traveled to Zimbabwe and survived!

So i have no pictures up yet of anything i know but the girl with the computer has now gone on to her part of the trip and so i don't know how i am going to do it but i will try. So anyways i was nervous about flying to Zimbabwe (or "Zim" as they call it) because of all that was told to me but i got here fine and got all my stuff here without it getting taken. Then John picked me up and we ran a couple erands and headed to the house i was totally in awe. This is the situation.... The farms around here we mainly like maize and tabacco were mainly white people but the government (that is illegal to speak bably of over here) took them over and gave them to locals. The one that i am working on was one of those forever ago but the guy who works with the volunteers and grew up here (Riley) grandfather changed the farm into a animal reserve and he got Black Rhinos and breeded them (which everyone said he couldn't do but he convinced them he coule). So since they had these rhinos there game reserve wasn't taken over although they tried. So Riley works with the volunteers, his cousin Makeila also helps with the volunteers, then there is John who works with the public lodge and manages that. The reserve is HUGE. 2 rhinos (Tatinda and Shanu) and one warthog (Pug) sleep right by the house, which is on the river and has one hippo in it. None of the animals are caged in besides the lion (only female now becuase the male was bitten mby a snake and died....and yes i asked and the snakes are supposedly in hibernation for their winter which is right now so i don't have to be too scared) BUT the cool thing is that they are bringing a lion male here next week and they are goign to introduce it to the female and i get to help and work with them. THey get you right involved. Every morning at about 6am i have to feed the rhinos in their pens where they sleep (before the go out to graze all day) and then 6:!5-9am we are out training and working hands on with the elephants, then 9-10 is breakfast and 10-12:30 is patroling for poachers, observing the animals, and what else needs to be done, then 2-4:30 we go back out to do things with animals, then i have to feed the rhinos dinner when they get back at 4:30 and yest and the next two days i have to bottle feed the baby rhino and it was the most unreal cooooooooolest thing ever!!!!!!!!!!! SO the poaching of rhinos is insane here and they have a crazy story of four rhinos beign killed. Apparently, people are paid to come in and kill the rhino and cut off thier horns and then the horns can be sold for thousands and the asina culture like it bescasue they think the horns have special healing powers...but the horns are just made of carotin. So anyways the elephants and rhinos have handlers with them ALL day and all night so nothing happens. We also have a guide guy. Bright, with us all day that goes around with us. The house has a cook, Liz, who makes AMAZING food and a lady who cleans and does luandry, Cecelia, who does my laundry 3 times a week...better then a hotel. THe best thing is they get you totally involved in EVERYTHING. There is a school too which i will work out most of next week because then they go on break for a month. But on break they will still come and take care of their garden and play sports so that will be fun. OHHHH also, if parents in NYC think the seperation is bad then they should here this one. In Zim at the age of 6 you start school and since it is far they go to school and board for a month and then come home for a weekend and they go back. They do this all through out their schooling. crazy huh?!?!? I went on a game drive today with some tourists from the lodge so i could see all the land and then tom we are working on a golf fundraiser to bring money to help with ending poachers. There are also 2 weddings, which they never have, at the house two weekends in a row so we will see how that goes. I might fly to Victoria falls for a weekend as they say it is amazing. SOOOOO that is all for now. I get only the internet when i am not working out here so my posts with be less often but i will try. I love it here and i am sad that Zim gets such a bad reputation because it is amazing and the people are increadible. Also the lodge only gets and works with people from with in Africa because oversees tourists don't want to come to ZIm due to what they hear and that is sad becuase this place is GREAT! So until later i hope all is well. Thanks for reading.