Perspective

So here I am, lying on a hammock and thinking about how crazy it is that this is my final day in Africa. As I look around at my surroundings, I can't help but reflect on these last two months. This trip has been an absolutely amazing experience. I have seen much beauty and witnessed much devastation. I have cried, sang, danced, laughed until my belly hurt and spent many moments completely speechless. Someone asked me how this trip compares to America, and the truth is, it doesn't. How can you compare two such completely different experiences. One thing that I can say though, is that I am ready to come home. When I returned from America, I felt I had nothing to return to. Now, after gaining valuable perspective, I know that I have everything to return to. See you soon Australia.

Southern Africa Encompassed

So today marks the end of my Southern Africa encompassed tour, and what a fabulous tour it was. We camped in, and navigated the Okavango Delta, did a sunset cruise along Chobe River, got up close with wild lions, swam on the edge of Victoria Falls, explored the Bushmen Culture through ancient cave paintings,  tracked rhinos on foot in Matobo National Park, felt the pulse of a continent at a dancing demonstration, spotted almost all of the big 5 at Kruger National Park, slept under the stars and visited and interacted with the local community of the Planeterra volunteer program in the Shalati Village. It was an amazing experience and I look forward to exploring the rest of Africa one day.

Zimbabwe

Today we stayed at Big Cave campsite, which is 3 km from the Matobo National Park boundary. The campsite is located in one of the leopard richest areas of the world and has wonderful views down the valley into the National Park. We were taken on an all day Game Drive around Motobo National park, a wilderness area rich in white and black rhino's. It was an amazing cultural experience. We got into the vehicle and the first thing Ian, our crazy guide said to us was "If you only came to see animals then get out." At first I was a little shocked at that command, thinking "Well what else do you go on a Game Drive for", but then I understood. It was so much more than just animals. Within 5 minutes Ian had already shown us 5 really different, really interesting plant species. We tried a really interesting plum that had two components to it. The outside was really sour and the seed was actually a nut. He showed us a plant called 'Bushman's Soap' which is meant for burns and works even better than Alovera. He also pointed out some natural hallucinogens, poisons and pain killers. We got to try bush orange, this really sticky fruit and some berries. After that, we hopped off the vehicle and the real adventure began. Rhino tracking. Ian was very clever and it didn't take long before we came across 6 white rhino's. We managed to get 5 metres away from them without them running away and boy were they breathtaking. The experience was surreal. Once we returned to the vehicle, Ian asked for a volunteer. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I immediately threw my hand up. Then he explained to us, that I would be sitting in the bait seat. The bait seat is a seat that is located right at the very front of the vehicle, designed to attract animals. Although it was a little bit intimidating, the feeling was amazing. I had full view of everything and felt as if I was floating on air. Ian then drove us to an amazing spot that the Bushmen once occupied. We climbed this mountain which lead us to a cave that was covered in incredible cave paintings. Ian explained to us the legend of the Bushmen which was extremely interesting. There were even shadow paintings which can only be seen in the dark because they glow. To end the Game Drive, we were then taken to a local village where a chief and his family lived. The chief was just as crazy as Ian. He told us stories of how he was attacked by a leopard and wore it's skin proudly. His grand children then danced for us and we all took photo's wearing the leopard skin. After that, we returned to the campsite where we watched yet another beautiful sunset and there was a leopard sighting (which I missed :( ). Nevertheless, it was still an amazing experience. The stars were so prominent, so we slept outside and listened to the sound of the leopard's in the distance. 

Zambia

Today has been an absolutely invigorating day. We kicked it off bright and early with a lion encounter in which we tracked semi-wild lions during their daily routine. As we followed the lion's, it was so amazing to view them in their natural environment. They were younger lion's so they were extremely playful. We watched in awe as they tackled each other to the ground. It was easy to forget how dangerous they were in that playful state, but the moment things heated up we were reminded of why we had to sign an indemnity form. We watched as one of the lion's made an attempt to take down a baby elephant. It was so amazing to see them in action, up close. We even had the opportunity to touch them when they were resting. The lion I was patting turned around to look at me and I had to slowly stand up and move back. As the walk came to an end, the lion's returned to their resting spot and we concluded the tour. As we were headed back to the hotel we saw elephants on the way. We stopped to have a look when the biggest elephant charged us. It ran right up to our mini-bus and hit its tusks into the window.
After the lion encounter, we made our way to the markets. the markets were an… Interesting experience. Every store was basically identical, as were the sales tactics used. They began with a Zambian handshake, followed by asking us where we were from, then attempted to draw us in by offering a gift to welcome us to Zambia. What I found interesting though,  was that they wanted to trade pens and hairbands. At first I didn't know why, but then I found out that it was for their children for school. I was astonished that something so common to us, was so sought after in Africa. One woman actually offered me a sarong for a packet of hairbands.
After the markets, the real fun began. We made our way to Angel's pool for High Tea. The entire experience was completely liberating. You arrive at an extremely stunning hotel, located right near the edge of the Victoria Falls, and from there you are transported to an Island called Livingstone Island. The boat ride itself was scary. I could have sworn the water was going to pull us off the edge. Surely enough though, we arrived at the Island to which we were greeted with mini strawberry cocktails. They then walked us around to the front of the Island, showed us the "Loo with a view" and escorted us to the edge of the Victoria Falls, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. As we made our way to the edge, we carefully stepped from one rock to the other. One slip and it could have been the end. We then reached an old loose plank that led from one rock to the other. Right underneath the plank was rushing water and just a few centimetres away was the edge of the falls. We were scared at first but we managed to cross and the view was well worth it. We were getting soaked with water and the sound of the waterfall was phenomenal. Shortly after that, we crossed the plank again and made our way to the Angels Pools. We watched in shock as our guide walked right along the edge of the falls and gestured us to follow him. We stood there completely frozen looking at each other as if to see whether any of us would actually follow him. He then began laughing and started pointing to the actual route. As we made our way around, we reached a small cascade which lead to a pool of water right on the edge of the falls. The guide was gesturing for us to slide down the cascade into the pool, but every instinct I had was telling me not to do it. Nevertheless, we did as he said and before we knew it, we were swimming on the edge of the falls. The current was so strong I thought I was going over for sure. Looking down was exhilarating. The view was stunning. The guide then showed us a water pocket under the cascade. We leaned back into it and completely disappeared. The force of the water was sublime. We then climbed across the rocks into another section of the pools where we sat for a bit longer underneath another cascade. Once our time was up, we were then escorted towards our high tea which was absolutely delightful. Overall, a fantastic day!

Botswana

These last two days have been extremely eventful. The day we arrived we were taken on a scenic flight of the Delta which was absolutely stunning. We saw all kinds of animals and got a great view of the wild place we were going to spend the next 2 days. The next morning, we kicked off the trip bright and early, as we packed and mentally prepared to spend the night in the famous Okavango Delta. We made our way to the river, where we were collected by a speed boat which took us to the Mokoro sight. Once we reached the Mokoro's, were assigned a Polar and off we went. The Mokoro ride was so relaxing. As we were floating along, I began to have a conversation with our Polar, 'Lawrence'. He taught me some of his language, 'Tswana' and recounted some of his various experiences within the Delta. 2 hours later, we arrived at our destination. Our campsite was right in the thick of the Okavango Delta where the was no showers, no electricity, the stars shone bright and the toilet was a hole in the ground. I have to admit, the idea of sleeping amongst the African wildlife scared me at first, especially after all the stories we heard. However, once I got a glimpse of our campsite, I was no longer scared, but rather captivated. Once we had settled in, we were taken to a watering hole that was 'safe' for swimming. In other words, there weren't as many crocodiles there. The water was so beautiful though. We swam in there for a good hour until it was time to head back. Not long after our swim, we went for a nature walk. In  total, the walk took us three hours, and although it was exhausting, it was well worth it. It was stunning. We trudged through metres of water, crossed large grass fields, and managed to see zebras, warthogs, antelope and wilder beast. We made it back just in time to watch the sunset, and what a beautiful sunset it was.

When we returned to the campsite, I noticed one of the polars was limping. I asked him what was wrong with his foot and he said he had a thorn in it. I asked if I could have a look at it and boy was it bad. His foot was extremely infected and the thorn was still inside. I quickly retrieved my first aid kit and got to work. I removed the thorn, disinfected his cut and gave him some pain killers and he thanked me kindly. After dinner, the real fun began. The Poler's performed multiple traditional songs and dances for us by the fire, and we responded with our own traditional songs and dances. It was a night of laughter and joy. Once it was time for bed, I opened all the windows in our tent in hopes to catch a glimpse of any animals that pass during the night. Unfortunately I didn't see anything, but we did hear hyena's in the distance and a lion roar. That morning, we headed back to the Mokoro sight where we also saw one of the local villages. As we were saying goodbye to the Polars, the man whose foot I fixed, wrapped his arms around me and proclaimed that I wasn’t allowed to leave. It was a humorous end to an amazing few days. Looking forward to the next part of my trip!

Cape Town, South Africa

Well, today I farewell Cape Town as I begin the next part of my trip. Saying goodbye to the babies was a difficult experience and I will never forget them and the impact they have had on my life. My time in Cape Town has truly been one to remember. I volunteered at a Children's Home, was present at Nelson Mandela's memorial, went seal snorkelling, hiked Table Mountain and Lion's Head, spent Christmas, New Years and Australia Day abroad, enjoyed wine tasting, spent gorgeous days at the beautiful beaches, attended cinema under the stars at Kirstenbosch garden's, watched magic show's, tasted the lovely cuisine, went to the District 6 Museum and got my hair braided. I must say,  I'm extremely blessed. What a blessed trip I have had so far. Looking forward to the next part of my trip. Bitter sweet.

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One Small Gesture

Within Baphumelele Childrens Home, there is a project known as the Child Headed Households project. It raises money to support some of the many children in Khayelitsha who due to various circumstances, are the sole supporters of their family. Being volunteers within Baphumelele, we were asked if we would like to get involved with and financially support a braai (African BBQ) for the children within the project. Thanks to the generous donations of one of the girls i work with, we were able to buy loads of food including chicken, sausages, rolls, salad, pap and drinks. As 1pm came around, we got started on the braai and watched as 52 children began to poor into the room. Some were about my age and others couldn't have been much older than 7-13 years old. Divided by age, yet united by circumstances, the children interacted with each other in a way that suggested family. The eldest seemed to comfort the yougest, providing them with the temporary opportunity of being children again. The youngest in return, providing the eldest with a sense of appreciation. Each child frightfully young, yet wearing lines of worry that no child should bear.
The food took forever to prepare and although we expected restlessness, the children sat patiently, waiting for what to them was a feast. Once the food was finally done, we brought it out. The children began to clap and sing as they passed the plates around to each other, ensuring that the youngest had food first. As they were eating their meal, i took my phone out to check the time when i noticed a young girl staring at me. I smiled at her and asked if she wanted another drink and she said she just wanted to see my phone. I looked down at my battered up phone, shrugged and said something i now regret, "Sure, but it's not very good" to which she responded, "But to me, it is beautiful." Once she had finished analysing my phone, she handed it back to me and before i could think of what to say next, she was up and on the move. My eyes followed her as she made her way towards the middle of the room where she demanded everyone's attention. She then proceeded to thank us for our kindess and lead the rest of the children in a song that was dedicated to us. I looked around the room and felt humbled to be a part of something so beautiful. I was truly astonished that something so effortless on my behalf could have such an impact on so many peoples lives. The truth is, you don't have to move mountains to make a difference. One small gesture may seem insignificant, but we can never truly judge the full impact of our actions. For just like my phone, what may seem broken to us might be a thing of beauty to another.