The Fun Starts Tomorrow

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The Rain Spider

Hello!

Let's talk about two things:

1.) The Storms -
Holy Crap! I'd forgotten how amazing and intense the South African
storms are. It's the middle of summer and the other night we had a
storm come through that was over our heads for literally an hour and a
half! Lightening was flashing every minute and then you'd hear the
loudest thunder of your life rip through the sky. I'm not being
dramatic either...it was nuts!!
I'm used to the lightening/thunder storms in the US which you hear
coming and then they're overhead for maybe 10-30 minutes and then you hear them move along and get quieter. It's so crazy here that when it storms they say it's actually too dangerous to shower.
Don't get me wrong, I love a good storm, but all I kept thinking about was how soon enough I'm going to have to survive one of these storms from inside a lousy tent!!
....pray for me.

2.) Being in Africa until May -
It's very weird that I'm here. Not so much the fact that I'm in
Africa, more so because it feels as though I'm on vacation. I'm with
my family - hanging out and doing all the touristy things - and then
it hits me that I'm still here until MAY! At that point I get a
little queasy.
Although I'm sure once I get to the primate sanctuary, get settled,
and see what it's really all about I'll be fine and never want to
leave.
I did talk to the volunteer coordinator today and after speaking with her I do feel a bit less apprehensive.
We'll see...

I leave tomorrow on a 6 hour bus ride to Tzaneen and then I step foot into a lifelong dream of primatology. Sappy I know, but also HELL YEAH!!!!!!

Anyway I assume you all have my email address since you got my email to this blog link. Now you have no excuses not to email me. Please keep me updated on what's going on in all of your lives. And whenever I get my hands on some world wide web I'll email all of you back and update this blog...pictures of monkeys and all!

Til Next Time
xoxo
Nix

PS - I'm not sure if that video at the top works but to preface if it does...The spiders here are enormous! The other night we came home and there was a rain spider the size of my hand near my aunt's ceiling. Click on the link to watch the video. It may not be amusing to you but I think it was pretty hilarious

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Photos

Taken at the Apartheid Museum
CRAZY!!

Comments

[Kristina]

Missing You!
Love reading your blog!! Keep the entries coming!! K

[Graeme]

TravelBlog? Get back to work!
Good thing you got all those shots, otherwise that spider would be the one laughing after it ate you alive. I'm with Autie Shirley. It was uneventful....the killing of a spider..much like the video of the killing of Saddam. nice first photo of yours. See you've got the window of an A340-500 series on downwind to JNB with flaps 1 degree and spoilers deployed. Great shot! Can you spot your family's house from there? Ok, Good luck and don't do anything Steve Irwinish.