Misery on the high seas

Yesterday was a miserable day for me. I was pretty much swallowed up with self pity.

I haven't had many bad days since I have been away, but there have been a few. Mostly times when I miss my family and friends. If there is something important happening in their lives that I am missing out on. Yesterday was a bit different. Yesterday was all about me and how isolated I felt.

I am one a liveaboard scuba diving boat in the middle of the Red Sea. So visually, all I can see is water and glimpses of land off in the distance. The boat itself is quite nice. I have a cabin to myself and the amenities are all very good.

The difficulties start with the fact that the other passengers are all Danish. They are from a diving club in Copenhagen. Only a few of them are polite enough to talk to me. They can all speak English reasonably well. Far better than I can speak Danish. Now I certainly don't expect them to speak in English to one another, just because I am around, but I would like to be included a bit. I have struck up conversations with them all on different occasions, but as a group they tend to forget I exist. So I have been keeping to myself quite a bit. Lots of reading, lots of ipod listening, lots of sleeping.

Then there is the crew. There are seven Egyptian guys, who spend their whole lives at sea. So a single girl like me seems to get a tremendous amount of unwanted attention. I recognize it is a cultural thing as well, but I am getting a little sick of the ogling every time I have to get in or out of my wet suit. I normally don't have any issue with being the object of a bit of flirtation, as long as it is all good fun. But this is starting to creep me out. I have already rebuffed one request to be someone's 'girl tonight'! Not to subtle, eh!

All of these irritations wouldn't be so bad if the diving was good, but unfortunately I have developed a head cold, so my diving is suffering. I had to skip two dives yesterday and one of the dives I did do, I shouldn't have skipped, as I was feeling really lousy and my ears were sore the whole time. That was definitely a mistake on my part.

So with all of these things piling up, I felt pretty shitty yesterday and I admit, there were a few tears shed along the way.

It is good to write about it. It helps me get rid of the frustration and bitterness. Plus, it is good to recognize that even on a year away from 'everyday stress', shit happens and you are allowed to feel lousy about it. Just don't wallow for too long and find a way to vent (hopefully in a healthy way - a boat hook to the back of a Danish head would not be good).

Oh yeah... I am also PMS-ing! Great!

PS: Today is much better. My first dive was great, my ears are feeling clearer and I am enjoying the sunshine on the top deck!
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Elephant Orphans

On my first day back in Nairobi I hired a taxi driver to take me around the city. I told him to show me the highlights and lowlights of the city. The only thing I wanted to see for sure was the Baby Elephant Orphanage.

Elephants who are somehow orphaned are brought to Nairobi for rehibilation and will ultimately be released back out into the wild. They range in age from 2 to 24 months old. Most elephants arrive here because their mother's have been killed by frustrated farmer or ivory poachers. It is a real controversy. Many people believe that there are too many elephants in Kenya. They are very destructive to the environment as they eat a tremendous amount and can knock over trees without much effort. There is even talk at government levels about allowing a certain amount of culling.

This orphanage has come under fire for interfering with the natural process of letting babies die who can't support themselves. They no rely 100% on donations and park admissions; and raising elephants is not a cheap undertaking.

You can only visit the park for one hour a day, when the babies are brought out of the forest for their milk feeding and mud bath.

They come rush up to their keepers who are holding on to their milk bottles. They suck them down so quickly, just like any hungry baby. Then its time to get dirty. They need to have a mud bath everyday to protect themselves from the heat and keep the bug levels down. There is a small man-made pond where they frolic and sometimes get stuck in the mud. The handlers also help out by shoveling dirt and water all over the elephants. Some haven't learned yet, how to toss the dirt up with their trunks. After they are good and dirty, they head back into the forest to graze for the rest of the day.

They are divided into two groups by age. The first group are the real young ones and have the least coordination. The older ones are able to manage the bottles by themselves and can generally get themselves dirty.

The last visitor to the watering hole is a baby rhino. He was brought to the park when his mother fell ill and died unexpectedly. He will also be raised here for about two years and then released back into the wild.

These little creatures need a lot of attention and care. There are general 2-3 handlers to every animal. They need 24 hour supervision. The handlers are all rotated so that the elephants do not imprint on only one person. And after they are 24 months they are moved to another facility where they no longer have as much human contact. This is to help them live as natural a life out in the wild as possible. Hopefully with a lot of luck and support they will be released at around 4-5 years old to live normal lives.
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Memorable Work

I am leaving South Africa today, but have definitely put it high on the list of places to return to. There is still so much to see and do, plus some great friends to come back and see.

One of the key aspects to my year away, was to engage in some volunteer work, and South Africa was my volunteering destination. I did not pick the most obvious work; house building or teaching English. I selected work that revolved around marine animals and conservationism. These were programs I would never find back in Canada and they offered support to the tourist industry - a industry I am deeply involved with this year.

I have learned a tremendous amount while being here. Not only the practical bits; how to work a shark decoy line, leopard babysitting tricks, and how to tell the difference between bottlenose and common dolphins; but also I have found a new zest for volunteerism.

I have done volunteer programs in North America in past years, but found it a struggle in recent times. I wasn't feeling like I was making a difference or really adding anything. Being here and offering up my time and skills has reminded me that it is not always about the actually work to be done, but rather the act of participating. That goes for both sides of the equation.

My work here could easily have been done by anyone else or, in fact, not done at all. The programs I worked with use volunteers for funding more than the human hours put to it. I paid for the privilege of participating; and it was well worth the money. I think (and hope) that the hours I invested were beneficial beyond the dollar value to those I connected with. Both of my program leaders are from the western world; Alison from the UK and Tracy from Canada. We had great discussions about work and life in South Africa in contrast to their former lives. They have chosen to make their careers here and trust me, they are not in it for glory or fortune. This is tough work. And as I was soaking up all the amazing opportunities offered to me, they were given a chance to connect to a business minded contemporary. I think I was a good reaffirmation for them about their own choices.

At first I was a bit disappointed to do both programs on my own. I had thought it would be a good chance to meet like minded travelers. In hindsight, I realize just how fortune it was to have these opportunities to myself. I was given greater exposure to all the staff and activities. Plus, I was on my own to interpret each experience. With this type of freedom, I was reminded what a privilege it is to volunteer. You are granted a window into worlds you would normally never see. For me the highlights were seeing great white sharks silently slip past our boat, spending a day with a 3 month old leopard, catching my first blow sighting of a brydes whale, watching seals frolic in the wake of our boats, and remembering how to cast a fishing line while having the mud squelch between my toes. None of this would have been possible without the support of my volunteer coordinators and the various crews I worked with.

I want to thank everyone I have met here in South Africa. A big shout out to Alison T. , Tracey, Henny, Warren, Benz, Marilie, Wilfred, Tracy, Chrissie, Daniel, Pete, Tony, Alison K. and Morne. I put my experience with you all at the top of my accomplishments for this year.

Got to go with the game

(This column is not for vegetarians)

I have been in South Africa for over a month now, and one absolute truth is that South Africans know how to eat! I have had several firsts here. All delicious.

Tonight I was directed to the Khaya Nyama restaurant which is all about game meats. I had been told that the warthog ribs were a good bet, but I have opted for the three antelope skewer - elan, springbok and kudu. What can I say, you just have to take the opportunity when it is presented. I just wish someone had been with me to share to two choices.

I am not an antelope connoisseur, but damn it was good. There are very subtle differences between the three meats. The elan was delicate, the springbok was the strongest or gamest flavoured and the kudu was quite rich and buttery. They were all incredibly lean and moist. They were well paired with mash potatoes and pumpkin. But this isn't really about the veggies.

Some other foodie treats I have had are eisbein, springbok carpaccio, ostrich, lamb's neck and of course braai BBQ.

Eisbein is a pork pot roast of sorts. It is slow cooked until it just about falls off the bone. It is the type of food where you don't care that you are dribbling juices down your chin. You are too busy humming with delight.

Springbok carpaccio was incredibly lean and flavourful. It packed a lot of punch in a little thin strip. It was paired with some tangy pickles and strong cheese.

The ostrich I had was in stew form. It was made up mostly of back and neck joints, so you had to work a bit to get the meat. It was definitely worth it. Although I admit I passed on eating the spinal cord.

Lamb maybe my favourite meat, especially my Mum's roast leg of lamb, so when I got lamb's neck stew at my second volunteer's house I was pretty pleased. Telisewa, our housekeeper / cook always prepared amazing food, but her lamb's neck stew stood out. It was buttery soft and full of rich flavour.

A braai is not so much a type of food, but rather a method of cooking. The magic of a braai is the social aspect. It takes hours to cook so everyone has plenty of time to drink and chat. Everyone generally brings their own meats but there is a single chef or braai master. They are responsible for the fire. They decide when the coals are just right. Plus they manage the cage that holds all the meat while it is cooking. Instead of place the meat on a rack and turning the meat. It is placed in a folding rack and the whole rack is turned. The other important aspect of braai is the braai spice. It is a seasoned salt mix which thankfully I have secure a small bottle to send home. The most common items at a braai are lamb chops, vors (sausage) and chicken.

Now that I am fueled up on antelope meat, I am ready for my day of diving tomorrow. I will be swimming with the seven gill sharks - outside of a cage! Hopefully they aren't wanting to know what Canadian tastes like!

South Africanisms

There are 11 official languages in South Africa. Many of these are regional and culturally based. The most spoken languages are English, Afrikaans, Korza and Zulu. But like many countries, some expressions are a mish mash of elements.

Having been able to work with a couple of local groups over the last month, I have been exposed to a lot of interesting phrases and expressions. I have even started throwing a few of them into my own conversations. So far, no one has fallen over laughing or gotten really offended with any of my uses. Below are a few of my favourite expressions.

'Braai' - this is Afrikaan for BBQ. However, it is made with hard wood only. No gas or charcoal. It takes hours to get the fire and embers just right, which gives everyone plenty of time to socialize. Everyone brings their own food, but generally one person is in charge of cooking. Lamb chops, vors (sausage), chicken and braai sandwiches (onion, tomato, chutney and cheese) are the most popular choices with lots of braai spice. Yum!
'Make a plan' - this means 'you need to decide' but it also includes the sense that you need to take charge, stop messing about.
'You must just ...' - this is used as when you want to give your advice or suggestion. In Canada, we would say 'you should'. The South African style offers more confidence to the listener.
'Are you winning?' - you use this to ask how someone is getting on with a task.
'Did you come right?' - is a way of asking if everything worked ok when someone finishes a task.
'Yaw' - this is an expression of disbelief or surprise. You extend the sound and use a deeper voice for more impact.
'Is it' - this is used by a listener to acknowledge their understanding and encourage the speaker to carry on. In North America we would use 'uh huh' in a similar way.
'Shame' - you use this expression to indicate compassion for a situation or issue. It is generally used for small problems.
'See you now' - means that you are on your way.
'Bucky' - is a pickup truck

Here is an example of a conversation where you would hear these expressions:
Pete: Should we braai tonight?
Tracy: Yawww. But shame, we haven't any wood.
Pete: Is it.
Tracy: We must just make a plan.
Pete: I can take the bucky to the petrol station to collect some.
Tracy: Is it.
Pete: See you now.
When Pete returns with the wood and gets the fire started.
Tracy: Did you come right?
Pete: Yes.
Tracy: Are you winning?
Pete: We'll be eating soon.

As I get ready to leave South Africa, I will really miss all my new good friends. But I hope to honour them all by teaching my Canadian friends the art of a good braai! Yaw!

Volunteering diversity

I have had another eventful week with my volunteering here in Plett, South Africa.

The weather has been very mild so I have been enjoying sunny warm days. I could definitely get use to winter like this. Other than no central heating to warm you up at night, it is very pleasant.
My week have been quite eclectic when it comes to work. It seemed like every day Tracy (the volunteer coordinator) and I would make a plan and most of the time it would end up getting changed to some degree or another. It is a good thing I have had a lot of recent experience with the philosophy of "going with the flow".

Monday we made it out on the water for my first whale / dolphin tour. We managed to see a small school of bootlenose dolphins. Unfortunately, they are the type of dolphins that prefer to hang out in the surf zone (where the wave is actually breaking) so we weren't able to get too close. Then we visited the local colony of seals. No whales that day. The rest of the day was spent running odd jobs around town. It was an excellent way to get to know the town.

Tuesday was similar, punctuated by a lot of turtle work. The whale watching shop I am working from has a large aquarium built into the back wall so clients can see what the local marine like is like. There are various species of fish and coral. Recently, they added a couple of leatherback turtles that are about 4 months old. They have not been gaining any weight lately, so we need to feed them more directly. It is my job to climb to the top of the aquarium, fish the turtles into their own bucket, and feed them freshly caught mud prawns. The prawns need to be pumped out of the lagoon every morning. So for someone that doesn't deal well with fishy things my day starts off up to my elbows (literally) in fish. Apparently, these turtles are quite unique (read: spoiled) because they only eat fresh prawns. We have tried mussels; both fresh and frozen, and frozen prawns, but they only eat the fresh prawns. So I have now developed quite precious prawn pumping skills. Must remember to put that on my CV.

On Wednesday we went fishing to support the local tag and release program. Plett bay is feed by three rivers, all of which has incredible wildlife. Charlie, the whale tour shop manager is a devout fisherman, who is always looking for a reason to head up a river. Once he heard I had fished before, he was determine to get me on the boat. When we set out, it was low tide, so the boat, which is moored on a buoy in the lagoon, was quite easy to wade out to. The water came to just below my knees. On the way back, it was a totally different story - the tide had come in. When he told me the water was to the knee, he failed to mention who's knee. Charlie I'd 6 foot 2, so the water was mid thigh on me!

The fishing was actually lots of fun. I haven't been out since I was a girl, but the casting came back to me quite quickly. We managed to catch 6 fish. All but one we were able to tag and they were all released. These tags will hopefully help researchers better determine how well the fish populations are doing.

After fishing, Tracy and I were off up to Robberg which is the local peninsula and nature reserve. It has great hiking trails with spectacular views of the bay and ocean. Tracy is incredibly fit so I am sure she found it tedious to slow down to my pace. However, I think my months of temple stair climbing in Southeast Asia helped me manage the rough terrain. Robberg has incredible diversity. We started out on dirt paths with small shrubbery all around. Then we made our way into a more rocky area where you had to use your hands a bit to scramble over the rocks. Next was beachy sand dunes and finally a very steep rock face, where it seemed like one wrong step could send you tumbling down to a very painful end. Tracy mentioned that her sea rescue team runs Robberg for fun and exercise. Seems absolutely crazy to me, but then again even running for a bus seems silly to me! Needless to say, I slept incredibly well Wednesday night.

Robberg Peninsula

On Thursday we were meant to teach a lesson at the preschool in the local township. Orca foundation helps out there once a week with a lesson and general support for the staff. The school has between 100-120 kids attending on any day. They are given basic lessons in Zkorsa (local African language) and English, plus two hot meals; breakfast and lunch. We had prepared a program, however, when we got to the school, the space we were to use for the lesson was occupied and the lesson was called off. Instead, we got to work at cleaning up the garden and compose area. We got. quite a bit accomplished. Before heading back into the school to help serve up lunch. I was in charge of ladling out the carrots and cabbage. That is a lot of scooping for 105 plates. The plates also got rice, chicken, gravy and potato. A nutritious and delicious meal. At the end of the meal we were also responsible for washing up the plates and spoons. I had quite the dishpan hands! The really remarkable part was how little food came back on the plates. All the meat and vegetables were gone, only a little bit of rice was left. For most of these kids, this hot lunch will be the last meal of the day.

Friday should have been tree planting, but turned into a double whale watching tour day. This time we had lots of whales. We got to see about 8 brydes whales. They are generally quite shy so we can only get to about 20 metres away from them. However, you can see and hear their blow or spray when they surface. And when they prepare to dive, their backs come arching up out of the water quite a bit. At one point we were quite close to a mother and her calf. We would see this big blow come up and then next to it was a small blow less than half the size.

With the whale watching tours, we go out on large catamaran power boats that hold between 12-20 people. On Central beach there are no docks or launch ramps, so the boat do what's known as a dolly launch and then they beach to return to shore. Now, I have grown up on boats and love being on the water; I have never experienced this kind of maneuvering before. It is a little nerve racking. To launch, the boat is up on its dolly (which is a cradle on wheels), facing towards the water. The dolly is attached to a tractor at the back end of the boat. The tractor driver then drives the dolly, with the boat out in front, as fast has he can directly towards the water. As the dolly and boat enter into the water, the tractor driver then slams on his breaks and the momentum of the force carries the boat off into the water completely. It is quite fun, except if it is choppy, in which case you have a few big bumps along the way. To bring the boat back up on shore the procedure is even more hair raising. Essentially, the boat comes in towards shore until it is about 100 metres away. Then the skipper engages the engines full throttle. You are now racing at about 35 km/h directly towards the beach; which for a boat is the equivalent of a car heading for a brick wall. To trick is to hit the beach as a wave is breaking on it, so you surf up onto the beach as fall as possible before coming to a screeching halt. Then the tractor comes down with the dolly, pushes under the boat, pulls the boat up onto the dolly and drives the boat and passengers up to the top of the beach again. I am sure this set up is common in a lot of places in the world, but for me, full throttle at a beach is just plain crazy!

Beaching the whale boat - yikes!

Saturday and Sunday are off days for this volunteer program. Today, I spent the day sleeping in, having coffee in town, getting a pedicure at the local hotel spa, sipping a cold beer on the terrace off my bedroom, and now sitting on the lagoon beach watch the sun slowly slip behind the hills. Plus tonight, my house coordinator and I will be having a braai (South African BBQ) with some of his friends. Whoo hoo - the life of a volunteer in Plett is rough!

Zwalakhi

I have now moved up the eastern coast of South Africa to a town called, Plettenberg Bay, or Plett to the locals. Here I will begin my next volunteer program with an organization called ORCA. It is billed as an ecotour and education group that focus on whale and dolphin programs.

I arrived on Thursday, and was expecting to get to work on Friday, but the weather was not cooperating and none of the whale boats were going out. So the coordinator called around to some of her other contacts and soon hooked me up with an adventure of a lifetime. I was to babysit a 3 month old male leopard named, Zwalakhi. I couldn't believe it when she got off the phone with the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre and told me what they had in store for me.

A baby leopard...surely there must be some misunderstanding. Maybe leopard means some else in Afrikaans. People don't just hand over leopards to just anyone. You must need to have years of education and training... You must need to be known to this centre and have excellent credentials... You must need to be a trained professional in a field other than telecommunications! Apparently not. I arrived at the centre and within 10 minutes I was inside a 20 square metre enclosure with the cutest little ball of fur.

Zwalakhi - 3 month old male leopard

Zwalakhi (pronounced zoowa•la•kee) is a Zulu word meaning "the world belongs to everyone". However, no one has explained that to him, and at the moment the he things the world and everything in it belongs to him.

He was in the middle of a photo shoot when I arrived. He has only been at the centre for 2 weeks, and they are still getting materials together to advertise their new addition. He was born in captivity in a breeding centre in northern South Africa. The Tenikwa centre was originally only a rehabilitation centre for various species of African birds and cats, and was closed to the public. It has now transitioned into an education centre where people can come to see and even walk amongst the animals. The owners are particularly trying to education the local population to the adverse impact of killing off these animals. According to the research, if a farmer kills off a leopard or cheetah to protect his livestock, then he creates an opening for caracals to come in. Caracals are smaller cats, but they have a drive to kill in higher quantities. A leopard or cheetah only makes a kill when it needs food. A caracal can kill 20 or more sheep in a single night just for sport.

Anyway, back to my particular adventure...

My responsibility was truly that of a babysitter. I was to play with him, help feed him, make sure he didn't hurt himself or others, and most importantly, make sure he didn't try to get out of his enclosure. It has been a long time since my babysitting days, and my skills were a little rusty.

Just like any new job, I was immediately put to the test. Zwalakhi decided to try out his stalking abilities on the newbie. As I had been instructed, he was allowed to stalk his toys (that is a good display of his natural instincts), but he mustn't stalk people. If he began to stalk me, then I was to say "No Zwalakhi, no stalking". If he persisted and began to move in for the kill, so to speak, then I was to swat him aside with an open hand and tell him "No". This is apparently what the mother leopards do. However, mother leopards are equipped with claws and teeth that can come in handy when trying to make the point to a rambunctious cub. I had no such defenses and Zwalakhi was still getting use to his own weapons of mass destruction. Mandy, the woman who gave me my 5 minute instructional on baby leopard management was well scared with recent scratches and nips. My only recourse was a walkie talkie radio I was left with to call out if I needed anything. I envisioned my finally words being , "No Zwalakhi...MAN DOWN!!"

Despite his early attempts at capturing his first Canadian meal, we quickly fell into a pattern of playing, posing and snoozing (on his part, not mine). I had several toys to entertain him with. His favourite was a rubber ball attached to a long rope that I would roll along the ground or swing around me in a circle. He would chase it for about 30 seconds, darting along and doubling back to catch it as it swung past again. He would then suddenly lunge up at a much faster speed and tumble to the ground with the ball in his teeth or claws. He caught the ball about 8 times out of 10. The funniest part would be when he would cut in too quickly and run right into my legs. The first few times were not that funny for me, since I wasn't sure if he was going to take a swipe at me. Sometimes he would even use my feet is a perch to pounce from. It is quite an amazing sensation to feel him coil down into his back legs in anticipation for the big jump.

Once he had the ball properly in his teeth, he would give his head a good sharp shake (this essentially breaks the neck of his prey). He would then start to drag it off to his tree. Leopards are well known for their incredible strength. They can bring down prey heavier than themselves, but more remarkably, they then drag their catch up into a tree, so other predators can't steal it from them. So, little Zwalakhi was practicing his prey storage skills too.

There were several small trees in the enclosure that served as his hiding places. Unfortunately the only ones small enough for him to get up, were not quite strong enough to hold him up. By the end of the day, he had uprooted or snapped 4 trees. Each time he would get himself up into the thin branches, snug down to have a good chew on his rubber ball and then one of three things would happen. One, he would shift his weight too much and come falling out of the tree with a crash and a thump. This was always followed by a shake of the head and a look like "What? I meant to do that". Two, there would be a shift in the soil at the base of the tree, and then the whole tree would uproot and tip over in slow motion. All the while, Zwalakhi was completely oblivious to the impeding butt bouncing thump he was about to get. The final option was that the tree roots would hold strong, but his particular branch would give way. In this case, there would be a series of snaps and crackles which would generally alert you to the upcoming folly. However, Zwalakhi's experience is not developed enough so he would simply look around and then plummet to the ground with a look of astonishment. Every time it gave me the giggles. Especially when he'd go back to the busted down tree and sit on it like there was nothing wrong, "What? This is still a tree. See, look, I am back in the tree". What can I say, after several hours of swinging a rubber ball around in a circle, almost anything is entertaining.

Munching on his favourite fallen tree

We also had to put on a bit of a show for any of the tours that came by. He never failed to put on a good series of poses. His favourite move, however, really emphasized the fact that he was a wild animal. He would always get into stalker mode and track the smallest child in the group. Without fail, he would wind his way up to the fence and pounce. Most of the time, the child wouldn't be that phased, but he did manage to get a few kids to cry. When I explained to the adults what he was doing, they would immediately pull their kids away from the fence. Cute little kitty can kill a child even at only a few months old.

By the middle of the afternoon he was quite accustom to me and me to him. He would pad up next to me and flop down across my feet or lap. He would let me pet him and scratch his tummy. It was totally amazing to be that close to such an incredible creature. In less than a year, he will be too strong and too aggressive to have any direct human contact. This was definitively a chance of a lifetime, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

We were both pretty tired after our day together

Check out all my photos of my day with Zwalakhi.
Learn more at the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre.
Learn more about my volunteer programs.