Ahhh....

Mon-

Today was a spa day (yipee!).  There's a 5 star lodge here called Makalali and I went up there today for a massage.  THIS is the way to have a massage.  Start out in a open air hut (but it was too cold, so she moved the table onto the deck directly in the sun), warm lavender scented oil, the sun shining directly on you, birds singing, monkeys playing in the trees, and the river bubbling down below.  It was GREAT! 

I started off the morning by relaxing on the deck with a cup of coffee (surprisingly a rarity since I've been here.  Both volunteer sites on have instant- what is the point, except for shabbos when you have no choice?  And was able to see vervet monkeys in the trees, and a bush buck walk by.  One of the staff told me that the meat on the bush buck is really good (I'll take her word for it), but that if a policeman finds you with it, it's 10 years in jail- I guess they're protected animals.

Then the msg (read above).

Then back to the deck by the pool to relax on a lounge chair for 2 hours til I was picked up again.

While waiting to be picked up, I had my bag of snacks out on the table.  I got up to take pics of the monkeys, and they got into my bag and stole a package of crackers.  It was so funny!  One of them ran off with the whole pack, and up into a tree.  I was able to get some pics of him eating them, turning the bag over, etc.  It was so cute!  Then, while I was busy taking pics of him, another one came down and stole the ice out of my drink, then another one stole the remaining ice cube, then a third came down and actually drank from the ice tea.  Unfortunately, my long lens was too big to capture the ice/drink escapades, but it was great to watch!

In my next life, I'd like to only travel via 5 stars, but I figured out that for my 5 weeks here in Africa on the roughing it plan, I could only do 6 nights at the 5 star.  I guess it's worth the extra month, even if I'm slumming it! :)

Up next- a lesson in Zulu ( I have to go find the paper I wrote it on, keep forgetting to bring it when I'm at the computer).

Cheers,
Robyn