I am alone once again, having left my friends in England behind. I've just finished day one of a three day tour of the Scottish Highlands and so far it's been amazing. We're spending the night on the Isle of Skye, which is very picturesque. I've seen about a million lakes (excuse me - lochs) and fantastic mountains, with the odd castle thrown in here or there. Tomorrow we're touring Skye then heading back to the mainland. We spend tomorrow night in Inverness, so hopefully I'll get to see the Lock Ness Monster!!
The week I just spent in England was great. I had a horrible cold but I still enjoyed myself. El met up with Nikki and I as planned, but unfortunately Beth and Sally weren't able to make it. The three of us went to Warick Castle, which is a huge tourist attraction. There's jousting, falconry displays and other entertainment throughout the day. It was really interesting and I loved walking through the castle and learning about the history. We also went to Stratford - Shakespeare's hometown! It was a sunny day, so we rented a boat and rowed up and down the river (actually, El rowed, Nikki complained and I took pictures).
On Friday, we drove to Manchester to stay at El's house. Her house is really nice but I didn't like Manchester as much as Worcester. Probably because it's not as quaint and doesn't have that cliched "English" look. It was still a fun weekend. We went out dancing on Friday and saw The Dark Night on Saturday. I think El was up for another night out but Nikki and I were too tired.
I left Manchester for Edinburgh on Sunday but I wasn't really looking forward to it. I got really homesick all of a sudden and was feeling really sick of living out of my backpack. Nikki talked me into going and I'm glad she did. I did a bunch of the touristy stuff in Edinburgh, like visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle, and wandered around and enjoyed the city. The Edinburgh Festival is on right now, so there was lots to see. I was supposed to stay in the UK until the 23 but I'm coming home this Saturday and I'm really looking forward to it. I've had a lot of fun but I'd like to stay in one place for a while! I'm sure I'll feel differently shortly after I get back home and settle in...
xoxo Becky
PS. Ashley and Carly: If I run across Colin Firth or Hugh Grant I'll be saving them for myself, not bringing them back for you two!! Have you seen Mamma Mia yet?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
I love England!
Hi everyone! I've been in England for 9 days now and it's everything I thought it would be. Tina and her friend Liz met me at Heathrow last Saturday. I was incredibly tired (34 hours on planes and waiting in airports!), so I went straight to sleep. The next day we went to Windsor Castle and the surrounding area. It's lovely and green. Liz's family lives in a very nice area. It's called Shepperton and it's about an hour outside London. We were lucky and had a few days of sunny weather, so we were able to get outside and see things. Unfortunately, it rained when we went into London. It was a great day anyway and I got to see loads of things, including Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Harrods, among other things. Harrods was actually a lot of fun. I couldn't afford a single thing but it was fun looking. We saw a fur coat worth £20,000!! People spend ridiculous amounts of money on clothing. Coming from Africa and then seeing those price tags really drove that point home.
On the weekend, we went down to Newquay in Cornwall with Liz's brother and his friends. It rained and things got pretty soggy but it was a very entertaining weekend nonetheless. We had a fancy dress night where we all wore bizarre costumes and went out. I felt a bit goofy at first but you can't stay shy for long with the group of people I was with.
We got back on Sunday and Tina and I repacked our bags. She left for Denmark this morning and I'm now in Worcester at my friend Nikki's house. She's one of the girls I met in Africa and it's so nice to see her again. We drove to Malvern so I could see some of the countryside and have spent the rest of the afternoon looking at pictures and talking about how much we miss Harnas. Tomorrow El and hopefully Beth will be coming to meet us. I'm also hoping to see Sally, another Harnas friend, but I'm not sure if she'll be able to get together with us. We're going to El's house in Manchester on Friday, which should be interesting. After that I'm heading to Scotland but I don't have anything planned yet.
I should be home on August 23rd and I can't wait to see everyone, especially Daisy, Misty and Jasmine. ;)
xoxo Becky
On the weekend, we went down to Newquay in Cornwall with Liz's brother and his friends. It rained and things got pretty soggy but it was a very entertaining weekend nonetheless. We had a fancy dress night where we all wore bizarre costumes and went out. I felt a bit goofy at first but you can't stay shy for long with the group of people I was with.
We got back on Sunday and Tina and I repacked our bags. She left for Denmark this morning and I'm now in Worcester at my friend Nikki's house. She's one of the girls I met in Africa and it's so nice to see her again. We drove to Malvern so I could see some of the countryside and have spent the rest of the afternoon looking at pictures and talking about how much we miss Harnas. Tomorrow El and hopefully Beth will be coming to meet us. I'm also hoping to see Sally, another Harnas friend, but I'm not sure if she'll be able to get together with us. We're going to El's house in Manchester on Friday, which should be interesting. After that I'm heading to Scotland but I don't have anything planned yet.
I should be home on August 23rd and I can't wait to see everyone, especially Daisy, Misty and Jasmine. ;)
xoxo Becky
Friday, July 25, 2008
Off to England
Well, my time in Australia is done. I'm in Thailand right now waiting for my flight to London. It was delayed 2 hours and I just sent Tina an email, which I hope she gets, since I have no other way of contacting her and she's picking me up at the airport.
My last few days in Australia were really nice. I spent them in Brisbane at my dad's cousin's son's house. I only met him once when I was 5, so it was really nice of him to let me stay there. I went to Australia Zoo twice and it was awesome. There were a couple of tributes to Steve Irwin set up which made me cry but other than that it was great. The second day I went was Bindi's birthday. It was horrible and rainy but Bindi, Terri, and Robert were there. Terri did the croc feeding demo, along with Steve's best friend, Wes. I really loved the wombats. They're so cute and cuddly. And of course I loved the crocodiles and snakes. A couple of the snakes were so massive it takes a team of people to lift them. Their colours and patterns are beautiful.
Before coming down to Brisbane, I stayed a few days in Airlie Beach. I think I might have mentioned that already. The crocodile safari was really fun. I saw a ton of estuarine crocodiles (those are the really big guys -- bigger than the Nile crocs) and a lot of birds. I never did get to go diving because of my cold but I went snorkeling. The fish and coral were so amazing. The colours were unbelievable and the water was so clear.
I'm really excited to get to England. I'm going to spend a week with Tina, then she's going to Denmark. Originally, I planned to go with her but I'm going to stay in England longer. I met a bunch of English girls while I was in Africa and they're going to show me around. I can't wait to see them all again, although it will definitely be different without all the dirt and animals.
Bye for now!!
Becky
My last few days in Australia were really nice. I spent them in Brisbane at my dad's cousin's son's house. I only met him once when I was 5, so it was really nice of him to let me stay there. I went to Australia Zoo twice and it was awesome. There were a couple of tributes to Steve Irwin set up which made me cry but other than that it was great. The second day I went was Bindi's birthday. It was horrible and rainy but Bindi, Terri, and Robert were there. Terri did the croc feeding demo, along with Steve's best friend, Wes. I really loved the wombats. They're so cute and cuddly. And of course I loved the crocodiles and snakes. A couple of the snakes were so massive it takes a team of people to lift them. Their colours and patterns are beautiful.
Before coming down to Brisbane, I stayed a few days in Airlie Beach. I think I might have mentioned that already. The crocodile safari was really fun. I saw a ton of estuarine crocodiles (those are the really big guys -- bigger than the Nile crocs) and a lot of birds. I never did get to go diving because of my cold but I went snorkeling. The fish and coral were so amazing. The colours were unbelievable and the water was so clear.
I'm really excited to get to England. I'm going to spend a week with Tina, then she's going to Denmark. Originally, I planned to go with her but I'm going to stay in England longer. I met a bunch of English girls while I was in Africa and they're going to show me around. I can't wait to see them all again, although it will definitely be different without all the dirt and animals.
Bye for now!!
Becky
Monday, July 14, 2008
G'Day from Down Under!
I've been in Australia for 10 days so far and I haven't heard anyone say g'day or refer to Australia as Down Under. I haven't given up hope, though! It could have something to do with the fact that all the people I've met are tourists. I've only met 4 Australians, I think.
As I expected, leaving Harnas was really hard. Lots of tears and promises to stay in touch. I've been having a hard time enjoying Australia because I miss Africa so much. There have been some good times, though. I did a 3 day tour of Fraser Island. It's the only place on earth where a rainforest grows from sand. The entire island is made of sand and it's incredibly beautiful. I only paid for a 2 day tour but our tour guide let me and another girl named Claire stay on for the third day for free. We went hiking through the rainforest, swam in a bunch of lakes and the ocean, and learned a lot. I haven't seen any koalas or kangaroos yet but I've seen a carpet python, a dingo, humpback whales and a ton of birds.
I'm at Airlie Beach right now. I'm going to be here for about a week. I plan to sail around the Whitsunday Islands, ride a horse through the bush, and go on a crocodile safari. I haven't decided what else I want to do yet. I was going to go diving but I have a cold, so I don't think I'll be able to. :(
I'm heading down to Brisbane next week for a couple of nights, since Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin's zoo) is only about an hour or so away. That's what I'm most excited about -- I can't wait!!
Anyway, I should go find my hostel. Hope everyone back home is well!
xoxo Becky
As I expected, leaving Harnas was really hard. Lots of tears and promises to stay in touch. I've been having a hard time enjoying Australia because I miss Africa so much. There have been some good times, though. I did a 3 day tour of Fraser Island. It's the only place on earth where a rainforest grows from sand. The entire island is made of sand and it's incredibly beautiful. I only paid for a 2 day tour but our tour guide let me and another girl named Claire stay on for the third day for free. We went hiking through the rainforest, swam in a bunch of lakes and the ocean, and learned a lot. I haven't seen any koalas or kangaroos yet but I've seen a carpet python, a dingo, humpback whales and a ton of birds.
I'm at Airlie Beach right now. I'm going to be here for about a week. I plan to sail around the Whitsunday Islands, ride a horse through the bush, and go on a crocodile safari. I haven't decided what else I want to do yet. I was going to go diving but I have a cold, so I don't think I'll be able to. :(
I'm heading down to Brisbane next week for a couple of nights, since Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin's zoo) is only about an hour or so away. That's what I'm most excited about -- I can't wait!!
Anyway, I should go find my hostel. Hope everyone back home is well!
xoxo Becky
Friday, June 27, 2008
Still loving it here!
I have less than one week left at Harnas and I'm going to be so sad to leave! Yesterday, two of my favourite people left. It was surprisingly hard to say goodbye -- I've gotten much closer to people than I expected. I'll get to see some of them when I get to England, so that's something to look forward to.
We all get up at about 6:30am and have breakfast from 7 - 8. Then we get a briefing and organize our teams for the day. Some people do food prep (feeding, cleaning, etc.), some do tour (feeding and checking on the wild animals that will eventually be released), some do animal walks, and the rest usually do farmwork. We have lunch at about 1 and our day is usually finished by about 5:30 or so.
The regular day-to-day activities aren't too strenuous but the farm work can be tough. Since I've been here I've helped dig a hibernation hole for the tortoises, dig and concrete a waterhole, and set the bush on fire. There are black thorn bushes taking over, so we had to torch them all so the new grass can come in this spring. It was incredible hot and sometimes a bit scary but we all had a great day.
My favourite things to do are food prep and animal walks. Those doing feeding generally get to spend the most time with the animals, so I usually sit with the cheetahs after feeding. The walks are fun, too, although I preferred taking Cleo and Pride out. Lost is a bit of a handful and kept wandering off into the bush. It's not like walking a dog -- there's no way to control them, so you just keep an eye out and trying to keep them out of trouble.
Louise and I did attempt our sleep out with Cleo and Pride but it didn't go so well. They snuggled up to me but in the process they managed to shove her off the mattress and then refused to let her back on. They also peed on her side of the mattress. Eventually, we gave up and went back to the volunteer village. I do sleep with a meerkat now, though. Her name is Talullah and I think I mentioned her in my previous post. The dad kept attacking her and she had to be brought back to the farm. She "belongs" to me for now and I absolutely love her! She can be a bit of a handful and she peed in my sleeping bag last night but she's so sweet.
On Tuesday I finally got to do a lion walk. A small group of us went out and wandered through the bush with one of the young males, Zion. I have some incredible pictures but nothing I say will ever convey just how HUGE lions are when you're up close with no fences. Some of the lions will hopefully be released but I don't think Zion will be, as he was hand raised. Most of the animals that I interact with on a daily basis are permanent residents, usually because they have been to0 badly injured or are too tame to be released. Some, like Klippie the giraffe, will be returned to the wild eventually. The animals that will be released are the ones we feed on tour. Interaction is limited and they're still wild. Once enough game is available on the farm, they will be released into an area called the lifeline to fend for themselves.
As I mentioned before, the nights are freezing. We have bonfires every night and sit around talking. The stars are unbelievable. The other night, the volunteer coordinator took us out and showed us how to navigate using the stars. It was pretty great.
I can't post any pictures because the internet is too slow but I'll make sure I get some up when I get to Australia. Unfortunately, my camera seems to have stopped working, so I might have to buy a new one. I haven't lost any pictures, though!
Hope everything's well at home and you're getting some decent weather!
xoxo Becky
We all get up at about 6:30am and have breakfast from 7 - 8. Then we get a briefing and organize our teams for the day. Some people do food prep (feeding, cleaning, etc.), some do tour (feeding and checking on the wild animals that will eventually be released), some do animal walks, and the rest usually do farmwork. We have lunch at about 1 and our day is usually finished by about 5:30 or so.
The regular day-to-day activities aren't too strenuous but the farm work can be tough. Since I've been here I've helped dig a hibernation hole for the tortoises, dig and concrete a waterhole, and set the bush on fire. There are black thorn bushes taking over, so we had to torch them all so the new grass can come in this spring. It was incredible hot and sometimes a bit scary but we all had a great day.
My favourite things to do are food prep and animal walks. Those doing feeding generally get to spend the most time with the animals, so I usually sit with the cheetahs after feeding. The walks are fun, too, although I preferred taking Cleo and Pride out. Lost is a bit of a handful and kept wandering off into the bush. It's not like walking a dog -- there's no way to control them, so you just keep an eye out and trying to keep them out of trouble.
Louise and I did attempt our sleep out with Cleo and Pride but it didn't go so well. They snuggled up to me but in the process they managed to shove her off the mattress and then refused to let her back on. They also peed on her side of the mattress. Eventually, we gave up and went back to the volunteer village. I do sleep with a meerkat now, though. Her name is Talullah and I think I mentioned her in my previous post. The dad kept attacking her and she had to be brought back to the farm. She "belongs" to me for now and I absolutely love her! She can be a bit of a handful and she peed in my sleeping bag last night but she's so sweet.
On Tuesday I finally got to do a lion walk. A small group of us went out and wandered through the bush with one of the young males, Zion. I have some incredible pictures but nothing I say will ever convey just how HUGE lions are when you're up close with no fences. Some of the lions will hopefully be released but I don't think Zion will be, as he was hand raised. Most of the animals that I interact with on a daily basis are permanent residents, usually because they have been to0 badly injured or are too tame to be released. Some, like Klippie the giraffe, will be returned to the wild eventually. The animals that will be released are the ones we feed on tour. Interaction is limited and they're still wild. Once enough game is available on the farm, they will be released into an area called the lifeline to fend for themselves.
As I mentioned before, the nights are freezing. We have bonfires every night and sit around talking. The stars are unbelievable. The other night, the volunteer coordinator took us out and showed us how to navigate using the stars. It was pretty great.
I can't post any pictures because the internet is too slow but I'll make sure I get some up when I get to Australia. Unfortunately, my camera seems to have stopped working, so I might have to buy a new one. I haven't lost any pictures, though!
Hope everything's well at home and you're getting some decent weather!
xoxo Becky
Sunday, June 15, 2008
1 1/2 weeks down!
Well, I've gotten through my first week and a bit here and I absolutely love it! The animals are amazing and the people are pretty great, too. We're split into groups and assigned animals to feed and clean. When we're done our chores we can spend time with any animals we want or just hang out. My group is responsible for two cheetahs named Cleo and Pride, some baboons (eeek!!), mice (they're fed to an owl), a wildcat, six bat-eared foxes, a parrot and some domestic cats. My favourite animals so far are Cleo and Pride and a giraffe named Klippie. Klippie is still quite young. The other day I got to give her her bottle, which was quite an experience. She's about twice my height and I had to stand on a bench and reach waaaaay up. I ended up covered in giraffe slobber.
I spend a lot of my time lying around with Cleo and Pride. Pride is friendlier and likes to climb all over me and lick my face. It can be a bit of a painful experience -- her tongue is like sandpaper. Still, it's not every day I get to cuddle with a cheetah, so I can handle a bit of discomfort. I have some really great pictures but I'm not sure when I'll get to post them.
Today I went out with a couple members of my group to check on the meerkats. They're so adorable. The mom was hand raised, so she's really friendly. The dad's a bit crazy and kept trying to kill the mom, so they have to stay separated for now. The babies are very sweet and like to try to put their heads in our mouths and climb up our pants and down our shirts.
It's very dusty here and unbelievable cold at night. I use all my warm clothes plus a sleeping bag and two blankets. On Thursday I'm going to spend the night in Cleo and Pride's enclosure with a Danish volunteer, Louise.
I've seen some of the lions but I haven't gone in with any yet. I'm hoping to go on a lion walk in the next week or so. There are a number of leopards as well but the only one we can interact with is a young one named Lost. She's beautiful and very strong. Harnas also has a pack of wild dogs. As part of a Fear Factor challenge (more about that another time), we had to go through their enclosure to retrieve a shoe. They surrounded us but didn't really try anything. There were people on hand, so it was quite safe, I promise.
Anyway, I'm out of time. I'm not homesick yet but I miss everyone. I hope Daisy, Jasmine and Misty are doing well!
I spend a lot of my time lying around with Cleo and Pride. Pride is friendlier and likes to climb all over me and lick my face. It can be a bit of a painful experience -- her tongue is like sandpaper. Still, it's not every day I get to cuddle with a cheetah, so I can handle a bit of discomfort. I have some really great pictures but I'm not sure when I'll get to post them.
Today I went out with a couple members of my group to check on the meerkats. They're so adorable. The mom was hand raised, so she's really friendly. The dad's a bit crazy and kept trying to kill the mom, so they have to stay separated for now. The babies are very sweet and like to try to put their heads in our mouths and climb up our pants and down our shirts.
It's very dusty here and unbelievable cold at night. I use all my warm clothes plus a sleeping bag and two blankets. On Thursday I'm going to spend the night in Cleo and Pride's enclosure with a Danish volunteer, Louise.
I've seen some of the lions but I haven't gone in with any yet. I'm hoping to go on a lion walk in the next week or so. There are a number of leopards as well but the only one we can interact with is a young one named Lost. She's beautiful and very strong. Harnas also has a pack of wild dogs. As part of a Fear Factor challenge (more about that another time), we had to go through their enclosure to retrieve a shoe. They surrounded us but didn't really try anything. There were people on hand, so it was quite safe, I promise.
Anyway, I'm out of time. I'm not homesick yet but I miss everyone. I hope Daisy, Jasmine and Misty are doing well!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
In Namibia -- Harnas in the morning
Well, I've arrived in Namibia with no problems. My trip was fairly uneventful on the whole, with only an old man playing a harmonica on the plane to liven things up. The Johannesburg airport is very confusing. Nothing is clearly marked and there are lots of strange hallways. Still, I managed to find my way and I met up with a girl who's going to Harnas, too. Her name is Louise and she's very nice.
On the drive to the hostel, we saw a couple of baboons. I got very excited but then I remembered that there are baboons at Harnas. Plus, baboons aren't even an animal that I'm particularly fond of. I think it was just the thrill of seeing them running around in the wild.
Louise and I went into Windhoek and had dinner and looked around. It's a really neat city -- very different from anything I've every seen. The people drive like maniacs and honk at everyone. We almost got run over a couple of times.
Anyway, I'm going to have a shower and go to bed. I haven't really slept in the last few days. I probably won't be able to write again for a while but I'll do my best!
xoxo Becky
On the drive to the hostel, we saw a couple of baboons. I got very excited but then I remembered that there are baboons at Harnas. Plus, baboons aren't even an animal that I'm particularly fond of. I think it was just the thrill of seeing them running around in the wild.
Louise and I went into Windhoek and had dinner and looked around. It's a really neat city -- very different from anything I've every seen. The people drive like maniacs and honk at everyone. We almost got run over a couple of times.
Anyway, I'm going to have a shower and go to bed. I haven't really slept in the last few days. I probably won't be able to write again for a while but I'll do my best!
xoxo Becky
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