Last week, we were finally able to go back to our activist
project but it was kind of a struggle. Because we go after classes on Thursday,
we got stuck in really bad rush hour traffic. Our mini bus taxi also broke
down, so we had to switch taxis in the middle of the trip. If not for a kind
woman on the bus, I’m not even sure we would have gotten there because she had
to speak to the driver multiple times about where we needed to be. By the time
we got there, it was already getting dark, so we couldn’t stay for as long as
we’d liked. It was frustrating to spend so much time in transportation and so
little with the boys at practice. I also felt kind of uncomfortable being in a
mini taxi because everyone here is shocked that we take them. When we got on
the taxi, people asked us if we knew we were going to Khayelitsha, and were
also shocked that we were going there on the mini taxi. When we took an Uber
back from practice, our driver laughed and thought we were joking when we told
him we took a mini bus taxi there. After all of our safety talks and because I
get driven and escorted into and out of work, I don’t know how safe it is to go
to Khayeltisha. I
honestly don’t feel that uncomfortable doing any of this, but I also don’t want
to be in a place where I think that I don’t need to be cautious anymore. I
really just hope we get more time with the kids and less time in
transportation.
Friday, we left for excursion in Johannesburg. It’s been a
lot like orientation – long days that cram in so much it’s hard to process
everything we’re experiencing! We went to an Apartheid museum that was really
interesting and eye opening. I wish we’d had more time there but I’m really
glad we went. We also visited Constitution Hill, which was a prison that didn’t
close too long ago. We learned about the horrific conditions of the prison,
including public toilets that were just holes in the ground, insolation cells
were prisoners were kept for 23 hours of the day, and showers that were only
available 30 minutes a week for over 2,000 people. However, prisoners were not
just murderers and rapists. They were also people who violated laws of
apartheid, such as blacks who did not have their identification cards on them.
It was really eye opening to see the horrific conditions people faced when they
stood up for their own rights. It made me question whether I would have been
able to be an activist if I had been in that environment.
We also spent a day
at a Boys and Girls Club, which was absolutely amazing. We spent the day
helping out and playing with the kids. All of us on the trip as well as all of
the children were so happy to be with each other. I think we all got very
attached. It was really hard, though, when they asked me when I was coming
back. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I wasn’t but I also didn’t want
to give them a false hope, so I had to be honest. I really do wish we could go
back again.
The end of our trip was spent at Kruger National Park, which
is now one of my favorite places in the world. I went on a sun set game drive,
sun rise game drive, and a night drive. I saw 4 out of the big 5 – elephants,
water buffalo, giraffes, and lions. Unfortunately, I never saw a leopard. I saw
a lot more animals though, including a porcupine, hyenas (including cubs),
zebra, rhinos, and more. During the first drive, my highlight was seeing the
hyenas that included an adult, a baby cub, and 2 older cubs. The cubs are
actually pretty cute; I’m really not sure why adult hyenas are so ugly. My
highlight for the next drive was seeing an elephant and a bunch of lions. At
first we saw the elephant, but it was kind of far from the road, so we went to
see what all of the other cars were looking at. That’s when we saw a lion with
a bunch of cubs off in the distance. When we turned around, the elephant was
very close to us and even walked across the road in front of us! We then
followed the lions until we saw them cross the road too! One of the cubs got
separated from the others so we watched him cry out to the mother until he
found her. They were also joined by another adult while crossing the road. Then
tonight was definitely my favorite drive. Within ten minutes, we saw 3 lions
and 9 cubs killing a water buffalo. It was absolutely incredible and super rare
to see. It was really sad to watch and hear the buffalo dying, but I could’ve
watched those lions for hours. We also ended up seeing giraffes, an elephant,
hyenas, and more after that so it was just an awesome drive all together. 
I wish we could have another day here, but I’m also very happy to go back home to Cape Town.
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