Hogsback.

      In the month that has passed we finished up our classes and are currently in the midst of taking finals.  The system here has our four finals spread over four weeks, such a waste of a month!  I will never again hate our American system of taking all finals during the course of one week.  The worst one that Shane and I have suffered through thus far was for Ethics and Corporate Governance; the test was three hours long and all writing!  Multiple choice is now the best thing in the world in my eyes!  I digress. 

The Three Hogs

     We took probably our last trip outside of PE on Tuesday to Hogsback, South Africa.  This place is not something one would envision when thinking about Africa as it was mountainous and had sprawling forests.  Gorgeous!  Sarah and Allie were the ones who mentioned the place and consequently invited us along.  Hogsback was the least crowded place we have been to thus far and provided us with some much-needed quiet.  It also had a majestic quality to it, which was carried about everywhere as the place became popular thanks to J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books (he was apparently inspired to write them because of Hogsback’s beauty).  Everywhere we went things were named either after hogs or magic. 

     Tuesday morning saw us leaving Port Elizabeth around 11 with Allie behind the wheel of our Volkswagen Polo Vivo.  We ended up taking a 1-hour detour (completely out of the way) because there were two roads with the same name and Google Maps failed to specify properly.  Our mistake became apparent when the ocean came into view and we arrived in Port Alfred, as our destination was more North than the Easterly direction we ended up in.  After Allie and Shane tried three different businesses they were able to acquire a map and pinpoint our mistake.  After this mishap we were on track and arrived in Hogsback.

     Away With the Fairies was the backpackers accommodation we enjoyed for the two nights that we stayed.  The four of us occupied a two-bedroom cottage aptly named The Hobbit complete with a fireplace and full kitchen (we were expecting the entire thing to consist of one room).  We unpacked some of our things and then explored the property.  The property had a viewpoint complete with a bathtub that literally sits on the edge of the cliff and looks at the “three hogs.”  The tub is functional, but for hot water a fire has to be built and the water brought to a boil (primitive, I know).  With our curiosity sated for the moment, we explored the town and found the one food place that was open (named Enchanted).  The food here sucked.  It came out slowly and it was warm at best.  The menu for my meal specified two chicken drumsticks with a gravy of my choosing, chips, and a salad.  All of it came out at once (instead of the salad before the meal) and we later learned that I was charged extra for the gravy, which I did not end up eating because of its horrid taste.  The salad consisted of six leaves with some mayonnaise-like dressing and chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.  Allie’s salad experience was even worse and was one leaf and two tomatoes...  It is safe to say we were disappointed and still hungry by the end of the meal. 

     After eating and then stopping at a grocery store to buy snacks for the night and Wednesday’s hiking, we arrived back at our lodgings and put on a couple more layers of clothing (it was freezing)!  It was pitch black by the time we had gotten back and this was not helped by the complete lack of lighting anywhere.  We obviously had lighting in our cabin, but none was used on the streets here or anywhere on Fairies’ property.  We requested a flashlight from the office and then made our way to the tree house on site.  This was an adventure as the light was simply a strap and tiny bulb meant to go around one’s forehead; Allie donned the light and led the way up the ladder.  I went last and climbed in absolute darkness.  The climb was worth it.  The tree house (more of a deck) was 15 meters high and had an incredible view of Hogsback.  With no lights anywhere in sight we could see more stars than we have ever seen in our lives.  It was breathtaking (and cold).  After twenty minutes or so of enjoying the view we attempted to build a fire back at our place.  Much trial and error ensued, but eventually we were successful.  We talked for a couple of hours and then called it a night, as we would be getting up early to watch the sun rise over the mountains.  Never before have I worn so much clothing to bed.  I ended up sleeping in leggings with sweat pants over top of them, socks, a tank top, and a t-shirt on top of that.  I really wish people had central heating here.

     Around 6 the next morning we were out of bed and back to the viewpoint.  It was lightly misting when we left and this created a barrier from even being able to see the hogs, let alone the sun.  With our efforts wasted we made breakfast, packed up, and headed out to the nature trail.  The sights were incredible and the climbing rough.  We fell and took detours, a lot.  There were Samango monkeys and some baboons that we came across which was out of place in a forest that looked like the woods back home might.  The waterfalls were easily the best part of the hiking, though the mist that was ever-present over the trees was enjoyable in its own right.  After 6 hours of hiking up and down the mountainsides we were exhausted and famished.  When we got back to The Hobbit we changed and found food at Happy Hogs, which was delicious!  The night that followed was less eventful and consisted of us watching the two soccer games that aired that night (both of the teams Shane was rooting for won: Portugal and Germany).

Sarah, Me, Allie, and Shane!

     Thursday morning we ate breakfast, packed everything up, and made our way to another backpackers where we would be utilizing their horses for a one-hour trail ride.  We were greeted by Shane and received some lessons on how to control our horses (as he uses a method that does not place a bit (piece of metal) in the horse’s mouth and does not shoe his horses either).  These were easily the most responsive horses I have ever ridden on.  The ride was a lot of fun, especially seeing Shane with a helmet on (he was the only one) and to watch him struggle to get his horse (Baloo) to follow commands.  At a couple of points we were able to gallop through the forest, it was thrilling!  The trees whip by and the only sound is that of your horse’s breathing and pounding hooves.  Towards the end of the ride we enjoyed going down a steep slope that was very muddy and that our horses just slid down on.  My horse, Baron, seemed to enjoy this part the most and was very eager to just barrel down it, whereas Baloo (Shane’s horse), who was in front of me, took timid steps and ultimately resulted in me ramming him twice.  It was so much fun!  After all was said and done we thanked Shane and said good-bye to his five dogs and other animals that have free roam over his entire property.  The drive home only ended up with two wrong turns and we made it back safely. 

Shane and I are definitely getting antsy to be home, only 15 days left!

Another Term Bites the Dust.

The past month has seen Shane and I in a repetitive cycle.  After our Easter Break we enjoyed a change in our school schedule, this consisted of the dropping of our Xhosa Culture class and the addition of The History of African Human Migration.  Other than that, school is the same.  Seeing as term 2 is now in full swing and we only have four more weeks of school left a lot of tests, papers, and projects have sprung up.  We suffered through a group presentation about a week ago in which Shane did famously and I not so much (nerves got the better of me).  This week we handed in a couple of papers and are ecstatic to have no more for the remainder of the term.

Last Saturday (April 28^th) Shane left shortly after noon to join Allie and Sarah for some soccer.  Upon arrival Shane discovered that they were the only white people in attendance and there was a soccer tournament in progress.  Before he even found Allie or Sarah he was asked to join a team, and ended up playing a forty-minute, 11-on-11 game with all South African guys! Freaking Sweet!----Shane.

The week that followed was stressful with the few papers that were required of us.  Friday of that school week meant no school (public holiday) until the following Thursday so we had a lot of free time.  A majority of it was spent hanging out with Allie and Sarah, as we are seemingly the only four international students on a budget!  On Monday we actually left Port Elizabeth together (the four of us) and made the forty-five minute drive to Jeffrey’s Bay.  Once there we parked in town and did some shopping (though no one ended up buying anything).  After this we went to a family owned farm where we could do some “zip-lining” into a small body of water.  We were thrilled with the weather as it was 90 degrees and sunny.

When we pulled onto the property we were greeted by signs threatening danger from the dogs on the property (I laughed when I saw them—Jack Russell types).  We pulled up to a makeshift gate and a door off to the right opened and a girl of about 10 walked out with a clipboard.  We each signed and paid R10.  She then asked if she could give us directions in Afrikaans, which we of course refused.  We were then told to follow the fence, turn at the big bush, and walk down the stairs… very specific.  A little confusion followed, but we found the stairs.  The zip line was crude at best, with each end attached to large boulders and a thin rope used to bring the handlebars back to us.  Shane was brave and went first.  He traveled down the line smoothly and dropped into the water.  Ice cold water.  The three of us waiting up top enjoyed the pitiful sounds he made when he realized just how cold it was.  After a little bit of arguing Allie decided to go next.  After moving about two feet from the cliff she slipped off and plunged into the water (sun tan lotion had made her hands slippery).  Because of this mishap, the small line that is used to pull the handlebars back up got snagged on the zip line itself.  None of us knew what to do, so Shane went to where the line ends (there is a path off to the side) and climbed from the bottom up to where the snag was.  He was able to get the rope untangled, but suffered because of it.  The cord that the line slides down is apparently sharp (not to mention rusted) and Shane managed to cut up his palms, fingers, and the arches of his feet.  Obviously he was done for the day.  After some convincing Sarah took her turn without any problems.  I refused to go both after seeing everyone’s reaction once they hit the water and not wanting to hurt myself.  Allie took a second turn and this time made it down the entire length, but did not let go until she was at the end (causing the thin line to snap)!  It was time to leave.

 Since that took about an hour and a half, lunchtime came and went.  We drove back into town and found a café and inhaled some mediocre food.  Towards the end of the meal we realized that time was running out (Sarah and I had an appointment to ride horses) and hurried to get the check.

The road to Papiesfontein (horse place) was rough and cruel on our Kia Rio, but we managed.  Sarah and I were the only two signed up for the 3-hour ride so Shane and Allie planned on going to the beach to lay out.  We quickly paid and were then led to our horses.  I received some lessons along the way, but for the most part enjoyed fantastic views of the surrounding landscape.  Reaching the sand dunes was probably the best part, though galloping down the beach was fantastic as well.  After completing the circuit we dismounted and waited for Shane and Allie to arrive, during this time we discovered two puppies and three kittens on the property and promptly fell in love.  It took about a half hour for our ride to show up and once it did we learned that neither had enjoyed the beach because of the abrupt temperature drop (about 15 degrees)!  The ride home was relaxing and we were all eager to do nothing for the rest of the night.  We utilized the car to once again get groceries and then went to Annie’s and enjoyed some of Sarah’s cooking (best home-made macaroni ever)! 

With the few days of break that we had left to us we went and saw the Hunger Games (alright) and a week or so before that saw the Avengers (AMAZING).  J  I do not anticipate writing anything again until mid-June or so when we take one of our last trips here in South Africa!

Easter Break

I apologize for my lack of writing in the last couple of weeks, this being due to the numerous tests and papers being completed for the conclusion of term 1.  We also have not had much of anything exciting happen since visiting Plettenberg Bay besides some awesome hangouts with friends (visited the beach where we saw a large pod of Common Dolphins, contributed to a couple of ‘family’ dinners at Annie’s, and went to Bayworld).  I will go into some minor detail about the tests we took for our classes a couple of weeks ago.  We have often heard other students say that they had “writing” coming up, which actually means exams; the exams we sat down for all entailed writing versus the normal multiple choice we do at home (it sucked – definitely like the lazy American style more)!  Each test also has so many marks instead of points (pretty much the same thing).  That’s pretty much it for our test taking, we will have more writing to suffer through in the coming months especially during June which is dedicated entirely to finals.

Easter Break followed immediately after the conclusion of the first term (though it technically ends April 11^th) and it meant a weeklong trip to Cape Town for Shane and I.  This vacation included a bungee jump, interacting with wild and tame Gray Wolves, visiting beaches & national parks, shark diving, crocodile diving, interacting with big cats, mountain climbing, crawling through caves, getting lost, and driving for 20 hours!  It will be easier for everyone to follow along if I break the trip up by days because we did a lot over each!

Saturday, March 31^st

Shane and I were up before the sun on Saturday (5:30 a.m.) in order to make the couple hour drive to Bloukrans Bridge for our bungee jump at 10.  The company, aptly named Face Adrenalin, requires you to appear an hour before your scheduled jump so we needed to arrive by nine o’ clock.  We ended up being earlier than we thought possible and checked-in.  After signing a waiver for your death (essentially) we were weighed (for once Shane weighs more than me) and then proceeded to get harnessed.  This all took about ten minutes which left us a half-hour of walking around and brooding about what was to come.  We met a couple of others who were to be in our group and attempted to figure out who would be jumping first (it ended up being Shane).  After what felt like an eternity our guides got us and we began the walk to the bridge.  It was almost scarier walking to the bridge than the jump itself!  Face Adrenalin had built a small tunnel (if you will) that is attached to the side of the bridge by a couple of screws.  On your right was the solid concrete of Bloukrans Bridge, on your left netting and the open expanse of the world, and beneath you were metal grates that left nothing below you to the imagination.  If you walked fast enough and looked down you could not even see the grates beneath your feet (this gave us a couple of excessive heart palpitations)!

After about five minutes of walking this makeshift tunnel we arrived to the center of the bridge (directly under it, as cars are traveling over head).  They explained how the order of the jumpers is decided by our weight and somehow had Shane going first (though there were people both heavier and lighter than him) and myself going third.  Shane was immediately escorted over to a chest where they have you sit down (after you have thrown any loose valuables in it) and begin tying your feet into knots – explaining what each does and how much force they can take (hardly reassuring).  The instructor had to yell at you in order to be heard as music is blaring the whole time and the entire crew is dancing around to it.  After Shane was successfully tied up he is asked to stand and then hop to the edge.  Shane was unable to convince his legs to hop so he opted for a penguin waddle to the edge!  The two instructors (one under each of your arms) inch you until your toes are over the edge and then get behind you, asking that you keep your arms out wide and on the count of 5 jump off or get pushed off.  Even with the help of the crew to the edge Shane still managed to wiggle back a couple of inches (apparently he didn’t like having his toes over) – all of this you can see on his video.  They began the countdown for him…5…4…3…2…1…BUNGEE… and with a look of absolute horror and concentration he jumped off.  None of us knew how he jumped until we got a chance to review the tape and saw that he had jumped practically vertical instead of the horizontal form everyone else utilized (the fear definitely ruled him there) and thus he suffered some whiplash later.

My turn came up only too fast.  I was pure excitement versus the fear that Shane demonstrated (though I was terrified as well) and gladly went through the same motions that he did.  I needed no help bouncing to the edge and about crapped myself upon looking over at the 695-foot drop I would be experiencing in a couple of seconds time.  They started my count down and I miraculously threw myself off the bridge without any added help.  All thought leaves your mind as you consciously betray your instincts and plunge off from a surface ridiculously far from the ground.  We were told it takes only 5 seconds for the jump to be complete and for us to experience our first bounce and it definitely felt like an eternity.  My head was pounding from the blood rush, my hair was in my face, and my eyes were watering excessively as I spun in small circles waiting for one of the staff to come down and get me.  These guys have to wait for you to stop bouncing and are then slowly lowered until they are level with you, they use a lasso to latch onto you and then unclip one cord in place of another that pulls you into an “L-shape.”  We were not allowed to grab onto the guy (which people must often do in a blind panic), as he cannot do anything with someone latched hysterically to him!  He introduced himself as he was pulling us (myself and him) up and I commented on how awesome his job must be with which he responded by gesturing to the surrounding environment, “welcome to my office.”

After the few minutes it took for them to pull me back up I was dropped onto a grate with my back still exposed to the open world and waited while they unclipped everything from me (the entire time I was smiling like an idiot).  Finally free from my bungee bonds I took a quick photo with my “jump master” and ran back to exchange experiences with Shane and the others.  After everyone took their turn we walked back through the cruel tunnel that leaves nothing to be desired and watched our videos inside Face Adrenalin’s shop.  Once satisfied with that, we each purchased our videos and photos and hopped back into the car for the short ride to Noah’s Wolf Sanctuary.  By the time that we arrived both Shane and I were exhausted both from getting up incredibly early (and not being able to fall asleep the night before) and were suffering as the adrenaline left our systems. 

At Noah’s we bought our entrance tickets and walked through the park which houses Wolf Dogs, African Wild Dogs, two separate packs of Gray Wolves, Black-Backed Jackals, and a petting zoo (most of the wolves were rescued from unfavorable situations).  We ate at Noah’s and then learned that we could actually go into the enclosures with the wolves, but the tour that allowed this did not commence for another two hours; it did not take any convincing for Shane and I to want to do this and passed the time by enjoying a lovely nap in our car (Chevy Cruze).  The interaction was awesome as the wolves are not tame, but come up for their snack of horsemeat - allowing for some awesome photographs.  We then watched them disappear into the trees and got to tour the rest of their enclosure (it was incredible knowing that these wolves were a couple of feet from you at all times but were impossible to see or hear as they moved through the brush)!  After those guys we did get to pet one Gray Wolf who was hand-raised and watch her interact with the wolves on the other side of the fence.  Shane and I knew we had a couple of hours of driving to make it to our hotel in Riversdale and headed out from the Wolf sanctuary.

This was our first time experiencing night driving and was interesting to say the least.  There were parts of the drive where the road was not separated by ANY lines, so it was just an open block of black cement with no shoulders and no divisions!  We survived the lack of labels and drove into the small town of Riversdale.  The Riversdale Travel Lodge was not what we expected as it was attached to a “Ladies Bar” that was jam-packed with Rugby fans all screaming and shouting.  I slept fantastically that night, but Shane (who cannot sleep through anything) struggled.  By the time that we arrived we were starving and were thrilled to find that a restaurant was built into the hotel.  This small establishment consisted of about 10 tables (a majority of which were booths with odd namings – none that I can recall).  We were the only ones when we walked in and were greeted by an older gentleman who asked us to pick a seat.  About five seconds after we sat down on our cushions that were lacking stuffing, some music began playing.  A woman walked out and took our drink orders (we were thrilled when the Coke came back in glass bottles) and then we ordered our food.  The meal was preceded with a complimentary shot of Sherry and buttered bread.  When the food arrived it was nothing short of delicious though this opinion could have been formed from my empty stomach!  We both enjoyed chicken thighs coated in honey and a touch of mayonnaise, pumpkin (which was incredible), a vegetable medley, corn inside of a shelled-out Avocado, and chips (fries).  After stuffing ourselves with a delicious meal we made our way up to our room and enjoyed an hour or so of television and then sleep!

Sunday, April 1^st

The two of us got up later than we expected and hurried to get out of the hotel as we were running late (check-out was supposed to be 10 a.m. and we did not leave until 10:30).  We filled up the tank ($72 for 12 gallons) and were on our way.  I should quickly comment on some of the road etiquette that Shane and I picked up on during our many hours of driving.  The biggest thing to notice while traveling the Garden Route is that often the road has one lane on one side and two on the other (sometimes you get a brief stretch of about 500m to pass in).  The shoulder on the side of the road is about the width of a car and is used frequently.  Whenever Shane would come up on another car it would hug the shoulder and leave the lane open for Shane to pass, once in front of the car we had just passed I would flash the hazards for a couple of seconds to say thanks.  Everyone did this, whether we were doing the passing or being passed.  I have to say we rather enjoyed this because we rarely got stuck behind turtles like we would in the States!  It is also incredible to note just how many hitchhikers there are on the side of the road; we easily passed hundreds of them (when in Iowa I might see one person every couple of months)!

It took us about 5 hours to go from Riversdale to Simons Town (should have been about 4, but traffic was horrible once in Simons Town – it took us forty-five minutes just to drive 2km)!  We found our accommodation for the next two nights easily enough (Cheriton Guest House) and were thrilled with it.  This guesthouse was owned by a very friendly couple named Dirk and Denise. We were given a quick tour of the house and its offerings (hot tub, pool, porch that overlooks the ocean, full access to an honesty bar [you write down what you consume], over 600 movies to choose from, et cetera.  They explained how breakfast works even though we would not be able to participate in it the next morning, as we would be shark diving.  Dirk recommended a nice restaurant on the ocean called Seaforths for dinner where Shane enjoyed Hake & chips (fries) and I had Calamari & chips along with a pair of strawberry milkshakes.  With the remaining sunlight we drove a short ways towards Cape Point, took a couple of photographs, and headed back.  We were excited to try out the hot tub, but found the water to be about as warm as a bath and didn’t linger long (I managed to rescue a snail before he decided to fall into the hot tub and die from the chlorine).  We then got ready for bed and enjoyed Coyote Ugly (I chose of course) and passed out!

Monday, April 2^nd

Another morning found us crawling out of bed with the sun (5:40) and having small bowls of cereal.  We each donned our swimsuits, grabbed the cameras & towels, and headed to the pier.  Once there, we were greeted by one of the crew, a blonde woman originally from California who told us where to locate the boat.  The wait was brief and before we knew it we were on the boat and heading out to the famous Seal Island (in False Bay).  This is one of the only islands where White Sharks breach often (launch themselves out of the water) and live in large numbers as they are sustained by the 30,000 seals living on the rock.  The drive out to the rock was cold and windy, though it was made better by the pod of Dolphins we witnessed in the distance.  After 20 minutes we arrived to our destination and a decoy was thrown out behind the boat to be dragged along at a very slow speed.  This decoy is meant to mimic when a seal is left behind by a group coming back from a hunt, which is typically what White Sharks target.  Sadly we did not get any hits (sharks sometimes breach and grab the decoy).  We anchored down and began the anxious wait for some sharks to show themselves.  To attract the sharks the crew threw two different bait lines in, one of which they constantly throw out and reel back in and another is left a couple of meters under the boat (sharks hunt from below).  A decoy was also thrown out in front of the cage and is similarly thrown in and out of the water to mimic motion.  Once the boat was settled Shane threw up (I was outside waiting for a shark to surface and had no clue).  He did this two other times while on the boat and spent almost the entire time laying on a bench inside the boat curled into a ball. 

After about an hour of waiting we had one hit and a shark attacked the decoy.  It is insane to look into black waters where you cannot see any deeper than 2 meters and suddenly a fish that is 4 meters long appears and violently attacks the bait.  The water that day was practically pitch black with the way the sun was shining on it; we could see down to the bottom of the cage as it sat in the water beside the boat, but no further.  To get a better vantage point (for my camera), I moved to the top deck at which point Shane chose to vomit again (this time over the side of the boat –he was scolded the first time for using the toilet).  I again had no clue that he had thrown up!  We waited a long time for another shark to appear, about thirty minutes… this one took the bait hanging beneath the boat (a crew member had the rope resting in his hands to alert him) and thrashed against the side of the boat as the bait was pulled from its jaws.  A different shark (number 3 – all different in size) was an eerie shadow beneath the surface until the sun lit up its white belly and black fins, this one I managed to take a couple of photos of (though it took a lot of playing with effects afterwards to be able to actually see it under the water).  This White Shark was targeting the decoy, but gave us ample time to pull it out of the water.  After this third shark appearance the first guy went down into the cage. 

This is what I am talking about with the odd color quality, you cannot see the shark otherwise!

Minutes after this last shark appeared, the pod of Common Dolphins we saw earlier made its way by our boat, following a large shoal of Sardines that pass through there annually.  The dolphins heralded another stint of no shark activity.  We probably waited another half hour before another one made an appearance and took the bottom bait once again.  This White Shark came around the opposite side of the boat and actually rolled itself once in an attempt to take the bait (it was successful).  A man and his son were popped into the cage for their turn.  We saw many more sharks on and off (Shane only ended up seeing one since he spent the entire time being seasick).  My turn finally came around and I struggled into my wetsuit, boots, head covering, and goggles.  Shane was supposed to get in with me, but was feeling far too miserable to do so.  The water was absolutely freezing!  I spent the entire time shivering violently both in and out of the cage.  I was handed my breathing apparatus and took a couple of practice breaths (it was different).  After a couple of seconds I convinced myself to go underwater and attempt to breathe with the apparatus.  Panic from lack of air was my initial reaction, but subsided shortly as I realized that I was in water with White Sharks.  Just knowing that I could be surrounded by these giant fish and have no clue until they were practically upon me was daunting!  Another man was put into the cage with me, which was comforting because I did not want to be in that water alone!  I spent the entire twenty minutes looking every which way for a shark to appear (though I sadly never got to see even one).  Shane threw up a third time while I was under.  The girl working on the crew tugged on my oxygen-line to get me and the other guy to surface to pull us out of the water.  They had seen no shark activity on top either.

Five minutes after being out of the water another shark made an appearance (curse my luck) and they asked if I wanted to get back into the cage.  By this point I was convulsing with the shivers that were racking my body and declined.  I watched as two others took my place and a White Shark swam inches from the cage!  I was a little infuriated, but that is the nature of wild animals, eh?  I still enjoyed myself thoroughly to see these apex predators at work.  Upon pulling up anchor we actually got to witness a White Shark successfully catch a seal in the distance.  It looked like a thrashing upon the water; the shark made its initial attack, determined it to be food, and came back a second time to finish the job.  I felt bad for the seal, but it was fantastic to see the real deal!  Shane was nothing short of thrilled when we finally headed back to the Bay.  We met up for a third time with the pod of Dolphins and actually stopped the boat as we crossed paths with them (they were literally inches from my fingers as I filmed them)!  The boat was maneuvered into the docks and we all hopped off. 

Penguins & Boulders Beach

We drove back to Cheriton and took turns showering and getting cleaned up.  After this we got back into the car and drove to Boulders Beach (a couple of minutes away), which hosts a colony of wild African Penguins (a.k.a. Jackass Penguins because of the braying sound that they make).  This beach was incredible as it literally has giant boulders spread around it requiring you to climb, squeeze, and maneuver to reach certain parts of the beach.  These boulders also work to shelter the water from the tide and waves, making it pleasantly calm.  The penguins on the beach are practically indifferent to people walking past so we were able to get very close to these animals.  Prior to this trip I had acquired underwater housing for my camera which allowed me to film a couple of them swimming like rockets under the water!  After Boulders Beach we went back to the Cheriton and got directions (from Denise) to McDonalds.  Believe it or not this was our first time eating McDonalds since being in South Africa!  Nothing tasted the same, though it was not bad.  We drove back with our food and enjoyed it on the patio (enclosed in glass) overlooking False Bay. 

Shane and I then spent some time flipping through the many books available to us and eventually made it back into our room for the night.  We ended up watching Timeline (Shane’s choice) and a National Geographic Documentary about the White Sharks in False Bay/Seal Island (was cool to see our skipper on television after we had met him that day).  As soon as we finished watching the movies we were ready to crash but were stuck listening to a German family with their kids being obnoxious in the bar below us (it was later explained that Dirk had forgotten to lock the bar at 8 like he usually does).  We attempted to reach Dirk or Denise on the intercom, but were never able to and just had to wait it out.

Tuesday, April 3^rd

Dassie on the cliff's edge

Shane and I were up at a good time the next morning to enjoy our complimentary breakfast (I ordered a cheese omelet and Shane had eggs over-easy with bacon [not the same as home] and some toast).  We packed up our things and then spent 15 minutes looking for our cell phone, which we had already done the previous night.  With no luck finding the phone we drove out to Table Mountain National Park where we would see Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope.  This excursion involved mixed parts of walking and driving around the park, but was well worth it.  We opted to see Cape Point first, which is the most Southwesterly point of South Africa.  The sights were awesome as they afforded us views of the open ocean and mountains with clouds rolling down them.  I was also very excited to see some “Dassies” (actually called Rock Hyraxes) living on the cliff.  These guys are described as rock rabbits, though their ears are incredibly tiny versus large.  They live right next to sheer cliff faces, which is terrifying!  After hiking the way to Cape Point we headed back to the car and drove out to the Cape of Good Hope (which is actually where everyone went in the movie, 2012).  It was odd out here as there were Ostriches on the beach.  I snapped a couple of photos and then crawled back into the car.  We drove some more around the park and enjoyed a large beach with the softest sand I have ever walked on!  After all of this exploring we finally made our way to Cape Town and the hotel we would be staying in.

The directions were simple to get to Cape Town and did not confuse us too much, but once we were on the street that our hotel was supposed to be on we could not find it!  The sign was so minimal for the hotel that we missed it entirely the first time passing through.  We parked in the garage and rode the elevator up to acquire keys and internet passes.  Our room was very spacious and we were thrilled to finally have a king-sized bed!  It was an odd set-up though as the shower stall and a sink were built into the room while the toilet had its own room by the entry.  It ended up being favorable to shower in the room because you could look out our window and see Lions Head (mountain) and listen to music (there was an iPod dock built into the wall that played out of speakers in the ceiling).  Shane and I made a couple of trips back and forth to get things from our car and then drove out to Table Mountain.

Shane and I opted for the Cable car that takes you up to the top of the mountain as we knew we did not have a couple of hours to climb up its length (as it was almost 5 p.m. when we arrived).  This was a fun ride as the floor inside of the cable car rotates allowing everyone to enjoy the same views as you slowly climb up.  We reached the summit and spent an hour and a half snapping photos and climbing over this and that.  I was able to get up close to a Dassie at one point, which was unexpected!   The views up there were nothing short of spectacular.  Table Mountain is known for its “Table Cloth” which is a cluster of clouds that constantly cover lower parts of the mountain and slowly flow down its side.  Our vantage point put us above the clouds.  We sadly were not able to spend all day exploring the vast length of the mountain as the last cable ride back down was at 6:30, so we hurried back and rode down.

We drove back to the hotel to park the car and then walked out onto the street to find somewhere for dinner.  We settled upon a place called Primi Piatti and enjoyed some spicy pasta (Shane had a chicken wrap that he did not like) and the best milkshakes ever!  Once the food had been consumed we found ourselves back in our room and spent an hour or so on Skype with my parents (Shane watched the soccer game between Barcelona and AC Milan).

Wednesday, April 4^th

Wednesday morning we made our way down to a breakfast buffet and I made the mistake of leaving my plate unaccompanied as I went back for a drink.  The seagulls took no time at all in scarfing down my scrambled eggs and taking off with a hard-boiled egg.  After eating, Shane and I drove out to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and found parking.  Our first destination of the day was Two Oceans Aquarium.  We went through this and enjoyed the various fish in all of their enclosures.  The coolest part of this Aquarium being one that went over our heads with Raggies (Ragged-Toothed Sharks) swimming by.  We finished with the aquarium and walked into a building that contained a large number of booths with people selling things.  A couple of gifts were purchased for people back home and we ate a chicken mayo sandwich while there. 

It probably took us a good hour to view everything and afterwards we made our way to the various malls in the Wharf.  These malls were easily larger than Jordan Creek back home and seemed never ending!  It was my first time having a shopping center that included places like Gucci and Versace.  We spent hours combing through the stores and purchasing gifts for friends and family.  Dinnertime came and went and found us searching for some place to eat.  I found a restaurant that sounded promising and we piled into the car to find it; we quickly discovered that everywhere was at capacity and the wait would be for a couple of hours.  With this knowledge we made our way back to the Wharf and ate at a restaurant called Mugg & Bean (more so a place for coffee, but offers a full dinner menu).  This place was brimming with people, so service was glacial.  The food was well worth it though.  I enjoyed beef lasagne and Shane had two orders of Chicken Burgers (buy one get one free).  We treated ourselves to dessert and had a heavenly red velvet waffle with ice cream, blueberries, raspberries, and chocolate syrup. 

That night we watched another soccer game (Chelsea vs Benfica) and utilized our unlimited internet access.

Thursday, April 5^th

The morning came and went quickly.  We again made our way down to breakfast and enjoyed the same buffet as the morning before, though this time I knew to guard my food from birds.  We packed up all of our belongings and then stopped at the gas station again to fill up (such a waste of money)!  A cell phone was a must for the long drive back so we stopped at a PEP store in Cape Town and loaded up on airtime and SMS bundles.  Thursday was a day designated entirely to driving and we made our way about halfway back towards Port Elizabeth, stopping in Mossel Bay. 

After about 5 hours we arrived at Jukani Predator Park.  Here we toured past various enclosures housing white & normal Bengal Tigers, Siberian Tigers, Servals, Caracals, Jaguars, Leopards (and one Black Leopard), Cougars, white & normal Lions, et cetera.  We took photos where we could (very difficult with gates obstructing the shots) and enjoyed watching one of the Cougars stalk children as they strolled by.  We waited for feeding time when the cats would become more active.  This feeding tour provided bundles of facts and information and allowed us to hear a Lion roar (very loud).  It was definitely satisfying to see a Black Leopard in person as they are very rare (only 6% of the population get this gene – according to the guide) and people commonly mistake them for Black Panthers (which do not exist).  After being awestruck by the savagery of Big Cats we drove the rest of the way into Mossel Bay and checked-in to our backpackers called Huijs te Marquette.

 We were both absolutely starving when we arrived so we got directions to a set of restaurants and chose one (Le Baron Steakhouse).  We both opted for chicken burgers and strawberry milkshakes (though these suffered from too much artificial syrup).  While we were eating, a group of people was leaving and a woman stopped to ask Shane first if we were English or Afrikaans and then if we were siblings, he obviously replied in the negative, she laughed and left.  It bothered him to no end (I think it was because we ordered the exact same things that night combined with both of us being tall and skinny)?  After dinner we spent the rest of the night utilizing the best internet in South Africa, it was practically as fast as American internet!  With this we were able to catch up on the last couple episodes of one of our shows.

Friday, April 6^th

Sadly this was the last day of our Easter Break trip.  We packed up early and enjoyed a complimentary breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon.  After checking out we headed to a town called Oudtshoorn where we were going to visit Cango Wildlife Ranch and the Cango Caves.  Upon entering town we quickly discovered that Google’s directions were inaccurate and that a street we were supposed to turn onto was blocked off due to a festival!  After a little cursing we were able to get to where we needed to be and parked.  The wildlife ranch was nicely done and we enjoyed a tour with our guide who said “ladies & gentlemen” about 50 times.  Once the tour was finished we signed up for a 3-way package where we could interact with two different big cats and cage dive with Nile Crocodiles.  Shane opted for the older white Bengal Tigers (7 months) which were easily bigger than Summer and incredibly playful.  Next the two of us got in with a cluster of Cheetahs (these being 8 months) and marginally smaller than the tiger cubs.  After petting and learning about these big cats I got to go in with three white Bengal cubs that were 3 ½ months old.  They were adorable!  There is not much else in the world cooler than being able to pet and interact with an endangered species (being a tiger cub definitely did not hurt).

Sue.

With our big cat interactions done we made our way to the Crocodile enclosure where we would be getting into the water with them.  Cango Wildlife Ranch boasts that this is the only place in the world where you can do this.  We got into our swimsuits and then donned some goggles (it took me about five minutes to do this as I could not get the size right)!  The water proved to be freezing even though it was 21 degrees Celsius.  It is probably one of the worst feelings in the world when you have no control as to how fast you enter water, you are not given the luxury of just hopping in to get it over with or taking it gradually.  I adjusted to the temperature pretty quickly while Shane shook violently virtually the entire time.  The Nile Crocodile (Sue – made her seem less scary somehow) kept her distance from us, though she did pass by very closely at one point.  We were not given breathing apparatuses like we had during shark diving so there was a lot of breath holding involved.  Though the Crocodile did not do too much, it was still an experience to see one from an underwater perspective and to have nothing between you, but thin metal bars!

Shane doing some squeezing

After being pulled out of the water we collected our complimentary photos and headed out to the Cango Caves.  These caves were amazing, the tour included one part where all of the lights were switched off, THE most absolute black I have ever witnessed ensued.  Shane and I paid for the Adventure Tour, which meant we would be doing some tricky climbing and squeezing through rock formations.  Claustrophobia was ever-present during this trip as at one point we had to slide on our bellies to squeeze through a section and climb on our sides at another (video taped a little of it just to show).  I cannot imagine being the first person to explore those caves before there was modern lighting!  I treated myself to a grape slushee once we finished and Shane enjoyed a Coke (these details are important, I know).  Sadly, this was the last part to our trip and we completed the last 5-hour stint of driving back to Port Elizabeth.  Once in town we discovered that the Splash Festival was happening and struggled to make our way to McDonalds for dinner (it was the only thing open at 11 p.m. and we had no groceries back at the house).  I crashed once we finished eating.

Saturday didn’t see us out of bed until half past noon and even then we were reluctant.  We made it to Pick n’ Pay for groceries and rented a couple of movies (Your Highness – stupid - and Beastly).  The movies were watched back-to-back and by that time the rental car needed to be returned.  I stayed at home and made dinner while Shane dealt with the car.  After finishing dinner and spending time doing nothing we were invited by a couple of friends to watch the fireworks that would be being displayed by The Boardwalk (shopping center) to herald the conclusion of the Splash Festival.  We did not find our friends, but enjoyed the show all the same. 

Today (Sunday) I was absolutely useless and spent most of the day falling in and out of sleep as it was miserable outside!  We enjoyed dinner (Shane made Chicken Mayo and fries) and then I spent about two hours or so writing this EXCESSIVELY long blog entry!  I do not anticipate any other entries being anywhere near this length and apologize to everyone who actually suffered through it.  In the end this will all serve as a memory block for myself in the future when I am reminiscing about everything we did while abroad!

Plettenberg Fun!

     Another week has passed only too quickly here in South Africa!  It went by fairly uneventfully, though we discovered that Shane’s bike had a flat tire when we got home from the Frontier Farms trip.  Embedded in the tire was a “devil’s face” which is a cruel spiky ball that you find everywhere here.  The bicycle shop would be unable to replace the tire until the following Tuesday as some event would be keeping them busy throughout the week.  On Wednesday, Shane and I traveled to the beach with Sarah (not the one who lives at Annie’s, but actually stays at Southport), Tessa, and Arielle (sp).  We enjoyed some sunbathing and met a friend of Sarah’s who has actually lived in PE his whole life, André.  We talked for a little bit and then André left us.  Shortly after his departure, we all fell asleep on our towels.  About 5 minutes into this pleasant nap the tide pushed the water so far it actually washed over all of us (towel and all) and left only about 6 feet of the beach dry!  Never has the ocean come close to doing this on previous visits.  It is safe to say that the surfers were thoroughly enjoying the waves that day!  Thursday night found Shane and I hanging out at Annie’s Cove making plans for our weekend trip to Plettenberg Bay.  After being there for a couple of hours Shane and a small contingent of people left and played the equivalent of Ultimate Frisbee (with a rugby ball) for about an hour while Sarah, Scott, and I ate chicken breast and fried potatoes.  By the end of the evening we had booked a car, a room at a backpackers lodge, and an ocean kayaking trip for Sunday morning.

     Friday found us packing our things and Shane in a rush.  The car rental company (Avis Europe) requires a printed-out copy of the e-mailed confirmation letter upon arrival and obviously Shane and I have no way to print here at our house.  He had to make the trek to school just to print this sheet of paper and was rushed, as he needed to be back for the taxi that would be taking us to the airport to pick up the car at 1:00 pm.  Seeing as the sound on our phone was un-working we would be unable to call and tell her (Rochelle) to pick us up at a later time if Shane had been late.  Shane made it back at 12:50 and was able to pack his bag before our ride arrived!  At the airport we were able to sign for the car and drive away in about 10 minutes time (this was a surprise seeing as South African time is usually much slower).  We piled our things into our brand new Honda Jazz and headed out to Annie’s to pick up Sarah, Allie, and Melissa.

     It didn’t take the girls too long to get everything comfortably packed in; we made a quick stop at Superspar to get some groceries for the weekend and money from the ATMs.  The drive was pleasant as it was only 3 hours and didn’t require too many last minute turns!  For a majority of the drive we got to see the Tsitsikamma Mountains which made an incredible backdrop and drove over the Bloukrans Bridge which we will be jumping off of in two weeks time!  We made it to Plettenberg and were pleasantly surprised by the city (this could be attributed to it being more of a tourist destination than Port Elizabeth is).  The streets were slightly confusing, but somehow we ended up at a gas station and were able to get directions to the backpackers lodge from there.

Melissa, Allie, and I

     Amakaya Backpackers was quaint and comfortable, though they were having issues with the website we had booked through (as in they did not have room for our group, but the website had still allowed us to book it).  Dan (the owner) placed us in 3 different rooms instead of the dorm for 10 we had anticipated sleeping in.  The rooms were small, but comfortable.  Shane and I got a room upstairs, Allie and Scott shared one downstairs (separate twin beds), and Melissa and Sarah shared a bunk bed in the room attached to the kitchen.  It was odd staying in a hostel as I am unaccustomed to sharing bathrooms with the community and having access to a kitchen where you wash your own dishes.  We were given a brief tour of the place, which included two buildings.  The first building had the two dorm rooms, which probably had 20 people sleeping in them and the office squeezed between.  The second building housed the separate bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge area (couches and a television), and a bar/patio on the top level.  Outside in the yard there were 3 hammocks to relax in and an insufficient amount of parking space. 

     We were all incredibly hungry when we arrived (it was 5:30) and ate at a place about 300m away from the hostel, it was recommended to us by one of the staff (his fiancée owned it).  We killed time until the end of 6:00 as he was going to have the food waiting for us at the restaurant at 7:00.  Shane had a chicken calzone while I enjoyed a pepperoni one; these were massive and delicious!  After savoring our food we ambled back to Amakaya’s and spent the night socializing.  A couple of hours passed and found us slowly making our way to our rooms for the evening.  Before Shane and I made it upstairs, Allie came running from her room freaking out about a cockroach.  We found Scott and dragged him back to the room, but were unable to find the thing.  Sure enough, the second Scott left the room, it scurried across the floor.  The bug fled under the door into the room next to Allie and Scott’s.  We knocked and said, “there is a cockroach in your room!”  A man calmly opened the door, chased the bug into the bathroom, killed it, laughed, and went back into his room.  With the bug eliminated we headed towards our own room for the night.  Upon passing Melissa and Sarah’s room, Sarah came out freaking about a cockroach in her room!  This one had tucked itself under a cabinet (everything was screwed to the walls and could not be moved) and as far as we know stayed there for the night.  Sarah and I named it George (so it was less scary) and left it at that.  Shane and I did not get a complimentary cockroach (probably because we were not on ground level) and enjoyed an insect-free night.

Kaya!

     Everyone was ready by 9 the next morning and spent a little time socializing and eating breakfast.  We were introduced to a cat that had let himself onto the property and spent a portion of the night sleeping with Ryan on his bed.  The cat was Siamese in appearance and was overtly social.  We deemed him Kaya and were pleased to discover that the owners intended to keep him!  After all of this we headed to a Superspar in town for supplies to Robberg Nature Reserve.  Seeing as there were 6 of us in the car for this trip, we tucked Allie away in the trunk.  This decision ended up being beneficial for her as we had to pay ($5) to get into the park and she got in for free! 

Tidal pool.  The colors are just amazing!

     Robberg is essentially a peninsula, which makes Plettenberg’s bay.  It was beautiful.  The Tsitsikamma Mountains were always visible in the distance, though deeply shadowed.  We had to travel the length of the peninsula in under 3 ½ hours (though it says it takes 4) to ensure we would make it to our 2:00 appointment to swim with wild seals.  This time allotment ended up being insufficient as Scott and myself fell behind the other 4 and were unable to catch up to them (it didn’t help that we took the path backwards)!  We (Scott and I) kept an eye out for the others and attempted phone calls, but had absolutely no reception.  Instead of wasting time, we briskly traveled the length of the park (which was no small feat).  Pictures were taken as quickly as possible and we even skipped the “Island,” for fear of missing the other group while traveling it.  While Scott and I got to enjoy a majority of the park, Shane and the others spent a lot of time looking and waiting for us.  They anticipated us catching up to them on the trail, but this would never happen seeing as we were going about everything backwards!  Essentially, the park was gorgeous; the views of the mountains, Indian Ocean, beaches, rock formations, tidal pools, wildlife, and clear skies made it all perfect.

 

Scott, Melissa, Sarah, Shane, and I

     Scott and I made it back to the car about ten minutes after the others and were able to make our appointment with Outdoor Adventures.  Upon arrival we were each given a wetsuit, flippers, goggles, and a snorkel.  We were then led to a large speedboat sitting on the beach.  After everyone had gotten a seat and had a life jacket on, the boat was pushed into the ocean by a tractor.  This boat ride was brief (about 10 minutes) and was incredible.  I was able to see wild Dolphins for the first time in my life!  They were jumping on all sides of us as we made our way to the seals.  The Cape Fur Seals were adorable and quiet loud as we pulled up the rocks.  They are total acrobats in the water and move effortlessly.  Everyone in the boat donned their gear and hopped in!  The ocean was cold initially, but the feeling was quickly forgotten as seals swam inches from you.  Sometimes they would swim at your face making you reel backwards in an awkwardly slow attempt to get out of the way (of course each seal turns deftly at the last second).  Shortly after jumping into the water I was startled as a baby swam against the length of my arm and passed through my hand, it was so soft!  Naturally, I freaked out because I thought it might turn and bite me (none have ever bitten anyone, though they are completely wild)!  Shane had a couple of fun encounters of his own as he frequently had seals slowly float in front of him, face-to-face, and the animal would suddenly open its mouth and display its teeth.  We have no idea if it was talking to the others or making a display, but Shane panicked each time and surfaced quiet rapidly.  We were incredibly lucky to have Scott with us as he has an underwater camera, so he was able to both film and take photos of this excursion! 

Me and some Cape Fur Seals!  Was awesome!

     About a half hour later we had to get back into the boat and head back to land.  We saw more Dolphins on the way back and were able to attempt some photos.  Coming back onto land was interesting as the boat pointed itself directly at the beach and was then launched onto it.  Everyone was grinning ear-to-ear as we walked back to take off all of our gear.  We went back to the hostel and took turns showering (which felt good after having salt water destroy your hair).  The rest of the evening was spent upstairs in the bar, as this was where the food was going to be cooked (earlier in the day Dan had purchased food and we each paid him 30R for the meal).  He started us off with sandwiches; these were essentially bread with butter, tomatoes, cheese, and onions.  These sandwiches (along with all of the food) were cooked in an open oven (similar to a fireplace).  Everyone inhaled this first tidbit.  Second came the sausage, this tasted similar to Ostrich, but no one was positive to its identity.  Next came some pork chops, though they were good, only about 2 inches of mine was edible as the rest was gristle and fat.  After this, some people ate little slabs of beef (I didn’t).  The conclusion of the main course brought with it the dessert, bananas filled with chocolate and caramel.  These were delicious!

The "Oven."

     After being fed, Melissa, Shane, Allie, Sarah, and I went down to the lounge area and played Catch Phrase.  It didn’t take long for Mark to join us.  Mark is an odd character that no one knows (as in he was not an international student like everyone else there), he was average height, barrel-chested, with a disproportionally small head, and we believe the number 30 shaved on the back of it.  Throughout the duration of our stay he would awkwardly join our conversations, games, and activities.  You could pointedly ignore the guy and would still get input and weird laughs.  We all quickly discovered just how tired we were from a day of activity and sun exposure (and wary of Mark) and slowly made our way to bed.

     Sunday morning we all packed up and loaded our things into the car.  We turned in our keys and said goodbye to Kaya, who was incredibly cuddly that morning.  It took about an hour for us to actually be able to leave as a car had parked behind us and the owners were nowhere to be found!  After searching and questioning everyone we determined that they had walked somewhere into town.   We promptly lifted the car to left of ours and set it down at an angle in the hopes that it would be enough for our car to squeeze past.  After much maneuvering, Shane was able to get our car next to the ownerless vehicle.  We then allowed Glenn (from Ireland) to move a car that was partially in the way.  Success!  Earlier in the weekend we had planned on doing a sea kayaking trip, but had opted to swim with the seals (it is that much better to swim with them than to see them from a distance in a boat) instead.  With the morning now free, we did some shopping and were able to get some awesome gifts for friends and family back home!  We enjoyed lunch on the beach with myself having a chicken mayo, chips (fries), and a blue slushy.  Shane opted for a chicken burger.  After eating we did a little more shopping in the parking lot (as people post up everywhere) and snagged a couple more things. 

Ring-Tailed Lemur

     After a little indecision we decided to travel to Monkeyland which was about 20 minutes out of town and on the way through to Port Elizabeth.  Before even entering the park, we spotted wild baboons interacting on the side of the road.  After taking a couple of photos we parked in front of the park, loaded up with bug spray, and headed in.  We were slightly rushed as we discovered the tour takes about an hour to get through and Melidssa and Sarah’s appointment for the bungee jump was at 2.  This ended up working out alright as we left for Bloukrans at 1:50 and the company was still getting everyone else in their time slot ready.  Back to Monkeyland, the park is actually a sanctuary where monkeys go after being owned by people to be rehabilitated and to learn how to be wild.  We were not allowed to touch any of them, but they are allowed to approach you (which numerous did without hesitation).  There was one instance where a small contingent of us (Shane, Sarah, Jamie, and I) fell behind the rest of the group and got very close to Ring-Tailed Lemurs.  We were scolded by the guide as he had to come back to fetch us, but this was worth it.  We saw many species of monkey and my visit was complete upon seeing the one Black Lemur in the entire sanctuary.  At the very end of the tour we were able to cross one of the largest suspension bridges in Africa!

     Seeing as we were cutting it awfully close for Melissa and Sarah’s appointment we practically flew to get to Face Adrenalin (the company that does the jump).  While they got suited up, Shane and I made our way very slowly past all of the souvenirs that were laid out on the lawn in front of the businesses.  We did not end up purchasing anything and walked into the restaurant where there was a view of the bridge.  We spent an hour and a half watching each person take their turn off the jump and got increasingly more excited for our own turn which is sadly still a couple of weeks away!  I will go into more detail about the bungee itself once Shane and I do it!  The ride back to Port Elizabeth was relaxing.  We stopped at Pick n’ Pay to get groceries while we still had the benefit of the car and then dropped the girls off at Annie’s.  Shane and I then stopped at Roman’s to have a pizza.  We got home, scarfed the food down, and crashed.

     Monday morning was lazy, especially since we were able to drive the car to class (it did not need to be returned until noon).  After class we brought Scott home with us to simultaneously give him a tour and exchange photos from the weekend.  With the photos successfully exchanged, we dropped him back off at the school and headed to the nearest Pep store to purchase a new phone (since ours only worked through texting). As we were headed to the store I was playing with our phone and suddenly it was making sounds with each button press.  I took advantage of this and called Rochelle to ensure she would be waiting at the airport when we dropped off the rental.  The call worked!  With this revelation we went back home and waited until it was closer to noon before heading to the airport.  Dropping the car off took about 5 minutes in which the staff gave it a cursory check and sent you on your way.  Seeing as this was again faster than we had anticipated we waited for the taxi to show up and discovered that the phone was again faulty.  When Rochelle arrived we had her take us to Pep where we bought another phone and then were dropped off at Southport.  We hung around for a little while and then walked out to Annie’s (as the bikes were not to be picked up until today [Tuesday]).

     Once there, Allie and I began working on our watermelon helmets.  The ones worn by two guys while at a rugby match inspired this random idea!  The carving went well and in our down time I was able to acquire some Disney movies from Sarah!  We spent a couple of hours working on these helmets and only donned them for about 10 minutes, but it was well worth it.  The rest of the night was spent working on homework for Ethics and Corporate Governance.

     Before heading out for class this morning, Shane made a call to the bike store to confirm them picking up our bikes today.  The time they told us they would be coming would have us both in class, so we gave them the lock codes for our bikes and left them secured to our front gate.  During the call Shane had intended to ask questions about the bikes, but was unable to as our phone ran out of airtime during the call (this is incredibly annoying when this is never a problem with our 700 minute phone plan with Verizon – curse prepaid phones).  The walk to school this morning was hot. The sun was out in full force and there was surprisingly no wind.  After an incredibly boring class with a difficult to understand professor (today’s lecturer originates from Germany) we ate with André at Madibaz and then walked back home.  I promptly took a 3-hour nap (totally necessary)!  Shane managed to do laundry while I was out and then joined me in some much-needed rest.  Once I woke up, I started dinner (chicken breast on toast with French fries).  I can never quite get the timing right on the food, but Shane took over and fixed it.  As we were sitting down to eat, one of our roommates, Adam, knocked on the door and came in.  He informed us of a white man in his early forties attempted to steal our bikes while they sat out front today!  Apparently he was harshly jerking on the chain, but obviously accomplished nothing.  Adam chased him away and then watched as 30 minutes later Action Cycles showed up and took our bicycles to the shop.  It is pretty pathetic when someone resorts to an attempt at theft in broad daylight.  The rest of the night should be easy-going, though I get to Skype with my parents in an hour and a half!

T.I.A. (This is Africa)!

            Another relatively uneventful school week went by, but concluded with a lot of fun over the weekend!  Monday is really the only day that we did anything noteworthy, which included our first Rugby match.  We walked with a small group of friends from Annie’s and arrived a couple of minutes into the match.  Upon sitting down we discovered just how lax the rules are in regards to crowd etiquette.  A small cluster of boys were smoking “hookah” right in front of us during the entire course of the game and another individual was carrying around a beer bong allowing just about everybody to use it.  There was also a random man painted in blue that ran back and forth in front of the crowd during the game’s duration and was constantly having beer cans thrown to him (which he would then toss back at the crowd once he had consumed them).  Overall, the experience was entertaining and definitely worlds apart from college sports in the U.S.

            Friday was the first day of our Frontier Farms trip with NMMU.  This trip entailed a group of international students (there were 22 of us total) traveling about 4 hours to stay with 2 South African farm families who would show us what they do on a day-to-day basis.  Shane and I got up at 7:45 to ensure we would be ready to leave for the school at 9:00 (as the bus was scheduled to leave at 9:50 -- it didn’t).  We all packed ourselves into 2 vans (our bags were thrown into a small trailer attached to one of the vehicles) and headed out.  The drive was leisurely and scenic; immediately outside of Port Elizabeth you see the Indian Ocean for a little while, followed by sand dunes that look like huge mountains interspersed with green grass, then on top of a high ridge that overlooks valleys full of trees, vegetation, and civilization, and once the pavement ended we were surrounded by mountains.  About an hour and a half outside of Port Elizabeth we made a pit stop at Nanaga Farm Stalls where we were able to purchase snacks (similar to a convenience store, but with a bakery, restaurant, and courtyard).  Shane and I had a buttered roll, a koeksister (which we only had a bite of because it was too sweet-looks like a braided pretzel coated in a sugary glaze), and a circle of shortbread.   It was also unusual having to pay to use the toilets.  We crammed ourselves back into the vans after about 10 minutes and headed out.

            I spotted a couple of antelope species and a monkey before the pavement ended and we found ourselves on barely graveled roads.  The vans shuddered and made horrendous sounds the entire way through (which seemed like an hour).  The views were nice here though because we got our first taste of the mountains and quick flashes of wildlife in the distance.  Upon arrival at our destination we met Winnie and Manus (and their Schnauzer, Charlie Brown) who welcomed us and quickly brought the group inside to eat sandwiches.  After stuffing our faces we went back outside with Manus and helped catch sheep.  It was quickly apparent that herding sheep and catching the ones with tails was difficult for our uncoordinated group.  When a baby was finally snagged we were horrified with what we were actually doing with them.  The sheep need to be both castrated (if male, obviously) and have their tails removed.  Saying this made us think we would be cutting off appendages, when in fact we would be using a contraption that places a rubber band around either the base of the tail or scrotum.  Over time the body part just falls off because of the cease in blood flow.  All of this is done because of a certain species of fly that targets sheep; these flies lay eggs on the animals, which in turn hatch and begin eating the animal alive (which as you can imagine is both unpleasant and fatal).  The castration was necessary as all of his sheep are bred to studs from another farm to remove the possibility of inbreeding.  Apparently the animals don’t feel any pain when the blood flow is stopped and the extremities fall off within a week.

            After pestering the sheep and leaving covered in feces, dirt, and our own blood (not me, as I helped herd, but did not pick any up) we were taken to a mountain pool and waterfall.  To accomplish reaching our destination we all packed into Manus’ truck bed (again, there were 22 of us) and drove up some rough, barely visible roads.  Once there, we had to pile out and climb down some steep cliff faces to get access to the pool.  The water was refreshing and it was a challenge to swim against the current (so that we could sit by the waterfall).  We were able to play and explore for about an hour before we headed back to the farm to milk cows. 

Before going to see the cows we were all given the opportunity to feed “Tiny,” their rather large Eland (the largest antelope, weighing in at 1,500 pounds and standing 5’ 10”).  We left Tiny and went to the milking stall.  Shane and I opted to watch a couple of people help milk the cows as they simultaneously kept an eye out for those relieving themselves. 

We freshened up (as much as possible) before we were fed some corn on the cob, fresh bread (heated up by fire) with butter, and freshly squeezed orange juice.  Winnie and Manus also provided some beer and wine, which neither of us touched.  About 2 hours after being fed the corn and bread (and socializing with everyone) we were brought inside to eat dinner (this being 8:30pm).  It was delicious and consisted of chicken (which was seemingly haphazardly cut as there was a lot of gristle and bone), a vegetable concoction, sweet potatoes, pumpkin bars, and garlic bread!  Around 10pm a small group of us left which included all 4 boys and whatever girls were unable to stay with the first family (which included me) to stay with the other family (Francois, Arielle [sp], and their Wire Fox Terrier Busman-kind of rhymes with loose man).  The drive from the first farm to the second was about a half hour in the dark and was scary as we crossed over a bridge that had been washed out by flooding (the driver was literally inches away from having our tires be off the side of the bridge).

 

            Upon arrival at this second home the girls were brought to a guesthouse and the boys stayed in the main house.  We quickly spotted a rather large spider on the ceiling (in the girl’s accommodation) and enlisted Francois to dispose of it.  No one here uses screens for their doors or windows, so bugs are nothing to them when they enter the home (though they are promptly killed if discovered).  After killing that first spider the rest of us checked under our beds and in corners for other overtly large arachnids, we found none and promptly went to sleep.   Shane had a more uneventful night in the house, but rather enjoyed his zebra-themed bedroom.

            The next morning we were served breakfast on a patio with thatched roofing (just entwined twigs and vines) that consisted of fresh cereal, milk, and coffee.  Shortly after finishing the cereal, breakfast sandwiches were brought out (these consisted of cheese, egg, and tomato) along with freshly squeezed orange juice.  We were able to explore their home after finishing the food and were pleasantly surprised with the “mansion.”  The house had a very large kitchen, dining area, foyer, guest bedrooms, master bedroom, trophy room with a bar, family room, swimming pool, patio, tennis court, and excessive grounds (perfectly manicured with a lot of fountains).  After eating, the group piled into three trucks and drove out to see how sheep are sheared.  Francois was driving the truck that Shane and I were in and actually chased some Ostriches with it before we got there. 

            The sheep were essentially catatonic while being worked on and only struggled when the blades of the shears nicked them.  Once all four sheep were done being trimmed a prize was given to the employee we deemed did the best job (fewest cuts and overall quality of the job).  After that, we drove for at least a half hour to the base of a mountain we would be climbing that day.  It was definitely more work than I anticipated and each time I crested a ledge (thinking I had reached the top) there was another one waiting for me! 

After about 5 breaks (where I sat down on a rock and panted) I reached the top.  Ryan was the first male to the top and Erin the first female so they were each awarded a bottle of South African wine.  We were some of the first people to reach the peak, so we were able to cool off, take pictures, and enjoy the scenery while the rest of the pack slowly made it to the top.  It was hard to find places to sit down because a herd of sheep climbs up there every night to sleep (makes it more difficult, if not impossible for predators to reach them) and poop over every inch of grass.  When everyone was satisfied with picture taking we climbed back into the trucks and were driven to a “dam” to swim and have a picnic.  Again we were provided sandwiches (these with ham, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, and mayonnaise), orange or banana/guava juice, apples, and chocolate treats filled with marshmallows.  Another long bout of driving on incredibly bumpy roads brought us back to Francois’ home where we enjoyed the pool and four different fresh pies that had been baked for us. 

            At this point in the day we were all exhausted and many took naps.  I explored the property while Shane napped and later hung out with Zach (from Minnesota) and the family’s pet Parrot named with the equivalent of “Birdie” in Afrikaans.  This bird was capable of making the most shrill car horn sound ever!  It also muttered a couple of indecipherable phrases (perhaps they were spoken in Afrikaans).  Once Shane awoke, we made our way back into the family room (where everyone was surrounding the TV watching a rugby match).  We probably floated around in there for an hour and then were brought out to a storage shed to shoot a target with a .22 caliber rifle.  I opted not to shoot, but Shane was the second person to go (out of 15 or so) and hit the absolute dead center of the bull’s eye on his second shot (each person was given two bullets).  We watched everyone else take their turn, with a couple of them getting close to, but not quite at, the bull’s eye.  Shane was awarded a bottle of South African wine, which we won't be opening until we get home.  Later in the evening Shane and I went into the trophy room where Francois walked us through each trophy he has mounted.  The Giraffe was incredible and required 4 shots from a .416 caliber rifle to bring down (he explained to me that this Giraffe was on a friend’s property in Zimbabwe and was a loner – did not interact with the other 4 which meant no breeding would occur).  We were abruptly pulled from this conversation to be presented with a bottle of sparkling wine and a note attached congratulating Shane and I on our 5-year anniversary of dating!  Neither of us anticipated this gift and was shocked at how discreet everyone managed to be!

            Shortly after that surprise, dinner was served: steak, corn bread, scalloped potatoes, cold pasta salad, and bread with butter.  We all inhaled this delicious meal and then piled back into the trucks for a night game-drive.  We spotted Impala, Mountain Reebok, Kudu, and even a Bat-Eared Fox!  During the drive we were startled by Josh (who had been riding in the truck in front of us) as he had hidden in the bushes and jumped out at us as we passed.  He repeated this performance later on to get back onto the truck he started the trip with.  We all went to bed once we got back from the night drive and slept soundly.

            Sunday morning brought a cloudy day, though still comfortable outside in comparison with the cloudless day before (90 degrees).  Our group packed up our stuff and met up with the other group at Winnie and Manus’, where we had breakfast sandwiches (tomato, cheese, and egg), coffee, and fresh orange juice.  Manus also showed 5 of us a baby Kudu (2-weeks old) that we helped feed. 

After this we waited for those staying at Winnie’s to pack up their stuff and then said goodbye to Winnie and Charlie Brown.  Manus drove with our two vans to a clearing where Francois was waiting in his truck.  We all piled into the two trucks and drove through some farmland and a couple of properties to a path (where the trucks could not travel).  We all clambered out and walked through tall grasses, short trees, and crossed a small stream that required us to jump from rock to rock.  We finally reached a small river of water that disappeared around a bend that had two sheer cliff faces on either side.  Some of the group opted to ride in canoes, while Shane, myself, and the others swam to the waterfall.  This water was much cooler and the bottom was impossible to reach in some areas (though most of the time we could stand on slippery rocks under the surface).  To reach the waterfall we had to climb a little ways and once there, found a small pool surrounded by rock on all side that the waterfall poured into (it was maybe 5 x 5 feet around).  In here we also watched a crab drop into the water and decided to not swim in that general area. 

 

            A couple of those in the canoes got soaked (making us glad we opted for swim suits)!  A small contingent of us swam back to land and walked back to the trucks (the others had to go one by one in the canoes to get back to land from the waterfall).  We waited there for a little while and then requested to go back to the vans to get into dry clothes before the drive home (instead of waiting for the other people to get back as they were taking forever)!  Caramel suckers and more juice greeted us when we got back to the vans.  The other truck showed up after about ten minutes, we said our goodbyes to Manus and Francois (who told Shane and I that the next time he sees us we better still be together), and headed home.