FIRE!

Shortly after posting the last entry, we got word that there was a wild fire just outside the sanctuary grounds. This being rural Africa, WE were the firefighters, along with neighboring landowners and, eventually (2 hours into the fire), the local fire truck arrived--a very small pick-up truck with a very small water tank.

For three and a half hours, we ran buckets of water out to the frontline of the fire and even, at times, had to stamp out parts the fire with branches of trees. It was awful...exhausting and very scary. The fire was easily twenty feet high and the sound of its march through the shrubbery was loud and frightening. At the worst of it, we could see tall flames on three sides surrounding us--from 50 feet away to about 1/4 mile--and I was genuinely worried about getting trapped.

At one point, the founder, Arthur, and a few other volunteers got surrounded by the fire. The two volunteers were able to escape but Arthur was nowhere to be found. We thought for sure he must have died. But twenty minutes later, he staggered out of the fire mumbling about smoke inhalation, and it became clear that he had had a stroke while in the midst of the fire. Half of his face was paralyzed and he was having a hard time walking. With the fire still raging, he was rushed to the hospital. At this point, I don't know his status (as I am at the lodge and not the sanctuary today, my day off).

It looked very dire after about two hours, with the fire within 30 feet or so of the main building and encroaching into the monkey enclosures. We were forced to release the monkeys from the endangered enclosures, fearing that they would be trapped. Then, not only did we have to deal with the fire, but we also had to dodge freaked-out adult monkeys, some of them quite dangerous. One staff member was bit twice. At that point, some of the volunteers ran buckets out to the frontline while others beat off freaked-out monkeys with sticks. I was a bucket runner. It was a sureal experience to say the least.

Eventually we got the fire under control. Thankfully there was no major damage to the grounds. Several long term volunteers lost everything in the fire, and I believe only two monkeys died.

I was thoroughly exhausted when it was done, and had a terrible headache. I got back to the lodge at 6pm, showered and went straight to bed. What a day!

A Week with the Monkeys

Today is Monday, and I’ve been at the Vervet Monkey Foundation for just over a week. Seems like much longer. This may be a very long month, but I think it’s still too soon to make any pronouncements.

Why don’t I start by giving you a short lowdown on the place: The foundation was started in the mid-90s by an eccentric man named Arthur who now lives full-time in a 10’x10’ hut amidst the monkeys. He’s an interesting guy (interesting in both senses of the word). He and a few others started the foundation in order to provide a safe place for vervet monkeys, who are largely considered to be pests and were being killed in large numbers. In fact, until about 10 years ago, vervets were legally classified as vermin and were allowed to be shot on sight. The foundation has worked to change that law and now vervet monkeys are legally protected. Today, there are over 800 vervet monkeys here on-site, all brought here because they were orphaned (ie…their mother was shot by a farmer), or they were kept as pets and got too big for their owners, or they were used in laboratory experiments, or they were just bugging someone (usually a farmer) and he/she wanted the monkey gone.

When monkeys first arrive, they receive a general health check, then most get put in small Introductory Cages which line the main enclosures (see picture below). This allows them some time to get to know other troop members while still separated by the cage walls. Then, when ready, they are integrated into one of the troops of 30-50 monkeys, kept within the large enclosures. The foundation’s big goal is to get a large parcel of land and eventually release them into the wild (while still protected on the perimeters).


The volunteer work here mostly consists of hanging out with the baby monkeys, carrying out the various mundane tasks of a sanctuary this size, and helping to integrate troops in the enclosures. Since I am new, I’ve done mostly the mundane stuff. Although…

Yesterday I spent some time with a monkey named Skunky, an adult male that was delivered to the sanctuary after being kept as a pet for most of his life. He’s really mellow and virtually never aggressive, so he’s a good one for newbies like me. Monkeys love being ‘groomed’, so that’s what we did during our visit together. He’d hold up an arm, and I would ruffle through his fur looking for bugs or bits of dirt to be removed until he felt duly satisfied that I had canvassed the arm sufficiently, and then he’d indicate a new body part ready for grooming. (I had to tactfully draw the line when he stuck his rump in my face. “Skunky, I’m not that kind of girl, at least not on the first date.” HeHe.)






















It’s clearly a very pleasurable activity for him, and after a full hour, I’d say I gave him the full spa treatment. Skunky’s not much of a giver though, so I left the cage only partly-groomed myself. It was a fun, odd experience though…first time I’ve been groomed by a monkey. And it was actually quite relaxing. Skunky would simply indicate his desire to groom me by smacking his lips and reaching for my hair. I would then dutifully drop my head down and allow him to root through my hair for bugs and bits of dirt to be removed. Luckily, he didn’t seem to find much (but the whole exercise did make me question whether a dandruff shampoo might be in order. :)

I also spend a good deal of time in the sanctuary’s Sick Bay where I feed recuperating monkeys water with an old Fanta bottle, prepare their meal bowls (corn flakes and milk with lots of fruit on top [just like Dad!]), wash out skanky feed bowls, and prepare formula bottles for the baby monkeys. I have participated in other, more mundane tasks (too boring to write about) and will soon spend some time in “Disneyland”, where the baby monkeys are kept. Should be fun.

However, having been here at the sanctuary for a week now, I’m fairly certain that a month here will be more than sufficient for me. The monkeys are cute, but I am not absolutely crazy about them like many of the other volunteers. And I am thinking you need to be crazy about any animal to want to clean up after their sh*t and scrub their dirty feed bowls and such. (Comments about human babies not necessary. I get the similarities.) It only took two days of being on the normal volunteer task rotation to realize that the fundraising committee was the best fit for me. So now, I spend most of my time with humans, not monkeys, helping plan two small local fundraisers that are coming up.

But, I still will interact with them a bit.

And, I am still incredibly glad to have made the switch to the lodge--for the comfort of it all and for the solace. I spent a lot of time alone after Warren died, and I have come to need my quiet time at night. I have included a photo of my room (right), since I’ve gotten lots of questions about the lodge.

That’s probably enough for now. Hope you are all doing well!

No Touch Monkey!

I'm here. I'm in Africa, in Tzaneen, South Africa--home of the Vervet Monkey Foundation where I will be volunteering for the next four weeks. Will be volunteering. Eventually...

I remember seeing a funny sign when I was in Thailand—“No Touch Monkey”—and now I can’t get that phrase out of my head because, well, I haven’t exactly done much interacting with the little buggers since I arrived a few days ago. I have a terrible cold, surely brought on by the exhaustion of my ridiculous travel schedule, and haven’t done much more than cough and sneeze for the last few days.

I did manage to sit in the chair on the admin building porch yesterday, and watched their general comings and goings. Vervet monkeys certainly are interesting to watch, particularly if there is something for them to be curious about…like a car, for instance, which has lots of things hanging off of it and even more tempting objects just on the other side of the glass. Their curiosity is hilarious.

So...the monkeys are cool, but the cold has taken over my life since I arrived. After two nights of suffering through this cold while sleeping in a tent in the sanctuary’s Tent Village (where all volunteers stay), I asked to be driven into town to stay at a lodge with a proper bed and electricity and tissues that don’t feel like sandpaper. I was driven to the closest lodge to the sanctuary, Tzaneen Country Lodge (www.tznlodge.co.za/), and, uh, it didn’t take long to decide that I was not going back to Tent Village. I loved camping while on overnight backpacking trips with Warren, but this is different. I’ll be honest…so far, it’s been misery!

So, I have just finished arranging to stay here for the remainder of my time at the monkey sanctuary. I don’t know how all the other tent-bound volunteers will feel about it (apparently this is the first time a volunteer stayed ‘off campus’), but I don’t see how sleeping in a tent in any way helps monkeys, and the sanctuary manager was actually quite agreeable to the idea. Ah, let those other volunteers think I’m a princess. Whatevah. I’ll be off relaxing at my four star African country lodge (for just $42 a night!)

Huh, my cold seems to be letting up. Interesting coincidence. :)

(The picture below is of the breezy patio café at the lodge, where I'm sitting right now to write this blog entry.)

Time to flee to Africa

Welp...I'm off to Africa in less than four days. And, it's time. I can't say I am excited, per se, as this isn't exactly the path I wanted my life to take. But I feel ready...ready for the change, ready for all that might be in store for me. Throughout my trip, I will use this blog to keep everyone updated on my adventures. I hope to post to the site at least once a week, and promise that each entry will be a spellbinding, riveting, exhilarating experience (he he).

Itinerary Recap:
For your viewing pleasure, I have added a handy dandy reference map that shows (roughly) the route that I will be taking. [As with all images on this site, you can make it bigger by clicking on it.] Most of you know the full 'plan', but for those that haven't heard it yet, here's a quick run down of the trip:

(1) I start the trip by volunteering for a month at a primate sanctuary in northeastern South Africa.

(2) I then travel for about a month, exploring much of South Africa as well as parts of Mozambique and Swaziland.

(3) Then, once I reach Cape Town, South Africa, I'll settle into a small house in the Observatory area, and spend the next four months volunteering at an orphanage for kids who've lost their parents to AIDS and at a penguin rescue center. (Why are there penguins in Africa? No idea. Guess I'll soon find out.)

(4) And, for the final leg of my adventures...I will go on a two month trip/safari, traveling thru Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya.


That's seven months. At that point, I will either come back to the US and face life, or go on to somewhere else. I’m not sure right now but I guess I have seven months to figure that out.

THE question: Am I ready?

That seems to be the question I get most often lately, and I'd say yes, I am ready. I will admit this: I've spent an absurd amount of time trying to create the world's most elegant packing system. (Ah, the dangers of having too much time to prepare for a trip.) I've never traveled for seven months in one stretch (my summer trips during grad school were just three months each), and I've never had the added hassle of needing to lug a sleeping bag with me. Ick! But, luckily for my sanity, I think I've got it all set.

Once I'm on the road, I'll let you know just how 'elegant' it turns out to be (ha ha). Until then...farewell all, and please do keep in touch.