This weekend I had the incredible
opportunity to go on a trip to a place called the Garden Route! Here are some
cool highlights:
Friday: 6 hour drive to the Kongo
Caves, an estimated 1.5 million year old massive limestone cave that is
absolutely breathtaking. Instead of taking the regular, simple, boring walking
tour, we, in our groups’ typical fashion, decided to do the ‘adventurous tour’.
This entailed climbing up ladders, squeezing through extremely tight spaces,
shimmying in between boulders, you get the picture. It was basically one of the
coolest things I have ever seen, but I would definitely not recommend for
anyone with claustrophobia! That night I stayed in my first hostile ever! It
was this very quaint little place called Backpackers Paradise. We experienced
what people mean when they say South Africa can have all the season in one day
since it was about 95 the whole time until it started down poring out of nowhere
at night.
Saturday: Started off with walking,
playing with, feeding, and posing with ELEPHANTS! These beautiful giants are
the most gentle and lovable creatures I have ever come across! They were
surprisingly prickly, kind of like a guy who has gone one too many days without
shaving. Then off to canoe down a small sound at the foot of some beautiful
mountains; this surprisingly looked exactly like what I would imagine parts of
Asia looking like. Just like the food here, you see little influences of so
many cultures and places around the world hidden in the most unexpected places.
To end this day full of adventures, 7 of us went zip lining over a quarry,
which was surprisingly calm. The rest of the kids on the trip went bungee
jumping at this point, which was definitely far from calm. Night two we found
ourselves at hostile two, a beautiful beach house right on the beach of the
Indian Ocean. Rumors can be confirmed, the Indian Ocean is definitely more warm
and inviting than the rest.
Sunday: After breakfast on the beach
and taking in the last ocean views of our hostile, we set out for a game drive
about two hours away. The reserve was SO big and definitely made you remember
you were in Africa. We got pretty up close and personal with: lions, elephants,
zebras, giraffes, springbok, ostrich, warthog, rhinos, blue crane, and a few
other South African natives. Then back on the road for a 5 hour drive to
reality.
I must say a weekend away with no
wifi, good friends, lots of nature, and tons of incredible experiences was just
what this girl needed. I think it is especially important to have that time to
think with a clear mind especially when you are in a new place trying to take
everything in. It was also a great time to just think and reflect on all that I
am grateful for, all that I would like to work on, and all that I am looking
forward to. South Africa continues to bless me, surprise me, and take my breath
away and I cannot wait to see the person I am at the end of all of this,
because I don’t think anyone could leave here an unchanged person.
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