Botswana lovin' continues. with just a little bit more drama
It's been a while since I've thought about writing down anything about my conservation adventures, which is terrible I know, and it's not that I haven't had stories to tell so I'm rather going to summarise everything that has happened until now instead of thinking of an excuse.
1. I was lucky enough to be able to see rhinos, elephants and lions almost every week while working with ACE on the Game Ranger Experience program offered in Hoedspruit. The guy I worked with was a special case of crazy, calling me Angel after only knowing each other for a few days, but he had a good heart and I learnt a lot from him.
2. I finally get to Botswana and then the fun starts....or more like first the frustration with working with human beings, their plain lack of common sense (you'll soon realise I rant a lot of this) but also their loving nature.
(insert the start of my Botswana adventure)
9 June 2016 10:42pm
Another issue – I don’t know who to talk to about ordering food for the camp before the agents arrive, the lady who did it (not too well by the way) was let go so now it’s kind of hanging in the air…and I hate going to town because there’s always something else you need to get for someone else (like buying building supplies – what in the world do I know about that?!) and I hate spending company money because me the stingy one wants to buy the cheapest but then it has to be good quality for guests etc. etc. So the already indecisive me stands in front of a product for 10 minutes longer than usual debating what to buy. In any case, I’ve messaged the HR Manager with regards to this problem, and surprise surprise I haven’t heard anything back. I’ll just have to phone him tomorrow. This issue is linked with us having to take the American agent to the island for a visit so that she can also experience that, but since the staff are getting trained on Monday by the new GM for the arrival of the agents on Tuesday and the guide in any case having to take them to the island on the Thursday, who knows when we will be able to go with the professor. See we would have gone with the weekly food run to the island where they take supplies for the week before guests arrive, but can we do that with guests? And the professor was only really planning on staying a week. TOO MANY UNKNOWNS. I’m thinking that since the guide has to go to town to pick up the GM from the airport he might as well get the food for the agents coming on Tuesday, but I don’t trust him enough yet to give him the card to pay for the food. So then I’ll just go with – but what do I do with the professor? And the chef isn’t even here to tell me what she needs for the week. Liewe ouers (my new Afrikaans “swear” phrase, means dear parents). I asked the HR Manager if the chef could be brought to camp tomorrow since she was actually supposed to come today…so if she comes tomorrow and the HR Manager says I can order food through him to pick up on Monday, the professor is just going to have to hang around at camp until I return. Or if that’s not possible, I’m going to have to improve my method of shopping and following a list – I’m terrible, I usually end up only buying a few items on the list. I love making lists though, even if I don’t always follow it. I feel so organised. Ironic much?
And I usually love making food, but these days it feels like it’s more of a hassle than anything else. Can’t they just eat cereal in the evenings like normal people? :p
Oh and another issue causing my sleepless night – I still need to go collect the last camera trap I put out more than a month ago!! My loving ellies better have left it alone, including the lions. I’ll curse them to kingdom come if I find the camera in pieces, or worse, missing. It is in a metal box but we’re talking about wild animals here – anything is possible. But the plan is to drive to a pan called Rhino Pan which is on route to the where I put up the camera.
Just remembered I need the logo of the camp so that I can print welcome cards but because I forgot to download dropbox and only remembered when it was time to go pick up the professor I don’t have it! Liewe ouers. I’m just going to have to draw it using the logo on the complimentary shampoos and soaps. And I do like drawing. Just don’t have any colour pencils since I left mine at home this time thinking I won’t need it. Great. I could always draw it in paint and print it using my spanking new printer.
And then there is the issue of getting prices for drinks and making a payment ticket for the guests – luckily I saw the professor enjoying a savanna so I can add it to here yet to exist ticket. Not that I have the prices yet – forgot to ask Gake (the office lady) for it. Yes I know, organised to the T. I’m just going to make up prices. Or wait for the Front of House to arrive with the hopes that she knows the other lodge’s prices for me to use.
One a positive note I haven’t been eating carbs since being back, surely a bit of potato doesn’t count? I even said no to rusks – ignoring the fact that I ate the tiniest of pieces today, couldn’t even dunk it, it was so small. The one even had a burnt raison in, what a waste. You might have noticed “the one”, ok fine I had 2 pieces. 3? Whatever, tomorrow is new carb free day. At least I didn’t eat the pasta tonight, not that one is missing out from not eating pasta. Now cinnamon rolls on the other hand…I have to baked them while the professor is here, just to impress her though, not for my stomachs behalf… I have found a few banting dessert recipes which I am just going to have to try. Only when I go to town again (earlier this time) so that I can stop at the healthy shop to buy coconut flour. No I didn’t bring the new pack I bought before I left home. I did bring my coconut oil from Hoedspruit though, not that I’ve used it since. It’s the thought that counts. Small steps at a time. Can only eat so money eggs before I turn into a chicken (banting breakfasts consists of eggs, eggs, eggs. Oh hey how about more eggs). So for now I consider Future Life as my eggy breakfast.
An hour has passed and although my eyes are telling me it’s time to go to la-la land, I know my amazing brain will just carry on overthinking eeeverything. Even the music on my phone is starting to annoy me. I’m skipping mid song even more than usual, and that’s already saying a lot.
Haven’t seen my ellies since being back, only heard them splashing around in the almost empty waterhole in front of camp. Fingers crossed the less than efficient mechanic gets the pump up and running before the end of the week. I might be bad with remembering to buy/pack things, but he’s just terrible at meeting any work goals in general.
Even heard a leopard rasping close to camp last night, tried looking for him with the spotlight but no luck. These cats clearly haven’t heard that I am 102% a crazy cat lady. And I need to test out my new long lens. Hello! A little bit of participation would be appreciated wild ones. The francolins outside my room seem to agree, although they don’t want to be the leopard’s next meal...
Now I just need to find these sneaky leopards.
Until my next sleepless night *
#wildatheart
1. I was lucky enough to be able to see rhinos, elephants and lions almost every week while working with ACE on the Game Ranger Experience program offered in Hoedspruit. The guy I worked with was a special case of crazy, calling me Angel after only knowing each other for a few days, but he had a good heart and I learnt a lot from him.
2. I finally get to Botswana and then the fun starts....or more like first the frustration with working with human beings, their plain lack of common sense (you'll soon realise I rant a lot of this) but also their loving nature.
(insert the start of my Botswana adventure)
9 June 2016 10:42pm
After endlessly rolling around, trying to fall asleep, I
finally give up and instead start working again on my blog. With my solar lamp
next to me and my earphone stuck into one ear I am ready to type rack my brain
until I fall asleep. First I need to find the right song to get me in the mood
– it seems “The Chainsmokers – Roses” will suffice.
Part of the reason I can’t seem to fall asleep is because I
have an American professor to entertain and impress for the next couple of days
with the hopes that she brings her students to join our program sometime in the
future. It doesn’t help that the animals have seemed to disappear with the
oncoming winter…how on earth am I going to keep the conservation travellers
happy during winter!? It’s instilled in every visitor’s mind that you will see
wild animals 24/7. If only. The professor seems nice enough, she just didn’t
look to keen on the idea of not really getting involved with the monitoring
part while she’s here. There’s no point in us doing the transects now since
we’ll only be 3 people and the roads haven’t even been cleared yet!! Another
thorn in my side :/ The timing isn’t the best either – I still need to get the
camp ready before the first agents come middle of this month, and these guys
won’t work hard unless you check up on them. And then the new guide has started
and has to get the know the roads before the guests arrive. And he talks too
much, or it’s more that he doesn’t get to the point of his story fast enough
that you actually start losing interest after a while. How do you tell someone
that without it becoming personal? Luckily we’ve appointed a very experienced
General Manager who can handle all those issues. And since the guide is here I
don’t have to interact too much with the guests – that would just be a
nightmare, constant small talk? No thanks! Especially with snobby tourists. I’d
much rather have a pretend conversation with a very curious giraffe. Another issue – I don’t know who to talk to about ordering food for the camp before the agents arrive, the lady who did it (not too well by the way) was let go so now it’s kind of hanging in the air…and I hate going to town because there’s always something else you need to get for someone else (like buying building supplies – what in the world do I know about that?!) and I hate spending company money because me the stingy one wants to buy the cheapest but then it has to be good quality for guests etc. etc. So the already indecisive me stands in front of a product for 10 minutes longer than usual debating what to buy. In any case, I’ve messaged the HR Manager with regards to this problem, and surprise surprise I haven’t heard anything back. I’ll just have to phone him tomorrow. This issue is linked with us having to take the American agent to the island for a visit so that she can also experience that, but since the staff are getting trained on Monday by the new GM for the arrival of the agents on Tuesday and the guide in any case having to take them to the island on the Thursday, who knows when we will be able to go with the professor. See we would have gone with the weekly food run to the island where they take supplies for the week before guests arrive, but can we do that with guests? And the professor was only really planning on staying a week. TOO MANY UNKNOWNS. I’m thinking that since the guide has to go to town to pick up the GM from the airport he might as well get the food for the agents coming on Tuesday, but I don’t trust him enough yet to give him the card to pay for the food. So then I’ll just go with – but what do I do with the professor? And the chef isn’t even here to tell me what she needs for the week. Liewe ouers (my new Afrikaans “swear” phrase, means dear parents). I asked the HR Manager if the chef could be brought to camp tomorrow since she was actually supposed to come today…so if she comes tomorrow and the HR Manager says I can order food through him to pick up on Monday, the professor is just going to have to hang around at camp until I return. Or if that’s not possible, I’m going to have to improve my method of shopping and following a list – I’m terrible, I usually end up only buying a few items on the list. I love making lists though, even if I don’t always follow it. I feel so organised. Ironic much?
And I usually love making food, but these days it feels like it’s more of a hassle than anything else. Can’t they just eat cereal in the evenings like normal people? :p
Oh and another issue causing my sleepless night – I still need to go collect the last camera trap I put out more than a month ago!! My loving ellies better have left it alone, including the lions. I’ll curse them to kingdom come if I find the camera in pieces, or worse, missing. It is in a metal box but we’re talking about wild animals here – anything is possible. But the plan is to drive to a pan called Rhino Pan which is on route to the where I put up the camera.
Just remembered I need the logo of the camp so that I can print welcome cards but because I forgot to download dropbox and only remembered when it was time to go pick up the professor I don’t have it! Liewe ouers. I’m just going to have to draw it using the logo on the complimentary shampoos and soaps. And I do like drawing. Just don’t have any colour pencils since I left mine at home this time thinking I won’t need it. Great. I could always draw it in paint and print it using my spanking new printer.
And then there is the issue of getting prices for drinks and making a payment ticket for the guests – luckily I saw the professor enjoying a savanna so I can add it to here yet to exist ticket. Not that I have the prices yet – forgot to ask Gake (the office lady) for it. Yes I know, organised to the T. I’m just going to make up prices. Or wait for the Front of House to arrive with the hopes that she knows the other lodge’s prices for me to use.
One a positive note I haven’t been eating carbs since being back, surely a bit of potato doesn’t count? I even said no to rusks – ignoring the fact that I ate the tiniest of pieces today, couldn’t even dunk it, it was so small. The one even had a burnt raison in, what a waste. You might have noticed “the one”, ok fine I had 2 pieces. 3? Whatever, tomorrow is new carb free day. At least I didn’t eat the pasta tonight, not that one is missing out from not eating pasta. Now cinnamon rolls on the other hand…I have to baked them while the professor is here, just to impress her though, not for my stomachs behalf… I have found a few banting dessert recipes which I am just going to have to try. Only when I go to town again (earlier this time) so that I can stop at the healthy shop to buy coconut flour. No I didn’t bring the new pack I bought before I left home. I did bring my coconut oil from Hoedspruit though, not that I’ve used it since. It’s the thought that counts. Small steps at a time. Can only eat so money eggs before I turn into a chicken (banting breakfasts consists of eggs, eggs, eggs. Oh hey how about more eggs). So for now I consider Future Life as my eggy breakfast.
An hour has passed and although my eyes are telling me it’s time to go to la-la land, I know my amazing brain will just carry on overthinking eeeverything. Even the music on my phone is starting to annoy me. I’m skipping mid song even more than usual, and that’s already saying a lot.
Haven’t seen my ellies since being back, only heard them splashing around in the almost empty waterhole in front of camp. Fingers crossed the less than efficient mechanic gets the pump up and running before the end of the week. I might be bad with remembering to buy/pack things, but he’s just terrible at meeting any work goals in general.
Even heard a leopard rasping close to camp last night, tried looking for him with the spotlight but no luck. These cats clearly haven’t heard that I am 102% a crazy cat lady. And I need to test out my new long lens. Hello! A little bit of participation would be appreciated wild ones. The francolins outside my room seem to agree, although they don’t want to be the leopard’s next meal...
Now I just need to find these sneaky leopards.
Until my next sleepless night *
#wildatheart
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