Sophie's News

Getting myself in a strop again about my lack of employment. There's opportunities in a few areas but it's all unpaid. There comes a time when I'm going to have to put my foot down and shout and scream a bit to get someone to take notice! There must be jobs out there somewhere, it's just a case of finding them at the right time I guess. I feel better than there are so many people I know searching but it's also disheartening as I know for sure how good the competition is!

Updates on Edd - getting much better! Can't believe the improvement, it's incredible. I'd do anything to take all this away from him but I am so proud of how brave he's been through it all. I, no doubt, would've been a wreck going through something like this. Anyway, happy days are making their return.

Current Mood: frustrated

It's exhausting walking to the beach, via the bakery for a cinnamon pastry, and sitting there watching surfers attempt to cope with the ridiculously huge waves that have hit Tamarindo. Then having to walk to get some lunch and a smoothie, followed by walking home and sitting by the pool. My life at the moment is very tough... :op

So we had another surfing lesson which went remarkably well. Although we both had some impressive wipe-outs (see I'm learning the lingo too) we stood up almost every time we tried! Yay! We went to rent boards yesterday but the waves ended up being way too big, same thing this morning. We have another lesson booked for tomorrow but I don't know how the waves will be. If it's too big I may be a bit of a wuss and bail out...

We went on a boat tour up the river on Sunday - saw some awesome birds as well as basking crocs and ... best of all ... howler monkeys! Yay! Was desperate to see them - til then had only seen them briefly as we drove passed one in a tree but you couldn't really get a feel of what it looked like. On Sunday we were so close to them - right underneath at one point. All they did was look down a couple of times, howled once at the guide who howled at them, then went right back to sleep. Incredible. Then we had to get back in the boat under the surveillance of 2 crocs which was a bit unnerving - much to Ant's amusement as, afterall, I did spend 9 months working in a Big 5 reserve getting very close to very scary animals!

Hopefully, finally, doing the turtle trip tomorrow - can't wait - just hope we see turtles!

Current Mood: cheerful

So we ventured off into central Costa Rica at the weekend. A 5 hour minibus drive found us in La Fortuna near the Arenal volcano. In torrential rain we ran from the hotel to the town for some lunch and to invest in some incredibly attractive ponchos. Feeling suitably decked out we embarked on our guided walk through the rainforest, stopping to look at a 3toed sloth on the way but needless to say the rain had stopped and our beautiful plastic ponchos became redundant. A great guide took us through the rainforest, pointing out all sorts of birds, trees etc and a 2toed sloth looking rather soggy and sorry for itself. I'm sure it was vaguely amused at least to see the cloud of mosquitoes indulging on the slightly bedgraggled looking group below though. I got completely nailed by them until I remembered I had repellent in my bag...d'oh! We ended the walk at a viewpoint 3km from the volcano where usually one can see the lava flowing from one of the craters that is still active. But OBVIOUSLY Sod decided to put his Law into practice and completely shrouded the volcano in cloud. Of course. Why wouldn't he? We'd only spent 5 hours on a minibus, got soaked walking into town, paid out for ponchos, got eaten alive by mosquitoes and spent a fortune on the trip! Anyway, eventually as it got darker (and a fair amount colder) we could see brief glimpses of red through the cloud as the lava started flowing. Brief but still kinda cool.

The rest of the evening was spent in the hot springs created by the hot water flowing out of the veins of the volcano. There are something like 14 different bathing pools of varying temperatures, as well as saunas and spa facilities. Very cool. We tried out a number of pools, 2 of which have swim-up bars, indulged in a smoothie (sadly beers were out of the question as it was election day and alcohol was temporarily banned!) then settled for a relaxing 46 degree pool for a while b4 getting out and eating in the restaurant (not a swim-up one however!). The next morning was spent horse riding to a waterfall in the rainforest. We viewed the waterfall from a viewing platform and then descended the 500 or so steps to the bottom - all good until we then had to climb back up! It was like a crazy session on the stepper with the central heating on high!! Made it back to the top and just about got to the horses again without collapsing on our rears (tho we both did trip a couple of times as we'd lost control of our legs). With a bit of time and huge amount of effort we remounted and set back on our way home. We're both fully recovered due to the wonders of Deep Heat!

We have another surfing lesson tomorrow (Deep Heat may well be making another appearance) and then we'll possibly do a full day boat ride into the national park on Sunday.

Weather back on the coast is perfect - no sign of rain and only a hint of clouds. I'm off now to sit by the pool and read a Spanish phrase book to learn how to tell the builders on the site next to us to keep their delightful comments to themselves...it must be innate in builders on sites to call out when they see girls as it seems to be a worldwide phenomenon!!

Current Mood: good

So, I successfully managed to give us food poisoning...from gnocchi! Very gross and am glad it is all over and done with. Feeling much better now and 6 days on can finally eat a meal without thinking it might reappear!

Current Mood: relieved

Hola!

So, here I am in Costa Rica. Flight from Gatwick to Atlanta was a crazy 9 hours full of turbulence and a very bumpy landing into Atlanta. 3.5hours to kill in Atlanta and then a 4 hour flight to San Jose. So much turbulence that for the first 2 hours even the cabin crew weren't allowed to stand up! Finally got to San Jose very tired and a little fed up of travelling. Spent a night in a hotel here and then was up and ready to get the mini bus for the 4.5hour drive from San Jose to Tamarindo. However, in keeping with the flights, this was not a smooth ride. It took over 8 hours! The wind was awful and a tree got blown onto the road and onto a car, so we were stuck at a standhill for close to 3 hours. Anyway, at least I'm here!

The weather is glorious. Clear blue skies, bright sun, hot, breezy - perfect. Tamarindo is quite touristy - v popular with Americans and surfers. There are both everywhere! It's a very dusty town but i quite like it. The beach is beautiful. We've had a few meals out and had cocktails on the beach watching the sunset. AND...yesterday we had our first surfing lesson! HEheheheh, it was pretty funny really. We did both manage to stand up tho which is cool. To start with I couldn't do more than thinking about standing up without falling off. I consumed a huge amount of sea water so now the worries about rising sea levels can be put aside for a while. I had a near collision with a body boarder and a big wave resulting in my suf board bouncing off my head, but that was the only injury really! Oh except for a grazed knee where I kept kneeling on the board first coz its much easier to stand from kneeling than lying even if it is cheating. Anyway, the last wave I surfed was by far the best. i even managed to control where the board was going (kinda) and stayed on for the longest time I'd managed all afternoon. So much fun. I do now ache like you wouldn't believe. It's like a complete body workout! I've used copious amounts of deep heat to get me through the last few hours!

Plans for the next few days include more surfing, more eating out, and maybe next weekend going up to the volcano.

Will keep u posted.

Current Mood: happy

Well, it's official....office work really is pretty pants. I've spent the last 4 weeks and a day temping as a receptionist and oh my, is it dull. I think it has to be the most unchallenging job I have ever had (out of my massive 3 paid jobs experience). On my first day I successfully cut off a number of calls because I kept pressing the wrong button on the switchboard but after that there really was nothing too tough to contend with. There was a lot of sitting around playing solitaire, minimising it every time someone walked passed, sometimes reading the news online and hoping the IT manager wasn't going to storm downstairs to tell me to get off the internet. The people were nice and mostly quite friendly but I'm glad it's over...for now.

On Monday I jet off to pastures new again...this time its Costa Rica. Ant's based there now so going to see him, and while I'm there I will do some job hunting - see if I can get some sucker to give me a job doing turtle research or something else equally cool. Fingers crossed please chappies and chappettes. And do think of me as I have surfing lessons, sleep on the beach or kayak to a cool snorkling spot won't you? It's gonna be tough but someone has to do it.

Current Mood: chipper

I'm ill. sympathy please. have horrible cold and fever. had to work 7am till 11pm without a break on saturday coz there was a wedding on the reserve with 75 guests staying at our 3 lodges. seriously busy. have taken a few days off now to recover a bit before i get allocated some more guests next week. in town at the mo - had to bring Ant's car in for service coz he's workin. got here at 7am but shops don't open til 8 so i was very bored walkin round town with nothing to do. gonna find a cafe for breakfast soon i think as this internet place is crazily expensive. not much to update on really. no close encounters, tho i was tempted to thrown one of my guests off my vehicle last week when he started imitating lions while we had one sitting 15m away. i almost hit him but I had a go at him instead and said if I heard any other noise come outta him I'd be taking him back to the lodge and he'd get banned from game drives for the rest of his stay. Seems harsh but he'd been annoyin me all evening making noises at the animals to make them look at him. he wasn't even tryin to take photos!!! I HATE tourists!!!

Anyway, coffee time.

Current Mood: sick

Yet again the lions have managed to scare me! the young male - 2yrs - walked very purposefully towards my vehicle and sat on his haunches at my back wheel the other day. He looked very much like he was going to pounce up at my guests. It took lots of revving before he backed off. It's not even that I went too close. He got up and came to the car. Eeeeek.

Other than that all is well out here. Weather in the mornings is ranging from very cold to bitterly cold but during the afternoons is perfect in the mid20s. Have been driving almost 2 weeks solid so it was with some relief that I checked out my last guests this morning. I came straight to town, then I'm going back to do my laundry, and then, I can get into bed and not move till 6.45am tomorrow when I will already be running late for work and will have to get dressed, and into work within 15mins. Bliss. Have a few days like that till I get more guests come in on saturday and I think then I'm driving 4 days and possibly not again then till the beginning of next month. Need the rest tho. Love driving but it's tiring. 7-8hrs driving each day, starting at 5.15am, not finishing till 9/10pm, having to be on the ball, and upbeat and cheery to guests all that time - its a tough life!!

Anyway, again time is short, using Ant's car again....

xx

Current Mood: sleepy

The life of wa ranger isn't all easy you know, and sometimes it's just downright embarrassing...

Friday night I was driving Scottish Scouts. After our sundown stop I got back into the vehicle and promptly managed to fall right back out. I tried to catch myself on the door and succeeded in wrenching my right shoulder to the point I actually couldn't move it! I was so embarrassed but tried to pass it off much to the amusement of the scouts. It left me in much pain and with a red face!

Next morning driving scouts again...managed to get myself stuck in a river crossing. I'd been unablet o make the turn off the road as tight as I needed coz of my shoulder and so I ended up stuck in deep uncompacted sand. Bad move! Scouts found it hilarious. Kym was having her coffee stop at a place that overlooked the river and saw the whole thing. A little voice came over the radio "Sophie Sophie come in. Do u need help there?" So everyone on the reserve found out I was stuck. 5 vehicles came to help despite not having chains - I think they came more for the amusement of their guests at my expense! Eventually someone managed to pull the vehicle out and yet again I returned to the lodge slightly red faced...

Am still now using Deep Heat and Nurofen coz of my shoulder. And I'm still driving so I have no chance to let it rest. Ah well!

Current Mood: embarrassed

Woooooooh! Finally took some leave after 63 days working with only 2or3 days off. I took off 5 days and went with Ant down to Sodwana Bay to go diving. Murphy's Law hoever had other plans and I've come down with a cold, so no diving for me. That annoying law struck again when Ant came back from a dive on a high after diving with a manta ray - one of my big dreams!! Grrr. Was a lovely few days tho. We also went horse riding along the beach to make up for me not being able to dive. Then on the way back stopped off for a night to check out a friends lodge - Zulu Nyala. Very nice actually. Came back after the 10hr drive exhausted and was back at work yesterday. Am driving again today - some Scottish Scouts or something!! Am paired up with a tracker I've not worked with b4 so I hope all will go well. I'm also going to be brave and sometime next week am going to rish getting my hair cut at a South African hairdressers!!! Wish me luck!

V tired today. The driving wore me out and then I couldn't sleep last night...my manager has a new sound system that he was making use of last night, and he lives next door. Not amused. Thankfully he's away for a week now tho!

Had to come into town after finding my contact lenses were faulty and after breaking my glasses by sitting on them at the dive shop the other day. Thankfully optician here fixed them. But I gotta go - guests arrive soon and it's a long drive back from town.

Current Mood: tired

Ok, so escaped death twice in 16hours the other day. Was driving into work in one of the game drive vehicles and came across the lions in the road. We have 6 but I could only see 5 which made me nervous coz it was dark and lions are completely different creatures at night. I kept seeing shadows in my wing mirrors and got myself all worked up. Jumped sky high when the bush next to me rustled. Then the 2yr old male lion darted out alongside my vehicle only about 1m away from me and stared me in the eyes as he trotted by. I followed them up the road til they turned off. I sat a couple of mins letting them walk far enough away for me to pass. I drove by and out of nowhere the big pride male darted out of a bush straight towards my door. All the stuff I've been taught about not running away coz it initiates a hunt was racing thru my head but I put my foot down coz he didn't look like he was going to stop. And these are open top vehicles so my first thought was that he could jump and land in my lap! He chased me over 50m down the road! I continued driving at 45km/h on the dirt road til I got into the lodge carpark! My heart was pounding. When I picked up my guests I made myself find the lions again - the same sort of reasoning as falling off a horse. It was fine. They were totally relaxed and I left them feeling nice and confident about driving to see lions. That evening I left work - one of my friends drove me home. The lions were about 200m up the road from the lodge. The mother of the cubs raced at the vehicle - my side - but John revved and she backed off. Then he revved again to make the young male move out the road. He ran at the bonnet and the big pride male ran at John's door. When John finally got his act together the males head was no further than 50cm from the window, still running! He nearly smacked into the car! We zoomed along the road, were chased for about 30m and then we carried on top speed back to our accommodation. We were pretty shaken up and reacted by both getting hysterical giggles.

The next morning I took my guests out on drive and was tracking the elephants. We finally found them. The whole herd crossed the road behind me so I reangled the car so that my guests could see better. With that a young bull (about 7yrs old) wandered up to the front of my vehicle. I told my guests that the moment he looks like he is going to be aggressive I'll start the vehicle and rev at him and he'll walk off. He was completely relaxed tho. I however was getting more stressed as the moments went on. He walked up to my tracker (who sits on the front of the bonnet!) then came round the vehicle and stood at my door. I could've touched him without even stretching. He then proceeded to sniff me intensely. His trunk was mere centimetres above my head. My tracker was in hysterics saying "Soph start the engine lets see what he'll do" - like heck! I was talking to him saying complete rubbish but in a nice lilty voice to keep him calm. He carried on sniffing me, his trunk came down about 2cm from my face - the hairs on the end were actually touching me! I know he was just being inquisitive so I had to stay still so as not to scare him. Thankfully my guests did exactly as I told them. I said they had to stay still and quiet and make no sudden movements. My tracker however was still doubled up laughing and kept saying "he's going to steal your hat. No wait, your glasses, no definitely the hat!" After what seemed a lifetime, actually about 3mins, he had smelt enough and walked off after the rest of the herd. I was so tense that the only way I could react was by giggling. I put my head on the steering wheel and laughed for a few mins, as did my guests, and then I carried on the drive in the same professional manner it had started! heheh.

Anyway, I have decided I am no longer driving into work by myself in a game vehicle while it is still dark and I am not letting my tracker tell me to get closer to the eles! I'm def keeping a nice 20m between us! But the way to look at it is...this would never happen in Buckinghamshire!!!

Current Mood: excited

Grrrr! That's defo the best way to start. The last few days have been incredibly stressful and I'm glad to be in town out of the reserve. There is a new head ranger who has issues with Kym and I because....we're girls! He doesn't believe that female rangers will ever manage to be as qualified as male rangers and has been hunting for "ladies" jobs for us to do to keep us busy...how about just allocating us some guests so we can do our job! There was a bit of a show down yesterday morn in which surprisingly I was the peacemaker not the antagonist! Anyway, the general manager is aware of problems and has assured Kym and me that should be told we need to do ladies jobs he will fire this guy! Awesome.

Other than that all is good. It's getting flippin cold here now tho. I had to scrape the ice off Ant's car before driving to work yesterday morning!! Yep...frost in Africa. Morning drives are going to be painfully cold. Think I am driving this weekend, assuming the head ranger doesn't reallocate my guests to one of the guys, and I've already decided I am taking a hot water bottle with me stuffed up my jumper!!

Anyway, as ever time and cash are short. xxxxxxx

Current Mood: annoyed

So....still here in SA and still doing fine. Things are still a little slow at times but yesterday morning went to collect and chop firewood for the bar and restaurant which was a welcome relief from sitting readin in the office! Did manage to get grass seeds in places that grass seeds just shouldn't be, which is odd seeing as had on trousers, shirt, jumper ... ah well, go figure. Anyway was a laugh (til I found grass seeds in my bed this morn which is just confusing).

Weather been amazing but its really getting cold now in the mornings especially. There was a slight frost this morn!!! It's gonna be cold out driving the guests in the mornings in an open top vehicle I tell ya! Should start driving soon (maybe this weekend) so keep your fingers crossed for me. I have now driven a couple of times to the breeding herd of elephants which is still kinda scary - They're really big you know!! Have also driven to the lions which was fine, don't mind them so much, not half as scary as eles. Tomorrow I am going tracking rhino in a vehicle by myself which will involve a river crossing but I did the crossing yesterday just to make sure I could do it without getting stuck and it was fine thankfully.

Anyway, yet again time is short. I need to go back to my ice box of a room and learn my "safety spiel" for reciting to the guests at the beginning of drives!

Feel free to send warm socks, thermals, hats, and gloves..........

x

Current Mood: cold

Well, I'm here and I've survived almost 2 weeks back here - 1 week at the lodge. It's been a bit stressful - so many new people whose names need remembering and jobs need noting and so many trees/flowers/birds/insects and roads to learn! Have driven out a few times in the cruisers by myself which is awesome fun. They're a lot bigger than a Daewoo Matiz that's for sure!! Can drive them and reverse them fine now tho. The first time I took one out with 2 of my managers I begged not to go near the eles as they're kinda scary and I wanted to get used to the vehicle first. What happened? I bumped into the biggest bull on the reserve! I think that was deliberate...stupid managers! Hopefully in a couple of weeks will have enough knowledge of the roads and birds and animals to start taking out some guests which will be exciting. It's a bit boring at the mo as if I'm not jumping onto someones vehicle for drive then I sit in the office for a few hrs in the morn then go back to my room and study til I go to bed! I've been down to GVI a couple of times tho and seen all the guys I worked with before so that's pretty cool. They're having a group dinner at the lodge tonight so I'm going to join them and relax a little.

Was tracker for a couple of days - look at www.edeni.com to see what a game vehicle is like and where the tracker has to sit....SCARY! Not only was I petrified I was going to fall off I was also scared I'd become a plaything for the lions or the eles. Thankfully only encountered the lions who eyed me up but didn't do anything!

Anyway, I gotta run, things to do, people to see and lunch to munch.

Current Mood: content

I've booked my flights - I leave home on April 25th to head back to Karongwe. Flying to Jo'burg then on a transfer flight to Hoedspruit and Ant is going to come pick me up from there. I think I'm having a couple of days at GVI base in the south of the reserve while I sort out my stuff in staff accommodation in the north, and get keys etc. Then I'll move in with Kim and start following her about like a lost puppy till I actually have a clue what's going on! I'm pretty nervous but in a really good wound up spring excited kinda way, if that makes sense. I'm so chuffed I've got the chance to go back. I know it's a cliche but Africa has really got under my skin!

Wohooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Current Mood: hyper

Well I arrived home this morning to a cool crisp English morning. Nothing like it...except a cool crisp South African morning which is 10 times better!

Spent 4 days in Kruger which was awesome. Didn't get great visuals but had such a lovely time. Weather was dire the first day - horrendous storm overnight and rain all day but it got better and was beautiful by the time we left.

Biggest news is that I am heading back to South Africa at the end of the month. Edeni lodges has offered me a job as a ranger. I am heading back to complete my FGASA level 1, whilst doing that I'll be shadowing Kim, one of the rangers there at the mo (will be living with her too). Will also be moving between the 3 lodges - Bush Lodge, Hoyo Hoyo and River Lodge then come June will hopefully be moved permanently to one of the lodges, whichever is most in need of another ranger and then will start taking out my own drives. I'm soooooooooooooooo excited! Love the place so much, so happy I get to go back semi-permanently (depends how long they'll keep renewing my visa!).

Last drive yesterday morning was incredible. I got to see the leopard and her cubs again! We had an awesome visual and it lasted about 45mins. The cubs were playing, got pretty close to us and Tilo walked by in the open. I've not smiled so much ever I don't think as I have in the last few weeks. This has been such an amazing time.

Not much other news but anyone who is nearby I'd love to see u before I leave again!

Current Mood: crazy

Well I'm not staying for another 3 months but I am hopefully staying an extra 10 days which is almost as good! Hoping to spend a few days doing Kruger and then see what else I can fill some time doing.

Life out here is just awesome tho. I'm sure I wrote that last time but it's true! I love it. It's so nice having no idea what is actually going on in the world beyond the reserve. There is nothing to worry about besides the animals and whether we will get across the river to the pump for water before the tanks get empty! I love it!

The rain has continued tho and the reserve is completely saturated. The roads are really messed up and lots have had to be closed to vehicles because they're dangerous now with 3m wide holes in them! Each time more rain falls another road or 5 get closed, soon we'll just have to drive around the outside! The number of trucks getting stuck is ridiculous. Last week one got stuck, its rescuer got stuck, the rescuers rescuer got stuck, and the tractor that went to haul them out also got stuck (and is still there coz no one can get along the road now!).

Other news, the lions were sitting in the garden when we gt in on Saturday night. We'd ventured to a neighbouring reserve to have dinner in one of their lodges (it was pizza nite - yay!) and on our return saw fresh lion tracks in the road. It was the pride male (Zero) and one of the females (Lisa). Lisa was sitting by our braai area (BBQ) and Zero was walking around sniffing outside our back door then went and plonked himself down on the volleyball court we made ourselves! Then he got up and wandered around a bit more, and sat outside my bedroom window, which thankfully is at the side so we were all able to leap out the truck thru the back door, sprint across the veranda and into the kitchen, where we secured ourselves pretty firmly! Even the staff even had the rifles out and loaded! Great excitement in camp I tell ya!

I've seen all the big predators now - the lions are pretty awesome, they're such characters. The cheetahs are great, we walk in on them when we track them and can get to within about 7metres. Very bizarre experience walking in on 2 wild cheetah! The leopards...OMG! I love them. Fave by far even tho have only seen them once. Tilo and her babies - sooooooooooooooooooo pretty. There's such an incredible array of wildlife tho, even when we are unable to get visual of the predators the other stuff we see is great. Yesterday an African fish eagle flew over the house and swooped the washing line!

There's so much more to say but I'm yet again running out of time.

Keep fingers crossed the rain stops soon, we can't cope with anymore! x

Current Mood: cheerful

So - first African entry - apologies for that but have not had a chance before. Things are busy busy busy but heck they're fun! I've been here 7 weeks now and sadly only have 3 weeks left. Have applied to stay on another 3 months so fingers crossed everyone!
There's been a number of close encounters of the wild animal kind, ranging from a hyena in the house on night number 2, to the big bull elephant (who's in musth) turning up by our sundowner point in the river, another bull elephant turning up in our driveway, our truck braking down in front of another bull elephant who attempted to push a tree down on us, a pregnant female elephant trying to push a tree on us (also when we were having truck trouble), and last night - the subject line - when we were faffing about trying to make the spotlight work. We had down our checks for lions then tried to get the light working. The lions, according to our radio telemetry were not nearby, however, when we looked up we were actually being stalked by the big male, the aggressive female and a subadult. They were barely 10metres away. We leapt back into the truck, at which point they ran. Bless Helen (staff) she has never started a car so quickly in her life! Lisa (the female) was about to leap onto the back of the truck (where I was sitting!) but Hels pulled off just in time. I tell ya, lions are scary!!!! But I survived. Slightly shaken but healthy as ever!

The people here are great. I love it. Don't wanna come back! Have no probs living with so many people in such basic conditions. No electricity, rarely hot water, often NO water! It's so much fun.

Anyway, I gotta run, my time at the internet cafe is running out rapidly.

Just so you know, it's been pouring for a week. We're now double the average rainfall for the this time of year!

Take care S xxx

Current Mood: bouncy

Hola
So I'm all done with Tenerife and Exeter and my MSc which is a tad scary. Still in limbo at the mo tho and not really doing much. Doing a bit of voluntary work and done some shifts back at the club in Bath but beyond that not been doing much except looking forward to going to South Africa. Cannot wait! Only a few weeks to go now. Have got most of my stuff already which is cool so not too much left to buy. Had to cancel my trip to S.A. in October coz had to have an op instead so I was pretty annoyed but at least now I'm well enough to go away in Jan.
With all the time I have on my hands at the mo you'd think I'd be able to fill in a job application properly really wouldn't you?? Well, I managed to fill in and send off an application without specifying what job I was applying for! D'uh. What a nut. I got an email from the BAS yesterday saying "Dear Sophie, we recieved your job application today but do not know which job you have actually applied for. Presumably looking at your justification section you are applying for the zoological field assistant post. Please confirm this". So that's me not even getting to an interview then!!
Anyway, have very little to post so I'm off to watch "Without a Trace".
Nite y'all.

Current Mood: tired

In 1.5hours I will be in a taxi on my way to the airport to fly home. My case is packed and is really quite full (fingers crossed no excess baggage charge!). Been very stressed this morning. The computer wouldn´t work and I couldn´t print my ticket ... blah blah blah yeah I should´ve printed it before today. But it´s done now, and so is Fran´s and we are finally feeling less stressed and a little more excited about coming home. Ems is getting me from the airport and I will get home and see Martin, Jess and Mary and co so that´s really cool.

I´m shattered. This last week has been crazy. I´ve not been in bed before 1am most nights and have been up by 7am at the latest! There´s been so much to do but I´ve been living it up a little too. Will and I sat up chattin til nearly 5am the other night which was great except then I was up at 7am and doing some work before spending the day on the boat. Ah well, it´s all good fun!

My last day yesterday was horrendous. I nearly cried saying goodbye to my crew (as in my boat crew not my posse!). Then almost cried saying goodbye to the dive school (by the way...bend down and kiss my fins, I´m an Ocean Diver extraordinaire!). Then almost cried again saying goodbye to the boat owners. I´ve been offered a job if I ever want to come back to Tenerife tho which is awesome! AND, on the chillout cruise on the Mustcat on Wednesday night the owner was going on about how all I have to do to get a job with him is get my seaman´s book and then I can be a guide! He´s also invited me, Fran, Tess and Jo to come stay with him in November and dive with his dive school and go on the boat for free. AWESOME!

Anyway, need tea, or perhaps I will push the boat out and have coffee!

Current Mood: crazy