Sunday, July 6th

I woke up and was a little crabby because I hadn't slept particularly well due to the cold night air and thin blankets. I was quickly cheered up by the beautiful day and the wonderful breakfast Thonde (the co-owner) prepared for us. We then took a walk along the trail which was very cool. We saw a small herd of impala and wildebeast running through the grass, which we hadn't seen at Hluhluwe, where the animals didn't move around as much. Alyssa and Danielle practiced carrying their water bottles on their head like the local women...except they used 1 liter water bottles, rather than the massive containers we see carried down the road. You have to start somewhere, I suppose.

We left the Bushbaby Lodge at around 12 and went to the Hluhluwe village to get some items from the local store for next week's camp and use the internet cafe. Naturally, they were both closed because it was a Sunday.

The rest of the day was spent on the road. It's funny how a paved road can feel like a luxury after driving in iNgwavuma for a week. The return to roads consumed by potholes was not a welcome one for my tailbone.

I'm still not used to the cows standing in the middle of the road. Half of the time they will run in front of your car if given the opportunity. I can't believe there haven't been more accidents when you combine the aggression and speed shown by many car drivers here and the blatant stupidity of the cows.

It's funny how comfortable we are here now. When first arriving, we drove with the windows up and the cars fully locked. Now I have my arm (and sometimes head) out the window waving and greeting each person we pass in iNgwavuma. The return to iNgwavuma and the IOC felt like coming home, which is strange considering we have only been there for a week.