1st Time South Of The Equator

Friday June 14^th              

For being a former film major I really rarely watch movies. One has to be REALLY good for me to hear about it to even waste my time. But being trapped on a British Airways flight where they serve complimentary alcohol and have a selection of films on your own private screen in front of you how can one resist? I watched two good films, Trance & The Gangster Squad. Who’s to say if they were actually that good or if it was just being two drinks in with travel delirium and some sleeping aid.

All I know is that I drooled A LOT on my small travel neck pillow and desperately waved down the man as I awoke to half eaten meal boxes around me saying, “Is it too late for me to get breakfast?!” “Of course not dear,” the polite British chap replied. SIGH. What a relief! Obviously in my half asleep state I forgot how atrocious airplane food was.

Arrived in Johannesburg around 7AM. Immediately exchanged some cash and with the exchange rate I felt like such a millionaire. I wish someone at an American bank would casually give me 3,000 American dollars rather than Rand (South African currency)

In the airport there was a vending machine type stand that read “Live Oysters” with what was indeed “live oysters” inside.

Then we proceeded to cram onto the tiniest bus in creation called the Citybug and be driven to Nelspruit, 4 hours out of Johannesburg. The woman that sat in the middle seat next to me was quite large and invaded half of my seat forcing me to cuddle with April. It didn’t really matter because both of us were luckily in and out of consciousness the whole ride.

Once we finally arrived in Nelspruit we meet our Country Coordinator, Jimmy. We waited for Helen, our Country Associate, to arrive shortly after on the next Citybug before picking up our work phones and my personal internet stick (hence why I’m able to post this blog entry from the bush)

We drove to Manayelti National Animal Reserve 3 hours outside of Nelspriut which is very close to the communities we will be staying in. We stayed the night in these circular little house huts. The roof was covered in straw/grass attached together with chicken wire or else the baboons will tear them off Jimmy says.