Back with the monkeys

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Back at the Monkey Foundation, we were met by a whole load of new arrivals. As a way of 'everyone getting to know everyone', someone suggested a game of Capture the Flat, which involves two teams, two flags and a lot of running about in the dark. NOT a good idea. Within minutes, me and another girl had tripped (in perfect unison) over a hidden bump on the path and ended up with skint knees and legs like little children. We hobbled up to the cottage before the blood got too bad... We were limping for a good few days afterwards, and my knees were ooooozing for about 3 weeks! Lovely! Remind me never to play that game again...

Everything was going smoothly, until the weekend, when someone started feeling ill. Off they went to hospital, and we all assumed she just had sunstroke. Until the next morning when we woke to discover that another 6 or 7 people had become ill. As the day went on, more and more people started dropping off with this mysterious illness. The few who were remaining were so scared it was food poisoning that we went out for dinner rather than eating in - by the time we'd finished, another 2 of us had become ill! It was a hard few days to follow as 7 of us (out of 25!) had to do all the work by ourselves! On top of this, the first orphan of the year arrived - Precious - she was so young that she still had her umbilical cord attached. She needed 24 hour care, and it was only us healthy people who were allowed to see her! At first this was great, but then after my first night shift, I started hoping people would get better quickly!! Within a few days we had another orphan, Mamba, though he was slightly older and already leaping and bounding about - extra hard work to keep an eye on him! They were so cute though! :-)

All too soon it was all over... I was really sad to go, but also quite glad - since the rainy season was just starting... At least we were heading to sunny dry Australia! I spent my last afternoon taking hundred of photos of all the monkeys - the sun came out for them, thankfully, after a morning of rain and thunder... At 7.30am on our last day, Fiona and I were all packed, and everyone came to wave us off as we drove away in the back of the pickup:-(

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Photos

Me with Ghosty
We had to wear TB masks.