June 10th. Today was
a very interesting day, to say the least. I woke up before 7, for some strange
reason. My body just decided that it was used to waking up early, apparently! And
today marked the end of my fourth week here! Four weeks! That’s a freaking month!
I can’t believe I have been here for a month already. In some ways, it feels so
natural to be here, like I have been here for years. I suppose that’s because
so many volunteers have cycled in and out lately, and I have remained constant.
I see them come and go, and I help the new ones figure out how this place
operates. So, in a way, I feel like I am one of the rangers. Of course, that
would be a ranger who has absolutely no formal training and VERY limited knowledge.
But still, in a way, it feels like home. And on the other hand, it feels as
though I have just arrived. It feels like maybe I have been here for a week,
and I have so many weeks ahead of me. But sadly, I only have two weeks left!
That’s insane. I am not looking forward to going back to the real world! When
sleep was no longer an option, I laid in bed til around 730 and then decided to
take a (cold) shower. Toko had arrived back this morning, which was awesome
because he is fun to have around. I got ready leisurely and had breakfast, and
we left for town at 9:30. We got in and Lukas dropped Stewart, Tom, Kelsie and
I off at the Kamelego Tourist Center, which is about a 15 minute walk from the
main area. I needed to exchange some Rand and do some shopping. It had gotten
really cold from the wind last night, and I was very happy I had worn jeans,
even on the 15 minute walk! We had to meet at lunch at Sleeper’s at
11:15/11:30ish. When we got there, Lukas arrived, after dropping Emily and
Molly off at the airport, with Jonathan, who is a young American guy that spent
a week and a half at Siyafunda last year. I got an ostrich burger for lunch,
which was strange, but really good! After lunch, Lukas took Stewart, Tom, and
Kelsie to the airport to leave, and Jonathan and I walked around town to do
errands. We ended up walking all the way back to the tourist center to do more
shopping, and I spend far too many Rand on the amazing things they have there.
It was pretty fun though. Lukas was picking up the new French vet students,
Justine and Judith, and letting them do their errands. He picked us up a little
after 3:30 at Kamelego. Then we headed back to camp, after stopping to get
fresh fruit. When we got in, it was almost 5, and after helping to unload, I
enjoyed a nice sundown on the observation deck surrounded by God’s creation. I
am trying to absorb every minute I can of this beautiful place. I want to
remember everything, the way the insects chirp, the movements of the local
warthog in the bushes beside the observation deck, the smell of the cool breeze
as night falls. I am hoping to enjoy as many sunsets on the deck as I can
before I leave. Then, Jonathan and I made dinner, bacon carbonera and leftover
salad from last night. Lukas was in the kitchen hanging out with us for a
while, and then Justine and Judith joined in as well. We all just kinda talked
and we got to know each other a bit more. We cooked slowly and just hung out
there, because we were waiting for everyone to get in. All the sudden, Toko
arrived with the 5 new Americans. Whooo, doggy. All girls, all in vet tech
school, and they rolled in like a tornado. They hung out in the kitchen with us
for a while, and then Andrew arrived with the last of the gang: Anne-Laure, the
intern, and Phil, the photographer. There are 14 of us this week, and it was
already crazy tonight! The five Americans have been at a different Enkosini
project working with Vervet monkeys for the past few weeks and will be spending
one week here. Jonathan, Judith, and Justine will be here for 6 weeks, and
Anne-Laure and Phil have 3 weeks here, I think. But this week is definitely
going to be interesting. Dinner was ready and everyone was here a little after
8, so we all huddled around the table to eat. It was cooolllld. Everyone was
pretty tired from the travel day, so they all turned in early, which was fine
by me. I have a feeling I am going to really miss the quiet weeks! I worked on
some data for a while, and then turned in as well. I am not going on the set
route drive tomorrow morning, because we only have one truck that is working at
the moment. We are too many people this week to only take one truck. That’s
fine by me, because I will get to work on my research in the nice quiet of camp!
:D I have a feeling I am going to really enjoy the quiet time I get to steal
away, and for me to say that? That really means something!
Saying goodbye to my newfound friends: the amazing Americans and the spectacular Scot!
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