DAY EIGHTEEN:

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY THE HALFWAY POINT!!!!! It’s going TOO fast!!!! Today was a day of new experiences… to say the least!!! As usually, we had class in the morning. This morning we focused on the definitions of culture and ethnocentrism. We discussed the influences of other cultures on one another and the consequences of globalization. Highlight of the class… the god-awful book I had to read before my freshman year of high school, The World is Flat, was brought up. Y’all remember that one??? My first high school assignment for my first AP class: a 2000 page book on globalization. Not my favorite. But anyways, I was like the only one to have heard, nonetheless read, the book, so my teachers were very impressed. I made sure to tell Mr. Staruch haha. After class, instead of going into Sir Lowery’s Pass, we got the opportunity to go back into the township of Guguletu, where the Amy Biehl after school program is held. There, I got the chance to talk to one of the teachers at the school. He taught fifth grade and was explaining to me what a typical day looked like for his students. I was in shock!! In fifth grade, they have NINE subjects!!! This teacher taught lifestyle development, which I think should be brought back to America. Basically, he teaches the kids everything they need to know about how to live health lives, and it is specific to their area of residency. He taught on safe drinking water, spread of diseases, affects of drugs and violence, cooking meals, etc. He also explained to me that the kids have a hard time picking up English. They are taught in their native language, typically Afrikaans, up until fourth grade. In fourth grade they immediately switch over to being taught in English. I kept trying to relate this to my experiences with Spanish while talking to him, but they’re so drastically different. I can’t imagine how hard that switch must be! After he told me about his class, he explained that he also started a boxing club to try to keep the kids off the streets and out of gangs. He pays for everything out of his pocket and even trained someone to represent South Africa in the Olympics!! Once I left his classroom, the regular school day finished and the Amy Biehl foundation took over. We got to decide which class we wanted to observe and I chose the maramba. The kids performed a few songs for us and then each of them grabbed one of us to teach us the song. I was AWFUL at first, like it was embarrassing!! They were all laughing at me. My kids/teachers were both 16 and were just cracking up the whole time, taking videos of me failing miserably. But, I eventually got!! It was so much fun being able to interact with them like that and learn something new! They told me it was a Sean Kingston song that we learned, so that’s pretty cool haha. Now here’s where the real experience starts! For dinner, I went to Beef Cakes, the restaurant with a drag show. Oh dear lord…. FUNNIEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!!!! The drag queen, or Diva as she would like to be called, thought we were hilarious Americans and would keep coming over to our table to dance on. This place was so fun!! When Diva wasn’t performing, they played the best sing along songs like Spice Girls and Britney Spears and Mama Mia and Proud Mary. And the waiters let me tell you about the waiters. They are all incredibly attractive guys that have to wear these skin tight tank tops and practically do whatever Diva says, like... walk around shirtless all night. Lots of abs haha! After we left Beef Cakes, we went to this Bar called the Assembly to meet up with some more Global LEADers and all our wonderful taxi drivers! It still amazes me that Ish, Bradley, Lance, and Corbis stay in the clubs with us to make sure we are okay and no one bothers us. They say that their job is to be out partying with us till 4:00AM and up at 7:00AM to drive us to class. They are just the best!!! Well I have class bright and early tomorrow, so goodnight!!! 

She is just adorable!! She kept bouncing up and down and running behind people trying to scare them.

There are no words.

Our waiter and his signature shot. Notice how it matches his underwear.... classy.

DIVA!!!

The bartender...

DAY SEVENTEEN:

Even the freezing rain could not take the smile off my face today. Seriously. These kids are beyond amazing!!!!! We had class this morning but it was more of a discussion than a lecture. We basically just all got to vent about our first experiences in Sir Lowery's Pass. Everyone had such contrasting views on the township and the people of Sir Lowery's. Honestly, I found it really difficult to accept the perspectives of some people. I guess I just don't understand how everyone couldn't love all the amazing people we have the opportunity to interact with. I feel like they're focusing on the negatives and the differences between our lifestyles. After we all reflected on our first day, we broke up into our discussion groups and talked about this article we could read called "Should We Help Them?" This turned into another heated debate! Everyone has such different views that it gets very controversial. Basically, the article just pointed out how what we perceive as help and service can actually disrupt the community and leave the people worse off. While in some cases I can see how this has truth, I strongly feel that all service is built with the best intentions. I don't know I just really struggled with today's lesson for some reason. But anyways, after class we got to back into Sir Lowery's and play with all the children in the community. Instead of just meeting our families, all the children of the township were invited to come to the community center and we had crafts and music and dancing. It was SOOOOOOOOO MUCH FUNNNNNN!!! From the time I got off the bus, this little girl (like I'm talking maybe two) latched onto me and wouldn't let me put her down all day!! My arms are going to be sore tomorrow haha. It just really amazes me how educated these children are. They are so polite and have such amazing social skills. They can start a conversation with me so easily and I feel as though I am talking to someone my age from my lifestyle. I got to talk to Duncan again today. He is so funny! He was telling us how he can't bring his girlfriend home to meet his mom cause there are just too many of them, it would take too much time haha. What a player! He told me that he liked my tennis shoes and has been trying to convince his mom to get some, so needless to say, I will be giving them to her at the end of the trip haha (sorry mom)! Once again, the worse part of the day for me is leaving. the kids. The feeling I get every time I am there is indescribable. It doesn't matter what my day is like, how I feel, what's going on in my life, anything. I feel blissfully happy surrounded by them, no matter what. The ride home for the township today really gave me time to think about my experiences in the township. One thing that really upset me is the number of children that are below the age of 5 and are wandering the streets alone. Or the number of 7-10 year olds that are holding their infant siblings cause their parents are gone. And furthermore, think for a second about why the children are so quick to attach themselves to us. Why do they want us to hold them and love them so badly? How are they so quick to say I love you to a complete stranger? Is it because they don't receive the same type of love and affection at home? Are they not loved, held, talked to? I don't know but it breaks my heart to think about. And now that I'm crying while writing this, let's move on...After we left the township, I went to Wang Thai for dinner with my roommates. Seriously so good!! Mom you would love it!! Well off to shower; there were way to many hands playing in my hair today but I loved all of them!! One little girl even got one of my loose hairs caught on her hand and was so intrigued by how long it was so started pulling some of my hair out. People kept asking me why I was letting her do it, why not?? She's laughing and happy, so I'm happy. End of story. I wish my family could come here and see and feel what I do cause I'm not describing it right. The experience for me is just too massive to adequately put into words. All I can say is I love them! (but y'all already knew I would). 

She never left me ALL DAY!!!

DAY SIXTEEN:

I LOVE CHILDREN!!! That is what I learned today haha. Through all the academic terminology and journaling, that held true. I am obsessed!! Today, I got to sleep in a little bit again cause we didn't have class until 10:45. I even made my own breakfast this morning...eggs in a pot. In case you were wondering, it is possible to make scrambled eggs in a pot. We get inventive here in Africa. After breakfast, we went to class where we got an introduction into our service week. We learned what to expect and how we should behave in the township we were about to spend the next five days in. Basically just the dos and don'ts. One thing that stuck with me: don't pet the dogs, you will  get rabies. Therefore,  the entire time we were in the townships I was the freak running away from the little cute dogs. We also got to reminisce on the adventures of the Garden Route by taking turns telling stories from the trip. It was so much fun laughing at everyone's funny, embarrassing experiences! After class we had about an hour break for lunch which presented another cooking challenge....grilled cheese in a pot! SUCH A FAIL!! The butter was too hard to spread on the bread so we had to just put it in the pan. But, then it wasn't cooking enough without burning, so I ended up with two pieces of toasted bread with a slice of unmelted cheese in the middle.....I am going to be a great wife one day haha. After lunch we boarded the buses and headed for Sir Lowery's Pass, the township we would be visiting for the week. As soon as we pulled up, I knew I was going to fall in love with this place. There were hundreds...literally hundreds...of children running after the bus waiting for us to get off and come play with them. They had no idea who we are, where we cam from, anything, but as soon as we got off the bus at least five children ran towards you, attaching themselves to your hands, arm, legs, back, begging to be carried, loved on. Anyone that knows me can probably already tell that this place was my heaven. They were all so intrigues with my long, blonde hair again. Even the boys were playing with it haha. Probably one of the coolest thing of the day was that I wore my toms today and so many kids had them on too! They would run up to me and point to my shoes and then to their shoes. I don't know why I thought it was so cool, but I loved seeing that the tom company was true to their word. Seeing that me purchasing this pair of shoes actually did give a child without any shoes a pair was amazing. Therefore, when I return to America, I fully plan on purchasing toms after toms after toms because so many children are still walking around barefoot! After we made our way through the masses of adorable cuteness, we went into the school where we were introduced to the moms who would be hosting us for the week. Then the children of the town all sang and danced for us, their way of welcoming us to their neighborhood. Once we left the school, we were divided into smaller groups and assigned a mom to spend the rest of the evening with. I was lucky enough to be paired with Ms. Cheryl, who is the head mom of the interactions between Global LEAD and Sir Lowery's Pass. She has the biggest heart. You can really tell that the whole community respects and looks up to her. We met her daughter, Candy, and her son, Duncan, and her granddaughter (Candy's daughter), Courtney. Courtney was actually named after one of the founders of Global LEAD, Courtney Doran. That is just mind-blowing to me, that we have that much of an impact on these people's lives that they name their children after us. We were told this has happened on multiple occasions...Can you imagine?? Candy is 30, Mrs. Cheryl is 49, and her son Duncan is 16. We also got to meet a few of Duncan's friends, who Global LEAD is trying to incorporate into their program, so they can continue the service after we have tot leave. Duncan and his friends are all hip-hop dancers and/or rappers, so I was able to bond with them over our mutual love for Chris Brown, Jay-Z, and Ludacris. They thought I was sooo cool when I told them that I was from where Ludacris lives haha. After we all got to know one another, we made dinner together for the family, but then unfortunately, we had to leave. On the way back to the bus, all the neighborhood children swarmed us again, clutching onto us, asking us to stay. I seriously HATED leaving them....like no joke near tears. I can't wait to go back tomorrow!!

Unfortunately, no pictures today. We weren't allowed to bring our cameras the first day so we could get to know the families on a more personal level and not through a lense. It makes sense; we don't want to make them feel like they are an exhibit. Buuuuut, as soon as we are allowed to bring cameras it is absolutely guaranteed that I will be taking pictures on pictures of these adorable faces! Stay tuned!

DAY FIFTEEN:

Lazy Sunday!!!! The alarm went off this morning for me to get up and go to church, but I was just too exhausted!! I rarely even left my bed all day haha. I did laundry, uploaded pictures, blogged, and slept! Oh, and I made ramen....well the South African version of it, which is just not as good at all! After sleeping all of the day, I finally got myself together to get ready to go out for our big group Sunday dinner. This week it was at this restaurant called Maestros, but sadly it was not Mexican food. It was still delicious though! It was like buffet style and had pretty much everything: chicken curry, roast beef, sweet potatoes, greek salad, pasta salads, fruit, and the most amazing chocolate pudding. But this time it was actually pudding not like the the cake that South Africans call pudding. It was so rich but so good! The restaurant was so cool! The whole building was glass and right on the beach, so the view was awesome!! We ate with our small groups (called community groups). It was fun to be able to catch up with everyone and hear about their weeks since some of us were separated. In the taxi on the way home from dinner, we saw an awful car crash! We had to pull over to the side of the road so Lance and Ish could go help the people. Like it was BAD!! Both cars had to have been totaled. The whole situation just gave me flashbacks of my accident and made me realize how lucky I was. Thankfully all the people involved in this wreck were just as fortunate and no one was too badly injured. We realized from this that we didn't know the emergency number here when someone said we should call 911 haha. Good thing we have the police captains number stored in our phones already haha. But, even though I slept all day, I am still exhausted and I have a VERY busy week ahead of me! Got our second week of grades back today and sadly I got my first A-. Ahhhhhh!! Sorry this blog wasn't very eventful but honestly I needed a day to just be lazy. We have been going NONSTOP since we landed! But I wouldn't have it any other way :)

No pictures today either considering the only thing I saw besides the restaurant was my room haha!

DAY FOURTEEN:

Finally have a day off to just relax and of course I do the exact opposite! We got to sleep in until 9 which felt like I was sleeping all day compared to last week. Then, since it's Saturday, we went right to Old Biscuit Mill for breakfast. Seriously obsessed with this place! Even Erin decided to come, epi pen in hand!! I decided to wait out the longest line (or should I say cue) and get the eggs benedict. I had never had eggs benedict before nor did I even really know what it was before yesterday. But, it was soooo good!!! Like everything else I have had to eat here. It was like this pancake of hash browns with a poached egg, bacon, and hollandaise sauce yummmm!! After Old Biscuit Mill, we went to the V & A waterfront for the first time. It was so pretty and thank goodness it was finally warm out!! This whole freezing every day while everyone at home is at the pool is killing me!!! But anyways, the waterfront is awesome! There are malls, markets for food and music and crafts, restaurants right on the water, a ferris wheel (that's closed for the winter :/), and a merry-go-round!! Parts of it look very similar to that place in Charleston where all the seafood restaurants are on the water and have all the outdoor porches (I don't remember the name. Shem's Creek maybe??). After we walked around there for a while, we decided to go to the green market again because they have better prices. A lot of the venders remembered me..... that can't be good haha. But, I managed to escape with only one purchase. Quite the improvement from the last time if I do say so myself! Once we got back, I had to catch up on my blogging from adventure week. Clearly I am not a blogger and have only been blogging for a week, but strangely enough, I missed it during adventure week! I had to stop updating my blog though cause Erin was making fun of me for blogging to techno music haha. It was on shuffle!! It's not like I have a blogging playlist! We decided to stay in for dinner and had pasta with tomato basil sauce (how domestic of us) and wine... lots of wine. Evidently South Africa is known for their Rosé, so we decided to try some, or a lot..., and it is awesome!! After dinner, we met up with some friends and went down to the hotel bar to wait for our taxi to take us out. But, our guide Martin was there! So he and some of his friends just got a taxi for us and paid for everything alll night haha. It was a success! Love Martin! Thankfully we got back in early than the last time I went out and I have all Sunday to actually relax!

My first eggs benedict!! 

V & A Waterfront!

The part of the waterfront that reminds me of Charleston.

Erin's first night out!!

Hotel bar :)

DAY THIRTEEN:

I refuse to believe that adventure week is over, but what i way to start my trip!!! Today was the last day on the Garden Route and let me just say I have never enjoyed hours upon hours in the car so much! Every  single road we drove on was unbelievably gorgeous; the landscape is so diverse! There's desert, beach, mountains, and just amazing farmlands. I risked motion sickness just so I could look at my window and take it all in; it was so peaceful. This morning was the earliest all week, which is hard to believe we could possibly get up earlier than we have been, but we did! We began our day at the glorious hour of 4:30 AM!!!! We boarded the truck and said goodbye to our hostel. We began to make our way to shark cage diving ahhhhh!!! This was like a six hour drive, so I learned many new card games, like spades!! So now I can play with my mom! Although I'm not really a fan because its so confusing since I know hearts! But anyways we finally made it to the shark diving place, which just so happens to be the same place that Discovery Channel films shark week.... uhhhh what??? Have you seen shark week? Cause I have! Anyone that knows me knows that besides bridges sharks are my number one fear. So needless to say I was straight freaking, full on panic attack. The captain of our boat made sure to make a point again and again of saying that the only sharks we would see are great whites. You know just the biggest shark in the world..... I honestly did not know if I would do it. However, lucky for us, a storm was coming in, so the sea was SUPER choppy and everyone was getting sick. So to escape the sea sickness, I just had to get in the water. And, luck for me again, I was put on the end of the cage, like closest to the sharks. I asked the crew if I could change and they said that positions were not negotiable....okaaaay coooool. So in the freezing water I went. OH MY GOD!!!! These sharks were freaking giant. Thirteen feet!!! AHHHHHH! I was so scared i could barely even work my camera to take pictures. But basically the crew would lure the shark sin by throwing out tuna heads on this line and then pull the tuna towards the cage and as soon as it got in front of the cage they would pull it out of the water, forcing the shark right into the cage. And let me just tell you this cage was not like a sturdy protective structure. No it was some metal bars put together, like picture a jail cell door. All I could do was think that one of my limbs was floating out of the cage. Eventually, I tried to be calm and actually experience it since I was trapped in the cage anyways. Even though i hate sharks, I have to admit they are awesome! It was unreal to be that close to them! After we finished with the sharkies it was back on the truck for the final leg of our journey back to the hotel. This week was amazing! We did so many things that most people can merely wish or hope to experience one day. And I did them all in one week!! I am so exhausted but wouldn't change a thing about this week! What an adventure!!! 

yeaaaa.......

DAY TWELVE:

Adventure week is going way too fast!!! It’s already Thursday night :/ Today was another awesome day… shocking I know haha! We started the day going to the ostrich farm located in the ostrich capital of the world! This was quite the experience. Ostrich are weirddddd!! First, we had a tour and learned about all the reasons ostrich are poached: leather, feathers, meat, etc.). Then we got to interact with the ostrich. First we got to “hug” an ostrich, meaning we put our arms around one and they pull their necks around our necks, basically chocking us haha. Their necks are so flexible because they have so many vertebrate. It felt so weird!! Not gonna lie… I was scared haha. Is it strange that I was more terrified of the ostrich than the bungee?? Probably! Then we got to feed the ostrich and do what the guides call “get an ostrich massage.” This is when you put your back to the ostrich and are holding a bucket of food. All the ostrich will swarm you and stick their necks all around you trying to get their beaks in the bucket. In the process, they are quite forcibly rubbing your shoulders hence the massage! Next, we got to stand on ostrich eggs, which are literally HUGE! One egg can feed up to twenty-four people and can hold 150 kilograms without cracking. Mind-blowing! And for the grand finale, like five of us got to ride the ostrich (yes, that was not a typo; I meant ride!). Sadly since I got to hug one and get a massage I was not able to ride one but it was the funniest thing ever!! They go crazy, running sooo fast until the jockeys slip this eye cover over their heads and then they are instantly calm. According to the jockey, the ostrich thinks that if it can’t see you than we can’t see it. They are idiots!!! But really so hysterical to watch!! It was like bull riding but so much more comical haha! After we left the ostrich farm, we went to the Cango Caves, which was unreal. These caves are 150 meters below the ground, under the mountains, and are enormous!! I was expecting like a small cave with little intricate tunnels. And while this place did have its share of tiny tunnels, the majority of it was huge! I can’t really describe it but for some reason the first room we went into reminded me of my churched sanctuary. It was just so massive and breathtaking. The way that the rocks form is beautiful! There are flow rocks that create willow tree looking structures and columns that form from dripping rock hanging from the ceiling like icicles. Our guide even turned off all the lights in the cave except a single lantern light so we could experience what the man that discovered the caves for the first time saw.  It was so scary; it was like being in that blind exhibit in Atlanta. Then, we ate lunch at the restaurant at the caves, where several people ordered ostrich burgers. Can you believe that?? After seeing the ostrich and even riding them, that you could eat one!! But, evidently they were really good! We then began our journey back to the hostel, which is called Afrovibe and I am obsessed with it! On the way back we stopped to look at this mountain range and the town of George nestled below it. George is the town where that Garden Route begins (the road/route we have been traveling on all week). The mountains were amazing!! Everyone just kept saying I wish what I see would translate in the pictures on my camera. But, they don’t! The pictures are just not good enough, so everyone needs to go on the Garden Route and see the beauty for themselves! Once we got back, we all went to the roof of our hostel to work on our journals for the week and watch the sunset until it was time for dinner. We had macaroni and cheese for dinner with this delicious spicy sauce on it. I asked Martin if this was a typical South African meal or just something the cook chose to feed us because he knew Americans liked it, and he assured me that he eats it quite often at home so that’s good! I’m trying to get cultured here haha. After dinner we had a huge bonfire and roasted marshmallows. We taught all the locals that came down to the fire how to make smores, and naturally, they fell in love! I got to talk to Martin some about South Africa and what he like about it and such, and he started telling me some of the phrases or words that are different here than in the states, such as: a robot is a traffic light, tomato sauce is ketchup, Coca Cola light is Diet Coke, a cue is a line like you stand in, biscuits are crackers, pudding is anything dessert like that is baked with flour, etc!

Weirdest animal ever!!

Ahhhhhh

SO funny!!

On top of the eggs!

Entrance into the caves!!

The first room we explored!

One of the smaller tunnels.

Just AMAZING!!!!

DAY ELEVEN:

AHHHHH Dream came true!!!! Today I rode an elephant, like real life Dumbo but even bigger and wayyyy cooler! But anywho, we began our day at bright and early 6:30 AM with an amazing hike t this suspension bridge over the cliffs surrounding the Indian Ocean. It was incredible! After the hike we went to the cat sanctuary. This place is unreal! We went to all the different cat habitats and were INCHES from a cheetah and leopard. It was amazing!! We also got to see the African wildcat which is evidently the original ancestor of all domestic cats and looks IDENTICAL to Simba (Marlee’s cat), which is not surprising at all because the guide explained that these cats appear normal and then bam… they are insane! Just like Simba…  They showed us this cat video to raise awareness for the harm that comes to African cats every day… it was basically the Sarah McLachlan commercial in cat version. So sad!! After we left the kitties, we were off to our next stop, the elephants wooooo!! When we got the elephant sanctuary we got to walk them through these trails in the forest by their trunks. This was amazing! You just put your hand out behind you and they put it inside their trunks to hold on to us. It felt soooo weird haha. After that we go to see the elephants do tricks for us: they could flap their ears and balance on their knees. They are so smart!! Then one by one the trainers gave each of us a lesson on the elephants. We got to feel their skin and tusks and feet and look inside their mouths to see their GIANT molars. I learned that elephants lose their molars 6-7 times in their lifespan. However, when they stop growing back the elephant will die of starvation. This is what is responsible for the most elephant deaths  :/ Then, finally, we got to ride them!! This was like one of the main reasons I signed up for this trip, so I was beyond excited. Elephants are huge!!!! Like you think you know how big they are, but you’re wrong. In person, on top of one, they are soooo much bigger!! I rode Tande (which means love) and it was amazing!!! And all of this happened before lunch… what a day!!! Next, we went and had lunch in Monkeyland, which is probably one of the coolest places I have ever been. It’s basically like they built a restaurant inside a money habitat in the zoo. The monkeys are just free to  roam wherever they would like: on our table we had lunch, on the roof, umbrellas. You name it and the monkeys were there! It was just like Tarzan! After Monkeyland, we drove to our second hostel, which is so nice! it is literally right on the beach and has such a cool atmosphere. It’s like this surf shack/bar. As soon as we got there, a bunch of us went for a walk on the beach, and we ended up swimming in the INDIAN OCEAN!!! Ahhhh this was a first! There was three of us that just decided that since we came all this way we just had to get in. So even though we were fully clothed and it was freezing, we raced into the water like five year olds. Definitely up there with the coolest things I have experienced here! After our swim, if you would call it that, I literally had ten minutes to shower and get back on the truck to go do a service project in the town of Sedgeville. It was quite the rush but it was so worth it! We went to this community center called Masithandane, which means let us love one another. It is this organization that benefits the community in everyway possible. They feed the hungry, nurse the elderly, make mosaics to beautify the town, educate the children, and the list goes on and on. There we got to make these pillow like dolls called Huggables. Basically, we just painted these sheets of fabric with paint and then the ladies there sewed them up and put yarn on them for hair. They’re pretty awesome… I was stoked when I found out we got to keep them. And the kids there helping out were amazing! One of the little girls write my name on her huggable so she would never forget me…Sooo cute!! Once we cam eback from Masithandane, we had this incredible dinner on the rooftop of our hostel, over-looking the ocean. We had the best cider (alcoholic that is) called Savannah Cider. It was so yummy. After dinner we all watched each other’s bungee jumping videos which were so funny!!! Some people have perfect form and others are just flailing around trying to stop themselves from falling haha. I would say I was somewhere in between, but I would do again so fast!! After our little view party we found out that Wednesdays were beer pong Wednesdays… and of course, it was Wednesday…dear lord. South African rules are far different from American rules, so naturally me and my partner lost (but only by one cup)! Then we taught our guide Martin and his friends how to play flip clip, which was so much fun!! Pretty much today was amazing and I cant wait to experience all of tomorrow’s adventures… starting at 7 AM!!

Sunrise over the beach as we hike!!

Suspension bridge!!!

Totally worth the hike!!

On the bridge!

Cat Sanctuary! 

Leopard!! They are sooo pretty!!

Oh you know just sitting next to a cheetah.... the worlds fastest animal!!

SO COOL!!

Simba's twin!!!

:))))

They were freaking crazy!!

Miniature gorilla... but actually!

My finished canvas for my Huggable! Hoop means hope and Liefde means love!

DAY TEN:

Let me start by saying I SURVIVED!!!! I…willingly… dove (head first) off a seven-story bridge, free falling 216 meters to what I was sure would be my death! But, let’s start at the beginning of the day, which actually feels like another lifetime! Today, for the first time this trip, I actually feel as though I am in Africa. I don’t’ know how to explain it, but before in Cape Town, it just felt like another city. It just never hit me I was actually here! This morning we got to see what our hostel actually looked like and I know the word has a terrible connotation, but trust me, its pretty nice! It’s called Tube n’ Axe (don’t ask me why), but it is very rustic and has this homey cabiny feeling. It’s basically just a bunch of tiki huts that surround a huge bonfire. The hostel is in the town of Storms River, which is the smallest, cutest town that seems to consist of a school and ice cream shop…. and that’s it haha. But anyways, we began our day going on a Safari!! We got into the typical bouncy, open-sided jeep like things and explored the most beautiful land ever. We saw rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, antelope, deer, lions, giraffe, zebras, horses, ostrich, and…LIONS!! All the while there were these amazing mountains and valleys in the background. It was amazing!! I felt like I was in real life Lion King!! I learned that giraffe only sleep 8 minutes a day… can you imagine?! I would die. I also learned that hippos, fat, lazy hippos, are responsible for the most human deaths per year! AND… I learned the Big Five Game, which are the strongest, fastest animals to hunt, for Africa: Lion, Elephant, Rhino, buffalo, and leopard. Clearly, this was quite the intellectual day!! After safari, we made our way to the bridge to bungee. My heart was pounding out of my chest and my hands were shaking so much you couldn’t even read my handwriting on the waiver! I was the first group going, so we started up the trail to the bridge; I don’t even know what was going through my head. To get to the bridge, we had to walk on this manmade suspended walkway that was parallel to the bridge. It was basically just a bunch of crates attached to one another so you could see straight down below you… not good! After all is said and done this was the scariest part of the ordeal! Once we got to the highest point, there was loud rave music blaring and all the workers were dancing and jumping up and down, and while I was terrified, I couldn’t help but be excited. Their energy was infectious. Then, my feet were tied and I was hobbling to the edge of the bridge before I even know what was going on. I really cant even elaborate on this because it is honestly such a blur, like my mind just went blank I think. All I knew was that when the workers got to one on their countdown I had to dive off or I would be pushed (they had made it clear that there was no going back at this point). 5,4,3,2,1… BUNGEEEE and I was diving head first into the cliffs. It was insane!! The feeling of free fall is incredible! It’s not like on roller coasters when your stomach drops; it feels like you’re flying even though that sounds really cheesy! And, it is so peaceful, so beautiful!! Your just hanging there and there’s no sound, no people, you’re just taking it all in: the mountains and trees and ocean. It was so calming. Then, your mind starts working again and I realize that I am hanging in the air by a strap on my feet and start to get a little nervous, but then my savior came! The worker repelled down and attached me to his wire and pulled me back up to the top of the bridge. I am still in shock that I did it and am currently shaking just thinking about it as I write this. But, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I know you, especially Marlee, can’t imagine it now but the atmosphere up there and watching your friends do it, you just have to! And I am so glad I jumped; definitely the coolest thing I have ever done! 216 meters!!! Unreal. After my whole group jumped, we had lunch (the most amazing cheeseburger I have ever had I might add) and watched the second group jump. Soooo glad that I was in the first group cause watching them and hearing their screams was slightly alarming! Still surprised that I didn’t scream! Then, we bought our vidoes and pictures from the jump and got back on the truck…this time to do something a little more sane. We went back to the town that our hostel is in and played soccer with some of the local kids and they are GOOD!! They showed up with matching jerseys and a coach and everything.; whereas, we rolled in like a bunch of idiots trying to chase a ball around this field. Clearly, we were out of our league and lost quickly haha. But, I mostly chilled on the sidelines (surprise, surprise), taking pictures and talking to all the other local kids that came to watch the game and cheer on their friends. They all loved doing cartwheels and handstands, showing off for the camera. And the girls LOVE… no like really love… blond hair! The girls said they had never seen hair as long and blonde as mine haha. I had braids and ponytails galore by the time we left!! I hated saying goodbye though. The little girl that pretty much attached herself to me, Gracie, told me she loved me awwww :/ She kept asking me about my necklaces and telling me how she has always wanted one. If they weren’t so important to me I would have given them to her so fast! (They were the humming bird necklace from Marlee and the prayer box from my mom… I don’t ever take them off).  But, I have decided that if I was to ever win the lottery I would buy all these kids cameras. the joy they receive from something we, for the most part,  see as a burden is amazing. This trip has definitely made me question my decision to not pursue teaching and I’m sure that service week will be ten times worse. Now, we are about to begin a lesson around the campfire…so perfect! Okay, so after the lesson we ate dinner: yummy chicken curry stir-fry! After dinner, we walked to the ice cream shop but it was closed. So, we were told by a local to try the pub down the road, which was great advice! The pub itself was awesome. It used to be a hunting lodge so there were so many killed, skinned, and stuffed animals (like ten times that of good ole Brunswick Chels!). I, obviously, didn’t like that aspect, but there was just such a homey feel. And, most importantly, the dessert was so good! I didn’t realize how much I love chocolate until I didn’t have it! The best hot chocolate hands down! When we got back to the hostel Freddy tried to make us all say out by blaring music outside our door (awesome old school playlist too), but we are all so tired!! Clearly, from the length of this post this was such a LONG day, and apparently, we have to leave at 7 AM tomorrow. These early mornings definitely weren’t in the brochure!

They were intense!!

Let the safari begin!

Here's your lion Mar

WOOOOO!!!

Would you jump off that??