Saturday, January 1, 2011

Let's Play Catch Up!

Hello friendly followers!

Well it is has been some time since my last post, I apologize! I literally left you hanging in the fact that I bungee jumped and well obviously survived! :) No Worries…

December 3
The party that Marvine planned for the student from Collegiate was sooo fun! There were 12 girls for this girl’s (Harriet) 12th birthday! Marvine put together about eight clues around Port Elizabeth and the girls were divided into three groups of four.  The first clue was a blindfold food tasting in their home, once they got the foods correct they received a bag full of dress up outfits and once girl had to put it on, ridiculous! The girls then received their next clue and in a fit of rampage we SPRINTED to our separate cars to the next clue! Each clue was to a specific place in PE and off we went! It was a great way for me to see more of PE and I took a lot of pictures! It was so fun! After the photo chase, we returned to the family’s home to determine a winner, had a great dinner and Marvine and I left to get prepared for our big morning of bunging jumping in Storms River!

December 4
We got up early and had a hard time deciding what to even wear to bungy jump! It was a mis day so we decided to just go in some t-shirts and sweatpants.  We hurried to Jay’s home to pick up her and Iain.  Iain was our wonderful navigator and off we drove, no turning back now.  We arrived at the Bloukrans Bridge and it was sprinkling a bit.. We walked to the check-in and passed a breath-taking, somewhat frightening view of the bridge.  We signed in, and weighed in and they proceeded to write our weight on our hand! This is so we can jump in a certain weight category based on how much we way and what rope we jump with.  We harnessed up and then April,  Nichole, and Leah (another COST student from Minnesota) arrived! Nichole and Leah signed up and April paid to walk out on the bridge.  They do not let you take a camera with you to the bungy site but they will take pictures of you and even a video and sell it after the jump.  We walked to the middle bridge and then were called in order by weight to jump! They turned on some loud music that helped get your excited for this absolutely crazy thing you are about to do. I think I jumped third out of our group, they get the ropes strapped on your, a safety back-up to your harness, and they carry you to the edge and hang your toes over.  They give you no time to hesitate, and I was not that nervous but excited.  They say 5,4,3,2,1 BUNGY! and you just dive! It was not until this moment that I was free falling that I realized what I was doing.  I flew threw the air taking in beautiful views and hoping that any moment now the rope would surely catch, it did! It was so fun and amazing and I never thought I would do it in my life, but felt like it was screaming at me, This is the World’s Highest Jump! When will you be here again and have amazing friends.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.  If you have the chance you should see my DVD!

After our jump we were so kindly offered to stay at the holiday home of the family Marvine babysits for! They have this amazing home in St. Francis and oh my goodness it is breathtaking.  There were about 20 of us all staying there and we danced, partook in some gymnastics, had a lovely braai and just relaxed.  Jay and Iain had to get back early in the morning but the family insisted that I should stay and ride back with them since I had not really seen St. Francis.  Marvine stayed with me as well and we could have some time to a place I may never see again.

December 5

We woke up and all headed to breakfast together! After that all the women headed to the shops and boutiques in St. Francis! I bought a nice pair of linen pants that I could NEVER find in the States and a cute necklace.  After shopping we drove around the canals and these homes that were to die for.  I swear South Africa has this beauty that I can’t even describe nor depict in my photos.  It is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been. We drove all around, to beaches, homes etc and headed back.  We just relaxed with the family and then helped get their home cleaned and locked up.  We drove home with the family and went by a game park so I could see some animals! We saw some but that is better than nothing! What a great weekend! That night I just prepared for my two days of school and got ready for bed!














December 6

Last full day of school! We did fun activities and I got some small things done outside of the classroom for my teacher and their new school year starting January 19th.  It amazes me that they end their school year and the girls go to the next grade in January. Could you imagine getting all your assessments, reports and cleaning your classroom up for the end of the year right before the holiday? I would be so stressed out trying to get my classroom ready and on top of that my Christmas shopping done!

December 7
Last day for students! The school day would end at 10 am for the girls! I gave them little American flag stickers and magnets with their name on a little card. (Thank you Priscilla!)  It was hard to say good-bye to the girls but they were so excited with the last day and everything the day flew by! They all gave me a big hug and went on their way! I am going to miss them so much and wish the best for them entering second grade!
After school, Melody picked me up to take me to a hair appointment! I got some highlights and a trim, my trim seems to be a BIG trim, but I probably needed it..still feel like I am missing a lot of hair!  After my hair appointment which took a record time of 1 hour! So quick! Melody and I headed to a cute boutique shop called Cupboard Love and Marvine met us there! I purchased some Christmas gifts and souvenirs for my family and off we went to go home and get ready for dinner!  Melody organized a dinner out kind of like saying goodbye for me.  Marvine, Melody, Sade, her friend Kay, Jessica and Jay joined! I had some great pasta and the restaurant is literally on the ocean! Good dinner.




December 8
The Durrheim’s set up a visit/observation for me to a special education school called Aurora Special Care Centre.  A family member of theirs teaches there! Melody and I went together.  Aurora is like no other school in South Africa, in fact it is the only school of its kind in South Africa.  Aurora not only functions as a school for students grades k-12 but also serves as a residential institution to a majority of their students.  Their oldest student is 55 years old.  Most students that attend Aurora, attend for life. Aurora serves disabilities from cerebral palsy to traumatic brain injuries (TBI).  The school provides many therapies to students who need it and all are on site with professionals in OT, PT, and speech.  Aurora could best be described as a school for students with special needs providing life skill lessons and training.  Since the government does not provide funding this school comes at a cost for the students family to attend, and for non-residential students it comes to about $80 USD a month, not bad since the school provides all therapies on-site. One thing I was also impressed with at Aurora was that they focus on interventions and therapies rather than medication. It was a great experience and exposure to special education services in South Africa.

After our visit Melody and I ran some errands, and enjoyed a lovely cappuccino at a café called Vovo Telo :) yum!
Melody exposed me to another cute shop named Camden, and more gifts were purchased for friends and family!  Dudley jokes that I shopped in South Africa :) this is true but among many other things!

Today was also Dudley’s birthday! Happy Birthday Dudley! We had a wonderful meal for dinner this evening!





December 9
This is the day my mom arrives! YAY!

I went to Collegiate today to help out at school..the day flew by and seemed weird because of the anticipation for my mom to get here! Around 9:30 PM we headed to the airport to pick her up! It was great to see that familiar face and I am so happy she could make it! We went home chatted for a bit then went straight to bed! We had an early morning heading back to school!





December 10

We headed to school bright and early (my mom, Sherryl and I)
My mom met my cooperating teacher, Joan and many other staff members! I was so happy they all got to meet her! As the staff headed to an end of the year meeting I showed my mom around the campus! We delivered small gifts and gave thanks as best we could to the staff at Collegiate, without them this trip would be impossible.  So thankful.
After school Marvine, Sherryl , my mom, and I headed to a local nursery which also has a little café attached.  We all had some coffee and dessert…which consisted of a cappuccino and a piece of apple pie for me!
After our little snack, Marvine took my mom and I on an adventure! We went to Kragga Kamma Game Park which is local to PE. 
We saw giraffes, rhinos, ostrich, cheetahs, warthogs, tortoise, deer, wildebeests, zebra, oh so much! It was perfect for my mom to get to experience some wildlife on her quick trip!
After the game park we headed back to get ready for dinner that evening with the Durrheim’s and Marv! We had a wonderful steak dinner at the Boardwalk and walked a few shops!
We all headed back and my mom and I got ready for our travels to Cape Town, we depart Saturday morning! We packed up and headed to bed!













































December 11

Sherryl’s first day on holiday and we make her get up early to take us to the airport so my mom and I can start our quick trip to Cape Town!
My mom and I boarded a fun airline named Kalula and set flight to the Western Cape! We landed at about 10 am and went straight to our hostel! 
Atlantic Point Backpackers
It is AMAZING! After much research and reviews I found this place on an iPhone application called AirBnB.  My mom and I booked our own separate room with our own bath.  It turned out to be great. When we got there check-in was not until 11am so we put our bags behind the desk and headed to the V&A Waterfront which is about a 7 minute walk from the hostel.  We went with Nichole and April! They also booked at the hostel and had been there almost a week before my mom and I arrived.
We wandered the massive V&A Shopping Center which had grocery stores to Gucci!
We looked around and searched for a swim suit for my mom so the following day we could hit the beach! We didn’t have any luck until later in the evening after we settled things in our room.
My mom and I enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant called Hudsons. 
























December 12

We woke up bright and early to enjoy some breakfast with April in the hostel.
We set out in a group to find a local outdoor market where you can bargain with some touristy souvenirs. This sounds like it would be an easy task but our quick morning market trip turned into a 6 mile wandering of the city. We stumbled upon a classier market where April purchased some jewelry for gifting! We then found a golf course with some great views of the mountain and one of the stadiums built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Here I bought Patrick a nice golf shirt with the club logo and some divot repair things and South African ball markers.
We finally found the market which was literally a quick walk from our hostel but we chose the most round-about route! Oh well I needed the exercise. 
They had little booths set up like a flea market and we found gifts for friends and family and I attempted to bargain the prices and did okay! April was the best at it!
April, my mom and I walked home and stopped along the way to get some snacks for lunch and lots of water.  This was the hottest day I have ever experienced in South Africa! We headed back to the hostel to eat and get ready to head to the beach.

We headed to Clifton Beach in a taxi bus that I was told not to take! Haha they are pretty crazy but only cost 6 Rand to go basically anywhere! As opposed to something that could be more expensive this was all part of the experience right! The bus can hold about 13 people but I have seen way more in there! You hale the taxi and shout out where you are going and if they are headed that way! You jump in and pay your 6 Rand and you are on your way.  You make stops along the way to wherever everyone is going but you also get to see a lot of things.  I thought it was fun!
We got to Clifton and the views were breathtaking, my pictures do not do it justice!
At Clifton there are four beaches and they are separated but just numbers, Clifton 1,2,3,4.
Each beach differs but 3 and 4 are more family or a younger crowd. We settled for the lesser-populated Clifton 3.  We laid in the sun and soak up the rays.  The Atlantic Ocean was literally frigid, to the point it numbed my feet when I just wanted to feel! After some time laying out, I decided I wanted to try the paddle boarding going on at Clifton 4.  You basically just sit on a surf board and stand up and paddled when you get out a little further.  It was like 80 Rand for 20 minutes and I headed out with an instructor, who took me out near some boats, rocks, and kelp..yuck! It literally was so thick and hard to paddle through, my instructor apologized and said it probably was not a good idea to take me through there…Either way it was fun, April took pictures of me and my mom stayed at 3 watching our things.  That is another thing, you can’t just leave your stuff lying around to take a dip in the ocean, there are literally people watching others who leaves their things unsupervised or if they have fallen asleep, generally children, in our case I saw three young boys scoping out on the beach…
April and I headed back to my mom and we tanned a bit more, and then headed back!
I got so burnt this day, but mostly due to our wandering in the morning and had no sun-screen on my chest, and had a nice t-shirt sun burn.

We got back to the hostel, rested, showered and headed out for some dinner.  April, my mom and I headed to a pub – had a quick drink and then settled at a nice little restaurant and ate some sandwiches. 

We headed home and went to bed! We are going to have a big day of touring tomorrow!












December 13

Another beautiful day in Cape Town and we headed to the Big Red Bus Tour! For about $50 USD you can get an all day bus pass for an open top tour bus that stops at 17 different places in Cape Town and also included in the ticket price is admission to the local aquarium and a ticket to go up and down the cable car at Table Mountain! What a great deal! And you don’t have to use your tickets for the two bonus things on that day necessarily, but we did! We saw so much of Cape Town but decided that Table Mountain was our first stop before the clouds or wind roll in, advice from the tour bus office. Great ADVICE!
We advanced to the front of the line via our bus ticket package! YES! We were quickly boarded in the cable car to the top of the mountain.  The floor of the car turns so we can get every view possible as we go up! Beautiful.  I could not believe how big it actually was on top of the mountain to explore.  April and I almost caused my mom several heart attacks as we posed on the edge of some pretty dangerous spots of the mountain... sorry mom but they made for some great photos.

We hopped back on the bus and went all over! We wrapped up at the aquarium, which was comparable to the Shedd in Chicago. 

We headed back to the hostel to get ready to go out to dinner later in the evening.  We all took a little nap and just rested.  We headed to the V&A Waterfront to eat at a local restaurant called Quay 4.  We enjoyed some great food and eventually got to move inside, which was a little warmer and there was even live music. 







































December 14

Last full day in Cape Town! We woke up and headed out to the Harley Shop! We must get some Harley shirts with Cape Town, South Africa on it for my dad and Patrick’s dad too!  We stumbled upon a great mall with lots of cute boutique type shops, more gifts were purchased for friends and family and even myself!
We bought some groceries for later in the evening because our hostel was having a Braii! We bought chicken and peri peri sauce to marinate it in.

We are headed on a ½ day Wine Tasting tour today! We will go to two wineries and a small town called Stellenbosch for a tour. 

The vineyards were beautiful and before I came to SA I never realized how many wines they produced (When I arrived in Florida and went to the grocery store they had a whole SA section, who knew?).  There were ten of us on the tour and other than my mom and I everyone was from Canada! We shared some great conversations and tasted 6 wines and some home-made cheeses along with a tour at our first winery called Anura.  We headed to Stellenbosch for a quick 30 minute tour where I found the cutest shirt for Patrick’s niece Briley.

We rushed to our last winery stop as it was closing. We had a quick taste of 9 wines and headed back home, taking a scenic route with great commentary.  I got to see a lot of the Cape Town and their townships there, which were larger then the ones I saw in PE and more prominent in areas.

We got back and immediately jumped in to the Braii preparations! Tim the hostel owner did all the cooking and Kate a tour manager at the hostel did a lot of prep.  We all ate together outside and shared great conversations.  There were people from Germany, England and even New York.  It was great fun! 

My mom and I headed back to our room and got some things ready for our next day departure back to PE!























December 15

We woke up early and finished packing.  We had a cab coming at 10 am for our 11:40 flight.  10 am rolled around and by 10:15 no cab was in sight…my mom and I walked about half a block and grabbed a cab and took off.  Oh well! We boarded and got there in time, we are headed back to PE and Marvine is picking us up!

Marvine was there ready to greet us after we got our bags! We headed to Vovo Telo, my favorite! We ordered lunch and coffee and then Marvine took us around a little bit showing us some more of PE for my mom.

We got back home to enjoy some dinner later in the evening with the Durrheim’s.  I started to unpack and repack for our December 17th departure :(

December 16

We had brunch at Vovo Telo’s with the Durrheim’s! Mel and I got this amazing museli breakfast and we all chatted and headed home.  I packed all day and organized, we headed over the Kerith’s in-laws home for dinner! We had a wonderful indoor braai since the weather turned on us.  It was a nice way to spend our last evening in South Africa.


December 17

Leaving PE for the long travel home!

At 6:30 am Marvine and I picked up April from the bus station (pavement).
April ended her trip in Cape Town but her flight home departed from PE.  The airline would not let her cut out that arm of the trip so she took a 14 hour bus ride to PE from Cape Town only to fly back to Cape Town on Friday afternoon. She had a long trek and it actually got worse, she made it home safe, so sorry April :(

We all just stayed at the Durrheim’s until a few hours before flight.  We took a few pictures and said our goodbyes :( At the airport we all sat down and had a cup of coffee together and then parted ways.
I for sure cried. I will miss my SA family and Marvine, it was a sad sad day :(

April’s flight did not leave until after ours so she sat with my mom and I as we waited.  We boarded at around 3:00 and made the trip home to West Palm Beach, FL. 

We safely arrived in on December 18th and looking forward to A LOT of family time

Thanks for following my trip, I now think I need to keep blogging for my new SA friends and family just to keep everyone updated!

xoxo

Miss Godmar







Patrick and I at Palm Beach
Home in the States