A Night behind the bar

This Saturday I got the opportunity to work as a bartender here at the Mahlahla Resort. It was a new experience for me and I was pretty nervous. I messed up on a quite a few people's drinks partially because I had a hard time picking up on their accent and partially because I wasn't used to their choice of beverages. I got the hang of it as the night went on. I learned how to make quite a few new drinks and shots. The house favorite shots were the springbuck and the longdrop. Hannes wasn't lying when he said there would be more girls than guys there. Everyone found my accent very amusing and some thought I even sounded a bit Canadian. Due to my outside accent everyone insisted on buying me shots, so that was enjoyable as well. I met a few of the locals including one man who had a reserve only for rhinos. He said I will have to stop by later on since right now he only has 7, but will soon be bringing in about 30 more. Everyone I met was very nice and by the end of the night the people still left were having a great time and swinging to the music. We will open up the bar again this upcoming Saturday and that will probably be the last time for the next 4 or 5 weekends due to increasing amounts of hunters arriving. Now that I have the hang of bartending next weekend will be just that much mor enjoyable. I'm not sure what all awaits me this week, but I'm sure I will just keep being surprised and have a great time!

Out in the Bush

I've spent the last couple days out building new roads and camping in the bush of Hannes' friend Brian's reserve, which is about 13,000 acres. On the way there I was very lucky to see 3 cheetahs patrolling the fence line. Once I got there I was introduced to several people. First was another reserve owner and his name was Ruloff. Then I was introduced to Justin and Nico. Justin is 27 and is a professional hunter alongside Hannes and Nico is 20 and he is just beginning his career working for John, yet another reserve owner. Both of these guys are extremely nice and funny and I am getting to know them very well.

My job along with Justin, Nico, and several other workers was to create new roads throughout the reserve. The only piece of equipment we had were machetes to clear the way. It is amazing how just about every piece of vegetation here has some sort of thorn. Some were about 3 inches long while others were very short, but barbed. They were inevitable; I probably pulled about 2 dozen out of my hands, arms, and legs. It was definitely not the most enjoyable part of my experience. By the end of my time there I had to stop working because my hands were so blistered I could no longer hold the machete.

When night got closer I got to meet the reserve owner Brian. He took me out and showed me his herds of Sable and Cape Buffalo. I was able to get within 15 feet of the buffalo so that was very cool. Later on he took me back to the camp I'd be sleeping at. It was just me Justin and Nico. We built a fire and made eggs, bacon, and sausage links. We were right next to a water hole and had to sleep up in a tree blind for our own protection. It was not my greatest night of sleep due to a very noisy jackal, but we did hear a leopard huffing about 75 yards from us throughout the night; which was very cool!

I am back at the lodge now and the last couple days have been extremely laid back. Unfortunately Hannes and his family have not been here the past couple days and probably won't be back until Monday due to Hannes' mother passing away. If everyone could say a prayer for Hannes and his family I'd really appreciate that..

On a different note Justin and I have just been hanging around the lodge. I got to meet his parents and they were very nice. Today I am very excited to Skype with my mom and family! Then, after that I get to bartend for the remainder of the night. The bar is extremely cool, I will be posting pictures later, and it is the only one for about 25 miles in all directions. I am a bit nervous since there will be around 50 people there and I am not very familiar with their beverages and drink choices. I think it should go alright though and I can't wait for what awaits me in days to come!

Photos from Brian's reserve

Pictures of Hannes' Reserve