These past couple of weeks have made me realize how amazing South Africa is, and I keep having to pinch my self to believe that I am really here!! You have to think on your toes out here, as things can change with a click of a finger. One minute you can be hiking on a mountain with a school group basking in the sun, the next thing you know your being confronted with a massive lightning storm, and your rushing to evac all the kids from the mountain! It’s all about quick thinking and problem solving here!!
There’s always something to do at Entabeni, when there’s a course in, you get fully involved, teaching kids about Ecology, the importance of wetlands and tree, Cranes, and taking them on activities that tests their team work and communication. And if it rains and you can’t do what you originally planed, you find something else to do, such a grass surfing on the mountain (which turns out to be more fun than the original activity)! When there’s not a course in you will always find something to do, weather it is to plan a new course, create a new orienteering route, fix any thing that may be broken, look after the Cranes, looking after the Wetlands (cutting down alien plants such as brambles and burning them), and even painting the staff house!
And when you’ve got free time, you’ve got the world at your door step! You can go hiking in the highest parts of South Africa, absailing, rock climbing, cliff diving, swimming in rivers 2000 meters above sea level, have a briie in the sun set whilst watching a lightning storm in the far distance, play football in the local village against the locals, and even go for a road trip!! Anythings possible!!!
Yesterday was the first free day we’ve had in over a week, so me and the gang celebrated by going to a pub and watched the Eng-Iri game which was a nice chance to relax.
It’s probably not hard to see that I’ve fallen in love with this place! Things are not restricted by overly complicated health and safety, if you want to do something; you do it it! Just use your head.
Till Next Time…
