Storms River

Wednesday morning we woke up early and headed off for a canopy tour. They took us into the Tsitsikamma National Forest where we swung from the trees, learning about the forest and getting to see a few indigenous birds along the way. As we all put on our helmets that morning, we laughed about the fact that we seem to be spending a lot of time in helmets these days, an unflattering look that hasn’t done much for anybody’s ego.

After we finished the canopy tour, we swung by one of the tallest bridges in the world so that Amy could jump off of it.  My dwindling money and the desire to remain friends with my parents had me sitting this one out, and Laura promised her mother before coming here that she wouldn’t go jumping off any bridges, so we both cheered Amy on from the sidelines. She did great and had an awesome time.

After the bungee jumping was over, the daylight was running out and I still hadn’t gotten a chance to do any of the hiking that the area is famous for, so we made an impromptu decision to camp out in the National Forest instead of going to Jeffrey’s Bay. We got a great deal on a little log cabin overlooking the ocean and decided to call it home for the night. We were able to get a good campfire going, so we cooked hot dogs, drank wine and, much to our neighbors’ chagrin, sang campfire songs all night long. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves from the Indian Ocean crashing against the shore isn’t a bad way to spend a night.

This morning we hiked about 4 miles of the world famous Otter Trail. The whole trail is 41 kilometers and takes five days to complete, so I’ll have to make a trip back someday to conquer that one. The trail goes right along the coastline, weaving in and out of the forest, through meadows and over boulders. Some of the trail required a little rock climbing, and we weren’t entirely sure if we were actually on the trail for a lot of the way, but we made it to a huge waterfall where we stopped and had lunch. We even got to see a whale and some dolphins along the way. This isn’t your typical everyday hiking!

We got into Jeffrey’s Bay this afternoon and got another great deal on a little flat by the ocean. I guess the good thing about coming to South Africa in the wintertime is that everybody seems to be desperate for your business, so they’re willing to bargain with you. For around $20 a person, we got a two bedroom two bathroom flat with a fully equipped kitchen and ocean view. No more dorm rooms for us, we’re living large now!

We will leave for Port Elizabeth in the morning to drop off our rental car, and we will be picked up from there and taken to our safari. We found out yesterday that the campsite for the original safari that we booked has been flooded due to all the rain that this region has experienced, forcing us to change our plans last minute. So, none of us really know what to expect or where exactly we’re going, but we’re not too worried and feel that any safari has got to be a good one.

We don't have a very good internet connection at our current accommodation, so sorry for the lack of pictures. I am signing off for a few days as I don’t think we’ll have internet access on our safari, and even if we do, there is something that seems wrong about being connected to the World Wide Web while being one with nature. I’ll try to send an update with pictures on Monday when we return to Port Elizabeth.

The 3 of us back in our favorite attire, getting ready to go zip-lining

Me swinging between the trees

Our trusty bus that took us through the forest

Laura and I trying to get the fire started

Singing songs by the campfire

Hiking the Waterfall portion of the Otter Trail

Laura and I on the trail

Plettenberg Bay

Well, the rain continued to fall all day yesterday as we made the drive from Outdshoorn to Plettenberg Bay. Since most of the activities we want to do are outside, the rain certainly puts a halt on our plans (we don’t mind doing things in the rain, but most of the time these activities are cancelled.) So, we took yesterday to regroup a little as we tried to keep drying our belongings from the previous day’s excursion. Last night as I slept on the top bunk, I was showered with raindrops falling from the leaky ceiling all night and I realized that we may have to wait until our arrival in the States to warm up.

We woke up to some sunshine today and it brightened everybody’s spirits a little. We headed out to the Plettenberg Game Reserve where we went horseback riding and saw wild animals. While on our ride we got to see rhinos, wildebeests, hippos, zebras, crocodiles, springboks and giraffes. This is the first time we’ve been able to see some of these animals since our arrival in South Africa, so we were all really excited. It was a little unnerving when we saw the hippos and our guide told us how dangerous they are and how many people they kill each year. He told us to walk very slowly past them, as if we had any control over this or knew how to convey this message to our horses. Chestnut, Roy and Blast were our horses’ names, and they treated us very well. Laura’s horse, Roy, was a lazy horse and was always quite a distance behind everybody else. My horse Chestnut was a little mischievous, constantly wanting to eat and stubborn about letting anybody pass him, he actually reminded me a lot of myself. Amy’s horse Blast cooperated perfectly and mostly hung back with Roy. By the end of the journey the horses are usually excited to get back home, so it’s normal for them to take off running. Our guide told us that “this is the time when so many people fall off the horse,” reminding us to hang on and making us all feel very comfortable. It may not have been graceful, but at least none of us fell off!

After our horseback riding was over, we drove to Stormsriver Village, where we will stay for the night. We have now officially made it to the Eastern Cape! This place is an odd little town surrounded by mountains and the Tsitsikama National Park, and I would say the word “village” accurately describes it. It looks like everybody will get a chance to shower tonight, which is a rare occasion these days and also quite a treat. Tomorrow we are booked to do a canopy tour in the rainforest before making the drive to Jeffrey’s Bay, where we will stay for two nights before taking off for our safari. Stay tuned.

Me and Chestnut

Amy and Blast

Off to find some animals!

Laura and Roy

Rhinos

Springbok

Stopping to look at the giraffe

This picture is for Laua H. who requested a picture of a giraffe.

Zebra

Crocodiles, it was a little scary being so close to them...on horse.

Roy and Blast bringing up the rear

As soon as the rhinos heard us coming they jumped in the water. They can only stay under water for about 5 minutes before they have to come up for air.

No more sitting "by" the fire, it's so cold that it's time to sit in it.

Oudtshoorn

If I had to describe the last 24 hours in one word, cold would be it.

Last night, we braved what has been our coldest night yet. It was a night that called for multiple pairs of pants and all the jackets we brought along with us. Despite the fact that I wouldn’t use the word “bed” to describe what we slept on last night; we were able to get a little bit of sleep before our bike trip today.

We woke up to pouring rain this morning, rain that hasn't relented all day long. We loaded up the van with our bikes this morning before a driver drove us to the top of the mountain, where our bike trip would begin. As we approached the summit and saw snow, we realized that gloves would have probably been a good idea. (Laura was the only one smart enough to pack them, Amy and I had to use socks.) Once again, we were the only people embarking on this journey, and the way the people at the backpackers kept referring to us as “brave” got us a little nervous about to what we had gotten ourselves into.

We had a 54 kilometer trip from the top of the mountain back to our backpackers. They drove us to the top, unloaded our bikes and bid us farewell, leaving us on our own to navigate the journey back. They gave us a bike pump and spare tires in case anything should happen, which is wonderful, except for the fact that none of us have the slightest clue as to how to change the tire tubing. We didn’t let this slow us down and had faith that we could figure it out if we needed to.

The first few miles were a steep incline as we descended rapidly, our knuckles white as we gripped our breaks and held on for dear life. I don’t think anybody pedaled their bike once for the first 5 miles. Things calmed down a little once we got to the paved road and actually had to start pedaling. The rain seemed to be coming down harder as the day progressed, but we made it to the Cango Caves in pretty good time, where we had an hour long tour and a hot cup of coffee. After our tour of the caves we hopped back on our bikes to head to the Ostrich Farms, and at this point it was raining so hard that it proved to be a challenge just to open our eyes while the rain pelted us as we rode through the countryside. We made it to the farms in time for them to tell us they were closed because of the rain. Feeling sorry for us and how we were drenched with rain, the owner invited us in for tea before we got back on the road.

Despite encountering a few baboons and Amy losing the chain on her bike, most of our trip was smooth sailing. (Except the fact that all of our limbs were numb from the cold.) We made it back to our backpackers and learned that the power was out not only there, but all over town and in the surrounding cities as well. In desperate need to get warm, we decided maybe we should hit the road a day early and try to find accommodation elsewhere. We were all excited about our new plan until we realized we didn’t have enough cash to pay for our room for the previous night as the ATM had been down all day because there was no power, and they didn’t accept credit cards. After offering both American cash and our services washing dishes in the kitchen, we were quickly denied and left with no other option but to spend another night. Luckily there is a fire that has kept us warm for the past few hours, and the power returned not too long ago, so we’ll be able to check out tomorrow morning and head toward our next destination. It has been several hours since our return from the bike trip and we are still waiting for the feeling to return in our fingers and toes. Rain and all, we had a great day and had tons of fun. We wanted an adventure, and I’d say we’re getting one!

Amy and and in the van on the way up the mountain

Getting ready to start the descent

Trying to figure out a way to keep warm!

Riding down the mountain

Amy and I with socks on our hands to keep them warm. This worked well for the first hour, until the rain had completely soaked them.

On the way down the mountain

Laura and I in the cave. Pretty wet at this point in our journey.

This is us after we showed up to the Ostrich Farm. I think they felt sorry for us.

Amy toward the end of our trip. Such a happy camper. 

Laura and I on the trip

Amy and Laura inside the cave

Amy and I in the car that we rented. Amy got upgraded to front seat this trip.

Hermanus/Cape Agulhas

Thursday was a busy day as we finished up work and got ready to begin our road trip. We had to say goodbye to Home of Hope and also to all of our friends at AVIVA, so it was a bit of an emotional day. We had a two hour drive to Hermanus, and tension was running high by Thursday evening when we were the closest we have been thus far to killing each other. We can laugh about it now and credit all the moodiness to the fact that nobody was quite sure about how to feel with one journey ending and another beginning. A little bit of processing time and a good night’s sleep seemed to make a big difference.  

Friday morning we got up to go whale watching, which is what Hermanus is famous for. There is nothing too exciting about this activity, as it mostly requires staring at the ocean and hoping that something catches your eye. While the scenery was beautiful, I was bored about a minute in. Needless to say, we never saw a whale while we were looking for one, only by accident as we were walking on the coastline. Isn’t that the way it always goes!

After an underwhelming morning of whale watching, we headed to the Fernkloof Nature Reserve to do some hiking. We hiked along the coastline and then to a waterfall that contained flowing red water, a particularly odd site. While we were hiking we saw some of the most beautiful homes nestled underneath the mountain right along the coastline. These were the kind of houses that make you want to knock on the doors and ask these people how they got to be so lucky to live there. Don’t worry, we didn’t.

After hiking, we had a picnic lunch on the beach before beginning a 2 hour drive to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of the African continent. After arriving, we realized our hostel was in a questionable area, so we kept driving until we found a quaint little bed and breakfast that offered us a great deal. (We were their only guests.) It didn’t take long to realize that there is not much to do at the southernmost tip of Africa other than simply be there, so we grabbed a bottle of wine and headed down to the water where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide. We finished the day with a beer at the local pub called “Jaws” where we were once again the only patrons, and then headed back to our accommodation where we cooked a nice spaghetti dinner. All these towns are so beautiful, but we seem to be the only people in most of them and find ourselves continuously asking, “Where is everybody?”

We left Cape Agulhas this morning to embark on a 5 hour drive to Oudtshoorn, where we will be staying for the next 2 nights. It is the largest town in the Little Karoo region, and has the largest Ostrich population in the world. We’ve got a 35 mile bike ride lined up for tomorrow, where we will ride down a mountain and stop at caves and ostrich farms along the way.

Internet availability seems to be hard to come by, so I'll post pictures of our bike adventure as soon as I can!

Leaving the AVIVA House, all of us with Numsa and our "house mother" Meagan

I would say this picture pretty accurately sums up whale watching

Hiking in the nature reserve. We have to put the camera on a timer to get a picture of all 3 of us. So, I had 10 seconds to climb down some boulders and join the girls on a rock. That may help explain our awkward pose.

The camera was on a timer again here. I wasn't quite fast enough this time.

All 3 of us standing at the southernmost tip of Africa

Having a toast at the tip of the continent

On The Road Again

Tomorrow we finally leave to begin our travels. I tried to create a map for everybody to see the route we will be driving, but my lack of technological abilities have failed me once more and I wasn’t successful. Here is a list of our destinations, and if you’re curious as to where these places are – MapQuest will allow you to view the entire journey. We will mostly be driving along the Garden Route, which covers much of the southeastern coast of South Africa.

We leave Cape Town after work tomorrow to head to Hermanus, where we will spend Thursday night. Friday night we will be in Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Saturday and Sunday night we will be a bit further inland in Oudtshoorn, and then arrive in Plettenberg Bay on Monday night. We will be in Storms River on Tuesday night, and then Wednesday and Thursday night will be spent in Jeffrey’s Bay. Friday morning we will drive to Port Elizabeth to drop off our rental car and to be picked up and taken to Quatermain’s Camp, where we will be camping on safari Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Monday night we will be back in Port Elizabeth, from where we will fly to Cape Town on Tuesday to spend our last night before leaving for the States on Wednesday, August 3^rd.

I intend to keep the blog as up to date as possible about each place we visit, but this will depend on internet availability (Our average cost for accommodation is about $14 per night, so we’re just hoping for beds - internet will be a bonus.)

For any worried family and friends out there, fear not; my brother gave me a “safety kit” before coming to South Africa, consisting of pepper spray, a whistle, and other various items. I learned the hard way yesterday that the pepper spray works! When we first got here, I retrieved it out of my suitcase so I could take it with me when I ran. I wanted to test it out first, so I sprayed it in the plastic bag containing the whistle to see if it would work (no, I have no idea why I chose to do it in that bag.) After seeing that it worked, I closed the bag and put it back in my suitcase. Well, I came across the whistle yesterday and we all agreed that we should take it on our trip. So, forgetting my previous test spray, I blew on it to see how loud it was. It didn’t take long before my lips were on fire and I was running to the bathroom in a panic to run my head under the faucet. Yes, the pepper spray works. But regrettably, my lips no longer do. After I stopped feeling like I was going to die, we all concluded that we’re at least glad to know it works (I would have been happier if we discovered this information at the expense of someone else’s lips.) At least we know we can defend ourselves should we come under attack by any more baboons! Stay tuned.

Carnival Day

After hearing one of the kids excitedly shout, “This is the best day of my life!” I would mark Carnival Day as a success. Some of the children had a difficult time understanding the concept of collecting tickets to earn prizes, resulting in quite a few tears at the beginning of the day. They couldn’t comprehend why all of the tickets they received were marked “1 ticket” and all the prizes they wanted were labeled “3 tickets.” We tried to explain that if they saved their tickets, they would eventually possess 3 tickets and could then buy the prizes they wanted, but this was lost on them. Everyone was all smiles by the end of the day as they played with new toys, appropriately dressed in the apparel they had won. It was a tearful goodbye as all of the kids stood on the lawn poking their little heads through the fence and waving goodbye as we drove away. We can only hope that we’ve made as much of an impact on their lives as they’ve made on ours. You never know what the future may hold, and I’m forever hopeful that this isn’t the last time that I will be a part of these children’s lives.

Friday evening we went on a sunset sailboat ride, toasting champagne as we watched the sunset while sailing down the coastline. We were invited to a “trance” club in Cape Town later that night, and as this is something Amy has desperately wanted to do, we decided to be adventurous and check it out. Arriving in my usual getup of a denim jacket and riding boots, it was immediately apparent that we didn’t exactly fit in.  Girls in spandex dresses seemed to be swarming all around us, and the fact that we stood out became even more evident when another club goer told me that I looked like a “mommy.” We all laughed hysterically at this as we continued to draw attention to ourselves by dancing wildly to the techno beats of the DJ. Someone even made a comment about how “American” our dancing looked. I’m fairly certain that this was not a compliment, as our “dancing” consisted mostly of jumping up and down (Amy’s calves were sore the next day, that’s never a good sign) but we were having fun and carried on anyway. We managed to make a few friends, but I wouldn’t exactly say we were a hit at this club or that I’ll be going back anytime soon. Crawling into bed after 2am and having a 6 o’clock wake up the following morning reminded me of why I am perfectly content with our usual bedtime of 8pm. No more night clubs for mommy.

On Saturday we spent the day on a double-decker sightseeing bus to go to the areas we had left to see around Cape Town. We spent the afternoon in the Botanical Gardens of Kirstenbosch, but with only a few hours of sleep the night before, most of our time in the gardens was spent napping on the lawn. We then went to Camps Bay, a touristy town located right on the beach just below Table Mountain. We ate dinner as we absorbed what was quite possibly the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen. I can confidently say that we’ve now officially conquered Cape Town.

We spent Sunday recuperating since we’ve been on the go since our arrival and haven’t had very much down time. I was able to get in a good run before we went down to the beach and had a Bible Study. We have started to make the necessary preparations for our trip as we contemplate how to pack 13 days’ worth of clothes in one backpack – this is going to require some skill. Before we leave on our trip I intend to post a more detailed blog about our upcoming itinerary for all of the worried parents out there!

Carnival Day! We had to do what we could with some make-shift decorations

One of the girls outfitted with all of her prizes

Pin the beak on the penguin

Ring Toss

Amy and I outside Home of Hope

Bobbing for apples - it went much better this time than it did on the 4th of July

Wheel barrel races

The Wheel of Fortune

Prize Table

The 3 of us on the sunset cruise

View of the sunset from the sailboat

The 3 of us on the sailboat

Laura and I on the boat

All of us in the Botanical Gardens

Laura on the sightseeing bus

Amy and I on the bus - could we be more touristy?

Laura and I on the beach at sunset in Camps Bay

The sunset in Camps Bay