Ok I know it has been awhile since my last post. Many things happened here in South Africa; good things and now I am spending my last few days in Port Alfred before my departure up north to KENYA baby!!!
So what happened the last weeks on the campus in Port Alfred... The computer literacy classes went smoothly and in the last week of our project we created a final test so we could measure how our students performed after 8 weeks of basic computer classes. Of the 27 teachers, 23 made the test and everybody passed, the majority even above 80 %. This in mind that many of the teachers first didn't know how to select a sentence and never heard of Excel. The test had questions about how to make a graph in Excel or insert a photo in Word. We based the result on the questions they asked and their Word and Excel file with their answers. As promised we held an Internet class at our campus for them to experience what the internet is and what you can do with it, afterwards we gave our students the diploma they all deserved. Everybody was so happy when we handed it over, and we got some really heart warming speeches from them about how we helped them so much and our patience. Was really touching to see that we really made a difference at the school and in the community. I couldn't have done it without my amazing group (special thanks to Esther, Doutsje, Ellis, Anke & Annerie) Thanks to the smooth group work we finished the final report and manual we made for the teachers easily and on time.
This module was really relax just like Africa is but what we have achieved is so much, just amazing what Humanitarian work can do.
In between weekdays we have weekends and what are weekends for.... Partying and trips to nice places in the country ofcourse!!
A few weekends ago I left to Plettenberg bay with Tim, Lidwine, Daisy, Jildau, Daphne and Theresa; our mission the highest bungee jump in the world! 216 meters of which you fall about 170 meters. As many of you know I have jumped before about 11 times in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand and as I can be considered a fan of Bungee I decided to jump twice!! (also because the second jump was cheaper ;)) What a rush again after 4 years of not jumping!! Especcialy the second jump a backwards elevator for the fellow jumpers among us a hell of a scary jump! That weekend we also visited Monkeyland and a Snake sanctuary and at saturday night me and Tim heard about a Goa party we attended, which was just amazing!
The weekend after another Goa party was planned near Jeffreys bay about 3 hours from Port Alfred, it ook us more then 5 hours to find the place but the party was insane! Really nice.
On Friday the 19th of June Hans and I left to Cape Town, the days before it was hard to say goodbye to the Humanitarian Group and the party on wednesday was great. On saturday we had a shark dive planned and to save fuel we picked up a friend in Port Elisabeth; Ilse who Hans and I met in Hogsback wanted to do the shark dive as well so together we drove to Gansbaai the White Shark Capital of the world.
On saturday morning we left with a small group of 10 people to the open sea close to an island full of seals. Big tuna fishes were soaking in big buckets of water and by pouring that water in the sea; huge freaking sharks soon swam around the boat. The cage was hanging next to the boat and with just a thick weatsuit and diving goggles we were as bait in an open can of fish ;).
Each group of 5 people made 2 dives that day which was fortunate as some boats have more then 20 people on it which can result in only 1 dive per person. As you can see on the photos the sharks look pretty small but still a few were almost 4 meters long. Bought a nice DVD from that day which I will show when I am back.
The day after we made our way to Cape Town. My mission in Cape Town besides visting Table Mountain and RobbenIsland to find a nice car for Linda and I to drive to Kenya.
As I talked to many people here in South Africa what would be the most suitable car for that sort of trips because in many countries they know these cars. Everybody reccommended a Toyota Bakkie (South Africa's name for a pickup) and soon I found an advertisement on Gumtree (kind of Ebay) and a guy wanted to sell his 4x4 Toyota for 52.500 rand about (4.700 euros), on monday I was on his doorstep, made a test drive, and bargained it down till 48.000 rand and he would arrange the Roadworthy (APK). Thanks to my parents who borrowed me some money and part of Linda I just had to have this car. And as I could only withdraw 750 € per day Hans helped me allot with paying the full amount in 3 days and on Saturday the car was registered on my name and in my posession. My third shared own car after the Skunk Van in New Zealand and the station wagen in Australia with my buddies Freek and Dennis.
In the mean time in Cape Town Hans and I went to the District 6 museum, Robben Island, Table Mountain, Cape point and the Castle of Cape Town, and my first Rugby match between the second teams of the Lions and the Springboks and 5 times to the cinema as a ticket was only €2,50.
Cape Town is a really beautifull city and quite safe for South African standards. See the photo site for pictures, For the people who know the famous Dutch designer M.C. Baumgarten (aka Pappielauw formerly known as Michiel) I found his creation Jolli which he made and won a designer contest in Holland and in South Africa I bought it; a photo shoot was the result.
After registration of the car on saturday we went to RobbenIsland as the previous days it was sold out or cancelled during bad weather. After the interessting tour through the island we left Cape Town that afternoon to go to Hermanus a popular spot where you can see whales from the shore. That night we met felllow humanitarians Sabrina, Lidwine, Rebecca and Anna in the same restaurant as they were making their way to Cape Town. Nice to see them again for the last time. On sunday we left early after spotting one whale in the distance and planned to go the Cape Agulhas, the most southern point of Africa and then continue another 800 km to Port Alfred.
Just 200 km from Port Alfred we suddenly got a flat tyre on the highway in the dark and as we didn't had a jack to lift the car we were lucky that we were near an exit of the highway and we knocked at a farmhouse's door and the people there helped us with changing the tyre. Lucky us!!
First thing to do on monday get a jack, and 2 new good tyres. I also got a piece of wood in the back of the Bakkie to make a bed inside. Ooh and the Car has a new name The Beast!
My plan for this week is to buy the last things neccesary for the trip to Johannesburg. On thursday I drive with Erik to Jo-burg in 2 days to stay with a friend there and then I will pick up my girl the next day on saturday morning to continue to Botswana. Really can't wait, 4 days left!!! Then 2 months of propper African travelling will begin to Kenya. YEAHH!!!
For photos go to http://picasaweb.google.nl/jcopray/
