88 days.

From the 11 hours and 53 minute flight i arrive hear, hear being cape town, then the 5 hour delay on my flight to george and the long drive to the game reserve i am in africa and i experience the first of africa time. The Game reserve 2 weeks, the first touch of an elephant, darting a zebra, the first snake encounters, transporting rocks, machette times, sitting with elephants, sunsets and sun rises that i will never forget. The people, the afrcan's language, the smiles, the heat of the sun, i was there for 2 weeks and loved every second of it.

Jukani predator sanctuary, something totally different, a family environment, the respect and care implemented into the work, waking up and walking with cheetah lion and tigers, cleanning enclosures, further snake encounters;touching a snake, the smiles from the jukani cheetahs, more africans, learning from an incredable family, feeling part of something with direction and where the animals come first, i was there and i have some incredable memories and have taken so much with me!

In knysna, 3 days at addo, a bungee jump the feeling of falling, adrenaline;awesome! From jumping of a bridge to seeing hundreds of elephants walking to and from a watering whole, the differences in size, younger elies learning how to use there trunk, warthogs running past, difference in vegetation, landscapes, birds, kudu, zebra, bufalo. Holding snakes... fear strucken but prepared to push myself!

Then 4 weeks with some very special elephants, being with them for 4 weeks, out in the field with the guides learning from so many different cultures, to studying the elephants and being part of there research.Helping in the boma, alien invasive control, chopping fruit, preparing and giveing thato and mashudu milk, activity budgets,data entry. Officially finishing at the park for 4 weeks but being aloud to go back for afew days to finish my project, ive fallen in love with elephants, being asked do the elephants know you, going back after a week of them not seeing me and thato coming up to me and putting out her trunk to get my hand, wrapping her trunk round my hand, lifting her head;as she does when they get milk, she new who i was! I will have those memories forever.

From all our road trips, again to addo for the second time, outshorn; the caves, the ostridges, mossel bay back to say hello to where i first started. Then in knysna;the heads the lagoon, out through the heads on the boat;incredable! The feeling of waking up to the sunset and knowing im still hear its not a dream im liviing that dream! The 2 days on the trail with the reforestation project, the sinemtemba street kids; making things out of stuff the western world wouldnt even consider! A plastic bag,newspaper and milk carton = a gift bag, magazine pages- some glue and a cocktail stick,this to make beads for necklasses and bracelets.

Leaving knysna, backpackers experiencing traveling where you decide where and when your going somewhere, the beaches at wildernes, the sunset at hurmanus, the ice cold see on the beach with whales in the distance, onto cape town the view as we droped down into the town, the stars the moon and cape town lit up at night. The coast of cape town, moutains, the blue colour of the sea all one city.

Saying goodbye to all the friends and people i have met,somethings which has got harder but i can remember the laughter the fun i have had with people :)!! My fellow volunteers who i had such a great time with, and learnt so much from. Edge of africa staff who looked after me so well, the guides at the park, the other people who work at the park, dr debbie incharge of the research, so many people ill never forget!

My best friend said to me something along these lines " its not always the things you do that have an influence its also the people you met that shape you" its so true, the people above who i just listed have aloud me to learn so so much along with the smiles from the jukani cheetah's, the orphanage where all it takes is a smile from you to see there faces light up! Chatting to people i have never met before but taking something from that conversation and all the other peple ive met.

From the people and animals hear along with the physical landscape and vegetation my eyes have filled with so many images that a camera can never capture, however the 3000's pictures or that ive taken are my way of taking back part of what ive seen and showing you :)! To all the people hear i have thanked and will continue to thank there are so many people back home who have made this possible. I have been so lucky to be hear and dont kmow how to thank you all, family, friends, school; mrs thompson :), the rgs;they have provided the first step for me and im now ready to take the next step thank you!!

I have been so lucky to have this trip and i would love for so many people my age to do something like this, this bit of this increasingly long blog entry is for all of you who are thinking uni is not there in your head yet but you are ready to see the world and do it the right way ready to take something worthwhile from it and then use it as something to build from. I never expected to be able to do something like this but with support and knowing that if you want to do something and you believe in your dream then you can do the exact same!

I now sit hear with my cup of tea and will be flying out of hear at 8.10 pm tonight, i couldnt decide when i should post this blog entry but i just sat down and begun to type now 11am hear leaving for the airport at 2ish so i will post this blog now!

Lynns adventures in south africa for 88 days!