South Africa: Part 3

I have been going through my many, many photos of South Africa and though I would put a few more up for your enjoyment (or to create jealousy).

Male lion, less then a year old.

Lion cub that is 8 days old. I want one!

Lion cub that is 3 months old, they grow up very fast.

Cape Glossy Starling.

Zebras, no other comment needed.

Male giraffe.

Leopard, an animal that is rarely seen.

Sunrise in Kruger National Park.

Baby feeding.

Oops the truck is stuck!

Rhinos.

Goshawk.

South Africa: Part 2

I have finished my time at the Makalali Game Reserve. I loved it there and did not want to leave! I had so much fun, learnt heaps and made new friends. The park itself is approximately 25,000 hectares of old farm land, the cattle have been removed and the fences taken down. The trees and bush have grown back and the more traditional African animals have been reintroduced. Now they have the Big 5 (the 5 most dangerous animals to hunt) which are elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo as well as many other animals including cheetah, spotted hyena, giraffe, zebra, many antelope species, and smaller animals like honey badgers, civets and aardvarks.

Cheetah.

I spent a total of 3 weeks there as a volunteer, going on game drives to collect animal numbers and sexes, identifying birds, learning about reading tracks and poos, bush clearing (and getting to intimately know the many plants with thorns), going on walks, general maintenance, data entry on the computer and during the last week took part in controlled burning of large sections of the park. Justin, who had been diving on the coast, joined me for the last week so also got to burn and fight fires. The burning is done as some plant species need fire and heat in order to germinate as well as to eliminate grass and dry, dead undergrowth that would otherwise be a major fire hazard if left alone. Bush fires are often started by lightning strikes which occur in spring after a long dry winter.

Burning at the end of the day, Makalali.

One night we also had a sleep out. All the volunteers and 2 rangers spent the night sleeping under the sky in a dry river bed. It was cold and windy, but the stars were amazing. During the night we had to take turns on watch to keep the fire burning and to wake everyone if animals entered camp. Unfortunately I had the 2-3.30am watch which really reminded me of night shifts as a paramedic.

What are you looking at?

There is another incident I should mention. The elephants had been hanging out around camp for a few days. And by camp I mean several brick building, a small pool (usually empty), a fire place and BBQ area. One night we heard and saw them close by, tearing off branches and pushing over trees to eat. There is a high wire around the perimeter of the camp which is supposed to discourage elephants from entering, but they can get in if they really want. The next morning we found one of the small trees in the middle of camp was on a terrible lean which could only have been done by elephants.

Male elephant.

The next night we were driving back to camp when we crested a hill and found ourselves in the middle of a herd. Elephants are amazing animals and can understand the tone that you say things in. If you talk calmly to them they usually leave you alone. To start with the herd left us be, and we sat in the dark for about 20 minutes watching and listening to them all around us. It was sooo cool. However, as we slowly drove through the herd we ended up next to a teenage elephant that was not so happy to see us. She mock charged us several times to the point that she was actually going to touch the car. It almost turned into a serious charge but Alex, the ranger who was driving us started yelling and getting very angry at the elephant. Luckily the elephant took notice and eventually backed off.

Spotted hyena and cub.

Unfortunately it was not the only run in with the elephants that night for Alex. Jamie and Kara, 2 of the other rangers, got their car stuck in the sand just where the elephants were grazing. As they didn’t want to aggravate the elephants by getting out and digging, Alex had to drive back through the herd to pick them up and was mock charged again. Then all 3 rangers had to drive back through the herd again to get back to camp. I was standing in camp when I heard a massive trumpeting, yelling, swearing and a car revving about 200m away. When the rangers got back they told me they had been charged by 6 elephants that were all standing in a row behind the car. We left the elephants alone for the next few days. I think we all needed to calm down from that episode.

Bird in flight.

So now Justin and I are back on the road again. We have spent the last few days at uMkuze Game Reserve, relaxing and looking at animals, and now we are at Sodwana Bay to do some diving. This is where Justin was diving earlier, and he liked it so much that he wanted to come back. It reminds me a lot of NZ west coast beaches, but the wind is warmer and the sand is golden.

We will be heading back to Jo’burg in a few days and then heading to Poland where we will be meeting up with my parents. So the next time I write it will probably be from Europe.    

More photos!

Buffalo.

Traffic jam at Kruger National Park.

Male Impala.

Sunset at the end of a long day.

South Africa: Part 1

Yay we are in South Africa! This is one of my favorite countries in the world and I'm really glad to be back. We hired a car and spent the first few days hanging out in Johannesburg, doing washing and other exciting things like that and trying to sort out Justin's camera. Unfortunately it got wet and was dropped and now only half works.  We also went to the Apartheid museum which was an eye opener. When you buy your ticket to go in, they give you a white or non-white ticket and at the entrance you have to go through different doors. It felt very strange to be segregated like that. I came out feeling completely overwhelmed. 

We also spent a day visiting a private lion park that breeds and conserves tawny and white lions. They had 8 day old cubs which we got to cuddle. They are so cute and I wanted to take one home with me. Then we spent a day in Plianesberg National Park. It is a great little wildlife park that has lots of animals in their natural habitat. One of the best sights was about 2 minutes into the park when we came across a savannah with zebra and wilderbeasts grazing and giraffes in the distance walking along with their heads bobbing up and down. It was such an iconic African scene.

We spent the next 4 days visiting Kruger National Park. We managed to see heaps of animals including lions, cheetah, elephants, buffalo, rhino, zebra, lots of different types of antelope, and even the shy and elusive leopard. We got up really early and went on a dawn drive and were lucky to see the leopard stalking some kudu. It was amazing. The whole time in Kruger was really great and I took lots and lots of photos.  

After that Justin dropped me off at the Greater Private Makalali Game Reserve where I am currently volunteering. We are collecting data on animal numbers and sexes so the reserve knows how many animals  there are and if there are too many to be sustainable. They are also running immunosuppression contraception programmes on lions and elephants in order not to breed too many animals that would then require culling of the entire herd. I'm finding it really interesting and learning heaps. The other day we spent the morning walking around tracking rhinos and learning all about poos and feet, and how to recognize the different animals tracks. Most days we go on drives around the reserve and count animals.

I am here for the next few weeks and will hopefully update you again soon. Unfortunately the internet and cell phone reception here in Africa are terrible and unreliable. Sorry there are no photos but I will try and upload some photos later.

Vietnam: a wrap

So much has been happening that I'm forgetting to write it all down. Anyway here is a quick catch up from what I remember. We left Dalat, in the south of Vietnam, and travelled north by a bus that drove super fast down windy roads to Nga Trang on the coast. At least two thirds of the bus were motion sick and it was a huge relief to get to the new town. Nga Trang is a touristy beach town, but it has some of the best food we have tasted in Vietnam. We only strayed a few days there before getting depressed about all the tourists around.

Bikes waiting for riders.

Next we headed further north to Hoi An. This was also by bus, but it was a night bus that had semi-recliners to lie on. The roads around Vietnam are not the best, and it took about 14 hours to travel approximately 600km! It makes me appreciate the roads in NZ, even if I do complain about them sometimes.

Old Town, Hoi An.

Hoi An has ended up as one of our favourite places. It has a population of around 130,000 and has a well preserved old town that was once a large bustling port town known for its silks and fabrics. Today the old town is closed to traffic so it is pleasant and easy to walk around. It is still known for its material and this is the place to get clothes tailor made. Justin got a beautiful winter jacket made, which was funny watching him try it on in 34 degree heat. I also had a jacket made, as well as 2 pairs of shorts and 2 dresses.

Mmmmm noodle soup, Hoi An.

Vietnam is not well known for it's diving but Justin was having diving withdrawals, so we went on two dives in the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park. It was colder and very different to the Perhentians which is very tropical. The first dive was really great. As Justin is now a divemaster, we could dive by ourselves without lots of people around. It made such a difference to the experience and being able to see the wildlife. I even came up with the same amount of air as Justin! The second dive however was not fun. We dived at a site that has several large rock pillars rising to the surface. The current itself was ok, but the swell created by the pillars was really bad. It took a huge amount of effort to swim and we were being washed around really badly so everyone ended the dive early. The only cool thing about that dive was seeing a huge school of barracudas.

Going to float lanterns on the river, Hoi An.

That night Justin and I were covered in itchy, stinging rashes and had a horrible next few days as we continuously scratched. It was worse for Justin as he also fell sick with some sort of fever and general unwellness. Because of this we ended up staying in Hoi An an extra week in order to rest and recover.

One of many temples in Vietnam.

Dog statue in Hoi An. 

But the next part of our travels was exciting. We hired a guide and motorbikes for the next 5 days and travelled through the highlands and the Ho Chi Minh Trail, visiting ancient ruins, villages, huge caves, tunnels and the DMZ from the Vietnam War and generally having a good time. The only bad times were when it rained (which happened every afternoon), Justin's phone got wet and died (yay for insurance) and when I was sting by 2 bees. They really hurt when they hit you in the face at 40km! I had a swollen cheek for the next few days.

Riding motorbikes on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Ancient ruins, My Son.

We ended our bike trip in Hue and then caught an overnight train to Hanoi. Now this is the way to travel! It was a 4 berth sleeper train. It was much more comfortable than a bus. Hanoi is big and bustling with people, motorbikes and noise everywhere. We did an overnight trip to Halong Bay (which is amazing and has sooooo many cliffs that could be climbed.) before returning to Hanoi. And here we have settled before heading onto our next destination in two days time....which is to be South Africa!  

A few extra photos:

Tunnels in Vinh Linh. 17 babies where born in here and lived their first few years mostly in the dark.

Vietnam War cemetery.
 

Rice fields.

Village life.

Village kids. 

Taking a ride home.

Moving On

I have heaps of things to catch you all up on. Thanks to my slackness in writing (again). Our last days in the Perhentian Islands were spent doing some last minute dives, celebrating Justin's birthday and Justin and Alfie finishing the divemaster course. In celebration of them finishing, Justin and Alfie were put through the snorkel test. This is a tradition for all new divemasters and involves making fun of the newly qualified, making them play games and a lot of alcohol, which culminates in the divemasters having to drink alcohol through a snorkel without breathing.

Let the games begin. Alfie and Justin. Yes they are wearing dresses.

Here comes the beer.

The next day we left the islands and headed for 5-star luxury in Kuala Lumpur. It was such a change from our small room where the electricity would randomly turn off most days. Most of Malaysia was covered in think haze due to wind pushing smoke from fires in Indonesia where they were burning forests to give way to plantations. Everyday while in KL I ended up with a sore throat and scratchy eyes.

Kuala Lumpur, full of tall buildings.

Weekend market in KL.

Next we flew north to Vietnam. I think this has been my favourite country so far. It is cheap, the people are friendly and helpful and the food is amazing. It was also nice to get out of a conservative Muslim country and into a more liberal Buddhist one. I am no longer stared at for wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Admittedly KL was fine, but in the more rural, less cosmopolitan areas it was a bit strange.

Cyclo-man taking a break, HCMC.

In Vietnam, we flew into Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC or old Saigon). We spent a few days there looking around the city, the markets and learning how to cross the road without zebra crossings or lights. Basically you step on to the road, and in a slow and steady walk you continue until you reach the other side. The traffic will go around you as long as you don't stop moving in a predictable direction. There are more motorbikes and scooters than cars on the road, and the road rules seem to consist of lots of beeping of horns and don't hit anyone in front of you.

Alleyways are everywhere, HCMC.

Many people fit on a single motorbike or scooter all at the same time.

From there we headed south to Can To and into the Mekong Delta. The Delta is known as the bread-basket of Vietnam due to the climate and the abundance of water that contains nutrients washed down from the highlands. We went on a river cruise to see the floating markets which are amazing. Most of the trade and transportation is done on the rivers as that is often easier than roads. Whole families that live on the boats, from little babies to grandparents all on the same boat.

Incense spirals in Can To.

Floating market in Can To.

From there we headed back through HCMC and onto Dalat (also known as Da Lat). This small town is in the highlands and was cold enough that I wore shoes and long-sleeve tops at night for the first time in 2 months. It was great to get out of the heat and spend a few days relaxing in the relative coolness. The hostel we were staying at arranges motorbike day tours into the surrounding countryside and villages. We found it was a great way to see the area. And yes I drove myself on a bike. It was a bit touristy but heaps of fun! Along the way we saw a cricket farm (farmed to eat), coffee plantations, a silk factory, how to make rice noodles and visited a hill tribe village where we saw traditional weaving.

I'll catch you up with the rest in the next post. Here are the last few photos from Dalat.

Black teeth from eating betel nut. Dalat Highlands.

Silk worm cocoons.

Soaking the cocoons in hot water and collecting the thin threads.

Observations

There are many great things about living on a small island. Most people are friendly and you get to know lots of people. It is easy to get around (there are no roads or vehicles on this island). It is nice and relaxed. Everyone helps each other out when they can. Unfortunately it can also mean some bad things. Such as if people don’t get on with each other it is hard to avoid them. Rumours abound everywhere, about all sorts of things. Any little accident or incident effects the whole island. Unfortunately we have had a few incidents over the last week or two such as a bungalow catching fire, luckily no one was hurt.

Sunset.

The jetty at sunset.

As for my diving, I have finally finished my open water dive course and have been going on fun dives around the local reefs. There is so much to see! Every time I go down I see something new and interesting. I have seen several sharks, moray eels and jellyfish and so many other things that I don’t know the names of. The coral itself is huge, very old and lots of different shapes and colours. The water is really warm and often the air temperature is the same as the water temperature. Sometimes the water is clear and you can see for tens of metres, other times it is murky and it feels like I’m swimming though soup. One of my favourite things to do is the backwards roll out of the boat. It is amazing to lean backwards and fall but feel like you are cushioned, to still be able to breathe and to look up and see millions of bubbles, both big and small rising upwards. Unfortunately my ear infection is playing up again so I have had a few days off while it gets better. I am very frustrated by this as there is so much great diving to do around here and we are here only for a few more days.

Nick, my instructor, and I diving.

Doing the running man underwater. Not a very good photo of coral unfortunately.

Here are some general observations I have made so far: I hate eating the same thing everyday. I hate white bread and the smallest piece of brown bread makes me happy. I miss olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I miss fresh green food, and am tired of everything being fried. I love watermelon! When there is nothing to do I get bored after a few weeks of reading and lazing in the sun. I hate sunburn.  I love diving! I hate it when two large, brown, hideous, cockroaches crawl over my head in the middle of the night. I hate large flying ants that invade our room. Unfortunately this has happened twice. I miss the birds singing. I love being able to read heaps without feeling guilty about not doing other things. I love the fact that we are not surrounded by yucky Auckland winter weather. Admittedly I do miss my family and friends there. I like that the sun shines almost constantly. I also really like the huge thunderstorms we have had. They make me feel alive!

Restaurants and boats. We eat at Mama's (the place on the left) almost every night. The food is some of the best on the island.

Another brilliant sunset.