A week in water

Good morning from a very hot and orange looking South Africa!

It's been a bit of a heat wave here as the temperature has been around or over 30°C for the past week. You could imagine our confusion when we woke up on Tuesday morning to discover it was 24°C before 7am, needless to say that it got to 37°C that day. Since we've not had rain for a while and it's been so hot everything is very dry which means forest fires are very likely and over the weekend there has been one near George and it's still going. As a result the smoke has been drifting and here in Sedgefield it's very smokey and it's made everything all orange and it's raining ash. It's very strange to be sitting in a restaurant drinking milkshakes while ash is falling but the locals don't seem worried about it. I'm somewhat glad of all the ash clouds as its meant to be 36°C ("real feel 39°C" - Google) but the sun can't get through.

As the title of this blog might suggest, we've spent a lot of time in the water over the past week. We've been practicing our kayak rolls lots and this is now one of my favourite things to do! Five weeks ago I wouldn't of thought I'd be saying that as I couldn't even spend five seconds under water. Me, Scott and Talitha have all mastered the 180° and 360° rolls and I've managed to even get some 'bombproof' rolls done. We've also been swimming a lot to get our fitness up for our water saftey LOC (levels of competencies).

Some of the things that the water safety LOC consists of is being able to pull unconscious and conscious people from the water, treading water for 4 minutes, swimming 50 meters without a PFD in under two and a half minutes (my time was 1 minute 55 seconds) and doing a long distance swim with a PFD. Our kayaking LOC included things like being able to perform five rolls consistently, rescuing people from kayaks when your in a kayak and also when you're not and also rescuing people in a double sea kayak. A lot of it was quite fun to do, but I'm still not convinced that kissing the nose of the kayak is a requirement for the LOC. I think it's just so the instructors can laugh at us trying and failing to balance on the kayak and then fall into the water. We were also signed off on our high ropes, climbing and abseiling LOC's so now we're all fully trained to help and support all the activities!

Saturday saw us heading to the market which as usual was very busy, and we bought passion fruit ice lollys for our walk into Sedgefield. After visiting the post office (still no sign of my new glasses that were posted out) and the pharmacy (Asda bite cream is useless against the mosquitoes here) we had lunch at La Piazza which is a restaurant/bar that we were told past volunteers frequently visit. We also found a DVD rental shop so we've been watching Narnia, Into the Woods and season 1 of Sherlock.

The other news for this week is that Tom the tortoise is actually named George - his second name is now Tom. We cooked macaroni cheese last night and me and Talitha have become expert mosquito killers.

Rachel

Monday is sun day

Good evening from a warm South Africa! 

Last week was very relaxing as I was on leave. I've spent a lot of time reading (and sleeping, but mostly reading) and exploring Sedgefield. I've located the post office, some nice shops and also went to the beach. The walk from base to the beach took nearly two hours but as I took the road over the top of the hill, I got to see the layout of Sedgefield from 'the sky'. The beach was also really lovely and the sea only slightly warmer than it would be back in Scotland.

Talitha, Scott and the other instructors arrived back from Potchefstroom on Saturday night so it was really good to see them all again. Yesterday (Sunday) was spent doing our washing and we now have pegs to hang our clothes with so they can't blow away anymore! I've already lost one sock to the wind. We then took a walk to the market which was open as there was a kite festival happening (luckily it was super windy). It cost us R20 to enter - which is just over a pound - and we soon realised that the stalls were exactly the same as what the usual market has... which is free to enter... at least the money went to a good cause!

We made use of the free wifi to organise what we'll be doing for Christmas. We've managed to find a bus company and sonewhere to stay when we travel to Cape Town, where we'll spend Christmas and New Years with the other South Africa volunteers as well as the volunteers from Botswana and Namibia. Most of us are going to a concert on the 31st in the botanical gardens, so we've been listening (and not actually listening) to Jeremy Loops, who's playing the concert, to learn the songs.

Today was the start of what's going to be a very hot week. Summer is well and truly on its way! After doing some maintenance around base we started our water LOC's. It's exciting to be gaining these as it means we're one step closer to supporting water activities during courses.

In some other news and to explain some of the pictures, we ate a water melon named Bob, another tortoise walked through base - we named him Tom. We also found better curtains for our room, so we washed them and put them up. You wouldn't believe how excited we were hanging curtains. Like, seriously, we're so happy that we can sleep in the dark and not wake up when the sun rises.

Rachel

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

Packing a trailer is a skill

Good morning from a 31°C (and it's only Spring!!) South Africa.

This week has been quite hectic and seems to have lasted week's. Since we had Monday off, me and Scott went into Sedgefield and stocked up on all the essential food items we might need over the next few weeks. Still working out if 32 rand for a bag of apples was a good buy. After some incredible waffles and downloading videos over the free wifi, we started the the walk back to base in the sun where a cold shower was the top priority when we got back.

Talitha finally got here on Tuesday which was brilliant. It's good to see her again and finally have a roommate! Although our room is being redecorated along with all the other staff accommodation. So currently, with our furniture upside down and all over the place, we no longer have a carpet, the hole in the wall has been sealed up, there's a new coat of paint on the walls and our door has been replaced meaning there isn't a gap at the bottom any more!

The week has been filled with safety checks on all the equipment, more rock and abseil set ups, some very brief first aid and then packing for the courses which are talking place. However, there's no course here at Willow Point. Scott, Talitha and most of the other instructors are already up in the Potchefstroom base (about a 13 hour drive or so away) and tomorrow I'll be leaving with three instructors to head to Grabouw for the course happening there. It's only a 4 hour drive away so we've packed everything from food to tents and life jackets into the canoe trailer and we're all set to go. The course is a school group and we'll be camping all week while they do raft building, abseiling and climbing.

The war against mosquitos has well and truly begun. The past three days has seen mosquito numbers multiply and my 'bug bite free' state is no longer. It seems that Scottish blood is rather tasty as my left leg hosts an impressive 13 bites so far. I've not had the chance to take any interesting pictures and I don't think showing you all my bug bites is the most exciting thing so luckily a tortoise walked (faster than I was expecting) into base. It's also much more friendlier than the snakes and spiders seen around here lately.

Rachel

Face to face with my fears

Good morning from a warm but cloudy South Africa!

Most of the full time instructors are on leave this week so it's been very quiet around base but with no course running it meant that me and Scott could finally start training so we can gain our LOC'S (level of competencies) and be able to assist instructors.

This week has been filled with rock climbing and abseil set ups which not only have to be exactly perfect but also have to be set up in under twenty minutes along with a few other rules we have to follow too. With a lot of rope and a lot of knots it's quite a challenge but I've managed to get my rock climbing set up around twenty minutes so I'm quite happy with that.

We've also been in the water each day practicing kayaking. Now, I love kayaking and it's such a cool sport but what I didn't expect to find was when I'm capsized, I habe a fear of being stuck under the water. One of the things we have to learn is kayak rolls, starting with a 180° roll (YouTube it!). For those of you who are not familiar with this, it basically means spending time capsized then pushing yourself back upright with the power from the paddle and your hips against the inside of the kayak while underwater. It sounds more confusing than it actually is. So as I started to practice this, every time I went underwater I panicked making me rush to get the roll done which in turn, doesn't work because I've rushed it and forgotten what I'm meant to be doing ending up with me panicking even more. I've wet exited and been rolled back by the trainees helping us so many times. Charmoné and Sicelo have been absolutely amazing at helping me and Scott with our kayaking. Scott gets a shout out here because he absolutely nailed the whole kayak roll situation the first day we did it! An OB achievement as it's taken people months to learn it! On Thursday Sicelo made me spend some time capsized getting comfortable with being underwater for long periods of time (just picture me in the kayak underwater admiring the view of plants and water for twenty seconds). I'm very glad he did that because afterwards I finally managed to stay calm enough to do a 180° roll! I've never felt so happy to be able to finally to do something!! The smile on not only my face but the other trainees too after I did it successfully twice was absolutely brilliant. I'm very relieved that I can move on with my kayak training and I'm not nervous about being capsized any more which is a major bonus. It just shows what you can achieve if you put in the determination and self belief.

We've also been swimming everyday to not only improve our fitness but also as it's another thing that we'll be assessed on before we can act as water support for instructors and their groups. I've loved swimming here each day as it's not only fun but it can also be quite challenging. We've done distance swimming, we've done sprints, we've done circuits and then for a bit of fun on Thursday we had a race where we had to swim the triangle of the boy, boat and then back to shore all while bringing along a wooden pole for the first lap then swapping it for a large plastic barrel for the last lap. We also went in pairs for a race to the boat where we had to take a barrel between us then get it and us onto the boat. Nothing beats a bit of friendly competition! I've attached a photo of us during swimming training on Wednesday. The water was absolutely freezing, it was chucking it down with rain and the wind made for some rather impressive waves the further out we swam. But as you can see we're smiling anyway - maybe because we know that a warm shower is in sight.

Another fear I've come face to face with this week is snakes. I'm taking it as a good sign that it's taken over two weeks in South Africa to see one. When Dion (the man in charge of OB here in SA) came running into the dining hall telling us to come see a snake my brain went wild, epecially as we all crowded round and he pushed me right to the front of everyone! But the snake wasn't what I was expecting. While I was thinking massive python it actually turn out to be a tiny black/brown snake maybe not longer than 40cm just sitting in the sun. But we were soon informed that it was only a baby boomslang, or commonly know as a tree snake. It's very poisonous, can grow to over a meter and loves nothing more than sitting in a tree and dropping out as you walk underneath. To say my eyes have been glued to the trees for the rest of the week is an understatement.

In other news, we've been off since Friday so we have just been chilling around base as we're down for DP for the weekend. I've found a very good reading spot on the hammock outside the A frame so I've spent quite a lot of time reading and enjoying the view. Sunday has now become laundry day for me so I did that this morning before me and Scott went a walk up to the top of the hill overlooking the base (it's been a productive Sunday so far!). Monday is a bank holiday here in SA as it's Hertiage day and also Braai day - South Africans take braaiing very seriously - so we're off till Tuesday which is nice. Oh, and crocs are now my favourite type of shoe... two weeks at OB changes people, what can I say.

Breakfast is breakfast

Our first task as a Project Trust correspondent is titled 'Breakfast is breakfast' and it's about the differences between meals at our project and back home, with a focus on breakfast and our morning routine.

Now although I've only been at Outward Bound for three weeks I've already experienced three completely different morning routines so I'm going to give you a insight into what it's like being an OB instructor in the morning.

Let's start off with the 'normal' morning routine. Breakfast for everyone is at 7.30am in the main dining hall and consists of cornflakes. Not all staff have breakfast here, some prefer to eat in their rooms - Monday is my cheat day where I'll sleep a little longer and have a bowl of Cheerios (you would not believe how happy I was to find them in the local shop) in my room. It can be quite cold in the dining room in the morning so it's not an unusual scene to find instructors hunched over a warm bowl of cornflakes with a wooly hat on. Now compared to breakfast back home, nothing is massively different, although my walk from my room to the kitchen back home doesn't require me to get outdoor shoes on or a jacket if it's raining.

Another morning routine I'm getting use to is the one the DP (duty person) has. From 8.30am to 8.30am the next day a member of staff is the duty person. They need to get up earlier than all other staff members so I set my alarm for 6.30am when I'm DP. As I walk down from my room I head via the toilets and showers as I need to turn off the lights at the stairs/path. When I get to the main building I unlock the door to the kitchen and walk through to the dining room to unlock the two sliding wooden doors. I then swing by the DP room where I collect the flag and keys to the boat shed. As I walk to the water I open the gate to the centre and tie and raise the South African flag on the flagpole. I then head over to the boat shed where I unlock it's gates before returning the keys. Normally all of this won't take longer than 20 minutes, although that can depend on the weather. Once I've finished I head back to my room where I'll continue reading my book. But when it gets to 7.25am I need to be back at the main building to ring the bell. It's the DP's job to ring the bell five minutes before each meal. While eating breakfast as a DP I use the time to write up the morning meeting sheet. The morning meeting happens everyday at 8.30am so the DP needs to ring the bell again at 8.25am. The DP runs through the morning meeting briefing everyone what is happening that day, any training that will happen, who the DP will be that day, the weather, the food we'll be eating and also giving a positive quote. Here's an OB favourite for you - "Don't work hard. Work smart". Sometimes it can seem a lot of work, especially as it's all before half eight!

The last morning routine instructors have here is if there is a course running. I've only seen a course run at Willow Point so I don't know if mornings at other bases are the same on course as they are here. However the morning starts at around 5am (yep you read that right). At that time just now it's dark and cold so I opt for my Canterburys and a fleece. The reason we have to get up that early is because at 5.45 the group on course has a PT (personal training), run and dip. However before that it's a organised chaos trying to get them all organised and in a circle around the flagpole. Instructors join in with the 15 minutes of exercise where between the lunges and starjumps the sun rises above the horizon, before leading their group on a run followed by a 'dip' in the water to cool down. It's only after that that breakfast is served. When there's a course Nicky is in the kitchen early so that we all can have something warm to eat - usually oats or sausage. It's a welcomed change from cereal.

Lunch at 12.30pm and dinner at 6.30pm are big meals. Working and training non stop Monday to Friday makes for big appetites and Nicky's food is so good that there's always nearly nothing left after everyone piles up their plates. Lunch and dinner usually consists of some sort of meat, either chicken, lamb, fish or pork along with mash potatoes, rice, salad or pap which is fast becoming one of my favourite foods. During the weekend when Nicky isn't here we have to cook for ourselves, which means sandwiches for lunch and then whatever we decided to cook up that night. It really is a case of looking in the fridge and working around what ingredients have been left for you. Not that different to back home. During our next trip to Pick n Pay (basically the SA tesco or asda) I'm going to stock up on dry foods such as pasta and soup so I can vary my lunches throughout the weekend.

At OB we also get tea break at 10am and 3pm each day, however, if there's loads of stuff that still needs done or a course running this is non existent. For someone who doesn't drink tea or coffee this isn't the highlight of my morning or afternoon unlike some other instructors. After trying to eat a rusk (a very hard biscuit type food you dunk in tea or coffee to make it soft) with water I'm fully certain that I'm either going to have to buy hot chocolate in mass or convert to coffee or tea. But for just now, water will do me just fine...perhaps without bits of rusk floating in it.

Rachel

My first week at Outward Bound SA

Sit back, make a cup of hot chocolate and grab an orange cause this is quite the lengthy blog post!

I cannot believe that I've already been at my project for a week! It's been super busy here at Willow Point - Outward Bound's main base, based in Sedgefield in the Western Cape. I'm so glad I've been keeping a diary to remember what we've been doing each day, as I honestly feel like I've been here for months.

Last Sunday me and Scott flew from Johannesburg to George, which is roughly the length of the the UK. We were met at the airport by Emily, who's the area manager for OB and has worked here for three years. She showed us around the centre and introduced us to the other instructors. Everyone here is so welcoming and friendly that any nerves that I had or didn't even realise I had were soon completely gone. I also found out that the staff here love nothing more than a game of Uno to relax after a busy day, "It's not personal, it's just a game" is often heard while we play.

Whenever we're here at Wilow Point, I'll be sharing a room with Talitha who fly's out on the 22nd (although I'm currently sharing with three spiders, who if you'd like to know have been given names) and I've attached some photos of it. As the pictures show, the furniture I have is basic but does it's job, the lamp doesn't have the correct plug for the socket and there's only one of those. But putting my photos on the wall and unpacking all my things has definitely made it feel more like home. We're lucky that the previous volunteers left furniture for us as apparently it's been a tradition to make the next volunteers after you either find or build their furniture, as long as other staff members don't take it first! Toilets and showers are shared not only by all staff members but also scorpions and snakes if the sings on the doors are to be believed. The showers and most taps here use salt water as we're right next to a estuary but I'm happy to say that the showers are much warmer than the sea is!

From Tuesday to Friday there has been a school group of over 130 teenage girls so we've been helping in any way we can. As we haven't started training we couldn't help instructors that much but I've been shown and allowed to set up the Jacobs Ladder and Trapeze (leap of faith) ropes. As part of the course, every morning the participants have to do PT (physical training), run and dip. Getting up at 5.15am each morning for this has definitely been a struggle especially as it's dark outside and my sleeping bag is so warm but it does give an opportunity to see the sun rise over the estuary and sleeping till 7am now seems like a luxury.

The food here has been amazing thanks to Nicky who cooks for the staff Monday to Friday. My appetite has definitely grown since coming here and being so busy everyone eats so much! I'm also in love with the oranges here - they are giant and so tasty. Spending a few minutes trying to peel them are definitely worth it and there's been a few days that I've had three in a row. Friday night we had a Braai which is the South African term for BBQ. It was really good and I got to try pap for the first time. Pap is a food along the lines of rice and mash potatoes but it is delicious and everyone here absolutely loves it. At the weekends we cook for ourselves and yesterday me and Scott raided the fridges and freezers to find something to cook. We'd like to think our beef mince, vegetables and potatoes were a Masterchef worthy dish. 

The weather and local geography isn't what I was expecting when moving to South Africa. Looking out my window I could believe that I was somewhere in Scotland with the mountains and pine trees that are all around. The weather has been good so far, quite warm during the day not getting above 25°C but then it gets dark very quickly around 6.30pm with the temperature dropping as well, winter has just finished here after all.

Today we're all off so me and Scott are going into Sedgefield to do some exploring. Then afterwards I think we're going to tackle our washing that needs done. No washing machine here so it's handwashing all the way from now on.

On my training course I signed up to be a 'Project Trust Correspondent' which means I'm sent monthly tasks about things to write about. Our first task is titled 'Breakfast is breakfast' so I'm going to be uploading the article I write for it on here very soon.

Enjoy the photos,

Rachel