Allie's adventures

Cape Town has provided me with a lot of amazing opportunities and experiences that I never would have had if not for coming here. With our time coming to end here I have been taking more advantage of these particular activities. It started with learning how to kite surf in Langebaan (unfortunately the lesson is in two sections and you don't get to go on the water until the second one but we learned how to fly the kites). Then I continued the kite sports with going paragliding which was amazing. It was the kind of thing that looking back on was ridiculous (not in a dangerous way) because you literally run off a mountain. The coaches tell you to sprint and that is what fills the kite with air. And then all of a sudden you are sitting in the air and gliding over the city and then the ocean.

Later that same day I went to Muizenburg to learn how to surf. With Katrina and Emily W we walked into the rental shop just like we knew what we were doing while they were planning on teaching me how to surf with only one lesson themselves. Now this sounds like it could end disastrously, but it went surprisingly well! The first wave I caught I didn't stand but balanced on my knees riding it. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of pride in myself for being out there and trying something new and already starting to succeed. I eventually made it to my feet after a couple of tries and had a great hour surfing, catching a fantastic final wave of the day and floating in satisfied and tired.

Sarah, Emily W & Allie at Kruger

Johannesburg was amazing learning about a rich history and having a unique perspective from a different city. Kruger was also one of my favorite parts of being in South Africa because I have never been able to see actual wild animals like that in my life. Going to the zoo and seeing an elephant is not nearly the same thing as seeing that beautiful creature and knowing it has complete freedom to go wherever and so whatever it wants. All of the animals where incredible but the elephants where my favorite  because you can see that they are intelligent and powerful creatures. It is no wonder that in so many cultures they stand for strength, unity, power and intelligence. It truly made me wonder how anybody could kill these animals for only one part of them, and at that to sell to a greedy consumerist society. This sentiment made me very upset after seeing wild elephants. During lunch there was an elephant also eating across the river from the restaurant eating also. We names him Marvin and watched for a long time just being able to see what an elephant does with his time and it NEVER got boring. He eventually waddled back to the forest, satisfied from lunch. One of the best moments was leaving the compound and it was finally sunny. A huge heard of elephants where grazing in the early morning sun and they looked so amazing. It was the best goodbye I could have hoped for from Kruger.

We didn't get a break after Kruger, we went straight into out work week and then on Friday at 2:45 in the morning left to go to Plettenburg Bay. We started at Cango wildlife reserve. It was not at all like seeing animals in the wild, but we got to see things like crocodiles and lions a lot closer. We watched white baby tigers play, fight and then cuddle in typical sibling fashion. We ended the tour and I was the first to go and have a close encounter with three year old cheetahs Minnie and Mia. It was cool being able to pet and be that close to animals you see your whole life on shows like National Geographic and you never think you'll see them that close in your life. After that we explained Cango Caves which were fascinating I have never seen a cave that huge in my life, and it made for amazing pictures. Then the real highlight of the day happened when we got to the ostrich farm. A few of us got to ride an ostrich. They are ridiculous animals and if you think they look funny running they feel even more hilarious, that is until you gave plant off of it and it trots off satisfied in its work. We made it to our hostel later to see the sunset on the beach and hang out by the fire and have a sing-along by the water.

The next day we woke up to see an amazing sunrise over the beach and my elephant experience was expanded as we made our way to the first elephant sanctuary of the day. We got to ride elephants around a field and three went at a time and held each other's tails. It may have been the cutest thing I have ever witnessed in my life. Their skin is a lot tough then I could have ever imagined and their faces even more amazing up close. You can tell looking at an elephants face they know exactly what they are observing and they even hold a little smile on their mouths. We went to the second sanctuary where we got to feed and interact with their elephants and I never wanted to leave. Their trunks grabbed food right out of hands with the agility of a human hand with thumbs. They even position themselves in photogenic positions like Hollywood stars. If I questioned elephants as being my favorite animal before, there is no doubt anymore. We went to our second hostel after getting those who bungee jumped which looked horrifying, but they loved it. The second hostel was even cooler than the first one it had a massive covered fire pit with couches set up around it. It more of a community feeling and we were able to make more international friends with a shares love of traveling South Africa. The next day we took off for black river tubing. It was more relaxing than anything but the experience was so cool and the river was the most beautiful I have ever seen. While the majority of it was by no means an adrenaline rush we got to jump off a cliff eight meters high and the guides were very much pranksters that flipped our tubes whenever they had the chance.

Experiencing all of these wild things has taught me a lot about myself. I know now how to seize every opportunity that comes my way. I tend to get anxiety about potentially risky experiences, with no real reason behind these worries. Africa, and embracing everything about it, has truly taught me how to look at new experiences and dive into them with only positive feelings and only reasonable worries and precautions. This has probably been one of the most powerful and drastic changes in myself that I see so far. And while I'm learning I'm having the time of my life!