COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Emily Forbes
Greetings!
There's quite a bit to fill you in with since my last blog. As signified by the title, we haven't wasted any time! We were lucky enough to have a week off our volunteer work to visit the stunning palm fringed beaches of Tofo Bay. Our accommodation at Fatima's backpackers had direct access to the beach, and we spent much of the week swimming, tanning and doing a whole bunch of activities.
Tofo was an undiscovered paradise and the highlight of the week was without a doubt the ocean safari. We all hopped into a speedboat and ventured out into the ocean with the hope of spotting a whale shark or humpback. We didn't have to wait long, within five minutes of being out on the water a baby humpback swam right alongside our boat, a sight that was rare even for our experienced guides! Things only got better from here on in as we ventured further out into the ocean, when we finally discovered a whale shark! We all hurried to jump in and swim alongside this majestic creature, and were blown away by just how big they were! As we made our way back to shore dolphins swam alongside the boat which topped off a perfect day.
The fun didn't stop there as we went on an island kayak to a remote island. After two hours of paddling over pristine waters we arrived on the coast of this island and walked underneath a canopy of tall palm trees through our tour of the island. After kayaking for two hours we were absolutely starving and were presented with a seafood feast that was enjoyed by everyone.
Other highlights of our time in Mozambique included quad biking, bartering at the local markets and enjoying breakfast on the beach.
Feeling refreshed after a week in Mozambique we headed back to our placement work at our home in Ezulwini. Our last two weeks of volunteer work were a flurry of activity as many of us had plans for our children. Our projects included building a new playground for the children in Lobamba, an excursion to Hlane game park for the Mlindazwe kids and purchasing toothbrushes and toothpaste for our children.
For our last day at our NCPs we all planned parties as a special treat for the kids. This included face paint, musical chairs, treasure hunts and pass-the-parcel to name a few. By the end of the day there were definitely a few tears as we realised we were saying goodbye to our beautiful children for good. We all promised to write and stay in touch, and hopefully return one day.
With our first volunteer placement behind us, we headed off on a road trip to the famous Victoria Falls. After travelling for two days through Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe we arrived at the tourist town of Vic Falls.
Our first activity planned was a day trip over the Zambian border to experience the falls from the top by going for a swim at the Devil's Pool, right at the edge of the top of the falls. We were greeted by absolutely breathtaking sights of the cascading falls and rainbows.
We also got to experience the might and majesty of the Zambezi river through white water rafting. This is said to be the best in the world, with the highest commercial rapid drop and it certainly did not disappoint! With rapids graded up to a 5 it was certainly hard work but thoroughly enjoyed by all, even when the raft capsized and we found ourselves being carried along the rapids.
On our last day in Vic Falls we visited the viewing platforms to see the falls in action. We were all blown away by these stunning views! In the afternoon two of us were game enough to test out the Vic Falls big air experience, which incorporated a zipline, gorge swing and bungee jump.
Our next adventure begins on Tuesday when we embark on our two-week road trip to Cape Town.
Until next time,
Usale Kahle!
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