As I awoke this morning it dawned on me that my journey home is fast approaching and my arrangements for the return trip are far from completed. I therefore decided to go to the internet cafe, ZIg Zag, and sort out some flights and hotel accommodation in Jo'burg, and Dar ES Salaam. The trouble was, and I have said it many times here, is that things do not always work here and today was no exception and my arrangements were at best only slightly further forward than when I arrived.
I hung around until mid day, when the rains came which I have to say I welcomed because as a consequence the afternoon temperature would be much cooler and therefore the afternoon walk would be a better albeit a wet one. When I returned to the lodge I was lucky and pleased as I was given the 2 L's for the afternoon walk and these 2 are definitely the most playful.
After our walk it was feeding time again, although I was not involved in the meat prep thank god but I had to help take the food to the lions. I volunteered to feed the little ones which is probably the most fun of all as you can get closer to them without fear and they are really cute when they eat, however they are growing fast and it won't be too long before they become the same size as the bigger lions are now. It is interesting to note that Hayden has been managed to avoid his meat prep duties for the whole time he has been on the programme but that is probably just as well as he has a pair of pink surgical gloves just in case and the sight of these could cause ridicule not only to him but I could be caught in the cross fire as a fellow volunteer.
The afternoon also involved an inquisition into a pair of missing sunglasses which in true African tradition involves all the black members of the team being assembled in a group and then being lectured about collective responsibility and trust worthiness. Both Hayden and I found the way that this was handled to be most distasteful, but as we are only volunteers here it was best just to let them get on with it and get out of the way. Ever since I first came to Africa over 25 years ago this type of behaviour has prevailed and I am not sure whether it will ever really change.
Once a week the sports volunteers arrange a football match against a local team and this week was no exception except for the first time I was able to play. So I took up my Makalele role just in front of the defence and, as it happened, played quite well for an old timer. We only lost 1-0 the best result the volunteer group has had the locals. I was very surprised by the quality and skill levels of the locals and it should have been 10-0 if they had applied even the most basic of level of organisation. I think though that this is just typical of African football as a whole, loads of talent but uselessly disorganised, or maybe it is just metaphor for Africa as a whole??
The evening I went to the backpackers bar for drinks with several house mates which was great fun.
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