Kruger National Park was such a
beautiful place and experience! After an 8 hour bus ride from Jo’burg to
Kruger, highlights included spotting wild flowers, two camels playing, a
waterfall among mountains, and long stretches of farm land, we finally arrived
in the Delaware sized national park. The first night we arrived we went
straight on to our first game drive! On this sunset drive my safari car
spotted: tons of deer, zebras, giraffes, elephants, a rhino, hippo heads,
warthogs, wildebeest, a heard of buffalo, a buffalo head carcass, an eagle, a
crane, a leopard tortoise, an ostrich, a pack of hyenas, and a porcupine.
Seeing all these animals in their natural habitat was such a unique experience,
I kept having to remind myself that I was actually on a safari ride, in South
Africa, seeing these things in REAL LIFE. I think the most surreal moment for
me was when the sun was setting behind us and making the most stunning sky
filled with bright colors, and then looking forward to the big full moon rising
simultaneously. It was one of the most breathtaking sites I have ever seen and
it really made me feel like the luckiest person in the world. Day two started
bright and early at 4:00 am with a sunrise game drive! Although the first
little bit was pretty uneventful when it came to animal sightings we did end up
seeing: something that looked like a rabbit, something that looked like a baby
cheetah in a tree, more deer, giraffes, zebras, a python, and LIONS! It was
semi difficult to stay awake, but once again, you just remind yourself your on
an African safari and somehow that does the trick every time. Both nights we
were there we ended the day with a bush braii. Braii’s are the South African
equivalent of a barbeque, and people take them very seriously here. These were
especially cool because they were just for our group and the food was delicious
per usual! We all got to stay in little huts that were circular rooms with
straw roofs. That was another part of the whole overall experience that made it
especially unique, even though I definitely missed regular plumbing while
there. Over all I give Kruger a 10/10 on beauty and probably tops the list of
coolest things I have ever gotten the chance to do.
During the 8 hour bus ride back to
the airport, I definitely had a lot of time to do some reflecting and thinking.
One thing I got to confirm was how much I appreciate open space and lots of
land. I know that cities have a lot of pros to them, but I am never more at
peace than when I am surrounded by nature. We arrived at the airport with
plenty of time to spare, so I decided I would do some journal writing to catch
up after the last week of adventuring. As I was writing in my journal, an older
woman came up and asked if she could share a table with me, and of course I
said yes. We got to talking and turns out she has lived in California for the
past 43 years but is originally from Zimbabwe. She has traveled all over the
world all her life and had so many stories to tell, perspectives to share, and
advice to give. It was the craziest feeling because as I was talking to her I
could not help but see myself in her 60 some odd years from now. I hope that my
life continues to take me on adventures just like hers, and that one day I can
be sitting across from a bright eyed teenager in an airport sharing all of my
wisdom and stories from a life time of travel. There are some people that I
feel you are supposed to meet, and Tippy, I know she was one; I’ll never forget
that fateful meeting.
Coming back to Cape Town from Jo’burg
was definitely bitter sweet. This place has definitely come to feel like home,
which is pretty darn cool. The Saturday after we got back, those of us who are
working at Maitland Cottage for our activist project spent the day there. So
far we have raised just above $1,200 which goes such a long way here! Because
of these donations I think we will be able to do even more than we had
originally thought, which I know will make the kids and the staff ecstatic.
Anyway, on Saturday we first tackled the task of weeding the garden and by the
end we had pulled out a ton of huge plants and 12 trash bags full of weeds! We
also made little Easter goody bags for all the kids at the hospital with candy
and a happy Easter card in them. They definitely appreciated the extra holiday
goodies!
For actual Easter Sunday, Molly, Eric, Elizabeth and I went to St.
George’s Cathedral for a morning service. The church, where Archbishop Desmund
Tutu used to serve, was absolutely beautiful on the inside. There was stain
glass everywhere, the Easter flowers were gorgeous, and the service was the
perfect way to start off the day. I feel like this whole weekend has been
filled with positivity that is much needed since we all just realized how short
of a time we still have left here. It really has gotten to that awkward turning
point in a trip where I miss home a lot and am looking forward to being with my
family and friends again, but at the same time I do not want to leave this
beautiful city any time soon. All I know is that I am going to try my best to
make the most out of the last month we have on this incredible adventure.
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