Into "The Bush"

Cape Town = Amazing. Such a beautiful city in both a man-made and natural sense. My last two days in Cape Town were primarily spent doing more touristy events. We visited Robben Island to tour through the prison that held both political prisoners and criminals during Apartheid, including Nelson Mandela. I was surprised to learn that this island actually functioned as a small town with schools, hospital, post office, and housing. I was picturing more of a small Alcatraz-like island with literally just a prison, but Robben Island is actually a functional town. After Robben Island we hit up the most gorgeous beach I have ever seen in an area called Camp’s Bay. I can definitely see why people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Charlize Theron would have houses overlooking this beach.
Unfortunately it rained my last day in Cape Town, but this gave us the chance to catch up on a handful of important tasks. Firstly, I went shopping one last time to pick up a few essential souvenirs. Secondly, a few of us went with a friend we met in Durban to get lunch at a local restaurant to see what real Capetonians eat like…it was not like the tourist food we had been eating on the beachfront. Lastly, two of my friends and I had a night on the town to check out some of the dance clubs. I must say that for a Monday night Cape Town still knows how to party. Overall Cape Town was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend visiting the area if the opportunity arises.
Next I traveled to “the bush” with my friend Uejin. I must say, it was hard to say goodbye to the rest of the group in Cape Town; Uejin and I spent a lot of time reminiscing about the good ole days and nearly everything we did turned out to be nostalgic in some way. It was good to be out in the middle of nowhere to have a reflection period. Here are some highlights from my time spent in “the bush” AKA Kruger National Park:

Day 1: Uejin and I flew into Nelspruit Airport then caught a 3-hour-long bus ride to our camp. The bus ride was quite enjoyable and a great way to see the country-side, although we stuck out like sore thumbs on the bus. We were on a commuter bus for workers living in rural areas, so our hiking backpacks, huge bottles of water, and the color of our skin gave us away as tourists. Nonetheless, we made it safely to our pick up spot where our animated tour guide, Andre, fetched us. We arrived to our camp where we set-up camp in an adorable tent.
Day 2: We moseyed around the game reserve, took a nice nap, ate some porridge, and went on a “sundowner” safari. Uejin and I both agreed that a day can’t get much better than this one. The sundowner safari started around 4 pm and ended after the sunset at 7 pm. We saw just about every animal, including lions! Unfortunately, we failed once again at spotting the Big 5 because we did not see a leopard. For those who do not know, the “Big 5” is the elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, and leopard. They are called the “Big 5” not because they are the biggest animals or the most prevalent, but because they are the five most dangerous animals to hunt.
Day 3: Andre Adventure day! Andre is a talkative Afrikaans man who Uejin and I view as a grandfatherly figure. We were pretty excited to have him show us around the Kruger area. First we drove up through the Blyde River canyon, which happens to be the third largest canyon in the world, behind the Grand Canyon and some canyon in the Amazon (name never remembered by Andre). We then visited the Muhalohalo game conservation center. Uejin and I petted a cheetah, fed a vulture, and touched a baby rhino! We also learned quite a bit about how game reserves function and some of the issues behind them.
Day 4: Another lazy day. We were both pretty tired so we just relaxed in the camp. It was quite nice to have some down time after a semester of work and traveling.

And that brings us to Johannesburg! Uejin and I flew from Nelspruit back to Johannesburg for one last go at South Africa. Joburg is a big city with lots to do, so we will keep entertained. One of the events we are looking most forward to is a “carnivore feast.” Basically we understand this to be a buffet of all sorts of African meats, including ostrich, antelope, and crocodile. While in Joburg I plan on mentally preparing myself to return back home. Many things will be different for me once I return home both mentally and physically. One of the biggest issues will be jumping into a full-blown winter back in the Northwest! I have enjoyed a solid 6 months of summer, so the weather may be one of my biggest battles. See you all soon for a cold Christmas!