Spring 'Vac' in SA

So this past week was UKZN's official Spring Break! (or, here, they call it a "vac")

I said before that Catherine and I planned on driving up north to the Blyde River Canyon and that the driving went really well. It took about 10 hours to get up there and we traded off, basically, each day on driving. I have gotten pretty comfortable driving here, I think. It will be fun going back stateside and doing it all opposite again.

When we reached Hoedspruit (literally, "hat" and "creek"), we rented the same hostel from Saturday through Tuesday night. Although it was not your typical backpackers (we had our own kitchen and bathroom), it was a very pleasant place to stay. The owners were extremely good-natured and even baked and left muffins in our room for Catherine's birthday with a little card.

Our Chalet

The weather was not perfect the first couple of days and, frankly, we were a bit disappointed. It was over-cast and chilly (not the weather you would expect in Africa); however, the first full day we had, we decided to go up to the Blyde River Canyon park and do the hiking trails.

The first trail lead us to a beautiful, little waterfall.

We were told that, when the weather is nice, some people choose to swim in the waterfall. But, alas, it was just too cold that day. 

After the waterfall we drove a bit all the way until the end of the road. At the top, there was a small, run-down museum and another trail to take. I was able to take some great pictures of the canyon and it was so nice just to hike around and enjoy being outdoors. 

Afterwards, we were able to see and walk halfway across a big dam. 

Returning, that evening we braaied (African BBQing) with a nice group of Germans and then sat by a fire and chatted with a very nice Norwegian couple.

The next day we went to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center! It was so bittersweet to see all of those animals in enclosures, but it is good to remember that they are in there for their own benefit. 

The first thing we got to do was pet a cheetah! His name is Bullet and he has been raised since infancy in the center.

After that our very large, touristy group was split into smaller groups and shown around the facilities. Here are a variety of the animals we got to see:

A hyena 

Bullet, the Cheetah

These are just the CUTEST cats in Africa. 

They are called Servals and I want one. Plain and simple. 

The vicious honey badger. 

Our guide told us how a honey badger could take down full grown lions by chomping down on the lion's testicles and remain clinging on until the lion collapses. 

This Honey Badger is also a notorious master of escape and has managed to maneuver his way out of his enclosing several times by using many innovative ways. They thought he might have just wanted a lady companion, but, once they gave him one, he apparently pushed her into a corner and used her as a step stool to make his great escape.

The owner of the center, Brian Jones, is a big bird guy, so the center had many birds that were rehabilitated. 

This one loved to be petted on the head! 

The beautiful lioness

A cute leopard

This poor, beautiful leopard is a cross between an Asian Leopard and an African Leopard. He is absolutely beautiful and only 6 months old. However, because he is too wild for his own good (nobody wants him), they have to put him down before he gets too old. :(

African Wild Dog

An eagle

After the rehab center, Catherine and I felt very lazy and the rest of the day we relaxed in my two hammocks (Thanks Grandma, they have been wonderful out here!). 

(If you squint you can see the hammocks)

Tuesday was National Heritage Day, National Braai Day, and Catherine's Birthday! And, in honor of the triple whammy, the weather decided to turn nice! So, in celebration, Catherine and I revisited the waterfall from the other day and spent the afternoon swimming.

The water was freezing, but well worth it!

We were able to jump from the rocks. We didn't go as high as one guy did, but we were pretty proud of our jumps. I even tested my climbing skills and climbed to the top of the falls.

That night we had a birthday braai for Catherine's Birthday with a big group of Germans.

The next morning was our checkout morning so, for our way back, we decided to take the longer and more scenic Panorama Route. With designated lookout stops, we were able to see the Blyde River Canyon on the opposite side. We were able to pick up some nice souvenirs as well.

God's Window was the final stop on the Panorama Route and I was pretty stoked about it. However, when we got there, all we could see were white clouds. It did have a certain charm to it though.

That night we stopped in Ermelo since it was a good halfway point and one of my advisors told me it was a good, safe location to stop.

The hostel was a bit sketchy, but, hey, you get what you pay for (that is... 12$ for the night). While cooking dinner (grilled cheese), we met an interesting couple of people and ended up playing cards with them. They were both young constructions workers who worked with apparently concrete casting. I had fun teaching them Matt's game and Spoons and BS. We had a lot of fun listening to music and learning a bit more about their culture. While running out of new card games to teach them, I had the two of them teach us a game. So, one proceeded to teach us a card game he apparently learned... in prison. 

Now, don't worry too much! The next day, this rag-tag hostel community came in handy. While packing up the next day to head out, Catherine accidentally locked our keys in the boot (the trunk). With the help of 4 people covering 3 generations, we were able to successfully break into our own car. If we weren't so worried about getting home, the scene could have been almost comical. Picture a grandpa, with the cigarette dangling out of his mouth, demonstrating to his son and his son's son how to successfully break into a car without damaging any part of the car. From the execution of their skills, you kind of got the hunch that they didn't learn to do this by helping people retrieve their locked-in keys. 

From Thursday until Sunday we returned to the quiet town of Underberg. Susie's farm, to us, has felt like a home away from home. I cannot express the happiness the quiet mornings there give me overlooking the Drakensberg mountains. 

I spent the time sleeping, eating, and reading (over 100 pages in one sitting!). We made Susie crepes one morning with ice cream and strawberries. She cooked us steak and lamb for dinner.

One day afternoon we did some hiking around the Drakensberg and the another afternoon we went to Underberg's annual Farmer's Agricultural Fair (A 4H sort of thing),

We were very sad to leave, but I know that we will be back soon. 

I feel the need to wrap this post up, so I wish everyone a fantastic week.

Love,
El

Driving in South Africa

So today marks the beginning of UKZN's spring break! 

Catherine and I decided to spend the time up north to Limpopo and see the Blyde River Canyon. It is the 3 largest canyon in the world and the only green one!

To get there, we decided the best route was to rent a car. Although we rented a car before to go to St. Lucia, this was the first time I was going to drive here in South Africa. 

The roads here are a bit different. Vehicles are driven on the left side of the road while the steering wheel is on the right. Plus most of the vehicles are manual transmission (thanks dad and grandpa for teaching me how to drive manual!!). 

I took the first 5 hours of the drive and, to say the least, I was a bit nervous. It was a good thing that most of my driving took place on 2 major roads. I started off a bit rocky, but things smoothed out as I got used to it. 

The driving conditions were pretty bad which made me more nervous. My half, I had rain, dense fog, and lots of twisty turny hills. Catherine got heavy wind, winding roads and lots of potholes. However! We made it and here we are at our hostel! Getting ready to enjoy a very nice week. 

(I will post a driving video later on :) )

A Weekend at Susie's

I would like to start off this post by saying that Susie, my ceramics professor, is, without a doubt, one of the most generous, kind-hearted souls I have ever met, and I don't think that any of us can thank her enough for this weekend.

For a few weeks now, Susie has offered a few of us to come stay at her farm for a weekend. This weekend, Catherine, Emily D, and I finally managed to go. Fortunately for us, it was the PERFECT weekend (weather-wise) for a trip to her farm.

Susie lives in small town that is located right beneath the Drakensberg mountains. Fittingly enough, the town is called Underberg. It's a very small farmer's town and there is nothing much to it besides your basic essentials. Susie's farm is situated more on the outskirts of the town.

Arriving to her farm, I instantly knew that I would love being there. Pictures, like for most African landscapes, will never be able to do the landscapes's beauty justice (Lots of photos to share, but it is hard to choose just a few)

Indigenous South African Cow

Calf

Part of Susie's property

Wandering

Me, Susie, Emily and Catherine

The name of Susie's Farm

The view from her back porch

Morning mist

We spent Friday evening eating good food around the cozy fire.

The next morning we woke up early to take a tour up Sani Pass. Sani Pass is notorious for being a very dangerous road that takes extreme skill and a 4x4 to drive up. One could also hike Sani Pass, but I personally would not feel comfortable due to drivers not being able to see clearly around each switchback.
The path stretches in between the border controls for South Africa and Lesotho.

A sign warning against the use of non 4x4s

South African Sani Pass Border

In Lesotho, at the top of Sani Pass

Emily, Catherine and I 

The twists and turns of Sani Pass

A group struggling to get their bikes to the top

At the top of the mountain, our driver took us further into Lesotho to explore a temporarily abandoned shepherd's home.

Afterwards, we went to a small cluster of homes near the summit of Sani Pass. There, our driver explained to us that certain flags outside certain homes meant that the resident is selling a certain produce. A white flag means beer and bread while a green flag means vegetables and so on.  He took us to a home that had a white flag and he let us try some Lesotho bread. 

We also got to try on a traditional Lesotho hat.

Afterwards, we stopped to have lunch at "The Highest Pub in Africa".

The view from the balcony

Inside watching the Springbok's rugby game. 

Going back down Sani Pass did not go as smoothly as going up did, but we arrived back at Susie's farm around 4. She prepared a lovely dinner and we spent the evening playing euchre and Matt's game.

The next morning I woke early and had the most relaxing and wonderful Sunday morning I have had in a long time. I got to finish my book and start two new ones while drinking tea and sitting with a lovely mountain view front of me. 

The chair I sat in all morning while reading

All in all, this past weekend has easily been one of my favorites. I cannot wait to come back to Susie's farm in January, for she has invited my mom, Scott, and I to stay here while we make another trip up Sani Pass. 

Until next time,

El

P.S. Anna Banana, can you spot the hidden Mickey? Love and miss you.