You’ve Got An Eye NOOO, Actually I’ve Got TWO Eyes

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My last week at African Impact in Saint Lucia was lovely. We got five new volunteers…a few of which are also on the photography project.

There was one day we were driving into Khula Village and I was looking at the homes and the roads, and while they are somewhat primitive it does not appear to be “third world”, however I will note that this is what I envisioned St. Lucia to be more like prior to my arrival. It seems to look like the times we are in now and maybe that is again my expectations playing tricks on me…it got me thinking about what it could have looked liked many years ago and I realized it may not have looked so different…I think what I was expecting to see was a picture in my head that was grainy, frayed black and white photograph. If I could see it that way through my eyes I think it would resemble what I was envisioning. Silly , maybe, but the only way I can convey…

I am definitely a bit nervous coming home. I know the adjustment will take time but I cant stress enough how much I am not looking forward to it. I mean, of course I’m excited to see my family and friends…

So this week has been an eventful one. Chris, the professional photographer from Zimbabwe, came back to help out with the two new photo arrivals, Brass and Tim. It’s been great to show him what I’ve done and get some constructive criticism…

Random thought #1: We were driving through iSimangaliso Thursday morning and the smell of the game reserve was just so reminiscent… it smelled of a delightful summer day in 1992 in American suburbia…just a side note and what it smells like I cant describe but it most certainly brought me back. Conversely there is a vile smell outside of the house…apparently it comes from this thing that grows on a tree and it smells of a retched cess pool. Neat.

That afternoon we went to Hluhluwe…random thought #2. I find I tend to start daydreaming on game drives…while of course looking out for animals. Anyway, this time I was thinking that I am kind of excited to pack up and go to Cape Town…obviously sad to leave St. Lucia, especially the friendships I have formed with some of the ladies, but I’m excited to get moving again. It strangely relaxes me and puts a smile of contentment on my face. I think sometimes I am more excited to be on the road than the actual place I am going…well, I’ve chosen places this whole trip that I couldn’t wait to get to but what I’m trying to say is that I think I will always need to be on the road at some point…with a soundtrack to accompany it. I have to have a next trip planned…and yes at the moment, after my dream ends, I already have 6 roundtrip tickets booked for 2008 to different destinations (Whistler, Miami, Palm Beach, Chicago, Hawaii, and St. Maarten) and I’m sure there will be more to come…does that sound crazy? Well for me I guess its not…Sorry I don’t mean to harp on it but I guess I’m obsessed with traveling…it’s what keeps me “alive”. Maybe its ADD…

So, getting back to Hluhluwe, as we were leaving the game park the sun was setting…mind you it has been cloudy and rainy the whole week. But there was some break in the clouds that allowed the sun to reflect onto them and I swear it was MAGIC. Seriously, there is nothing quite like an African sunset…I was like a kid in a candy store…definitely an overplayed cliché but it fits and im too tired to come up with something more creative…maybe I could use like a pig in shit. Moving on…it was stunning…so much so that when we arrived back at the house (which was without power again…the whole town was down) the first thing Annabel asks was…how about that sunset? I started to jump up and down!

I’m a bit disappointed I must say that I didn’t see ANY cats in Hluhluwe the whole month I was here. Such a bummer… oh actually I did see that one cheetah for 10 seconds.

Friday morning was my last morning with the kids. It was a bit sad for me to say goodbye. But I think they are used to it. There are so many volunteers that come in and out. But after a month you can definitely tell they have gotten comfortable with you , and you yourself have taken an invested personal interest in them. There is one girl, Lutho, who is 10 years old and so darn fast, like a gazelle. I swear! She is always winning the hyena game where quickness is key. I think she could beat me in a race…its incredible. And I began to wonder if they have events held where she could participate in track and field…I think with training a few years down the road she could be absolutely stellar given her natural talent. Theo did mention that there are some competitions of the sort…hopefully she’ll get to them! And then of course there was Nocebo and Cebi and Mzuzu and Mzizi and Phila and Skumbuzo and Rose and Faith.

Friday afternoon Ricky, Theo, Sylvia, Lucy, Laura and I took a road trip up to Kosi Bay…about a 4 hour drive north and essentially on the Mozambique border. We took the 4WD vehicle we use to go to Khula village but removed the “safari seats” and used it just as a pick-up truck with Sylvia, Theo and Ricky in the front and Laura, Lucy and I in the back! The simple answer is, this is Africa and anything goes, eh? It was actually quite refreshing to be on an open road zipping down the highway with the wind blowing in your hair…that is until it starts to rain. It really wasn’t all that bad…we barely noticed the rain. As we entered the park, we began on bumpy sandy roads for an hour and while annoying allowed for some beautiful scenery…gorgeous green rolling frolic-able hills. When we arrived at our chalet lodging we cooked up all of the food we bought and had a braai before heading down to the beach for a turtle tour. We walked nearly 10km I think from 9PM - 12AM searching for loggerhead and leatherback turtles coming out of the Indian Ocean to dig a hole and release their 120 eggs into it for incubation. We saw one loggerhead turtle during our tour and she was digging with her fins. However we learned after a bit of time that both of her back fins were shorter than they should be and she wasn’t able to dig a hole for her eggs and eventually made her way back into the water. Our guide Victor said that she will most likely try again and eventually lay her eggs out in the open. Also, she will lay about 1,000 in a season and only two of them will survive. Laura and I did a little jog back to the beach entrance after we raced Ricky about 100m along the beach. I didn’t mention my previous “track” record in races but I did impress myself by being neck and neck with Ricky…and this is in my vastly out of shape body.

When we got back around midnight we cooked up a nice big campfire and made some banana chocolate things with some cocktails and a looooong game of “I Never”. It’s always fascinating to learn things about people this way and this night was no exception! And I’ll leave it at that. It was a splendid evening, again SOOOO many stars it was unbelievable…all you could hear was the crackling fire, wind rustling the trees, the ocean waves crashing, and frogs singing…I headed to bed first around 2AM…and I think everyone else followed shortly thereafter…

So we woke up the next day to an incredible blue sky and headed down to the beach. My goodness it was stunning…seriously, I couldn’t stop daydreaming out into the turquoise, sapphire white-capped ocean with a sky blue sky as the backdrop and a beautiful sandy beach in the foreground. It must be heaven…and there was not a sole on the beach…it was ours for as far as the eye could see! The Indian Ocean is a bit saltier than other seas I think but it was so nice and warm and ridiculously clear - you could see the bottom of it when you were in…I couldn’t help but splash around all day. It was kind of hot but there was a strong breeze blowing our way, which made it more than bearable…so I didn’t need to get in the water to cool down, but I just wanted to.

Fascinatingly enough, and we were all on the beach at the time, we saw a dark circle in the water and Theo said it was a turtle, so I grabbed my camera and ran down to the shore to check it out…getting in the water to get a closer shot. I’m realizing that its moving quite quick for what I think how fast a turtle should move but the water is somewhat distorting so I don’t bother…anyway, not long after do we figure out that it is not a turtle, but rather a stingray…literally grazing the ocean floor like 5 feet in from the shore, not even.

The ride back home was amazing. Love love love the road trip and this time it was sunny, nearly not a cloud in the sky, warm and windy. Just reiterated that I love going places and doing things. I mean it was only one day but it was perfect. Just perfect. And while I definitely enjoy the moments of just being and doing nothing, I know it cannot…absolutely cannot get to be a habitual thing.

So Annabel was supposed to take me to the airport Sunday afternoon but she had picked up the new project leaders who were really keen on doing an orientation after their arrival so unfortunately she couldn’t drive me anymore…kind of sad about it but we said our goodbyes at the house and Ricky drove me. I also got the sweetest “bus note” from Laura. I read it on the plane I it was so nice to read such a lovely warm letter. A wonderful topping to my time in St. Lucia.

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Comments

[zsteve]

Awesome
I simply LOVE your photos. You captured such beautiful moments! I have added St Lucia as one of the places to visit when I travel to RSA.