A Journal of a Trip in
Southern Africa
Eva Walter
Copyright 2011 Eva Walter
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*****
Chapter 1 - Vervet Monkey Foundation, Tzaneen, South Africa
Chapter 2 - EcoTraining. Drakensburg Escarpment, Karongwe Private Game Reserve
Chapter 4 - Southern Africa by overland Truck. Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe.
Chapter 5 - Baz Bus to Swaziland
Chapter 1: Vervet Monkey Foundation, Tzaneen, South Africa
*****
03 March 2004
The flight from NY turned out to be pleasant. Flew Boeing 747. Largest plane I’ve ever been on, I believe. The flight landed in Dakar, Senegal one hour early, and passengers traveling on to Johannesburg were not allowed to deplane, so we sat on the tarmac for roughly 2.5 hours while passengers got off or on. Five AM when we landed, so still dark out. The airport was little more than one landing strip with a few parking spots for planes and buses to transfer passengers to an unseen terminal. At 6:30 am as we taxied down the runway, I watched the sun rise over the city of Dakar. Beautiful white stucco 2 or 3 story luxury buildings were what I imagine Tuscany or Greece might look like.
At the end of the runway, we turned around for takeoff. I saw the view on the west side of the landing strip and instead of a paradise, saw poverty. So close geographically, so far apart economically. The plane lifted off and flew out over the Atlantic again before circling around. Before we were too high, I saw just the stunningly beautiful villas on the shoreline.
05 March 2004
After landing in Johannesburg, South Africa and spending a short night, I took a long distance bus from Jo’Burg to Tzaneen. 7.5 hours. Arrived at the Vervet Monkey Foundation after working hours were over, but in time for dinner – beans and salad. The group seems nice enough. Tried to put off using the long-drop toilet, but that only works so long. It’s 7:30 pm and pouring rain. “Tent Village” really is simply tents. You lay out your sleeping bag on a foam pad and that’s it. We are provided a Rubbermaid bin to keep some clothes dry. From my tent, the monkey enclosures are 12 feet away. “Bandit” monkeys are those monkeys that are roaming free or break into Tent Village. I have only had instructions to carry a large stick and don’t look them in the eye or raise my eyebrows at them, as it will antagonize them. The pathways are simple dirt trails between the tents.
I seem to be quite lucky, as my tent only leaks in spots (so far) and I am still mostly dry.
06 March 2004
First full day and I was permitted to sleep late due to travelling for 2 days. Woke at dawn but stayed in my tent until 8. Rose to see the others off to work, then tried to sleep some more. Went to the house for Tea-time and from there was meant to have orientation, but Arthur had to go to town for supplies, then to fetch a monkey from Pietersberg. Arthur has offered me the opportunity to go on an expedition to some waterfalls tomorrow. I pitched in today and met some of the handlers. Richard is the nicest so far, very friendly and hard-working. We sorted through the monkey food, which is really just garbage (older bread and past-peak fruit) donated by businesses in town. Then we arrange into buckets and distribute to various enclosures.
It rained off and on all day today and is pouring again tonight. Hermann dug a ditch around my tent in an attempt to keep me dry.
I asked about a giant bug I saw and first learned it as a “miller bug”. I later realized it was what I know as a millipede. Just one example of how accents and language translations affected everything I learned.
07 March 2004
Today is Sunday, so we only work the main feed. At 8:00 am we started by washing the bowls, then washed the lettuce and split fruit to distribute to the various enclosures. After just one full day, I’m much more comfortable and am able to walk around alone now. A gentle “wa-purrrrr” is a vervet “hello”, so I make sure to purr whenever a bandit approaches.
Had orientation with Arthur H., who seems to be recognized as the leading expert on Vervet monkeys. An excellent long talk about the progress so far on the cause. Vervets are on the world’s endangered species list, yet the Republic of South Africa (RSA) has classified them as “vermin” since 1973. Limpopo Province, where the foundation is located, has reclassified Vervets and they are no longer allowed to be shot by farmers. The Northern & Mpumalanga Provinces are set to vote on the issue within the coming months.
Here in Limpopo, we are in the middle of a rain forest and the weather tends to be unpredictable. It was hot and sunny this AM while we worked, but is raining yet again. The situation with the tent is endurable, but with another volunteer arriving tonight, I am afraid of the puddles being tracked to my side of the tent.
08 March 2004
10
PM. 31 degrees Celsius.
This morning, my first official duty was to walk around every monkey enclosure and monitor the monkeys, reporting any injuries, runny eyes or noses, or dirty (diarrheal) tails. There are hundreds – 405 presently – in the enclosures, so we throw corn to get different monkeys to approach the fences. At the same time, it is necessary to ward off the bandits who try to attack to get some corn. The dogs are a big help, and we also throw corn away from ourselves to divert the bandits.
After lunch I worked babies. Ten new orphans were brought in and we fed them in the Skunkie(a) enclosure (see image above). They are so different than I anticipated. I expected something like a cat, but they are extremely light and nimble – more like birds in their ability to move, but like humans with dexterity. They can drop onto your shoulder from 3-4 feet and you only feel a slight pressure. They love shoelaces and anything they can pull on or put into their mouths. We always secure all objects when we enter the enclosure or risk losing them. Double-knot shoelaces, remove jewelry, secure wristwatches and ponytail holders.
Arthur told us some local customs and superstitions tonight after dinner. He showed us some fossils of animals and plants set in stones around the main house. Maggie and Katie taught me how to address them in their native language, Shangaan.
Greeting:
Kunjani
Reply: Nicona kunjani
Response: Nicona
10 March 2004
Yesterday was my first day off and Dave, Jacqui, Holly and I went into town (Tzaneen) on the back of the pickup (locally referred to as a “bakkie”). Ran errands and bought a much needed raincoat – though in the past two days it has only rained about 5 minutes in the middle of the night. Tzaneen is only a few blocks, but they have supplies and restaurants. A nice day.
***Evening***
Today I worked babies in the AM - the “Jasper Group” in the back room of the main house. The babies are demons with so much energy. They bounce around the room, and then tumble into each other. My shoulders, head, arms, and legs became just trampolines for them too bounce off of. The sweetest is when Jasper or Ringo holds onto you like a baby, then falls asleep (rare), or more often sucks your ear or grooms your hair! Arthur says these are signs of depression because they are desperately trying to re-establish some family order after being ripped away from their troops.
I snipped at one of the other volunteers today and told her not to shut the water off when I’m washing my hands. Water is a real issue here, and everyone is extremely careful not to be wasteful, but I don’t think washing hands after feeding and handling baby monkeys is wasteful and I said so.
Arthur took me around today to show me the various monkeys. Regis was the first and is still the favorite. Vervets live to be 20-30 years or more. They don’t really know yet, but we’ll find out through the work here.
Dinner was meatless patties and beans again. Not much variety, but it doesn’t seem to matter after a hard day’s work. Arthur is vegetarian, so he doesn’t allow meat products to be served here. We are allowed 1 type of cheese – some type of an orange cheddar. I’m not sure why this type is okay and other dairy is forbidden. Another volunteer said the methods for extracting the milk are cruelty-free, but I’ve never heard this before.
11 March 2004
I awoke to the sounds of the cocks’ crow all over the Letaba Valley. It’s nice to lie in my tent and hear the “cock-a-doodle-doo” calls grow louder with each successive cock waking up and crowing, all the while my tent begins to glow with the first rays of sunshine.
Another hot day, but it feels wonderful as long as I stay hydrated. I feel good here and have experienced no headaches since my initial caffeine withdrawal. The diet must be somewhat healthy – and even though it’s all frozen processed food, it is vegetarian.
There is a virus or bug going around. Almost all volunteers here have been getting it for 5 months now. We hear that people in town are getting it too. Symptoms are bellyache, nausea, diarrhea, and general malaise. The Travel Clinic dispenses antibiotics and rehydration cachets, but they do not bother to diagnose it so it just keeps making the rounds. Those people here with it are miserable and the heat does nothing to help.
I hear thunder. It will rain again tonight.
13 March 2004
The entire camp and all belongings are thoroughly soaked after two nights of severe storms. Some bridges were washed away and the dam flooding has washed away roads after the downpour of 11 March.
After a hard day’s work eradicating weeds to create a fire break around the enclosures, we all went out to a bar called Half-Human (Half-Mens in Afrikaans). That’s an apt description of how I feel today.
Riding in the back of “The Bakkie” pickup truck in the pouring rain doesn’t seem so bad when there are 8 others squashed in next to you on the way to a steak “Braii” and many beers.
***PM***
Poured all day – too much to do any work other than feed the monkeys and play with the baby monkeys. My tent is so waterlogged, my tent-mate Nikki had to move to another, and I have a single again.
14 March 2004
19.2
degrees Celsius
Sunday. 1/2 day of chores. Rainy. If the boredom can be held at bay on days like this, then I can endure anything.
There is a “Giant African Land Snail” outside of my tent. It’s hard to imagine a shell like this one so far from the seashore. I moved it to sketch it, but it hasn’t moved yet.
The rain has stopped. Had a fantastic dinner and campfire stories with the other volunteers. I really enjoy the company of another girl named Rachel. We’re the same age and just like to talk about anything.
My snail is missing and there is a pile of poo in its place. I think the bandit may have eaten it. Haven’t found the shell yet.
***The Ides of March***
The sun finally broke through today and the rain has stopped! I guess Madjidi, the local rain queen, has had enough. I’m so removed from what the rest of the world is doing, it almost doesn’t matter.
I’ve noticed a complete change in my expectations of this trip. I was warned to expect Third World conditions, but I didn’t believe it would apply to any foreigners. I was prepared to see locals living in these conditions, but I was completely unprepared to live in an unsanitary mess myself. (How naïve!) When it rains, we get wet. When the tents leak, our clothes and bedding get wet. When the roads flood, we cannot get into town. When we’re out of water, we stay dirty to conserve drinking water. When everyone in camp gets sick, they go to clinic on the next available transit or just wait it out. We don’t get refunds, we don’t get moved into a hotel, and we don’t get coddled. It’s very different to come here from what I’m used to. In America, we’re really not allowed to do anything where there is a possibility we might get hurt. The fear of lawsuits is too high. Here, I am doing things where one could easily be hurt, but that is part of life, and a lawsuit here would be absurd. I’m so glad to be doing this.
They have sweetbread here, similar to fried dough or doughnuts. Here, they are called “fat cakes”. I love it! (Note: I later found out this is an Afrikaans word “voetcake”. Pronounced fat cake.)
The night sky is so bright and full of stars now that the clouds have receded. Thousands of stars are visible with the naked eye. The Southern Cross and Orion’s belt are the brightest and most easily recognizable.
16 March 2004
Day off. Drove into Tzaneen for some supplies. Tzaneen is roughly 30 kilometers from the foundation center. But it takes more than 15 minutes to drive the first 2 kilometers because it is a very poorly maintained dirt road. When the firebreaks are complete, we may be assigned to re-grade the road after the rains. The driving age here is 20. One of the workers, Hermann, has gone for his learner’s permit yesterday, but he failed. He picked me up from town today – so much for the law in these parts! It is the custom to pull into the shoulder without slowing when another car wants to pass. The effect is a 2 lane road becomes four-lane, with everyone travelling at as high a speed as their vehicles will travel. The pedestrians walking along the shoulders are in mortal danger every time this happens.
17 March 2004
1
AM. 25.6 degrees Celsius
“Small Friday”. That’s what these Afrikaaners call Wednesday nights as another excuse to go drinking at the bush bar in the middle of the week. Went to Half-Human again. 8 cars outside. 8 people inside. Until we got there, that is! 12 people in the bakkie and yes, of course, it’s starting to rain again.
In all the days I’ve been here, it has rained every day but 4. Today was very warm, and though wearing 35+ SPF, am still slightly burned. Cleaned bowls this AM, which entails cleaning monkey poo and any leftover food garbage out of giant plastic tubs. In the afternoon, I was assigned to socialize the babies. There are so many different accents on this project that I am starting to even think with an accent!
18 March 2004
I saw a flock of 30 or so Tarentaals today. Large awkward flying bird. Not sure of the name in English. Tarentaalrand (next town over) is named after the bird. They look ridiculously out of place with 10 or 15 of them perched in trees.
19 March 2004
This morning I made the milk for the babies, and then fed them. They are very active in the morning, playing all sorts of games and jumping, careening, and ricocheting off every possible surface. Heads, shoulders, knees, and hands seem to be their favorite things to jump onto, and then soar from. Chaka came onto my lap and fell asleep for quite a long time. He is a gorgeous male, about 12-18 weeks old. He is gentle and trusting, willing to sprawl out spread-eagle on my lap while he sleeps. What I thought was trust turned, including sleeping and especially sleeping through warning calls and other adolescents jumping on him, is depression-related. He was taken from his troop and is pining for his family. We don’t know where they found him, so we can’t put him back. He will be nursed to good health psychologically, if possible, then we’ll find a place for him in a troop here. The foundation tries to educate people that when they see a vervet baby on its own, the family troop is most likely nearby. Even if they see a dead mother, the best thing to do is to leave the vervet where it is because most likely the troop will come back to get the baby after the human threat is gone.
20 March 2004
Babies, babies, babies everywhere! Babies again, morning and afternoon. I have scratches on my neck, forehead, cheek, and legs from being used as a springboard.
The oddest thing happened last night and is happening again tonight as I write at 11:45 PM. Dogs have started barking and howling far away; then the barks travel from dog to dog across the valley. They are communicating, and most loudly. Even our dogs, Lady and Shywanee have been howling and they never bark, except at bandits when protecting humans. I wish I knew what these dogs were saying.
Split a bottle of Guirdin Cab/Merlot tonight at Half-Human. It’s odd to be out here “roughing it” and in the nearest bush-bar to find some excellent wines. I will have it again tomorrow.
Jimmy the Snail was found again today 50-75 feet from last known sighting. He had his head and antennae out of the shell and he was eating. He was able to eat a piece of greenery the size of a half-dollar in roughly 15 seconds. I’ve never seen a snail eating before.
21 March 2004
Sunday. Half day of work. I made milk for the babies, then propped the bottles up against the side of their cages since the babies don’t come out to play on Sundays. Then I helped change a flat tire on the bakkie from driving too fast last night. At 4 PM, we all went to a braai at Half-Human in honor of Hermann’s mum, Antoinette. Braai is the Afrikaans word for “roasted meat”. They served a mouthwatering stew of mutton and vegetables, called “bredies”, cooked over an open fire in cast-iron pot. Side dish was rice. Condiments with garnishes were Chili-pa, a pickled chili pepper, marinated mango slices, hot spicy pepper-relish, etc. It was a surprisingly tasty meal.
The pit around the Braai is huge with room enough to seat everyone. By the time we ate, it was too dark to see what we actually were eating – probably a good thing for me with my minor phobias about germs. Too hungry to care anyway.
Today I found a different type of dung beetle: much smaller (approximately 1 cm) and iridescent green. Two beetles working together pushed a dung ball more than twice their size.
Practiced driving for the first time. I knew I’d have to be certified to drive in South Africa as part of my duties, but it was difficult staying on the left side of the road – especially on turns. Even more difficult to shift with my left hand. Not to mention every time I tried to turn on a directional signal, I turned on the wipers instead!
22 March 2004
Froggy is back in my tent tonight. Arthur has informed me that man did not evolve from the animal kingdom. His reasoning is that the earth’s ecosystem is dependent upon every living thing, and if any one species is removed, then the natural balance gets out of whack. Every species that is, except for Man. He then continued with his belief that we are descendents of aliens who colonized Earth. Eccentric? Yes.
23 March 2004
Dracula bit me today and drew blood. He bit me once on the upper right arm. Nice bruise – as big as a peach. Then my left inner forearm so hard and he held onto it. Broke the skin there and on my thumb. At this point, I started to rethink my decision not to get the rabies vaccine, and Arthur was really not helpful in trying to determine the cost/benefit of doing so.
Jasper is in a fragile state. He has been very needy and clingy – squealing and crying whenever someone leaves the room. Now he is withdrawn and distant. He plays dead so the other babies won’t bother him. Last night he developed diarrhea, which is a forerunner to death in Vervets if not corrected immediately. Arthur says we have 2-3 days to pull him out of this or the bacteria in the diarrheal intestines will begin to attack his white blood cells. Because Jasper likes me, I was assigned to give him extra TLC. I wrapped him in a towel around my waist to put him in and hold him. This is similar to how most of the tribal people in this area of Mpumalanga carry their own infants.
The bandits are getting completely out of hand. When we carried the babies down to the playpens this morning, an unidentified female approached and charged. Rocks, sticks, and yells did nothing to dissuade her. She saw we had the babies and tried to take them away from us. We finally dropped the cages and ran into Tent Village. Doctor had to chase her away while we got the babies into the enclosures. When I went back up to the cottage and picked up Jasper, I was meant to carry him with no cage, just in the towel, but Bandits came right up to me to take him away. Surrounded, I needed help to escape, and Freddie had to beat the ground with the big stick. I finally was driven all the way and escorted into the enclosure. The situation seems to be getting worse and Arthur is oblivious to it. Monkeys are going in and out of the electrified enclosures, by squeezing through the wire chain link, or by climbing the poles where the electric is turned off. With the bandits becoming ever more cheeky and daring, and other adult monkeys now venturing onto the foundation’s land, I fear this place will no longer be safe for volunteers soon. It’s difficult for Arthur to admit defeat, and he’s so proud of the electric fence design, but we see many of them roaming about as if the enclosures didn’t exist. And when others see, they learn the same exit routes.
The fencing is set up so that the first 12-16 inches from the ground up is uncharged chain link, then the electric portion starts above that. They do learn not to climb/jump on the wires, but so many can squeeze through the links at the bottom and others are learning to climb the support poles.
Speaking of Arthur and defeat, he finally relented on some hygiene issues. New policies have been posted. We will no longer wash the baby bottles in our kitchen sink, or wash dirty hands in the kitchen. Arthur has also asked that toothbrushes not be left in a big cup on the sink as it spreads germs. (All the Brits let their toothbrushes co-mingle, while I carry mine to and from my tent every time I use it. This may be one reason why I haven’t taken ill yet.) In addition, we can no longer wash monkey poo off our hands or clothing in the sink where we brush our teeth.
24 March 2004
One of my bites looks infected. I’m using antibiotic ointment and I’ll know tomorrow if I’ll have a problem. It rained almost all day today and it’s pouring now and will probably continue. Tuesday and Thursday are wash days here, but on Tuesday when the rain started, we pulled the laundry down still wet. Hoped to dry it out today, but no luck. Too much rain.
Laundry is another interesting topic here. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, all volunteers bring their clothes to the house for washing. Katie and Maggie fill the washer with unfiltered water from the well. The first load of clothes is loaded into the agitator, let to wash, then removed, carried into the bathroom and dumped into rinse-water and hand-wrung, then carried back to the machine and loaded into the spinner side of the machine. When the water is spun out of the clothes, the clothes are removed from the spinner and thrown onto the floor. The cycle is repeated until all clothes have been through the cycle, but the water in the washer side of the machine is never changed, nor is the rinse-water.
Finally, all clothes are then hung outside (either on a line, or draped over bushes) to dry. The net effect of washing all the clothes in the same water is as would be expected. Anything that was once white turns the color of dirt. Everyone’s clothes are full of monkey poo, and the same water is reused, meaning even clothes that were never exposed to monkey poo are now discolored by it.
Eventually, at dinner time, everyone roots through huge piles of unfolded clothes and picks out their own clothing. It seems that socks and knickers are the two most commonly pinched or lost items. I’ve been afraid to send my towel up to the house, but it’s getting musty smelling, so I’ll have to. I just hope the rain will stop long enough for everything to dry before I leave for Kruger. I’ve decided to give out tips before I leave for Kruger.
25 March 2004
Jasper is recovering. He is still a bit detached, but his stomach feels much firmer. When the bellies are squishy, it is a bad sign.
Last night it poured all night again. We should have had full water tanks from all the rain, but the handle on the flush toilet up at the house was stuck in the down position and it ran all night. The entire tank was drained and this morning the faucets ran empty. No milk for the monkeys today.
The bite on my hand looks okay, but a protruding piece of rusty metal from the Beatles’ cage punctured my leg. It went into my leg about 1 cm. Very painful still. Might just be a bruise around the puncture wound. Hoping to avoid any serious infection out here.
26 March 2004
Went to town today for my 2nd half-day off this week where I was able to squeeze in a visit to Tzaneen Museum. It is essentially a 2-room structure. Along with Sotho, Tsonga, and Zulu baskets, carvings, and clay pots, the museum specializes in the Venda culture, which is native to this north-eastern Limpopo Province. Madjidi, the Venda rain-queen, has quite a prominent display in the museum. Twenty percent of the small museum was about Madjidi or her spirit sticks and legend. The current rain queen has only been so for about 6 months.
The last rain queen died without a successor 2 years ago, and the region had been in drought while there was none. The people used to believe that there was only ever one Rain Queen and that there was an eternal fire out in the forest and every time the Rain Queen changed over, locals believed the old Queen walked into the fire and emerged young again.
We found an 8-foot long black mamba in tool shed with a rat still in its belly! It reared up on Dave almost getting him, but he had a shovel and hacked it. We had to hide the evidence in the brush so the workers didn’t get in trouble from Arthur for hurting an animal. The black mamba is also called the “6-step snake” because that is about how many steps you can take before you fall over dead if you get bitten by one. They are extremely dangerous - especially out here where we would not be able to get help in time if we were bitten.
I have two geckos living in my tent. I threw them out yesterday, then found them again when one was crawling across my belly! I’ve decided to let them stay once I learned they eat other insects, but I just shook one out of my sleeping bag and the sound of the pitter-patter of their feet on the tent is just making my skin crawl. Still, they’re better than scorpions and if I can survive until I fall asleep, then it won’t bother me anymore.
Yesterday I gave all the workers here a tip of 200 South African Rand and today, two of the workers wrote me a beautiful letter and gave me a small gift. ZAR200 converts to about US$25, but to the workers here, it is more than one week’s pay. I would love to give more, but there are 8 workers, and two more months to go with me not knowing how many more workers and tips to save for.
Katie and Richard both live on the same tract of land as the Foundation center, California Plot. They live in one-room shanties with no electric and no water. They earn 90 Rand per week for 6 days of back-breaking work. One beer at the shebeen near here costs ZAR9. On their weekly income, they can afford a 6-pack and a pack of cigarettes. Food, clothing, and necessities are much less expensive and somehow they manage. I think they may not eat on their day off, because I think they take all meals here at the main house.
Richard took me to the Shebeen one day while I drove him home. It is an old steel shipping container (boxcar) that somehow ended up here in the middle of nowhere. Shebeens are illicit bars found in the black townships because blacks were not allowed in whites-only bars and pubs. In the 10 years since apartheid ended, I’m not sure the people in this province ever got the news. News is very slow to travel and very inaccurate because they just don’t have access to reliable news sources.
Tonight I had my first call from home.
Some of the Q&As
from home:
Best thing I brought: This Journal
What I
forgot to bring: Raincoat
Most appreciated item: Colored Pencils
for sketches
Items I wish I had brought: Alcohol-based hand
cleaner (for days with no water)
Breakfast: - none until tea time, but I have a handful of walnuts and a handful of raisins that I smuggled into the country.
Tea time (about 10am) – we fend for ourselves in the kitchen and have the choice of white bread, plain or toasted and any one of many condiments. While there’s no butter for toast, there is jam, but because it isn’t refrigerated, I stay away. Bananas are available a few times a week. Of course there is water and an electric kettle, so I always drink Rooibus tea. Most of the Brits don’t like the Rooibus, but I love it. I think part of what has kept me from getting sick with the others is that I drink more boiled water than plain water. Our drinking water is carted in from town daily in a giant plastic vat, and then poured and stored in used plastic 2-liter coke bottles).
Lunch – we make our own lunch. Either peanut butter & jam on white bread or cheese on white bread. Sometimes I want some type of spread so I’ve actually eaten Peanut butter & banana sandwiches. Not my favorite, but it’s okay for a change. Although I’ve been warned (in the US books) not to eat any fruit or vegetable without a thick rind, when there are tomatoes available, sometimes I just have to risk it. There is so little variety in our meal choices that you’ll risk dysentery for a slice of tomato!
Dinner
Mondays: Meatless
schnitzel, corn, peas, carrots
Tuesdays: Pasta – Rotini with
creamy sauce
Wednesdays: Meatless burgers, baked beans, chips
(steak fries)
Thursdays: Veggie curry and rice
Fridays:
Meatless burgers, beans, and chips
Saturdays: on our own (see
lunch menu)
Sundays: Soup
27 March 2004
Sunday. 1/2 day work. After work today Arthur took a few of the volunteers up to the rain forest – the Agatha Plantation. Much of the forest is being used as a tree farm. So much has been deforested. But Arthur knows the good spots and took us to a secluded area about 30 minutes upstream to a waterfall with rock slide. The forest is about 1 hour south of town in the Wolkberg Wilderness area, in the northern tail of the Drakensburg mountain range. We left the car on the road and walked over rough terrain, rocks, streambeds, and through the river to get to the waterfall. At one point crossing the river, the water was so swift my shoe was ripped off my foot and floated downstream. I threw the other one in and continued on barefoot. The slide was amazing. The waterfall had, over the course of many years, smoothed the rocks so that one can slide down them into the river. A thrilling experience! JRR Tolkien is believed to have written Lord of the Rings trilogy here on the banks of this river, or so Arthur tells us.
Because Arthur’s license has expired, I drove to the Rain Forest. It is quite an experience to drive the bakkie. The steering wheel moves 10-15 degrees in either direction before the car responds. There is a fanny-sized hole in the driver’s seat that has just a towel, bunched-up, to keep the driver from falling through. I kept thinking there must be something sharp under the seat to wear a hole through the vinyl, and hoped it didn’t get rammed up my arse on any of the bumps we hit. The gas pedal sticks if you accelerate too fast, and of course, the stick shift is on the wrong side!
29 March 2004 – Letsitele to Kruger Park - Shingwedzi
30 March 2004 – Kruger - Olifants
31 March 2004 – Kruger Park to Tzaneen
31 March 2004
Dave, Jacqui, Nikki, Hermann, and I left for Kruger 2 ½ days ago. I took ill on Monday and asked the chemist at the drug store for amoxicillin on Arthur’s advice. It seems to be running its course and I’m feeling better after 2 days of sheer misery.
Arrived Kruger about 1pm on Monday and we drove from the Punda Maria gate where we entered on the northern side of the park, to Shingwedzi Kamp. Spotted elephant, giraffe, zebra, impala, nyala, a Nile monitor, a tortoise, and 1 terrapin. We slept in a lovely cottage at Shingwedzi, had braai, then a swim in the pool in the am. Then we headed south again.
I consider myself lucky that I came down with the illness while on the road rather than back at the foundation. At least here there is AC in the car and the sanitation in the camps is better with flush-toilets and (clean) running water at night. I’ve been lucky also that I’m only vomiting during the daylight and the dysentery effects are coming at night rather than during the day. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to walk out into the bush to take care of business. I don’t want to be caught by a lion with my pants down. At least this way I can just lean out of the car door when I have to vomit. There is also Gatorade on sale at the shops in the night camps, so I am keeping hydrated with it and I don’t have to drink the nasty rehydration cachets for the electrolytes.
On day two, we saw close-ups of everything we saw previous day. An elephant’s eyeball just one meter from mine! Two giraffes could have touched us by leaning their necks. We stopped in at Letaba Kamp for lunch and a beautiful viewing spot on the Letaba River. Then we proceeded south towards Olifants Kamp, where we slept in two rondavals. We would have been able to make do in just one, but at the last minute, I invited Hermann to come with us and despite living nearby his entire life, he had never been to Kruger and didn’t anticipate ever getting the chance to come. He was thrilled with the invitation. The rest of us all chipped in to cover his share of park fees and accommodations. He only had to pay for his own meals.
Saw momma and baby hippos, many baboons, and glimpsed a cheetah! Finally, Wednesday morning, we depart; continue south while searching for more animals. We did witness a flock of thousands of Marabou stork. Dear Zeus, they are grotesque! It’s inconceivable that so many can share the same sky at once. They are huge. Exited Orphen gate at 3pm.
Drove to the Giant Baobab in Modjadjiskloof on the way back to the Foundation. It is 23 meters in diameter and has been carbon dated to be around 6000 years old. There is a bar carved inside the trunk that can seat 23 people. Largest single-trunk specimen in the world. Enormous.
1 April 2004 – Touring Day 4
Debengeni Falls. The falls are 30 km from the foundation. Local legend says that the falls are ruled by the spirits, and when the white man came, the local tribal chief put a curse on the white man who entered the area. Ever since, each year, there is exactly one death at Debengeni Falls. It is always a white. The death is said to be the “Debengeni curse”.
After spending the morning at the falls, we went to SaPekoe Tea Estate for lunch. It is the largest tea estate in southern Africa. Had tea and cakes. I chose Early Grey and Honey Bunch teas. After lunch, we drove another 60 km to Eiland spa to spend the afternoon in the hot and cold mineral water springs, hot baths, and sauna. Disappointing as it was cloudy and a sunny day in the pool would have been wonderfully refreshing.
*** The Cottage ***
Arthur’s cottage is a one-room house with a sink and toilet. Arthur lives, works, and sleeps there with about 50 monkeys at any given time. The cottage doubles as sick bay and any injured monkeys live in cages while they recover from surgery or stitches. Arthur usually does surgery or repairs himself, as most vets don’t know or care much about Vervets and he’s decided he might as well do it for free rather than pay someone else to experiment. Whenever I am in the cottage, I make sure no one blocks my exit, as my gag reflex kicks in often and the need for fresh air arises suddenly. The sketch below identifies the layout of the cottage. The square blocks with numbers represent a small cage with the number of baby monkeys kept inside. Inside the cottage, you cannot help but understand why humans were not meant to co-exist in the same small dwelling with animals that are not potty-trained.
*** The Main House ***
The main house is actually Dave D.’s home. Up until three months ago, he shared it with his wife. He lets the volunteers take tea, lunch, and dinner up at the house, while he is at work at one of South Africa’s largest networking companies.
The house, although it has two housekeepers to clean up after the volunteers and cook for us, is in a perpetual state of mess. It is closer to fraternity house conditions than third world. The dogs come into the living room and spread ticks and fleas to the furniture, and our legs are covered in flea bites. The furniture consists of foam couches with flea-covered blankets covering the exposed foam through torn fabric.
The kitchen counters store about 30 loaves of bread that we all rummage through to get the piece we want. The kitchen table has over 50 bottles of assorted condiments permanently displayed. At meal times, we just eat around the constantly growing collection. I don’t use the condiments often as I have no idea how long they’ve been sitting out and of course they are never refrigerated. The Brits don’t seem to have a problem eating out of the jars. Over time, I’m sure I’ll become less picky.
Once past the kitchen, the hall, bathroom, and back rooms reek because the back of the house is used for Monkey sick bay and baby playroom when it rains. It is an odor that is unmistakable and it permeates everything. None of the volunteers has ever been to the sick bay in the house and it is rarely mentioned, so it was a big mystery. I finally asked Arthur and learned that there is a blind monkey who will attack and bite when it hears an unfamiliar voice in the room. It makes me wonder if they are not in cages back there. The back bedroom is where the baby monkeys play when it is cold or raining outside. It is a bedroom with a bed and some shelves. The monkeys poo and wee all over everything, including the drapes as they climb up them, the bed and mattress as they bounce across it, the carpets, and every surface imaginable. We usually take in one towel with disinfectant, to wipe up the poo & wee, but with 18+ monkeys in the room at one time, the towel quickly becomes too gross to touch, and the poo & wee just gets rubbed in, picked up on feet & tails, and carried to the next surface. When they jump onto your shoulder, they use their tails to balance and their dirty tails very often swish across my face and lips! The smell is indescribable. It is much worse than when they are outside in the dirt. Somehow the dirt seems to make it all cleaner, or at least to somehow deodorize it.
02 April 2004
I hear an owl outside tonight. This is my last night here at the Vervet Monkey rehabilitation center. My entry dated 22 March has a schematic of the toilet hut, but lacks a description, which I will add here. The long-drop toilet is a permanent hole dug 6 or 8 feet down, with a raised plywood box and toilet-seat atop it. Crap just keeps going down, and once a week, some enzymes are added with buckets of water to start breaking it down. Since I’ve been here, the level has risen significantly due to the number of volunteers increasing, and while we were at Kruger, the monkeys stole the enzyme packet from Hermann’s tent and Hermann is afraid to tell Arthur.
Chapter 2: EcoTraining. Drakensburg Escarpment, Karongwe Private Game Reserve
03 April 2004
My final day at the Vervet Monkey Foundation! I left at noon, to the Caltex Garage in Tarantaalrand to be met by Gavin of Eastgate Safaris. Gavin is a ranger at Kruger and supplements his income by moonlighting for Eastgate. He specializes in Jackal and Leopard and was most interested to hear about my experiences and the rates of release at the Vervet Foundation.
I’ve been dropped off at Ingwe Lodge, on the Karongwe Game Reserve to await pickup and transfer to my camp. This is surely the cruelest joke because I wait in luxury and I feel like I belong here. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’m sitting on a plush sofa on the outdoor patio with soft music from the bar and the waterfall of the swimming pool behind me. I am free to wander about while I wait, but have been warned not to roam far, as there are no fences here, and there is an abundance of wild animals.
Gavin has described the tents here and is excited for me, but I cannot convince him that the luxurious accommodations are not meant for me. He is convinced I will have a tub and shower on one side of the tent, separated from my four-poster, mozzie-netted bed by reeds. I know better now. Although I know in my heart I belong in this luxurious setting, my pocketbook disagrees. So I will be off shortly to another “tent village”.
*** Later ***
I am in Heaven! This place is wonderful, although very basic in accommodations. There are seven of us in the Field Guide Course and we are staying in an old-style colonial house. We have 2 to a room, with cushions on top of raised plywood platforms for beds and sheets! No electricity, but we have 2 toilets and sinks between us, each with semi-running water! Meals are cooked for us, and our dishes are washed. I will have all my laundry done for one month for R100. I can’t wait to get the monkey poo washed out of my clothes! Although the water pressure is barely a trickle, there are no real water restrictions, other than not to waste water in a country where clean water is so rare!
I was picked up from Ingwe and driven in a safari vehicle (a giant diesel Range Rover) to Edeni.
We had a brief orientation, then our first field walk to Pride Rock, a big granite outcropping called a kopje (pronounced “Koppie”. On the way to the rock, we saw elephant tracks, baboon tracks, giraffe tracks, and more! We followed the elephant’s path across a creek, then climbed Pride Rock where we watched the sun set over the mountains and tree tops. We can see “God’s Window”, a mountaintop with a view of “the ends of the world”. While atop the rock, a big warthog came by and just fed and fed. He didn’t seem bothered by our presence at all until we descended and then he ran off.
We returned to the house, had a braai, and then called it a night. I’m thrilled to have an almost-proper bed (2 inches of foam on a plywood platform raised off the ground), with mozzie netting, a flush toilet, and turn-down service! I’m gonna love it here!
INSTRUCTORS:
Marius
* Sarah * Henny * Lianna * Rob
KITCHEN
& CLEANING STAFF:
Lorraine & Eunice (1st two
weeks)
Francine & Evelyn (2nd two weeks)
04 April 2004
The schedule here is to rise at 5 AM, have tea & coffee at 5:30, and start walking on a bushwalk at sunrise. We return by 9:30 AM, have brunch: porridge, omelets, toast, and fruit. Lessons from 10 AM to 12, then rest and read or study until 2 PM. More lessons, then another game walk or drive.
05:00: Rise
05:30:
Tea
06:00: Bushwalk
09:00: Brunch
10:00: Lessons on the
veranda
12:00: Study break or rest
2:00: Lessons & Tea &
Cakes
4:00: Game walk or Game drive
7:00: Dinner cooked on
the braai
8:00: Stories or charades around the bonfire or Night
game drive
OTHER STUDENTS:
Robby
Richard
Alex
(Ali)
Bunny
Bryce
Will
04 April 2004
9:30
PM
Outside the house, we are hearing lions growling. They are moving down from the north and they are roughly 2 km from the house right now. We’ve been told we must close the doors tonight.
Day 1: Orientation
and Tracking
Day 2: Tracking
Day 3: Birds
Day 4: Geology
and Soils
Day 5: Trees and Grasses
Day 6: Ecology
Day 7:
Test 1 (46.5/50 points)
Day 8: Ethology – Animal Behavior
Day
9: Insects
Day 10: Rocks and Minerals
Day 11: Dangerous
Game
Day 12: Snakes & Reptiles & Tortoises &
Frogs
Day 13: Arachnids
Day 14: Land Rover Driving / Safety /
Tyre change
Day 15: Off-road Driving
Day 16: Test 2 (79.5/86
points) ; Presentation 1 (40/50 points)
Day 17: Day off
Day
18: Driving
Day 19: Habitat Management
Day 20:
Climatology
Day 21: Astronomy
Day 22: Weapons Handling
Day
23: Presentation 2 (86/100 points)
Day 24: Field Observation
(173/200 points)
Day 25: Game Drive Assessments (207/250
points)
Day 26: Game Drive Assessments
Day 27: Final Written
Exam (118/138 points)
Day 28: Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation
Center
Day 29: Game Drives & Picnic
Day 30: Game Drives
05 April 2004
Tracked the lions we heard last night. Picked up the trail and followed to determine the number and sex of animals. We tracked at least two lionesses and some sub-adult males. Followed from the waterhole and caught a glimpse of mane of the sub-adult and the tail of the female.
05 April 2004
4 pm Bushwalk: We tracked the lions down to the riverbed and although we are not supposed to track from a low position when we know we are close to a dangerous animal, we took the chance because we didn’t want to miss the lions. We were able to approach quietly and spotted a young male lying on the riverbed 20 meters away. We each took turns approaching (crawling) to 15 meters, then we each backed away to avoid spooking or intimidating the lions. 30 minutes after our return to the house, waiting for dinner on the veranda, Bryce was roaming about the Braai, when Bunny spotted something in the grass 10-15 meters away. Four male lions had approached and were curious as to who had been watching them earlier. Bryce wandered back onto the patio, none the wiser, while Marius ran to get the rifle. One adolescent male lay down in the grass line by the house, with an older male behind, another to the right, and one to the left. For twenty minutes, a mix of adrenaline, terror, and ecstasy! Finally, one approached to within 3 meters, and we scared it back with a beer can. They backed off a few minutes later, and we can’t believe how lucky we are to have seen these lions on day 2 of the course!
Marius said afterward if he had known we were dealing with 4 males, we NEVER would have gone into that riverbed.
06 April 2004
The rain poured down last night and ensures any spoor we find will be fresh. Walked down by the other EcoTraining camp and found their entire camp washed out by rain. They experienced some flash flooding and actually lost a few tents to the river. Everyone got out safely, with one instructor having to hold on to a tent while the last student got out of the tent before the water took it out.
Lectures today focused on plants and grasses and trees native to the Sweetveld (very fertile grasslands with grasses very good for natural grazing).
Just a few I’ve learned to identify:
TREES:
Marula – sweet
fruit liquor made from fruit
Red bush willow – 4 side pod.
Acacia – paired thorns
Cork tree – bark is cork
Buffalo
Thorn – twigs shaped like lightning
Jackal berry
Zebrawood –
darkwood/lightwood
GRASSES:
Kaifa
Kaffa
Herringbone grass
Saw-toothed Love Grass
Blue
Grass
Spear Grass
07 April 2004
INSECTS:
AFRICAN MONARCH
BUTTERFLY
Taste bad or even toxic to predators – defense
mechanism.
As caterpillars, they feed on toxic plants. Toxicity
remains into butterfly stage.
The AFRICAN FISH EAGLE is closely related to America’s Bald Eagle
We just found out 3 people in the next camp have TICK-BITE FEVER. They are very ill and haven’t been able to move. But they will live.
Our game walks focus on everything we encounter while we are out in the bush. We are always looking for game, especially large game, but while we’re walking, we learn about ecology, trees, plants, grasses, insects, birds and bird calls, the terrain, geology, rocks and minerals, animal behavior, tracking spoor, dung & feces, and many other subjects.
08 April 2004
Today’s lesson: ECOLOGY – living organisms, their relationships, and the effects of the environment.
Getting to know my companions:
The other STUDENTS here are:
ROBBY: Funny, would
never suspect he’s a religious zealot.
RICHARD: The only one of
us who wants to guide as a career. Can’t make it through a
bushwalk without a smoke.
ALI (Alex): Nice girl. Starts Uni in
September. Sporty.
BUNNY (Caroline): Last name Bunn. Sweet,
smart girl. Farmgirl.
WILL: loud. Very familiar and will drink
out of your bottle before walking 3 steps to get his own.
BRYCE:
On a semester off. Studies English Lit. Only child.
My
EcoTraining class and lead instructor Marius
INSTRUCTORS:
Marius: looks like
neo-nazi, but smart as a whip, gentle as a lamb. An excellent human
being.
Henny: former game hunter.
Rob: complete introvert.
Seems aloof at first, then flirty.
THE CATENA
The Catena is the related sequence (chain) of soil types created by changes from one drainage condition to another. Understanding the soil helps us to understand the vegetation that will grow in the location so in our quest for viewing animals we can look in the areas with the vegetation the animals eat. Catena types that support large herbivores will also attract the carnivores.
CONSTELLATION LEGEND
Orion, a giant in Ancient Rome, became overconfident and believed he could overpower and slay anything found in nature. Athena, goddess of Nature, became very displeased with his arrogance and his threats against Nature, so she sent a tiny Scorpion to take down Orion. The scorpion mortally wounded Orion, but a doctor was able to rejuvenate him the next day.
In today’s southern skies, Orion rises long before Scorpio. Scorpion is 180 degrees opposite Orion, so when the Scorpion rises, Orion is dying out and falling below the horizon.
09 April 2004
The food here is delicious. Very hearty. South African Afrikaners tend to like creamy dishes, so we have many “stick-to-your-ribs” meals. It is a welcome change after the zero-variety vegetarian meals last month. As an example, below are some of the dishes we’ve had in the last few days:
Brunch: Bacon &
Cheese omelet
Tea: Juice & cakes with Jam
Supper:
Sausages on the Braai & veggies
Monday Meals:
Tea: Tea &
Fruit
Brunch: Maltobella, Fried eggs and hamburger
Tea: Chips
(thick cut potato wedges) and cheese
Supper: Fried chicken,
cooked veggies
Tuesday Meals:
Tea: Tea &
Fruit
Brunch: Porridge, Scrambled eggs & bacon
Tea: Meat
& Cheese Butties (a sloppy-joe type sandwich)
Supper: Pasta &
Cheese
Wednesday Meals:
Tea: Tea &
Fruit
Brunch: Sliced ham & French toast
Tea: Bacon
Butties (sandwich)
Supper: Pork chops, veggies, cheese
The nicest part is the pride that Lorraine and Eunice take in their work. Each evening when we come for supper, the table is set and on each plate is a sprig of some special grass, or a flower, or a special leaf. After we leave in the morning, they sweep our rooms and tie our mosquito netting in a knot that hangs over our bed. While we take dinner, they turn down our beds and pull the netting down to surround our beds. It’s definitely not luxury here, but these special touches make us feel as if we’re being pampered.
Lavender Fever Berry Tree only grows on kopjes (rock outcroppings)
List
of Animals and the timing with which we’ve encountered them. The
different ink colors signify different days. As time went by, we saw
fewer new animals to add to the list, but you can tell the order in
which we first saw (S), heard (H), or tracked (T) each animal. My
field notes next to each animal will help me to identify them later.
Identify Dung
Zebra:
non-ruminant, kidney shaped dung.
Giraffe: similar to kudu, but
scattered dung.
This morning’s drive took us to the river where we tracked White (square-lipped) Rhino. Tried to cross the river to pursue, but the river is still too high. Got stuck and had to dig out the Land Rover. Rebuilt opposite road to get back up the hill. Everyone wet and muddy. A fantastic time!
This afternoon we had a big treat. Were unable to repair the flat tire (our afternoon’s task), so we headed to the Karongwe river for a swim. Beautiful warm water, gorgeous silky mud. Brought back memories of childhood, when it was fun to be dirty and have mud ooze around your toes. Still no sign of the Rhino, but an experience I shall never forget.
Some foods I’ve had in South Africa:
Beskuit – a hard
biscuit or rusk
Biltong – cured, salted meat, eaten in strips.
Much saltier than jerky
Bobotie – spicy mince pie
Boerewors –
spicy sausage from the Braai
Braai – anything cooked over the
fire – barbeque
Bredie – Stew
Chakalaka – spicy tomato
and onion relish or salsa
Voetkoek – pronounced “fat cake”.
A sweet bread like a doughnut.
Mealie Pap – stiff maize, similar
to sticky mashed potatoes, but made from corn. A staple at most
meals.
Lekker – sweets or “nice and tasty”
THE BAOBAB TREE
Bushman says the Baobab Tree was thrown out of Heaven by the Gods. It landed upside down and today we see the roots growing up in the air.
The SHANGAN
PEOPLE
The Shangani People were Zulu and fiercely loyal to Shaka
Zulu. When Shaka’s half-brother murdered him, some of the Zulu ran
and fled to Mozambique. They left their children behind and they
were called “She-angani” for those who cry and are left behind.
The Shangani eventually returned to be reunited, and many settled
here, in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Ndebele is also an offshoot of Zulu. Ndebele means “one of the people”. Matabele means “many bele people”. This is according to Sila who is Ndebele. Matabele was the name chosen by the warrior who led his people away from Shaka. He hid his true identity so Shaka couldn’t pursue him. Matabele does refer to the fighting-warrior style he favored – namely, fighting in coordinated attacks, sometimes using columns of warriors.
Our Shangaan Nicknames: (given to the students by Lorraine)
Nyeleti – Star –
Ali
Dyambu – Sun – Eva
Nsuku – Gold – Bryce
Nweti –
Moon – Will
Ndzalama – rich – Richard
Dyondzo – Lamb –
Bunny
Vutinanhi – Active – Robby
We played my favorite game of “Stupid Human Tricks” where everyone must exhibit some strange skill they have. After all the years I’ve played, this was the oddest group of skills/abilities/deformities I’ve ever seen.
Sarah – extra or
missing valve in esophagus causes regurgitation and rumination.
Alex
– moves eyeballs independently
Eva – doublejointed fingertips
& lobster claw hands
Bryce – cracks jaw
Will – Folds
ears and tucks flap into ear bud
Rich – lower lip fits over
nose
Bunny – ULTRA high frequency “peep”
Robby –
Nostril flare
Henny – Monkey face
Jenny – Folds ears and
double-jointed fingers
The millipede is a favorite meal for the scorpion, which uses its venom to start external digestion of the millipede to break down the toxins. Millipedes have cyanide and hydrochloric acid as defense mechanisms and taste quite nasty and toxic. The only mammal that eats and can digest millipede is the African Civet. The dung of the civet often has pieces of millipede shell in it. When tracking, we check the dung for contents to determine what animal left it.
10 April 2004
Dolerite Dike ~ Knob Thorn ~ Mopane ~ Stinking Grass
Bateleur – Short-tailed eagle. Named for French Tight-rope walker because it is the only raptor that totters while soaring.
The
field notes next to the list of birds encountered represent what each
bird’s call sounds like. I will have to be able to identify bird
calls for my mid and final exams.
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