Sunday, October 14, 2018

Over a month gone already?!

Good afternoon for a very warm and thunderstorming South Africa! Last week due to very little time and no access to internet I wasn't able to blog so here's week 4 (I cannot believe I've been here a whole month now!) and 5...

Last Monday saw me and three other instructors travel to Grabouw more particularly the Hottentots Holland Mountains. This was a good six hour drive away but with having to change the tyres on the truck and stop at the shops to buy the rest of the rations (which meant attempting to park the trailer as best as possible in a car park), the drive to much longer than anticipated.

When we finally arrived at our first camping spot where we would stay overnight before the group arrived the next morning, I was completely taken aback by the landscape. I was so amazed that this would be the area for my first course where I'd be acting as support for the instructors. The course itself was for a school group from Cape Town and designed so participants could develop 'capacities of mind, body and spirit to better understand their responsibilities to themselves, others and the community at large.'

After some patchy rain showers the first day of course the weather improved rapidly the next day, which we were all very glad of as the two groups had to hike across to their camping spots for that night. The 17km (roughly) hike was definitely challenging for the groups and it was interesting to observe the group dynamics and how they changed as they walked further and grew more tired, as an instructor and not as a group member myself.

The area where I camped with the group I walked with would be where I'd stay for the next two nights as it was close to the rock climbing and abseil sites, which was what I'd be helping the instructors with. The other group were camping at the edge of the mountain range next to the dam as they'd be starting with the raft building, the 'solo' - time where they'd go and sit somewhere by themselves and reflect upon their thoughts and be given a chance to write what they were feeling down on paper - and also some community service in the form of helping the park rangers cut down invasive plants.

The next two days of the course were definitely my favourite and not just because the weather was fantastic. In the mornings I went with Emily to set up the rock climbing and abseil ropes. To say that I'm relieved that I'm not afraid of heights would be an understatement! Especially when I was setting up the rock climb as first I need to abseil down the cliff face then secure myself so I'm hanging there. Then I can start to set up all the rock climbing ropes, knowing it has to all be exactly perfect as people would actually be using it. Not being afraid of heights also meant that I could stay calm while being the abseiling demonstration. This activity was so amazing to be part of, mainly because you were able to see how nervous some participants were before they stepped over the edge of the cliff but once they reached the bottom they had wide smiles, a "it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be" and the feeling of accomplishment all around them.

On the last day of course after the 'final challenge' - a 4km run starting at 6am - the groups had to organise all the kit they had used throughout their five days before digging into the macaroni cheese that we got made up at the nearest shop. Eating food that wasn't made on a trangia was a well earned by everyone. Once the group had departed we packed up the trailer once more and headed back to the original camping spot we stayed at the first night. When we arrived there we were greeted by not only bontebok but three zebras including a foal! It was amazing to see these animals in the wild and knowing that somewhere in the mountains behind my tent were leopards was an exciting thought. Wild camping here has been absolutely amazing, and having no rain during the nights meant that I could go without the fly sheet for my tent and be able to gaze up at the stars. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me! The drive back to Sedgefield was also filled with more animal encounters, a zebra ran along the road in front of us as we drove out the reserve, and when we drove along the main road (and basically only road leading back to George) we saw baboons, ostriches and even two elephants in the distance as we passed a game reserve.

After the excitement of last week this week has seemed very long, even after having Tuesday off. Unfortunately due to an unexpected staff issue, we wouldn't be travelling up to Potchefstroom to join all the other instructors meaning I won't be seeing Scott and Talitha until next weekend when they all come back after the courses finish up there. In the mean time I've been helping in the office, providing some questionable advice on social media and computers and I also got back into a kayak. I manged to get one successful roll done but I definitely felt way more confident and relaxed under water. It was also a massive help that the water was surprisingly warmer than usual and clearer meaning I could see what I was doing underwater. I've also been helping with the safety checks on the high rope activities. This translates to climbing to the top of the trapeze and to the top of the Jacobs ladder then climbing higher via the trees to make sure all the cables and attachments were in working order.

In some other brief news, our rooms were finally finished being decorated meaning I could put back all our furniture and put up all my photos again. My cooking skills have also improved drastically, I learned that the post office in Sedgefield is closed are weekends (it doesn't have the name the slow town for nothing!) and that the farmers market and craft fair on Saturdays is absolutely amazing! Unfortunately what isn't amazing is my insect repellent which seems to only attract the mosquitos.

I technically have next week off but as I'm the only volunteer here I've not made any plans to go travelling. I do have a list of things I need to do however, including going to the beach which we've not done yet. I'm also going to start looking at things close by that we can do during our blocks of leave that are coming up before more courses start in November. Looking at the planner it's going to be very busy in the run up to Christmas!

Rachel

1 comment:

  1. Hi Rachel, Mon. evening catching up with your adventures ,and what an experience you have had. with more to come, awesome. Can't wait to read the next chapter!Love Granny x

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