Kruger Days

Tuesday, January 27: We got into the park around 12 or 1 pm, immediately seeing impala and warthogs upon entering. We also got news that there were lions not 50 meters up the road, and sure enough there was a male and a female lying right next to the road- so exciting! And one of the big five down in the first couple of minutes! We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around seeing giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hyena, and hippo. We even saw several black rhino with a baby (two of the big five down!). We stopped for lunch at one of the several camps within Kruger that have a restaurant, small private bungalows and camping grounds.

Around 4pm we arrived at our camp, which consisted of several tents with two beds and a bedside table in each. The camp also had a tented eating area with a picnic table and all the cooking equipment necessary- there was also a chef. But dinner came later, first Megumi and I joined about 20 other campers on a night drive from 5-8. The most exciting thing we saw was elephants (3 out of 5 down!) which came SO close to the vehicle, the guide had to start yelling to scare them off. It was such a cool drive, the sunset was gorgeous, and it was great to be out there even though we didn't see too much after dark other than owls, rabbits, and snakes. Afterward we got back to camp and we had a great dinner waiting for us of miliepap (made from corn, looks like mashed potatos with a thicker consistancy, and is a staple of the African diet eaten at least twice a day), chicken, and sweet potato. Everything was delicious. I took a shower in the campground bathroom (with several huge bugs, I should add) and went to bed early.


We followed these giraffes up the road for about 15 minutes.

Wednesday, January 28: Henry woke us up at 6am (I have never been a morning person -ever- but I should say that never in my life have I woken up early so many days in a row and NEVER minded it. I guess when you are in such a place waking up to new and exciting things makes it that much easier to do.) for a morning drive. About 10 minutes into the drive Henry spotted a leopard in his rear-view mirror, quickly turned around, and we were able to get a good look at it for about 20 seconds before it slinked off into the bush. SO COOL! Leopards are one of the big five that most people don't see, they are hard to spot and don't stick around for long. Henry had thought he had seen something in the bush and had slowed down, then was lucky enough to notice it in his mirror (it was actually the third time that had happened to him, and he was very proud). So after that sighting we were very happy.

We drove the entire day with no set route, just our second camp as the final destination. Henry would come to a crossroads and look both ways, then make a random decision on which way to go. We stopped for lunch at some point, and in the afternoon saw herds of buffalo (all 5 of the Big 5 down!). The weather wasn't great, and for most of the day there was a chilly, misty rain, but we put on our windbreakers and kept the side flaps on the truck up- it was actually kind of nice. Also stopped at several lookout points with awesome views.


Elephants on the night drive.

We arrived at our second camp, Satara, around 5pm and Megumi and I took showers while we waited for our dinner. Our chef tonight was Godsend, who was a very good cook and clearly takes great pride in what he does. He kept saying "Don't try my food, EAT my food" and insisted that everyone have seconds (luckily the food was really good- another traditional meal of rice and beef stew with potatos, carrots, and greenbeans in it, with a greek salad and a side of squash). Megumi, Godsend, Henry and I sat around after dinner for a long time talking- this is when we learned all about Henry's family. He also taught us how they traditionally eat, without any silverware (we didn't know at the time that his instructions would come in handy later).


Camp the second night.

The entire camp of Satara is surrounded by high electric fences for obvious reasons, and our camp site happened to be situated right next to this fence, meaning that the wilderness of Kruger was all of about 10 meters from where I was sleeping. Throughout dinner we could hear a group of lions somewhere in the distance, and afterwards Megumi and I were returning from the bathrooms when Godsend came running up to us- lions had chased down a wilderbeest right on the other side of the fence. We got there just in time to see several lions arriving, and then we heard them make the kill- it was crazy! Half a dozen people from surrounding campsites came over to ours, and they got out the spotlights to see what we could see. The actual kill had been made behind several trees, but we watched about seven lions coming and going for a half hour or so. We were incredibly lucky to see this, and for it to have happened right outside of our camp site. I went to sleep in my little tent literally listening to lions roaring not 100 meters away... probably the only night of my life that I will get to say that.



Thursday, Saturday 29: We woke up five hours later at 3am for a morning walk through the bush. We drove about 45 minutes into the bush and then walked from about 4:30 am until 7:30. Unfortunately, animals are more afraid of us on foot than in the vehicles, so it is hard to see anything from close up- in fact we didn't see anything even remotely close by. By it was a neat feeling to be out there as the sun was coming up, following two armed rangers through the tall grasses. Got back to camp and had a good breakfast, then packed up and again spent most of the day driving with a stop for lunch. We didn't see too much on the last day, I'm not sure why. Henry really wanted to find us a cheetah, but they are almost as hard to spot as the leopard and in the end we didn't have any luck. Today was also different because by day three the giraffes and impala and zebra and even elephants aren't quite as exciting as in the beginning. Plus, Megumi and I were pretty much exhausted, and she actually dozed much of the day. I managed to stay awake and just enjoyed the drive and the scenery. I have never been one for long drives, and every day in Kruger we drove a LOT, but it never felt like it.


On the morning bush walk.

Around 4pm we left the park and drove for about an hour to a village where we got a tour, saw (and took part in) some traditional dancing, and had a traditional meal. It included cooked worms, which actually looked more like thick caterpillars. We were told that it is believed that these worms will ward off AIDS- "if you believe in AIDS", that is. It was pretty gross.


The boys dancing!

Afterward we drove to the lodge that we would be staying in for our final night. When we got there Megumi and I went straight to the bar and hung out with everyone that works at the lodge- a very nice group of South Africans. Megumi went to bed early but I stayed up regardless of the 5am wake up call the next morning-- it was my second to last night in Africa! Ended up having a very good time. And as it turned out, our morning walk was canceled due to torrential rain, which was fine by me. Around 7:30 we had breakfast with monkeys running all around us and trying to steal our food, and then we headed out to meet our transport back to Jo'burg.

Overall I was very happy with the safari. Three full days there was the perfect amount of time- any longer would have been too much. We saw all of the big five (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, and leopard) plus giraffes, zebras, impalas, hyenas, hippos, kudu, waterbok, wildebeest, warthog, monkeys/baboons, ostrich, rabbits, turtles, owls, bats, snakes, and many birds and eagles. I enjoyed the time with Megumi and Henry and getting to know two people that I never would have otherwise. Plus I think the safari was a good way to end my trip~ it gave me something to look forward to after leaving Cape Town and brought my trip to an end with a bang.

I spent another incredibly comfortable night at Amadwala Lodge, and then flew home on Saturday the 31st, getting into Dulles at 6am after ~19 hours in the air. (In line for customs I found out that the superbowl was that night, and who was playing- all of which was news to me.) And just like that, my winter abroad had come to an end.

The Beginning of the End: My Last Week in South Africa

What a whirlwind of a week it's been. I am home now, sitting in bed. It's 5:30 am and I have been awake since 4:00, but I guess that makes sense seeing as it's a little past noon in South Africa. I am working on organizing my 1500 pictures from the trip into different categories to make them a little more manageable: Bap, Cape Town/Obs, and Kruger. I also have about 20 short videos from my digital camera plus 2 hours of handycam video I still need to upload and edit. This will help pass many hours of time over the next week.

Right, so now there is so much to catch up on! This time one week ago I was departing from Cape Town. I ended up being dropped at the airport by Kenan with everyone in the van because it was on the way to take them to shift in Khayelitsha, so it was nice to be able to have everyone see me off and to get to say a proper goodbye to them all. When I got to the airport I was able to switch my flight home from Feb 2 to Jan 31, so obviously I had made the decision to come home early instead of spend two days in Jo'burg after my safari (later I felt I had made a good decision). So I departed from Cape Town around 12:30 pm, much to my unhappiness. I had no desire to leave, not one. I wanted to continue on to my next shift at Bap with the rest of them, but of course Kruger awaited. (Okay, of course a part of me was excited for the safari, which I am thankful I got to do, but understand that Cape Town and Obs and Bap and the people there were my life for 5 weeks and I would have been very content to stay for another 5). Flying away from Cape Town, I remembered when I arrived and saw Table Mountain for the first time from the air, and how excited and nervous I was, and it seemed like a lifetime ago.

Arrived in Jo'burg and was picked up by my transport to Amadwala Lodge (she held up a sign with my name on it, gotta love that). The lodge was about 45 minutes from the airport, which was another 30 minutes or so from downtown Jo'burg, so Amadwala is pretty much out in the countryside. I had absolutely no idea what to expect with this hotel since my flights, transports, hotel stays before and after, and the safari had all been completely arranged by AVIVA. All that I knew was that Amy and Amanda had looked up the lodge and said that it looked very nice (I didn't Google it- wanted to be surprised). And well, I was- hugely, pleasantly surprised. Immediately upon coming through the gate you can tell that Amadwala is a neat place- you feel like you have just entered the rain forest. There are bamboo and stone walkways throughout which lead to the main office and dining room, and then paths shoot off towards seven small bungalows- number 2 was mine. My room consisted of a gorgeous bathroom with jacuzzi tub, a double bed (great sheets & pillows after AVIVA house), and a private deck off the back. Oh, and it had a thatched roof. Oh, and the caretaker that greeted me told me to just call her Gran (everyone does). She showed me around the whole place, which in addition to the bungalows has really nice platform tents and regular tents for backpackers. There is also a huge chessboard, a chapel for weddings (small, thatched roof, no electricity but dozens of candle holders-- probably the most romantic place for a wedding you can imagine), and a great open air reception/braai area. There's an awesome bar that over looks the gorgeous pool, surrounded by rocks and waterfalls and flowers, and then there is a lookout deck from which you can see the whole countryside. In short, this is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed. And on top of that, I was the only person staying there that night. Gran kept saying what a shame that was (I guess the poolside bar can be pretty hoppin') but I was happy to be completely alone for once after living in a house with 10, plus I was tired and planned to turn in early anyways. So they brought my dinner down to me and set it up out on my deck, and then Gran said goodnight and I really was completely alone. As much as I wish someone had been there to see this place with me, I enjoyed it very much.


A shot from Amadwala.

Woke up at 4:15 am the next day (Tuesday the 27th) for my 5am pick up. It was a five hour drive from Amadwala to the point where my safari guide would pick me up outside of the Kruger gates, so Shaun drove me and four other girls (two Scottish, one Japanese, one Brazilian- all picked up from a hostel near Amadwala), I slept the whole way minus a stop for lunch.

So as it turned out, the Japanese girl, Megumi, was doing the same safari as me. We met up with our guide, Henry, about an hour outside of the southern Kruger gates and climbed on board the open air safari vehicle, in which we would spend much time in the coming days. Basically it is a pickup truck with 3x3 seating attached to the bed of the truck, with a roof and plasic sides and front that stayed rolled up and tied the entire time. We sat in the front row, right behind the cab of the truck and could easily speak with Henry the whole time.


The safari vehicle.

I should start off by saying that for the three days of this safari, it was Henry, Megumi and I by ourselves for the majority of the time- three people that probably could not be more different. Megumi was 33, though she looked about 23. She had just spent the last three years working two jobs to support her family, so her parents finally said it was her turn to take a break and sent her traveling for a year- she had just come from Europe and was headed to India after the safari. While I spent every day in flip flops, shorts, and a tank top, Megumi dressed in shoes, socks, long pants, a shirt, sweater, scarf and hat, and generously applied 70 SPF sunscreen to her hands very frequently. Every time we saw a warthog she would call out, "Pumba! Pumba!" (as in from the Lion King). She spoke pretty good english, but there was of course still a bit of a barrier. Regardless, she was a great person to be on a safari with because every time we saw an animal she would get so incredibly excited, which in this type of situation is contagious and made it that much more fun and exciting for me (I have learned on this trip that both enthusiasm and negativity are contagious, and I am glad that she was the former). All in all, it was really nice to meet her and I was happy for her company.

Henry, our guide, was quite a guy. My guess is that he was somewhere around 45 years old, and he has lived in the bush his entire life (after leaving Kruger he pointed out his village in the distance to us). After dinner on our second night, Megumi, Henry, our chef Godsend (I'll explain about him later) and I -what a group- sat around talking and Henry began to tell us more about his life: He was born in the bush, and at 18 he was sent out for 6 months with no clothes or food and had to survive on his own, part of the process of becoming a man (this practice still goes on, but there are now regulations that only allow them to be sent out for 2 weeks). His father was a traditional medicine man, or healer, a gift that (as Henry says) came to him in a dream as a child, at which point he disappeared and was "taken by the big snake", who taught him how to be a healer. His father had 6 wives and Henry is one of 54 children. Another interesting, yet sad, fact- his cousin was killed by an elephant. So yeah, Henry was pretty legit.

(NOTE: I actually wrote this on Monday, February 2, but have since realized there is way too much to say for one post, so it will have to come in increments!)

Last Weekend in Cape Town

**Check out earlier posts for newly added photos!**

The past few days have been incredible- last three days in Cape Town WELL SPENT.

On Friday Amanda, Amy and I went down to the Waterfront around 1pm, I quickly bought a snazzy headlamp for the safari and then we got some lunch at Harry's Pancakes (salads this time, though). Our ferry to Robben Island left around 3pm. Unfortunately, I had a ticket issue that held me up and I wasn't able to sit up top with Amy and Amanda. So I was annoyed and went to sit in the bottom, no-open-air part of the ferry and ended up sitting next to the nicest guy and his family. They were from Pretoria, which as it turns out is only 30 minutes or so from Jo'burg! When I told him about my dilemma in visiting Jo'burg alone he offered to show me the town, so if I do stay around that is a nice option to have! He was super nice and my ferry ride turned out to be okay in the end =)

As soon as we got on the island we boarded a bus and were driven around and given a tour by a former prisoner. He was a very good guide (had jokes, too) but being on the bus was kind of annoying and it was hard to see things and take pictures and what not. The whole island is not taken up by the prison- there are churches and some houses and many buildings that are now used as conference centers. There are also old asylums- the island held mentally ill people and people with leprosy before becoming a prison. At one point the guide was showing us a building where guns were made during WWII, and he told us that two years ago he showed Obama around the island and at this point in the tour told him "Please, don't go back to Mr. Bush and tell him we have WMDs!!" Haha.

After the bus tour we entered the actual prison, where we were showed around by another former prisoner who was there from 1983-1990 for working with the African National Congress (ANC). We saw a room where up to 40 men would sleep, on 1/2 inch thick mats and then beds in later years. Then we were taken out to the courtyard off of Nelson Mandela's building, in which he spent much of his time in one particular corner where he had a garden. We quickly saw his cell, and then headed back to the ferry. I am glad that I saw Robben Island for everything that it represents and to learn more about Nelson Mandela. I felt for the tour guides though- the first one told us that the unemployment rate in South Africa is 47% so many of the former prisoners have no choice but to come back to the island for work. But can you imagine having to return every day to such a place after having been a prisoner there?? I can only imagine how hard it must be for them.

Back at the Waterfront we walked around a bit more and Amy introduced me to chocolate cookies and cream ice cream- tasty. Try it.

Saturday brought the Cape Peninsula Tour with Tour Guide Kenan! Eight of us in the house were going, plus four people from Table View (Side Note: learned that at Home of Hope, where the Table View people work, there are only 10 kids... to four volunteers per shift!!!!! At Bap it usually averages to about four volunteers to 40 kids. Currently, there are two BRAND NEW volunteers on shift at Bap that are by themselves because of the people that left Bap to go to Home of Hope. Which means 2 volunteers to 40 kids. UGHH! I hope the people that switched projects because they wanted to live in a nice house know how much they screwed over Bap- volunteers and kids.) ANYWAYS... we left for the tour around 9am and headed down the coast, past the Waterfront and Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles (BEAUTIFUL drive, frequent stops for pictures). Our first official stop was in Hout Bay, about 45 minutes from Cape Town. Hout Bay is famous for its seals, so about half of our group went out on a boat to see the seals but I opted to walk around the vendors and shops by the water- I've seen seals before. Did, however, pet a huge sea lion that apparently hangs out there at the wharf- he was 43 years old!! Walked around with the girls and we all bought a few things (even though I specifically told myself I wouldn't buy any more stuff!! Got a great scarf though for $6, how can I pass that up?)After about an hour we headed back out and drove along the coast to a point with an incredible view of Hout Bay- took tons of gorgeous pictures.

Next we went to famous Chapman's Peak Drive, which is a drive along the coast that is supposed to have spectacular views. Unfortunately, it was closed because they are working to make the road safer from falling rocks. Disappointing because we had to take a detour that took about an hour to Simon's Town, though of course even the detour was great- through some winelands. In Simon's Town we got lunch at a great restaurant; I had a chicken, shrimp, and calamari combo dish. Then we walked right up the street to Boulders Beach, which is where the penguins live! They were really cute when they swam in the water, but the ones on the beach (sunbathing I guess) didn't move- like just stood there completely still. It was weird.

From Simon's Town we headed toward Cape Point through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. This was a pleasant surprise for me, because the reserve had been on my list of things to see, but I crossed it out a couple weeks ago when I realized I wouldn't have time for it- so lucky me that it was included today! The reserve is gorgeous, drove through it all the way to Cape Point at the verrrrry tip of Africa and saw several ostrich and baboons! Which were carrying little tiny babies on their backs- very cute but I was happy to be in the van seeing as apparently baboons are nasty little buggers (Though everywhere were signs- "Baboons WILL enter your car"). At Cape point we got tons of pictures as well, the water was such a vivid blue and sparkling in the sun. Didn't go all the way to the top of Cape Point where there is a lighthouse (at this point it had been a long day), but walked halfway up with Amy and then got a little snack and just sat and enjoyed the views and the beautiful day. From here we headed home- a nice drive at sunset.

When we got home I was SO tired (had woken up at 6:30 am this morning, God knows why) but everyone was hungry so we decided to go to Panchos, the Mexican place in Obs. Unfortunately, when we got there it was completely full (Saturday night at 7:30, duh) so we decided to get take out and bring it back to the house. While we waited for the food, we all got a few drinks. After a half hour at the bar we decided that we would buy a few six packs to bring back to the house for the evening. With about 8 bags of food containers in hand, we went across the street to a bar the sells six packs, a simple task until someone suggests a shot or two. Half an hour later we were all back at the house eating out back and it was decided that we were going out- Long Street!! So me, Amanda, Jen, Amy, Shawna, Katie, Alyssa, Christiaan, and Jonas all headed out around 11pm and spent the night in the Dubliner (of course this made me happy) and just had a BALL. Everyone had such a good time, which definitely shows in the 100+ pictures that were taken (taking out one camera and passing it around the whole night is a very good method of documenting a night). I am so happy that we all went out because I didn't think I would have the opportunity to do so again in Cape Town, and I am just so happy that everyone had an awesome time. And the best part was that it was completely unplanned but the night just evolved and this morning everyone was saying "How did that even happen??". Originally our plan had been Panchos and the internet cafe and bed- I'll take getting plastered with this group any day =)

Sadly, I woke up hurting a bit which was bad news because at noon we got picked up for SKYDIVING, though as it turns out a really great way to get over a headache is to have jumping out of a plane to take your mind off of it. Today was another beautiful day and, thankfully, not too windy! YAY! Once we were there we had to wait around for about an hour (they have to organize us into planes that only fit six people, and most people videotape their jump which adds another person [I didn't get it taped- it cost like $60 and the final product was a bit too flashy for me]). Christiaan and Jen went up first, and before they got back down I went up with the guy I was jumping with, Julian (a 34 year old from Colorodo, been skydiving for 18 years) and two guys going on their own. I was so surprised that at this point I really wasn't that nervous- I guess after all the waiting I was just ready to do it. You sit on the floor in the plane facing the tail, and Julian sat behind me and I kind of sat in between his legs and leaned back on him. He was super nice and talkative, and I realized that it was good I wasn't with any of the others because I think we would have just been siking each other out more. So Julian has this thing on his wrist that shows our altitude, and when the hand hits 9 (9km) we jump. So at 3km he says "This is how high Table Mountain is. Two more Table Mountains to go!" and so I'd say around 7km I started to get nervous. He explained that he would open the door and I would put my feet out on this little step thing and then he would do everything- my only job was to keep my eyes open. So at 9km he throws open the door and yes I was scared out of my mind, though I expected it to look higher up than it did. So without much ado out we went!!!! I think I shut my eyes for a second but after about 3 seconds I realized that it was a COMPLETELY awesome feeling, and at that point I remember looking up and seeing the plane above us. And then it was 35 seconds of free falling, which wasn't scary at all, and the only discomfort was that I felt like it was a bit hard to take a breath. At 5km from the ground Julian pulled the parachute, which I expected would not be a good feeling being yanked up (minus that at least you know you are going to survive at that point). It wasn't really a yanking feeling at all though, and once the chute was open he showed me how to steer and turn which was cool but turning a lot makes you lose altitude faster which I didn't want to do- being able to see Table Mountain from that point of view was unbelievable, especially it being my last day in Cape Town. After about 4 minutes he told me what was going to happen with landing and before I knew it we were touching down, completely smooth landing. I was thrilled, this is without a doubt the coolest thing I have ever done, and I am so lucky to have been able to do it here. I would do it again in a heartbeat, so I hope there are still people at home that are interested (you know who you are!)!! It was fantastic.

Tonight we were going to go to the Green Dolphin at the Waterfront for a goodbye dinner to me, but I (and pretty much everyone in the house) am really tired and still need to pack (though this may be an impossibility- I have acquired WAY to many things here). Plus, I couldn't ask for a better night than last night so I am completely satisfied.

The past two days have just been absolutely great in every way. I have seen and done so much and had such an incredible time in just 48 hours. I can't believe I leave tomorrow- I could cry right here at this computer thinking about it. God I love this place. At least I can say that I went out with a bang =)

Pictures!

AhHa!!! I have discovered that SOME of the computers in the internet cafe have IrfanView, so I have been able to downsize my pictures and will upload some to my blog, finally. I am going back and slowly but surely adding some pictures to my previous posts so keep an eye out! (I know it is a hassle to go back, my fault for not working it out until two days before I leave here!)

Last Shift at Bap & etc

Good news! I found my credit card! As I had suspected, it had fallen through a crack into the locker below mine. Unfortunately, I had already transfered $400 to AVIVA with Dad's card so that they could give me cash but I guess that doesn't matter. Now I can still say that I have been responsible and not lost anything (knock on wood)!!

I am still contemplating what to do about my last days here. The issue is that I fly to Johanesburg (2 hr flight) for Kruger, stay there for one night after Kruger and then was supposed to fly back to Cape Town, only to fly home via Jo'burg two days later. So my thought was to just leave South Africa right after Kruger instead of flying back to Cape Town and to get home two days early. Good idea to just stay in Jo'burg, Kris, minus everything I have ever heard about how Jo'burg is SUPER dangerous, especially to walk around in alone, especially as a girl. Which is why that idea hadn't even really occured to me, but it is something to think about. It is not at ALL that I am in a hurry to leave here, but flying back and forth from Jo'burg is something I'd be happy to skip. Plus, when I would get back to Cape Town everyone I am close with would be on shift, which would just make it depressing to come back to a basically empty house. Anyways, I am going to think about possibly just staying in Jo'burg, but if not I will go early to the airport on Monday and try to switch my flight home to Jan 31.

Now I have to backtrack several days... let's see... Sunday night! Right so we were supposed to go out for Georgina's last night. I hadn't felt well all day (stomach bug- super fun) but of course didn't want to miss out on the evening, so we (Me, Georgina, Jen, Amanda, and Shawna) started drinking here (finally drank the bottle of wine that came in my welcome pack!) and then headed out to Long Street. Sadly, within 30 minutes three of us really didn't feel well (I'm not the only one with the bug) so we went home. I was so disapointed to miss Georgina's last night but Shawna stayed out with her and they still had a good time- plus I really felt like crap.

Woke up the next morning feeling better which was good because Jen, Amanda, Christiaan and I were booked for SKYDIVING!!! (one of my life long dreams regardless of the fact that if anything, heights are probably what I am most afraid of). Unfortunately, Cape Town happens to be the windiest place I have ever been, and Monday was a particularly windy day. So the skydiving people called and said that we would have to get there right away or we would miss our chance to go. Of course, the taxi didn't come for 45 minutes, and then it took another 45 minutes to get there (of course we had to stop for gas, there was traffic, etc etc). So when we FINALLY got there we were good to go, they got Jen all suited up and then... no go. The wind had become to gusty and they wouldn't take us. We were so bummed!! Skydiving is not the type of activity that you want to have postponed when you are already there and ready to go. So we attempted to rebook for this morning but they were full (go figure, there is like no wind today) so we got in on Sunday- my last day here! So I am hoping for good conditions because if I come home without doing this it will be my one disapointment of Africa and I would like to keep that slate clean.

Now for my last shift: probably my favorite one of the five. On shift was me, Amanda, Amy, and Christiaan, joined by Katie and Alyssa (23, Canada) on day two. Maybe it was just because I was really trying to soak it all up, but this shift the time seemed to go by fast (I don't recall thinking "Oh my GOSH it's only 6 pm right now?" ever) and the kids were great and I really enjoyed the sisis as well- one of the shifts in particular is super sweet and they couldn't believe it was my last shift. We also learned this shift just how much the kids LOVE to sing and dance. Their new favorite game is us standing around clapping and they get in the middle and start dancing like crazy and we call out their names and they just go wild, it's hilarious. They have so much fun that they can't control themselves, usually end up falling to the ground laughing histarically and they all end up in a mosh pit/big pile. It's great. We also sang a LOT of songs- they really enjoy such classics as "The Wheels on the Bus", "If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands" and, of course, "We Will Rock You". It's fun. And really cool how much they respond to music.


Lunch time! Preparing the food.

This was the first shift that I didn't fall asleep easily at every opportunity I got. My mind won't stop, kind of like how it was before I left to come here. Now I can't imagine NOT being here, going to Bap and seeing the kids. My last day (yesterday) I just kept thinking- "this is the last time I'm going to feed a baby lunch/dinner, have free play time, do baths, give a bottle, say goodnight" etc etc. Saying goodnight was the hardest part- it's my favorite part of the whole day, when they are in their adorable footie pajamas and in their crib/play pen/bed and I try to go around and say goodnight to all of them and give them a cuddle (this is an english thing to say- thanks Georgina) and they all give high fives and then do this "thumb flick" (for lack of a better way to describe it), like you are giving each other a thumbs up and then you push your thumbs together- I don't know but it is incredibly cute and they all do it. And then of course last night Babalo, who is one of the coolest 3 or 4 year olds I have ever met, kept on saying "See you tomorrow!" which he has never said before (he has two phrases- "What are you DOING?" and "You're CRAZY") and of course I kept thinking, Yea- tomorrow and then never again!!


Me & Mbali- what a cutie!

Luckily, last night my mind was taken off of it all with a few rousing games of spoons in the flat.

Today I am trying to think positively, seeing as I do realize that I have just experienced something incredible and that I will always remember it. I went out and ran some errands in Obs this morning and felt happy and at easy with the fact that I am leaving this city that I adore so much in three days. I went back to a shop that I have been in about 10 times to finally buy the things I've been eyeing and talked to the super sweet girl that has been in there every time for a while (she started out asking me about my "I Bleed Warrior Blue" t-shirt that I happen to wearing- the second person to comment on it today!). She was surprised that I wasn't at home for the inauguration but agreed that I was making good use of my time here. I also went into Pick 'n' Pay to get some food and the man that rang me up said "Wow, you are very happy!" which I was taken aback to hear but really I guess it is true and apparently it shows, so that's nice.

Now Amy, Amanda, and I are going to the Waterfront to do some shoping (I need a head lamp for Kruger) before Robben Island at 3pm! Cape Peninsula Tour all day tomorrow, and then hopefully skydiving on Sunday (keep your fingers crossed for me!!)

xoxo

YES WE DID!

Today I can say with good reason that I wish I was home- January 20, 2009 has finally arrived after so much hope and anticipation and I am in AFRICA!!! I do wish that I was going to be there at Obama's inauguration with my family, what an exciting time! Unfortunately, I am about to leave for Bap so I won't even be able to watch on TV. Oh well, I can be a proud and excited American while I play with the most adorable kiddies in the world =)

In other news, IT IS MY LAST SHIFT AT BAP! So sad... I don't want to talk about it.

Lastly, I think I lost my credit card. And I might be coming home 2 days early. These two events are not related and I will explain more later. Hope everyone is doing well!!

Day 27

Day 27- the first day of my trip that I do not know exactly what I am going to with myself. I was supposed to go kloofing with Jonas today but decided a couple days ago not to (didn't want to pack my weekend TOO full or spend TOO much money in 3 days). As it turned out, though, the trip was cancelled anyways because there weren't enough people signed up to go. Then a bunch of us (Me, Georgina, Amanda, Jenn, and Shawna [new American girl that is staying at the house but will start Gary's Surf School tomorrow]) decided to spend the day at Camps Bay, but it is really windy today which is not good for the beach. So now I am thinking of doing a 3km walking tour of downtown Cape Town that I've been wanting to do- there are still so many things in the city to see (Castle of Good Hope, Company Gardens, Bo Kaap, etc). I can probably recruit someone to do this with me (though it is the type of thing I wouldn't mind doing alone).

This past shift at Bap was really, really good. Granted, this may be because I only slept there one of three nights- after our first day we came back for an AVIVA cookout and slept at Obs House, and after the third day Ida and I got a taxi back to Obs because we had to wake up really early on Saturday for shark cage diving. The cookout was pretty fun, it was at the Table View house which is SO nice (so many bedrooms, granite counter tops, pool and pool-side bar...) and all the staff was there so it was nice to hang out with them. Afterwards a bunch of us went out in Obs, first to Stones (the pool bar) and then to Roots, a beach themed bar that I had never been to- sand floors, tiki hut bars... gotta love it.

Didn't stay out too late since it was back to Bap the next morning. On the way we picked up 100 baby bottles and during our break labeled all of them with the kid's names on color coded labels (indicating whether the bottle is taken at 2am, 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, or 10pm). With six of us working on it it didn't take that long but when we did bottles the next morning it made ALL the difference in the world- no more broken bottles/lids, no more missing bottles, no more labels that are completely impossible to read. This shift we also redid the out of date poster boards with the kid's pictures that hangs on the wall in the flat. We took all new pictures and put up new, labeled boards. It was nice to do something (as little as those things are) that will last beyond all of our time here. And it is amazing the difference that seemingly small things can make. Though really what Bap needs is on a larger scale- the baby house needs a complete makeover badly (we thought about writing to Ty Pennington). The kids need a cleaner, safer place to live and they need plenty of volunteers to play with them and love them... two things that are not so easy to come by.


The new bottles!

Another orphanage project just opened up through AVIVA (Amanda and Jenn are the first volunteers to work there) that was recently given a COMPLETE makeover- they brought in volunteers that worked non-stop for (I think) four days and now the place is BEAUTIFUL- I have only seen the outside but there is grass (something Bap lacks) and a great swing set. And inside it's clean, and the kids have their own individual beds and much more. Granted, I am glad to be working at Bap where they really, really need us, but I just wish the same thing could be done for our kids, who I guess are considered lucky to be at Bap but really have basically nothing. It is just amazing that there are people in the world with so much money they don't know what to do with it and then you come to a place like this and there is a world of good that could be done with just a little help, and it is amazing that these problems still exist at all. It's sad and makes me wish I could do a heck of a lot more.

Anyways... as I said the shift went really well, I love everyone on it and am so sad that it is Georgina and Ida's last shift!! Makes me realize how fast the end is coming for me because after they leave (and Sofia and Friederike- also leaving this week) I have been here longer than anyone else in the house, which is CRAZY. How did that happen?? I just got here! I don't even want to think about it.

Yesterday Ida and I were picked up at 5am for shark cage diving. It was about a two hour drive there, during which time one might think it would be a good idea to sleep, but I was awake the whole time and turns out I am glad because we were driving over mountains by the coast as the sun rose and it was GORGEOUS. I swear, if you blink here you will miss something worth seeing. It was very nice. We arrived at the cage diving headquarters (a house about 1/4 block from the water & boat) and had a very nice self-serve breakfast (and several cups of coffee). Then they gave us a quick debriefing and we were off! There were only 12 of us (plus the crew), so it was a small group compared to most apparently which was quite nice. We rode out about 15 minutes but were still in relatively shallow water (~10m). This is technically the off season for seeing Great Whites, which are the only species in the area due to the cold water temperatures. However, you generally can see them year round, and this is the most famous place in the world to see them (some people may have seen the famous picture of a man in a yellow kayak being followed by a huge great white- that was taken here). So they put down anchor and throw out a "chum line"- nasty fishy stuff that the shark will (hopefully) catch the scent of and follow back to the boat. Also, the whole time they are throwing nasty fish stuff out into the water and have 1/2 a fish on a buoy as bait.

So everything was super... until I started to feel a bit seasick. Man, I have been a puker my whole life. Threw up twice, which sucked, but then the first shark was spotted so I threw on my wetsuit (in actuality, "throwing on" a wetsuit is the exact opposite of how it works, those things are so incredibly hard to get on [and off]). Plus these wetsuits have hoods, like what scuba divers wear, and little shoes that zip on, and I had a mask on, and they put a weight over your shoulders to help you go under in the cage. All of this was quite uncomfortable after having just thrown up let me tell you, but there was a shark! So I had to get in the cage.


THE CAGE

Five people get in at a time (and only 7 of the 12 on board were getting in at all which in my opinion is not worth the $120 to only watch from the boat but whatever) and you have to hold on to the top of the cage, and then when a shark is coming around they say "Divers go under!" or "Divers, on your left!" so you take a big breath and pull yourself under and look for the shark. Unfortunately the visibility was really poor under the water but there were several very exciting moments when that didn't really matter because the sharks would actually ram into the cage, putting them at about half a meter or less from you and that was awesome. I got out of the cage after about 15 minutes though because you really could actually see the sharks better from the boat. And we saw sooo many. After waiting about 30 minutes to see the first one we would see one every 2-3 minutes, and they would swim right next to the boat and go for the bait and come out of the water- it was awesome. And they looked HUGE, though they were only about 3-4m long and can grow to be 7m long- hard/scary to imagine. It was really great though.


Ahhh!

After about three hours we packed up (there were other boats around not having any luck, and in the off season the different companies help each other out so we left to let another boat come into the area since we had already seen so much) and headed back. At the house they put on the video that a videographer on the boat had been taking the whole time, and it was quite funny- for one, to see yourself in the wetsuit getup, and also because whenever someone was on camera they seemed to either wave or give the thumbs up- it reminded me of stereotypical Asians always giving the peace sign. Anyways, we were driven back to the house and were home by 2pm (I slept the whole way). (NOTE- all of this sounds incredibly touristy, and I guess it is, but it didn't feel like it. And it was definitely worth the money. And the staff was super nice and included volunteers just like us. So it was completely worth it and I am very glad I did it!)

Last night, everyone (Me, Georgina, Ida, Amanda, Amy, Jenn, Amanda, Shawna, Reino, and Christiaan) went out to Mama Africa on Long Street for a kind of goodbye dinner for Georgina and Ida. It was such a nice evening (I shared a kabob appetizer and I have no idea what kind of meat was on it [I am thinking crocodile, ostrich, and springbok?] but really have no idea, and had some kind of fish for my meal- very good). The best part though was that our table was right next to this AMAZINGGGG live African band that was SO good. Like you couldn't help but sit there dancing in your seat. And we had the perfect table because everyone else from inside the restaurant kept coming up to stand and watch them but we were right there the whole time. And of course, Amanda and I were both picked out by the lead singer/drummer man to dance with him on separate occasions... of course I loved this. It was so much fun. We didn't go out afterwards because tonight is G&I's official last night so we had already planned to do it up tonight. Can't wait =)


Some of the band!