I woke this morning at 6:30, not remembering it was my last day, or that I had the morning off. Once I remebered, I laid in bed soaking in the view outside my window so I wouldn't forget it. I fell back to sleep until 9, when Laura woke me so we could go into town. We decided to walk, and by "we", I mean she wanted to walk, so I agreed as long as we could take a cab back.
It took a little over an hour to get there. We stopped at the exchange bureau, then went to some shops for t-shirts and souvineers. Moshi was much different today than it had been the first day. No one really bothered us at all, except for my fiance, Jimmy Carter, who managed to find me once again. We shopped for about an hour, then came back to the house and had lunch. Once we ate, we laid in the sun at my request. I can't accept that I'm coming home to winter. Absolutely devastating.
I didn't want to start to pack, so I lounged around. I was afraid that if I packed too early, I would have too much free time, and I would be anxious to leave. I am waiting until the last minute to shower since it is the last shower I will have until I get home. I hung out with Laura a bit, and we chatted about leaving. It's bittersweet. I will miss it here, especially when I was just starting to get comfortable. On the other hand, there is not much to do here after the first 3 weeks (because the programs are over), and I can see how boring that could get. I feel badly for Laura- she still has 3 more weeks here.
I am upset that I didn't get to say goodbye to a lot of my fellow volunteers. I left for town this morning not realizing they were going on weekend excursions and wouldn't be here when I left. I have everyone's email, though, so I'm sure some of us will keep in touch.
When I finally packed, my suitcases are relatively empty, compared to the first trip. I gave away most of my clothes, all of my shoes except one pair I am wearing home, and my toiletries. I am looking forward to unpacking- there really isn't much to unpack.
I am off to shower now, and have an early dinner so I can leave here in an hour. I know the whole trip home will seem torturously long, but I will try my best to pass the time. I am out of reading materials, but have movies on the plane and a bag of medicine to knock me out. I am not going to know if it is day or night when I get home. So, please forgive me if I am not quick to answer your emails and responses. I will do my best, but plan on needing some time to get acclaimated. See you in America!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Farewells
Last night, Kandice, Shingi and I went to dinner at The Watering Hole. It is a small, unmarked gate along a stretch of road about 20 minutes walking from home base. Inside is like a little American paradise. It is operated by all Americans, and features food rarely found elsewhere in the country, like burgers and quesedillas. It resembles a tiki bar, almost, made of bamboo and glass and set in a lush jungle outside. It's a great place to relax with a couple drinks, and watch the sun go down and the stars come out. Tonight they are showing a movie, WALL-E (a personal favorite), outside like a drive in. We're going back for dinner, and my farewell night.
Today was my last day at Faraja. Kathryn and I talked about a few options to make the day special, and settled on bringing food. It seems to be the major factor most of them are lacking in their home life. We started the day with a light lesson, let them play early, then brought them in for juice and cookies. They were extremely well behaved today. I suspect they were given a speech before we arrived this morning.
They loved the juice and cookies. Sadly, most of them are used to eating so little that 4 shortbread cookies were too much for them to finish. But, they all took their time and ate everything, then proceeded to lick the crumbs off their paper plates. When they were finished eating we assembled the Burger King crowns for them. They went absolutely wild with laughter when I put the first one on my head. We "crowned" each student individually, and the whole class clapped for each person. It was so cute. I read to them for storytime with all their crowns still on.
They were told it was our last day, but I don't know what meaning that has for them. I think they are used to people coming and going, so they didn't seem very affected. I was sad to see them go, and hugged some of my favorites. That little Evenlight, though. I couldn't put her down. Luckily, she stays after class, so I spent more time with her. The hardest part was watching them go, knowing there was no way to find out what will become of these children.
Mr. Massawe and his wife invited us in and had a meal prepared. I filled out the paperwork to sponser Neema for secondary school. I found out that her real name is Betty. I couldn't help but chuckle. Before we ate, Kathryn and I received gifts from them, pieces of fabric called kongas in traditional African designs, along with a very sweet thank you letter. We, in turn, gave they our gifts. We had gotten them kongas as well, and 5 cases of poridge for the orphans. I emptied my backpack, full of clothes I didn't need at home, to my dada (sister) that I am sponsoring. I gave her the backpack, too, for school. I gave Mr. Massawe money to open the PO Box, and Kathryn gave money to the family to feed themselves and the children. They were jumping up and down, and I received more blessings than I have ever in my life.
We ate their delicious meal, and it was time to go. The first time I cried was when I hugged Neema goodbye. We will keep in touch through email, but I know I will most likely not see her again. I told her to do well in school and make something of herself. She is too smart to end up on the streets like so many of the girls here will. When the van came, we bid farewell to Mr. Massawe and his wife. They want me to come back with a husband (boy oh boy) so they can meet him. I didn't have the heart to tell them how long they would be waiting for that one. They tell me I'm already too old, and I better hurry up. Hahahaha, imagine that!
It hadn't hit me that I would never come back to Majengo until I got in the van and put my hands on the windows opposite of theirs. I cried all the way out of the village, watching my students playing in the street and waving to us as we left. By the time we got to home base, I was just tired. I ate lunch and took a nice nap.
I am composed again, and more than anything, excited to board that plane tomorrow! I depart here at 9:40 PM, fly one hour to Dar Es Saalam (where more people board my plane), then 9 1/2 hours to Amsterdam. I'll be knocking myself out for that one! I arrive there at 7:55 AM, have a 3 hour layover (which I am looking forward to for the shopping!), and then leave for Newark at 10:35 AM. I arrive 8 1/2 hours later at 1:35 PM. These time changes are going to kick my butt.
I will shower now and get ready for dinner and a movie. In the morning, I will start to pack. It won't take long, so maybe I will go to town or something as well, and try to make the most of my last day in Africa.
Today was my last day at Faraja. Kathryn and I talked about a few options to make the day special, and settled on bringing food. It seems to be the major factor most of them are lacking in their home life. We started the day with a light lesson, let them play early, then brought them in for juice and cookies. They were extremely well behaved today. I suspect they were given a speech before we arrived this morning.
They loved the juice and cookies. Sadly, most of them are used to eating so little that 4 shortbread cookies were too much for them to finish. But, they all took their time and ate everything, then proceeded to lick the crumbs off their paper plates. When they were finished eating we assembled the Burger King crowns for them. They went absolutely wild with laughter when I put the first one on my head. We "crowned" each student individually, and the whole class clapped for each person. It was so cute. I read to them for storytime with all their crowns still on.
They were told it was our last day, but I don't know what meaning that has for them. I think they are used to people coming and going, so they didn't seem very affected. I was sad to see them go, and hugged some of my favorites. That little Evenlight, though. I couldn't put her down. Luckily, she stays after class, so I spent more time with her. The hardest part was watching them go, knowing there was no way to find out what will become of these children.
Mr. Massawe and his wife invited us in and had a meal prepared. I filled out the paperwork to sponser Neema for secondary school. I found out that her real name is Betty. I couldn't help but chuckle. Before we ate, Kathryn and I received gifts from them, pieces of fabric called kongas in traditional African designs, along with a very sweet thank you letter. We, in turn, gave they our gifts. We had gotten them kongas as well, and 5 cases of poridge for the orphans. I emptied my backpack, full of clothes I didn't need at home, to my dada (sister) that I am sponsoring. I gave her the backpack, too, for school. I gave Mr. Massawe money to open the PO Box, and Kathryn gave money to the family to feed themselves and the children. They were jumping up and down, and I received more blessings than I have ever in my life.
We ate their delicious meal, and it was time to go. The first time I cried was when I hugged Neema goodbye. We will keep in touch through email, but I know I will most likely not see her again. I told her to do well in school and make something of herself. She is too smart to end up on the streets like so many of the girls here will. When the van came, we bid farewell to Mr. Massawe and his wife. They want me to come back with a husband (boy oh boy) so they can meet him. I didn't have the heart to tell them how long they would be waiting for that one. They tell me I'm already too old, and I better hurry up. Hahahaha, imagine that!
It hadn't hit me that I would never come back to Majengo until I got in the van and put my hands on the windows opposite of theirs. I cried all the way out of the village, watching my students playing in the street and waving to us as we left. By the time we got to home base, I was just tired. I ate lunch and took a nice nap.
I am composed again, and more than anything, excited to board that plane tomorrow! I depart here at 9:40 PM, fly one hour to Dar Es Saalam (where more people board my plane), then 9 1/2 hours to Amsterdam. I'll be knocking myself out for that one! I arrive there at 7:55 AM, have a 3 hour layover (which I am looking forward to for the shopping!), and then leave for Newark at 10:35 AM. I arrive 8 1/2 hours later at 1:35 PM. These time changes are going to kick my butt.
I will shower now and get ready for dinner and a movie. In the morning, I will start to pack. It won't take long, so maybe I will go to town or something as well, and try to make the most of my last day in Africa.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Bling Bling
I apologize for not blogging yesterday, but them demon spawn I was teaching in the morning wiped me out. It was by far the worst they had been in 3 weeks. I had pencils whipped at my head, children giving each other bloody noses, and they all mocked me when I would yell at them. When I got back to the house, I fell asleep for the entire afternoon. I woke at 5, and got ready to go out to dinner and our dancing lessons. It was an alright night. We didn't do as much dancing as I hoped, but at least they had Coca-Cola at the restaurant.
This morning, I had a different attitude going into Faraja. I think I realized how much little time I have left, so I laughed at alot more. I feel like we haven't taught them much, and Kathryn and I always say we went on an expensive babysitting venture to Africa. Today, they were all angels, go figure, so I dropped the homicide plans that had been brewing from the morning before. I think that o matter how you slice it or dice it, I am just not a children person. Obviously, this discludes those that have personal meaning to me, like cousins and friend's kids and so on, but I don't care much for anyone else's.
After the orphanage today, we took a group trip to Arusha, a large city about an hour away. (By large city, I mean it has a stoplight. One of two towns in the whole country that boasts traffic signals.) We went to the Arush conference center, where the United Nations Internation Tribunal for the Rawanda genocides is taking place. We got to sit in court and watch the proceedings live for about an hour. I am completely uneducated about the whole matter, but found it fascinating. The man on trial today was a Minister of the Interior of Rawanda that ordered genocide killings of the Tutsis. The trial has been going on since November of 2004.
After that, we went shopping. FINALLY! I had been thinking about what I wanted to bring home to remember my trip, and I decided early on that I wanted a Tanzanite stone (their natural home being Tanzania, hence the name.) Our driver brought me to "the best" jeweler, and after looking at hundreds of stones, I picked "the best". I absolutely love it. It is the highest quality, and therefore looks nothing like you would find in America. I am hoping to eventually set it into a ring.
After the jewelry store, we stopped at a Massai market, and I got a ton of fun jewlery. I am going to miss bargaining when I get home. I'm finally getting good at it! We got home a little later and just had dinner, so I am going to shower and hop into bed.
I have two more days with the kids. Kat and I decided we are going to throw a party on Friday- which should be fun. We'll bring cookies and juice and the Burger King crowns (Thanks Aunt Jen!) I am going to try to have the PO Box opened tomorrow as well. Wish me luck!
This morning, I had a different attitude going into Faraja. I think I realized how much little time I have left, so I laughed at alot more. I feel like we haven't taught them much, and Kathryn and I always say we went on an expensive babysitting venture to Africa. Today, they were all angels, go figure, so I dropped the homicide plans that had been brewing from the morning before. I think that o matter how you slice it or dice it, I am just not a children person. Obviously, this discludes those that have personal meaning to me, like cousins and friend's kids and so on, but I don't care much for anyone else's.
After the orphanage today, we took a group trip to Arusha, a large city about an hour away. (By large city, I mean it has a stoplight. One of two towns in the whole country that boasts traffic signals.) We went to the Arush conference center, where the United Nations Internation Tribunal for the Rawanda genocides is taking place. We got to sit in court and watch the proceedings live for about an hour. I am completely uneducated about the whole matter, but found it fascinating. The man on trial today was a Minister of the Interior of Rawanda that ordered genocide killings of the Tutsis. The trial has been going on since November of 2004.
After that, we went shopping. FINALLY! I had been thinking about what I wanted to bring home to remember my trip, and I decided early on that I wanted a Tanzanite stone (their natural home being Tanzania, hence the name.) Our driver brought me to "the best" jeweler, and after looking at hundreds of stones, I picked "the best". I absolutely love it. It is the highest quality, and therefore looks nothing like you would find in America. I am hoping to eventually set it into a ring.
After the jewelry store, we stopped at a Massai market, and I got a ton of fun jewlery. I am going to miss bargaining when I get home. I'm finally getting good at it! We got home a little later and just had dinner, so I am going to shower and hop into bed.
I have two more days with the kids. Kat and I decided we are going to throw a party on Friday- which should be fun. We'll bring cookies and juice and the Burger King crowns (Thanks Aunt Jen!) I am going to try to have the PO Box opened tomorrow as well. Wish me luck!
Monday, February 2, 2009
The lion queen
We departed at 12:30 sharp on Friday for safari weekend. A very nice, new Land Rover was our home for the weekend. Michael was our guide and driver, and he was very knowledgeable, as I might be after 5 years of safari school! We set out for Terangire first, which was about 2 hours away. We stopped at a little gift shop on the way to eat our packed box lunches. It was better than some of the others I have had here.
We arrived at the park, and immediately saw a huge herd of elephants. I asked Michael what kind they were, forgetting the options were African or Asian. I figured that one out on my own. Now, I took tons of photos, and they are going to tell the story of the safari much better than I can on this blog. I remember seeing lots of giraffes, zebra, gazelles, and warthogs at the first park. The terrain was more or less like I had imagined. Dry, dusty, quite a few trees, but still lots of open space. If you have never gone on safari, then you can compare it to a Where's Waldo book. You sit and stare out the window, looking at a tree stump and think you're seeing a bear. A lot of the animals are very difficult to spot, but Michael found them in no time.
We stayed in the park until sunset, and then drove to our hotel, which was in the park itself. It was a Sopa lodge (I had no idea what that meant when we booked it but I was expecting a mud hut). We pulled up to a 5-star, modern hotel and 3 people approached as I got out of the car. One took my bag, one gave me a glass of fresh juice, and the third handed me a hot, moist towel. FINALLY! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The rooms were clean, and large, with spa-like bathrooms. We went to the restaurant for dinner and got a 4-course seated dinner of the best food I've had here yet. We got a couple bottles of wine, and had the kind of night that I didn't want to end.
We woke up at 5:30 the next day for the sunrise safari. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Saturday, I was not feeling well. I had caught the stomach bug that so many of my roommates had. I was just thinking how lovely it was going to be, sitting in the van on bumpy roads for 12 hours, with no restroom. Thank God I brought my Immodium AD. I got out to the van and tried to get comfortable. It had rained the night before, and was colder than normal, which makes the animals sleep later. And there I was, sitting in the back of a 4x4 with, bumping through the African savannah, freezing to death with the windows and roof open, swatting tsetse flies away, drowning in insect repellant, not seeing even one animal, and having diarrhea at 6 AM. It was at that moment, I decided, that I am starring in the Truman show. My life is too entertaining to not be filmed and enjoyed by others.
I don't know how many people are able to fall asleep in those conditions, but those of you who know me understand how I did it. I woke up at 8, arriving back to the hotel for breakfast. The food was incredible again, and I didn't want to leave the comfort of having a nice room, with good food, and a professional staff that speaks English. But, at 9:30, we set out for Lake Manyara.
The nicest thing about safari weekend was that all 3 parks we visited were different from one another. Though Lake Manyara had a savannah area, it was mostly tropical jungle. It was incredible to see the elephants and giraffes navigate through such dense areas. We saw a huge herd of baboons that were extremely entertaining, fighting and swinging across trees. They were adorable. We did spot a couple lion, but they were far from the road, and behind some bushed lying down. They might as well have been rocks. I was disappointed, since I really wanted to see the big cats the most.
We left Manyara and headed to the lodge for the night. We pulled up to a place called Twiga, which means giraffe, and they opened the gate. Taking one glimpse of what was awaiting me, I wanted to die. It was, excuse my language, a hellhole. The rooms held 2 people, had very old and ratty bedding, contact paper for the floor, no windows, a bug problem, and a bathroom I wouldn't shower in an elephant had pooped on my feet. Now, I should mention that I am closer with one woman here now. Her name is Kandice, and she sleeps in the bunk below me. No one else had a problem with where we were staying, which was the worst part because I didn't want to make a fuss, but Kandice took one look and screamed "what the %^#@ is this place? I'm not sleeping here!" It made me feel so much better. I don't mean to be a prima donna, but come on. From a 5-star lodge to this?
We went over to have dinner, which was disgusting in comparison to the night before. I tried to fall asleep as fast as possible to avoid lingering on my surroundings. I was up all night, positively sick. I was getting up every hour, at least, and going to that horrid bathroom. The only thing I could do in there was laugh at the circumstance. Just like the morning, there I was sitting, sick, in the most disgusting place I have ever seen, with no alternative, looking at a rack holding a Spiderman bath towel that was made before I was born. It had no edges, just frays, and was so faded, you could barely make out the logo.
We woke up at 5:30 again, had breakfast (toast), and set out for the crater. As low spirited as I was, I still had high hopes. Ngorongoro crater is on most of the "1000 things to see before you die" lists, and it boasts the best opportunity for seeing animals. The crater was not easy to get into or out of. There was only one road with no guardrail, down the side of a cliff. Once we got down there, though, it was incredible. It is almost completely flat, about 10 miles in diameter, and 20,000 species of wildlife live there among each other.
We saw the same animals for the most part, but there were many more of them here. With few trees and little brush, they were easier to spot, though not in the tall grass if they were lying down. We saw a cheetah from a distance, which was cool. We saw a couple lion, but they were far off and lying down. I was so disappointed. If you are there at the right time, the animals come right to the car and walk past. I was really hoping to see the cats up close.
After 5 hours in the crater, we headed back the way we had come. I was sad to leave, but thanking God that there was a restroom at the gate. We were flying through, and Laura, who was sitting in front of me, yelled for Michael to stop. I jumped up to ask what she had seen, but as soon as I lifted my head to the window, I saw the face of a lion cub poke out from the grass about 15 feet away from the car. JACKPOT! Michael backed up and pulled closer. Two cubs were enjoying naptime with their mother, and we were able to get up close and personal. They were boys, about 4-6 months old, and they reminded me of Ling and Thao back home. They were adorable to watch- if we were closer, I am sure I would have lost a limb trying to pick one up. Best of all, no other vans were around us. When we saw the lions the first time, there were 11 vans with people climbing on the roof to get a view.
I should mention, since I think it is noteable, that I am not a bird watcher. I have never had any interest at all (sorry Mom-Mom) in birds. HOWEVER, this weekend, I have seen some incredible birds, and I really enjoyed them. They are hard to photograph, unfortunately, but I took a couple photos. They looked like they were fake because some of them were so bright, from orange to turquoise and everything in between. The storks, though, were disgusting looking. He told us that they just walk around and eat garbage and droppings. My response to that was, "Well, if you are what you eat, I would have guessed they ate garbage."
As we drove up the mountain, I looked at all the photos I had taken. I got some great shots, but those lion cubs were the icing on the cake. I tried to sleep on the way home, which was a 5 hour drive, but the bumpy roads and inability to get comfortable made it nearly impossible. I was wiped out when we got here last night, but was so glad to be here after the place I stayed the night before. I took a hot shower, ate some dinner, and laid in bed.
I didn’t want to go right to sleep, so I picked up Twilight, which Lauren Smith told me I had to read. I was set on not liking it. 2 hours and 150 pages later, I too, had fallen in love with Edward Cullen, like the rest of American female adolescents. I’m still feeling awful, so I didn’t go to the orphanage this morning. I just read another 100 pages. I can’t put the stupid book down because I don’t want to walk away from the fictional person I am in love with. Am I twisted, or what?
So, I’m going to read more now. I have batik class at 3, which I am very excited about. For dinner tonight, we apparently go into town, and after we eat, a bunch of locals teach us how to dance. Should be interesting. I’ll bring a camera.
I am in the week countdown, and am super excited to come home and share my stories and pictures. I wish I could capture everything here, but it just isn’t possible. I’m doing my best, though.
We arrived at the park, and immediately saw a huge herd of elephants. I asked Michael what kind they were, forgetting the options were African or Asian. I figured that one out on my own. Now, I took tons of photos, and they are going to tell the story of the safari much better than I can on this blog. I remember seeing lots of giraffes, zebra, gazelles, and warthogs at the first park. The terrain was more or less like I had imagined. Dry, dusty, quite a few trees, but still lots of open space. If you have never gone on safari, then you can compare it to a Where's Waldo book. You sit and stare out the window, looking at a tree stump and think you're seeing a bear. A lot of the animals are very difficult to spot, but Michael found them in no time.
We stayed in the park until sunset, and then drove to our hotel, which was in the park itself. It was a Sopa lodge (I had no idea what that meant when we booked it but I was expecting a mud hut). We pulled up to a 5-star, modern hotel and 3 people approached as I got out of the car. One took my bag, one gave me a glass of fresh juice, and the third handed me a hot, moist towel. FINALLY! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The rooms were clean, and large, with spa-like bathrooms. We went to the restaurant for dinner and got a 4-course seated dinner of the best food I've had here yet. We got a couple bottles of wine, and had the kind of night that I didn't want to end.
We woke up at 5:30 the next day for the sunrise safari. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Saturday, I was not feeling well. I had caught the stomach bug that so many of my roommates had. I was just thinking how lovely it was going to be, sitting in the van on bumpy roads for 12 hours, with no restroom. Thank God I brought my Immodium AD. I got out to the van and tried to get comfortable. It had rained the night before, and was colder than normal, which makes the animals sleep later. And there I was, sitting in the back of a 4x4 with, bumping through the African savannah, freezing to death with the windows and roof open, swatting tsetse flies away, drowning in insect repellant, not seeing even one animal, and having diarrhea at 6 AM. It was at that moment, I decided, that I am starring in the Truman show. My life is too entertaining to not be filmed and enjoyed by others.
I don't know how many people are able to fall asleep in those conditions, but those of you who know me understand how I did it. I woke up at 8, arriving back to the hotel for breakfast. The food was incredible again, and I didn't want to leave the comfort of having a nice room, with good food, and a professional staff that speaks English. But, at 9:30, we set out for Lake Manyara.
The nicest thing about safari weekend was that all 3 parks we visited were different from one another. Though Lake Manyara had a savannah area, it was mostly tropical jungle. It was incredible to see the elephants and giraffes navigate through such dense areas. We saw a huge herd of baboons that were extremely entertaining, fighting and swinging across trees. They were adorable. We did spot a couple lion, but they were far from the road, and behind some bushed lying down. They might as well have been rocks. I was disappointed, since I really wanted to see the big cats the most.
We left Manyara and headed to the lodge for the night. We pulled up to a place called Twiga, which means giraffe, and they opened the gate. Taking one glimpse of what was awaiting me, I wanted to die. It was, excuse my language, a hellhole. The rooms held 2 people, had very old and ratty bedding, contact paper for the floor, no windows, a bug problem, and a bathroom I wouldn't shower in an elephant had pooped on my feet. Now, I should mention that I am closer with one woman here now. Her name is Kandice, and she sleeps in the bunk below me. No one else had a problem with where we were staying, which was the worst part because I didn't want to make a fuss, but Kandice took one look and screamed "what the %^#@ is this place? I'm not sleeping here!" It made me feel so much better. I don't mean to be a prima donna, but come on. From a 5-star lodge to this?
We went over to have dinner, which was disgusting in comparison to the night before. I tried to fall asleep as fast as possible to avoid lingering on my surroundings. I was up all night, positively sick. I was getting up every hour, at least, and going to that horrid bathroom. The only thing I could do in there was laugh at the circumstance. Just like the morning, there I was sitting, sick, in the most disgusting place I have ever seen, with no alternative, looking at a rack holding a Spiderman bath towel that was made before I was born. It had no edges, just frays, and was so faded, you could barely make out the logo.
We woke up at 5:30 again, had breakfast (toast), and set out for the crater. As low spirited as I was, I still had high hopes. Ngorongoro crater is on most of the "1000 things to see before you die" lists, and it boasts the best opportunity for seeing animals. The crater was not easy to get into or out of. There was only one road with no guardrail, down the side of a cliff. Once we got down there, though, it was incredible. It is almost completely flat, about 10 miles in diameter, and 20,000 species of wildlife live there among each other.
We saw the same animals for the most part, but there were many more of them here. With few trees and little brush, they were easier to spot, though not in the tall grass if they were lying down. We saw a cheetah from a distance, which was cool. We saw a couple lion, but they were far off and lying down. I was so disappointed. If you are there at the right time, the animals come right to the car and walk past. I was really hoping to see the cats up close.
After 5 hours in the crater, we headed back the way we had come. I was sad to leave, but thanking God that there was a restroom at the gate. We were flying through, and Laura, who was sitting in front of me, yelled for Michael to stop. I jumped up to ask what she had seen, but as soon as I lifted my head to the window, I saw the face of a lion cub poke out from the grass about 15 feet away from the car. JACKPOT! Michael backed up and pulled closer. Two cubs were enjoying naptime with their mother, and we were able to get up close and personal. They were boys, about 4-6 months old, and they reminded me of Ling and Thao back home. They were adorable to watch- if we were closer, I am sure I would have lost a limb trying to pick one up. Best of all, no other vans were around us. When we saw the lions the first time, there were 11 vans with people climbing on the roof to get a view.
I should mention, since I think it is noteable, that I am not a bird watcher. I have never had any interest at all (sorry Mom-Mom) in birds. HOWEVER, this weekend, I have seen some incredible birds, and I really enjoyed them. They are hard to photograph, unfortunately, but I took a couple photos. They looked like they were fake because some of them were so bright, from orange to turquoise and everything in between. The storks, though, were disgusting looking. He told us that they just walk around and eat garbage and droppings. My response to that was, "Well, if you are what you eat, I would have guessed they ate garbage."
As we drove up the mountain, I looked at all the photos I had taken. I got some great shots, but those lion cubs were the icing on the cake. I tried to sleep on the way home, which was a 5 hour drive, but the bumpy roads and inability to get comfortable made it nearly impossible. I was wiped out when we got here last night, but was so glad to be here after the place I stayed the night before. I took a hot shower, ate some dinner, and laid in bed.
I didn’t want to go right to sleep, so I picked up Twilight, which Lauren Smith told me I had to read. I was set on not liking it. 2 hours and 150 pages later, I too, had fallen in love with Edward Cullen, like the rest of American female adolescents. I’m still feeling awful, so I didn’t go to the orphanage this morning. I just read another 100 pages. I can’t put the stupid book down because I don’t want to walk away from the fictional person I am in love with. Am I twisted, or what?
So, I’m going to read more now. I have batik class at 3, which I am very excited about. For dinner tonight, we apparently go into town, and after we eat, a bunch of locals teach us how to dance. Should be interesting. I’ll bring a camera.
I am in the week countdown, and am super excited to come home and share my stories and pictures. I wish I could capture everything here, but it just isn’t possible. I’m doing my best, though.
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