Surf Safari South Africa

About one month into our time in SA we met up with a guy named Cliff who got us hooked up with some sick surfboards. The time came to really put them to good use. For 10 days we traveled along the coast in rented Toyota Yaris with our boards strapped on top. We started in Durban and ended up in Cape Town. If you did the drive straight through it would take about 20 hours. We took our time and hit up some sweet surf spots along the way.





One of the coolest places that we stayed was in Jeffery's Bay or (J-Bay) This is a legendary surf spot visited in the Movie "Endless Summer II. Check it out! The town has a surfer vibe and we stayed at a sweet backpackers run by the coolest young couple ever. From J-Bay we drove 20 minutes out to Cape St. Francis, another spot that they visited in the movie. It is supposed to have the longest point break in the world. I am sure that it can really "go off" but when we were there there wasnt much of a swell but it was still fun.

We hit some other sweet spots and were out in the water for 7 straight days, surfing in board shorts and sometimes a rash guard. Renting the car was the best thing that we did and we were able to see a lot of the country including the famous Garden Route. We hit storms river and jumped off the highest bungee jump in the world, shot oysters at Knysna, and soaked up some serious sun on Clifton Beach in Cape Town.

South Africa is a country of contrasts. From the rural villages to the bustling cities I have come to love this country and all that it has to offer.

Getting home was quite a story in itself. After traveling for 42 hours we finally arrived in Portland. It was the longest travel day(s) of my life! This was our flight pattern:

Cape Town-Durban-Johannesburg-Lyons-Paris-San Francisco-Portland.

We are now safely back in Winter Wonderland Monmouth. The night that we got in, it snowed 4 inches. Perfect timing. Thank you for all who read my silly stories and shared this experience with me. I hope you enjoyed this blog and learned a little along the way. God Bless!

Backpackers Heaven!

There are so many rad backpackers here in SA. There are the ones that we have stayed at so far:

On the Beach Backpackers
Surf n Dreams
Mantis and Moon
Coffee Shack
Ubuntu

Check them out!

We came, we saw, we loved

This has been a great time here in SA working with Agathos. I have learned so much about myself and have had some great experiences. We fell in love with the country and with the kids. There is so much work to be done here that it is hard to leave. The relationships that were built in this short amount of time were priceless. I don't know if SA is in my plans for the near future, but if something comes up, it will be hard to say "no." There are so many more things to say when a time like this comes to an end, but I would rather tell you in person, so look me up over the holidays and we can chat!

We are now in the middle of a 10 day "South African Surf Safari." We started in Durban and we are driving down the N2 to Cape Town, have a few days there and then head back home for the holidays.

Luxury Resort

Just 20 minutes away from the Cottages is the Dragon Peaks Resort. They have a good relationship with the management and we were able to get permission to head up there for 4 hours free of charge to use their facilities. We had perfect weather and the kids had a blast.

It was a perfect way to end our time

here at the cottages.

Sleeping in the mountains

We have wanted to do something special with the “middle age” group of kids at the cottages. We decided that camping would be a lot of fun for them (and us) We took 8 kids with borrowed tents and sleeping bags and went up to JD and Barbara’s property for an over night trip. The first dilemma was finding the right place to pitch a tent. Most of the property is on a pretty steep incline. One of the only flat spots is a little forested area that would be perfect except one slight problem. On one side of the forest is the ancient burial grounds of a local chief. Locals still sometimes come out there to perform traditional ceremonies on their sacred ground. The kids were well aware of that fact and were initially terrified of the thought of sleeping out there (in the dark). We eventually went to the other end of the forest and convinced them that we would be safe and that our God is bigger than anything that might be out there.

The rest of the trip was great. We had hotdogs and smores for dinner, and pancakes the next morning. We played their favorite game: Dodgeball. Pronounced “Dau-gee-ball”, climbed trees, made a fire, read stories, played monopoly and Uno. Whewh. We were busy.

The next morning after breakfast we went down to a little pond and went swimming in the water. Once we convinced them that there were no snakes, most of them had a blast swimming and even some attempted backflips, under Eli’s supervision.

For the Love of Music

The other day the kids caught sight of my MP3 player and were eager to see what the big deal was about putting goofy things over your years. Their expressions were priceless. Music seems to have no problem crossing cultures and touching the hearts of those that listen.

Friendly Dutchman

Tim has been such a fun character to work with here at the cottages. He lives about 15 minutes away and does volunteer carpentry for the cottages. His joy is super contagious and he is always making jokes. We have been out there several times to help him with his entertainment system and other electronic devices.

The other day we were called out for a T-bone braai as a thank you. Flora, his partner, whipped up some great Zulu sides to go along with our meal.

SA Knowns how to party!

On Thanksgiving Day, The Cottages were abuzz with activity. The bead project was doing its annual “profit sharing” with the community. They were able to buy about 50 lbs of groceries for the ladies that work on the project. They were so excited and there lots of dancing and singing and ululating by the women.

After that we had our own Thanksgiving/Birthday party celebration with the children. We had 3 turkeys, gravy, mashed potatoes and even cranberry sauce! (Thanks Mom). It was truly a feast. We had a whole program with dancing, singing and more dancing and more singing. After the meal, I was ready for a nap, but the party raged on into the night. By the end, I was exhausted but my tummy was so happy.

More Safari Adventures

Well just two days after our horseback riding in the bush, we scored some seats on a safari ride in a “Big Five” private game park. The Big Five are a big deal here. They are: Elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and wildebeest. Anyway, going to a big five game park is a “must do” for everyone visiting South Africa. We were pretty stoked at the possibility of seeing these amazing creatures. Around noon we headed out to the game park with an Aussie couple, and a family from Belgium now living in SA.

Our tour guide was probably OVER qualified. He had taken 6 years to work every national game park in all of Africa. He grandpa and his father were both game park guides so this guy knew he stuff. The first stop was the lodge, after checking on a family of hippos lounging in the sun. The lodge was right in the middle of the game park with no fences separating it from the wilderness all around. You are not allowed to walk more than a few feet away from the buildings because the animals can come right up there. Elephants like to drink from their pond, and a hyena killed an impala about 3 feet from one of the guest rooms deck. Pretty crazy stuff.

We went on a Wednesday, so there was NO ONE else at the lodge. We got supreme service! When we arrived they had iced drinks waiting for us and drums to announce our arrival (to no one but the animals) Eli and I took a quick dip in the pond, tried to dry off (slightly unsuccessful) and enjoyed a delicious meal. After that we headed out into the park for 3 hours hoping to see at least a few of the big 5. Wanna know how many we saw? ZERO. Yup that’s right. We got skunked. It was a bummer because we were going all out to find the elephants and we saw signs of their presence all around us. It just wasn’t meant to happen. It was exciting though because we were briefed about what to do when we saw lions, and elephants and such. We didn’t have the most amazing stories, but hearing all of our tour guides crazy adventures almost made up for it.

Swings!

Last week we put two swings up on the property. One is a rope swing that faces the river while Mafundo is shown here demonstrating the “In” “out” pumping action on the “little people” swing. Both are very popular.

So sleepy

Mafundo is still getting plenty of rest. He really knocks out around 5 or 5:30 when we have our ½ long Bible story. He rarely makes it through this and when I had my camera in my pocket, I couldn’t help snap a quick one.

South African Safari

On Monday, Eli and I got up close with the wildlife here in South Africa. Just about 20 minutes away from our house is a small game reserve that has rhino, giraffe, water buffalo, kudu, zebra and tons of other wild deer type animals. There is a dam in the middle of the park with rolling hills surrounding the peaceful water. One way to see the animals is from the inside of a car on roads that go throughout the park. BORING! We chose the much cooler alternative of a horseback tour, off road to get up close to the animals. Let me just say it was an amazing experience. We went with JD, Mara, and their relative from Connecticut that was visiting for a few days.

We saddled up and we each got acquainted with our own horse. “Muffin” was my great steed. Don’t let the name fool you. Muffin would never be at the back of the pack and was always willing to blaze her own trail through the brush. She was obedient and loyal and I couldn’t have asked for a better horse.

At first Eli was slightly disappointed with “Sadie” Sadie wasn’t much to look at, and he was holding out for a more noble ride like “Warrior” or “Muchacho” but our guide brought her out and was set on having Eli ride her. Throughout the day Eli grew closer with Sadie and began whispering sweet nothings into her ears and by the end of the day they were inseparable. It was only when we were leaving that we noticed that “Sadie” was not very lady-like at all. In fact it was quite clear that “she” was a “He” Eli was devastated that he had been mistaken the whole ride, but their bond will always remain.

Ok, if you are still reading: I must tell you that we got incredibly close to some of the most amazing creatures on this earth. The giraffes were by far the coolest. I think the best part was watching them run through the bush. It felt like a time warp where everything was slowed down. They are so graceful and majestic. Their freedom and physique was truly inspiring.

After a day in the bush, we returned home with sore butts and aching backs but I would do it again in a heart beat.

New Friend

I found this guy and was amazed at the colors and patterns. God didnt miss a single opportunity to amaze us when he created this guy. (Just keep him out of my bed)

Honored Guests

On Thursday we were the honored guests at the schools “prize giving day” We heard there would be some speeches, some dancing, some music and most importantly good food. When we first got there, things were already under way. First we were ushered into a small room off to the side of the main events. We sat down and were served generous portions of cow intestine. WHAT? Who said “good food” oh man, but of course we did our best to try this strange flab. There are no words to describe this food. If you can call it that. I will just highlight the worst part: the texture. Hairy, slimy, chewey and gooey all at the same time. But mostly hairy. Yup it was bad.

After that, things didn’t get much better. We sat through 5 hours of ceremony. No joke it was never ending. The good thing was that the kids at the cottages made a pretty good appearance and there was a lot of screaming and yelling from the moms. Just as we were about to slip out, which would have been hard because we were seated at the very front, the kids told us that it was time for the final announcements.

Whewh, we made it! After our marathon day, we were rewarded with a true feast of chicken, beef, beets, yams, salad, bean dishes, fried chicken and soda. Yumm… that made it all worth it.

Headline: Borgmans Caught standing still!

This is the Borgman family and yes, they are standing still! They move so fast they even tire me our! It has been so much fun working along side with them at the Cottages. This family is involved in many different community building projects and it has been neat to help out where we can. The whole family is blessed with amazing culinary skills which offers a nice respite from the menu at the cottages.

Marah has recently been recruited from the states as "administrative assitant." She has helped bring some order to the madness and has kept us nice and plump with her delicious food.

Durban!

Last weekend we had a blast visiting some friends in Durban. After 3 different taxi rides, and one hitch (sorry mum) we arrived at one of the neatest hostels we have ever been to. It is run by a family of pro surfers that grew up in the Durban area. The place has a neat surfer vibe with boards for sale and boards for rent. Of course, I must mention the price. 10 dollars each for a private room. Pretty sweet with ocean views.

After one night there we met up with our friend Jesse who lives in Durban. His wife is doing an internship in Geneva so he had some time to hang out with us. The first thing that we did was look for surfboards. They are very cheap compared to the states and much better than renting. We met up with Jesse’s friend Cliff who took us around to the shapers showrooms and even met some of the local shapers who shape boards for surfers all over the world. We found two boards that will be great for us and where a steal of a deal.

With our new surfboards, of course the next logical thing to do is…. Go surfing! It was kinda drizzling, but the water was warm and we had a great day in the water.

We were feeling truly South African after watching SA take on Whales in ruby and a Manchester United vs. Arsenal soccer match. We quickly learned how to cheer correctly when watching rugby and when to get furiously angry with the refs.

The day we left, the clouds finally lifted and it was bright and sunny. Oh, well we still had a great time with friends and a nice little break from our busy time at the Cottages.

Music in the Mountains

The Drakensburg Boys choir is world renowed for the vocal performance and excellence. The school is only about 20 minutes away from where we live and we finally got to see what they are all about at one of their Wed afternoon concerts.

The first half was more standard choral pieces that is very formal with a conductor, funny suits, and the works.

The second half was entirely led by the students, with all the music being African. They had tons of energy and great choreography.

The free tea and pastries that were served at Half time only made the event that much more special.

Eli snuck away before the concert to loosen up his high soprano in the case that they might invite all former boy's choir members on stage to join them in song. It didnt happen. Bummer.

I forgot my camera, so I had to snag a photo from the internet. Sorry for not getting the "real deal"

Listen to them sing!

Champion Sleeper (advanced level)

Mafundo is always coming up with great new napping places. The newest ones are:



1: The steps of our room




2: Water drainage sink

Late birthday delivery..

Sunday was Eli's birthday, and after a day of activity, we finally settled into our room for some rest. Not long after we started to unwind, we heard a tentative knock on our door. Upon opening it, we found 4 boys beaming with anticipation. All at the same time, they thrust their birthday presents at Eli. First was a weed. (Complete with roots) The second was a very decorative platic ivy leaf. The third was a less decorative, but still plastic ivy leave. The fourth present was the real winner. It was a well loved little nylon bag with "happy" printed on it. Inside were at least 6 gravel rocks of varying size and shape.

The boys were so proud of themselves and beamed with contentment. We were getting ready to do our work-out plan (pushups and situps) so we invited them in to join us. After our little workout it was the perfect time for a muscle shot with all the boys.

Travel like a local

Taxi:

The great think about not having wheels, is that we live more like black South Africans than White South Africans. When I am done with the computer, like every monday we will hop on a 30 min taxi ride to take us back home, an experience that hardly any white people living here have had. It is seriously one of my favorite things. One of the best things is that there are NO signs or organization at the bus depot. You have to ask the driver: "Where are you going today" and then hop on the right one. Once you are on the right bus it is wise to sit by the window. First, the obvious reason is the escape from the stiffling air in the bus. Secondly (and more importantly) is the window seat is a prime place to do some last minute shopping. Vendors will crowd around the busses offering anything from chips, to tomatoes, to fruit, cigarettes, jewely and anything else that you forgot to buy. By far the most ingenious item for sale are these little frozen guava juice packets. For 25cents you get the ice pack, sweet treat combo.

Nothing better than sitting back nursing a frozen guava juice packet and rocking out to African tunes as the landscape goes whizzing by.

"Hitching"

Out where we live there are only several taxies that wont budge until they are packed full. (This could take quite a long time) The other alternative is flagging down any car that might be willing to pick you up.

Satuday was Eli's birthday and we were treated by the Sheldons to a feast at the nearest restaurant. We walked out to the main road, hoping that a taxi would soon roll by to pick us up. Our stomachs were growling and we could almost smell the pizza so we decided to try to flag down the next car. After several failed attempts, a delivery truck stopped to pick us up. We had a neat chat with the black driver and he was able to drop us off right by the restaurant.

So... the restaurant is located in the middle of no where. Most of the patrons are white, with some Middle Eastern ones as well. EVERYONE that goes to this posh place pulls up in their own rig either out for the day touring, or visiting from Joburg or Druban. The best thing ever was the look on the faces of people when they saw us hopping out of this delivery truck waving goodbye to our new friend. Totally priceless.

After we were done with our meal (which was delicious, thank you Sheldons! 18 bucks got us: a drink with dinner, two entrees, dessert, and after dinner coffee (for both of us, pulus tip) Back to hitching home. We were soon picked up by a white guy and hopped in the back of the truck. We told him where we lived and he seemed a little skeptical that we knew what we were talking about. He stopped at the place we told him to and again he seemed confused and asked us if we were SURE that this is where we wanted to be dropped off.
We are for sure the only white people in the area and it is pretty unheard of for two white guys to be living in this area. We thanked him for the ride and he drove off... still looking pretty confused.

D.A.T.T.

"Tutoring time" was way to blann for our style, so we cleverly created an excitign acronym to entice the children.

Discovery And Tutoring Time. DATT. perfect. We do "DATT" (get it) Mon-Thurs from 3-5.

We start with a craft, then story time, then a game and activities. The kids love it and want to do on Fri, Sat, Sun too!

We just had a Dutch carpenter volunteer his time to make 2 tables and 8 benches for DATT. He dropped them off yesterday and they look GREAT!

Pretty neat stuff.

Foot Locker: SA Style:

Thank you Udell family: Our shoe supplier!!!

Last week we had the moms at the cottages come into our room and choose shoes for their kids. We ending up bringing about 30 pairs of shoes, and all but one pair ended up with an owner. It was truly amazing. The sizes were perfect and the moms had a blast "shopping" for their kids. There were even shoes that the moms could use.

Later that night we had kids coming up to us to show off their new shoes.
The orphanage gets so many things donated that these kids look sharp compared to the other kids in the community. It has been awesome to see donations being used first hand and the joy that it brings to the kids. If you currently donate all your gently used goods.... Great! For those that think it doesnt make a difference....boooooo

Goat Herding in SA

Animals here roam freely. At any one point of time, we could have dogs, goats, and a herd of cattle wandering around the cottages poking their heads in the bathrooms, and eating all our plants. The fence around the property has numerous gaps and even if it didn't, the gate is left open most parts of the day. Anyway, these intruders were getting on my nerve a little bit (it is not fun dodging cow poo on your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night) UNTIL a mama goat and her 2 super cute baby goats started making appearances. Forget about the mama, she is not important, but her 2 baby goats! Whowii! They are adorable. The kids that stay home love to chase them and sometimes they get lucky and catch them. Me on the other hand am much more succesful and usually end up with a baby goat around my neck getting scoffed at by Eli. I am sure that secretly he too thinks they are adorable but thus far has been reluctant to admit it.

Just another little thing that brings joy into my life here at The Cottages

Agathos Kids

Sunday Farm Service

Yesterday we had just about the perfect Sunday. We were invited to JD and Barbara's Anglican church service which was having their annual "Farm Service" out at their house overlooking the most beautiful valley ever. We helped set up tents the day before and were very much looking forward to the service, and maybe more accurately, the "braai" that was to happen right after the service. A braai is like a bbq but instead of hambergers and hot dogs, they cook maily steaks, and sausages. The was accompanied by a full on chuch potluck. Lets just say it was a NICE break from the menu at the cottages.

We stayed around till everyone was gone, and helped with the tear down as well. The wind started to pick up and JD decided to burn all the paper trash as we were taking down the large tents. Well, wind+fire= bad news and large tents+wind= bad news. Right as we got the tents unsteaked from the ground, I turned around and noticed that the paper fire had spread from the metal fire pit, to the dry grass around it and was spreading quickly. With the tents halfway taken down, JD, Mara (their daughter) Eli and I all rushed to get buckets and hoses to put out the fire. The wind was moving the flames quickly but we got in front of it with the hose and were able to minimize the damages. Eli was the hose master and recalled the adventure as "the highlight of my life!"

After a couple hours of tear down, we finally collapsed on the sofa, soaking in the much needed rest. After a few minutes of conversation, Barbara exclaims: "Lets make some chocolate chip cookies!" Well, I thoguht that was a great idea, why not. And we finished of the day with some warm cookies and a cold glass of milk. On the way home, I turned to Eli and said, "T.I.A. Eli, T.I.A."

It was a great day full of great food, fun people, windy adventures, and topped off with cookies and milk.

Taxi bus

Last weekend, we learned the ins and outs of public transportation in South Africa. To get a ride into town in only a buck and takes about 45 min, depending on how many stops the driver makes. There are several hand signals that are essential for smooth navigation.

First of all, there are just tons of people on the roads at all times. People are always looking for rides (free, or in a taxi).

The first hand signal is with your pointer finger pointed down. This means that you just need a local ride.

The second, is your pointer finger pointed up. That means that you want to go to "town." If you put your finger up, but are going to a town that is not on the main road, you must make a motion with your hand in the direction that the road turns to your destination.

Got it?

I have also seen a thumbs down, and a "flapping of the hand" I am not sure what those mean exactly, but I am sure it is complicated.

So, we are in the taxi headed into the big city. The first thing that you see on the van is a sign that says "Maximum passenger load 16" We learned that was merely a suggestion when the driver picked up our 21st passenger. We were crammed in the back jamming to some sweet African beats. Luckily it wasnt stifingly hot that day, but those trips to town could get painful in the weeks to come.

Mafundo-we love you!

One great little guy here that we have gotten to know well is Mafundo. Mafundo is 3 years old and too young to go to school so he stays home and helps out with the maintanance around the place. He is about as helpful as any 3 year old could be. He understands a ton of English and is always eager to help. One of his many skills is his ability to sleep ANYWHERE. Yesterday in church he curled up in my arms are caught some Z's while my bum turned numb on the wooden bench. The other day he fell alseep on Eli's legs and I was able to grab a photo. His other favorite resting places include: the cement floor of the dining room, in the play structure, and face down at the dinner table (during dinner).

This guy is such a joy to have around, our new best bud.

Soccer Match

Last Thursday I got the first glimps of what high school sports are like here in South Africa. The orphanage is located right along a the Injesuthi river and right on the other side is a "soccer stadium," Just a field that is fenced in. The local team plays there on the weekends, but on thursday it was time for two local schools to battle it out on the field. Two girls from the orphange are on the team. Patience plays forward, and Sthe is the goalie. As the teams were warming up I thought it was odd that only a few players on each team had shoes on. I thought that maybe they would put on shoes right before the game was to start. I was wrong. I only saw a couple of cleats, and definitley no shin guards. So with some players in cleats and most players barefoot, the game began. The school that we were cheering for had green shorts with green and white tops. The opposing team had green bottoms with all green tops. Very confusing if you ask me. Sometime into the second half a herd of goats decided that they would graze in the middle of the field. They wandered on, and there was hardly a pause in the game. The ref made a half hearted attempt to shoo them away by throwing a pebble in their direction, but that did little to get them out of the way. Defenders were literally running through the pack of freightened goats to get to the ball. The goats were surrounded on all sides and were very confused as to how to escape. Eventually they found the side line and the exit to the stadium. Our team won (2-0) with an impressive showing by Patience and Sthe. The girls were extatic about the win, regardless of the goats.

Lots going on!

Well, we have logged in our first week at the orphanage! We have been so busy and we are starting some really neat programs that we are super stoked about! I hope you are too! Here are the main ones:



Maintanance: this will take place in the mornings while the kids are at school. There are 2 kids that are too young to go to school and they are always there to "help out" with our projects.

a few of them are: painting doors, fixing leaky toilets, clearing paths, digging ditches, and much much more.



Tutoring program: A couple of the teenagers are not doing well in school. As of now there is little structure for the kids when they come home from school. Our job to to create some structure for the after school time. There will be tutoring time and other fun activities.



Garden project: There is a garden at the cottages that has been successful in the past. Recently a goat got in and did some damage. Khenani is the teenager who has done most of the work. We will be working with him to plant some new crops and also make a corner of the garden into a place where the younger kids can each have a small plot of their own.



Typing program: There is a computer in the office at the cottages. We have it all set up and working now even with a printer! THere is a typing program that some of the kids have used before. Our job is monitoring the room a and setting up times for people to work on their lessons.



Whewh! We have a lot going on and time seems to fly by!

It is great to have projects that we feel competent in completing!

We have arrived!

We are just getting settled into our new home at the orphanage. We spent the first few nights in Durban at a hostel and took a bus a few hours to the orphange on Friday. First of all the kids are awesome! There are 24 kids total. Most of the kids are older and are in grade school or high school. There are also 3 "moms" that are each in charge of several kids. We have been playing a lot of marbles and soccer and some other fun games that they have taught us using sticks and rocks and whatever else is around. The cottages are bordered on one side by a good size river. Right now it is too low to swim, but the rains with come in the summer and thats when they swim. Today was the kids first day at school. We walked them to school (about 2 miles one way) and now we are spending some time in Estcort where we will pick up supplies for the week.

I will post some pictures soon, but it looks like we will only have access to a computer once a week.

Leaving for Africa today!

Well, the time has finally come. After two long weeks of waiting, the day is finally here! All our bags are packed, (mostly) and we are more or less ready to go. Our flight leaves PDX at 8:30 PM. Rats, I hate waiting all day to fly out. But I guess it will happen soon enough! We are super stoked to be bringing a huge suitcase full of books, balls, marbles and matchbox toys for the kids. A whole other suitcase is just shoes (Thanks Udells!). Thanks to everyone who dropped off a few marbles, or toys!

Because I am sure that you are sooo interested, here is our flight pattern! Whoot!

PDX- SEATTLE-LONDON-JOHANNESBURG-DURBAN. Whewh!


We will stay in Durban for a few days and then take a bus inland to Winterton. Durban is on the coast and just happens to have AMAZING surf! Of course the orphanage is our main focus, but I have a feeling we will get to experience God's wonderful creation of peeling waves.

Just a few more hours and we are outta here!
If you haven't done so already, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE check out The Agathos Foundation to see the work that they are doing in SA!

PRAY that God will use us in mighty ways.