Sleeping between Lions and Crocs; literally!

Hey peoples,

How is everyone doing? Life on the campus is nice and quiet at the moment as many students are of this and next week. Only our group of 30 students and some other south african students who have a resit are here at the moment.

So let me tell you some about the evening in the township last thursday; Our community coordinator wanted to show us life in the township so we drove with two vans late in the afternoon to the township NeMaTo. This township has more then 20000 people and circumstances are harsh. Every week there are many stories about girls getting raped or people murdered and it is unsafe to walk around here at night. But as we all were in a group wearing our blue Humanitarian Shirts and with our guide Alroy we felt safe. We were dropped in the middle of the township and us was told to start walking in the direction where a bar was located. There were allot of people and kids in the streets mainly because the unemployment rate is very high and many people are rather outside then inside. Some people do know that we are here to help and improve education and facilities with our knowledge, so appreciation can be seen in their faces.
During our walking trip we visited a community hall where many people were singing and dancing and celebrating that the ANC leader Zuma was cleared of corruption charges. Later on we ended up in a bar where we payed for a 750 ml beer 9 rand (0,75€) and talked to the locals who mostly all speak english. A guy came in and told us that he was selling half a sheep head for 12 rand. Eventually everybody wanted to taste some of the meat inside the cheeks of the blackened-baked sheep skull. Not bad actually especially the eye which I shared with a classmate (see the bit blurry photo in the link below).

That saturday we booked a 2 day safari with 27 people of the group, a large number but we got allot of discount and eventually payed 600 rand (about 50€) for 2 tours, 2 meals and sleeping out in the open next to a campfire. My first safari (here they call it a game drive) and we saw so many animals; amazing. We were sitting in a 10 person open jeep and our ranger Scot was the best guide you could have. Some animals we saw, some really upclose; rhinos, hippos, girafes, antilopes, crocs and lions. In the evening we enjoyed a magnificant meal and a nice spot was picked between a pont with 2 crocs and a fenced house where the toilets were located. A nice campfire kept us all warm and 5 rangers kept the crocs away and kept a lookout for lions coming not to close. It felt quite safe but at a certain moment Schot shouted in a direction 5 meters from the tree where some people were sleeping; a giant male lion ran off, who was waiting for a person wundering of alone. Every body was suddenly awake and throughout the night many people couldn't sleep because of the hard growling of the 2 mail lions around the camps. The rangers said that this was the first time the lions and the crocs came so close; scarry moment but a great experience!
In the morning drove through the park one more to see some animals and at 10 in the morning we left the park all with a feeling we will never forget. Some groups headed of in their rental cars to see an elephant park nearby but Hans and I decided to go with 3 girls to a Cheetah breeding farm some 80 km away, slept only for 3 hours but driving there was all worth it. As you might know that I worked with Pumas in Bolivia some years ago my dream was ever since to see a Cheetah upclose. For 30 rand we got a small tour through a farm where they breed cheetahs to be released into national parks. We could pet 2 cheetahs who were just 9 months (still big animals doh when you sit next to them) and a full grown male of 2,5 years old. Such a great experience. But still the main surprise was still there for us to see and hold. Two 5 week old lion cubs we could hold and play around with. WHAT A WEEKEND!

This week we started with our projects; well... actually just an introduction because monday we still had a surroundings tour organised for us and wednesday was elections day. And we were told that it wouldn't be the safest day to enter the Township.

My project is called Computer Literacy, and it is about giving basic computer classes to 2 x 20 teachers of the school in the Township. With 5 other students we give basic Windows and Office training for 2 hours per day. As you might now i have studied IT for 4 years so now my knowledge will be usefull, my learning goal is to improve my teaching skills. All the teachers we met were very enthousiastic about our help and we are ready for making a difference.
The 20 computers will be prepared during our week off and so on we have planned a 10 days of trip to Lesotho and Swasiland starting tomorrow with 3 cars. Hans and I have one car and we will drive to Swasiland aswell the rest will visit places on the coast.

The link to some photos; http://picasaweb.google.nl/jcopray

have fun at Queensday I will celebrate it high in the mountains maybe even on skies, as we heard that there is snow in Lesotho ;)

greets joost

Walking through the slums of Port Alfred

Hello from sunny South Africa,

First of all, thanks for your reactions on my last post. So now you all must be wondering how life is in Port Alfred, the small town where my campus is located.

I flew last Friday the 10th of April after spending 2 nice days with my chica in Germany. After saying goodbye to my parents, brother and Linda my yearly trip to Africa began... YEAH!!!!
My flight mates of tourism were Sabrina, Lidwine and Daphne; 3 of the 30 students doing the same module as I. First a short flight at 16:40 to London Heathrow, waited 2 hours and then a long 11 hour flight to Cape Town, South Africa.
Bit of turbulence during a thunder storm in the middle of the night, but still slept a bit. No problem at customs and quickly arranged the car we booked. After some double espressos our 2 day road trip started to Port Alfred 800km further. Had to get use of driving on the left again especially with 3 hours sleep last night. The first impression of the landscape; very diverse and beautiful. In some cities the slums were visible from the road and a strange image in comparison with the huge houses of the white population with big fences and security.
Sabrina booked a hostel at mosselbay about 300 km east of Cape town so that was our destination before nightfall. On the way we looked for a bay where penguins were spotted so our first stop was there.

After a good night sleep and a good dinner at sea the night before. we continued another 500 km to Port Alfred. As we booked the car for 2 days we didn't see much the first 2 days in Africa but hey... I will be a year on the continent so no hurry.

Arrived on Sunday in the evening, and many of the students arrived around the same time. My roomy for the next 10 weeks Hans was already on the campus and we got our accommodation pointed out to us for at least the first 2 weeks. And you might not believe it but we are staying in a huge white villa with swimming pool and everything, this is because they have to many students to place on the campus so many are scattered in a walking distance of 10 minutes from the campus where we get breakfast,lunch and dinner every day. Easter Monday was spend doing not much; laying on the beach and meeting some of the about 180 students on the campus.

The campus is located about 10 minutes walk from the beach and 15 from the center. It is safe here around the campus and there is security driving around at night still you have to be careful that you have to lock everything when you leave. Since I arrived here a house with students was robbed twice because they didn't lock it properly. And at night you can't walk back to your house alone, always with 3 or 4 persons. This gives a bit of a strange feeling, but I will get used to it.

This week is an introduction week with some lectures and tours through out the city and campus. This also included a tour through the township of NeMaTo and an evening in a bar there. This was an amazing experience, such a difference with the western world. The people's lives are so much different, it is heart breaking to see the poverty and unemployment of these areas. The following weeks I will tell more about it, when I am in working at a school in the township with 5 other students on a really interesting project.

This weekend we (the whole group of 30 students) will go to my first National Park in Africa. We rented 6 cars for 3 days and we will do a tour this afternoon hoping to see the Big 5. And i have already plans for the holidays the week after to go to Lesotho and Swasiland.

Sorry for not posting some pictures yet but my adapter of my laptop blow up when i connected it. My laptop is OK and I will buy a new adapter this week so photos will come soon.

Have to go now. Hope you are all fine.

Greets Joost

It began in Africa

Dear Folks,

Tomorrow my trip starts to the continent where it al began... Africa. At the moment I am in Deutschland at my girlfriend Linda's place. I will fly from Dusseldorf in the afternoon, through London to Cape Town.
So you might want to know where is Joost ending up now and for how long? This my plan;

As I am studying Tourism Managment and choose my minor to be Humanitarian Managment I was able to do 10 weeks of the 20 weeks on a campus in Port Alfred, South Africa.
And ofcourse what is joost gonna do when he is dropped in the south of Africa ..... exactly TRAVEL!! After 10 weeks my good friend Jelke will arrive in Cape Town and we will travel for 2,5 months to Kenya. I experienced 3 months of travelling with him in South America in 2005 so this will be another major experience to do this with our own car and cross almost 10 countries; seeing the jungle, doing safaries, have some shark dives, bungee, see the gorillas etc.

And what would be better to start my fourth year of my international study doing my internship in Kenya with my girlfriend.
So we looked and we found a Dutch company in Kenya and we both got accepted for 7 months starting in September this year!!!

In total, being away for a year! For my study, travel and internship; a better combination is hard to find I would say ;)

The last weeks I have spend my time visiting my family & friends who are so dear to me. And ofcourse my girl who I will miss for 5 months untill she is joining me in September.
Arranged everything and packed my bag and tomorrow at 16:50 I fly with 3 classmates to Cape Town where I booked a car which will take us in 2 days 800km further to Port Alfred.

I wish you all a great year and keep my posted on your adventures I will certainly do that from Dark Africa.

Greets your buddy Joost.