Week 2 - Murray Gillies

Week 2 was nothing short of a dream! One of those lucid dreams where everything seems so real but you know it can't be real because there is no way things could be this good. Except this one is real ... I think?
We moved to the city of Meru. A very warm city bustling with people all around. We enjoyed the hospitality of The White Star Hotel as our home base of operations. The work didn't slow down because of the move however. Our walk-in clinic made for a very long, busy day and some tired, thirsty and sunburned vets (some of us were smart enough to wear sunscreen ... not me). The clinic took in over 300 animals for de-worming and general health exams, in just one day! Ticks were abundant on the cows that came and likewise we saw a lot of tick-borne diseases like east coast fever. Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of Farmers Helping Farmers and the donations from the various supporting drug companies, all of these animals were treated! We continued to work very hard in the Meru area, putting on seminars and treating animals. Its amazing the difference that was made in many of the farmers and dairy groups that we worked with, and we hope this work will continue in the future.
Although the joy of helping is the only reward one really needs ("You don't need a reason to help people" - Final Fantasy 9 - That's right, you all knew I was going to make a video game reference sometime!). We were treated to a very special event. AN AFRICAN SAFARI!!! Spending 2 nights at the fabulous Elsa's Kopje resort in Meru National Park was absolutely amazing. You haven't lived until you get a 6:30 am wake up call from an elephant just outside your balcony, or until you drive a van through a stampeding herd of zebra and waterbuck, or until you top a hill to find a mother rhinocerous with her baby, or until you catch a glimpse of the ever elusive lion stalking the plains, or until you have had your picture taken with the very photogenic Charlie the lizard (me not so photogenic). That is only some of the experiences we had and I could go on for pages and hours. It was easily the most amazing experience of my life and I can't thank enough people enough times for it. I only hope that what little work I do here will be adequate for the great thing I recieved.
Week three is fast approaching and will soon be over, but I know it promises to be a good end to a great trip! Stay tuned for week 3's blogs and final remarks, and please help support this great cause anyway you can.