That's not just because of the distance - 8,600 miles from my home! - there was a snowstorm in Atlanta that caused our flight from Detroit to be delayed. After a five hour delay, we finally got on the plane and the pilot announced that the bags had to be rescanned. After another hour, he reported that they had to be taken out and rescanned again, and, "I don't know what's going on with the baggage."
We missed our connection, since we took off eight hours than originally planned. As a result, when we landed in Atlanta, it was mass chaos. No one had flights. There were no hotel rooms. There were no rental cars. It was 1:00 a.m., everyone was exhausted, and I thought the travel agent was going to take care of us. Nope! Jordan (our teacher) told us to try and get flights, so then we were all suddenly scrambling to message Delta, call in favors from Platinum members, be on hold for three hours. Our at-home teacher got us two vans and hotel rooms 25 minutes from the city.
We arrived to the worst hotel I have ever seen. See the reviews here! My room had a broken heater and was freezing, a broken chair, and I just returned my key. I went to Andie's room and hers stunk of pot so much that we went to Marisa's room. She let us have it to stay with Becca. Andie and I looked around in horror.
Holes in bedspread. Stains on wall. Mold climbing the doorframe. Actual dirt on the floor. Andie flushed the toilet and it poured water onto the floor from the base. She went to use the towel and the towel rack came off the wall, dropping the towels on the disgusting floor. We laid gingerly in the beds. We had no choice. We were with a group, it was 3:30 am, and there were no rooms.
"This bed isn't bad, "Andie said, focusing on the positive. We fell asleep.
Day Two
This was a day of panic booking. The Atlanta Airport had a 200+ person line for Delta agents. The security line was crazy long. In an act of desperation, because my cohort was getting flights and I wasn't, I joined Clear and they let me through without a boarding pass. I found an agent inside (shorter line) who was finally able to get me on a flight.
We spent the next 13 hours in the Atlanta Airport waiting for our flights. Some people were in Paris, some in Cape Town, all trying to finish the crazy race of getting there.
We landed in Johannesburg, but since it was 8:00 p.m., the restaurant we were going to was closed, so we ate a lovely meal at the hotel - Capital Melrose. I asked the front desk where I could run in the morning and he told me the gated parking lot. Julie and I walked in it, and sure enough, we were gated in.
I woke at 3:00 a.m. to check on my ticket, and saw it had disappeared from my app. Jordan gave me the travel agency's number, and they told me the airline had cancelled it, but they were able to get me a seat. She told me to tell my group because it looked like they were all cancelled too. (But only a few!)
We arrived to the worst hotel I have ever seen. See the reviews here! My room had a broken heater and was freezing, a broken chair, and I just returned my key. I went to Andie's room and hers stunk of pot so much that we went to Marisa's room. She let us have it to stay with Becca. Andie and I looked around in horror.
Holes in bedspread. Stains on wall. Mold climbing the doorframe. Actual dirt on the floor. Andie flushed the toilet and it poured water onto the floor from the base. She went to use the towel and the towel rack came off the wall, dropping the towels on the disgusting floor. We laid gingerly in the beds. We had no choice. We were with a group, it was 3:30 am, and there were no rooms.
"This bed isn't bad, "Andie said, focusing on the positive. We fell asleep.
Day Two
This was a day of panic booking. The Atlanta Airport had a 200+ person line for Delta agents. The security line was crazy long. In an act of desperation, because my cohort was getting flights and I wasn't, I joined Clear and they let me through without a boarding pass. I found an agent inside (shorter line) who was finally able to get me on a flight.
We spent the next 13 hours in the Atlanta Airport waiting for our flights. Some people were in Paris, some in Cape Town, all trying to finish the crazy race of getting there.
We landed in Johannesburg, but since it was 8:00 p.m., the restaurant we were going to was closed, so we ate a lovely meal at the hotel - Capital Melrose. I asked the front desk where I could run in the morning and he told me the gated parking lot. Julie and I walked in it, and sure enough, we were gated in.
I woke at 3:00 a.m. to check on my ticket, and saw it had disappeared from my app. Jordan gave me the travel agency's number, and they told me the airline had cancelled it, but they were able to get me a seat. She told me to tell my group because it looked like they were all cancelled too. (But only a few!)
Day Three
For the third day in a row, I got up, went to an airport, and got on a plane! This time we flew Johannesburg to Hoedspruit.
I ran around the little gated parking lot. There were lots of different birds to listen to there.
It turned from city to green as we went. Eventually we saw no buildings, and landed in the middle of it. Looked vast!
On the bus from the airport to Southern African Wildlife College, Jordan said to watch out the windows because we might see animals. Yes, right along the highway!
It started almost immediately...then steamrolled. Baboons!! Kudu. Warthog. And ELEPHANTS.
I said the trip would be a success if I saw elephants. Done! We can head back to the airport!
It turned from city to green as we went. Eventually we saw no buildings, and landed in the middle of it. Looked vast!
On the bus from the airport to Southern African Wildlife College, Jordan said to watch out the windows because we might see animals. Yes, right along the highway!
It started almost immediately...then steamrolled. Baboons!! Kudu. Warthog. And ELEPHANTS.
I said the trip would be a success if I saw elephants. Done! We can head back to the airport!
We went on a game drive and saw: Impala, wildebeest, ate a sour plum, heard really loud frogs called bubbling casinas, hippos, hyena, blue heron, jackal, burchell's coucal, spotted thick knee, hornbill tremelo, sand frog, and topped off the night with a leopard!
A local dance troupe performed and invited us to participate. They were really talented and fun to watch.
Day Four
I went for a run - first time on a wildlife campus! We got on a huge bus and drove into the mountains on twisty, narrow roads with cliffs on one side. The scenery was gorgeous and mountainous. This went on for three hours until we reached our destination - Lowveld View.
It overlooks the Blyde River Canyon, which is the third largest canyon in the world, and the largest green canyon - made of "lush subtropical foliage."
A local talked to us about the area, and then we took the bus to a village in the mountains for a tour.
Max had asked me if we were going to be in a village "like thatched huts" and I said no. But! Houses with thatched roofs, yes!
It was the village of Phirring, high in the mountains. People from Conservation-South Africa spoke to us and gave us a tour of their village. They were born and raised there and now looked about 25. We saw the garden at their school and the cattle setup. Then we went to the yard of a local woman and ate the lunch she prepared.
The air on the bus stopped working, and it got hot.
They took us to Sekweneng (means Place of the Crocodile), which is a waterfall over a giant moss wall. It is a sacred place to them, and I could see why.
We took the (very hot) bus back, and on the way saw our first zebra, and an up close view of an elephant. Before coming here I didn't realize 1. There were fences to keep them off the road and contained and 2. They would be right by the highway and didn't care if you were there.
Our guide is named Scotty, and he works for the college.
- He emphasized that elephants are not endangered in SA, actually there are too many and they are killing too many trees.
- They call animal lovers "bunny huggers."
- He said "There can be no harmony between agriculture and wildlife."
We came back and swam in the pool in the dark. It felt so great after being so hot, and the clouds were perfect. I was very happy.
Day Five
We went on the game walk, which meant we left the gate and went and walked where the wild animals live.
It's separated by a cattle guard with electric wire in it. So we can walk over in it, but if you fall in it you would get a little shock. Scotty our guide carried a rifle, and when we first walked out it was like I had my head on a swivel and was being hunted. But he didn't really seem worried at all. I took an awesome picture of the beautiful sunrise with him carrying his gun, and his wife later asked for a copy of it so she could frame it and give it to him. We saw a lion footprint, birds, impala, elephant dung, and got your feet soaked by the dew.
We went on a mango farm tour. The manager took us through the factory which was open to the air and apparently people! I could have stuck my arm in any machine. We were also encouraged to take pictures and video which has not been true and any factory I have visited. He chose me to compete against a worker on peeling a mango. She peeled five to my one. We also ate fresh mango which is of course different than I've had and was fresh and tasty.
We went to a beautiful restaurant that is also a wedding venue and ate a traditional food called bobotie and and some malva pudding. (We also ate a lot of pap over our time here.)
We went to Acorn to Oak, another farm that was like MSU extension, where they showed us what they were doing with research and aquaculture (growing tilapia too.) I almost fell asleep standing up due to the extreme heat. It was 95 degrees, and the bus with its lack of air was so hot. We are all sweaty and close together in it. It has tiny windows but we have to keep them shut when we park due to monkeys.
We saw an elephant eating off a tree on the way home. Wild animals are just along the highway all the time!
We got back to find that the five people who still hadn't gotten their luggage now had it delivered! They were all so happy
I went for a run - first time on a wildlife campus! We got on a huge bus and drove into the mountains on twisty, narrow roads with cliffs on one side. The scenery was gorgeous and mountainous. This went on for three hours until we reached our destination - Lowveld View.
It overlooks the Blyde River Canyon, which is the third largest canyon in the world, and the largest green canyon - made of "lush subtropical foliage."
A local talked to us about the area, and then we took the bus to a village in the mountains for a tour.
Max had asked me if we were going to be in a village "like thatched huts" and I said no. But! Houses with thatched roofs, yes!
It was the village of Phirring, high in the mountains. People from Conservation-South Africa spoke to us and gave us a tour of their village. They were born and raised there and now looked about 25. We saw the garden at their school and the cattle setup. Then we went to the yard of a local woman and ate the lunch she prepared.
The air on the bus stopped working, and it got hot.
They took us to Sekweneng (means Place of the Crocodile), which is a waterfall over a giant moss wall. It is a sacred place to them, and I could see why.
We took the (very hot) bus back, and on the way saw our first zebra, and an up close view of an elephant. Before coming here I didn't realize 1. There were fences to keep them off the road and contained and 2. They would be right by the highway and didn't care if you were there.
Our guide is named Scotty, and he works for the college.
- He emphasized that elephants are not endangered in SA, actually there are too many and they are killing too many trees.
- They call animal lovers "bunny huggers."
- He said "There can be no harmony between agriculture and wildlife."
We came back and swam in the pool in the dark. It felt so great after being so hot, and the clouds were perfect. I was very happy.
Day Five
We went on the game walk, which meant we left the gate and went and walked where the wild animals live.
It's separated by a cattle guard with electric wire in it. So we can walk over in it, but if you fall in it you would get a little shock. Scotty our guide carried a rifle, and when we first walked out it was like I had my head on a swivel and was being hunted. But he didn't really seem worried at all. I took an awesome picture of the beautiful sunrise with him carrying his gun, and his wife later asked for a copy of it so she could frame it and give it to him. We saw a lion footprint, birds, impala, elephant dung, and got your feet soaked by the dew.
We went on a mango farm tour. The manager took us through the factory which was open to the air and apparently people! I could have stuck my arm in any machine. We were also encouraged to take pictures and video which has not been true and any factory I have visited. He chose me to compete against a worker on peeling a mango. She peeled five to my one. We also ate fresh mango which is of course different than I've had and was fresh and tasty.
We went to a beautiful restaurant that is also a wedding venue and ate a traditional food called bobotie and and some malva pudding. (We also ate a lot of pap over our time here.)
We went to Acorn to Oak, another farm that was like MSU extension, where they showed us what they were doing with research and aquaculture (growing tilapia too.) I almost fell asleep standing up due to the extreme heat. It was 95 degrees, and the bus with its lack of air was so hot. We are all sweaty and close together in it. It has tiny windows but we have to keep them shut when we park due to monkeys.
We saw an elephant eating off a tree on the way home. Wild animals are just along the highway all the time!
We got back to find that the five people who still hadn't gotten their luggage now had it delivered! They were all so happy
Day Six
It was so hot the day before, Jenna's toenail polish melted onto her sock.
Today was totally different. All clouds, windy, and 70 degrees. What a relief!
We Toured the Southern African Wildlife College - Home of Field Ranger Training. It is a boot camp-type experience to create field rangers. We also watched a demo of dogs trained to track down poachers.
What we learned: Field rangers sometimes become poachers since they make very little money but can make a million dollars for a rhino horn. They are then heroes to their communities, as they build schools and pools. The field rangers are sometimes hunted themselves when they go home. The field ranger trainer we spoke with said "The only thing stopping them from being a millionaire is you." They said it's demoralizing to arrest the same people over and over, and also demoralizing to see a ranger then become a poacher.
We had a class...felt like college!
We went for a game drive and had the most wild experience!
First, we didn't see many new animals - we did see impala, warthog, wildebeest, hornbill, zebra, and some other birds, but we had also seen them before. We stopped at a termite mound of termites farming mold that was interesting. We were heading back when we saw a herd of elephants! Eight of them, a mix of adults and babies.
The guide kept talking to a guy (one of my classmates) in the front seat. The elephants kept getting closer and closer and then started getting mad! They were flapping their ears and coming straight toward us, much closer than anyone in our open car was comfortable with! I said, "He's mad! He's mad!" And the guide said actually it's the matriarch and this is just her first step of being mad. Let me tell you I was not focusing on the gender. They were 20 feet away!!! He ground his gears and eventually started up, and we laughed until we cried!
We were late to dinner so he drove like a bat out of hell, throwing people around and making us laugh even harder. We had our dinner "in the bush" as they say, and it was fantastic. He showed us a lizard and a frog on the way back.
I will never forget what it's like seeing an elephant come right toward you. Just like that elephant won't either.
Day Seven
Class! Our professor discussed community-led conservation, like rotational grazing they're implementing in villages.
We drove to the Manyeleti Nature Reserve, which is like a state owned one.
There were striking workers at the reserve. They were temporary workers and want full time, and they were wearing union uniforms. We waited on the bus during the very peaceful protest, where they danced.
A community leader (who went to the Southern Africa Wildlife College) and two elders spoke to us about the atrocities of apartheid. The elders lived through it, and told us how their land was taken, their cattle killed, and they were forced to work for no money.
We went to a homemade lunch in a church and then walked into the village where they showed us how they make African chocolate. We got to participate. We went to the shop in their town and bought gifts. We saw more animals - monkeys, eight hippos out of the water, nyalas, and a brown snake eagle.
Day Eight
We saw cattle in a pasture, listened to our teacher speak about raising them, and saw FIVE giraffes after not seeing any the whole time! We also saw an ostrich, cape buffalo, and got very close to zebras. Some people - our guide and teacher included - had digestive issues from the lunch yesterday. We went to a resort named Timabavati and swam and had dinner. Zebras and warthogs and other animals just roamed through there. When we were eating outside, we looked up at the stars and it was really beautiful. Andie said, "It's just like a musical moment, but it's an Africa moment."
Day Nine
We went on a safari to Kruger National Park. It was 5:30 a.m. -4:00 p.m.! We went in a covered, open buggy.
When I thought about a safari before, I thought you'd see an animal from a distance. I didn't realize you would see hundreds, in herds, all the time, with species intermixing.
We entered the Orpen Gate and saw...
Battalia eagle.
Wild dog.
White backed vulture.
Saddlebelt stork.
Baboons.
White face duck.
Hippos.
Elephant.
Water buck.
Kudu.
Black shoulder kite.
Malibu stork.
Ostrich.
White backed vulture.
Gray go away bird.
Blacksmith plover.
Greenback herald.
Duck chicken.
Magpie shrike.
Woodland kingfisher - (made the noise I heard in morning.)
Yellow hornbill.
Short tailed eagle.
Giraffe.
Zebra.
Lion.
Carmine bee-eater.
Purple roller.
Green wood hoo poo.
Bachelor starling.
Steenbok - a little antelope.
Natal spur fowl.
Laughing dove. (Ignore any errors here, I was writing in a bumpy car!)
Vusi was our guide, a local, and he was great. His phone went off at one point, and his ringtone was 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight.' We all laughed.
We saw a giant herd of elephants, an 800+ herd of cape buffalo, ten giraffes at a time, and tons of zebras.
We also saw our first lion! He was lying in the road and people had their cars very close to him. He ignored everyone completely.
I guessed the only difference between a game drive (which we had two of) and a safari (one) seems to be the length of time you are out there. Later I asked Scotty and he said they're the same thing.
I got back to find none of the outlets in my room worked so I couldn't charge my phone. I was very frustrated, but a classmate showed me where the fuse box was and fixed it.
We had an outdoor discussion and 20 mongooses descended upon our porch. It was the first any of us had seen them and they were seemingly not afraid of us! We had an outdoor dinner in another area of the college and none of them came.
Day Ten
Ran, checked out, got to airport! It was outdoor and we sweated through our clothes as we waited the hour for our flight. We flew to Johannesburg, and while we were waiting in that airport, we got a text from Delta telling us we might want to change our flight because of bad weather in Atlanta. This stressed me out a bit, so Andie and I went and ate ice cream. While eating it she said funny things and we laughed so hard, and then she got ice cream on her shirt and we laughed even harder. We made it to Atlanta and had another six hour layover. As we were about to board the plane, an emergency alarm went off, and they said they had to stop the flight and investigate. After a few minutes they let us on, we left...and then they closed the airport three hours later due to snow! But we were gone and on our way back to our families.
This entire trip was the capstone of my class - MSU Great Lakes Leadership Academy. I've been in a year long class that focuses on leadership in agriculture, natural resources, and community development.
South Africa is unlike anywhere else I've been. I'm really glad I got the opportunity to go, I feel like I got a great tour, I enjoyed my classmates, and I was happy to go home - from 95 degrees to 1 degree!
