Well
Matt and I have been told time and time again that if we come to South Africa then skip Joburg and go straight to Cape Town because Joburg is horrible and Capetown is wonderful. While I can't speak for Cape Town , never having been there, I can say that those people have obviously never met Jenny and Les Fox. The kindest people on the planet!! They are the couple we told you that we met at Elephant sands and offered us accommodation in Joburg for the duration of our stay and offered to take us to the airport come time.
Normally I would feel too "Gleng-jai" or.. shy/guilty/considerate to call up a stranger to pick me up and have me stay with them for free, but their offer was so kind and honest and whole-hearted that we actually did feel entirely comfortable to call them. We were about 20 minutes away and called them, and they came and met us where we were getting dropped off! They even beat us there to wait. <3
It was a sad departure with the rest of our group, who we've inevitably grown quite close with. sharing tents, and being together 24/7 for week after week kindof forces you into close friendships- in a positive way of course. I will never forget our groupmates and I Really hope we all meet up again someday. They are always welcome to stay with me, and they have made it clear that we are welcome to stay with them in their home countries! Yay! Ruth (one of the lovely ladies from England) and I are going to do a candy exchange , where I ship her all the Canadian treats and candies and she ships me all the English ones! YIPPIE! that will be fun mail to recieve! hahahaha
Okay so anyways, we hugged everyone, kisses on the cheek, double, triple, quadruple checked the trucks and tents for our belongings and hopped in a vehicle with our new South African friends. They took us to the most amazing museum, Apartheid museum and we learned an absurd amount about South African history. There is an incredible focus on racial division here, quite interesting. There is a melting pot of races living here in South Africa, but it is not amalgamated like Canada, they remain divided by race. They have a long ways to go.
Johannesburg is potentially the scariest place I have ever been, with the possible exception of Jakarta, Indonesia (where reffa and I camped out scared in our hotel for days only leaving for the zoo and airport. hahaha). There is so much murder, theft, car hi-jacking (insane amounts of it, they never ever idle their car until they are in their electric gate fenced in driveways. Luckily, Matt and I are staying in a gorgeous house , with gorgeous people and they are even allowing their driver Bradly to take us anywhere and everywhere we want to go. We are truly spoiled. Therefore, our experience here in Joburg is actually quite positive!!
We might even go to an amusement park, if the rain stays away for longer than an hour. we have just rapidly entered rainy season. it had hardly been rainy at all and now it is rainy all the time, and COLD. it's only 18 degrees today and I am FREEZING. I'm not sure how I will handle Canada again..... yikes! although bragging to our international friends about skiing and snow has made me long for the slopes.
Only 4 short days away from flying home. I may blog once more before then, but may not ! it depends if we do any interesting things and whether or not I can reach internet .
I love you all..
thinking about Magz like crazy.. OMG is there a baby yet!?!?!!? somebody email me, PLEASE!
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Botswana
Botswana was AWESOME !!
We only spent two nights there , but there is much to be said about the country.
So we actually left Vic falls a day early since most of us are budgeting and didn't want to do extreme life-threatening sports (bungi, rafting, ziplining, skydiving, etc etc) every single day- so we were basically hanging around doing nothing for a few days and our leaders decided to let us leave a bit early so we could get the most of our time!! we now get to see (at no extra cost) a wicked beautiful campsite with all kind of bells and whistles on the third largest crator in the world! woop woop!
So we didn't actually do much special in Botswana, we sortof just drove through it... but we saw loads. the first campsite was a bit boring but it did have a bar and a pool so that's easy to work around. We were laying by the pool in the fluffy grass marveling at the gorgeous 42.8 degree weather (omg !) when all of a sudden this dark cloud loomed over the crocodile infested river... it began to look a gloomy sight, so we all jumped to our feet and did rain-preparation just in case the rain hit our tents! we put up all truck windows, zipped everything up, put the additional canopy over top of the tent, put stuff in the centre of the tent, etc!!!! we did it super speedy and we also had to move all our laundry that was drying in the sun... it got darker and darker... we got more and more sure that the dark cloud was going to be a very large random storm and within 10 minutes (no joke) it was POURING like I haven't seen it pour before (except in monsoon season in Thailand..) but this rain collected so quickly that it actually looked like a flash flood!!! it was knee deep and running fast toward the river from all directions. Trees were breaking and falling on (other people's) tents. Some of our tents fell over, things were soaking wet, you could hardly see, there were logs floating down the newly formed river. The thunder clapped so loudly that it made every person jump, the lightening surely hit nearby-- it was a CRAZY storm!!! even more dramatic, I'd say, than the sand-dollar Sheet Harbour storm !! We were obsessing about all this random storm, looking at the now-knee-deep place where we had been tanning only 10 minutes before and we were shivering as well- it wasn't until we were physically shivering that we had a closer look and realized that it was HAILING. can you say crazy weather?!?!?!
It lasted under and hour and the sun came back out to play and we redistributed our wet laundry and reopened all the windows. our tents were muddy and sleeping bags wet... ugh what a bother- but what an INTERESTING quick storm!!!! Afterwards there were many new bugs, I guess there are loads underground during droughts and as soon as it begins to rain they all come out so that night we were swatting horribly!!
Everywhere you drive through in Botswana there are these weird "stops" (almost like a boarder... but not?) and you have to get out of the vehicle and disinfect your shoes (with this weird brown water that really just looks dirty? lol) and then they check your vehicle for meat and fruit and then you carry on. it's SO WEIRD. but it's basically to keep from spreading anything that you may have stepped on, ie. animal droppings etc. I guess it makes sense but it's kinda weird!
Night 2 of Botswana may be my most memorable of my entire trip here to Africa. We stayed at a hidden-away place where other tours don't go (I Feel blessed to have been on this tour with Riaan and Juliana- they know their way around so well and are such responsible , intelligent people). It was called Elephant sands, and it's run by a man who truly just loves elephants. He has already made his wealth and lived his life elsewhere and has chosen this area to come purely so he can be near elephants. sometimes he goes out into the bush with just a mat and pillow and sleeps beside families of elephants just to be near them. He's a very cool guy. He spends loads and loads of money each month filling up this small natural pond of water so that the elephants will come. We saw 50+ elephants come to the hole at different times-- it was AMAZING. we were maybe 30 meters away from them and they came to bathe and drink the water right in front of us- WILD ELEPHANTS !!!! aw it was magical. so so amazing. they walk right past our tents and into the water hole. they also like to drink from the pool (hahahaha) but while we were there, unfortunately, the pool was out of order because about two weeks ago there was an elephant fiasco!!!! a baby elephant fell into the pool and couldn't get out. He drowned there and the elephants were horrified and mourned the death by stomping all trees and buildings around them (this is how elephants often respect the deaths of their own kind, by destroying an area around) they were very stressed and upset elephants and the entire camp ground was destroyed. I took loads of photos of the damage. the owner said there haven't been incidents like that in years and years but it just so happened that it happened two weeks ago so we were there to see the remains. so sad :( but so interesting! and the elephants still came to the same water hole.
They also spotted a leopard twice this week on the camp grounds! SO COOL !!!!!!!!! so we were a little weary going to sleep that we might be trampled or attacked during the night by wild animals- but that is the excitement of sleeping in the bush, isn't it?
Now we have just entered South Africa- HELLO CIVILIZATION!!!! I am actually sitting in a MALL!! there are loads of developments, the roads are smooth, the boarder was CIVILIZED! It's good to be back. a good way to ease ourselves back into "city-life" hahahahaha.
OH also in Botswana, Matt and I met this great couple who live in Johannesburg, and they wholeheartedly asked us to stay with them while we are in Joburg- -YAYYYYY we have accommodation!!! Not only does this save Matt and I 150+ dollars, we also met great people, have a drive everywhere we need to go, and will have an inside source telling us the way around! woooooooooooo!!! now THAT'S lucky!!!!!
Still loving Africa. I can't wait to come back here again someday and explore it on my own terms . Missing home though, of course!
love love love always
We only spent two nights there , but there is much to be said about the country.
So we actually left Vic falls a day early since most of us are budgeting and didn't want to do extreme life-threatening sports (bungi, rafting, ziplining, skydiving, etc etc) every single day- so we were basically hanging around doing nothing for a few days and our leaders decided to let us leave a bit early so we could get the most of our time!! we now get to see (at no extra cost) a wicked beautiful campsite with all kind of bells and whistles on the third largest crator in the world! woop woop!
So we didn't actually do much special in Botswana, we sortof just drove through it... but we saw loads. the first campsite was a bit boring but it did have a bar and a pool so that's easy to work around. We were laying by the pool in the fluffy grass marveling at the gorgeous 42.8 degree weather (omg !) when all of a sudden this dark cloud loomed over the crocodile infested river... it began to look a gloomy sight, so we all jumped to our feet and did rain-preparation just in case the rain hit our tents! we put up all truck windows, zipped everything up, put the additional canopy over top of the tent, put stuff in the centre of the tent, etc!!!! we did it super speedy and we also had to move all our laundry that was drying in the sun... it got darker and darker... we got more and more sure that the dark cloud was going to be a very large random storm and within 10 minutes (no joke) it was POURING like I haven't seen it pour before (except in monsoon season in Thailand..) but this rain collected so quickly that it actually looked like a flash flood!!! it was knee deep and running fast toward the river from all directions. Trees were breaking and falling on (other people's) tents. Some of our tents fell over, things were soaking wet, you could hardly see, there were logs floating down the newly formed river. The thunder clapped so loudly that it made every person jump, the lightening surely hit nearby-- it was a CRAZY storm!!! even more dramatic, I'd say, than the sand-dollar Sheet Harbour storm !! We were obsessing about all this random storm, looking at the now-knee-deep place where we had been tanning only 10 minutes before and we were shivering as well- it wasn't until we were physically shivering that we had a closer look and realized that it was HAILING. can you say crazy weather?!?!?!
It lasted under and hour and the sun came back out to play and we redistributed our wet laundry and reopened all the windows. our tents were muddy and sleeping bags wet... ugh what a bother- but what an INTERESTING quick storm!!!! Afterwards there were many new bugs, I guess there are loads underground during droughts and as soon as it begins to rain they all come out so that night we were swatting horribly!!
Everywhere you drive through in Botswana there are these weird "stops" (almost like a boarder... but not?) and you have to get out of the vehicle and disinfect your shoes (with this weird brown water that really just looks dirty? lol) and then they check your vehicle for meat and fruit and then you carry on. it's SO WEIRD. but it's basically to keep from spreading anything that you may have stepped on, ie. animal droppings etc. I guess it makes sense but it's kinda weird!
Night 2 of Botswana may be my most memorable of my entire trip here to Africa. We stayed at a hidden-away place where other tours don't go (I Feel blessed to have been on this tour with Riaan and Juliana- they know their way around so well and are such responsible , intelligent people). It was called Elephant sands, and it's run by a man who truly just loves elephants. He has already made his wealth and lived his life elsewhere and has chosen this area to come purely so he can be near elephants. sometimes he goes out into the bush with just a mat and pillow and sleeps beside families of elephants just to be near them. He's a very cool guy. He spends loads and loads of money each month filling up this small natural pond of water so that the elephants will come. We saw 50+ elephants come to the hole at different times-- it was AMAZING. we were maybe 30 meters away from them and they came to bathe and drink the water right in front of us- WILD ELEPHANTS !!!! aw it was magical. so so amazing. they walk right past our tents and into the water hole. they also like to drink from the pool (hahahaha) but while we were there, unfortunately, the pool was out of order because about two weeks ago there was an elephant fiasco!!!! a baby elephant fell into the pool and couldn't get out. He drowned there and the elephants were horrified and mourned the death by stomping all trees and buildings around them (this is how elephants often respect the deaths of their own kind, by destroying an area around) they were very stressed and upset elephants and the entire camp ground was destroyed. I took loads of photos of the damage. the owner said there haven't been incidents like that in years and years but it just so happened that it happened two weeks ago so we were there to see the remains. so sad :( but so interesting! and the elephants still came to the same water hole.
They also spotted a leopard twice this week on the camp grounds! SO COOL !!!!!!!!! so we were a little weary going to sleep that we might be trampled or attacked during the night by wild animals- but that is the excitement of sleeping in the bush, isn't it?
Now we have just entered South Africa- HELLO CIVILIZATION!!!! I am actually sitting in a MALL!! there are loads of developments, the roads are smooth, the boarder was CIVILIZED! It's good to be back. a good way to ease ourselves back into "city-life" hahahahaha.
OH also in Botswana, Matt and I met this great couple who live in Johannesburg, and they wholeheartedly asked us to stay with them while we are in Joburg- -YAYYYYY we have accommodation!!! Not only does this save Matt and I 150+ dollars, we also met great people, have a drive everywhere we need to go, and will have an inside source telling us the way around! woooooooooooo!!! now THAT'S lucky!!!!!
Still loving Africa. I can't wait to come back here again someday and explore it on my own terms . Missing home though, of course!
love love love always
Monday, November 8, 2010
Zambia / Zimbabwe
Well HELLO friends!
first thing's first.
Happy Belated Charlie bean
Happy Birthday yesterday Matty - great / epic b-day.
We DID celebrate Halloween in Malawi (they don't, and most of the people in our group don't... but Matt and I certainly did! ) we surprised the group by coming out in costumes! --- Matty in his Spidey costume (facebook photos to follow asap...) and me in a much more modest (but still entertaining) pirate costume!! HILARIOUS. It was extra fun !
We desperately try to get a party going every single day, but our group just doesn't have the UMPH that the two of us seem to have ahahahaha. that's okay we are still having a blast. Sooo it's hard for me to remember where I left off with you, I suppose I should have backtracked my blog a bit before starting but I didn't so sorry if I repeat myself!! Malawi was so so cool, I know I just wrote about it. We swam to that gorgeous island I told you about every single day -- such great exercise and so fun. It was 850 meters each way... so that's a good workout! (good thing too, because there's nowhere to run there).
I bought a few souvenirs in Malawi- there's lots of cool little wooden trinkets!! The coolest thing is that you can trade- if you have an old shirt, or pair of shoes, or products, or sunglasses or ANYTHING really they want it, and they will trade you the things from their shop for your western things. It's so wicked! I traded my sunglasses, a pair of shorts that are too big, a t-shirt ... they tried really really hard to get my flashlight (which I now call a head torch because everyone in our group is from England or Aussie and that's what they call it..) .
We ended up sleeping in Malawi for 3 nights before moving on and we even set up a makeshift movie screen using a white sheet up against the truck! it was really cool. we watched "out of Africa" and "blood diamond" ! <3 good movies. (both I've seen before but didn't mind watching again! )
After that we were on our way to Victoria Falls!!!!!! (in Zambia) (where I'm writing you from now) We had to sleep elsewhere two nights just on the way so that we weren't driving TOO much, so we leave the campsite around 6am and drive until sometime in the early afternoon and then we just have fun doing whatever (playing volleyball, swimming, tanning, reading, computing, conversing, drinking etc.) until supper time, we eat late around 7 or 8 and then most people GO TO BED because we have to get up at like 5 again the next day. hahahahaha It's actually to the point that the entire group is up and rockin at sunrise (which is around 5am). So that's been great. Actually, the English girls (Hannah, Sophie and Ruth) and Matt and I the 5 of us get up even earlier and go for a run each morning out on the road too!! (trying desperately to stay in shape but it's not working because our camp leaders are the BEST COOKS IN THE WORLD OMG and feed us GINORMOUS portions of AMAZING food covered in all the things you WANT to eat all the time but refrain from doing so normally). I thought for sure "oh Jessica, you're going to Africa you will definitely lose weight!!" ... WRONG ... DOH!!! hahahaha
So anyways.
Now I am writing you from Vic. Falls / Livingstone. This place is EPIC. It's incredible and you can literally do ANYTHING here. Matt went Bungie jumping (he actually did) yesterday. This is the second largest bungie in the world (don't quote me on that but I Think that's what someone said). It was amazing. he did it in his Spiderman costume. HAHAHA. Today I went white water rafting ... I thought my life was over a few times throughout the trip, but I'm alive and well (and tired and sore).... that was today. (i'll tell you more about that in a minute)
We are sleeping here for 4 nights (we have already slept here one night) in our tents. I thought that I would be tired of sleeping on the ground in my tent after weeks and weeks, but I just love it more and more each day. The more I am outside, the better it turns out! I can't get enough. I love feeling the cool outside air coming in the screens and actually being able to see the stars every night as I go to sleep . Listening to crickets, hearing the palm trees , and the weird and wonderful frogs all around us, smelling the grass.... all of these things I am love love loving every night when I fall asleep. I sleep so soundly too from my huge days and early mornings, fresh air, sweating, exercise and excitement!
Also, light rainy season has just begun, so it randomly storms for about 30 minutes all the time .. (like maybe once, twice or thrice a day)... we just had one too. I love the smell of the rain, it smells just the same as Thailand during rainy season. you can see giant black heavy clouds coming your way, and you can smell it, and it's huge heavy drops that actually SPLASH off of your skin when they land on you.
Yesterday on our way back from Matt's bungie jump, we pulled over. you'll never guess why ?
Because there was a huge heard of elephants right beside us. We got out of the car (but not to close for fear of charging), and took loads of pictures. I nearly burst into tears for sheer excitement of seeing such amazing creatures so close in the wild.
Umm so yeah, the white water rafting- it was CRAZY ... scariest/funnest/craziest thing I've ever done to date!!!! I got pulled under the water (after being violently thrown from the raft several times) and couldn't find my way to the surface (it was chaos, it was not only me experiencing this, it was about 20 people LOL!!!!) and then the boat like, runs over your face and you really think you may never find oxygen again. It was amazing. I was going to do the full day, but after 10 intense rapids, I decided to stop.
One of the rapids we had to walk around because it was a level 6- it was named "commercial suicide" meaning that the company cannot legally allow us to raft on that particular rapid due to the fact that the chances you won't make it are scary high. WOAH..... I took a picture/video of that one to show you.
Don't worry, I think that's enough extreme sports for me.
Tomorrow we are planning to go into town and just shop around and get some Indian food (YAY I am actually a silly amount of excited to eat curry.... mmmmmmm especially if it's coconut curry.. oh god.. mm) and then maybe catch a film at the theatre? I adore going to see movies in new countries.
OH btw, I also got to spend a little while in Zimbabwe --- just for Matt's bungie off the bridge. I have pictures of the bridge from all angles and lots of scenic photos. can't wait to show you!
anyways, internet is slowing and thunder is rolling in over the river (where, by the way, there are about 18 elephants crossing as I type... amazing...) So I better depart from the computer for fear it will shut down and I will lose all I've typed.
Sorry if it was scattered, just trying to get as many thoughts out, as quickly as possible. !!!
xoxoxoxoxox lots of love, miss you all take care !
first thing's first.
Happy Belated Charlie bean
Happy Birthday yesterday Matty - great / epic b-day.
We DID celebrate Halloween in Malawi (they don't, and most of the people in our group don't... but Matt and I certainly did! ) we surprised the group by coming out in costumes! --- Matty in his Spidey costume (facebook photos to follow asap...) and me in a much more modest (but still entertaining) pirate costume!! HILARIOUS. It was extra fun !
We desperately try to get a party going every single day, but our group just doesn't have the UMPH that the two of us seem to have ahahahaha. that's okay we are still having a blast. Sooo it's hard for me to remember where I left off with you, I suppose I should have backtracked my blog a bit before starting but I didn't so sorry if I repeat myself!! Malawi was so so cool, I know I just wrote about it. We swam to that gorgeous island I told you about every single day -- such great exercise and so fun. It was 850 meters each way... so that's a good workout! (good thing too, because there's nowhere to run there).
I bought a few souvenirs in Malawi- there's lots of cool little wooden trinkets!! The coolest thing is that you can trade- if you have an old shirt, or pair of shoes, or products, or sunglasses or ANYTHING really they want it, and they will trade you the things from their shop for your western things. It's so wicked! I traded my sunglasses, a pair of shorts that are too big, a t-shirt ... they tried really really hard to get my flashlight (which I now call a head torch because everyone in our group is from England or Aussie and that's what they call it..) .
We ended up sleeping in Malawi for 3 nights before moving on and we even set up a makeshift movie screen using a white sheet up against the truck! it was really cool. we watched "out of Africa" and "blood diamond" ! <3 good movies. (both I've seen before but didn't mind watching again! )
After that we were on our way to Victoria Falls!!!!!! (in Zambia) (where I'm writing you from now) We had to sleep elsewhere two nights just on the way so that we weren't driving TOO much, so we leave the campsite around 6am and drive until sometime in the early afternoon and then we just have fun doing whatever (playing volleyball, swimming, tanning, reading, computing, conversing, drinking etc.) until supper time, we eat late around 7 or 8 and then most people GO TO BED because we have to get up at like 5 again the next day. hahahahaha It's actually to the point that the entire group is up and rockin at sunrise (which is around 5am). So that's been great. Actually, the English girls (Hannah, Sophie and Ruth) and Matt and I the 5 of us get up even earlier and go for a run each morning out on the road too!! (trying desperately to stay in shape but it's not working because our camp leaders are the BEST COOKS IN THE WORLD OMG and feed us GINORMOUS portions of AMAZING food covered in all the things you WANT to eat all the time but refrain from doing so normally). I thought for sure "oh Jessica, you're going to Africa you will definitely lose weight!!" ... WRONG ... DOH!!! hahahaha
So anyways.
Now I am writing you from Vic. Falls / Livingstone. This place is EPIC. It's incredible and you can literally do ANYTHING here. Matt went Bungie jumping (he actually did) yesterday. This is the second largest bungie in the world (don't quote me on that but I Think that's what someone said). It was amazing. he did it in his Spiderman costume. HAHAHA. Today I went white water rafting ... I thought my life was over a few times throughout the trip, but I'm alive and well (and tired and sore).... that was today. (i'll tell you more about that in a minute)
We are sleeping here for 4 nights (we have already slept here one night) in our tents. I thought that I would be tired of sleeping on the ground in my tent after weeks and weeks, but I just love it more and more each day. The more I am outside, the better it turns out! I can't get enough. I love feeling the cool outside air coming in the screens and actually being able to see the stars every night as I go to sleep . Listening to crickets, hearing the palm trees , and the weird and wonderful frogs all around us, smelling the grass.... all of these things I am love love loving every night when I fall asleep. I sleep so soundly too from my huge days and early mornings, fresh air, sweating, exercise and excitement!
Also, light rainy season has just begun, so it randomly storms for about 30 minutes all the time .. (like maybe once, twice or thrice a day)... we just had one too. I love the smell of the rain, it smells just the same as Thailand during rainy season. you can see giant black heavy clouds coming your way, and you can smell it, and it's huge heavy drops that actually SPLASH off of your skin when they land on you.
Yesterday on our way back from Matt's bungie jump, we pulled over. you'll never guess why ?
Because there was a huge heard of elephants right beside us. We got out of the car (but not to close for fear of charging), and took loads of pictures. I nearly burst into tears for sheer excitement of seeing such amazing creatures so close in the wild.
Umm so yeah, the white water rafting- it was CRAZY ... scariest/funnest/craziest thing I've ever done to date!!!! I got pulled under the water (after being violently thrown from the raft several times) and couldn't find my way to the surface (it was chaos, it was not only me experiencing this, it was about 20 people LOL!!!!) and then the boat like, runs over your face and you really think you may never find oxygen again. It was amazing. I was going to do the full day, but after 10 intense rapids, I decided to stop.
One of the rapids we had to walk around because it was a level 6- it was named "commercial suicide" meaning that the company cannot legally allow us to raft on that particular rapid due to the fact that the chances you won't make it are scary high. WOAH..... I took a picture/video of that one to show you.
Don't worry, I think that's enough extreme sports for me.
Tomorrow we are planning to go into town and just shop around and get some Indian food (YAY I am actually a silly amount of excited to eat curry.... mmmmmmm especially if it's coconut curry.. oh god.. mm) and then maybe catch a film at the theatre? I adore going to see movies in new countries.
OH btw, I also got to spend a little while in Zimbabwe --- just for Matt's bungie off the bridge. I have pictures of the bridge from all angles and lots of scenic photos. can't wait to show you!
anyways, internet is slowing and thunder is rolling in over the river (where, by the way, there are about 18 elephants crossing as I type... amazing...) So I better depart from the computer for fear it will shut down and I will lose all I've typed.
Sorry if it was scattered, just trying to get as many thoughts out, as quickly as possible. !!!
xoxoxoxoxox lots of love, miss you all take care !
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