Zimbabwe Jan/Feb 2005 – The text messages

3rd January 2005
Claire

Well goodbye everybody, i hope you have a great january and february, take care, be happy and ill see you in two months! Love Claire x x

4th January 2005
Claire

Reached Harare no problems, got our visas here collected our baggage and now waiting to check in again, flight to Bulawayo leaves at nine, remember im two hours in front. Love you all, miss you already, your claire x x x x
Im safe, just waiting to go to the park, everythings great. Call or text later, love you loads x x

Have more time 2 txt now, still in Gweru @ one of the staff’s house, waitin 2b picked up around 5 2get 2 the park around 8. †Flight was ok, airports are tiny, weather is v.hot, over 30. Head guide who met us is v.nice same goes 4 other volunteer nicki whos in town 4the day. Apparently the fone & internet r v.unreliable so dont know how easy it’l b 2 get in touch x

But apart from that everything sounds great, it seems like its a matter of persistance with the internet, and with gettin a signal with the mobile. So dont panic if u dont hear from me, i will try my very best to phone. Lions sound fantastic! Miss u all loads of hugs †x x x

tinekepeeters

I am jealous!!!!!|

Hello Claire,

I am leaving for Orlando and Miami next week. But I have never been on the other part of America and I am jealous you are doing all the parts of the world I have never been.
Hopefully one day ( sigh )
I will try and keep up as closely as possible.
So how are you feeling. Is it so far as you expected it to be???
In England the weather is finally getting better, but I suppose you are using suncream allready 8), we are slowely trying to walk around without our winterjacket.

Have fun and enjoy yourself so the ones left behind can enjoy you’re pictures.

( Please do not look to closely to my spelling  :-/ )

 

6th January 2005

Claire

The last thing i want u2do is worry u, as i know u will be but as time goes on i no i will feel better. The communication 2the uk is unbelievably bad, all i can do is try my hardest 2get in contact. I know ill be fine in time. Love u all xx
I’ll write this 2nd txt as an add on bcos i cant fit anymore on the other txt. The end of the day the days r gr8 bcos im doin fantastic things & im occupied, thats why the nites r so so hard bcos my thoughts turn 2 home.

7th January 2005
Claire

Just played with the baby cubs only just over a month old. Going to see the adults this afternoon. Feeling better i think, probably have good days and bad days, expect i will get happier as the cubs get to know me more. Hope you are all ok, love you loads, claire x x x x

The food is fine, quite tasty, hot food three times a day, which im already finding a bit much. But its tasty enuf. Plus theres tea to drink so thats a big bonus! The room and bed are great, they are cleaned and made everyday. Put some clothes in the laundry today, probably get them back tomorrow. Definately try and speak to you tomorrow night, it has taken some parents ages and ages to get thru so be prepared. Glad u are all ok. Took some pics today of the baby cubs. Havent started my diary yet but i will do soon- i promise. Thinking of you all loads  hopefully this will send tonight. Keep up with the gym, im hoping to get fitter with all the walking, it’ll take some time thou. Ipod is great, charging no problem. Love u all x||

8th January 2005
Claire

Fantastic talking to you both, so glad it worked in the end. Massive hugs and kisses, night night, sweet dreams your claire always x x x  
 
9th January 2005
Claire

Oh my god! Today was totally amazing! I climbed a mountain then abseiled down it. Got scratched like crazy all over my legs, crawled on my hands and knees up most of the incredibly steep rocks, with no harnesses or ropes! With massive drops either side of us. But had superb people to help. Huge mountain am still on a high now. The abseiling was scary but such an adrenalin rush on the way down. Did four abseils all together to get down. Had the best time x  

From: Frank and Olive

My goodness we thought swimming with sharks was scary!!!!!!! what is this granddaughter of ours going to do next.

10th January 2005

From:Alan Mather
so, she’s trying to make you feel good about letting her go away, right? Did she miss the bit where you told her not to do anything really dumb?

From Mel Riley
I can actually feel her excitement in her txt! Is she tryin 2 give u guys a heart attack! Bless her cotton socks!  

From Filippa Price
Rule number one when u do stuff like that whilst travelling, only tell ur parents AFTER the event!! Sounds like she’s having a ball!

11th January 2005
Claire

Hey u hope ur ok. Im doin good had an ok day, fairly busy on & off. Havin my very first lesson on a horse 2morow which im quite apprehensive about, but im sure it’ll be fine. My instructors quite good apparently. & after sunday & that mountain a horse shld be a breeze. Still recoverin from sunday by the way, pulled all my stomach muscles. Should go to Victoria Falls & another reserve next tuesday. And maybe goin 2 town thurs 2 sort my flights x x

12th January 2005
Claire

Just took some of the biggish cubs out and they more or less refused to walk, not too bothered until i missed my footing on a rock and plunged my foot- shoe, sock, trouser and all into the stream. Still wasnt too concerned until Arthur the lion tried to make a grab for my shoe- not really impressed!  

Chris
And and

Claire
Oh sorry..he didnt get it

13th January 2005
Claire

Not feeling so good today got a stinking cold and cough and a dodgy tummy. Luckly im finished for the morning, i might say im taking the afternoon off if i still feel like this. The great thing is if you are ill they are sympathetic and happy for you to take time out to recover. Sorry to hear about the weather and i hope alan is ok at uni. Thinking of you all, all my love claire x x x x  

Gonna go in2 bulawayo on friday now to sort out the flight tickets. Hopefully be back for nine thirty, ill text you if were not going to back in time. Love me x
 
14th January 2005
Chris

Just had a quick chat with Claire sounds absolutely fine -in Bullawayo today – Victoria Falls sorted for next week – Jet boats Heli rides and boat trips with crocs & Hippos to come – no rain yet very hot – sounds very happy – internet and email hopeless

16th January 2005
Claire

What a day! Laying in bed now in a fair bit of pain, spent most of my day on horseback. Went out this morning after a lion walk in the rain. Went on a client horse ride, the first time ive been on a horse and we went out through the park. Saw giraffe, zebra, impala, wilderbeast, blessbuck, vultures and warthogs- With Their PIGLETS! Then went on a boundary patrol after lunch- on horseback! Then had my lesson- was taught how to walk, trot then CANTER!

20th January 2005
Claire

Well the jet boat was amazing had to climb down the gorge first though which was really hard and scary but the ride was fantastic! Got so so soaked, went right to the base of the falls the closest you can get. Bin for a swim but its started raining now with thunder and lightning- gonna go to afternoon tea at that hotel if we survive the weather! Gonna eat some african food tonight like warthog and imparla etc- wish me luck! x x x

24th January 2005
Claire

Well my original plan was the helicopter and the jetboat but when it came to booking the activity at the Falls i just started thinking how totally unlike me it would be to bungy. So i listened to the talk about it, Hearing the 100% safety record was reassuring and the fact that its Victoria Falls made it that much more encouraging- so i booked it.  
Three others booked it too so it wasnt just me.

As friday afternoon got closer i got more and more nervous, Determined not to tell you my plan as when i discussed sky diving with mum before I left she said to tell her after I had done it – not before. So i was sure you would feel the same way about this.

Anyway we were booked to do it yesterday afternoon but we had a storm so nobody cld jump. Instead we did it first thing this morning before we left. We went to the Falls first thing got so close to them – not as close as in the jetboat but fairly and got completly soaked- it was like we’d sat in a bath. So then we walked to the bridge and we signed in, i was so nervous and cold so i bought one of the t-shirts which was a great souvenir but practical.  

We walked down to the bridge and platform 2 men jumped before me and then i got harnessed up, climbed under the railings onto the platform and got my legs all tied up and the harness’s secured to the bungy. Then i had to hop to the edge – being filmed all the time.  

They said  54321 BUNGY!  

and i jumped! It wasnt until i jumped that i fully realised what i was doing – sounds stupid but its the truth- it was like i oh my god i just jumped off a bridge! And i was flying thru the air and then down. then back up then down and back up then down and so on, screaming with my eyes open arms out, spining round and round.

It seemed to go on and on but then i cld see the guy coming down to get me, he harnessed me to him turning me the right way up and & then I. got winched up 2 just underneath the main bridge, got unharnessed- shaking like a leaf thanking everyone that was there, smiling like crazy.
I walked round with one of the guys underneath the bridge and climbed up the last ladder 2 the top. Collected my stuff & went back 2 the reception to see my photos & my video.  
Truely amazing experience, truely terrifying and crazy but just felt i had to do it.  

So that was it – still smiling x x x

From Frank and olive
It frightened us just to read this. What a girl!!!!!!! Last night we were watching one of the Bonus dics on The Two Towers where Merry did his first Bungy jump to help cure himself of fear of heights.if we had known at the time that Claire was doing this we would never have been able to watch it. Come to think of it we wont be in a hurry to watch it again until we have actually given Claire a BIG hug.

From Alan Mather

I think a bungy jump is one of the truly great experiences. it’s not the same as jumping out of a plane but because the ground is so much nearer it’s just as big a thrill. it’s good that she’s getting all this in now. when she gets home they’ll be work, friends, boyfriends and all those other things that get in the way of having fun all the time! Alan

3rd February 2005
Claire  
The elephants lift their trunks up over their head to you to get a treat. Their massive ears occasionally flapping to keep them cool. Truely fantastic!
 
11th February 2005
Claire

Just got to bed, and can hear the lions at the breeding program roaring! Theyre about 5-6 km away! Cool huh!? X

17th February 2005
Claire

Learning how to fire a gun this morning x x

So this morning we got to fire a dart gun and a real rifle! Then this afternoon we walked into the bush looking for kill sights of lions we found an elephant and a giraffe carcass. Then tomorrow night we are camping in Whange National Park! Hopefully catch a ride back to Bulawayo on saturday then a bus back to the park on sunday. Therefore hopefully have five days at the park. Hope your both good, soon be seeing you x x x x

Sitting in an open top vehicle in the middle of the African bush waiting for hyena to come for the bait weve set up listening to animal sounds over loud speaker.

Well our co-ordinator greg is here with us. Its just transport and petrol is the main problem here. This morning turned out to be completely fantastic we were walking for miles writing down what the animal tracks were when we came across a herd of about thirty elephants! With 1-3 month old babies! x x x

23rd February 2005
Claire

Sorry i havent been in touch these past couple of days, but im sure you will forgive me as i will see you on saturday. Having the most amazing time of my life here, cant remember a time when i have been so completley happy. Im getting a real reputation around the park for my constant smile. Truely fantastic! Love u so much my family, see you so soon x x x x x p.s thank nan and granddad for their letter, recieved it on monday x x x x

25th February 2005
Claire

On the bus now, being picked up at Harare in four hours and taken to a backpackers, then they’ll take me to the airport tonight. Should arrive home around six tomorrow mornin! Cant wait to see you all x x x x x x

Sorry not easy 2 talk as am sittin next 2 a v.large woman takin over most of the seat. I have the aisle seat and am hangin over the edge. So squashed would be the word. So so upset about the park, been crying a lot. Started again now, have had the time of my life made some amazing friends and want so badly to come back again next year. Planning to meet up with the brits when i get back from my trip and hopefully be visited by a few from Zimbabwe too! x x

26th February 2005
Claire

I’ve landed