Week 30 (Monday 1st April - Sunday 7th April)
On Monday and Tuesday we were just finishing up the safety checks and cleaning base after the DSD course before we all go on leave. Wednesday we went to George and the mall before coming back to base and packing for our trip to Coffee Bay!
Early Thursday morning we started the long drive to Coffee Bay and managed to get to the backpackers there just before 5pm. On the drive there, we spotted a rock monitor crossing the road! It was so cool to see even for only a few passing seconds. The weather was terrible on Friday with heavy rain and thunderstorms for most of the day. That night the backpackers organised a trip to the local village where we would be able to have dinner with a family and see some traditional dancing. However when we got there the women of the family were not there - due to the heavy rain, they had thought that we would not be coming so had not prepared anything for us. Our guide Issac (a Coffee Bay local) did show us around a house and told us information about the area and the people who live there.
Saturday morning we got a lift to 'hole in the wall' with some people staying at the backpackers. Hole in the wall is an arch in the rock formed from years of corrosion due to the waves from the sea. Talitha decided to get a lift back to the backpackers while me and Scott decided to hike back with a local. The walk was 9km and took us along the coast. We got to see the baby hole in the wall too and cross the top of a waterfall. We also met other PT volunteers staying at Coffee Bay for the night. It was really good to catch up with them all!
Sunday was my favourite day during our time at Coffee Bay. We went on the guided caves and cliffs tour! As we walked along the coast we visited a cave (that had hundreds of bats inside!), a natural jacuzzi and did some cliff jumping into the sea too. On the way back we also stopped off at a point in the river where we were allowed to spend time jumping in from some rocks (the highest being around 7 meters or so high). This was clearly a favourite spot for the local kids as there were so many of them swimming and jumping when we got there. It was such a nice spot to swim, and I'm glad the sun was out for it! Lunch was the classic Coffee Shack toastie - anyone who's had one will tell you how good they are!!
Week 31 (Monday 8th April - Sunday 14th April)
Monday we spent a few hours at the beach swimming and making the most of the sun while it was out. The rain was back Tuesday morning which meant that the 'beach day' being run was cancelled but it did mean we got a free surf lesson! The rain soon disappeared though so we were surfing in the sun once again. When I was talking to someone from the Netherlands who was staying at the backpackers, I learned that he was going to Scotland in June for a wedding at Winton Castle (where I worked before I left for SA)! It really is such a small world!
We left Coffee Bay on Wednesday to head back to Sedgefield and stopped off at La Piazza for dinner. Thursday and Friday we caught up on sleep and I managed to dry my washing between all the rain showers. Saturday we went to the market and bumped into John (another PT volunteer) who was with his family. It was nice to see him again! We met up with Jacob that afternoon for a braai which was really nice. I also saw my first porcupine!
Week 32 (Monday 15th April - Sunday 21st)
Our plans for Monday was to head to the beach but more rain washed that plan away. Instead we headed to the mall in George. Tuesday the weather was much better so we headed to Vic Bay where me and Talitha did some body boarding. The waves were really good and the water warmer than we were expecting! Afterwards we were sitting on the rocks watching the surfers and I thought I saw something swimming near them... Turns out a pod of dolphins had stopped by! It was very cool to catch a glimpse of them as they swam past!!
On Wednesday we dropped Talitha off at the airport - she's going home for two weeks to visit her family. Friday me and Scott went out on the kayaks. It seems like months since I've done kayak rolls. Yesterday we went to the market before swimming some more. It's been very sunny the past two days which has been a very welcome change. It's also getting darker earlier now with it nearly completely dark by 6.30pm! Me and Scott were meant to be working on different courses this coming week but unfortunately they've all been cancelled.
The photos I have are from Coffee Bay and then some of the moon I took last night.
Rachel :)
