Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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
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14 comments:
Hey Dude! It's great to hear about all the insane stuff you're doing down in SA!
Do I understand that you're going sky-diving in Lesotho?? Lucky bastard! Keep up the posts - they're great fun to read!
Cheers
Liam :)
Hey bro
Wow man, sounds awesome! The pictures are really great too. Damn, I want to go on safari too.
Enjoy your weeks off and good luck with your computer education. Maybe you can learn those teachers how to download South Park and Family Guy too :)
speak to you later
Su hermano
I love your pose on that picture man! Reminds me of....
I'll read the damn text now, as I have not dun that yet, as it is way too long to spent my precious time on... Mr. fuckin' novelist. Can't you write short messages like:
"I'm fine, don't worry, that wasn't some Africa kid's eye."
And more pics man! MORE I SAY!
D
Joost, thanks for the update, it seems you are having a wonderful time.
Nice to see your photo’s from the scenery, the wild animals and from you of course. The villa with the pool outside, not the worst place to stay for a student.
Enjoy the travelling to Lesotho and Swaziland and take care.
xxx
PS
Thijs told us about wikitravel
Als altijd "ämazing" wat jij mee maakt. Mijn voorstel: houdt dat blue Humanitarian Shirt dag en nacht aan! Slapen wij ook wat rustiger.
Geniet maar blijf alert.
Shit man, je gaat bear grillz achterna! ogen eten en shit. En dennis moet niet zeuren, als je boek uitkomt koop ik em wel hoor. En check de tijd waarop je broertje heeft gepost, kan geen toeval zijn nu hij in de greenroom woont.
Gr F
ps wie is die sexy chick met gentleman-pet?
jow Jewish,
your doing it again, living the live you like. enjoy my brother. keep posting, its so cool to read. makes me a bit (jaloers) but hey Yesterday I was smoking a splif and drinkin a cold called cold (beer brand) in a hot spring near lake Taupo. with a Jewish guy, made me think about you! not so bad either hey......
Go Jewish, Go.
T
Dude,
Dope foto's man! (net pas gezien :p)
Echt ziekelijk vet. Keep it up!
Indrukwekkend.
En meer clichématige kracht woorden... maar echt heel vet.
Weer een prachtig avontuur in de pocket.
Ass. ;)
D
Trying again to add the links
fotoos JoostLesothoSwazilandwikitravel Africa
Dajewwwww!
Amazing pictures dude!! And I'm very proud of you doing such altruïstic work! I bet the Dalai Lama would be proud to! =)
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!
WTF Skydiving!!!!! (HOE VET IS DAT!!!)
Grtz Mirko
Hallo Joost,
Je bent net weg en nu al weer zoveel meegemaakt. Leuk om je reis te volgen. Ben wel een beetje jaloers hier in Amsterdam! Maar volgende week gelukkig koninginnedag en hebben wij ook wat te genieten hier. geniet ervan.
groetjes ook van Rolf en Tim
Marijke
Ben je onze Afrikaanse kennis Marnoe Wana al tegen het lijf gelopen? Doe em in ieder geval de groeten!
D420/24/7
Hoi Joost, Zoals je vast al gehoord hebt was koninginnedag in Nederland niet leuk. Een uur of twaalf is er een Suzuki dwars door de mensenmassa heen gereden en er zijn doden gevallen. Gave site man, hoe is het met je? Goed zo te lezen! Have fun, geniet ervan, t mooie Afrika, yesyes. Doei!
Groetjes Coosje
Hey bro Wow man, sounds awesome! The pictures are really great too. Damn, I want to go on safari too. Enjoy your weeks off and good luck with your computer education. Maybe you can learn those teachers how to download South Park and Family Guy too :) speak to you later Su hermano
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