Thursday 20.03: time to leave Ga-Radingwana. Had an amazing time, but after only eating pap, chicken,sausages, peanut butter and bread for 2 weeks, I wasn't to sad to come back to "civilisation" in Pretoria. Hot shower, nice food and cold beer and water that doesn't taste like salt was highly appreciated. Ga-Radingwana was a beautiful place, loved the nature and the people, and concerning work it was a huge progress compared to Apel. The volunteers organised a great workshop and tournament. Clare and I spent our days writing reports, checking up on the volunteers, drinking coke and and eating bread. We also enjoyed my host families satelit tv if there were any power (SA is having a national power shortage crises so the powers been of almost everyday).
Friday 21.03: Time to leave Clare and head for Port Elisabeth.
Saturday 22.03: FINALLY I met up with Ann-Cecilie and Iva in Port Elisabeth. So great to see them. We travelled down to Jeffreys Bay where we stayed at a beautiful backpackers, which was owned by a Norwegian couple. Spent the day shopping, eating and relaxing. Jeff Bay is layback small surfers mekka on the south coast of SA in Eastern Cape, about an hours drive from Port Elisabeth.
Sunday 23.03: Plan was to either surf or go sand boarding, but everything was full, so we ended up in a shitty bar watching the awful liverpool-man utd game, before we decided to drown my sorrows at a nice bar\restaurant.
Monday 24.03: Horseback riding at the beach. Yes, that was one strange experience. Me, who has never been on a horse before got the slowest one in the group, while Iva with her big mouth ended up on Speedy Gonzales. lol. We didn't laugh that much while we were on the horses, but afterwards we realised how funny it must have been for the others to watch us. Ivas horse in almost 60 kmh while she struggled to hold on, and me 10 meters behind everyone having no control or power over my horse. Whenever I would say go, A-C and Ivas horse would take of instead! lol.
Tuesday 25.03: Spent the day on the bazbus traveling all the way down to Cape Town. Not much to say, other than that we were in great pain after the horse ride. Our bums and backs were killing us. But we had booked a hotel i CT, and had a good night sleep!
Wednesday 26.03: Cape Peninsula. We had booked a guided trip with the bazbus down to cape of good hope. What a day. Started in CT and drow down the coast to Houts Bay (I think). Went on a short boat trip to see a seal colony. Must fun was actually filming the girls singing the famous drinking song to Sveinung and Martin: "Jeg har en selunge". The we we went to Boulding beach (I think) to watch the Penguins. then it was of to Cape point, were we actually bicycled half way down. It was a great day, which we finished of with a great dinner down at the Waterfront with a view of the harbour and table mountain.
Thursday 27.03: Spent the WHOLE day shopping at Waterfront.
Friday 28.03: More shopping, but now in Long Street, which is a very popular street in CT with coll bars, restaurants and local craft shops. The girls did the "African shopping" here. Also went up to Tabel Mountain where the view of the city is just breathtaking.
Together with Anders, a Norwegian volunteer working outside CT, we had an African dinner at a restaurant on long street. The girls got to eat pap, which I eat almost everyday in the communities. Don't think they were to impressed! Neither am I, but when you are hungry enough, you eat almost anything.
Saturday29.03: The girls left early back to Norway. So great to have them here, wish they could have stayed longer.
Sunday 30.03: Up at 04.00am. Flight to Joburg at 06.00 am. Then of to Zambia at 10.30 am. Arrived in Lusaka at 01.00pm. Taxi to the craziest bus station in Zambia. With some help I got on the "most reliable" buss there, which wasn't as full as they said. So after about 1 1\2 hours waiting the bus was full finally full, the pastor had finished his speak and blessing, and we were of to Kabwe. After 3 hours and a flat tire I was met by Solveig and Ingeborg at the bus stop. So great to see them again. Ingeborg is actually working in Zimbabwe, but because of the election they are all working in Zambia for 3 weeks. So the plan is to stay with them here till Wednesday. Then I want to travel down to Livingston and Victoria Falls.
Sharp sharp guys, hope you all had a great Easter holiday and that things are propa!
xx
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
In the middle of nowhere
Dumelang! Lekay? Arrhona..
That’s’ how limited my Pedi knowledge is after almost 4 weeks in Limpopo. And also “Lafisha” which means it’s hot. And I’m telling you, Limpopo is HOT!! Eish, Apel, our first community, was a nightmare concerning weather. You were constantly sweating. Only way to cool down was to throw a bucket of water over you. That helped for about 5 minutes, and my host family would look at me as if I was crazy..:)
Apel was a semi rural community and much more quiet than Mt. Frere. My host family consisted of a grandmother and her 2 year old grandson. It was a new house, but no water or toilet inside the house so that was a big challenge. The roof wasn’t finished neither so there was an opening between the rooms. One night we found a bat inside the house… lol!! But at least there were no chickens to wake me up at 5 am…
But I loved Apel. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer family, and the community members were so positive and enthusiastic to everything we did. It was our first community and of course there were challenges, both with the community and also among our group. But at the end of the day it didn’t matter. Every night I would stand outside brushing my teeth while looking at the stars and thinking how grateful I am for this experience.
We are now in a rural community called Ga- Radingwana. It’s a small community about half an hour from Apel. But the difference is huge. In Apel they had Spar and other shops, but here you only find small spaza shop. The roads are all gravel roads and most of them don’t look like roads at all. Apel was filled with minibus taxies, here you might see 1 or 2 a day. But this place is truly beautiful surrounded by mountains. We went on a hike on Saturday and I felt like home:)
The community is also doing an amazing job in regards to sport development. For such a small place there is so much activity going on and we sometimes wonder if they need us here at all. But they are so eager to improve and learn more, and the volunteers are now busy planning coaching clinics and tournaments. Clare and I are now having so much free time compared to Apel. But this is a good thing because it shows how good the community is organised and how better the program is going for the volunteers.
And my living situation here is just incredible. Together with TK, our chief team leader, I’m staying in a palace. The family consists of our host dad, his daughter and his sister. The house is so beautiful and we have a toilet inside and satellite TV! I am afraid the next three houses will be a disappointment after this.. lol
Sharp sharp guys. I’m doing great, but miss you all so much. I am really excited about seeing Diva and Ann Cecilie in less than two weeks. It is too bad they will not get to visit me in any of the communities, but South Africa is such an amazing country so know they will enjoy it:)
Take care
XXXX
That’s’ how limited my Pedi knowledge is after almost 4 weeks in Limpopo. And also “Lafisha” which means it’s hot. And I’m telling you, Limpopo is HOT!! Eish, Apel, our first community, was a nightmare concerning weather. You were constantly sweating. Only way to cool down was to throw a bucket of water over you. That helped for about 5 minutes, and my host family would look at me as if I was crazy..:)
Apel was a semi rural community and much more quiet than Mt. Frere. My host family consisted of a grandmother and her 2 year old grandson. It was a new house, but no water or toilet inside the house so that was a big challenge. The roof wasn’t finished neither so there was an opening between the rooms. One night we found a bat inside the house… lol!! But at least there were no chickens to wake me up at 5 am…
But I loved Apel. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer family, and the community members were so positive and enthusiastic to everything we did. It was our first community and of course there were challenges, both with the community and also among our group. But at the end of the day it didn’t matter. Every night I would stand outside brushing my teeth while looking at the stars and thinking how grateful I am for this experience.
We are now in a rural community called Ga- Radingwana. It’s a small community about half an hour from Apel. But the difference is huge. In Apel they had Spar and other shops, but here you only find small spaza shop. The roads are all gravel roads and most of them don’t look like roads at all. Apel was filled with minibus taxies, here you might see 1 or 2 a day. But this place is truly beautiful surrounded by mountains. We went on a hike on Saturday and I felt like home:)
The community is also doing an amazing job in regards to sport development. For such a small place there is so much activity going on and we sometimes wonder if they need us here at all. But they are so eager to improve and learn more, and the volunteers are now busy planning coaching clinics and tournaments. Clare and I are now having so much free time compared to Apel. But this is a good thing because it shows how good the community is organised and how better the program is going for the volunteers.
And my living situation here is just incredible. Together with TK, our chief team leader, I’m staying in a palace. The family consists of our host dad, his daughter and his sister. The house is so beautiful and we have a toilet inside and satellite TV! I am afraid the next three houses will be a disappointment after this.. lol
Sharp sharp guys. I’m doing great, but miss you all so much. I am really excited about seeing Diva and Ann Cecilie in less than two weeks. It is too bad they will not get to visit me in any of the communities, but South Africa is such an amazing country so know they will enjoy it:)
Take care
XXXX
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