A day in J-Bay

Hey y'all,

Life in South Africa has been treating me pretty darn well lately.  We spent a recuperating weekend at an adventure camp in Bonnievale, eating food cooked over a campfire, taking on the slip'n'slide and sleeping under the stars.  Not to mention the epic paintball battle we had, slingshot style.  First hit of the day, right in the sternum - I've still got the bruise.  And the paint dried this awkward yellow colour on my shirt, so I looked like I'd blown my nose on myself.  Eew.  But it was SO much fun!

But a weekend wasn't nearly enough R&R for us all, so we traipsed over to Jeffrey's Bay for a few days of adventure and beach time. 

My first activity?  Horseback riding on the beach.  It was spectaculary brilliant to say the least.  And provided more than a few chuckles.  Especially when you misunderstand your horses name... and instead of "Patches" you hear something along the lines of "B... well you know what I mean.  I called him Duchess :)  And it only got better from there.  The second words out of the guides mouth were, "He can be a bit of a bastard".  Oh great, just what I wanted.  Turns out Patches had a bit of a complex and any time some other horse tried to pass him, he took a snap at them.  But it meant I got some great galloping in as Patches hurried to catch up to the other horses ahead of us.

The scenery was just glorious too - big sand dunes, surf and you.  I'll toss some pictures up later!

The only problem was the trotting.  I could barely sit down the next day.  And instead of being able to rest, I tossed on my bathing suit and headed out for surf lessons.  Also spectacular.  It was a perfect day for learning and our instructor was super helpful and by the end of our 2 hours on the water I'd managed to stand up and surf in to shore a few times!!

But the best part - better than watching everyone faceplant every now and then, and better than that rush you got as you sped in towards shore - was the herd of dolphins that swam by us mid-lesson.  There had to have been 15 of them... Gorgeous.  Just gorgeous.

And now that I am thoroughly battered and bruised, we're heading off to a backpacker's hostel in the middle of nowhere (that is, Mdumbi - pronounced Em-doom-bee) for a week of class and chillin' at the beach

Sending my love your way,
Sandy


Ok, as promised, here are the pictures to go with.  One adventure I forgot to mention though and although it was short, it was fun!  On our way to Bonnievale we stopped on the side of the road and floated down a river through some caves.  Like the lazy rivers at most waterparks...only with with an extra surprise. Bats.  That freaked out more than one of the girls, but the boys definitely took home the prize for most squealing.

walking down the highway to get to the cave

waiting in the river

see?!  Bats!!

Melissa riding down the beach in J-Bay

surfer extraordinaire :)

Stellenbosch, South Africa's Wine Region

It's been a lovely week here in Stellenbosch - I actually got 2 days off this week, a real weekend!  I almost forgot what that felt like :)

Since we're in Stellenbosch and there's a vineyard around every corner, I've been making the most of this opportunity and tried my hand at wine tasting.  The wines here are just scrumptious, I've grown especially fond of the South African Pinotage.  

The view is just spectacular here, what with the mountains in the background, and I managed (by accident) to save the best vineyard til last.  Steve and I tried to find Stark-Conde last week, but since our GPS didn't recognize the name we gave it up for lost, turned around and went to another vineyard.  Imagine my surprise (and, well frustration is a little too strong since I just had to laugh) when we drove around the next corner on the way home and - lo and behold, there was Stark-Conde.  If only we'd driven another 200 feet that afternoon...

Anyways, I went there this afternoon and it was spectacular.  See?!

my glass of award winning Cabernet Sauvignon 

the cabin on the pond where I did my wine tasting

 I had a blast chilling in the shade reading 'The Princess and The Goblin' - there's a shout out to my childhood and a movie my sisters and I just loved! :)

I also made lots of new friends today - it was definitely the friendliest vineyard I'd been too.  People from England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany... And Mark and Kenny were professional hand cyclists here for training and racing.  What a great day!

Cheers,

Sandy

xox

Conquering Table Mountain

Hey everyone,

I'm alive and well, and have crossed a hike up Table Mountain off my bucket list.  It was an adventure and a half considering the fact that we started the hike at 1:30 and it was about 30 degrees, sunny without a cloud in the sky and there wasn't a breeze to be found.  My bag weighed a metric ton at the beginning because of all the water I was carrying up.  The only good thing about that (besides staving off heat stroke), is that it only gets lighter the longer you climb. 

braving the Platte Klip route

The route that we chose, the Platte Klip (Flat Rock in Afrikans), was basically a giant staircase.  Up and up and up, 2 km in length and 650 m in elevation.

looking back over Cape Town

It was absolutely gorgeous, especially when you got near the top and were in the shade.  I have never been so happy to see some semblance of darkness in my life.  Seriously, I think I lost about 10 lbs in water!

strong like bull

It took me about 2 hours to climb, resting when I needed to, and muttering to myself in German to try and distract myself from the firey, burning feeling in my thighs.

Pete and Ben at the top

Once we had summited the mountain, it was clearly time for an epic photo shoot.  Everyone say cheese!

mad skills

I wish I'd had enough time to wander around the whole top of Table Mountain, but we had to be back in time for dinner.  As it was, I was able to look out in several directions, marvelling at the ocean and the clouds below us.

We took the gondolas down, paying an exhorbitant price, before crashing on the bus wondering how sore we were going to be the next day.

We've been in Stellenbosch nearly a week now, and it's a beautiful part of South Africa's wine region.  I've already been wine tasting and it is just delicious. 

We're working in a township called Kayamandi during our stay here - it's a 'needs assessment' opportunity, which means the students are developing service projects to put into place to help out the community in some way.  We were privileged enough to have a tour of Kayamandi one night - a little scary, but really neat to see the atmosphere.  Plus, the tour started out with a visit to the local choir.  They were incredible, and I even got to go up front and sing and dance with them.  Well, more dance because I can't speak a work of Zulu. 

Lots of love sent your way,

Sandy

xo

My life lately.

One thing about my life in South Africa... it's stupidly hard to find internet access.  We sure are spoiled by the amount of wifi in North America.  Actually, it's a bit of a love/hate thing - I'm enjoying being off the grid, forced to appreciate the world around me, but it gets a bit frustratingg when you want to get in touch with those you love back home.

We sure have been busy in the last couple weeks; I didn't realized until this morning just how much I needed a day off. 

I'll fill you in on some of the highlights since Soweto - it's so hard to keep up when we do so much here! 

We left Soweto early, early, early... like 5:00am early and drove down to the Karoo Desert, where we stopped for an overnight on our way to Cape Town.  It was a long day on the bus, made longer by the fact that I had contacted some sort of flu.  Luckily my stomach wasn't upset, but I spent the day alternating between hot flashes and chills as I attempted to sleep it off on the floor of the bus.  And!  I was so upset because our night under the stars in the desert was one I was so looking forward too.  With the help of a little tylenol though, I managed to fall asleep under the stars and by morning I was feeling better. 

We hit Simon's Town around dinner the next day and boy did it feel good to see the ocean. 

the beach we stayed at

 To my surprise (and serious enjoyment!!) there were PENGUINS on the beach!!!  How cool is that?!  And unexpected I might add

so cute!

 Our week in Simon's Town was designated for R&R... haha ya right!  Maybe for some, but for myself it was a jam-packed week of adventure and fun.  On the first day, we went to Cape Point: the famouns 'southernmost' point in South Africa (it's actually a lie - but it's more famous that the actual southernmost tip).  And it was W-I-N-D-Y!!!  At one point in time or another I thought i was going to get blown off the cliff.  See?  It's holding me up!

wheeee

 It was absolutely stunning there, the point was covered in clouds that were being whipped over the rocks and stones by the gale force winds.  And, we were treated to our flirst glimpse of baboons there too.  Hard to see in the picture below, but they're sitting right next to the sign that says 'don't feed the baboons they can be dangerous'.  I can well believe that, they nearly grabbed food right out of our hands if we stopped paying attention.

Allison's laughing at the baboon paparazzi

 The next day we went to the beach... sounds great but what you don't know it that our day of paragliding was cancelled due to weather.  Which meant wind.  And lots of it.  It made for great waves to boogey-board on (SO fun, although I think the lifeguards thought we were crazy... as it was, we were the only people in the water... can you say tourist?!), but when you got out of the water your face got re-sculpted by blowing sand.

Luckily, the next day dawned calm and sunny... perfect weather for paragliding.  Oh yeah

Allison & I looking spiffy

 Even though waiting your turn tried everyone's patience, the view made up for it

flying off Lion's Head

 And, as if that wasn't enough adventure for the week, the next day we hopped on a bus and went... SHARK DIVING.  Me!  Can you believe it?!  I still can't!!

It was terrifying and SO MUCH FUN!  They are creepy but elegant monsters... I would never ever want to run into one in the wild, but I'm so glad I got into that stupid cage (I was more afraid of it that the sharks to be honest).  And they're huge!!  One of them also had a really nasty bite out of it's gills from a fight with another shark. 

Mr. Great White taking on a tuna head

 And just in case you don't believe me, here I am not freaking out in the cage.  So there.

all smiles, despite the hypothermia

 After all that adventure came a day of much needed rest.  A quiet morning, followed by some market time in Cape Town, and finished with a Super Rugby match: The Stormers (Cape Town's provincial team) vs. The Sharks

I may not know all too much about rugby, but it was a brilliant game - made better by the comeback at the end!  The Stormers were down 16-10 with 5 minutes left, but managed to pull out a 17-16 victory on their home turf!  Woohoo

We moved on to a town called Athlone in the Cape Community for a chance to learn about the coloured community in South Africa.  We've learned about the white Afrikaner culture in Pretoria, the black community in Soweto and now the students are staying with coloured families here.  There is an unbelievable amount of history here in the country and do I ever feel privileged to have the opportunity to learn.

But like I said, it's been a challenging couple weeks and after dropping the students off with there host families I was in serious need of some alone time and space to clear my head... to not think about anything actually.  Since it was such a gorgeous day, I decided to check out Chapman's Peak.  Best idea ever.  It definitely makes it onto the top 5 most beautiful roads I have ever driven. 

at the start of Chapman's Peak Road

The week was full of learning interspersed with beach time (which means fish'n'chips time!!  So fresh and tasty!!).  But one of my highlights of the week was our visit to Robben Island.  It was a place just full of memories and history - it's crazy to think of the people who spent years of there life imprisoned just for speaking up for human rights.

Nelson Mandela's cell

I spent the day at the beach yesterday, reading and squeezing all the relaxation I could out of my weekend.  With the sand, sun and ocean it wasn't all that hard to do.  But I looked a little ridiculous in my bathing suit - the mosquitos have decided that they just love me and I look like I have chicken pox from all the bites.

I'm loving life down here, but I do get homesick from time to time.  I sure wish I could call home, but I guess that'll just make it that much more special when I get home and can chat with you.

I love you lots and miss you like crazy!

Cheers,
Sandy

I've never felt so white in my life...

We've moved on from Pretoria to Soweto and what a change it's been.  A move from a rich white city to a poor black one wreaks havoc on your heart.  But I wouldn't change it.  It has been so interesting to see history from both sides in the last 2 weeks, to hear two different perspectives on the same topics, to meet people who have lived through both sides of Apartheid and to see the reverberations of such a huge part of history.

And it's true... I've never felt so white in my life.  It's actually been a little uncomfortable at times, walking through parts of Soweto in a large group of well-off white people 'gawking' at what we see.  But I'm changing as I experience this and I'm excited to see what sort of fire I come home with. 

The move from Pretoria to Soweto doesn't mean things have slowed down at all, in fact, they've gotten busier! 

We arrived in Soweto in time for church on Sunday morning, and it was so different from church back home.  And yet no different at all, just a building filled with people worshipping God.  The pastor spoke a bit louder, that's all :)  Afterwards we stayed around for a braai and to play with the kids.

playing hair dresser at church

Monday started with a tour through Soweto - it's unbelievable to think that people today, in the 2011, live in such squalid conditions.  Not all of Soweto is impovershed, a lot of work has been done since the end of Apartheid, but it still gave me a lot of food for thought.  

Kliptown

We also visited the Hector Pieterson Memorial.  On June 17, 1976 the government tried to enforce a new law whereby math and science would be taught in Afrikans.  To the black students, this was the straw that broke the camel's back.  They organized a peaceful protest, but as things go, it escalated into a violence conflict.  A small boy, Hector Pieterson, was caught in the middle and killed.  The memorial is heartbreaking, but such a tribute to a people who fought so hard to be treated like humans.  Again, South Africa is changing me, how could it not?



'To honour the youths who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom and democracy'

 The next stop of the day was much more fun: Soccer City!  I may not be the biggest soccer fan, and was no devout follower of the World Cup, but it was pretty neat to walk through the stadium.

leaders in the change room

about to charge onto the field to score the game winning goal!

group shot!  even though, technically, we weren't allowed on the pitch :)

 The next day, after a few lectures that really provided another viewpoint on apartheid, we went to the Apartheid Museum.  Incredible.  There is so much to it, so many twists and turns into darkness... And such an incredible rise out of it.

the 7 pillars of the consitution outside the museum

segregated entrance

It's been on heck of a week, and it's only halfway done!

Cheers,
Sandy

Week 1: Pretoria

We've been in South Africa for a week now, and I just love it!  Pretoria has been a blast, and although we're already all longing for the coast and the ocean, we've had some incredible adventures and experiences already.

Our very first stop of the week was at UNISA (University of South Africa) - the largest correspondance university in the world.  They have some 250 000 distance ed students!  We were treated to a lecture on Afrikaner History, and I just couldn't get enough.  South Africa is fabulously interesting - it's like being back in Germany for the 20th aniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  It's history I haven't learned about in school, and I get to experience it firsthand.  Fabulous!

everyone at UNISA

 Afterwards, we went to the Voortrekker Monument.  Around the time when the Brits showed up in SA, the Afrikaner people went on a 'Great Trek' into SA's interior, looking for land to call their own.  There was a particular battle, in which the folk prayed for God to grant them victory.  If he did, they would make a huge monument in tribute.  Thus the Voortrekker Monument. 

Mimi & I outside the monument looking over Pretoria

 Then we decided to have a little fun...

Aaaaaahhhhhh!

 Our next stop on the tour was the Klapperkop Fort.  I'm not entirely sure what went on here, but a battle for sure.  And now they have a really sweet tree growing in the middle of the yard:

group shot!

 On Tues. Jan 18th (the following day) we had another lecture about Afrikaner culture.  Willie was a great speaker, and brought lots of memorabilia to show us.  Gold coins, a map of SA drawn in the 1500's, duelling pistols, a flintlock rifle... And there were more guns to been seen when we reached the Diamond Hill battlefield.

don't be fooled by the smile... enemies beware!

 We then moved on to the University of Pretoria for a lecture on the Truth and Reconciliation Comission.  Our lecturer was personally involved in making it happen and was good friends with Archbishop Desmond Tutu (wow!).  Our last stop of the day was the Sammy Marks House - he was a fabulously rich entrepeneur in SA at the turn of the 20th century.  His house is exactly as it was when he died, which was really neat (and beautiful) to see, but we weren't allowed to take any pictures.

Thursday was a blast as well.  We started the day bright and early (I'm not kidding, my alarm went off at 4:40am!) to hop on the Gospel Train.  Each morning there are hundreds of black people who commute into the cities for work.  In some of the carriages there are church services that go on.  They have a preacher and everyone else joins in with singing and dancing and percussion (they are incredible... seriously!).  It was the best start to an early morning I've ever had. 

Afterwards we went back to the U of P, this time to the music department, for a drumming workshop.  We spent a couple hours banging around on djembe.  SO MUCH FUN!!! 

Next stop in our busy schedule: Parliament.  That folks, is where Nelson Mandela worked on a daily basis.  They're lovely buildings, but I enjoyed the market out front better.  They had all sorts of tables set up for people to sell their wares at - it was hard to say no!

girl time in the Parliament gardens

 This week has been what we Outtatowner's call a homestay.  For the duration of the week we live with families in Pretoria; a few students in each house.  It's an incredible opportunity to get a real feel for life in the country as well as make some wonderful friends.  On our way to our host families the other night, Raf, Steve, Mimi and I stopped at a little park to see if we could catch any wildlife around.  There were zebra's galore!  One was even pregnant!  And quite a few ostriches as well.

eep!  a zebra!

Friday was lovely and chill -  after such a long day we were all ready to relax.  The major event of the day was heading to the Lion Park.  Baba (our bus driver - he's amazing!) drove us through the park full of lions, zebras, cheetahs and hyenas and then (this is the ridiculously cool part) we went to the petting zoo, where we spent a few minutes each cuddling with the lion cubs.  And while you were waiting, you could go feed the giraffe.  It may not appear so, but they have really slimy, raspy tongues! 

Needless to say, I was a little snap happy...

soooo cute!

eep it's trying to eat me!!

And that's all for now folks.  It's a free day with the host families today - we're going to have a braai later (that's a SA barbeque) and then we head to Soweto on Sunday.

Lots of love,
Sandy

Welcome to South Africa

Hey Everyone!  I'm currently sitting outside... and it's 20 degrees.  Jealous yet?

It's been one heck of a journey getting down here, but stepping out of the airport saying: "I'm in Africa right now..." was so worth it.  We left Winnipeg on the 11th and flew over to Toronto - and for all of those who know how much I love Big Bang Theory this should make you smile: I sat next to a theoretical physicist!

It was smooth sailing getting our group and our luggage checked in at the airport, but the first bump hit at Pearson.  We were heading over to our next gate and Raf told everyone to get out their next boarding pass.  Steve (my co-worker) and I looked at each other, because neither one of us had another boarding pass.  Just Winnipeg to Toronto!  So we had to exit out of the airport, head to the Lufthansa desks, print our next 2 boarding passes and check back through customs.  Not a huge hitch, just a little annoying.  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since, as we rounded the corner to walk up to the desk I got hit by something hugging me and calling me a liar all in one go.  Holly had come to the airport to say hello to those flying out of Toronto (and I had told her the day before that I wouldn't see here because we didn't have time to come out and check back in.  Hooray for life's little surprises!

Toronto to Frankfurt was another smooth, albeit long flight.  I don't sleep well on planes... which was great when we landed at 9am and I hadn't slept in some 24 hours.  But it was just fantastic being back in Germany.  I loved being able to speak German again and I managed to eat just about everything on my list.  First stop of the day: a café to delve once more into the deliciousness that is German bread!  Mmmm.

After a quick nap at the airport, we took off on the last leg of the journey: Frankfurt to Johannesburg!  A late night departure had us landing at 10:00 am in South Africa.  It was the day that just wouldn't end!  Luckily enough, all our luggage showed up, so we hopped on a bus (driving on the left too!!) and drove over to Heronbridge - the retreat centre we're doing orientation at.

It's just lovely here in South Africa - green, warm and full of bird-song.  Not that I was aware of any of it until the second day we were here.  I don't think I've ever been that jet-lagged in my life!  At dinner I couldn't even remember what hand I normally hold my knife in.

These past couple days have been great for hanging out, catching up on what happened over Christmas, learning to breathe through my nose again (goodbye allergies!), and filling everyone in on what's going to happen this semester.

But the highlight so far?  Driving over to the mall.  Let me tell you... it's really really weird shifting with your left hand.  And I couldn't find my blinker to save my life.  But I had a really really clean windshield!




all chipper as we head out of Winnipeg



loosing steam in Frankfurt

bus time!! (this is how we travel around SA)

on our last legs at Heronbridge (can you tell we're exhausted?!)

group Rock, Paper, Scissors with a twist