LeTulie

I am happy to report on some exciting news!! Tomorrow I am going to LeTulie!! Woooo HOOOO! LeTulie is a game reserve where CROW released a troop of baboons a few months ago. Every so often someone from CROW goes up there to check on them and bring them food. Tomorrow is my lucky day because I was asked if I wanted to go along. Some volunteers stay there for a week or even two, but I will be leaving tomorrow early morning and coming back on Wednesday. It doesn’t matter to me though because I’m going!! I have only heard amazing stories from the people who have been there. We stay at the lodge, which is located smack dab in the middle of the reserve and the last girl who stayed there woke up to a herd of wild elephants standing outside her bedroom window. Let’s just say that this is the type of thing that I was so looking forward to doing. I don’t know exactly what we are doing there other than driving the 6 hours north, picking up baboon food, finding the troop and dropping it off for them, staying the night and coming back the next day. I am bringing my camera fully charged as I hope to take lots of pictures- I will make sure and let you all know about my experience as soon as I get back!
As far as the rest of life- it’s going okay. I have been thinking a lot about what I love about this place and what I will miss when I am no longer here. #1 is the sounds. Silence just doesn’t exist here and I absolutely love it. Birds and insects of all kinds are constantly chattering away with most of the noises being ones I have never heard before. Another perk is the food. Every week we write down what we want and give the list to the head lady. She buys what we put down and la de da all the fresh food you could possibly desire. I will miss being able to go to the cupboard and pick out any fruit or vegetable I desire. Also the meat is amazing- our freezer is filled with all the pork, sausages, beef, and steak you could imagine. Before I got here I was nervous about what I would be eating but now my only worry is that I’ll eat too much!
I do know that this type of lifestyle fits me quite well. I get up without washing my face, (haven’t touched makeup since I got here) and put on comfy scrubby clothes- usually throw some sort of headband or wrap on my head and call it good. Not caring what I look like is something I hope to carry into my life when I get home. Well maybe not caring isn’t the correct word- more like not worrying. I’m comfortable and I’m dressed, that’s all that really matters. AND then it does make those times when you go out and dress up even better. We are planning to go out on Friday to celebrate Julie’s birthday. I’m quite excited to get a peek of the South African nightlife. Julie is from here and promises to show us a good time.
Sitting next to me are the two baby vervet monkeys (millie and Minnie) who have come to live with us. Two other babies have just come in, one who was being bullied by some kids and one whose mother was hit by a car, and these new ones are now being taken care of by Mable (the head monkey lady) and M&M have been given to Amy to care for. Amy is the volunteer who is staying here for a year and studying animal behavior. She is a little apprehensive about caring for these two but I told her not to worry because I would certainly volunteer to babysit whenever she needed a break ☺!
I know this is just a quick update but all is well right now and I am beyond excited about getting to go to LeTulie tomorrow!! Ciao!