My name is Janina and in October 2012 I went to South Africa for the very first time. I got to Bambelela thanks to my friend Alex who posted tons of amazing pictures so I simply couldn't resist going and seeing with my own eyes.
Before leaving for South Africa many of my friends told me to make sure to come back home - sure, why wouldn't I??
Well, as soon as I arrived, I knew why - and my friends fear proofed to be justified.
I fell in love with the monkeys as well as with the landscape immediately - and that's why I'm going back in March 2013. And this time I'm staying for a whole year.
How comes that I can afford going to South Africa for a whole year?
Well, I once again messed up my winter-exams and decided to take a gap year to build up new strenght and get a fresh mind. The plan was to work abroad for a few month and then come back and work
with some vets to remind myselfe what I'm studying for.
Unfortunately summer exams where no better than the winter ones and I had to quit my studies.
On the plus side of things this set me free to go and stay in South Africa for as long as I did.
Towards the end of my year in South Africa I got invited for a jobinterview for an apprenticeship in Munich zoo "Hellabrunn" - and I got in.
Up-Dates:
Meanwhile I passed my final exams at Hellabrunn.
My time there was full of ups and downs and towards the end it was dominated by downs which is why I don't work there anymore but decided to go back to "my" monkeys.
Unfortunately it's a bit more difficult to get a 3-year visitors visum than I expectet - but I'll be getting there. Wanna know how? Check out Part 5a of my South Africa Journal ;)