Snot, Crap and Cider!

I've had a couple of days in Jeffrey's Bay and I really love it here. Walking along the beach watching the Dolphins has taken up the majority of my time, as well as hanging out and getting to know everyone here. It's really chilled out and just what I needed after a pretty busy week. My birthday I woke up feeling like hell! Jana made a real effort for me and we had pink champagne and cider by the crate load! Hardly surprising that I didn't want to get up at 6.30am. Moddy had made eggs and sausage for breakfast, I could have kissed him! (I didn't tho, I juat ate it like I'd never been fed!) Luckily we had a 2 hour drive so managed to increase my 2 hours sleep to 4 and was feeling a bit better when we arrived at Craggs Elephant Sanctuary. I walked with 3 female elephants, around the watering hole, through the fields and into the forest. It was incredible. It's breathtaking being so close to them, they're such magnificent creatures!Before long the dull throbbing in my head had completely disappeared and been replaced by butterflies in my stomach. I stood infront of Manny, the largest female, and held my right hand out behind me, she took hold of my hand with her trunk and I lead her around! (I say that, I didn't really lead her anywhere, I walked really quickly infront of her to avoid being trodden on!) She has a really strong grip on my hand and it was really slimey from all the snot, it was quite overwhelming. As we were walking through the forest, Delcuse, the female elephant walking in front of me, decided she had to go and proceeded to do the biggest shit I have ever seen.... all over my feet. Let's just say 3 days on and I can still smell it on me. All part of the experience!
I did have the opportunity to ride one of the Elephants, but I'm not really into riding animals (I also passed on riding an Ostrich earlier in the week!) so I decided against it. I did get to see everything though. I had no idea that their skin is actually hairy, It's a little bizarre! They have the most beautiful eyes with the longest eyelashes I have ever seen. When they walk they only lift one leg off the ground at any one time and their back legs land in the exact same spot their front legs have already stepped on. This is as the skin on their front feet is much stronger and their back feet are much more sensitive, the front feet will flatten and thorny bushes making in more pleasant for their back feet! Elephants cry, but they don't cry from their eyes, they cry from a gland on the side of their head!
I am heading out to African Dawn Wildlife Sanctuary today where I will be volunteering for the next 7 days. I thought I would be leaving early, so I have been sat around for the last 4 hours waiting for my lift! No one here seems to know what's going on! It's a little frustrating, but I'm really excited about this part of my trip! I'm not sure what internet access is like as I will be in the middle of nowhere so it may be a week until my next post.

Snot, Crap and Cider!

Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa