Crocodile

So I have this story that will probably blow your mind away. You know it ends well because I’m writing this, so please just hold your questions, comments, exclamations, or freak-outs until you’ve read the whole thing.

Two staff members, seven other volunteers and I decided to visit a wetland park full of crocodiles. We were supposed to meet our guides with their boats at a dock so we were driving in a Land Rover, trying to find the dock. We couldn’t seem to find it and the person driving the vehicle was getting frustrated because we were going to be late so she started speeding a little bit. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the staff member sitting in the passenger seat, pointed at something in front of her and shouted, “There it is. STOP!” The driver tried to slow down, but there wasn’t enough time so she slammed down the brakes.

The Land Rover stopped before driving into the water, but I didn’t. I went flying out of the vehicle and landed in the river. The water was pretty cold. I went under and then came up as quickly as I could to get some air. I brushed the water grass off my face and rubbed the water out of my eyes. Then I looked back at the Land Rover. Everybody was yelling and pointing at something to my left. My hearing aids weren’t working because of the water, so I couldn’t make out what they were yelling or saying. I looked over to my left and realized why they were so upset. A crocodile was swimming straight for me.

I knew if I turned toward shore, I wouldn’t get out of the water in time and the crocodile would snatch me from behind. I also knew that I wouldn’t go down without fighting. In a flash, I realized that I wasn’t done living my life. The crocodile disappeared underwater. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the people on shore yelling and waving their arms like crazy, trying to get me to come out of the water. Instead I dove underwater to face the crocodile. The water was muddy, but I could see a dark figure coming straight for me. I held my breath and waited for him to get closer.

When the crocodile was about two feet away, he opened his huge jaws. His intentions were clear. Somehow I grabbed his nose and lower jaw to keep his mouth away from me. His powerful jaws were able to snap even though I was still holding on to him. I don’t know how, but I knew I had to keep my fingers away from his teeth. We thrashed around until I felt the river bottom under my feet. I’m not sure where I got the strength—maybe the crocodile was getting tired—but somehow I threw the crocodile’s mouth in the other direction so I could scramble out to dry land. I looked back and saw the crocodile swimming away from me.

I was soaking wet, but there wasn’t a single scratch on me. Everybody in the Land Rover was staring at me, dumb-founded and near tears. Nobody said anything, so I just laughed and said, “I’m okay, folks.” After a moment or two, one staff member broke the silence, “I thought you were dead.” “Yea, me too,” another person said quietly. Then suddenly everyone was talking at once. Our guides were right there so they saw the whole thing. One of the guides came up to me and said, “You are one lucky bitch, you could’ve been croc food in there.” He laughed and patted me on my shoulder. All I could do was laugh about it and then we went on the boat drive to learn all about crocodiles.

After the boat drive, the guides wanted me to come back to the office with them and tell the rest of their team about what happened in the water. I tried my best to tell the story though it was difficult to explain how the hell I had survived without any knowledge or experience with crocodiles. All I could say was that it must have been some kind of survival instinct. I had a clear memory of an inner voice telling me not to touch the teeth when I grabbed the mouth so I wouldn’t lose any fingers or limbs. All the guides were acting like my experiences was some kind of a miracle and I was a crocodile whisperer or something.

At the end of the day, the staff decided we should go out for drinks since everyone had been really scared when I was in the water. All evening, I kept thinking, “Whoa, I could’ve died back there! How did I escape from that crocodile? No way I’m telling my family about this!” Everyone told their own version of the story. “I cannot believe how far you went flying out of the vehicle into the water!” “That crocodile must have been so pissed that you got away!” “You could’ve died!” It was getting harder for me to remember what really happened, but as the evening faded, I felt relief that the day was over—and that I had survived it.

The next morning, I woke up feeling even more confused about what had happened. At breakfast, I sat with the staff member and some of the volunteers. They were acting like it was any other day. Finally, I had to ask: “Did we visit a wetland park yesterday?”

They all looked at me like I had lost my mind. Finally someone said, “Noooo,” really slowly, like they were trying to figure out what I was talking about.

I asked again “Are you sure we didn’t go anywhere near water or crocodiles?”

They were very sure. “No, we didn’t leave the game preserve yesterday.”

“So I never really fell in the water and had to fight off a crocodile?”

“What?!?!”

That’s when I realized…it must have been a dream, the most vivid dream I’ve ever had.

When I told everybody about my dream, they all thought it was crazy that I had remembered so many details. For me, the crazy part was that it felt so real.

Later on, somebody told me that, when a crocodile appears in a dream, it’s a sign of healing. That’s interesting, considering that, in my dream, the crocodile was trying to eat me!

I’m not sure why I had this dream or what the heck it means. All I know is that being in Africa is changing me. My experiences here are seeping into my dreams. Yes, there are dangers, but in my dreams at least, I know what I need to do it survive!

Reflection

I have been in Africa for more than a month. That’s longer than my first trip last year, and it seemed like a good time to reflect on what I’ve experienced in the past weeks and what I hope for in the weeks to come. That’s why I decided to stay in at Thanda last weekend. It’s always tempting to go back to Rocktail Bay or even to a hotel for a night of unlimited water and Wifi, but I wanted to get the experience of being completely alone at the lodge. Actually, I wasn’t completely alone. Some staff members work on the weekend—housekeepers, kitchen helpers, and a security team—but all the other volunteers were away so I pretty much had the place to myself. It was a very windy, stormy day with occasional sprinkles from the sky. Some people might be disappointed in that kind of day, but I love it when it’s really windy. The wind made me remember one of my last nights in the US when I stood outside my parents’ house, looking up at a clear sky full of stars and feeling the wind on my face. I used my windy day to recharge for another 7 weeks of adventures in South Africa. I’ve picked up a little yoga, so I did that for a while. And then I did some Tai Chi that I learned from my mother who’s on her way becoming a Tai Chi instructor. Both of those activities make you think about breathing and the wind made it feel like the world was breathing with me. All day it was windy and cloudy, and I loved every single minute of it. Even without company, I didn’t feel lonely. Actually, I should say that I didn’t have human company. This is a nature preserve so I had a number of visitors during the day—a pair of warthogs, some impalas, a stick insect, frogs and toads, and plenty of praying mantises.


For me, it was a great day of peace and quiet. Maybe it wouldn’t be so quiet for hearing people because I’m pretty sure there were frogs croaking, crickets chirping and maybe even lions roaring in the distance. I haven’t exactly been able to hear the sounds made by wildlife, but that doesn’t really matter to me. I am getting better at understanding what is communicated through action—body language, facial expression, even eye contact. On game drives or even in camp, I’ve had so many experiences where I’ve made eye contact with an animal. Once, one of our guides parked the Land-Rover right in the middle of a herd of buffalo. Some buffalo completely ignored us knowing we weren’t danger. Some started at us wondering what the heck were we doing. Some accepted us and strolled past as if having a Land-Rover in their midst was perfectly normal. One buffalo was right beside the Land-Rover. I was in the passenger seat which is a lot closer to the ground than the rest of the seats in the back. This buffalo locked eyes with me and I felt like I was under some kind of a spell. It almost seemed as if he was trying to communicate with me, warning me not to hit any of his friends and family members with the Land-Rover.

 During this first month in Thanda, I have made eye contact with elephants, lions, zebras, and even warthogs, and I always come away feeling deeply connected to the animal. I don’t know what is it about this place, but it makes me feel closer to the wildlife, not just in body but in spirit. I think this love for animals has always been inside me. I remember that, when I was a kid, I never truly enjoyed going to the zoo. I always felt bad for the animals because they were confined in small areas and dependent on humans for food. I don’t ever remember making eye contact with an animal in the zoo. Maybe here animals look you in the eye because they are living on their own terms. Yes, they need people to protect their habitat, but within that habitat, they have grace and dignity. When an animal locks eyes with me, I realize that it has every right to live free from human interference and violence. 

Even after a weekend on my own, it’s hard to summarize the experiences and feelings I’ve had during these first weeks at Thanda. I just know that I deeply love being here, and I can’t wait to see what the coming weeks will bring.

My Duties at Thanda Part 3

In my last two posts about my duties at Thanda, I wrote about the photography and conservation work that volunteers do at Thanda. We spend most of our time on those duties, but we also get to be part of the community outreach. African Impact is involved in many educational projects, and volunteers help out in those programs too.

Some days we visit the local crèches and help out with the lesson plans. The kids at the crèches are from newborn to 4 years. It is so much fun being around them. The lesson plans help them prepare for school. We help them learn English words including ABC’s, days of the week, names of animals and so on. We have fun with them during play time. They love hugs and cuddles and even blowing bubbles!

Volunteers also work with two schools in the local rural communities around Thanda. The first school is Mafa School about 25 minutes away from the game reserve. From this school we collect the sixth graders and drive them to our education centre at Ulwazi. With volunteer help, the children learn about the special wildlife on Thanda and the importance of conservation. These outings are rounded off by lunch and a drive home often accompanied by singing.

The second school is Mdletshe, where our work is also supported by the Happy Africa Foundation. The school has three classrooms and, depending on the number of volunteers, we prepare lessons for one or two groups. These are elementary age kids, so they love crafts and coloring.

Last but not least, volunteers are expected to take care of small duties at the lodge. One week I was equipment manager, so I had to make sure all equipment was accounted for and nothing went missing or get lost on our expeditions. Another week, I was the environmentalist, so I had to make sure water was properly recycled and the electricity was not being overused. I also had to see to it that the lodge was organized and clean – no trash or dirty dishes! I’m looking forward to other assignments such as gardener for watering the garden and reporter for posting news on our Facebook page.

Since I came here as a photographer, I try to take photographs of everything that happens – animals, conservation work, community projects, and people. You never really know what kind of photography the Thanda team will need as they try to tell the story of all the important work that’s going on here. They may want to spotlight a particular project or praise the accomplishments of a particular volunteer. For me, photography ties everything together.

So now you know what it means to be a volunteer at Thanda. Every day is different. Every day is full. Every day seems meaningful.

Dealing with Death on the other side of the World

I left America knowing two family members were facing serious health problems. I knew I might not see them again, but of course, I was hopeful that they would be alive when I returned to the US. Maybe I was too hopeful. My uncle died on Friday from brain cancer. I found out Saturday morning when I received a message from my mother.

At the time, I was on another weekend trip with a group of six Thanda volunteers and two guides. We were visiting the Drakensberg Mountains. On Friday night, we visited a very beautiful waterfall to take photographs and enjoy a dip in the pool beside the waterfall. Back in camp, I was standing outside of the cabin I was sharing with three other volunteers, waiting for my turn at the shower. The view was amazing. I could see mountains of all shapes and sizes – pointy, round, and flat on top. Below, I could see trees and bushes. Above, I saw rays of sunshine streaming out from behinds the mountains.

Scenery like that usually makes me feel very peaceful, but that day I had an uneasy feeling. Something felt wrong. I thought maybe I was emotional because I’ve been in Africa almost a month and maybe I’m a little homesick. Then, out of nowhere, a bushbuck appeared along the tree-line. A bushbuck is a graceful African antelope with a caramel colored coat and white markings. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I felt that the bushbuck was there for me, reassuring me that everything would be okay.

I couldn’t sleep much at all that night. Even after seeing the bushbuck, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. At dawn, when it was time to wake up and get ready for the day, I got the message about my uncle. At first, I thought I was still dreaming. It was hard to believe that he was gone. I went back outside where the view was as beautiful as it had been the night before. The sun hadn’t risen yet, so the mountains were shadowy and there were still a few stars out. Gradually, the grief washed over me. I had lost another family member to cancer.

I had to make a choice – stay in camp feeling sad and missing the activities we had planned for the weekend or be with my new family and live my life. I was pretty sure I knew the best way to honor my uncle, a man who seized every opportunity to live his own life. I found myself a rock and a pen. I wrote RIP on it. Our morning plan was to hike up one of the mountains to a tunnel where we would have photographic opportunities. We started out slowly and the pace was giving me too much time to think. I told everyone I’d meet them at the tunnel and hiked as fast as I could. It was a great way for me to release the grief and anger that I felt. I finished the trail in two hours and about thirty minutes later the rest of the group showed up.

I tried to focus on taking photographs of the tunnel and the surrounding scenery, but my heart wasn’t in it. My mind was on my uncle and the other relatives who died in the past two years. When everybody was starting the head back, I took the RIP rock I had carried up the mountain and placed it on top of another rock in the water in front of the entrance of the tunnel. I had a moment of silence and then I threw the rock over the waterfall. It was an emotional moment. It would have been good to share it with my cousins and other family members, but they were halfway around the world.

I took my time going down the mountain. At one of the waterfalls, the guides and some of the volunteers were cliff-jumping. I was still feeling emotional so I just sat and watched. One by one, they went hurtling over the cliff, each of them looking joyous and free. I realized that this was the kind of thing my uncle would have urged me to do. I used to swim in the ocean with my cousins every summer and he would always encourage us to swim even when the waves were big and rough.

I took off my shoes. Without saying anything, I climbed up the boulders. I looked down over the waterfall. It was a little scary and high. But in my mind, I could see my uncle plunging into the waves and it seemed like something I had to do. “This is for you,” I said out loud before I jumped. The water was shockingly cold and refreshing. It felt as if the water washed away all my problems. I decided to jump again. And this time I thought of all the people who died too soon because of cancer.

One of my guides decided to climb to an even higher cliff. We watched as he stepped to the edge of the ledge and jumped. Nobody else would do it, but my adrenalin was going. I scrambled up to the higher cliff. From on top, the jumped looked even longer than it did from down below. It was pretty scary and I had a moment of hesitation. And then I launched myself into the air. This jump was for myself. After my aunt died, I promised myself that I would live my life and make the most out of it. Now I was keeping that promise by jumping into a cold, clean waterfall on the other side of the world.

It is never easy to lose someone you care about. And it’s even harder when you are too far away to share your grief with friends and family. The one thing that makes it just a little bit easier is knowing that the people who are gone lived full and meaningful lives while they were here. To me, it seems like the best way to honor my uncles and my aunt is to learn this lesson from them. Their memory makes me want to live – truly live, boldly and without fear – every single day that I am given.

My Duties at Thanda Part 2

I promised to write more about what volunteers do at Thanda. The second part of what we do is conservation. There are many part of conservation – removing alien plants, picking up litter, removing wires, and water management. Let me try to explain a bit about each of these activities and why they are important.

1) Invasive and alien plants are considered one of the greatest threats to South Africa’s game reserves and open land, so African Impact created a program to eradicate these plants. This program is important because invasive, alien plants cause all kinds of problems.

Invasive species suffocate indigenous species causing mass extinction of indigenous plant and animal biodiversity. As a result, local people can’t harvest indigenous natural resources. The plant also encroach on potentially productive land, leading to the loss of crops and grazing land for livestock. 

Alien species also increase the problems associated with flooding and fires. They cause erosion, destruction of rivers and siltation of dams and estuaries. They reduce water quality and waste an estimated 7% of national water resources in a country where water is already scarce. 

Most of our efforts are focused on two plants – Chromolaena and Prickly Pear. Although there are biological and chemical ways to control these plants, we try our best to remove them manually. We pull out smaller plants or chop down bigger plants with a machette or a saw. 

2) We also clean up litter along the roads and paths. Thanda and Kingsland have poles and fences remaining from when this land was used for farming. These fences still have barbed wire on them which could cut and injure the animals. We are trying to return Thanda and Kingsland to as natural state as possible so these poles and wires must be removed. 

3) Removing snares is also a vitally important task in Thanda and Kingsland. Poachers use wire from fences surrounding the reserve to make snares to catch animals. The snares cause many animal deaths. In 2011, the largest male Lion was killed by a snare and a month later two of the endangered Wild Dogs were lost.

I haven’t done a snare sweep yet, but from what I learned, volunteers go into a designated area with the trackers and members of APU (Anti Poaching Unit). The volunteers form a line and sweep through the bush. Any wire found is removed and returned to the camp.

4) Water management is also a crucial part of conservation.  This region is very dry, so water is the most valuable resource in the reserve and needs to be protected. In the wild, animals move from one water source to the other. The game reserve, however, isn’t big enough for the animals to move from one water source to another. As a result, the waterholes don’t get a chance to fill up properly

Volunteers at Thanda work to repair existing waterholes and develop new ones. Work has already been done to repair damage at the water holes using bitumen. We can also create settings in which new water holes can develop.  At an area designated by Thanda, volunteers will remove trees, bushes, rocks etc to create a natural habitat. Once cleared, we will lay down plastic sheeting and seal it to allow water collection. Water can be pumped into these holes if necessary.

I haven’t done all of these types of work, but I know I will be ready and willing to do anything to help make the reserve more livable for the animals. I remember my first conservation morning from last year. When they gave me a big machete and pointed out the plants which didn’t belong in Thanda, I was hooked. I love taking down alien plants!  (It’s a great way to work off anger or frustration!)  I also find it very satisfying to clean the roads/paths. Every piece of trash we remove makes it less likely that an animal will get injured or sick.

Conservation work may not be as glamorous as photography, but it seems every bit as important. People created these problems in the natural world. I’m glad to play a small part in solving the problems, so the animals can have the habitat they deserve. 
  

My Duties at Thanda Part 1

I have had a few people asking me what the heck am I doing in Africa. To some people it looks like I am on vacation. This is as wonderful as any vacation I have ever taken, but there’s more to it that that. I am a volunteer, but I take the work as seriously as a job. There are three parts to my work here. I will explain one part in this post and the other two parts in future posts.

The program I signed up for is called the Photography and Conservation Project. The objective of this project is to build an unique database of wildlife and conservation images, taken by volunteers (that’s me!). The photos are used for education and research. We try to document the amazing biodiversity in Thanda and the surrounding area. The photos are also part of a marketing campaign to make people more aware of the need for conservation. We hope the photos will inspire people to give money to African Impact and other NGO’s to support the work they are trying to do.

During the first week as a volunteer here, everyone participates in a photography course given by a professional photographer. The course is a good mixture of theory and practice. We learn a little about the history of photography and advances made possible by new technology. We also have instruction on how to take good photos and how to use software to make them even better. The instructor critiques our photos and make sure we know what kind of photos are needed for the database.

After the photography course, we go on regular game drives. We get up very early in the morning because that’s when we are most likely to find animals. We have drivers/guides who are very knowledgeable about where the animals are likely to be. After a photo shot, I process and edit my photos according to a weekly schedule or in my free time. At the end of every month, I will be asked to add my best photos to the database of Thanda.

For someone like me, this is very satisfying work. I love studying the animals and trying to get the perfect shot that captures the beauty and grace of these creatures. It makes me feel good to know that the pictures I take help scientists understand African wildlife better. And I hope they will also inspire ordinary people to care about conservation of wildlife.

So that’s part of what I am doing during my three months at Thanda. I will fill you in on other activities when I get to post again.

Rocktail Bay Weekend

Last weekend, we went to Rocktail Bay. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. The bay is located in the far north-eastern corner of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. We had a secluded camp nestled in the dune forest, a stone’s throw from the subtropical beaches of Maputaland. It's very remote and there was no running water or electricity at all.

Every time we walked over the dunes to the beach, it was completely empty and we had it all to ourselves. When we took our first dip in the ocean, it was like heaven. The water was deliciously cool.  The sun had already gone down, but the light was still beautiful.  

After dinner, when it was completely dark, the stars came out. I remembered the African night sky from my last visit, and all the time I was in the US, I longed to see the stars again. They were even brighter than I remembered. I saw at least 2 shooting stars that night. We started a bonfire and got a drum circle going. I can't always appreciate music but the drums spoke to all of us that night. Their rhythms were addicting.    

The next day... Oh!  What a magical day! (I hate to keep using that word but magic is the only way to describe this kind of perfection.) We went for a boat ride to snorkel at a nearby coral reef. The water is so clear and blue, and we were exploring, looking at all the colorful fish. Then, we got incredibly lucky and spotted wild dolphins. The first time I swam with them seven months ago, I really wished I had a waterproof camera. This time, I had a waterproof cover for a small digital camera. I hadn't really tested it yet so I wasn't sure how it worked. I'm glad to say it worked perfectly. I may not have gotten a master shot, but at least I now have proof that I actually swam with wild dolphins!

On our last day before heading back to Thanda, we spent all morning on the beach. I went for a long walk along the shore and around the rock cliffs. You can only get to them when the tide is out. It was one of most amazing places I have ever seen. The rocks were all ragged and sharp, so we had to wear flip-flops to protect our feet. The waves were crashing and creeping toward us. I was just losing my breath, overwhelmed by the beauty of the area. 

I don't know exactly why this happens, but going someplace new puts everything into perspective for me. Things that might ordinarily look like problems sort of fall away. I don't know if this happens for everyone, but being someplace different makes me appreciate being alive. I know I can't spend every day on Rocktail Beach, but I want to hold on to the feeling that I had there: Every day in this world is a gift!