When in Cape Town...

WE HAD ARRIVED! The long anticipated visit to Cape Town was finally upon us. Now, don't get my wrong, I'd had the time of my life travelling down the coast but this was the big one, the place where we were to spend our Christmas and New Year and where all the volunteers would come together and have one big party!

Our first two nights were spent at the Capetown Backpackers but after some negotiating with Longstreet Backpackers we managed to get ourselves booked in there for the rest of our stay. It was where all the other vols would be staying and right in the centre of everything, so it was definitely the place to be. On our first morning, Michael and I, took a walk to check out Long Street (the party central of Cape Town) and to meet my neighbours from back in good old Philpstoun who were spending christmas in South Africa. My family had given them a christmas present to give to me, meaning I would have something to open on Christmas day, which is really nice. Lovely to see some familiar faces from back home! Later on in the day we took a wonder round the District 6 museum, where they tell you all about the uprooting of thousands of family's from an area, called District 6, in Cape Town during the apartheid, when the government decided to make it a “White Area”. Really interesting to learn about how the apartheid had an effect on specific places. That evening was our first night out on Long Street, which included a trip to an Irish Pub named “The Dubliner” and an early morning trip to McDonald's which was conveniently placed at the top of the street!

The next day was our first trip down to the Waterfront. After moving into Longstreet Backpackers (which I will refer to as LSB from now on) we met two SA vols, Tilly and Sally, and so spent the day with them, wondering around the waterfront and doing a spot of shopping (well browsing because it was very upmarket down there!). When trying to get a taxi back to LSB we unintentionally started a fight between two taxi drivers after pointing out to our driver that the other had stolen his “taxi” sign. A quick exit from that taxi into another one, leaving the two drivers fighting it out. Oops!

And before you know it, it was Christmas Eve! Many of the vols that were going to be there for Christmas weren't arriving till later that evening so it was left to those of us who had already arrived to buy in all the food for out Christmas Day Braai! A trip to Pick N Pay and soon enough we were fully prepared for feeding everyone on Christmas day. In the evening we spent time chilling on the LSB balcony which over-looked the whole street, having a few drinks and getting to know each other. At around 7pm the Lady Grey vols turned up and, knowing that the others wouldn't arrive till around 11pm, we headed out to a cocktail bar and had the most amazing cocktail. “Sex on the Beach”. After this, news arrived that the 6 girls had finally made it and so it was back to LSB to see them all! The place erupted when we all reunited and before you know it we were all out on Long Street once more. This turned into a brilliant night. A trip to “The Dubliner”(the prices for a drink are extortionate in there) where I somehow managed to get hold of the microphone and shout “Project Trust” across the whole pub. Classic PT banter.

Christmas 2011 was a very strange but fantastic day. I didn't wake up at a ridiculously early time through excitement but instead slept till the unheard of time of 9am (after a rather late return the night before). For breakfast a few of us headed to McDonald's where we wanted the breakfast but missed it by 10 minutes and so instead I resorted to a 6 piece McNugget's meal...as you do on Christmas morning! It was then back to LSB, where everyone spent time opening their presents and chatting to family on the phone and skype. In my Christmas package I had socks (classic), a t-shirt from H&M which was exciting, a magazine, some chocolate coins, “make your own” Christmas party hats and party blowers. Not your average Christmas! I also had lovely letters from my sister and friend and a USB with new music (something I'd been missing out on while in Swaziland)! In the afternoon we all chipped in to begin preparing our Christmas day braai. As always happens, we didn't have all the food we needed and so I, armed with a shopping list, made about 6 separate trips to the only open food shop on Long Street to get everything we needed! To add to this very untraditional Christmas we had the most untraditional Christmas lunch imaginable, but it was GOOD! Braai meat, rolls, salad, vegetables, potato salad, crisps and immaculately prepared eggs (thank you Robyn). Some of the traditions were still kept up though; Christmas crackers and eating ourselves sick! In the evening all of us hopped in taxi's and took a trip to Camps Bay to sit on the beach and watch the sunset. The perfect way to end a very successful Christmas and something that felt special to all of us. Camps Bay is really beautiful, with the sand and crystal blue water and then Table Mountain dominating the background. And then what better way to end Christmas day than another trip to McDonald's to eat some cake!

On Boxing day a group us spent the day on the City Sigh-Seeing Open Top Bus so as we could explore Cape Town. They are the exact same buses as you find driving around Edinburgh and London. First stop on the bus was the South African Museum and it was HUGE! We spent a good hour exploring only a fraction of what the museum had to offer before deciding to make the most of our bus tickets and get back on a go somewhere else. On driving to our next destination we passed the actual deserted land that was District 6, and got to see some of the new houses that were being developed in the area. The next place we got off at was The Castle of Good Hope, but compared to what you find in Scotland it was not a castle at all and more like a fort! Still interesting to wonder around though, visiting the Torture Chamber which is always a highlight and then watching a man set off an actual canon from quite close. From the top of the “castle” you got a really good view of Table Mountain and the immediate city. It was then time to get on the big red bus again and this time we decided to stay on all the way to the waterfront. Our trip on the bus took us right up to the beginning of the Cable Cart that goes up Table Mountain, passed the Town Hall where Nelson Mandela made his speech when he was released from Robben Island and through all the posh holiday homes along the waterfront. We then made it to the V&A Waterfront, as it's called, and chilled out there for a while, had a smoothie then walked back to LSB (a walk that we were told would take 15 minutes and ended up taking 45!) That evening we treated ourselves to a meal out at Spurs. On a Monday they have a “2 for the price of 1” on burgers (see, still thinking about the money) and so it seemed like a reasonable enough excuse to go eat a good burger and not the usual pasta and instant noodles we had been living off! That evening was also the creation of what is now know as “Journal Club”; a group of us who will all sit together and write in our journals, otherwise we all know it would be put off and soon we would forget what actually happened each day!

Tuesday and it was time for a well-deserved day on the beach. After an extremely lazy morning, in which most of us did nothing and then a trip to Pick N Pay to buy enough food supplies to last me the rest of my time in Cape Town, we headed down to Clifton Beach (right next to Camps Bay). It was a lovely, if not a little over-crowded, beach. The water was FREEZING! I'm talking colder than in Scotland cold. You had to just wait until your whole body went numb before you could actually enjoy being in the water. It was because we were on the west side of Cape Town, which looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean, and because of the current movement the water is colder in summer than in winter. Strange. So the entire day was basically spent there, lazing in the sun and then cooling off (or more like freezing off) in the ocean. As it started to get late some people headed back to LSB but a couple of us stayed behind so as we could watch the sunset again. We wondered over to another beach and found a perfect spot on top of a rock, the waves threatening to come too high and splash us the whole time. Even though it was blowing an absolute gale and it was pretty chilly it was the perfect way to end the day. The sunset was as beautiful as ever and it was really nice to just sit with the group and chat about everything and anything as the sun slowly disappeared. After this lovely moment it was time for us to also head back to LSB. That evening we didn't head out but instead sat round the table and just chatted. Don't as me how it came about, but at one point we then proceeded to rub yoghurt into our eyes. It actually feels really nice! You should all try it at some point.

The next day another vol, Sarah, and I were up early to try make a plan for that day. It ended up we just spent the day wondering around the museums and having a picnic in the Company Gardens, which was actually really nice. Even though I was the first person up that morning, I still managed to sit around all morning, doing absolutely nothing, and ended up being one of the last to have breakfast and get changed. LAZY! That evening it was Michael's birthday and his mum (who had come over to visit him) kindly invited Robyn, Martin and I to join them for birthday drinks. We met them at the most amazing restaurant, situated on a beach. It was called “The Grand” (and it definitely was grand) and in the posh part of town, so it made a nice change to all the usual places we had been out to eat when we are on a budget. Some drinks, a lovely conversation with Michael's mum and some desert made for a very sophisticated evening. The four of us then headed back to Long Street, where everyone else had just completed a game of “100 shots in 100 minutes” where you have to take a shot of beer every minute for 100 minutes, so as you can imagine they were all rather drunk when we met them in Bob's Bar. Now, Bob's Bar became quite a hit with all us PT-ers. Not only did it make the most amazing pizza's during the day time but it also had an extensive list of shots for only R10 (around 90p). BOB'S BAR-Home of the R10 Shot! Wednesday evening ended up being another memorable night out, where we all ended up in a bar called “Baghdad Cafe”, which was tiny but had an amazing atmosphere so we spent the majority of the night dancing there. It was then another early morning call to McDonlad's. Lethal having a 24 hour McDonald's so close to us but oh well!

Now, Thursday was wine tour time! A big group of us were up early and off to the winelands for a day of wine and cheese tasting. A nice sleep on the bus there got rid of the hangovers and set us all up for the day ahead. The wine lands is an astonishing place of beauty. Rolling hills in the background and then hundreds of vine yards stretching for miles! On our first wine taste, at a vine yard called “Spice”, we also got a chance to look round the cellar where all the wine is made. I never realised it was such a long process to make wine! It was on our first wine taste that we learned the proper way to test wine:

1.      Tilt the glass towards a white background to inspect the colour of the wine

2.      Gently swirl the wine around in the glass (circular motion) to release the flavours and smell

3.      Stick your nose right in the glass and smell all the different tastes

4.      Take a small bit of wine into your mouth then suck in air between your teeth. This helps to give you the full flavour

5.      Then, either swallow the wine or spit it into the buckets provided if you don't want to swallow it.

By the end of the day we were all spitting the wine into the buckets; there is only so much wine one person can take in a day! At our second vine yard, called “Delheim”, we tasted the best rose wine I have ever tasted in my life! It was a really strong wine, that you would only be able to enjoy a glass of with a meal, but it was lovely! At our last vine yard, “Fairview”, we were treated to a wine AND cheese tasting. Fair to say we all took full advantage of the cheese! With our stickers that gave us unlimited access to the cheese tasting counter, we all went round with our little cocktail sticks AT LEAST three times, taking lots of pieces of cheese from the plates at a time. Eventually though, we were all too stuffed with cheese and wine and it was time to head back to Cape Town. I think everyone slept on the bus back home. And just to top it all off, Ellie and I had cheesy pasta for dinner. Cheese overload! That night we all went to the cinema (somewhere I hadn't been in months!) to see a late night showing of “New Years Eve”. Loaded with popcorn, chocolate and slush puppies, we headed into the cinema and enjoyed watching your typical “feel-good” American hollywood, festive, film. It did almost have all the Scottish people in tears at the end though as they sang “Auld Lang Sang”!

On Friday we headed on the Baz Bus for the last time as we went on the Baz Bus Cape Peninsula Tour. This tour was to take us from Cape Town all the way down to Cape Point and The Cape of Good Hope. First stop on our day out was Hout Bay where we went on a short boat trip out to a small island where there were seals. The boat ride itself was the highlight of this as it fought against the waves and felt as though it was flying out the water and landing back in the water the entire way there and back! After Hout Bay we went a drive along Chapman's Peak, which is a road that follows the coastline along a cliff-edge. On one side of us we had a sheer drop into the ocean and on the other a sheer cliff face with nets all along to stop loose rocks and boulders landing on the road and causing an accident. Soon, we crossed the Cape Peninsula to the other side, where the Indian Ocean is. We made it to Simon's Town and Boulders beach, where we saw the African Penguins! Weird seeing penguins where there isn't any snow! On the streets you could find warning signs with pictures of penguins to warn drivers of penguin on the road. It was then time to head into the actual Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where the bus pulled over, we got out and cycled for 5km to the area we would be having lunch. It was a nice, leisurely cycle where we got to experience the landscape out in the open. As we were cycling I went along shouting “absorb it” to everyone, so as they would take in all the plants and vegetation around them. It's the only place you would find some of these species you know! It was then lunch at one of the visitors centres before we had a short drive to the bottom of the lighthouse. The walk up to the lighthouse was steep but the view from up there more than made up for it! You could see out to the ocean for as far as the eye went, and the two different oceans on either side of us. In the far, far distance you could make out Table Mountain and when you looked down you had a wonderful view of the cliffs and beaches below. On one beach someone had wrote “Kimi, will you marry me?” in the sand. How romantic!?! After spending quite a while here we headed onto The Cape of Good Hope and the most south-westerly point of the African continent. Obviously we had our photo taken at the sign! And that was the end of our trip and, as we had done every other time we had been on the bus for any length of time, we all fell asleep on the way back to LSB. These days out really were jam-packed and tiring! In the evening the majority of us decided to stay in and have an early night in preparation for what the next day was to bring. We had journal club in the dorm, and this evening it moved up in the world when we made a sign, song and video! A tad sad? I think not! We also took a walk over to the local “Mr Pickwicks Cafe” for some pudding and a milkshake.

And before we knew it, it was NEWS YEARS EVE. A.k.a The last day of 2011. So it was up Table Mountain we went! We headed off around lunchtime and took the Skeleton Gorge route up the mountain, which we soon found out appeared to be the hardest but, as they say, “go hard or go home!”. It was a very steep trek up the mountain side, which included climbing up ladders and an actual climb up rocks to reach the top of the gorge. Even from here the view down over the city was AMAZING and it only spurred us on to keep going and reach the top so as we could take in the view from there. As is expected when 20 odd people are walking together up a mountain, it was a slow process to reach the top, with people always wanting to stop a different time, but we were determined to all stick together. Around 3 hours into the walk I remember I had my iPod and speaker in my bag, so I got it out and started playing lots of Scottish songs to get everyone going. It was such a good laugh and at one point we all stopped on top of a rock (ALMOST at the top by this point) and had a sing and dance to “Waka Waka”. Amazing feeling. After momentarily getting lost and a little panic because it was starting to get late, we eventually made it to the top of Table Mountain and it was just a half hour walk to reach the cable cart and visitors centre. Suddenly though, the notorious “Table Cloth” (a sheet of cloud that covers the top of the mountain) was upon us, so it was a quick march along the top to reach the visitors centre and safety. “Waka Waka” was again played as we made the final stretch to the end and then those who had brought champagne in celebration popped it open and we all celebrated! It had taken us 5 hours though, and we still had have dinner, get ready and celebrate new year, so it was soon time to head back down to the bottom. A few us were keen to walk down again but were advised against it because of the wind so instead had to get the cable cart, which did end up giving us a fantastic 360 degrees view of Cape Town. Once we were back at LSB everyone was busy having showers etc and getting ready for the night. The majority of us then headed next door to Nandos for our last meal of the year! We brought in the new year at the backpackers, as that was the best way for everyone to be together. We all sat around  table and played some drinking games before heading out to the balcony, where we could see out onto Long Street and it was extremely busy, and counting down into the new year! “The Flower of Scotland” and “Auld Lang Sang” was blared out by almost everyone (even though some people were English) and then we made our way down to join the street party! The rest of the night (and early hours of the morning) were spent in Zula Sound Bar which was a really good club AND I managed to somehow get myself in for free which was an added bonus. And what better way to start the new year than with a 5am trip to Mcdonald's (that place NEVER closes) with everyone. It was 7am on New Years Day before I got to bed. A very good new year!

As you can imagine, not much happened once everyone had finally dragged themselves out of bed at around lunchtime. Tiredness and hangovers made for a very lazy day just spent chilling in the backpackers. If I remember correctly, I ate a ridiculous amount of instant noodle that day. I have no idea why. I also got to speak to my family on skype for a little while, all be it with a bad connection. It was then that they told me they will be coming out in June to visit for a while which made my day! Really excited for them to come out and see what I'm doing out here! The following day many of us, including Robyn and I, were leaving and so that evening we attempted to go out for one last time but, after a trip to Bob's Bar, most of us ended up heading back early,  completely shattered!

Monday was our last day in Cape Town as that evening we would be leaving on a coach that would take us to Bloemfontein overnight. In the morning though, it was time to say goodbye to Michael and Martin, as they were heading on a coach to Jo'Burg, where they would be heading back to Botswana from. Really sad having to say goodbye to them after the month we had spent travelling with them! I'm sure we'll see them again though at some point. It was then time for another lazy day, everyone still catching up on sleep from new years eve. For lunch, though, we did all head to spurs as the time had come again for their “2 for 1” on burgers. Delicious as ever! I returned from the restaurant to a text from SA Roadlink (the bus company we were travelling with) saying our coach had been delayed by 3 hours, so we wouldn't be leaving till 9pm now! This extra time gave me the chance to upload 135 photos to facebook (something completely unheard of in Swaziland)! Soon enough though it was time to say goodbye to everyone, which was very emotional, and head off to the bus station. The SA Roadlink coach was luxury compared to the other modes of transport we'd been taking. I settled myself down, plugged in my iPod and, as we headed out of Cape Town, I fell asleep thinking about all of the amazing times I'd just had!

Next stop Bloemfontein, where we would be making our way into Lesotho for a couple days. My adventures in this wonderfully mountainous country are in my next blog!

Let the Travelling Begin!

No sooner had we finished work than it was the 3^rd of December and after packing (at 2am in the morning) it was time to head to Manzini where we were to be picked up and taken White-Water Rafting for the day, a must do while in Swaziland! This was a fun day all round. I saw my first wild crocodile as we cruised down the river (all be it small crocodile...), experienced a completely different part of this very diverse country and managed to somehow end up going down a rapid, without the raft. Rather dangerous and I did have a few bruises to tell for the tale, but exciting nonetheless!

Then it was time to jump on a kombi (which had gone up in price by E20 because of a 14% tax that's been put on EVERYTHING here) and head into South Africa where our first port of call was to be the town of Hluhluwe. As we soon found out, there isn't really much to this place and after spending a couple of days out in the middle of the bush we decided to head onto Durban. A hitch hike to Richard's Bay (which was an exciting experience) and then a kombi and soon enough we were there! We spent a few days on the beach and then it was time to head on the Baz Bus, which over the course of the next 2 weeks was to take us all the way to Cape Town, with many stops along the way of course. The Baz Bus is basically a bus (obviously) that travels along the coast of SA picking up and dropping off travellers at many backpackers in different places. It was a really good way to travel as it meant we weren't having to haul our huge rucksacks on public transport and finding out own way to our accomadation.

Anyway, out first stop on the Baz Bus was the coastal village of Coffee Bay. We arrived to pouring rain and pretty dire weather in general but that didn't dampen our moods, as we arrived at the Coffee Shack (where we were to be staying) to an amazing atmosphere! This place had an amazing vibe all the time. The bar was always busy, with a free pool table attracting many vibrant competitions. During the day we were taken on hikes to caves and the famous “Hole in the Wall” by members of the local Xhosa community and one evening we spent time in a local home, learning their traditional dancing, eating the traditional food and trying the local beer (didn't actually taste too bad!) In the evenings it was time to chill in the bar, play a game (or two) of pool and sit and chat with everyone! In the bar they had this crazy rule that, if you drank with your right hand, you then had to down whatever drink it was you had. This made for some pretty funny chants of “Buffalo”, which was the word used to point out someone breaking the rule. We then went on to adopt this rule for the rest of the holidays. And even though it did rain most evening (and we were camping our way down the coast!), nobody let it affect their time there!

It was then time to jump back on the Baz Bus and head to Cinsta, another coastal village. Here we were staying at the Buccaneers Backpackers, which is said to be one of the best in South Africa! After a walk across the river in the pitch black to find somewhere to eat on our first night, we spent much of our days lazing around the campsite playing cards and eating egg mayo sandwiches, with a few trips to the beach. In the afternoons it was time to take full advantage of the Buccaneers free activity and play volleyball with FREE WINE! One rule as a backpacker; always take advantage of free things! We're on a budget... Highlight of Cinsta, though, has to be the FREE meal we had cooked for us by an actual Italian chef. In Coffee Bay we met an Italian couple, Diseppe and Ely, who ended up coming to Cinsta at the same time as us and offered to make us a meal. RESULT!

Next up on our travels was a short stop over in Port Elizabeth. I should mention that in order for all 4 of us to be able to get there on the day we wanted to, Robyn, Michael and Martin got a lift from someone who had been staying at the backpackers earlier in the day and I was left (with ALL  the bags) to get the Baz Bus, which didn't get me into PE until 1am! It was all good though, as they had fishfinger sandwiches waiting for me on my arrival. Delicious! It was in PE that we met 6 other Project Trust volunteers from the north of SA. Beth, Laura, Ellie, Sarah, Fiona and Rhianna. After meeting them and spending some time all together (during which time we managed to fit 9 people in a 5 seater taxi. Project trust record perhaps?), the 4 of us changed our plans so as we could spend some time in Jeffery's Bay as a 10!

Jeffery's Bay is a very surfer orientated town. The backpackers we stayed at was probably one of the best out of our whole travels, Ubuntu. I mean, they had free wifi! So as you can probably tell, everyone was taking full advantage of it during our time there. On our first afternoon/evening there a few of  us headed out to watch some football and have a few drinks. This was the day I got my my cuff pierced on a whim and ended up in an Afrikan's hospital because my foot got cut by glass while we were out at a club. Not good, and it left me with a numb and then painful foot and  R900 medical bill. The rest of my time there was pleasant though, with a visit to the beach, an (awful) attempt at surfing and a browse round the Billabong Factory Outlet Store.

The 10 of us all the headed to The Crags where we were to stay for one night so that those of us who wanted to do The World's Highest Bungee Jump could. Not me though. The thought of falling through the sky upside down still makes me want to be sick and after just paying a R900 medical bill, I wasn't really in financial situation to be paying for it either. Instead, Ellie, Rhianna and I sat in the bar and watched on as the other 7 very bravely jumped off a bridge 216m high! We had a hilarious time watching each of them bungee from a screen in the bar and attempt to take very distant photos of each of them. I think it's fair to say we made a right scene every time on of our guys popped up on the screen and I am very proud of each of them for doing it, even though I was extremely nervous for all of them. Nothing compared to Ellie though, who I think was more nervous for them than they actually were for themselves! That evening was spent chilling and playing a few drinking games before it was time for us to head our separate ways for a couple of nights before we would all meet again in Cape Town.

The next day was our last day on our Baz Bus ticket so it was time to head to our final destination...CAPE TOWN!!! The 6 girls were all going to spend a couple of days in Plettenburg Bay before joining us. It was a long stretch to get there with 12 hours spent travelling but eventually, at around 10pm, we came in over Table Mountain and could see the whole city lit up below us!

Lots and Lots of Christmas Parties

Okay, so it has been FAR too long since I lasted posted a blog and a lot has happened in the time that has passed. This has meant that events leading up to this point have been split into 4 separate blogs so as not to confuse all you lovely people!

This blog focuses on everything that happened before we went travelling for 6 WHOLE WEEKS! More on that one in my 3 other blogs...

By the middle of November the temperature was getting hot, hot ,hot! I realise that in every blog I seem to be complaining about the heat but I now realise that every complaint I've had before is nothing compared to what I am now having to deal with. Guaranteed, when we return in the afternoon from a morning of teaching at Injabulo or Moriah Centre a jump in the pool or a cold shower is needed, otherwise I just can't get through the rest of the day! I mean, I actually envy the cold winter you lot have had and I've missed out on!

On the 11^th of November we had a community at Injabulo so as we could talk to the parents directly and hopefully iron out some of the problems we've been facing there. The start time was 1pm but nobody turned up till around 2pm (typical Swazi time)! The meeting was a great success and we got across all the points we wanted to. Then there was a huge discussion between everyone (a mixture of English and SiSwati) as people came up with suggestions and asked lots of questions! There was even talk of a school uniform being introduced, although I think we need to have classrooms clean and the E10 paid before we start considering uniforms! It was really good to see everyone getting involved in the meeting though, and to know that they all had actually been listening to us. We still turned up on the Monday to unclean classrooms though. Constant struggle!

The last week before the holidays (28^th Nov-2^nd Dec) was a hectic, hectic one! This was the week of all our Christmas parties, staff parites and graduations and it was also the week that Michael and Martin (volunteers in Botswana) arrived to visit our project before we all headed off travelling together!

Thanks to a generous donation of money from my parents (they gave us money towards Soup Kitchen and Injabulo instead of buying christmas presents for everyone) we were able to head to Shoprite and buy MASSES of food! Cash in hand, we stocked up on rice, mealie meal, beans, tinned peaches, gravy, tinned vegetables, bread, sausages, lots of sweets and all the ingredients you would need to make the most amazing cakes ever! The plan was to buy in enough food for Soup Kitchen so as the orphans could still be fed even while we were away during the festive season. Such a good feeling to know that they are being fed, and not starving, while I wasn't there and there was no food at hostel to take to them!

The Monday of this week went pretty much as normal. At Injabulo the Crocodiles spent a lot of time making christmas trees, christmas stars and paper chains (with a christmas theme of course)!

On the Tuesday it was then time for the long anticipated (and rehearsed) Moriah Centre Graduation! Yes, it was time for the Lions to show the world their brilliant rendition of “10 in the Bed” and it went perfectly! Robyn had the camera out to video the whole thing and I was there with the certificates for the children who would be graduating. Sad to be saying goodbye to half my class, but I'm sure they will all do well in primary school. After the graduation it was time for Robyn and I to stick on the santa hats and hand out all the presents to the children that had been donated by members of the Big Bend Church. Delighted little faces as they pulled out dolls, cars and SWEETIES!

On the Wednesday Robyn and I spent the entire afternoon baking the most amazing cupcakes for the kids at Injabulo and some spectacular looking trays of sponge cake to dish out at Soup kitchen and Injabulo! They were each decorated with red and green icing and lots of little sweets. Delicious! In the evening the Botswana boys arrived in Big Bend to spend a couple of days looking round our project and what we do!

Thursday, and it was a quick pop to the garage in Matata to repair the puncture the truck has received (near disaster there but, luckily, easily fixed) and then it was a morning of cooking tonnes of rice, sausages and gravy to give everyone at Soup Kitchen a lovely, fresh meal.

And then it was time to head off, the back of the truck FULL of food! We had all the children lined up and first to be dished out was the sausages, rice and gravy with a fresh piece of bread and butter! Line up again and next up was a cup of juice which was downed by everyone within about 10 seconds. Line up again and out came the biscuits and peanut butter! Line up AGAIN and it was time for some cookies. Then, and this was the big one, it was line up and we brought out the trays of cake which we had kept hidden in the truck! All their faces lit up at the sight of it and I think it's fair to say it was the cake that went down the best with everyone. It was an amazing feeling to be able to give them all this as a christmas present and to see how much they all appreciated it and enjoyed the afternoon! Once all the food had been handed out and we'd spent some time with the kids we headed over to Aunti Vina's house to deliver the mountain of food we had in the back of the truck for her to keep and give out to the orphans while we were away travelling. She was extremely thankful and promised us she would feed them just as we would every week which was reassuring! We then all spent a good few hours playing tig and football in her garden before it got dark and it was time to head back to hostel. Successful Soup Kitchen Christmas Party!

Friday, the last day of our hectic week, and it was time for the Injabulo Christmas party! Again, we had fresh rice, gravy and sausages for them to have. Makes a change to the maize meal and pap they're all used to. First off though it was time for some good old fashioned party games! Musical statues, musical chairs and musical bumps! Highlight of the whole party has to be when Michael and I started doing the maccarrena along to one of the songs and we had EVERYONE copying us, resulting in a mass Injabulo maccarrena. Brilliant! Once everyone was danced out, it was into the next door classroom where we had the meals all set out, with juice to accompany it. After the meals had been finished, each child got a slice of cake (which again went down a treat). It was then time to hand out the presents (a pair of pants for each of them), give them each their bag of sweets and cupcakes and say goodbye to them all before the holidays started. Some of them I won't see again as they head off to primary school! And that marked the end of working for the year and all that was left now was to pack and head off on our travels! Oh, and a lovely lunch at Nisela with the staff from the Moriah Centre. Even here we were playing party games and eating masses of food. That just seems to be way everyone celebrates Christmas...

THIS IS THE POINT WHERE YOU NOW HAVE TO MOVE ONTO MY NEXT BLOG, WHERE MY TRAVEL ADVENTURES BEGIN...

Unclean classrooms, lots of singing and a trip to Durban...

An update on my blog is much needed, so here goes...

Swaziland is my home. It’s weird to say that, but after almost 7 weeks here it really is the truth. I’ve settled in nicely to my Big Bend life. My weeks are busy, challenging and stressful while also being quiet and relaxing (well, at the weekends anyway!). Let’s not forget about the word fun as well! I love it here and seem to be having fun every single day, although sometimes is doesn’t feel like it at the time!

Recent weekends have been spent at the game reserve, chilling by the dam (one eye always open for crocs!) and having a braiie (bbq)! Sun shining and peace and tranquillity. Can’t ask for much more (especially when you live in a hostel...).  We’ve met a guy who owns jet-ski’s so we’ll be heading out onto the dam on one of those soon. The dam has a hippo in it, obviously just to add to the thrill of the experience (and let’s not forget about the crocodiles)! Mhlonsiga Game Reserve does seem to be becoming one of my favourite places. It’s literally 10 minutes up the road and you can go walking there. Most weekday evenings we go walking there and on more occasions that not we see the most beautiful giraffes! I can’t even begin to describe how it feels to be so close to them when you’re on foot and not it a car. Absolutely amazing! Even spotting giraffes (we’ve named one “monty”) is becoming quite normal now!

Hostel continues to drive me crazy at times but I can’t say I don’t love it. I’ve got to know some of the girls really well now, making it feel much more like home, as though they are my sisters. I now get up on the bell (5am in case you had forgotten) and go for a jog around the school field. Sets me up nicely for the day...although a nap in the afternoon after teaching is often required. The auntie’s in the kitchen continue to crack my up daily. The funniest women I have ever met, especially Mama Rose! Every morning I am greeted with “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah! How are you?” and then she’ll say something that makes me laugh. She knows my favourite food is fishfingers, which makes for some delicious fishfinger sandwiches at lunchtime! The thing I love most about her is the fact that she has twins and named them “Debbie” and “Deborah”...funny, funny times! It’s lovely to know I have a “family” as such at hostel now.

Moriah Center continues to be great fun. Our days there are nowhere near as hard or stressful as at Injabulo, which means I can take time to relax a little more while teaching! The Lions are now singing “Roll over, roll over” amazingly well (and in a Scottish accent may I add). You know how it goes....”there were 10 in the bed...” I needn’t sing anymore. We’re going to sing it at their graduation which will be a great laugh. We’ve made up actions that go along with it and at snack time we have the whole school singing it. I have far too much fun teaching there...I need to remember I am the teacher, but then that’s why I love it!

Last week involved not teaching at Injabulo in protest, as the classrooms hadn’t been cleaned in over 2 weeks. As much as I hate not being able to teach the kid’s (it isn’t their fault), it’s the only way in which we can make the community realise we are serious and that the classrooms need to be cleaned! Ahhhh, such a struggle there but then I can’t help but love teaching there. Everyone likes a good challenge! A community meeting has been arranged and the situation will (hopefully) soon be resolved!

We’ve just returned from a long weekend away in Durban! This was my first experience of travelling within Africa and it was a great one! The weekend mainly involved shopping, relaxing on the beach, eating amazing food (at last!), a trip to Ushaka Marine World and wondering down a street where we were told to turn back or most likely to be mugged! Always got to have a good story to tell! We met some really interesting people at the backpackers, going out for dinner with them and a crazy night out in Durban! I’ve no idea how it got to 4:30am so quick!?! The kombi ride home was much smoother than expected. A 2 hour wait on the kombi for it to fill up before it even left, a marriage proposal that I sadly turned down and a 5 hour journey back to Big Bend! Successful weekend all round and it was lovely to get a break from Big Bend. The city life is definitely not for me though. Too many people, too many cars, too many tall buildings and what are these things they call traffic lights? Not seen those in a while....

So all is well in Swaziland! The temperature continues to rise as summer draws closer and closer, so bracing myself for that one! Don’t think I go a day without being told that it will get extremely warm and I won’t be able to cope. You know it’s bad when even the locals are complaining!

For now I shall leave you all with this blog and post another one at some point, although I can’t make any promises as to when. Much love, Hannah xx

Sawubona!

I've now been in Swaziland for 3 weeks and 3 days and absolutely loving it! It is a beautiful country, full of wonderfully friendly people and a fascinating culture.
The journey to get here was long and tiring, consisting of 3 planes, a four hour stop over and an hour car ride! But eventually we made it to Big Bend, Swaziland, my new home for a year! The drive from the airport, near Manzini, to Big Bend was amazing. It took us right through the heart of Swaziland, introducing us to many of the wonderful features this country has to offer. We drove through valleys, with rolling hills surrounding us on either side. We drove past homesteads, where you could see traditional houses and people going about their daily lives. We drove past goats and cattle wondering along or at the side of the road. The dry looking landscape was breathtaking and so African looking! I don't know how to describe it, but everything I saw was how I invisioned Africa to be but at the same time not. There is something very unique about Swaziland that it makes different to other African countries but it is a country of Africa all the same.

For the first few days we stayed with our hosts, to allow us to settle into our new surroundings. On our third day we were taken to Hlane National Park, which  is a Big Game Reserve just north of Big Bend. The sun was shining, a lovely 36 degrees celcius, and we went a 4x4 drive around the park. We had only just entered the reserve when we came across two rhino by the side of the track. This was my first real experience of seeing such enormous creatures in the wild and it is one I shall never forget. Here I was, in Africa, on my first ever safari! The day failed to dissapoint. We saw rhino, impala, wilderbeast, hippo, crocodiles, zebra, warthog, a giraffe and its baby (which is apparently a rare sight!) and an elephant, which we got so close to I could have alomst touched it when it walked by my window!

On the Sunday after out arrival we moved into the hostel, which was to be our home for the next year. My room is quite small, with only a bed, a desk and two small cupboards. I've decroated it with pictures of friends and family, some posters and a scotland flag to make it feel a but more personal. The girls at the hostel are extremely loud and it is a rare occasion when we get some peace and quiet! At first, the hostel took some getting use to, as it's like being on school camp every single day, but I'm now starting to get into a routine of things within the hostel and it is all quite normal now. Each morning the bell goes off at 5am to wake the girls up for school. This means each morning is a very early start! While I don't have to get up till 6am, it is hard to get back to sleep, as the bell continues to ring regularly and the girls make an awful lot of noise considering the time of day! I'm already fed up of the food they serve at hostel. Every meals involves meat. Every meals involves stodgey rice or pap. Every meals involves gravy. I will definitely not be able to cope with this for a year.

The projects are challenging but rewarding. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings (8-12) we work at the Moriah Centre, which is a mission pre-school just up the road. The school is run by a lady, Di Hampson, and is funded by a collection of international churches. Around 30 children attend, and all are from under-privalleged backgrounds. I teach the Lions class (5-7 year olds) and most of them will (hopefully) be going to primary school next year. These children are an abolsute delight to teach! They are well behaved (as well as can be expected of a 5 year old anyway!) and are extremely eager to learn. The Moriah Center is well established and well run. The lesson plans for the classes cover everything, preparing the children as best they can for primary school and the future. The building itself is very basic, and nothing campared to the standards back in the UK. There are 3 classrooms (Lepoards, Cheetahs and Lions), a small hall where the children do P.E and sing and a small communial area when they will eat their food. Each day the children will get half a peanut butter sandwich at snack time and at the end of the day will be given some lunch to take home (as the majority of these kids won't be fed at home because of poverty).

The second pre-school that we go to is called Injabulo. We run this practically by ourselves and it is already proving to be one of the most challenging things ever! All there is is a building with only two classrooms, no running water and no electicity. There are not other teachers here, or anybody who looks after the building and so the whole running of the pre-school lyes on our shoulders! The kids at Injabulo are brilliant, although have no discipline! There are many improvements to be made here but that is all part of our challenge this year. We are struggling to find a permanent translator who will come with us to help the children to understand what we teach them which is proving a problem as it means it is near impossible to do anything with the children, as they just don't understand! When we first arrived, the classrooms weren't being cleaned (which mothers within the community are meant to do) but we have since sorted this problem out. Each day, someone will come and cook mealie or pap on a fire under a tree, which the children can then each at snack time. Injabulo is situated in a very rural area. To get there requires a 20 minute drive along a dirt track road and over a croc infested river. It is a very beautiful drive though, and not one everyone gets to take to work! On our way to the school we pick up some of the children who have a long walk to get there. I love this project, even though it leaves me frustrated at the lack of organisation or effort put in by the community. Some days are stressful and a complete struggle but others are amazing and great fun! I'm detremined to try my best though and to over come the many, many challenges that arise as it is a pleasure to teach such fantastic children, and this really is their only hope of ever making it to primary school!

Soup Kitchen is emotionally very challenging, and gives me a few reality checks every time I go. On a Tuesday and Friday afternoon, Robyn and I, will make a stew type meal out of leftovers from the hostel and a local restuarant. We then take this stew, along with a container of water to a village north of Big Bend, where many orphaned children live. There is a small hut there where we serve out some of the stew and bread to around 50 children, who all line up with their plastic containers. The children really are desparate for the food we bring. The two times we come a week are the two times these children will eat a week. We often stay behind after serving out the good to play games with the kids which is great fun! It breaks my heart though, to know that many of them only live with their siblings and are extremely malnourished! It is a hard project, and it is painful to see some of these children in the condition they are, but it is one I love and am determined to do my best in!

So that is pretty much life in Swaziland, not to forget the swimming lessons we take on a Tuesday and Thursday, and soccer practice on a Monday and Wednesday. Life here is amazing and I am thoroughly enjoying my time so far!

Thanks for reading and I'll update again soon!

Packed and ready to go!

Packed my rucksack today. After 4 attempts...very stressful! I don't think people can really understand how hard it is to pack a year into a 65 litre rucksack and keep it under 20kg. Definitely was a challenge but after many discussions of strategic tactical approaches my mum and I managed!

As for the leaving party, it was a great success. I exceeded my target of 20 guests (phew!) and had a brilliant night! Thank you to everyone that came along and made it memorable. A special thanks has to go out to everyone that helped prepare food and set up tents in the backgarden for people to sleep in. And a huge huge huge thank you to my mum who somehow managed to organise it all! Pictures of the party to come at a later date...

So it's now Sunday evening, and my mum and I head down to London on Tuesday before I fly off on WEDNESDAY!!! That leaves me a total of two nights to sleep in my own bed, one day to spend in Scotland and two days before I head out to Swaziland!

I really can't think of anything else to say now, except that I have a horrible, nervous feeling in my stomach! It's like butterflies at Christmas, which must mean I'm excited!!!! Definitely exctied but also, as to be expected, nervouse and apprehensive!

I think that'll do for now. Speak to you all in Swaziland! xx

4 weeks today!

Okay, so it's 4 weeks today until I leave (not long at all!!!), so I feel this is a good time to update you lovely people (and myself) on how preparations are going.

Currently, I just have a "to take to Swaziland" pile in my room, and it is in no sort of order whatsoever. I have managed to purchase a rucksack, a radio, a penknife, some clothes and a large collection of suntan lotion (can thank my mother for that one). Absolutely in love with my penknife! A Swiss Army Knife Champ to be exact, and yes, it is the biggest one with the most gadgets!

Tomorrow (Thursday 11th August) has been dedicated for raiding the shops of Edinburgh in search of some skirts for teaching and a suitable teaching shoes!
And then it's off to Go Outdoors, trailing a long list of essentials that must be bought! These include:

• headtorch
• waterbottle
• mosquito net
• waterproof
• first aid supplies
• water purifier
• fleece
• waterproof

Then I'm pretty much done and the only challenge left facing me will be trying to fit all this (^^^) and much, much more into a 65 litre rucksack and keep it under 20kg! (impossible I hear you say! We shall see...)

In other news, my room is a complete tip as I attempt to clear it out. I have so far clearned out 8 drawers, using up a total of 8 bin bags (!!!) and still have my dreaded cupboard to do! Clothes and shoes are being packed away safely for my return (although my sister keeps trying to take things) and I have a nice wee box of "things I would like to keep".

My leaving party has been organised (largely thanks to my mother) and I am pleased to announce that I do have more than 20 people attending. Success!

So really, if you have managed to continue reading this till the end, you have just had an insight into the hectic life of someone who is leaving the country for Africa in less than a month and can only pack 20kg worth of things! The more I think about it, it occurs to me I have posted this more for the benefit of me, and my brain which is struggling to keep everything in order, than anyone else! I do apologise!

Anyway, I shall post again before my departure, updating you on how my shopping trip went and whether I managed to successfully pack! (if you actually care that is...)

Until next time, Hannah x