5^th April 2015

What a lovely, easy weekend this has been!

Yesterday, a few fellow volunteers went bungee jumping. I gave this a go when I was 19, and as I’m trying to be frugal during my travels, I used this as a good enough excuse not to pay and participate, however I did very much enjoy going along to watch while indulging in a honey mustard steak wrap and a coooool Savanna cider.

After this, we headed straight for our weekend hostel which is based in the heart of Port Elizabeth, about an hour away from Kwantu. We were given a positive introduction to the place by the existing and more PE experienced volunteers, whom we joined for dinner at a restaurant called Something Good. A most accurate name! Just simple, good eating!

The night then escalate into more and more drinks, good jokes, a few dances and further drinks…

before culminating in a select few throwing themselves in the hostel pool! This seemed like a good time to go to bed, but I made the error in sticking around the ‘Wifi Building’ instead, only to find myself stuck in an enormous thunder storm! It really was incredible, like nothing I’ve ever seen, and showed no sign of stopping. I watched for a couple of hours, but finally I could wait no longer and decided to run to the ‘beds building’ as quick as I could- the distance being about 10 seconds at a jog.

I went to bed as soggy as those who had jumped in the pool!

The weekend accommodation, Albeit Lodge, isn’t exactly ideal. There’s no curtains on the windows, a wall missing from the front of the building, and complaints of bed bugs…. But I will say this

They do a lovely breakfast made to order!

Friday just gone was our first lesson on our Game Ranger Internship, but opened with a surprising revelation…

Page one of our text book explained that this is not to be mistaken with a Game Ranger Internship, but is in fact a Nature Guide Internship. The difference is that a Game Ranger’s work is more in the conservation of a natural environment, where as a Nature Guide is effectively a Tour Guide, only specifying in nature…

So now I’ve found myself on a course teaching me how to be an effective nature guide… Which does include some interesting aspects, such as tracking of animals, but also some rather more tedious ones, like good manners and how to keep tourists happy in general.

But I’m here now! Might as well see how it all goes, and what I can get from it! At least if I ever decided to pack it all in and flee the UK, I’ll have a qualification that will allow me to work here in the great outdoors of South Africa! Nothing wrong with having something to fall back on…

After this, we took another Game Drive, where we saw a Buffalo!

Not the most flattering photo… But very amusing!