Today I was up and breakfasted and ready for the tests at 0700. We had three tests today, one on the first set of bird calls we had to learn, one on geology and one on ecology. The people with our hands up all got 100% on the bird calls test!
After the tests we chilled for a bit and then went to Hoedspruit (getting stopped by the police for speeding on the way. The fine started at 1500 rand, it ended at 200 rand – not bad haggling)! We arrived and did some shopping (mainly alcohol and snacks – I even found pineapple Fanta – which is the most exciting thing ever!) and then went to sleepers – a restaurant. I had a peanut satay burger with chips and a couple of beers, which was super yummy.
We came back and went to ‘the clearing’ – literally a big open clearing where you can drive the buccies (cars) to and sat and had some drinks, with some music. it was such a good time, a group of people in the middle of a field, with two cars, listening to music, drinking and dancing – such fun times. At about 1900 we went to Mahlahla, (pronounced ‘mishashla’) which is the nearby game lodge and has a bar. It was really nice to be in a different environment and with some new people. They also had passion fruit flavour shots, which were really yummy! We had a lovely time and got back about midnight.
Today was so relaxed and lazy, I got up and had breakfast and spent the day reading, splashing about in the pool, doing some laundry, chatting and learning bird calls. We also planned our week off, we’ve booked the hotels, now we just have to hire a car – it should be a good week. I had a cheese toastie for lunch and spent the afternoon the same way as the morning! Dinner today was spaghetti bolognese with salad, then I read my book for a bit an early night – ready for an early start tomorrow.
Some of the guys stayed up in the classroom and watched a film, apparently halfway through they got a phone call from Rosa saying that she could hear something outside her caravan, a snarling and scratching. They drove down and caught a glimpse of the leopard! It’s nice to be living in such an out of the way place, but having a leopard as such a close next door neighbour is a slightly different story!