On 4/11/10, we officially left Pietermaritzburg and began our drive towards Capetown on what is know as the Garden Route. Our first stop was East London. After driving about 5-6 hours, we got to our hotel, and it was gorgeous! It was maybe 500 feet away from the ocean! Gorgeous! Since our group had to be in
Capetown by Thursday afternoon, we could onyl stay in each city for one night, with the exception of our stay in Carmel. But before leaving East London, the next morning I got up to see my first sunrise ever...and it was amazing! I woke up at 6am, and it was perfect! While I was watching it, I could not believe that I was in South Africa seeing what I was seeing! :) It happened so fast, but I will never forget the experience! So beautiful.
On Monday, we began our drive out to Port Elizabeth. When we got there, our group was able to visit Reagen's home and community where he grew ip. Reagen is one of the community life coordinators of our group. It was really coll to see him in his element, as well as meet his family. It made me miss everyone back home! :) That night, in Port Elizabeth, we also stayed at another gorgeous hotel right on the ocean! So pretty! For dinner, we went to an area called the Boardwalk. It was so nice to just walk around and see all the different shops and restaurants. I had sushi for the second time since Ihave been here in South Africa, and it was amazing! There also was a casino there, so some of us tried our luck. :) I ended up winning 100 RAND in blackjack, which is about $15 US dollars! :)
The next morning was the big day! April 13, 2010....the day I bungee jumped off the world's highest bridge! The Bloukrans Bungee Jump is located in George, South Africa, and it is a bungee jump of 216m off the world's highest bridge! IT was the biggest rush of adrenaline I have ever felt in my entire life! After bungee jumping, sky diving seemed like nothing! :) I wasn't really afraid at first and thinking abou
t it, but when I got there it all sunk in! :) As soon as we began walking across the bridge to the place where we had to jump, I looked down, and I freaked out! I couldn't believe I was going to do what I was about to do. All the guys who operated the jump were Afrikans, and they were way cool! The whole experience was so much fun! I will have to tell you all about it when I get back in person, and I can even show you a DVD of me doing it, but what I can say is that bungee jumping off the world's highest bridge has been one of the best and most crazy things I have ever done in my entire life....but it was so worth it!!!
After the bungee jump, our group headed off towards Carmel. So yeah, East London, Port Elizabeth, and Caremel are all gorgeous cities on the coast of South Africa. In order to get from Pietermaritzburg to Capetown, these were some of the cities we got to see. At Carmel, we stayed at a Christian conference center, which also was gorgeous! :) They had tennis courts, a volleyball vourt, a swimming pool, game rooms, and even private paths to walk down towards the beach. It was amazing! The next day, April 14, our group had another fun day! In the morning, I got to visit Highgate Ostrich Farm and in the afternoon, I got to experience and go through the Cango Adve
nture Caves. The ostrich farm is also world-renowned, one of t
he biggestin the world. There, I got to sit on an ostrich and even hold & stand on a real ostrich egg! :) The Cango Adventure Caves is the only show cave in Africa and has some of the oldest formations, dating back to one million and a half years old.
On 4/15/10, we left Carmel and headed out to Capetown. We got to CApetown in the afternoon, and I couldn't believe my eyes! It was beauty everywhere! We stayed the night in a hotel in dowtown Capetown and the next morning our group headed out to Bible Institute (
BI) in Kalk Bay. Bible Institue is about 25 km from the Cape Town city center, and it is located less than 100 feet from the water! The main dining hall has a view right into the ocean. :) I am very blessed to have stayed in some of the most beautiful places in all of South Africa. I will be staying here at BI until April 25, and then from April 25-May 2 I will be staying at a homestay in Ocenaview, which is a coloured community that came about because of the Apartheid Regime. During Apartheid, people who were considered "coloured"were taken from the towns of Fishhoek and Simon's Town and stripeed of their homes by the government. They were forced to have to begin their lives from scratch. Some were not told anyting, and some were despised that if they did not leave, they would be hurt. They essentially were lied to. At my homestay, my roommate, Brianna, and I will be staying with two sisters, Virginia and Bernadette, and basically become part of their family for a week. :) I'm excited, but I am also a little nervous.
I'm so excited about the rest of my stay here in Capetown, and I will continue to blog about all my experiences. :) Until next time....
Capetown by Thursday afternoon, we could onyl stay in each city for one night, with the exception of our stay in Carmel. But before leaving East London, the next morning I got up to see my first sunrise ever...and it was amazing! I woke up at 6am, and it was perfect! While I was watching it, I could not believe that I was in South Africa seeing what I was seeing! :) It happened so fast, but I will never forget the experience! So beautiful.On Monday, we began our drive out to Port Elizabeth. When we got there, our group was able to visit Reagen's home and community where he grew ip. Reagen is one of the community life coordinators of our group. It was really coll to see him in his element, as well as meet his family. It made me miss everyone back home! :) That night, in Port Elizabeth, we also stayed at another gorgeous hotel right on the ocean! So pretty! For dinner, we went to an area called the Boardwalk. It was so nice to just walk around and see all the different shops and restaurants. I had sushi for the second time since Ihave been here in South Africa, and it was amazing! There also was a casino there, so some of us tried our luck. :) I ended up winning 100 RAND in blackjack, which is about $15 US dollars! :)
The next morning was the big day! April 13, 2010....the day I bungee jumped off the world's highest bridge! The Bloukrans Bungee Jump is located in George, South Africa, and it is a bungee jump of 216m off the world's highest bridge! IT was the biggest rush of adrenaline I have ever felt in my entire life! After bungee jumping, sky diving seemed like nothing! :) I wasn't really afraid at first and thinking abou
t it, but when I got there it all sunk in! :) As soon as we began walking across the bridge to the place where we had to jump, I looked down, and I freaked out! I couldn't believe I was going to do what I was about to do. All the guys who operated the jump were Afrikans, and they were way cool! The whole experience was so much fun! I will have to tell you all about it when I get back in person, and I can even show you a DVD of me doing it, but what I can say is that bungee jumping off the world's highest bridge has been one of the best and most crazy things I have ever done in my entire life....but it was so worth it!!!After the bungee jump, our group headed off towards Carmel. So yeah, East London, Port Elizabeth, and Caremel are all gorgeous cities on the coast of South Africa. In order to get from Pietermaritzburg to Capetown, these were some of the cities we got to see. At Carmel, we stayed at a Christian conference center, which also was gorgeous! :) They had tennis courts, a volleyball vourt, a swimming pool, game rooms, and even private paths to walk down towards the beach. It was amazing! The next day, April 14, our group had another fun day! In the morning, I got to visit Highgate Ostrich Farm and in the afternoon, I got to experience and go through the Cango Adve
nture Caves. The ostrich farm is also world-renowned, one of t
he biggestin the world. There, I got to sit on an ostrich and even hold & stand on a real ostrich egg! :) The Cango Adventure Caves is the only show cave in Africa and has some of the oldest formations, dating back to one million and a half years old.On 4/15/10, we left Carmel and headed out to Capetown. We got to CApetown in the afternoon, and I couldn't believe my eyes! It was beauty everywhere! We stayed the night in a hotel in dowtown Capetown and the next morning our group headed out to Bible Institute (
BI) in Kalk Bay. Bible Institue is about 25 km from the Cape Town city center, and it is located less than 100 feet from the water! The main dining hall has a view right into the ocean. :) I am very blessed to have stayed in some of the most beautiful places in all of South Africa. I will be staying here at BI until April 25, and then from April 25-May 2 I will be staying at a homestay in Ocenaview, which is a coloured community that came about because of the Apartheid Regime. During Apartheid, people who were considered "coloured"were taken from the towns of Fishhoek and Simon's Town and stripeed of their homes by the government. They were forced to have to begin their lives from scratch. Some were not told anyting, and some were despised that if they did not leave, they would be hurt. They essentially were lied to. At my homestay, my roommate, Brianna, and I will be staying with two sisters, Virginia and Bernadette, and basically become part of their family for a week. :) I'm excited, but I am also a little nervous.I'm so excited about the rest of my stay here in Capetown, and I will continue to blog about all my experiences. :) Until next time....
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