Garden Route

We drove for four hours and watched the run rise over the Indian Ocean.  The car ride was for the most part quiet and what noise there was, was promptly blocked out my ipod.  Carla (the german volunteer) and were in the back seat, while Ursula( tour guide) and Marcus(ursula's friend) rode in the front.  Ursula had packed plenty of fruit, chips, and sweets for the long drive. I had a orange and an apple for breakfast and left the chips and sweets to her, which she enjoyed! 

We arrived at our first stop, the game drive,  around 11:00 am.  Ursula spoke Afrikan to all the staff and we browsed in the gift shop and drank lattes. After about an hour we were fetched by our driver/ tour guide Julius.  He hoisted our selves into the four wheel drive and set out. We saw giraffe, zebra, lions, and were even chased by an elephant. But the best part was the mama rhino and her baby. She was very comfortable with people and took her baby right up to us and walked slowly passed where she continued munching on leafy treats. We sat for what seemed like a long time just watching her. The game drive lasted all and all about 3 hours. It was small compared to larger parks in Africa where all the animals live entirely freely off the land and each other. We didn't see all of the big five ( missing the leopard and the water buffalo) but I didn't mind. 

We drove for another 2 hours to hour home for the week, a small and simple apartment that looked over the marsh.  We stocked the cabinets with vegetables, meats and breakfast foods. Since I have been in South Africa I have realized that I am a total food snob. I see that I am used to eating really high quality food and I am shocked to see that most people are perfectly happy eating white rice, white bread, canned vegetables and fried everything. I happily offered to make salad be my contribution to the meals. 

The next morning we drove to two hours through what sandy colored planes framed by the mountainous distance. Two hours is a long time to be in the car by most normal standard but two hours laced with Jesus tunes is numbing indeed.  By noon we had arrived in time for the first cave tour. I decided to take the "standard tour" oppose to the "adventurous tour" where you climb through unfathomable small spaces in the bottom of a musty cave; I was wearing cashmere. The "standard tour" proved to be worth the money and not nearly as stressful. The caves were originally discovered by Bushman but because they were too superstitious to explore beyond the first cavern. But the beyond the first cavern is these beautiful structures or different shades and hues. Some look like organ pipes and some even look like angel wings. 

I was on the tour alone( the others went on the adventure tour) and really got to soak in the energy. 

Next, was the ostriches. We rode the ostriches and fell off the ostriches. Learned about how many people you can feed with one ostrich egg(12 people) and their various mating rituals. There are pretty stupid animals and while they are quite striking to look at and admire you can tell that there is not much depth. 

We cooked a pasta dinner that night ( I made sure it was whole wheat) and were taught to play dominos by the South Africans before we retreated into some much needed sleep. 

The third day was my favorite. We drove to an elephant sanctuary where we spent an hour interacting with elephants( there are pictures on facebook). You reach out your hand and elephant rests it's trunk in your palm and together you go for wander in woods. Elephants, oppose to ostriches, are intensely deep. They mourn and burry their dead. You can tell just by looking at them that they have emotions and are incredibly wise. 

The drive home was a good five hours. I was exhausted and dreaded going straight to work. But the moment I opened the door to the orphanage and all the kids came rushing to meet me shouting "hello mama" I was happy to be there. 

I am finally feeling at home at masi. I find myself bounding with children who I didn't think I would ever connect with. Some of the older boys are so profoundly special. They are all little Princes.  They have amazing skills with the babies and I just imagine what wonderful fathers they have the potential to be some day.

We played outside in the sunshine all day yesterday. The children ate sugary sweets and took turns swinging as high as possible on the swing set. The older boys let out their pet rabbits, muphasa and simba. The rabbits hopped about as the boys scrubbed the cages so that they could earn their spending money. The younger children blew up balloons and danced in the little square of grass, looking a bit like rabbits themselves.  I took loads of photos and was incredibly happy to be there amongst all the beautiful little beings.

I have been thinking about cutting my time at orphanage short, not because I am not loving it, but I have the opportunity to travel through out South Africa with my friend Maryeke.  I haven't made up my mind entirely but I feel like it is a win win situation either way. Traveling through Africa would be an amazing experience and I feel I should try to see and feel as much as I possibly can while I am here. I don't want to leave the children though, especially now that I am feeling at home...