Mt. Stellenbosch: Consider Yourself Hiked
I finished my last post just as we were about to go to yoga and Mt. Stellenbosch. Well, yoga was a joke. Literally. Sam and I laughed the entire time. We were totally "those people" that are still immature about everything. The fact that the instructor didn't kick us out is a miracle.
The mountain was a lot more challenging than we expected, but it ended up being a ton of fun and a really good bonding experience!
The mountain, pre hike.
Sam and Rachel leading the wolf pack.
Rachel, me and Christa ready to go!
Just enjoying the view!
The view from the top was gorgeous! We decided we're definitely doing this hike again soon.
Cliff Jumping: How NOT To Do It
The girls and I woke up one bright and shiny afternoon (catch a pattern here with our sleep habits?) to a text message from some South African guy friends of ours that they were going cliff jumping and thought we should join. Well, why the heck not, right? Here's the deal about cliff jumping where I'm from. The boys, and any brave girls, all stand at the top of a cliff that is easily accessible by car and jump while their less gutsy friends stand and watch in awe. Well, we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. We arrived at the beach in frilly sundresses, bikinis, flip flops, and headaches from studying too late the night before (HA!). The boys said it was a, and I quote, "20 minute walk to where we jump." Okay, 20 minutes? Not too shabby. I mean, we're 21 year old semi athletic girls, this is do-able. SIKE! After about 45 minutes of intense hiking we realized we were either A. being kidnapped or B. being completely stupid to believe boys knew what they were talking about. I'm still here, so I think we all know what the outcome was. Even though I nearly passed out, Sam broke her flip flops, and Christa almost fell to hear death a few times, the site we ended up at was nothing short of breathtaking. I hope these pictures do it any bit of justice.
Note to self: if it looks like it takes more than 20 minutes to hike, it takes more than 20 minutes to hike.
Most gorgeous place ever! We swam out to this rock to sunbathe and rest for a while.
Standard. Apparently boys everywhere have to show off.
Leon, Rachel and I taking a break from swimming.
Totally worth it!
Kayamandi: How I Almost Adopted 50 Children
Oh. My. Goodness. If you know me at all you know I'm basically obsessed with little kids. Not in a creepy, don't let me babysit, kind of way. I just think they're the best! I wrote earlier about how I would be volunteering at Kayamandi this semester, and last Friday we had a tour of the township to familiarize ourselves before our first day. First of all, I can guarantee you that you haven't seen poverty like this. Sam and I got off the bus and I grabbed her hand and whispered "umm, are we safe?" Her reply? "I have no idea." As we walked around we realized the people there are actually really nice, but I'm a paranoid American and not afraid to admit it.
The homes that they live in.
Where everybody knows your name?
An orphanage in Kayamandi that a local church opened a few years ago.
These toilets are all shared by over 10 houses, which means over 50 people could use the same toilet every day. Sure makes you appreciate what you have, eh?
These kiddos were all so excited to get their picture taken!
All of the kids rushed up to us after they got out of school to take pictures, talk, and hug us. One little girl was holding my hand and trying to not let me walk away and I literally almost started crying. Why can't I just help all of them?
He was running up to us, tripped, and started crying. I felt so bad! And he didn't know how to tie his shoes so I helped him out. They're all so adorable and sweet!
I start at Kayamandi tomorrow morning and I'm SO excited! I'll be working in a Pre-K class from 8:00-12:00 so it should be quite interesting!
BEAN! Your blog is the baaaamb!
ReplyDeleteThanks Wy :)
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