Let me just start off by saying that I absolutely love it here! I have been able to meet some amazing people and do some really awesome things during my time in South Africa AND I still have a little over a month left to go! I can't wait to see what else happens! I have been extremely fortunate to have been placed at such a wonderful school with a great staff and an absolutely fantastic mentor teacher! Thank you so much to all of you who have made that possible!
Today was quite an eventful day! At school this morning the Grade 7 classes did their Go Kart races down the hill and everyone was able to go and watch. There was lots of excitement becuase one of the boys in my class actually got hit on accident...but he's finenow, don't worry. The Grade 7's were on 3-man teams with 1 driver and 2 pushers. The pushers would run with the go kart up to a certain point and then let the driver take it down the hill. As the pushers released one of the karts, the driver did not have complete control of the steering rope and veered straight towards my Grade 4 class sitting on the curb. Luckily everyone jumped out of the way except for one, Jacques. It hit him on the side of the leg before crashing into a tree. Thankfully he only suffered some brusing and of course complete shock, but he was most certainly a trooper!
After talking to Mrs. Hobson today, it is now official that I will not be moving down to Grade 2 (Junior Prep) until next Wednesday. I was supposed to be starting down there on Monday but I get to have 3 more days with my Grade 4's! Of course I am excited to go down to the little kids and get to have some girls but I'm really sad to leave my boys and most certainly, Mrs. Hobson. Luckily the schools do most things together so I will still be really involved with Senior Prep!
After school I had the priviledge of going with Susan (a missionary from the States) out to the township to serve soup to some AIDS orphans at the Jabez Health Clinic. Well that's what was supposed to happen but all of the kids weren't there due to school holiday so I just got the tour. I was extrememly humbled by "Mama" the lady who cooks the soup with her strong faith and generous spirit. She has chosen to do this soup kitchen with her own money that she recieved from her retirement fund and gets nothing in return. Once a week she makes soup for 69 children who have lost both of their parents to AIDS. Not only that, she has over 12 people living in her 2 bedroom house at any time and she calls all of them "her children." It was a very eye opening experience that I am very grateful to be a part of. I hope to be able to go back again!
To finish off the day, all of the ladies who work at St. Andrews got together at one of the teacher's houses to celebrate all of the September birthdays! Of course they somehow remembered that I was included in this as well so we all were serenaded on the piano. It was really neat to be able to hang out with the staff outside of the school context; of course we had to talk about the kids a few times. It was a fun evening of drinks, snacks, and chatting!
Highlight of the day: After school was over one of the boys, Brian, came up to me with a Dr.Pepper in his hand! Of course, I immediately freaked out! His mom actually went to high school in the States and we had talked about how much I missed Dr.Pepper so she brought me one. I was so excited! Apparently they sell it in East London, a town about an hour from here, so I will definitely be making a trip up there in the very near future to stock up!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Must be doing something right...
You know when you have those days when you just feel like everything goes right? Well I had one of those today and it was wonderful! This week I have basically taken over all of the subjects that my host teacher (Mrs. Hobson) teaches, so I've been like a real teacher! With the exception of Afrikaans and Xhosa (African languages) and a few random periods, it's all been mine. With the hype of the reuinon over and everything being settled back down it has been really nice, but of course I always love the excitement too!
Only having 18 boys in class makes things much easier as well. Since Monday, the Under 11 Cricket Team has been gone to Knysna on "Cricket Tour." Basically this is like a tournament where different schools from around the area come and play each other for a few days of friendly competetion. All of the boys who were going were extrememly excited! These type of events happen throughout the year with different teams and different age groups.
That being said, having a smaller class is much easier to work with and much more fun! Using the Starburst that I brought from America, I did an adjective lesson with my boys where they had to eat a candy that they had never tried before and give me all of the descriptive words (or adjectives) that they could think of. They absolutely loved this (and hopefully learned something as well)!
During Natural Science we have been studying the 5 senses and currently we are on sight. When discussing the topic, I was telling the boys about how I wore contacts; they were fascinated at this concept. Of course they have contacts in South Africa, they just weren't very familiar with them. So today I brought in my contact solution and showed the boys how to put them in, take them out, clean them, etc. They were absolutely amazed! It was so cute!
Finally to end the school day I did a computer lesson using the Paint program and we discovered some really cool optical illusions online. At St. Andrews, the classroom teachers also teach computer; there is no specific computer specialist. This was the first time that I had ever taught this before and I really enjoyed it and the boys seemed to as well. This is just another example of how everyone does everything at this school and I really like that system!
Highlight of the day: After school was over I was talking to Mrs. Hobson and she said, "I am definitely going to miss you when you leave for Junior Prep next week. I have really been impressed with your teaching and think that you are a wonderful teacher!" It was definitely a very sweet and reassuring comment to top off a wonderful day!
Only having 18 boys in class makes things much easier as well. Since Monday, the Under 11 Cricket Team has been gone to Knysna on "Cricket Tour." Basically this is like a tournament where different schools from around the area come and play each other for a few days of friendly competetion. All of the boys who were going were extrememly excited! These type of events happen throughout the year with different teams and different age groups.
That being said, having a smaller class is much easier to work with and much more fun! Using the Starburst that I brought from America, I did an adjective lesson with my boys where they had to eat a candy that they had never tried before and give me all of the descriptive words (or adjectives) that they could think of. They absolutely loved this (and hopefully learned something as well)!
During Natural Science we have been studying the 5 senses and currently we are on sight. When discussing the topic, I was telling the boys about how I wore contacts; they were fascinated at this concept. Of course they have contacts in South Africa, they just weren't very familiar with them. So today I brought in my contact solution and showed the boys how to put them in, take them out, clean them, etc. They were absolutely amazed! It was so cute!
Finally to end the school day I did a computer lesson using the Paint program and we discovered some really cool optical illusions online. At St. Andrews, the classroom teachers also teach computer; there is no specific computer specialist. This was the first time that I had ever taught this before and I really enjoyed it and the boys seemed to as well. This is just another example of how everyone does everything at this school and I really like that system!
Highlight of the day: After school was over I was talking to Mrs. Hobson and she said, "I am definitely going to miss you when you leave for Junior Prep next week. I have really been impressed with your teaching and think that you are a wonderful teacher!" It was definitely a very sweet and reassuring comment to top off a wonderful day!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
125 Years and Counting
2010 marks the 125th anniversary of St. Andrews Prep School and this weekend was the big reunion of all the old "Preppies" that have ever attended the school. As you can imagine, much hard work and preparation had to go into this in order for it to be a success so the school was buzzing with excitement and anticipation.
Thursday night was the "Blues Cruize - Art and Music Evening" for the community and their parents. The students performed a combination of scences from 3 of the most popular school plays that were performed in the past. There was an intermission where drinks and finger foods were served, followed by a musical type show that began in 1885 and went all the way up until today. This included songs such as "Surfing USA," "It's a Small World," and the theme from "Chicago." One of the last songs of the show featured all of the teachers singing with the choir and somehow I got included in this as well. The show was was so cute and fun! It is crazy how much the boys enjoy being in the choir and acting out their parts; It was definitely much different from America in this regard.
Song from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat"
Since it is an all boys school, and most plays have girls in them...the boys got to be girls! This was hilarious! I helped out with putting on their makeup for the performances and, although they would never admit it, most of them really loved it. I even had one little boy who made me re-do his lipstick because he accidentily smudged it!
Some of the Fairy Godmothers (all boys in real life)!
Friday night the students did the same program but this time it was for the Reunion guests. It was really interesting to see the people who attended; their ages ranging from 20's - 80's. Some of the older couples were absolutely adorable! They were all so sweet and very curious as to what I was doing in South Africa...of course the accent always gives me away!
"Ag, Please Daddy" performed with the teachers
The chorus goes like this...
"Popcorn, chewing gum, peanuts, and bubblegum
Ice cream, candy floss, and Eskimo pie
Ag, Daddy how we miss jelly tots and licorice
Pepsi Cola, Ginger Beer, and Canada Dry."
Saturday morning was an "Old Boys vs. Preppies" Cricket tournament and although I still don't understand the rules of the game, it was fun to watch! There was a fundraising banquet that night and a family service at tthe school Sunday morning as well. Overall the weekend was very interesting and I'm definitely glad that I had the opportunity to participate in such an important event!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Jazz and Basketball
This morning I went to a jazz concert in the park and it was really nice! It felt good to be at a completely "local" event with lots of families there, the weather was perfect, and the music was very good too. Some of the people even brought picnic lunches and stuff so it was really cute. It reminded me a lot of an event that my mom would want to go to!
This afternoon I went to a basketball tournament between 2 of the local colleges, Rhodes University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. It was really interesting and much different than American basketball that's for sure. I was actually able to meet Andile, a guy who worked in Colorado this summer with one of my friends. He was playing for NMMU. Basketball is so much more laid back here with much less pressure. Because it is much less popular than rugby and cricket, I think they typically think of it as less important.
This afternoon I went to a basketball tournament between 2 of the local colleges, Rhodes University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. It was really interesting and much different than American basketball that's for sure. I was actually able to meet Andile, a guy who worked in Colorado this summer with one of my friends. He was playing for NMMU. Basketball is so much more laid back here with much less pressure. Because it is much less popular than rugby and cricket, I think they typically think of it as less important.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Best Present EVER
Today I got a package in the mail...actually I got 2! They were from Mama and Daddy for my birthday! Although they got to Grahamstown on Monday I didn't actually get them until today. (It's crazy what all things have to go through in order to be sent to another country.) Anyways it was very exciting to get lots of "American" snacks as well as the Costa sunglasses that I have been wanting forever!
I knew that I was getting a package with some snacks and stuff but I had no idea about the sunglasses. And I absolutely LOVE surprises! When I opened up the box I was literally jumping up and down screaming out loud! Good thing no one was at home at the time. It's amazing the things that I take for granted when I am in America in the comforts of home. Who would have ever thought that I would be so excited to get a box of snacks and stuff??
I knew that I was getting a package with some snacks and stuff but I had no idea about the sunglasses. And I absolutely LOVE surprises! When I opened up the box I was literally jumping up and down screaming out loud! Good thing no one was at home at the time. It's amazing the things that I take for granted when I am in America in the comforts of home. Who would have ever thought that I would be so excited to get a box of snacks and stuff??
My goodies!
If you can't tell that is: pecans, peanuts, cashews, Crasins, Wheat Thins, M & M's (plain and peanut butter), Orbit, Kool-aid, Reece's pieces, Reece's minis, my Aunt Pam's home made granola, Burt's Bees, nail polish, and a brand new pair of Costa sunglasses (UGA croakie from Michael)! Basically LOTS of amazingness!
Thank you Mama, Daddy, and Michael for my wonderful birthday present!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Monkey Races, Bible study, and a puddle in the kitchen
I know it has been like 5 days since I have written on here and I appologize but things have been a little crazy! With school getting back into the full swing of things, Misty and I being moved into the flat, and other random activities going on, I have been really busy. But of course, those who know me, know that I wouldn't have it any other way!
Last night we had "Old Prep Supper" at the school and it was really neat! This is basically a fancy baquet for the Seniors who attended St. Andrew's Prep when they were in Grades 1-7. There was a very nice dinner where I ate some type of seafood salad and some kind of lamb...both firsts for me! In Africa it is considered rude to not eat what they give you, so I did. It was actually really good too! After dinner and all of the speeches are over everyone goes up into one of the dorms for the "monkey races." They have moved all of the beds to the sides of the room and have the lines marked off on the floor...talk about intense! Basically the "Matrics" (Seniors in high school) do relay races against the Prep boys (Grades 4-7), the Stooges (college kids who live with the students), and some of the teachers. They each have a 5 man team that each does forward crab crawl, backward crab crawl, monkey walk, walking, and running. It was so exciting! Everyone was standing on the beds and chairs in order to see while cheering!
This experience definitely made me want to be a part of a school like St. Andrews! Although sometimes I feel bad for the boys who are forced to live at school all of the time and not get to see their families very often, the environment is just like a family of its own. It's almost like the school is its own little world and it's really nice! This is something I have never experienced in America before that's for sure! The teachers are so much more involved with one another, the students, and even the parents. I'm not saying I'm moving to South Africa but I just really love the atmosphere here!
On Tuesday night I was invited to go with Zane (one of the teachers at school) to a Bible study and it was really nice! There were 10 people of all ages and nationalities there including a missionary couple from the U.S. This was the first time that I have been to anything related to Jesus in a group in over a month and it was really encouraging! They are going through the book of Romans, simply studying the scripture and sharing interpretations. Hopefully I will be able to continue going becuase I really enjoyed it!
Tonight while cooking dinner, Misty and I discovered a puddle of water in the floor! After a few minutes we determined that our sink and toilet were leaking water on to the kitchen floor every time we used either of them! To make a long (and quite funny) story short, we ended up washing our dishes with a pot in the bathroom while stepping over soaking wet towels laying in the floor! It was pretty funny looking back. Hopefully they will be able to fix it tomorrow so that we don't float away!
Side note - I have been adding to my "Safari Across South Africa" post slowly but surely so make sure you check it out! You can just click on it on the right hand side of the page.
Last night we had "Old Prep Supper" at the school and it was really neat! This is basically a fancy baquet for the Seniors who attended St. Andrew's Prep when they were in Grades 1-7. There was a very nice dinner where I ate some type of seafood salad and some kind of lamb...both firsts for me! In Africa it is considered rude to not eat what they give you, so I did. It was actually really good too! After dinner and all of the speeches are over everyone goes up into one of the dorms for the "monkey races." They have moved all of the beds to the sides of the room and have the lines marked off on the floor...talk about intense! Basically the "Matrics" (Seniors in high school) do relay races against the Prep boys (Grades 4-7), the Stooges (college kids who live with the students), and some of the teachers. They each have a 5 man team that each does forward crab crawl, backward crab crawl, monkey walk, walking, and running. It was so exciting! Everyone was standing on the beds and chairs in order to see while cheering!
This experience definitely made me want to be a part of a school like St. Andrews! Although sometimes I feel bad for the boys who are forced to live at school all of the time and not get to see their families very often, the environment is just like a family of its own. It's almost like the school is its own little world and it's really nice! This is something I have never experienced in America before that's for sure! The teachers are so much more involved with one another, the students, and even the parents. I'm not saying I'm moving to South Africa but I just really love the atmosphere here!
On Tuesday night I was invited to go with Zane (one of the teachers at school) to a Bible study and it was really nice! There were 10 people of all ages and nationalities there including a missionary couple from the U.S. This was the first time that I have been to anything related to Jesus in a group in over a month and it was really encouraging! They are going through the book of Romans, simply studying the scripture and sharing interpretations. Hopefully I will be able to continue going becuase I really enjoyed it!
Tonight while cooking dinner, Misty and I discovered a puddle of water in the floor! After a few minutes we determined that our sink and toilet were leaking water on to the kitchen floor every time we used either of them! To make a long (and quite funny) story short, we ended up washing our dishes with a pot in the bathroom while stepping over soaking wet towels laying in the floor! It was pretty funny looking back. Hopefully they will be able to fix it tomorrow so that we don't float away!
Side note - I have been adding to my "Safari Across South Africa" post slowly but surely so make sure you check it out! You can just click on it on the right hand side of the page.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
My 22nd Birthday
First I want to thank everyone for all of the birthday wishes from Thursday! I definitely felt loved all day long! I haven't been able to update my blog very regularly lately becuase of the Internet connections...you never know when it is going to work properly over here. So I have a few updates...
On my 22nd birthday, my mom called me at 7am (1am Gerogia time) to wish me a happy birthday before I went to school and that just started off the festivities for the day. All of the boys at school told me "Happy Birthday Miss Willard" literally EVERY single time they saw me and one of them even brought me flowers. They are so precious! (most of the time) Of course they devoured the cupcakes that I had made for them too. We went out for lunch at a local cafe and Ms. Baxen cooked dinner for me and had a cake for all of us. Overall, I had a great birthday! It actually feels weird to be 22...for some reason it just makes me feel old!
Mom had also put a few presents in my suitcase before I left so I had some small gifts to open. The best part though was the card my Aunt Pam made for me! It said, "Roses are red, Violets are blue, Even though you are in Africa, Happy Birthday to you!" It's really encouraging to get stuff like that when you're over 9,000 miles from home. Haley (from Student Life) also sent me a letter in the mail with some pictures which was really sweet too! Thank you to everyone who helped make my birthday extra special from far away...I got lots of texts (including the one from Daddy at 2am) voice mails, and Facebook messages of course!
Today didn't really feel like I was in South Africa at all. After sleeping late, Misty and I got up and went shopping in town, out to lunch, ran a few errands and even went to the movies! It was pretty cool to see an American movie...made me feel at home! We also got a French press coffee maker and had real coffee (not instant) for the first time in over a month...it was amazing! I'm still working on updating all the info about my trip and as you can tell it is taking me a while, but I will finish as soon as I get some extra time!
Happy Birthday to the BEST baby brother in the entire world, Michael Willard! I can't believe you're already 17, but I hope you have an awesome day! I love and miss you like crazy!
On my 22nd birthday, my mom called me at 7am (1am Gerogia time) to wish me a happy birthday before I went to school and that just started off the festivities for the day. All of the boys at school told me "Happy Birthday Miss Willard" literally EVERY single time they saw me and one of them even brought me flowers. They are so precious! (most of the time) Of course they devoured the cupcakes that I had made for them too. We went out for lunch at a local cafe and Ms. Baxen cooked dinner for me and had a cake for all of us. Overall, I had a great birthday! It actually feels weird to be 22...for some reason it just makes me feel old!
Mom had also put a few presents in my suitcase before I left so I had some small gifts to open. The best part though was the card my Aunt Pam made for me! It said, "Roses are red, Violets are blue, Even though you are in Africa, Happy Birthday to you!" It's really encouraging to get stuff like that when you're over 9,000 miles from home. Haley (from Student Life) also sent me a letter in the mail with some pictures which was really sweet too! Thank you to everyone who helped make my birthday extra special from far away...I got lots of texts (including the one from Daddy at 2am) voice mails, and Facebook messages of course!
Today didn't really feel like I was in South Africa at all. After sleeping late, Misty and I got up and went shopping in town, out to lunch, ran a few errands and even went to the movies! It was pretty cool to see an American movie...made me feel at home! We also got a French press coffee maker and had real coffee (not instant) for the first time in over a month...it was amazing! I'm still working on updating all the info about my trip and as you can tell it is taking me a while, but I will finish as soon as I get some extra time!
Happy Birthday to the BEST baby brother in the entire world, Michael Willard! I can't believe you're already 17, but I hope you have an awesome day! I love and miss you like crazy!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Back to School
Today I started back to school and it was an extrememly busy day! It felt really nice to be back to something a bit more familiar and seeing some friendly faces. The boys were also excited to see one another and were very anxious but overall it was a great day.
I started helping with "Athletics" today as my sport for the season. This is what they call Track & Field and I have the proviledge of helping out with the High Jump! Don't worry...I'm just helping. There are 3 other guys there who are actually doing the coaching. Haha! It was definitely entertaining to see all of the boys trying to jump over the bar. Some were able to sail over it with ease...some had a little less luck.
At St. Andrews, all of the students participate in every sport. With each season comes new sports with this season having all of the track and field events, Cricket, and Tennis. They rotate through the seasoned sports on a weekly basis. The ones who want to actually be on the team (and who are good enough) get to compete against the other schools, etc. I think it's really neat that all of the students get to participate!
Tonight was spent making cupcakes for my students for my birthday tomorrow! I know it's a little strange for me to take cake for myself but it was a good excuse for me to make cupcakes and to allow me to treat my students...I'll take any excuse! I hope the enjoy them as much as I enjoyed licking the bowl!
I started helping with "Athletics" today as my sport for the season. This is what they call Track & Field and I have the proviledge of helping out with the High Jump! Don't worry...I'm just helping. There are 3 other guys there who are actually doing the coaching. Haha! It was definitely entertaining to see all of the boys trying to jump over the bar. Some were able to sail over it with ease...some had a little less luck.
At St. Andrews, all of the students participate in every sport. With each season comes new sports with this season having all of the track and field events, Cricket, and Tennis. They rotate through the seasoned sports on a weekly basis. The ones who want to actually be on the team (and who are good enough) get to compete against the other schools, etc. I think it's really neat that all of the students get to participate!
Tonight was spent making cupcakes for my students for my birthday tomorrow! I know it's a little strange for me to take cake for myself but it was a good excuse for me to make cupcakes and to allow me to treat my students...I'll take any excuse! I hope the enjoy them as much as I enjoyed licking the bowl!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Safari across South Africa!
Day 5
Today we went hiking...like intense in the woods, crawling over boulders, legs about to fall off hiking! From 10am - 5pm basically all we did was hike acutally. It was incredibly beautiful though so it was okay. All of it was along the coast and it looked like a scence from "Pirates of the Caribbean" or something. The water was like teal colored and the waves smashed against the rocks...it was an amazing sight!
The first part of the journey was to a waterfall and on the way there was a cave we got to explore. The second part was to a suspended bridge that hung over the intersection of the Storms River (the same river that I bungee jumped over) and the Ocean. The third and final part was up to the top of one of the mountains to a breath taking lookout point. Basically everywhere we went was incredibly gorgeous! All of this is inside of the Tsitsikama National Park by the way.
Random...I washed some of my clothes today in the bathroom sink using my shampoo! That's what happens when you're on a safari in Africa I guess!?
Day 4
This morning we stopped at Plettenburg Bay and I got to stick my toes in the Indian Ocean! Although it was freezing cold, it was awesome! We also got to see a Blue Whale and her baby from a distance. It was crazy! I had heard about whale watching in South Africa but never thought that I would be able to experience it.
I also bungee jumped today! It was absolutely insane! I was terrified...but it was awesome! I probably wouldn't go do it again tomorrow but maybe in a few days. I bought all of the pictures and the video and will try to upload it on here if possible. By the way, I'm sorry that I can't put up tons of pictures. I have taken over 500 already but it uses up lots of the month's Internet allotment and it also takes like 10 minutes to put up 1.
After returning to the lodge, a few of us went to a nearby nature park and went for a little hike through the woods to see the "Big Tree." I'm definitely going to be in shape after this trip though; all the walking and hiking and carrying things all the time!
Day 3
Today was a little bit less eventful as far as exciting things go but it was much needed! I did not sleep well or enough last night and 6:30am came WAY too early. We arrived in Knysna after a 2 hour drive and got to explore the city. After lunch we went on a "lagoon cruise" where we road a boat to the spot where the river meets the Indian Ocean. The waves were enormous and shook the boat like crazy but it was definitely beautiful!
We got to have our 1st authentic African meal tonight and it was delicious! I don't know if I was just starving or if it really was good. It was called "baraza and pap" - kind of like a pot roast mixed with grits. Sounds weird but that's the best comparison I can think of. I have also developed the habit of drinking tea...a lot! Becuase South Africa was a British colony they drink tea like 4 times a day. They also have coffee...the problem is, it's instant. It's not horrible but it's definitely not Starbucks!
Day 2
Today I rode an ostrich and it was awesome! I was the first one in the group to go so I had no idea what to expect. It was so awkward to put my legs under the huge wings of an ostrich and when they let it go it ran much faster than I expected. Luckily one of the guys in my group got a video becuase it was definitely entertaining! This was definitely the highlight of my day...and a huge adrenaline rush for some reason!
This morning we woke up and literally stepped out of the tent and into a cloud! A really cold, wet cloud. After packing up camp, we drove for about 4 1/2 hours to Outshoorn, stopping along the way to see some highlights and take a few pictures. Once there, we set up camp and headed to The Cango Ostrich Farm and then on to Cango Caves. We went on the "adventure tour" and were able to crawl, squeeze, and climb our way through the caves. I had never done anything like this before and it was really neat. I was a little nervous about getting claustrophobic but it was fine!
Afterwards a few of us walked into town to explore for a little while before dinner. Although the food has been very different than what I'm used to, it has been pretty good. I'm writing this while sitting inside my sleeping bag wearing furry socks, leggings, pajama pants, a long sleeved shirt, my pullover, and my beach towel/blanket over my legs! I didn't get cold last night and hopefully won't tonight either! During the day it feels nice but as soon as the sun goes down, the temperature does too!
- It's Liz Barnes' 21st birthday today! Happy Birthday LIZ!! Wish I was there to celebrate with you!
- I finally ate all of my Ritz bitz with cheese today! They lasted me for 2 1/2 weeks!
Day 1Today we started our actual tour with a group called Nomad Tours. We met at 8am in Cape Town and were introduced to our 2 guides, Johannes and Elroy, and the 4 other tourists. We were joined by Alex (a lady from Germany), Mary (a girl from London), and Ilona and Libris (both from Germany as well). Everyone seems extrememly nice and I'm definitely excited to see what happens!
We started off our journey by going to Stellenbosch (part of "Wine Country") to tour a vineyard/winery called Spier Winery and have a wine tasting. It was very informative and quite intersting! Vineyards cover much of the surrounding landscape for miles and miles. I definitely didn't realize how much wine was a part of the South African lifestyle!
Afterwards we visiting a Cheetah Conservation Project where we were abel to get up close and personal with some cheetahs. They shared with us all of the deatils about what they are doing to try and help the animals and their life in the wild. They are such beautiful creatures!
We drove through some amazing landscape on our way to the camp site; beautiful mountains, river valleys, views of the ocean...all really lovely! Our camp site is right beside a river at a cute little camping resort. Hopefully I won't freeze tonight so I'll be ready for tomorrow!
The Start of Our Journey
On Saturday night (Aug 22), Misty and I boarded a Greyhound bus and headed to Cape Town, South Africa full of excitement for our coming adeventure! After a 12 hour ride, we arrived at 10am and had the entire day to explore the city. Although it was cloudy and a little rainy, we were able to hop on a tour bus and ride all around, getting on and off wherever we wanted. It was really neat to be able to see all of the highlights and hear the history behind it as well.
First we just road through much of the city center seeing some of the museums and parks but we didn't get off. We rode up to Table Mountain but weren't allowed to ride the cable car due to the weather; the view was amazing even with the clouds! Our next stop was Camps Bay on the coast. The mountains overlooking the ocean crashing on to huge rocks was an awesome sight...it looked like a movie scence. There were lots of shops and resturants that lined the beach and it proved to be a place that I could definitely live. Lastly we stopped at Waterfront which is a harbor area with tons of boats, shops, resturants, a ferris wheel, an aquarium, etc. We were even able to see seals here! The day was complete with pizza for dinner and talking to lots of interesting people at the hostel we stayed at.
Today we went hiking...like intense in the woods, crawling over boulders, legs about to fall off hiking! From 10am - 5pm basically all we did was hike acutally. It was incredibly beautiful though so it was okay. All of it was along the coast and it looked like a scence from "Pirates of the Caribbean" or something. The water was like teal colored and the waves smashed against the rocks...it was an amazing sight!
Random...I washed some of my clothes today in the bathroom sink using my shampoo! That's what happens when you're on a safari in Africa I guess!?
Day 4
This morning we stopped at Plettenburg Bay and I got to stick my toes in the Indian Ocean! Although it was freezing cold, it was awesome! We also got to see a Blue Whale and her baby from a distance. It was crazy! I had heard about whale watching in South Africa but never thought that I would be able to experience it.
Plettenburg Bay
They had to push me a little if you can't tell!
After returning to the lodge, a few of us went to a nearby nature park and went for a little hike through the woods to see the "Big Tree." I'm definitely going to be in shape after this trip though; all the walking and hiking and carrying things all the time!
Day 3
Today was a little bit less eventful as far as exciting things go but it was much needed! I did not sleep well or enough last night and 6:30am came WAY too early. We arrived in Knysna after a 2 hour drive and got to explore the city. After lunch we went on a "lagoon cruise" where we road a boat to the spot where the river meets the Indian Ocean. The waves were enormous and shook the boat like crazy but it was definitely beautiful!
The Knysna Lagoon
We got to have our 1st authentic African meal tonight and it was delicious! I don't know if I was just starving or if it really was good. It was called "baraza and pap" - kind of like a pot roast mixed with grits. Sounds weird but that's the best comparison I can think of. I have also developed the habit of drinking tea...a lot! Becuase South Africa was a British colony they drink tea like 4 times a day. They also have coffee...the problem is, it's instant. It's not horrible but it's definitely not Starbucks!
Beautiful Sunset
Day 2
Today I rode an ostrich and it was awesome! I was the first one in the group to go so I had no idea what to expect. It was so awkward to put my legs under the huge wings of an ostrich and when they let it go it ran much faster than I expected. Luckily one of the guys in my group got a video becuase it was definitely entertaining! This was definitely the highlight of my day...and a huge adrenaline rush for some reason!
The ostrich I rode!
This morning we woke up and literally stepped out of the tent and into a cloud! A really cold, wet cloud. After packing up camp, we drove for about 4 1/2 hours to Outshoorn, stopping along the way to see some highlights and take a few pictures. Once there, we set up camp and headed to The Cango Ostrich Farm and then on to Cango Caves. We went on the "adventure tour" and were able to crawl, squeeze, and climb our way through the caves. I had never done anything like this before and it was really neat. I was a little nervous about getting claustrophobic but it was fine!
In the Cango Caves
Afterwards a few of us walked into town to explore for a little while before dinner. Although the food has been very different than what I'm used to, it has been pretty good. I'm writing this while sitting inside my sleeping bag wearing furry socks, leggings, pajama pants, a long sleeved shirt, my pullover, and my beach towel/blanket over my legs! I didn't get cold last night and hopefully won't tonight either! During the day it feels nice but as soon as the sun goes down, the temperature does too!
Scenery along the Garden Route
- It's Liz Barnes' 21st birthday today! Happy Birthday LIZ!! Wish I was there to celebrate with you!
- I finally ate all of my Ritz bitz with cheese today! They lasted me for 2 1/2 weeks!
Day 1Today we started our actual tour with a group called Nomad Tours. We met at 8am in Cape Town and were introduced to our 2 guides, Johannes and Elroy, and the 4 other tourists. We were joined by Alex (a lady from Germany), Mary (a girl from London), and Ilona and Libris (both from Germany as well). Everyone seems extrememly nice and I'm definitely excited to see what happens!
We started off our journey by going to Stellenbosch (part of "Wine Country") to tour a vineyard/winery called Spier Winery and have a wine tasting. It was very informative and quite intersting! Vineyards cover much of the surrounding landscape for miles and miles. I definitely didn't realize how much wine was a part of the South African lifestyle!
Afterwards we visiting a Cheetah Conservation Project where we were abel to get up close and personal with some cheetahs. They shared with us all of the deatils about what they are doing to try and help the animals and their life in the wild. They are such beautiful creatures!
We drove through some amazing landscape on our way to the camp site; beautiful mountains, river valleys, views of the ocean...all really lovely! Our camp site is right beside a river at a cute little camping resort. Hopefully I won't freeze tonight so I'll be ready for tomorrow!
The Start of Our Journey
On Saturday night (Aug 22), Misty and I boarded a Greyhound bus and headed to Cape Town, South Africa full of excitement for our coming adeventure! After a 12 hour ride, we arrived at 10am and had the entire day to explore the city. Although it was cloudy and a little rainy, we were able to hop on a tour bus and ride all around, getting on and off wherever we wanted. It was really neat to be able to see all of the highlights and hear the history behind it as well.
At Camps Bay!
First we just road through much of the city center seeing some of the museums and parks but we didn't get off. We rode up to Table Mountain but weren't allowed to ride the cable car due to the weather; the view was amazing even with the clouds! Our next stop was Camps Bay on the coast. The mountains overlooking the ocean crashing on to huge rocks was an awesome sight...it looked like a movie scence. There were lots of shops and resturants that lined the beach and it proved to be a place that I could definitely live. Lastly we stopped at Waterfront which is a harbor area with tons of boats, shops, resturants, a ferris wheel, an aquarium, etc. We were even able to see seals here! The day was complete with pizza for dinner and talking to lots of interesting people at the hostel we stayed at.
In front of "Lego Man" and the harbor @ Waterfront
Today was definitely an awesome introduction to our trip!
Mr. Seal!
Home Again (sort of!)
I am finally back to Grahamstown (my temporary home) from my safari across South Africa and it was absolutely AMAZING! There are really no words to describe all of the wonderful experiences that I had...it was a once in a lifetime kinda thing that's for sure! I'm not gonna lie, I was ready to sleep in an actual bed and have clean clothes to wear but I am so glad that I went! I start back to school tomorrow morning and I'm actually very excited to see everyone again!
While I was gone I kept a journal of things that happened every day so that I could update everyone once I returned. The plan is for me to post them on my blog on a daily basis. It may get a little bit confusing but I will try to keep everything seperate. Pictures will accompany the blogs for sure!
Happy Birthday to my absolutely wonderful Mama! I would not be able to be in South Africa having all of these amazing expereiences if it wasn't for her. I love and miss you very much!
While I was gone I kept a journal of things that happened every day so that I could update everyone once I returned. The plan is for me to post them on my blog on a daily basis. It may get a little bit confusing but I will try to keep everything seperate. Pictures will accompany the blogs for sure!
Happy Birthday to my absolutely wonderful Mama! I would not be able to be in South Africa having all of these amazing expereiences if it wasn't for her. I love and miss you very much!
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