs are officially the most endangered species in Africa the park didn't seem too fussed at having lost yet another set of pups because wild dogs are worth nothing on the market. Whereas if they sell a lion, it can fetch up to $15,000 which, in African Rand is an enormous amount of money. There is a lot of controversy actually about so many lions being kept in captivity in Africa... it kind of begs the question as to why since of all cats, they are the ones that have the healthiest population.

On our last night we went to Monte Casino, which is an amazing place that ressembles Tuscany. It was designed in the same way as the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas. With blue skies on the ceiling, even at night, and other bits had moonlight effects. With gorgeous Italian-like houses and restaurants (Disney feel) to make it feel like the real thing and a casino area in the middle. It was just magical. The buzz was incredible... and it was like a completely different world from our tents in the bush ! It was like: wow, there *is* life out there, just 15mns away... We all managed to get by, just enough, to last the length of the meal, then we went our separate way. There was still a lot of tension in the group and a big divide and we all felt that this Aussie girl in particular, who bullied everybody around had totally spoilt it for everybody else - she was so loud you could almost hear her a mile off. She was really driving me crazy... trying to remain civil was oh so difficult !!!

3 out of 7 of us left first thing on Monday morning and we didn't even say good bye to each other the night before... it was like: nobody could even pretend to like each other anymore. We had no interest in keeping in touch with each other. The one bloke was SO opiniated and was 'always right'... and drove us all crazy too. At 20, he knew it all. Pathetic. Totally immature.

The only saving grace in all this mess was the cubs, always the cubs. Totally innocent, happy with everybody... constantly grateful for our attention. I went to see all my favourites on the last afternoon and got seriously teary. I sat down in their enclosure, and as usual they were fighting for the best spot - between my legs (like having 2 hot water bottles on each side). I usually had one or two chewing my shoes and one trying to chew my cardigan or T-shirt sleeve -- or my flesh, whatever they could put their teeth into. I picked them all up and kissed them good bye and they felt all soft and lovely as we had washed them the day before (most of the time you couldn't even kiss them because they were seriously stinking of wee and pooh !!!). And it really upset me to think that I will never hold them again... that time with them in over. In just 2 weeks we had watched them grow and change so much already. They were a lot bigger and heavier (7 kgs!) and their temper was very different too. I loved them to bits but knew that even if I went back to the park in 6 months' time, they would not recognise me or know me. They would also be far too big to be picked up or to even play with. Past 6 months the cubs are usually left to their own devices to find their own instincts again. And so I was holding these little ball of fluffs wondering when I'd ever get the chance to play with lion cubs... such an amazing experience. I still pinched myself right until the last second. I never took any moment with them for granted - it was just PURE joy and totally freeing. I just loved them unconditionally.

Then I went to see Masai, the cheetah cub, the most special cub of all to me. I've seen lots of post cards with cheetahs on and none look just as gorgeous as he does. He had such a beautiful face. I will never forget the intensity of his dark brown eyes. I was totally mesmerised by them. It was probably as close to 'being in love' as I could be. I could have gazed into its eyes all day long. And I couldn't tell if, like humans, *I* felt he was the most gorgeous cheetah of all, because *I* knew him 'intimately'. Because we were play mates and had shared so many games... a bit like people we know look better to us, as time goes by, as we grow to appreciate their inner beauty too???

The whole thing has been such an interesting exercise. I am glad I have the Bolivia project lined up for next Easter with the jaguars, pumas and ocelots, otherwise I'd definitely try to do something like that again once a year. My soft spot for big cats has just tripled since this trip. I will never look at a lion again in the same light. I will feel I know them so much better, in the way they cry, move, play, etc.

And Purdy, the giraffe... what a darling. On my very last afternoon, 5 minutes before my cab arrived she came out of the bush, as if to say good-bye. We had all given her big hugs the day before, and had taken pictures of us listening to her heart beats (giraffes have got the biggest heart chamber in the world). And strangely enough, when I put my head on her heart she would stand completely still and let me hear it as if she knew what I was trying to do, as if she sensed I was trying to 'connect' with her. It was just incredible. What a gentle giant. Purdy was 3 times higher than any of us and yet was one of our 'mates'. Again, I will never look at a giraffe in the same light again. Just the night before she had managed to outsmart me to steal my dinner but I still loved her to bits. She would always push her way into the kitchen area (the gate always proved useless, she just gave a big push with her chest and nothing resisted her force) and then she'd lean her head over our heads trying to suss out what was in our plates that she could have... and even though I had covered my salad with both hands, because I was one inch above my plate, she managed to scoop it all out from under my hand just with her tongue. Giraffes have hugely flexible tongues (very long ones!) that are similar to the ones of chameleons... take my word for it ! She often managed to grab our food just as it was on the way to our mouths. Very clever cookie.

She stayed by the cab right until the end, as if she had come to say good-bye. It was eerie. Again, I'll never know if she sensed it... it might have been a complete fluke but it meant a lot to me. I would have been sad leaving without seeing her again one more time as she definitely was a mascot and hightlight for us --- and an evening without Purdy was never as special - even though she mainly came for the food !!

And so it is the end another chapter. I remain enthralled by Africa and all of my peers agreed. Most had never been to the dark continent and I warned them on the first day that it would cast a spell on them. They all had to admit that I was right... one even wanted to spend 2 years over there, another extended her stay by one week, couldn't bear to leave... As one said 'I live in a council flat, a concrete tower block, and here I have this vast plains outside my tent, with zebras and antelopes grazing away, ostriche and giraffes in the compound... I'm playing with lions all day... this is paradise compared to my life in England, how will I ever settle back there again happily knowing how much more beautiful life is here?'. Life isn't easy here though, and it is a bit too cheap for my taste... but it is certainly aesthetically beautiful. I love it when something / someone takes my breath away, and I definitely experienced this every single day.

The grandeur and majesty of Africa cannot even be put into words. It has to be experienced... with all your senses -- even the 'touch' sense... to feel the coat of all the different animals.

So, it's back to work tomorrow and back to reality... not for long, thankfully. I cannot believe how much London has changed since I've been back... all the fowers, all the leaves on the trees, the days are even so much longer. It all helps me realise that time goes by, slowly, quickly, inevitably... and so it is that we should always go for what makes us tick... discover what it is that would make you the happiest and just GO FOR IT. Life is a gift... a multitude of gifts. Keep unwrapping them and you'll never be disappointed... there is SO much that is 'up for grabs' if we only dare go out and experience it ... Be daring ! :)))

The African venture continues…

Sorry for the big gap in communication but trying to get to an internet café here is just SO difficult. The Lion Park will not really arrange transport for us unless they have to go to the mall for other things, using local cabs is not advisable they say, and our recommended driver, the lady I used to take me to Pilanesberg has a full diary and trying to find a mutually convenient time is another challenge.

Anyway, she kindly came by tonight and brought her laptop and I am connected to her mobile phone, so I am just hoping the connection will work all the way. This set up is a bit slow due to this area having very poor signal and so I am finding myself totally unable to reply to individual emails as it could take me quite a long time just to open and send.

Plus I don’t really want to keep her waiting forever as she cannot really go home until I have finished updating this blog… oh the joys of being in the bush! Still, it shows that ‘where this is a will, there is a way’.

I’m still enjoying being the cubs immensely and they really make me feel incredibly valued. The moment any of us walk through the door of their enclosure they jump on our legs and if we sit down they are all over us within 30 seconds, chewing on everything they can put their teeth into – shoes, jackets, elbows, breasts… you name it. I have been scratched all over but still feel it has been the most amazing experience.

My favourite moment so far has been to play hide and seek with the cheetah cub… who soon learnt how to cheat to outsmart me and win each time ! He has a little hut in the middle of his enclosure and I’d go around it slowly and he’d hide behind a tree and try to figure out the way to jump on my back (as if I didn’t know he was coming!). However, because he was shorter than the hut, sometimes he couldn’t quite see how to guarantee he’d get me from behind so he would stand up on his back legs, put his front legs on top of his hut roof and check which way I was going. If I saw I was moving clockwise, he’d go the other way … trying to catch me by surprise. It was just hilarious. I had no idea that anyone could play such games with big cats. Masai, the said cheetah cub is one of my very favourites. Cheetahs are special because they are the only big cats that purr and they are always very fond of licking to express gratitude. So I can always gage his mood… which is lovely. The smaller cubs, you can tell they are happy to see you because they are all over you but you mainly gage their mood when they start moving their tails too fast (i.e. I am getting seriously annoyed) or when they snarl at you. Though one little female cub is particularly affectionate and can lick people’s face and suck their ears – something that scares a bit as I don’t fancy their BIG claws so near my eyes so I never let her do that to me.

I have made quite a few fun videos by now (thanks again R for the pressie, what an amazing gift !!! So perfectly timed). I just hope I can forward links easily and that they don’t take too much memory. I have already shot about 30mns and that’s just one minute here and there. The other day we washed them with a sponge and they so hated it, that quite funny. Or I’ve got videos of them jumping on the brooms when we clean their enclosures, etc. I try to think of unusual moments so that it doesn’t all look the same. I have some fantastic close ups of the cubs looking totally adorable – they have the most beautiful face and some gorgeous close ups of Masai’s face, as he has such an intense look since his eyes are so much darker. When I gaze into his eyes I just forget about everything else. I really it’s so easy to connect with him in particular. Though I can also respect his need to take a break when he’s through with playing. I really have taken some of my best wildlife shots ever, at least as far as big cats are concerned.

I’ve also got movies at the nursery. They have cubs a few days old that we are not allowed to hold but there is so much organization involved to keep them healthy. We have to get everything sterilized, etc. And the girls who are in charge of them have got the not-so-envious job of stimulating their anus with cotton wools till they pooh everything out! I will never look at cotton wool in the same way again, I tell you… Then they bottle feed them and after that, they pad their little bellies till they burp so they don’t get collicks, just like human babies. In the wild, she told me that the mother does all that, stimulates their anus with heavy licking till they empty their bowel, and also triggers the burping with heavy licking. This is why we are always told to stroke them fairly hard on their body as they have been deprived of maternal love and it helps them feel the emotional gap of what they have been missing out on – it feels like a lioness licking.

The other day I was also taken to an area of the park where they have a stunning leopard. But no one can go in as he could take anyone who weighs 60kgs up a tree! He doesn’t know when to stop playing… just today actually, a game park ranger who had known some lions for years got eaten by a pride of them. He had a flat tyre, got out of his car, and knelt down to use the jack, and bang, they no longer saw him as a man and got him. The only bit that remained of him was his shoes! The engine was still running. Shows that we are dealing with real predators here…

Most days are the same here, but some volunteers prefer some job better than others and it’s a struggle to get the rota going or to get any decent structure in the day. We also can’t seem to go anywhere on our days off as we cannot get transport anywhere, which is SO frustrating too. This has caused a lot of friction… to the point that we had to have an emergency meeting with a Lion Park manager to try and resolve conflicts and issues. We had 3 people in tears and it was just not pretty. We all come from different countries – UK, France, Netherlands, Norway, Australian and as such have got such different attitudes, we keep clashing. The Aussie girl in particular is very brash and has got such a loud voice, she drives me crazy. She has ruined a lot of my movies as all I can hear is her voice in the background, grrr…

To make matters worse facilities are not very good.. we have had no hot water for the last 3 days, the toaster is broken, we have rats in the kitchen… it is cold at night, 2 people have become sick… and tempers are flying. There are odd moments when I do think ‘gee, I think that 2 weeks will be more than enough!’… some want to leave already and feel the novelty has worn out and we are too different to pretend getting along for much longer… It’s therefore NOT all honkey-dorey. I think the age gap is too big between us. The younger ones must be used to having their mothers tidy up after them and leave the kitchen a mess, with piles of dishes in the sink whereas I clean up as I go along…

But then every time I go into the lion cubs’ enclosure or play with Masai, I feel totally privileged and incredibly fulfilled and forget all the bickering. I feel I have been here a lot longer than 2 weeks really. I still adore having the giraffe around for breakfast… though this morning I turned my back for 2mns to get my hot chocolate, and in the meantime, she’d eaten my bun (they have such long tongues that are like chameleon’s).

The other day we took the 4 musketeers (i.e. the 4 x 2 months old) on the air strip nearby and it was so lovely watching them run behind us, with their little black ears sticking out. I did a real cute video of that too…

We then tried to take Masai onto the same air strip to give him some exercise but he heard the white lions roar in the distance and was totally petrified. I think a chip in his brain must have warned him that lions eat cheetah cubs and so we had to take him back to the safety of his enclosure where he was obviously a lot happier.

I have tried to get some nice photos of me holding the cubs but it’s so hard. One of us is very poorly and coughs pretty much all night long and as a result I have had interrupted sleep for several nights. I probably only sleep about 5 hours per night… so I have bags under my eyes all the time which is such a shame as I may never get the chance to hold a lion cub again. I think I will need some expert to help me air-brush the bags before I share the pictures, ah! I just don’t like my face on any picture… Come to think of it, I probably need to change my face altogether !!!

We did go out to the restaurant once, before we stopped being civil to each other and I must say they had fantastic food. I had the best tuna steak ever… totally melted in my mouth. But it all went down hill after that…

The other day some of us (not me though) went to the shopping mall to send some emails and buy more food and they were told that 2 hours earlier there had been a violent shooting. A gang had come in to steal jewellery and had opened fire on anyone around. I don’t think anyone actually died, but it really shows how dangerous this country can be. This is why, in many ways, I feel safer emailing from the camp ! The only danger is an electric shock in case the giraffe dribbles over the keyboard ! (and she’s been hanging over my head for a little while…). I just wish you could see her… she’s a darling.

I went to assess the manager’s mother today, for her sight loss and gave her a few tips. She was SO grateful. That made my day too. It helped me remember what ‘normal work’ was like… here I must say that it doesn’t really feel like work. I’d do it for pleasure… the only bit that is still a bit difficult to get used to the smell of the pooh which seriously ponks.

I probably won’t get the chance to email again before I leave the country now. Only 2 days to go… I can’t believe it !!! And yet I guess I will also look forward to going home to London knowing that I have 2 trips lined up within 2 months ! NOT bad. I have to pinch myself every day… being able to experience so many of the world’s wonders is a blessing. And these little cubs are true treasures. I will miss them SO much… I dreamt about my last day last night and I was sobbing in my dream. To think I will never see their beautiful little faces again and that someone else will hold them next week… sigh.

I hope that you are all keeping well, once again, thanks for the many emails… most appreciated. Especially when the going got tough (with my peers) it was nice to have some news from real friends… !!!

More South African quotes...

Simply because we all need to laugh once a in a while (they say it's as beneficial as a steak - so, vegetarians will like this option better, I'm sure).

NOW, this first one I am not even sure it's a joke... (!!!) - does anyone know if this is true ???
"It is white" (quote from George Bush when asked what the White House was like)

"I went on a diet, swore off drinking and heavy eating and in fourteen days I had lost exactly ... two weeks"

"Now that I've given up hope I feel much better"

"Don't marry for money, it's cheaper to borrow it"

"The more you complain, the longer God lets you live"

"When did my wild oats turn to shredded wheat ?"

"I used to live in the real world, but I got evicted"

"It's a lot easier to get older than it is to get wiser"

"Politicians are the same the world over, they promise to build a bridge, even where there is no river"

"Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose".

"If it truly were the thought that counted, more women would be pregnant"

"One good thing about repeating your mistakes is that you know when to cringe"

"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you know you have it made"

"If it has feelings, it's not cooked enough"

"Being flawed is so much more interesting than being perfect"

"I often quote myself - it adds spice to my conversation"

"When they discover the centre of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover that they are not it"

"Everyone hits a brick wall every now & then. The trick is not to do it with your head"

"The less people know about how sausages and laws are made, the better they'll sleep at night"

"Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said"

"I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking and then thought... what the hell good would that do ?"

"I envy people who drink. At least they know what to blame everything on".

"Some cause happiness everywhere they go, others whenever they go"

"The opposite of talking isn't listening, it's waiting"

"The two most beautiful words in the English language are: 'Cheque Enclosed'"

"I have enough money to last me the rest of my life... unless I buy something"

"I'll bet what motivated the British to colonise so much of the world is that they were just looking for a decent meal"

"I think they should put a warning label on strawberries. 'Caution, tastes nothing like a strawberry milkshakes"

"Give a man food and he can eat for a day. Give a man a job and he can only eat for 30mns on break"

"The remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she fed us nothing but left-overs. The original meal has never been found"

"People are more opposed to fur than leather because rich women are easier to harrass than bikers"

"If it looks like a duck, talks like a duck, walk like a duck, it probably needs a little more time in the microwave"

"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand"

"Some people see things that are and ask Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask Why Not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that !!!"

"Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain"

"I used up all my sick days so I'm calling in dead"

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it"

Voila... I've used up all the best quotes from the book, but the last one sums up my philosophy nicely ! :) Right ? I guess my next update would only be more of the same (same duties, etc) so unless something goes terribly wrong ("lions eating man" type of moment) I won't bore you with many more details. Which reminds me: last year a couple of Chinese tourists did get out of a car to pad one of the BIG guys and... the moment they stepped out they got snacked upon... The story is now one of the most famous here labelled (sickly?) 'The Chinese Take Away Moment'. Hum.

Scarred already.... but happy !!!

Well, what can I say? This has been such an amazing experience already and I am SO glad I did it. Our little group has bonded quite well. There are some people that I like more than others but all in all we manage just great and everybody is quite supportive and helpful. I ended up sharing my tent with the 2 people I dreaded the most - the Dutch lady (who smokes at every chance she gets) and the Aussie girl (a bit too loud for my taste). But I decided to see it as 'character testing' and make the most of it and focus on the *good* side and ... it worked. We are all very civil with each other.

The tents aren't very spacious but at least I have a bedside table and we have electricity inside which helps at night as it's pitch dark in the bush. We also have a sensor light right outside so that if we need to use the toilets at night, it will help us find our way better. It is only a 30 second walk from our tent to the toilets but it can be 30 seconds too many in the pouring rain I'd say. So far, so good, I haven't needed to get up in the middle of the night. My tip? I just stop drinking altogether as of 6pm to play it safe !!! I never drink much anyway (I'm like a camel), so it's not like I need a cup of tea on the hour as the Brits do ! :)

The beds are quite comfy. We have duvets and I have 2 blankets on top too (most people were warm enough with just the duvet so I was able to grab more for myself). It does warm up as the night goes on (4 body heats?). It's never too hot to sleep properly though, which is a blessing as, if so, I'd definitely need to drink more as my throat would get dry. It's also not too cold to get dressed in the morning, which is a relief. I always have my shower as soon as we get off duty anyway (as we have hot water from solar panels so I want to make sure I get there 1st) so by the time my alarm clock goes off in the morning, the other 3 are usually having their showers (which is probably down to dribble by then as the water pressure isn't great at all). So I have a tiny bit of personal space to get dressed, etc. Some people sometimes retreive to the tent early to read books (I guess we all need *some* privacy at some point). We usually chit chat after dinner till 10pm - or play cards (I don't), or write post-cards (I do!), etc. The one bloke on the team has adapted remarkably well to being around 7 females constantly... I'm not sure I'd have been as ok had it been the other way round. He has a super digital camera so he can give me tips, etc. He loves animals as much as I do. He's blond and blue-eyed, but at 20... no thanks! :)

Last night we had no hot water and no electricity... till 8pm. Hot water never came back on at all. So, it was a very quick shower for all. The light in the morning is amazing... Imay have said that already? But it's worth repeating if so because it's just incredible.... I mean, to zip the tent open and overlook the plains and see all the game grazing in the sun rise (zebras, all sorts of antelopes, etc), I just pinch myself each time. We have many ostriches on the ground too... and Prudy and Grumpit, the two giraffes (Prudy being the one who comes to beg for food). At night we can always hear the sounds of many lions roaring away... but you soon get used to that. And after the 1st night in our tent, I soon realised I wouldn't swap a good hotel with my own en-suite for that kind of experience. So long as I feel safe enough.

Most of the volunteers who were here over the last month have had all their cameras and cash stolen. One girl who's been left behind and is with us this week said that they took all her best shots away too in the process -obviously. So now she has 3 days left to do new close-ups of her playing with the cubs, etc. as a momento of this very unique and rewarding experience. It must be devastating. That's why I try to take good shots with both cameras, to have a back-up. It got SO bad with SO much being stolen that i-to-i were actually warned not to send any more volunteers until they could pin-point who did it. All the staff are being grilled, including the security guards. So far, no good. In Africa it's very hard to point the finger to anyone in particular, even if all the evidence goes towards one person more than another. But i-to-i were like 'you gotta be kidding, this is our most popular project, we cannot possibly stop sending people there'... so the Lion Park had to double security instead. But imagine how disappointed I'd have been if they'd told me, just a week before I was due to go, that the whole thing was OFF, having looked forward to it for 18 months... phew.

Duties are varied and most are fairly pleasant. However, I find I need to shower twice a day if I can, as inthe morning, if we have the raking duties (i.e. to keep the grounds nice & tidy, free of leaves, etc) you do breathe an awful lot of dust, boy... (that fine African soil goes right up in the air, all over your hair, clothes, etc).

My favourite duties are undoubtedly interacting with the cubs, mainly the ones that are just over 1 month old because they love the attention so much - and badly need it. Playing with them is viewed as a 'duty'. I'd almost say 'I can't believe I'm paid to do that'... but I have to remember that I actually DID pay to do that ! :) The four we can play with were abondonned by their mothers so miss the social interaction and the licking she should have given them, etc. So we give them our fingers to suckle on, we sometimes sit on the floor, put them on our legs and they either start chewing our forearms, or our shoes... or if we turn them over and put them on their back (still on our legs) they just love having their little bellies patted... I've taken some great shots of a few falling asleep into our arms, just like babies...

They are so mischevious too and when we take them out of their enclosures to the lawn so they can have a proper play it's really hilarious. They are just starting to learn to stalk and they do it like amateurs... I really need to make a video of that ! I've just bought a 2GB memory card for the digital camera so that I can do 1h30 of video movies. That should be much more fun than still photos - though I have already got some really fun shots.

The nursery duties are good too but boy, does it stink in there. You just cannot breathe for the smell of poo. Thankfully I haven't been asked to clean it in there yet as I'm not sure I could actually do it. You almost want to throw up, it's that bad. Some of the volunteers cut up the meat for them but I cannot bring myself to doing that being a vegetarian... too much like a blood bath. Sometimes, on the 'big feed' days we actually bring dead horses from neighbouring farms for the 100+ big lions to feed on. We get through an enormous amount of meat every day. The farmers, when they lose a horse to natural causes have to pay to have them cremated, so it's cheaper for them to bring them here for the lions to feed on !

Unfortunately none of the cubs that we currently have need to be bottle fed. The ones that are 5 days old can only be touched by a nurse who has had special jabs, everything needs to be sterilised, etc. We can watch her do it (and have - they are only just starting to open their eyes) but we are not allowed to touch them ourselves yet. Not sure they will be old enough to be bottle fed by the time we leave. But we can at least play with the 4 'musketeers' (as we call them) that are just over one month. There is also another set of 3 lion cubs that are just over 2 months old and we have to run them from the nursery to their enclosure in the morning (enticing them with meat and shouts of 'kitty, kitty, kitty'... !) and then stay in there with them, on a rota basis. These guys are the only ones that can be stroked by the general public so we just need to keep an eye on the kids - no tail pulling, etc.

The "giraffe food" duty is the most boring. You just sit there and wait for people to buy giraffe food off you. I don't like standing still so I'm happy to leave that to my peers who enjoy it more - say because they enjoy reading a book or something.

One of the other 'chores' is to play with the cheetah cub 'Masai', who is about 6 months. He is still a little bit fluffy around the head but he's so lovely. He is the only one who is all alone so as soon as one of us goes in he starts purring as he's so grateful for the entertainment. We tend to play tug-of-war with his monkey toy (I hold the head, he pulls on the tail). He's not so good with a ball... but he's just loving all the cuddles and does tend to want to chew on my thighs if I kneel down too low (most big cats will do that - they respect you a lot more when you stand up: if you go down to their level, they see you as equal and start jumping all over you).

Talking of which, yesterday I was working in the enclosure of the 6 month old lion cubs. We have six in there. We have to rak their enclosure, pick up the poo and change their water. Well, I had been in the cage just 10 seconds when one jumped on my back, one grabbed my forearm and one grabbed my ankle.... I was like 'Help ! what do I do NOW ?'.... they don't mean to hurt you but they still bite enough to give you bruises - even through long sleeve jackets and trousers. One girl who'd worked there before said 'just slap them on the nose, they'll soon get the message'... so I gave one a little pad... nothing... I had to slap a lot more for him to let go. My peers came to my rescue by throwing some splashes of water over the other two. So now we all know to watch each other's back. NO kidding. You soon learn to sweep the enclosure with your back to the cage, especially when you are near the pond as they'd easily push you in for fun. You can tell that these guys will not be able to interact with humans for much longer... another month or so and they will need to be sold on. But in the meantime, they are still very lovely to be around... very beautiful faces and very cat-like and child-like in their behaviour, jumping on our brooms, etc.

We have to wear our 'volunteer T-shirts' every day - they are a soft beige and totally shapeless, not even an interesting neck-line. I hate them. We all look huge in these things, not great for pictures at all. I've had a few shots of me taken with the various cubs (all ages) and I haven't got ONE that I like yet. And I hate wearing the same thing on every photo - dead boring ! The cubs always look great, but I look SO round :( And yet I don't eat much at all, honest... most days I even skip lunch in favour of a 100% fruit drink. And I've only had ONE ice-cream... though it's beautiful weather here and 28C most days. It only rains a bit in the evening.


On the first day we were also taken around the beautiful camps of the white lions. Boy, are they majestic or what ! Stunning, really. I have seen some little white lion cubs too, but only in the incubator, we are not allowed to touch them either. They are 2 weeks and just like fluffy toys !

Whilst at the nursery, we also have to hand-feed the cubs... they have just been weaned off so they tend to lick the milk off the more solid food (we give them solid, soaked in milk, in a bowl) and stop there. We then have to cup the rest of their food into our hands and put it back under their nose so that they learn to like solids. This is fun as their tongues is not too coarse and all but the food just stink like fishy cat food.

On the first day my trousers were covered in it and everywhere I went I just felt I smelt like cat food. I just had to wash my trousers as soon as I could - knowing full well they'd get all dirty again the next day, but I just don't like bad smells - especially on me. We tend to rotate anyway, and work at the nursery every other day.

It's all good fun and just doesn't feel like work at all.... we are pretty much allowed to do whatever we like best - as it's fairly quiet during the week. The week-ends should be much busier we've been told. In fact, we're having such a good time that when the manager yesterday said '4 of you can have a day off tomorrow', nobody wanted to have it off !!! I had to go to the mall because I needed to top up my mobile phone, buy a memory card so I could do videos, and wanted to update my blog, but I do miss the cubs already !!! I just cannot remember the concept of 9-5 work life or even city life. The air smells so beautiful here too... really fresh.

I happened to mention to the manager of the park that my day job was to assess visually impaired people and he said that his mother had macular degeneration so I will go and visit her next week to see if I can give her some advice on how to cope with her sight loss better. I don't think that there are any jobs like mine here so she might struggle needlessly when a few practical tips could make her life a lot easier I'm sure... so, I shall do my good deed ! I might even leave her my pair of UV Shield... as I can buy another pair once in the UK.

I am not sure when I will access the internet again. We tend to have very little warning for when we can go on days off. In fact, the whole organisation is a bit dire, but we make do. But it's very African like.... you rush, rush, rush to get somewhere on time... and then stand still for an hour waiting for orders... !!! We do struggle a bit with that concept... like today, we had to wait for 9omns for someone to make the time to drive us to the shopping mall... everybody seemed to get easily side-tracked, hum.

I can't wait for you to see the photos... they will speak a lot louder than words ! I have taken some really beautiful close-up shots of the cubs, and playing with each other, or sleeping cuddled up to each other... We have to be SO selective as we'd be clicking all day.

We have been told to take our cameras with us at ALL times so, since we have to keep the cameras with us, inside the enclosures, if I see something really cute or unusual I'll just run to the camera and click away. I have been using the film one as much as the digital one. I stupidly forgot to buy a new polariser for my film camera (I lost the TWO I had in Australia !!!) and so I am just a bit worried that some of the shots will be a bit bleached. The digital is better for great shots that are in the shade as I can lighten up things on the computer once I get home. I avoid using a flash as much as possible to make sure I don't get the nasty 'red eye' thing... as the cubs have got such beautiful, expressive eyes. But their last feed is at 5pm and then they are locked away for the night, so I mainly see them in natural light anyway. Even the way they call each other is cute. They are very heavy (lots of food in their tummies, fed 3 times a day) and you can only carry one in your arms at a time and when we bring 2 first and then go back to pick up the last 2 from the lawn, the 1st two cry all the time until they are all reunited again. It really made me think about how cruel it is to shoot them... it's not just the physical damage done to the one that gets killed but the mental damage to the ones left behind that's also harrowing it seems.

Righteeo, I've been rambling long enough ! I'll just make a separate update for a few more African jokes... I do enjoy them, I must say !!! :)

Lion Park, some facts

Well, we eventually reached the Lion Park at about 11:00am and had another briefing there. Found quite a few interesting facts about the animals we have there that I shall endeavour to share in a few minutes. It looks as if we will mainly get to the mall on our off-days so it could be a whole week till I get in touch again at this rate. So far, we haven't had the chance to SEE much wildlife yet... but I did see a gorgeous cheetah cub in an enclosure (he is exercised daily by his trainer) and we were followed around the grounds by the female giraffe, as promised! I got to pat her and sure enough, she did put her head through the kitchen window. This was really neat. We were warned that she can kick but is generally very sociable.

We were also warned that most of the volunteers cry when they leave as they are so heart-broken having to leave the adorable cubs behind. We won't be allowed to handle any that is beyond 6 months as they can be "quite a handful", so it should be 'cuddly things only'.

We have our whole group complete now and the only person I find a bit too loud is ... Australian. We have just been on our first shopping trip to buy food for the whole week but I have refused to split the bill with everybody and decided to get my own shopping load. The Dutch lady and Australian girl seemed to like their drinks a bit too much for my liking and were planning to really stock up on wine and beers, plus most eat meat and I couldn't justify subsiding meat and booze for 7, no thanks... I just didn't think it was fair, sorry to be a bore !

We have been told that there have been a few break-ins lately (probably in-jobs) so we have been advised to keep our cameras on us at all times and not keep any valuable in our tents. There is a safe for passport and credit cards, etc. but that's all.

Righteeo... Here are a few questions that guests could ask us and what the answers are. Most I didn't know so I assume you won't either... enjoy!

Q1: why do lions have black markings on the back of their ears and at the end of their tails?
A1: So that the females, when they hunt in a pack, can find each other more easily (otherwise their coat blends in so well with the grass that there is no 'landmark' for them to work out how they should position themselves for the best results during an ambush. The black tail is also for mothers to tell their cubs where she is and attract their attentions better by wagging it. Saying that, female lions operate a nursery scheme and are perfectly happy raising cubs from other females as & when need be - even have them suckle too if needed (say when their mother has gone on the hunt).

Q2: What senses do lions use to recognise people?
A2: sound, sight, smell (we were told they will sniff us a lot the first time and then will store this info in their memory bank and when we next greet them they'll be like 'oh yeah, I know you').

Q3: Do white lions still occur in the wild?
A3: Not, only in captivity as it's important for them to keep the recessive gene. Once they start breeding with 'normal' lions they lose their colour. There was a recent reintroduction of a pride at Kruger National Park recently but the cubs have since all died (only 1 in 4 survives in the wild).

Q4: What is a "split" lion?
A4: A brown lion that carries a white recessive gene.

Q5: Explain what the whisker pattern in lions is synonymous to in humans?
A5: they are like finger prints and are unique to each animal. Whiskers are also great sensor glands and they will let the lion know when their prey is really 'dead' and not just "pretending". Then they will know it's ok to 'let go'.

Q6: Why do lions have a gap on the side of their nose?
A6: So that they can still breathe when they suffocate a prey. It also helps them breathe better whilst they are eating if they have their face right on the carcasse.

Q7: what is the purpose of the white stripes underneath the lion's eyes?
A7: To reflect moonlight back into the eye for better night vision (for the cheetahs, who hunt by day, the reverse is true, they have black 'eye liner' under their eyes to minimise the blindening effect of the sun).

Q8: what is unique about a cheetah's claws?
A8: they do not retract. This feature is one of the reasons why they can run faster as they dig into the earth better as they gather speed (but can only reach their absolute maximum over 400 meters).

Q9: Do black leopards have rosettes and why do they have a black coat?
A9: Black leopards can be found in Africa and Asia and yes, they do have rosettes (not spots, unlike the saying 'a leopard will not change its spots'), the black colour is caused by a recessive melanistic gene.

Q10: what is unusual about female hyenas' sexual organs?
A10: they ressemble a penis. The only way you can tell which gender a hyena is is that the male's phallus is pointed whereas the female's is rounded.

Q11: what is the colour of a newborn spotted hyena?
A11: totally black (they are some that are a few days old right now at the Lion Park and more that are due to be born 'any day').

Q12: Are hyenas more closely related to cats or dogs?
A12: Cats (closest genetic relative is actually.... the mongoose which is classified as a cat too !!!).

Q13: What is the biting pressure per square inch for the following:
A13: lions - 1 ton, spotted hyena: 3 tons, brown hyena: 5 tons (i.e. you'd better mind your fingers... they will be crushed to the point of no return!).

Voila, this is what I've found so far... I bet you'd never looked at a lion's head that closely to see all the wonderful tricks of nature, hey?... so now you're going to have to find a picture and study them better ! :)

And lastly, for fun.... I found the following sayings in a South African tourist book that had me laughing out loud... I'll add more later, if time allows:

"Nothing is faster than the speed of light. To prove this to yourself, try opening the refrigerator door before the light comes on"

"When a body is immersed in water... the phone rings: Archimedes's Other Law"

"The reason that every major university maintains a department of mathematics is 'cos it's cheaper than institutionalising all those people"

"The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket"

"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives"

"Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out of it alive anyway'"

"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis"

"If we could only just get everybody to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be... until the looting started".

"If you resolve to give up smoking, drinking and loving, you don't actually live longer... it just *seems* longer"

"Why take life SO seriously? It isn't permanent!"

"The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to apply make-up on two faces"

"It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong, and an even bigger one to keep his mouth shut when he's right"

"An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought"

Voila ! I'd better get ready for my pick up... Hope this finds you well.
Don't forget to send me emails !!! Even if I don't always have time to answer them properly, I always enjoy reading them....

Bisous, Sylvie xxx

Briefing update, 9 April

Well, we've just had our briefing... If we're lucky there will even be cheetah and leopard cubs too, wow. Looks like there will only be 4 of us per tent instead of 7 (phew) and there is 24H security around the ground (patrols). It all sounds good in theory. Still not sure how far the toilets will be from the tent though (a minor but important detail !!!)... and whether I'll have to get fully dressed if 'nature calls' in the middle of the night.

There was an almighty storm earlier... so bad that the BBQ is now cancelled... plus we could not hear ourselves talk, we had to wait 5mns for it to subside a bit, and boy did it pour... I just hope we are not expected to work in 'all weather' as this kind of weather would be a bit tough. Jennie was telling me that there are more storms here than anywhere else in South Africa because of all the mines (they produce the most platinium in the world for instance in just a few square miles) and the quartz in some rocks actually attracts lightning ! There you go...

Our coordinator said that there are 2 tame giraffes on site. Previous volunteers used to give them some fresh vegetables and so now they tend to keep up the habit and come and beg for food. She said that you could be in the kitchen cooking, turn round and find that a giraffe has put her neck through the window and is looking straight at you. Cool or what? That does sound rather exotic, I have to say. I *must* take a photo of *that* and keep my camera handy if I can.

One of the duties will be to play with the cubs to entertain them and I know I'd definitely love that the most... along with bottle feeding them. She added that there is a great mall nearby, 14kms away, with post office and internet access (we'll just need to book a local cab via a company they work with) so hopefully, some evenings, I may be able to get there to keep you guys posted...

From what I've seen, most of the group doesn't drink ! Hooray. We were offered typical South African liquor as a welcome drink (17% alcohol) and pretty much everybody passed saying 'No thanks, I don't drink alcohol'... whereas me, who never touches a drop, gave it a go as it smelt like Baileys and was made from flowers that elephants love (flowers that grow on tree). It tasted more fruity than anything, which was fine. It should help be go to sleep nicely later too! Everybody seemed rather nice, though I've only met 4 fellow volunteers from the lion park project as such. Others will go and work with dolphins, others do lion monitorings, etc.

We were (as always) advised against unprotected sex (in case anyone had a death wish), our coordinator came up with gloom statistics, in Jo'burg alone, 169 person per DAY are newly infected with HIV. And so we are not to touch blood or anything else (double gloves are a must). Though, thankfully, feline HIV would not harm us at all.

I think that's all for today. People are queuing for the internet now so I'd better be good and learn to share - already ! :) We have been told that if for any reason we are not happy in the tent and do not feel feel comfortable in any way, i-to-i will put us back in a hotel in Pretoria and arrange for transport back & forth to the lion park every day. But this will mean having to get up 1 hour earlier each day (duties are 8am till 5pm). So, I might try the adventure first, see how I go. Everybody said we should be fine as we will all look out for each other. Besides, I've never slept in a big tent before, so I guess I should do it once before popping off !!!

To be continued... the cubs are waiting, may this be one of my greatest travel experiences YET. Only time will tell.........

Pretoria - 9 April 2007

Well, this morning I was picked up by Jennie, my driver, who was (thankfully) running an hour late. I realised, whilst packing, that my alarm clock had stopped working, that my (cheap) jewellery was all entangled and in a complete mess, my rain jacket was also completely soaked as I had left it under the a/c unit which had dripped all night, etc. Dear me. What a great start.

In disgust I went to have breakfast... and found food comfort + additional thrills observing the many hornbills on the ground and took some nice shots... and even a little squirrel seemed to like me. He was hopping along from one thorn tree to the next, looking very gorgeous. They also have a colony of baboons on the ground too and even an ostrich. Yipee.

I said good bye to my African friends and we eventually drove to Pretoria. On the way Jennie told me about other projects she tries and promotes... one place raises cheetah and leopard cubs and you can also go into the wild with a vet to rescue injured animals... there seems to be SO much one can do. Or you can work with elephants, brush them, pad them, walk them, ride them... Africa does have a tremendous amount of opportunities like that for anyone who loves to feel close to wild animals as much as I do. She also told me that she tries to think of projects to benefit the local communities too but was quite upset to find that most local schools for instance will refuse to do any work for money. She wanted to buy them threads and beads and ask them to make necklaces so she could sell them on their behalf but they refused, though they badly needed the funding, saying that they would rather get the money for nothing !!! She felt that this was one of the downside of too much fund-raising from the West ! :(

She kindly drove me past the Union building, which is the most beautiful in Pretoria. Very European architecture. Pretoria is one of the capitals of South Africa and has many beautiful streets with countless jacaranda trees (unfortunately not in purple bloom at this time of the year).

She then took me to Backpackers, my base for the night. I am currently awaiting my 5pm briefing on the lion park project and thought I'd update my blog quickly (well, I've been on the PC for 3 hours by now!) .... as there may not be much opportunity to do so over the next few days.

I have already upgraded to a single room for tonight (well worth $10 extra I felt!) as I didn't fancy a dorm... not just yet. I'll delay the process for as long as possible !!!!

We have a BBQ tonight too, but with lots of vegetables... under the stars. Should be nice. We'll be off to the park at 9am tomorrow... fingers crossed that all goes well !!!

Send me emails when you can, always good to have news from my friends ... makes me feel less lonely till I make some new ones.....

Pilanesberg - a few facts & 2 more safaris

Well, the 6am drive was... painful. I was FROZEN on this open truck, so much so that I could not even function properly to take my camera out to picture the amazing sun-rise. I was wrapped in all the blankets I could get my hands on and just tried to move as little as I could to keep warm. It was another successful safari though as far as game went... with 3 hippos, 3 lions (still too far though), herds of elephants, zebras, 3 rhinos, herds of giraffes and all... but just too cold to enjoy it fully.

I did learn a few interesting facts though... Namely: mother zebras give birth all alone, this is to give their offspring time to identify their stripes so that they can find her again in the crowds (zebra stripes are like our fingerprints - unique). Zebras sleep in the mountains to be safe, as lions only hunt on the grassland. Lions sleep 18 hours/day, they leave it to the females to do the work and get the food ! Elephants eat 18 hours / day as they process food very quickly so are always hungry (they have too many in Kruger National Park actually and have to cull some every year otherwise they'd destroy the park - they've tried to take them to nearby Mozambique instead but they always want to come back!). Kruger is the biggest national park, 400kms by 600kms but is so big that people who go there can spend 2 weeks looking for animals and seeing ... none. Giraffes have to eat off trees because their neck cannot extend more than 45cms. They only sleep 20mns at a time, sometimes just 20mns per day !!! (my father would never survive this!). They have to kneel down but with their neck up straight. Hippos are the most dangerous animals in Africa and have been known to kill the most humans - either by stamping on them or crushing their bones with their huge teeth. Malaria is only carried by pregnant female mosquitoes and they are attracted to blue clothes. So, one way to protect yourself is to avoid wearing blue - it reminds them of water, their breeding ground. Local women tend to shave their heads when they are in mourning (I saw a few and wondered why!). I'm certainly glad we don't have this practice in Europe !!!

After breakfast I then decided to do all my hand-washing, and sleep a bit more (at least 2 hours more) before my 2:30pm drive with Silpho again (Silpho in Zulu means 'gift', as he was born on Xmas day. His daughter was called Nahnda which means 'Goddess of Love'... how exotic, hey?).

That afternoon, he felt he should take me to the highest point in the province, within Pilanesberg, so we could have an overview of the whole park. Fewer game up there, but very scenic. I was torn... I really wanted to see a leopard again... but no guarantee. One had been spotted earlier but chased off by a rhino and so fellow drivers reported they had 'lost the visual'. We could gamble or try and look for it anyway, or just forget about it and be guaranteed beautiful scenery. Well, since I appreciate beauty in all its forms I agreed with him.

It was well worth it. It was SO peaceful up there... almost no cars. Animals seemed tamer too as a result. We saw some of the smaller antelopes (dik dik, springbuks...) and if people put their hands out of the car window, they'd come and lick the salt off their hands. We saw more rhinos on the way but they are my least favourites (too prehistorical like). I did ask if poaching was still a big problem, he said, not really in Pilanesberg as there are too many people driving around, so they couldn't get away with it. He also said that though the park isn't completely fenced off, the animals seem to sense where they are safe and stay put... which was good news indeed. I never saw a cheetah, they only have 6 in the park, but we did manage to see another leopard on the way back (they only have 15).. snoozing by the side of a nearlydried up river bank. Most of the cars had missed it, focusing on the giraffe that was drinking nearby but sometimes the giraffe would stop and have her gaze totally focused on the ground and this is always the biggest clue. They have acute eye sight and they always freeze when they see a predator... and then run (in slow motion!). So, sure enough, Silpho grabbed the binoculars and there it was... a lovely leopard oblivious to it all - and unnoticed by everybody else that drove past.

On the back back to the lodge, we went via a village and saw many women stand by the side of the road. I asked if they were prostitutes, he said 'not really, they offer free sex'... I said 'why?' he replied 'there is a 1:6 ratio of women vs men, so there aren't enough men to 'service' all these highly sexed women... so they advertise the fact that they would like some action'. I was stunned. I said 'Don't they know that 1 in every 3 person here is HIV+ ?', he said 'I'm sure they do, but they feel too lonely to care'... It seemed incredibly sad, to me, that this 'natural instinct' of reproducing was going to lead them to risk their own lives. I mean, 1 in 3, it'd be like playing Russian roulette! Assuming they were not HIV already... Silpho told me that many young virgins are still sold off to old chiefs to try and 'cure' them of AIDS as some still stupidly believe that having sex with a virgin could cleanse them of the virus. It seemed cruel and gruesome.

I said that as a woman I felt horrified at the plight of fellow women around the world... he said that such practice are very common in villages where there is little education. Just like most crimes in South Africa (be it rapes or murders) are not against tourists but usually among their own and are 'revenge' crimes.... "you raped my sister so I'll rape yours / you killed my brother so I'll kill yours" type of mentality. It still seemed incredibly harsh... where the blood of innocents never seems to matter much. What is the value of a life, one has to wonder, in such cultures??

I had dinner with Silpho and Hildah again for my last night in Pilanesberg and it was really nice to have company. Everybody at the lodge had been quite helpful really. I then thought I'd be able to update my travel blog for 2 hours.. but was soon informed that the internet was broken, yet again. Oh well... I headed for my bed 2 hours earlier than planned and fell asleep instantly. So I guess it was a blessing in disguise... the lodge was also charging 2R/minute (very steep) when I was going to pay 1/4 of that the next day when the next opportunity arose... (might as well!).

Sun City glitz - Easter 2007

Sun City is decadence in the desert... the Las Vegas of the African continent and I'd highly recommend it for anyone who's in the area. It is beautifully made and is a cross between Disney Land and Vegas. It has a huge water theme park and a magnificient palace: The Lost City.

They have tried to make it look like an ancient palace where Nomads would have settled... they've surrounded it by lush trees and waterfalls (a true oasis of green in the middle of the desert) which attracts monkeys and birds... and have built the most elegant building at the heart of it. Pure indulgence and excess. Gold leaves in the lift... etc. The suites there have had renowned guests from the world over, from celebrities to presidents... It is just a 'must see' and a great entertainment place for kids and adults alike. It being Easter, it was packed with people.

They even have a 'bridge of time' with stone elephants on each side and leopard heads carved in the rocks nearby too and the bridge moves on the hour, with smoke coming out on each side, to make it look / feel like an earthquake. VERY Indianna Jones feel too ! NOT as grand as what Disney can do, but a tiny bit of a thrill, especially on the unsuspecting who have been known to truly panic thinking they were experiencing a real earthquake!

To escape the hussle and bustle(?) of the place is easy: just hop in the Sky Train or get on a shuttle bus and get off at the golf course. I did, and it was SO tranquil and so beautiful... I just sat on the patio, watching the people play and the birds sing all around me... rollers, ibises, and many I had not seen before (or not seen in several years). I could even see people hang-gliding in the distance... pretty neat and relaxing.

I also had to do the 'compulsory' tour of the Lost City Palace - if you don't, you really miss the best the place has to offer in terms of visual thrill. It really is The jewel of Africa, as they call it. Grand entrance with gold statues of cheetahs chasing impalas, followed by more fountains in the shade of kudus' heads... then the roof inside is a huge dome, painted in the same way as the Cistine Chapel but with all African animals.. lavish decorated carpets everywhere too... 5 tons chandeliers on the ceiling (that they dropped twice when trying to fix it!). An elephant fountain in the middle of the main dining area... and these amazing high towers on each side (the King Towers) that give you a bird's eye view of the whole resort, including beautiful pools with Sun designs ceramics and Nomah tent styles for people to have shade... much lovelier than standard parasols !

You could tell that a lot of thoughts had gone into its design... and several thousands people had worked on it, and managed to complete it in just 28 months. It opened in 1992. It is almost always fully booked if one wants to stay at the Lost City Palace itself. Even though it can cost several thousands per night to stay in the suite (that's several thousands of whatever currency you are used to !!!). If you have never heard of it, it's worth looking it up on line to check it out. I tried to take some pictures (the ceilings inside the entertainement centre alone were staggeringly beautiful) but they may not come out as well as I'd like. So I bought a small souvenir book to show my pals in London... I mean, pictures always speak a thousand words and I could never do the place justice myself, just trying to describe what cannot be described. The sheer scale of it for a start is amazing.

I'm definitely glad I went and would go back next time I'm in the area. It just would have been more fun with a friend or two. My driver got lucky TWICE there. 3 weeks ago he put 10cents in one of fruit machines and got 55,000 R !!! (that's about US$7,000 equivalent), and last week he bought a lottery ticket and won the top price: a brand new car. Lucky man !!!

When he picked me up later that day, at 4pm, he assured me that, just like Vegas, this place is alive 24/7 and that to experiencing it by night is a completely different feeling again. He even managed to convince me to go back with him and his wife to see a rock show. He had a 'Most Valued Gest' card after winning the car and was able to take up to 5 people in for free (he'd also managed to get me free entrance earlier with that scheme).

I was debating as to whether I should catch up on my sleep (which was badly needed !!) OR live it up... and I chose the latter. I mean, when was I next going to get the chance to experience Sun City by night with a local ? I told him I'd be mad and agree. He took me to his place so I could meet his (lovely) wife and children and we all agreed to leave at 8:00pm latest as the show started at 8:30pm. I'm not a rock fan, but it was the experience I was after.

I was told, when I got back to my lodge, that the internet was now back on, but by then I felt I needed to sleep far more than to email... So I managed to sleep for 2 hours, had another yummy dinner, and off we went.

We arrived a bit late and missed the first 20mns but we still thoroughly enjoyed the show. It wasn't 'hard rock' at all, asI had feared, but more rock ballads. His wife, Hildah was only 22 so she didn't know most of the songs, but as I was 42 ('you are older than my mother' she exclaimed, eeek) I knew all of them. They had done a medley of the best songs of the 70's and 80's and I'd been brought up hearing all these tunes. The dancers and singers were all immensely talented (and virtual unknowns) and she said that the fact that they had been contracted to sing at Sun City for 6 months showed that the management had recognised their talents as it's quite something to get a contract to sing there. Same as Vegas, again, I guess.

We had such a good time that I came back feeling as high as a kite. It made me realise how much DOES go on in the world when we sleep ! :) I was even worried I might not get to sleep for ages (when I had to be up at 5:00am the next day for my 6:00am safari) but no... thankfully, I managed to grab 5 hours before I had to get up again !

Beautiful Pilanesberg (2) - Easter 2007

Well, strangely, at 6:30am we didn't see as much game as I'd hoped but we still saw an awful lot by most people's standards: 2 giraffes, right by the road, 5 rhinos (they have 200 in that park so they are a very common sight), 25 gnus, 20+ elephants (herd in a distance), 1 mangoose, lots of different types of antelopes, zebras... but the light was beautiful, the sunrise was amazing (lots of pink and purple stripes in the sky) and I could really see how scenic the park is. It hasn't rained much this year so the plains were very dry, very African-like type of savannahs, with golden grass and yet there were many green bushes and the usual acacia trees and lots of lovely hills in the distance, everywhere you looked. Which is what made it SO lovely. It also had a small but quite a blue lake in the middle where animals were often gathering.

The only down-side of that drive is that we stopped at a place where we could buy some refreshments. They had a small waterhole at the back where I was busy observing lots of different types of antelopes (impalas, kudus, etc) and focusing on taking good shots when bang, I got stung by a bee ! I had been standing too close to a bin and because I was wearing a skirt (which I always find more comfortable whenever lots of sitting is involved), one bee managed to find its way UNDER my skirt. I could feel it buzz around my legs and panicked and I didn't know what to do for the best. I tried to lift my skirt very slowly and discreetly (without getting other tourists worried about my odd behaviour !! 'Exhibitionist spotted at Pilanesberg' - hum) but, too late. I went 'ouch' so loud that people around me were like 'are you ok? Can I help you?', I explained I had just been stung by a bee... but very near my delicate parts and therefore would not be able to get anyone to help me retreive the sting ! :) Of ALL places... I think the poor bee got the top of my legs, realised it could not go any higher and struck. I went straight to the toilets but because it had stung me nearer the back of my leg I just could not even see the lump. Just feel it throb and swell and I had to try and pick up the sting with my nails the best I could. I was mainly worried about going back in the car and sitting on the sting and pushing it right in. It just could not have been in a worse place, except maybe in my throat - in which case, I may have dropped dead there and then ! :) ah! I immediately had these flash backs of my super high fever in Costa Rica after I got stung by a wasp and was worried I'd have to get to a hospital and get an anti-asthamine shot, yet again. The pain was fairly bad but my driver assured me it'd subside... after a few hours.

This incident spoilt the rest of the drive as I had to ask him to take me straight back to the lodge so that I could take some medication and apply some oinments that I always take with me (but didn't happen to have *on* me). I tried to take my fever when I got back to my chalet but realised my thermometer (which I had carefully packed being very French with my First Aid Box everywhere I go) was no longer working, ahhh.

Not to be undaunted by it all, I still managed to grab some breakfast (it does take a lot for me to lose my apetite, as you know! We French do like our food... and I can't pass on some fresh guava and lychee juices - too yummy for words).

We had agreed to go to Sun City in the afternoon, but I said I'd have to wait and see how I felt, in case the bite made me worse... thankfully, it didn't... and so more adventure was to be had a few hours later... :)))

Beautiful Pilanesberg (1)

I made sure I was seated right at the front of the high open truck and had taken a jacket and all as I was warned it'd get very cold once the sun had gone down. I complained (already !!!!) that a 5pm start was a bit too late to take any decent pitures with a film camera (esp. with a zoom lens) as it cannot function in low-light... well, it might do with a tripod, but not from a truck on the move! Sure enough, by 5:30pm my camera could no longer work properly, eeek... A friend had kindly sent me a small digital camera with a small zoom on it, but this seemed more appropriate for landscapes... and I still had to learn how to USE it, which I had not had time to do YET at this point... having picked it up from Parcel Force just the day before I was due to go.

But it was still an awesome drive. I was astouned by how much game there was. Pilanesberg had been affected by some fires a few months earlier and whether it helped as the game had to be concentrated on the patches of grass that were left, I don't know, but it was SO easy to see SO much in just an hour. These are my stats for the 1st game: 40+ elephants (we saw 2 herds), 10 white rhinos, 20 giraffes, 20 zebras, 10 monkeys, 3 lions (a bit far, stalking a baby giraffe - that they didn't get, phew), 1 leopard (snoozing in a tree), and 1 baby chameleon ! (my driver picked it up as it was right by the side of the road, sitting on a branch at eye level, and within 1 minute it went from green to black ! It was so amazing to watch :).

I came back smiling from ear to ear... but was just gutted by the lack of photo opportunities. Most people struggled to take pictures, even with digitals. My driver had to use a spot light for us to see the leopard as it was pitch dark by the time we got back. They all radio each other, so that when one animal is spotted, they all alert each other. Which is good when you are the one who would have missed out otherwise, but not so good for the animals as suddenly you have a queue of 20 vehicles trying to see the same thing. They do not control car numbers in the park so pretty much anyone who stays at the nearby lodges can just get in with their own car = more noise, more pollution, more hassle for the wildlife than packing the equivalent of 10 cars' load into ONE truck. Sometimes there are so many cars with little space in between that if the herd of elephants is split in two it can be quite dangerous as the cars act as a barrier and the elephants get nervous. One car got badly bashed by a tusk. We are on their patch after all ! My driver was sensible and made sure that we had lots of space between us and the animals but most people do not care - they just want a good picture and do not understand animal behaviour.

When we got back, I told my driver, Sipho, that I was really frustrated by the fact the safaris were starting too late and by the fact that the morning drive wasn't happening tomorrow as they didn't have enough people booked on it. We struck a deal whereby he took me in his own car and I paid him what I felt was a fair amount for his time. He was pleased, and I was pleased.

I then had my dinner (nice yummy buffet) and then went to bed as soon as I could. I wanted to use the internet on site to say I'd go there safely and all, but, unsurprisingly in that part of the world, the PC was broken. I hit the sack at 9:45pm but was woken up at 2:00am as it was too hot and I couldn't find how and where to operate the air-conditioning... outside that, it was a reasonable night and I managed to catch up on some sleep, till I had to get up again at 5:30am for the next safari ! (no pain, no gain... same old !).

Getting there! 5 April 2007

Well, as usual in my world, the whole day was completely frantic... I had gone to a meeting in town to do my good deed and support more accessible transport for blind people (as I would/should) and even left 20mns early to make sure I'd allow plenty of time to get to the airport but buses were horrendously slow that day... and so packed that they wouldn't even stop when they eventually got to my stop. As it was the day before the Easter break, I had visions of endless queues at Heathrow Airport and my missing my plane... I ended up having to give up on the buses and pretty much walk half of the way (make that 2 miles), with my winter coat on my arm... I turned up at home soaked with sweat, therefore HAD to make time for a shower... and got further delayed. Had a sweet call from David just before I left though (much needed 'comfort food' - beats a chocolate bar any time) and then ran to the tube station... almost broke my suitcase handle in the process.... got on the tube 40mns later than I had planned (i.e. having allowed just 2 hours before check-in instead of the 3 I intended)... and THEN half way through my journey the tube network crawled to a near standstill due to signal failure (!!!!)..... 40mns to do 5 stops... AHHHH.... If I had suffered from high blood pressure I think it'd have gone sky high by then... I figured that getting to LHR 1 hour before the gate closed, during one of the busiest week-ends of the year was sheer ... arrogance... madness... mission impossible...

BUT, lo and behold, there was NO queue ! I sailed through all the gates and even ended up with 30mns to spare to do some shopping... The Lord does work in mysterious ways ! Who ever doubted the power of prayers should be shot ! :)

I made sure I had no food to eat before I boarded the plane so that I'd be quite starved during my flight to Madrid (I figured it'd be cheaper and, most importantly, better for my waistline than having 5 meals in a day)... only to realise once I was ON the plane that NO food was going to be served anyhow... unless you paid a ridiculous amount of money for a barren sandwich.... which I reluctantly had to do to make sure my stomach was not out of synch.

I then wasted 2h30 at Madrid airport, and then boarded my connecting flight at 00:35 (Iberia, for once, was on time). However, they did insist on serving us proper meals at... 2:30am !!! I could not believe it. I mean, I know the Spanish like to eat late... but, 2:30am? Who are they kidding? No thanks. I told them I needed to sleep more than to eat by then...

I was seated next to a grumpy guy who didn't speak one word to me but at least I had an aisle seat so I didn't care. I swallowed a small sleeping pill and managed to doze off to dream land... on and off, but enough to be fairly alert in my head by the time we landed. Thankfully, there is NO time difference between Madrid & Jo'burg, so, I didn't have to adjust to *that*.

Then we had the 'carousel' incident when we were told our luggage would arrive at No 2, but it was showing as No 3 on the boards. People, after 40mns of waiting for their luggage, were completely confused... we didn't know whether to trust the *spoken* announcements or the *written* boards.. all the time I was worried my driver would leave the airport thinking I failed to turn up. I had a South African mobile with me but I had not managed to buy more credit for my SIM card YET... so could not tell her I was standing still by the carousels...

I was also worried that I'd be grilled at passport control as this was a 'working holiday', so, in effect I needed a Visa... but as it wasn't paid work, it could qualify as a holiday, etc. I was sweating, picturing myself in a jail somewhere for a long time... but the girl stamped my passport without asking me ONE question and the guy in the Green Lane area didn't even read my 'entry card' when I gave it to him. There were SO many people, he never looked at it. Oh well ! Shows it's pointless worrying till you get in trouble really, hum.... I should do as a I preach more often. I usually do, but a jail in South Africa didn't sound like a happy prospect (ask Nelson Mandela for a start !).

My driver was still there and we headed off to Pilanesberg straight away, after I'd bought some stamps and topped up my mobile phone, etc. She was very pleasant and very professional and the drive was quite scenic... especially when we got to a dam area - lots of native plants and flowers around that area. And lovely villages too.

She did say that she had taken lots of i-to-i volunteers to their projects and some had been bitterly disappointed by the lack of organisation... some were even in tears ! Oh dear... I guess I'll have to wait and see. I think the lack of personal space might suffocate me... after a few days. Whether I can last 2 weeks will remain to be seen... I guess I won't have much choice!

We reached the Golden Leopard Lodge where I was staying by 3pm and I was quite pleased with the accommotion.. lovely hot showers... but boy was the resort BUSY. People and children everywhere - from all over the world too - I soon realised I would not be using the pool !

Being not one to waste time I booked myself on the next safari that was going that day, at 5pm. It turned out to be one the best I'd been on... ever.

SOUTH AFRICA
i-to-i VOLUNTEERING PROJECT in LION PARK
5 - 24 April 2007


Well, this will come as no surprise to those of you who know me really well to hear that I'll soon be off again!

I booked the above mentioned project 18 months ago though…I'll be going out 'alone again… naturally' .

This type of holiday will be very different from anything else I've done before…. A working holiday for a start (9 hours a day, 6 days a week) and very hands-on with the animals (which, to me, will be the biggest thrill and the main reason I wanted to do it). In fact, this particular project is currently the most popular volunteering project in the whole world (I'm told), hence the huge waiting list to get on it.

Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to send regular updates stating how many bites I got today from the fun-loving (!) cubs email access will be seriously limited and so I may NOT be able to update my travel blog
properly until I get back to the UK… i-to-i explained to me that people have abused internet access in the past and left huge bills unpaid so now everybody is banned from using it (except in real emergencies – which my blog will NOT be). I may not be able to send any updates unless I go back to Jo'burg, which is NOT a happy prospect as it is one of the most violent cities on earth.\

However, before my placement starts I have arranged for a (lady) driver from Jo'burg to pick me up and drive me all the way to Pilanesberg, a very scenic National Park about 2.5H's drive away from Jo'burg, where I'll be able to see all the "big five" – fingers crossed. This will be a little treat for me to relax and go on various safaris - if the minimum number of 4 is reached for each tour – I simply cannot afford my own driver over there, toooo expensive). Boy, I SO miss the African wildlife and landscape (I last went there in 2002) it will feel like 'going home' in that respect…. I'll be staying at the Manyane Resort and there should be internet access unless it's down – quite a frequent occurrence in exotic countries).

Both Pilanesberg and the lion park are in malaria-free areas. Phew ! \

I also plan a trip into Sun City to see what the fuss is all about (it's the most famous theme park in the whole of Africa pretty much), just to see what all the fuss is about (it's like a big water theme park with casinos… but I'm planning to swim, not gamble… needless to say). There are no safaris between 10am and 5pm so it could be a loooong day doing very little otherwise (this is when going alone will be a "bummer"…). So I might as well do *something* !

I just hope it won't be too cold at night since there won't be any heating in the shower cubicles (shared facilities)… but at least there will be hot water (bliss) and duvets.

Voila! i-to-i have assured me that they will do their utmost to ensure that ALL their volunteers are having a good time… I'll soon find out if it's true !

Off to the airport now, I'd better arrive early, I'm sure that the queues will be horrendous with the Easter bank holidays....

Bisous, Sylvie