Day 3
The flight wasn’t too bad considering it was for 11 hours. I didn’t sleep as usual on the plane so I was hanging badly when I got to Johannesburg. The plane landed into the airport late so another dash to the domestic terminal was needed to get checked in and on the flight. I enlisted a porter to help me get through from the International terminal to the domestic which is about a 10 minute walk but a 4 minute sprint. The poor fella felt the pace as he was pulling the 25 kg bag! I looked after him though and I made my flight up to the bush (Hoedspuit regional airport). It reminds me of Farranfore airport in Kerry with a tractor pulling our bags in to the shack, I mean terminal building. I should have taken a picture of it. Classic little shed with airport written on it. A beaten up old Ford 125 sitting by the building. Met Neli, one of the guides at the airport and got my ride up through some of the lodges to the South African Wildlife College which will be my home for the next 6 months. On the way I saw my first wild Giraffes, some Impala and an elusive White Headed Vulture. It was great to finally see wild animals. Neli de Kock the guide (Jim Conroy would love her name as per his slagging the two South African birds down in Waterford about their names!) took the piss a couple of times so I owe here a bit of slagging!
I was pleasantly surprised at the facilities here! I was expecting mud huts, crap food and more mud huts but the place is quite modern. They have a swimming pool and games area and a canteen. At the moment there are 130 participants here, including a couple of Irish lads who are out doing research projects. A lad called Hugh and Paddy! Gas!
I’m rooming with a young English lad. Seems grand so far so we’ll see how we get on!. So settling in with the crew night as I’ve arrived late. They have been here an extra day so we had a Braii (gotta check the spelling) or bbq on the first night. We had some decent lamb, Kudo sausages and chicken wings and salad and a few beers. It was introduction night so we got up in front of the rest of the guys/girls and said a little spiel about ourselves. Good way to break the ice. There is a very mixed bunch here as you might imagine. The group comprises of 7 South Africans, 1 Canadian, 2 Germans, 1 Belgian, 3 Brits, 1 Scot, 1 Ozzy and a Yank. It’s a good mix so far. Fairly wrecked from not sleeping etc so I turned in the earliest I ever have around 8 bells.
The flight wasn’t too bad considering it was for 11 hours. I didn’t sleep as usual on the plane so I was hanging badly when I got to Johannesburg. The plane landed into the airport late so another dash to the domestic terminal was needed to get checked in and on the flight. I enlisted a porter to help me get through from the International terminal to the domestic which is about a 10 minute walk but a 4 minute sprint. The poor fella felt the pace as he was pulling the 25 kg bag! I looked after him though and I made my flight up to the bush (Hoedspuit regional airport). It reminds me of Farranfore airport in Kerry with a tractor pulling our bags in to the shack, I mean terminal building. I should have taken a picture of it. Classic little shed with airport written on it. A beaten up old Ford 125 sitting by the building. Met Neli, one of the guides at the airport and got my ride up through some of the lodges to the South African Wildlife College which will be my home for the next 6 months. On the way I saw my first wild Giraffes, some Impala and an elusive White Headed Vulture. It was great to finally see wild animals. Neli de Kock the guide (Jim Conroy would love her name as per his slagging the two South African birds down in Waterford about their names!) took the piss a couple of times so I owe here a bit of slagging!
I was pleasantly surprised at the facilities here! I was expecting mud huts, crap food and more mud huts but the place is quite modern. They have a swimming pool and games area and a canteen. At the moment there are 130 participants here, including a couple of Irish lads who are out doing research projects. A lad called Hugh and Paddy! Gas!
I’m rooming with a young English lad. Seems grand so far so we’ll see how we get on!. So settling in with the crew night as I’ve arrived late. They have been here an extra day so we had a Braii (gotta check the spelling) or bbq on the first night. We had some decent lamb, Kudo sausages and chicken wings and salad and a few beers. It was introduction night so we got up in front of the rest of the guys/girls and said a little spiel about ourselves. Good way to break the ice. There is a very mixed bunch here as you might imagine. The group comprises of 7 South Africans, 1 Canadian, 2 Germans, 1 Belgian, 3 Brits, 1 Scot, 1 Ozzy and a Yank. It’s a good mix so far. Fairly wrecked from not sleeping etc so I turned in the earliest I ever have around 8 bells.
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