Arriving at the first volunteer placement

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What a difference a 2 hour flight south makes, I landed in the morning in George, a town situated on a route that runs from Port Elizabeth along the coast to Cape Town. It is a stunning coastline with multimillion dollar properties jostling for the best positions overlooking endless golden beaches, estuaries and bays with a backdrop of mountains. The small towns dotted along the route are pretty with small cafes & shops. The atmosphere is relaxed and majority of areas are clean & tidy. Unemployment is a lot less here, but there is an obvious difference between wealthy & poor. There is still crime here, but it is nothing like Jo'burg, and people outwardly feel safer here. You can understand why a lot of people from Jo'burg are moving to this area.
I was met at the airport by Karin Saks who is the founder of the Darwin Primate Group. Karin is a petite softly spoken person, she has long braided hair, and was wearing a surplus army jacket, a woolen knitted beanie, cargo and boots. She is passionate about wildlife, and at first comes across as being slightly distracted, but when you read and hear about the things she has done, this small women is not to be under estimated. I liked her immediately.

We had a 2 hour drive to the farm, it is situated approx. 20km outside Plettenburg Bay, about 3 or 4km from a place called Natures Valley a reserve that runs down to the sea. We stopped off in Plettenburg Bay to run some errands and eventually arrived at the far at about 4pm.
I'm not sure what I expected, maybe the monkeys would be in large enclosure, what I didn't expect was about 15 monkeys to jump on the car when we arrived. They are vervet monkeys, and they are beautiful, curious, playful and funny. After dumping my bags, I was taken outside to met some of them, they all have their own name and character, and over the next 4 weeks I will get to know them.

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Comments

[Sondra McEwen]

Hullo from NZ
Dear cheryl, As i have said before I am sooooooo enjoying your entries in your blog. In fact when I see there is a new one and I am away I can't wait to get home to read the next instalment. Help that was quite an adventure on your own with the rental, you were lucky some one came along when they did and also that they were OK. A bit nerve racxking for a while there i bet. I imagine you are at the next placement by now. Well work goes on here. i seem to being kept busy and all over the place. I am of to Hamilton next week for another PN patient. Haven't been there for one before. We are still having a bit of rain and it is also bloody cold still most of the time. i am over winter now. I would love some warmer temps now!! Clare is having 6 weeks off, she and the family havew gone over to the UK so she will be enjoying warm weather I am sure. Well you take care of your self and I am sure you will be having lots more fab experiences to tell us about before long. Bye for now. sondra