Sad News from Klipkop

If I have shown you my pictures then you have heard about one of the dogs at Klipkop, Smiley. She probably more than any of the others (sorry Piggie) stands out as "the" Klipkop dog.

Word arrived early this morning from South Africa that she needed to be put down. This past Wed she was put down so she would avoid suffering from the final stages 0f lymphoma. She was about 7 years old and had made Klipkop here home for 3 of those years. Smiley was one of those dogs that when met, you knew you had met something very special. You can also see her in my August 14, 2005 post. She was resting under the bakkie probably so that she didn't miss the next crew headed out.

a few more pictures

Sorry, i know i promised some more pics soon and i have taken a lot longer than i had thought i might. my trip across country kept me pretty much away from the internet (and cell phone coverage), but i am in LA now and have finished my first day on the job. the folks have been awesome! anyway, more africa pictures...




this girl was one of the many giraffes we saw in Kruger Park














volunteers from the 1st month











Mac Mac falls, on the way to Kruger









I am not sure if i mentioned but i left all my pics of Victoria falls in africa. i was lucky enough to get them forwarded to my parents and as soon as i get them i will put some up here.

hope you're all well!!

these are a couple of the best pictures from Kruger. I have a bunch more and as soon as time permits, i will get them up. i am also gonna make a slide show so if anyone wants to see that, let me know. it will probably be a few weeks before it is done since i am leaving for CA in a few days.

home again, home again.

Ok, the trip’s over. Almost 24 hours of traveling and I am back in PA. It’s hard to believe that about a day ago I was on a reserve in South Africa watching a herd of zebra. Talk about culture shock.
I am BEAT. The trip home was fairly uneventful. We had a little turbulence from Ophelia but nothing too bad. I almost missed my flight from Atlanta to Philly - they had changed the time of my flight and didn’t bother to tell me. Luckily I showed up at the gate just as they were closing the flight.
I am gonna grab some sleep real soon. Check back in a few days...now that I am back in the states and have access to a decent hook up, I will through some of my pics up here when I have a chance.

do i have to leave already?

It’s my last night in Africa. I easily recall my entry just before I headed to the airport in Philly. I really had no idea what to expect; and, now that I have experienced it, I have no idea how to really tell anyone about it. All of the descriptions of my trips and the things I saw don’t really do it any justice. I am going to miss this place and these people a lot.

Somewhere back a couple of weeks ago, I think I was ready to come home. As much as I want to see people and have a little American culture, that desire almost undetectable now.

Anyway, we are back from Pilanesberg. The trip was enjoyable but the group this time saw many fewer animals. The Revel In was awesome to get back to though. It was kinda nice to be greeted by people who remembered who I was. They’re having a big music festival the end of the month. They wondered if I was able to come. I think I may fly back for it. ;-)

Oh yea, we did some fire breaks the end of last week. I got to be the fire setter on the veld. Man, you should have seen it burn and felt the heat! I bet there were about 40 of us out there working on it for a few ours. Pretty cool.

I think this may be my last entry before I get on a plane tomorrow night (2 PM EDT) and I get back on Tuesday afternoon. Most of my day tomorrow will be spent packing and trying to figure out how to get my stuff from here home. Then somewhere around 20 hours of flying.

Later!

a week left

Tuesday afternoon, about 5. The new group is really a lot of fun. They are pretty easy going and most of them are interested in traveling to the places I wanted to go. One of the guys is planning to head to Chobe and then the Onenvango (sp?) wetlands (both in Botswana).

I have decided to push my return back one day so that I have a full weekend here and can go away one more time. I have decided to head back to Pilanesberg. Not sure if we will stay at the Revel In (hostel) again or not. We may instead camp at the park. 3 of the new folks are going to come along. I will be arriving home (wherever the hell THAT is) on Tuesday afternoon. Home as in Philly…not Klipkop Game Reserve and not CA (yet).

The DeWildt center was pretty cool, but I think I like seeing my cheetahs outside rather than in cages. They had some brown hyenas too. I know I have seen them before in zoos, but somehow knowing those big freakin’ ugly things are living about a mile away on the preserve I paid more attention. I don’t think I wanna run into one of those anytime….ok, I would like to but it would scare the crap outa me.

I think it is Labor Day weekend at home? I am guessing there was a trip to maybe Seneca Rocks. I miss you guys, bad.

One of the dogs has decided that I am her best bud. She is asleep on my lap right now. “Piggly.” She is some sort of little Jack Russell type mutt. I am not sure what I did to deserve the attention, but it is kinda nice. She looks for me when she walks in the room and is by my side most of the rest of the day.

peaceful day

Not really a whole lot more to add today. I am back at Klipkop and the new volunteers are here. One guy from Ireland, Conner; A married couple British and Thai; a couple girls from the states and a girl from Ecuador. They are a lot of fun. Right now they are all on the way to the Apartheid Museum so I am really the only one at the reserve – me and 8 dogs and about 6 cats along with all the other things out on the reserve itself. Yesterday some new antelopes were released onto the reserve. I drove the new group out to watch the release but we were too late. The good news though is that we came across the new animals on the way out. It was 4 female waterbuck. It was pretty cool… As we’re driving out I see these four antelope and was pretty quickly able to tell they were waterbuck, which are not animals that were on the reserve. I felt like I knew a little bit about a little bit.

I think I will pretty much spend the day reading and relaxing, maybe a walk. I’m looking forward to it.

Tomorrow I am spending the afternoon at De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre.
www.dewildt.org.za

This is a pic I took of Vic Falls from the Ultralight.

"home" again

I am not sure if you may have heard the news out of Zimbabwe, but I made it out without incident, almost. Vic Falls was so unbelievably fantastic. I have no idea what to give top billing. I did a full day of whitewater rafting on the Zambezi (class 5). 6 in our raft: me. a kiwi, 2 from Zambia, one from London and one from Bombay. The river is as good if not better than the Gauley. 21 rapids. Even more interesting were the crocs that dotted the shore as we made our way. I am not sure I stopped laughing the whole time. At one point we had the opportunity to get out of the raft and do a set of rapids in just our life jacket. I, of course, ended up finding the only whirlpool in the rapids. After it spun me in a few circles, it pulled me under. Once I calmed down and went with it, I was spit out not far down river.

I did an ultralight over the falls too. I am not sure if I have ever been more scared. What I can actually remember seeing was beautiful. I had to go back and look at the pictures just to remember it. We were tossed around like a kite.

then there was the herd of elephants that I watched cross the Zambezi during the sunset cruise. We watched them push each other into the water then about all you could see was heads as they crossed.

The falls were beyond words. One of the Zim guys asked me before I left this morning how they compared to Niagara. LOLOLOL. There is no comparison. Wait til you see the pics!

Oh, I probably should mention that I was picked up by the police. They didn't think I should be where I was. It was enough to make me a little nervous with everything going on in the country, but in the end they basically just turned me over to the tourist police who escorted most of the way back to my hotel.

One afternoon I was walking and a very little girl and her brother said hello to me. I walked a few more steps and the next thing I know she has run up beside me and put her and put her hand in mine. We walked a few "blocks" until she and her brother had to make a turn to go to the curio market. They were adorable and were pretty proud of themselves for being so bold. We were not able to communicate really but it was pretty cool.

I had not planned on getting more "stuff" but I felt so bad - people were trying to trade their carvings for my clothes and shoes. I traded my old sneakers for 2 very nice carvings, my shirt I traded for 5 Nyamenyami necklaces (the river god - I figured I should have him). Another guy wanted to give me a stone carving for my jeans. I just gave them to him. If I had taken a few more thigns with me I would have given them away. Oh, I also bought a hippo stone carving for what comes to 3 dollars. Things are really really bad there. Many many people without homes. Villages have been burned. I heard that Kofee Annan is supposed to be coming in from the UN. I think things are gonna get worse before better. There is no economy to speak of. I traded some rand for Zim dollars. A pizza and a coke cost me $225,000.00 (zim dollars). Yes, those zeros are accurate.

I did hear the news about New Orleans. It is one of the top stories both in Zimbabwe and South Africa. It looks pretty bad.

Anyway, the trip, I am sure I am forgetting alot, was so so so so amazing... Oh! my room - from the balcony (yes, I splurged for a very nice place) you could see the vapors from the falls rising through the trees. I fell asleep at night to their rumble.

I need to catch a ride so I gotta bail. I still have a little time left here but I can feel the return home approaching with mixed feelings.

I hope you all are well and really wish you could see all this!

Grumpy

This is grumpy. He lives at the first place we stayed while on the Kruger trip. He is "wild" but people friendly.

Sunday

Sunday, 1 pm

Jut back from a walk on the preserve. I cannot believe that I have been here a month and am starting my final 2 weeks. About ½ of the volunteers remain. The rest are leaving over the next 24 hours. When I get back from Victoria Falls all the volunteers will be gone and the new ones here. Only 3 of them ere signed up for September, but some of the folks in Cape Town will be returning for a few days. I leave for Zimbabwe tomorrow morning. I am not sure what to expect. I would really like to see some other parts of the country beyond the falls but that is not likely.

Yesterday I and 2 other guys drove to Tswaing. There is a huge meteor crater there. We hiked around and into it. Took us over 5 hours to find it – the road signs in South Africa are almost non-existent and when they are there, they are anything but clear. The trip home took us 90 minutes. On the way there we saw some pretty “interesting” things… Cattle all over the road. They were like an obstacle course. Then there were the numerous donkey drawn carts. One of them even had a team of 4 pulling it with what looked like a car bench seat mounted to the frame.

The mood here is pretty somber. The folks that are going home are kinda down and those few that remain are not in such great spirits either. I think it I a reminder that we will be leaving not long from now too.

I need to go prepare some things for my trip. I have no idea if I will have time or ability to post from Vic Falls. I return to Klipkop Game Reserve on Thursday afternoon.

kruger

Internet time has been at a premium. I am back from Kruger. We left early Friday morning. The trip was spectacular – everything I imagined the African country side might look like. I am living in a very flat area but the trip to Kruger (4 hrs) went through some beautiful mountains (Drakenberg). We did a short hike up to a waterfall. It was not running strongly but it gave me a chance to climb up it. On the hike itself we were watched by a pack of baboons. We never saw them but heard them. Apparently they can be kinda vicious. Eventually we saw plenty of them. As well as monkeys all over. One morning I went for a walk alone in the mountains. It could have been any mountain, PA until a band of about 100 monkeys started running along the path and through the trees. Pretty cool. Kruger = awesome. I saw lions. 5 all together. A pack of 4 had taken down a giraffe the night before and were hanging out protecting their food. There were vultures on the carcass while the lions waited to eat again. Also saw plenty of the stuff I mentioned before and Cape buffalo, and a solitary secretary bird. Those things are freaky looking.

On the way to the park we stopped at a BEAUTIFUL area where women were selling handmade carvings. The mtns as well as an amazing waterfall were the back drop for the craft area. I was stopped in my tracks it was so nice. The first night we stayed at a camp for kids…like a boy scout camp, but there were monkeys, leopard, crocodiles. Oh yea, we saw plenty of crocodiles in the wild. I slept outside under the stars that night and all the others.

On the way back we did a number of excursions, waterfalls, mtn hikes, and cute little villages. Oh, we acqired 2 pupiies on the way back too. We sold one at a village craft stand and the other is still here with us.

I know I am forgetting a lot of things but once I pull up all the pics I will have a ton of stories (lucky people you are J ).

We are in the down swing now. Tomorrow is the last official working day for the full group. And no, we did not get the road through fully unfortunately. It looks like there may need to be some blasting done. We did accomplish a lot though. We pulled down some fencing and prepared another area to be fenced – this will open up another large area for the animals on the preserve.

Some people are headed home; some to Cape Town. I took the plunge and am booking a trip to Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls). My plan is to leave Monday morning ad to return Thursday morning. I will be staying within walking distance of the falls. I am also booking an evening cruise on the Zambezi River as well as white water rafting on the Zambezi and a helicopter ride over the falls. I am pretty excited about it. When I return on Thursday most of the folks for next month will be here and I will be working with them until I leave. (oh, btw, there is a marketing position open here for the reserve – don’t get nervous – I PROBABLY won’t apply.) Anyway, a couple of the folks will be back from Cape Town about a week later.

I am forgetting a lot… but it is a great time. Oh, today we visited a Buddhist Temple that is in the middle of nowhere…but is the biggest in the southern Hemisphere. Really strange to have Africa all around me then a Buddhist temple.

Ok, am outa here for now.

Cheers!

Menlyn Mall

Yes, I am actually at a mall in South Africa. If you closed your eyes you would think you are in any-mall, USA. And I have EXCELLENT internet / computer ability but looks like i cannot d/load any pics. This is our weekly mall trip. Picking up snacks and stuff like that. I got a few socks as mine all now smell as bad as.... well, you can imagine.

We leave this Friday morning for Kruger park. I think it is about a 5-6 hour drive from Klipkop.

My trip to Zimbabwe is looking less and less likely. I am actually in the internet kiosk to try to use a computer to find a decent rate, but the best I can do is $445 and over $130 of that is in taxes. I am kinda bummed but I am going to pick up a guide book and maybe go to the Kalahari which is in Botswana and not too too far from "home."

The "group" thing is starting to get a bit old. The guys (5) all share one big room. Last night we built a fire in our room and the girls (5) were all pissed because they couldn't have one. I think they are taking it out on us today. Oh well...it had to start sooner or later and all things considered, it could be a lot worse.

I guess I am outa here for now. Probably won' get a chance o write til after we are back from Krugar. Have a great weekend!!

Nothing's easy

I am trying to get from Jo'berg to either Zimbabwe or Zambia... I need to get a yellow fever vaccination to get back into South Africa. That is the easy part. Trying to get a flight...yea right! I also understand that just for criticizing Mgumbe (sp?) , the president of Zimbabwe, I can be put into jail. Who will come bail me out? ....cause you know it only makes. me wanna go there more now.

Fence post digging and water testing today. Not a bad day overall.

It’s Sunday morning – almost noon. I decided to stay on the preserve today. Most of the others have gone to Pretoria. What a beautiful day today. I am going to go out into the bush shortly. Quiet morning… coffee, a muffin, took my clothes down off the line, a shower… next a long long walk. The kudo have been seen again and I hope to see them. It has become 2nd nature to be working and have zebra, ostrich, wildebeest, a wide variety of antelope and whatever else watching. I saw bush babies for the 1st time 2 nights ago. Apparently they live in the trees around here. They are like very small …koala bear looking things (?). Not likely to have any pics since they are nocturnal.

Yesterday some of us went to the apartheid museum. It was one of the best museums I have been to. I was reminded of a lot of things I had forgotten. There were a ton of films from news footage and you could see the demonstrations and riots happening in place that are already familiar to me. The reality of what took place here and being here is not easily put into words. I cannot believe that the majority of individuals here did not have the right to vote until very recently. The government leaders were pretty f----- up. I left there with a very “strange” feeling.

Work continues. We are making progress but it is slow. This coming week is a short week as we have Friday and Monday off. We are all going to Kruger for the weekend. The guide from this preserve is going with us. He used to work over there. It’s about a 5 hour drive. There are caves and waterfalls we will be stopping at along the way. We will be staying at a hostel just outside the park. 2 days in the park. I think I may do a morning drive – it starts at 3 AM!!!

I am sure there is a ton more to talk about since it’s all so new… like Beefcor. It’s the slaughter house where we pick up meat for the hyenas. Lonely cow heads looking at the sky were laying all over the ground… intestines….stomachs….

Anyway, it’s time for a walk. Take Care!

Well… I’m back from the walk. (3h 45 m) I wasn’t able to post the stuff above because the internet would not connect. LONG walk. I saw the usual: ostrich, zebra, blesbock, wildebeest, and a jackal. We practically ran into each other at a corner in the road. Him coming one way; smiley (the dog who came with me) and I the other. We all stopped stared at each other; then, smiley decided he would protect me and got into a little rough and tumble. No one hurt in the end.

Did end up breaking my damn watch though…lost a pin while I was out there. How will I know when it’s break time tomorrow? J

Ok, I am gonna go take a nap before dinner.

Wed Night

All is pretty quiet around the house tonight and the internet was available…. Most of the other volunteers stayed in Jo’burg to watch a movie. We went in for our weekly trip for supplies and whatever. I and a cpl others did not feel like staying so we took one of the cars and I drove back out to the preserve. It is about a 45 min drive or so. Good thing I did cause I feel like crap. I made the mistake of drinking some apple juice that I got last week. Actually it was more like what we call cider. Didn’t agree with me…their pasteurization process is not the same as ours.

The drive was cool – like all the others. I am still amazed every time I see women balancing huge bundles no their heads. No matter how off balance the bundle – they still do it.

Work is going better. We put in fence post holes today and will continue with that tomorrow. The girls will be tearing down and old fence. Shara, the girl who was sick is fine, but another one smashed her knuckles while chopping today. Did I also mention that another volunteer sliced 2 fingers on the razor grass out on the preserve? He should have had stitches but refused.

It’s quiet a group of people here. I am not exactly a group person but as long as I can get away every once in a while, it is bearable.

This weekend we are staying around the preserve. Next weekend is Kruger Park. I think I am gonna sign on for the extra 2 weeks here but try to get a long weekend to go to Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls). That will likely be in about 3 weeks.

I miss home and the comforts. It is pretty hard to wrap my head around the way it all works here. When I get home I will tell you all about it. Right now, this computer and keyboard SUCK, so I am gonna bail.

This is pretty scattered - sorry…. So much to tell about and not much time.

Not getting a whole lot of opportunity for the internet… I am pretty busy and there is usually a pretty long wait. The trip to Pilanesberg could not have been better. On Saturday we took a night safari. I have now seen all the animals I wanted to see…everything else is icing. The creature count now includes vervet monkey, rhino, African wild dog, giraffe, elephant, wild boar, hippo, and cheetah. We heard lions clearly but no sightings. From there we drove to find dinner and ended up in one of the more frightening towns I have been in. We grabbed dinner and booked. Afterwards we stayed at the hostel. It was actually an old farm way up in the mountains. We traveled down so many dirt roads I am amazed we found it. It was redone by these totally out there South African It was beautiful and difficult to describe. There was a ton of artwork similar to the artist in philly who uses cement and broken mirrors, etc. Sunday morning we got up and went to Sun City - South Africa’s version of Vegas.

Yesterday and today we continued to work. The work has gotten progressively more difficult. I am not sure we will ever get this road thru. One of the girls got pretty sick…probably the water…. 4 of the girls went to Swaziland instead of the park. Tonight I watched a velt fire. The savannah is so dry. It ripped through grasslands and trees in seconds.

...

All continues to be a lot of fun. I took a 3.5 hour solitary hike on the preserve yesterday. Pretty awesome. I tracked a blue wildebeest and a zebra – neither of them had much to worry about. I also saw 2 mongooses. Cute. Got back at dusk. The sun setting on the bush was beautiful. Purple, red, blue, orange…

We worked for ½ a day today, then we went to Sterkfontain caves (The Cradle of Humanity). It is where the oldest humanoid remains have been found. It was not as commercial as public caves back in the states and we were able to do a bit of poking around. The country is not so litigious so it was fairly rugged .

As much fun as the caves was the drive. 6 of us went. I drove. South Africans drive on the left hand side…and the car I drove…imagine your worst beater car; then, imagine it 10 years later…that’s what I drove. Stick shift – which means since the steering wheel is on the opposite side; you shift with your left hand. I will not know how to drive when I get home. We passed a shanty town that rolled over hills. I have no idea how that level of poverty is possible.

Tomorrow early morning 6 of us leave for Pilanesberg NP. A 3 hour trip. It has the big 5. We are staying overnight in a backpackers hostel…dorm style. I am pretty excited about what we could see. I especially am hoping to see elephants and giraffes in the wild.

work's begun - itain't so easy!

It’s Wed evening about 8:20 PM. (2:20 at home)
Wow, I don’t know where to start and I know I will miss much. I have now seen eland, impala, zebra, jackal, and ostrich in addition to all the others I have mentioned. Actually, I see them all many times a day. The jackal was scared out of the brush towards me – about 8 feet away from me when he say me. The zebra are awesome. Saw a herd of 6 today.

Yesterday we spent the day digging and cleaning out an area for a “road.” AN area is being added to the preserve and we need to be able to get trucks in to put up fencing. Very difficult work clearing trees and rocks. The rocks are from a village of about 200 people that existed in the 1830’s. They had about 1,000 cattle and lived in round stone huts. The huts are long ago demolished – a Zulu tribe killed all the men in the village and captured the women and children for slaves.
This morning we did a fence walk – checking for caught animals and holes needing to be filled. Plenty of holes; no animals. I got to drive the buckey (pick-up) through the preserve this morning. 4X4 roads through the bush.
This afternoon was a trip to civilization to get some supplies. The stark difference is indescribable. All along the way were many many South Africans walking home from their work.
All the volunteers are here. 5 guys: 2 from Germany; 1 kiwi; and 2 Americans. The kiwi and the Germans want to know why we can call the World Series a “world” series when we play no one else from outside the US? Anyone know? J 5 girls” 3 Americans, 1 Dutch; 1 Brit. Great group.
I still am undecided about my time in September. I may stay. I may go. My friends from home are no longer able to come.

I AM HERE

i am here and WOW


Just back from a game drive Coolest thing we saw a a kudu - 3 actually male, female and young. also saw many blue wildebeast and antelope and "danger" birds.

5 of 11 volunteers are here.

think africa...and guess what - this place is pretty much it.

we start work tomorrow. story is that this place was a long time ago opwned by one man (1800's). WHen he died he had no relatives so to any man he gave as much land as could be walked in a day with a horse. It was fenced off. Now they are trying to bring it back together nito one reserve. Lots of work to be done.

Off to watch the sunset. the milkey way and southern cross were awesome last night.

we start work tomorrow!

Cheers!

outa here

Holy man, I am wound up.
In 20 minutes i will be walking out my front door. If all goes well i will be picked up at Johannesburg airport at 12 noon EDST (we're 6 hours ahead of the east coast) and taken to Klipkop preserve. I think i am as ready as i will ever be. I was not able to exchange for any South African Rand (currency) before I left. The guy at Thomas Cook told me they didn't keep minor currency on hand. I wonder what the South Africans would think of having their currency called "minor?"

I am nervous as heck and as excited as I don't know what. I hope everyone has a great next few weeks.

Next stop: Gauteng Province, South Africa.