Not simultaneously...
Thursday night meal was a huge sucess with a gorgeous meal. Was sad to leave half the group on friday, it's been good to have a large group of us to help at the schools.
Friday day I moved up to the high school where my wonderful maths knowledge was put to the test :P My task for the next week (aswell as teaching netball after school and during p.e. lessons is to tutor the grade 9 kids who struggle the most with their maths. My first student, a 16year old called Nmbela showed me her book and she had just been learning about compound interest. easy peasy I thought. I asked her if she understood and she said no...i then discovered that not only did she not understand interest or anything else she had "learnt" that year, she could hardly recite her 2x table. For the lot of the kids in this school, the teachers don't care what the bad children can do, they only focus on the clever ones and this is already frustrating me no end. I am going to take the same children everyday for an hour each and hopefully start to hammer the basics through. By friday they'll all be reciting Pi into double figures...
Friday night and saturday night we spent in a hostel in Cape Town. Friday we completed centurian. 1 shot of cider every minute for 100 mintues. I have never been so sick in my entire life. Saturday we spent a very hungover day wandering around the waterfront and then preparing to go out into Cape Town in the evening.
To be continued....!!! (homework club is calling!)
Miss you all love you
Katie
xxxxxxx
Monday 31 August 2009
Thursday 27 August 2009
Hout Bay Township.
For those sitting at home, it must be pretty hard to comprehend the state that some of these 14,000 (probably more) people live in. An area of probably less than a square mile in crappy steel roofed shacks that I wouldn't want my guinea pigs living in. The strange thing that I am still struggling to understand is why they don't want to leave. The majority of houses have televisions and stereos, so it isn't as if they have no money whatsoever. A girl Nikki, who I have been helping with her maths told me...It's because black people in the township do not know how to budget. White people save their money, so that's what I am going to do as well. It baffles me how a 12 year old can grasp this concept, yet not the adults who also live in the community.
Work at the primary school has been frustrating. Compared to the high school, the Orangjekloof primary is run pretty well, more than enough teachers and good teaching equipment. I have been helping in a grade 6 class, where my main task is to help the students who have difficulty in understanding English. Afrikaans and Kausa is also taught, and a lot of the children listen along in lessons and copying things off the board without a foggy what's actually being said.
After school I have taken it upon myself to coach the netball teams. A lot of the girls are so keen but their P.e. teacher recently left the school so they have no one to teach them. Mostly under 13, some are really good but just a bit rusty round the edges! Even after four days coaching them for an hour after school I can already see an improvement! We were supposed to have a match today but the organisation of teachers is pretty dyre so it didn't happen :(
After school is Kevin's main project. Homework Club. A community centre in the centre of the township is the base for children who want to learn more or practice after class. There are some who are really keen and beg for you to give them sums to do...it can get a bit tedious, but I'm bonding well with some of the kids. 15 year old Shazza is quite possibly the nicest politest 15 year old i've ever met! She has no self confidence at all though and thinks she's rubbish at everything. I've been helping her with her reading (Harry Potter!) and with her school assignments. She is particularly keen on history and loves telling me about Nelson Mandela and black freedom. In return I'm helping her with a project on Hitler!
Homework club starts in half an hour so I best be off! 6 of the 11 volunteers currently here are leaving tomorrow so we are going out for a meal to say bye! Italian I think...yummmm. Food has been a particular problem as my host mother is not the most generous of people. The rest of the family are wonderful though, two older sisters and a younger brother. Them and their father are hilarious but Gertrude has proven to be the topic of many arguments. I have had to buy my lunch most days which is quite frustrating as I have already paid for three meals a day...
Miss you all, love you
Home in a week!
xxxxxxx
Work at the primary school has been frustrating. Compared to the high school, the Orangjekloof primary is run pretty well, more than enough teachers and good teaching equipment. I have been helping in a grade 6 class, where my main task is to help the students who have difficulty in understanding English. Afrikaans and Kausa is also taught, and a lot of the children listen along in lessons and copying things off the board without a foggy what's actually being said.
After school I have taken it upon myself to coach the netball teams. A lot of the girls are so keen but their P.e. teacher recently left the school so they have no one to teach them. Mostly under 13, some are really good but just a bit rusty round the edges! Even after four days coaching them for an hour after school I can already see an improvement! We were supposed to have a match today but the organisation of teachers is pretty dyre so it didn't happen :(
After school is Kevin's main project. Homework Club. A community centre in the centre of the township is the base for children who want to learn more or practice after class. There are some who are really keen and beg for you to give them sums to do...it can get a bit tedious, but I'm bonding well with some of the kids. 15 year old Shazza is quite possibly the nicest politest 15 year old i've ever met! She has no self confidence at all though and thinks she's rubbish at everything. I've been helping her with her reading (Harry Potter!) and with her school assignments. She is particularly keen on history and loves telling me about Nelson Mandela and black freedom. In return I'm helping her with a project on Hitler!
Homework club starts in half an hour so I best be off! 6 of the 11 volunteers currently here are leaving tomorrow so we are going out for a meal to say bye! Italian I think...yummmm. Food has been a particular problem as my host mother is not the most generous of people. The rest of the family are wonderful though, two older sisters and a younger brother. Them and their father are hilarious but Gertrude has proven to be the topic of many arguments. I have had to buy my lunch most days which is quite frustrating as I have already paid for three meals a day...
Miss you all, love you
Home in a week!
xxxxxxx
Sunday 23 August 2009
V & A Waterfront and Simonstown...
Loving the internet here in Cape Town, its ridiculously fast!! Better than at home even.
Shopping was lovely yesterday =) Walked the 45 minute walk down to the waterfront from the house up in the hills of Cape town (the Gardens region). The Waterfront is just beautiful with the huge marina and docking yards. Old boats from around the world come here to be rejuventated and re-painted so the yard was full of old ships. The shopping centre is gorgeoussssssssss. Mainly designer branded shops but some individual ones too. Bought some jeans and a handbag...sorry Natwest :P Wandered around and took a gander inside the Nelson Mandela gateway, may take a trip to Robben Island next weekend. Very tired from all day shopping so walked home again, collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep! haha.
Today I couldn't really decide what to do, Kevin is due to pick me up at 5pm to take me to my family's house in Hout Bay. Thought I'd wander down to the train station in Cape Town with my Lonely Planet and decide from there. Simonstown was the next train so I hopped on. The 80 minute journey cost me 23 rand. That's about 1.80!! Simonstown is a lovely little seaside town on the east coast, where the water is a lot warmer from the Indian Ocean. The train although stopping at every station on the way making it very slow was lovely as it followed the coast for the majority of the way. Once in Simonstown I meandered around and then trekked the 30minute upward struggle to Boulders Beach, where a massive colony of African penguins reside. ahhhh they're so gorgeous! A lot smaller than I thought they would be! You can get really close to them as the boardwalks built purposefully allow you to see their nests. I got a gorgeous photo of a penguin watching its eggs! Running out of room on my memory card (mum sorry but I lost that memory card you gave me when I left! eee!) Going to try and get all photos burnt to disc...
Start at the school early tomorrow morning. Exciting!!
Love you all, miss youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Kates
xxxxxx
Shopping was lovely yesterday =) Walked the 45 minute walk down to the waterfront from the house up in the hills of Cape town (the Gardens region). The Waterfront is just beautiful with the huge marina and docking yards. Old boats from around the world come here to be rejuventated and re-painted so the yard was full of old ships. The shopping centre is gorgeoussssssssss. Mainly designer branded shops but some individual ones too. Bought some jeans and a handbag...sorry Natwest :P Wandered around and took a gander inside the Nelson Mandela gateway, may take a trip to Robben Island next weekend. Very tired from all day shopping so walked home again, collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep! haha.
Today I couldn't really decide what to do, Kevin is due to pick me up at 5pm to take me to my family's house in Hout Bay. Thought I'd wander down to the train station in Cape Town with my Lonely Planet and decide from there. Simonstown was the next train so I hopped on. The 80 minute journey cost me 23 rand. That's about 1.80!! Simonstown is a lovely little seaside town on the east coast, where the water is a lot warmer from the Indian Ocean. The train although stopping at every station on the way making it very slow was lovely as it followed the coast for the majority of the way. Once in Simonstown I meandered around and then trekked the 30minute upward struggle to Boulders Beach, where a massive colony of African penguins reside. ahhhh they're so gorgeous! A lot smaller than I thought they would be! You can get really close to them as the boardwalks built purposefully allow you to see their nests. I got a gorgeous photo of a penguin watching its eggs! Running out of room on my memory card (mum sorry but I lost that memory card you gave me when I left! eee!) Going to try and get all photos burnt to disc...
Start at the school early tomorrow morning. Exciting!!
Love you all, miss youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Kates
xxxxxx
Saturday 22 August 2009
On ma larry...
well not really...
So Fred's flew home on thursday (Oi mrs...have you got home okay?!!) and as she checked in I got picked up for my two week long project in Hout Bay, about 10/20km from the centre of Cape Town. The project itself is run by a couple Karen and Kevin. The latter of who i found out is originally from Countersthorpe, and went to school in Wigston! how freaky! For the last two nights and tongiht im staying in a house next door to Karen and Kevin with a couple of other volunteers who are actually in Cape Town projects. Sunday I move to Hout Bay to live with the other Hout Bay volunteers.
Kevin picked me up and another guy who flew in that morning. (Alex is about to start a postgrad at Manchester university in International Business...Again, HOW freaky?!!!) We drove around to the Bay and visited the township. Although the project is already doing the world of good, teaching in the two local schools, orgainsing a homework club afterschool and netball/soccer sessions, it does seem rather unorganised. Kevin is the sole taxi driver and runs around here there and everywhere picking people up. Everyone in the township knows him and for the day was with him he must have picked up over a hundred kids from everywhere and dropping them off somewhere else or giving them a bit of change to go to the shop. All the children dote on him. The township itself is not the nicest. Set on a hill underneath Table mountain I dread to think how many people live inside each of the tiny dirty metal sheets, all squished into the tinyest spaces. I spent the afternoon with some of the other volunteers who have already been here for a week or so teaching in the homework club and playing games in p.e. lessons. Hectic and rather stressful I was absolutly knackered when Kevin came to pick us up. (which is never ever going to be on time...!)
I now have a couple of days to chill and to do some more sightseeing before I start work properly on monday. Going out into Cape Town with the others tonight hopefully. But now...SHOPPING TIME!!
Miss you all, love you
Kates
xxxxx
P.S (whoever is my friend on facebook, loads of pics have been put up from the people on the tour who are already home! pretty funny! Mic, could you show mum...I know shes gagging to be nosey!! haha love you)
xxxxxxx
So Fred's flew home on thursday (Oi mrs...have you got home okay?!!) and as she checked in I got picked up for my two week long project in Hout Bay, about 10/20km from the centre of Cape Town. The project itself is run by a couple Karen and Kevin. The latter of who i found out is originally from Countersthorpe, and went to school in Wigston! how freaky! For the last two nights and tongiht im staying in a house next door to Karen and Kevin with a couple of other volunteers who are actually in Cape Town projects. Sunday I move to Hout Bay to live with the other Hout Bay volunteers.
Kevin picked me up and another guy who flew in that morning. (Alex is about to start a postgrad at Manchester university in International Business...Again, HOW freaky?!!!) We drove around to the Bay and visited the township. Although the project is already doing the world of good, teaching in the two local schools, orgainsing a homework club afterschool and netball/soccer sessions, it does seem rather unorganised. Kevin is the sole taxi driver and runs around here there and everywhere picking people up. Everyone in the township knows him and for the day was with him he must have picked up over a hundred kids from everywhere and dropping them off somewhere else or giving them a bit of change to go to the shop. All the children dote on him. The township itself is not the nicest. Set on a hill underneath Table mountain I dread to think how many people live inside each of the tiny dirty metal sheets, all squished into the tinyest spaces. I spent the afternoon with some of the other volunteers who have already been here for a week or so teaching in the homework club and playing games in p.e. lessons. Hectic and rather stressful I was absolutly knackered when Kevin came to pick us up. (which is never ever going to be on time...!)
I now have a couple of days to chill and to do some more sightseeing before I start work properly on monday. Going out into Cape Town with the others tonight hopefully. But now...SHOPPING TIME!!
Miss you all, love you
Kates
xxxxx
P.S (whoever is my friend on facebook, loads of pics have been put up from the people on the tour who are already home! pretty funny! Mic, could you show mum...I know shes gagging to be nosey!! haha love you)
xxxxxxx
Wednesday 19 August 2009
bye bye guysss
well i no i have only written like 2 blogs but they are by far the best...so im sure you will all miss my imput!
even though this trip has been the most amazing thing i am so excited to go home. i have missed oliver like nobodies business and i cannot wait to see everyone. i just got a wall post from kimaynes saying 2 days and i cant actually believe that it has come around this quickly. im so excitedddddddddd!!!!!! i guess ill see most people on sat so wooooooo!!
now for the mushy part, so sad to be leaving kate hope you have an amazing time doing this project thingy magigy! but i no it wont be as good without me...ha!!! these days in capetown have been some of the best and so glad we have done it together!! i love you long time!!!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa see everyone sooon
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
even though this trip has been the most amazing thing i am so excited to go home. i have missed oliver like nobodies business and i cannot wait to see everyone. i just got a wall post from kimaynes saying 2 days and i cant actually believe that it has come around this quickly. im so excitedddddddddd!!!!!! i guess ill see most people on sat so wooooooo!!
now for the mushy part, so sad to be leaving kate hope you have an amazing time doing this project thingy magigy! but i no it wont be as good without me...ha!!! these days in capetown have been some of the best and so glad we have done it together!! i love you long time!!!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa see everyone sooon
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cape Town.
I think both Freds and I now have a new found love for train travel. Think of a box, then a smaller box, then an even smaller box, then half it. That's how small our "first class" apartment was on the 26 hour journey from Jo'burg to Cape Town. AMT (Africa Maybe time) was inevitable though as the train was three hours late getting into Cape Town. We found it very hard to stay awake during the journey, but then very hard to stay asleep at night. The beds were not the most comfortable. Neither the warmest, we donned our sleeping bags for the majority of the journey. Food was good though and resonably cheap.
Arrived in Cape Town around 3 o'clock, gutted to arrive to rain. Our first since a slight drizzle at Chitimba, Malawi over 3 weeks ago. With our heavy bags in tow (we both have bought a ridiculous amount of wood carvings...) we sought out trying to find Ashanti Lodge, our home for two nights. Much to Freds annoyance we walked in the rain, but my excellent navigation skills found the way and we arrived around half and hour later. Freddie is now yelling at me saying "WHATEVER!!" Darling...its true. :P The Lodge is lovely. The most amazing showers with actual real tiles on the floor and a glass casing!!! WOW!!! That evening along with two other girls sharing our dorm room we set off for the famous Long Street (according to the LP guide) in search of a decent restaurant. We stumbled upon a little mexican with interesting character and your own personal sombraros. Wonderful. Stuffed us right up good and proper. The other two headed off back to the hostel but Freds and I decided to sample the local nightlife. Well...we went to a bar called Zula where an acoustic music night was going on. Two guys Matt and Max were brilliant, and entertained us for a few hours. Dads...(Katie's) They did a brilliant cover of Mark Knoflers Romeo and Juilet...made me think of you!!
Today...woke up to gorgeous sunshine, even though the forecast was dyre, the gods are with us! Headed straight for Table mountain to make the hard trek up the side. Via cable car! Gorgeous views despite our toes getting frostbite. Note...dont wear open toed sandles next time! Then caught the sightseeing bus across the city to Sandy Bay, the posh area of town where all the rich cool kids hang out. Suited us then! Had lunch in a upmarket restaurant then paddled in the sea and watched the waves crash around whilst still sitting directly underneath Table Mountain. I can see why this idilic place is the setting for many photo shoots and film documentries. Utter beauty. We then got on back on our bus and headed to the V&A Waterfront. Wandered around the shops and through the craft market. I think I now want to live in Cape Town, it's just so gorgeous!! Even through the cold (probably around 15degrees) it was all just marvelous. Back on the bus, we headed back up to Long Street for a tad more shopping and to get food for dinner tonight. We're staying in, cooking for ourselves in the hostel kitchen and slobbing out infront of the tv for hostel movie night. niceeeee.
Tomorrow is more shopping (there is a brilliant line of vintage shops near our hostel, very excited!!) and visiting some of the gallerys and museums. Fred flys home tomorrow (boooo) so we are getting a taxi from the hostel to the airport around 2.30pm. As she checks in, I get picked up from the airport and taken to my project around 20km away in Hout Bay.
It's been fantastic having Freds with me. This would no way even have been close to as much fun without her.
Let the adventure continue!!!
Love you all
miss youuuuuuuu
love Freddie and Kates
xxxxxxxx
Arrived in Cape Town around 3 o'clock, gutted to arrive to rain. Our first since a slight drizzle at Chitimba, Malawi over 3 weeks ago. With our heavy bags in tow (we both have bought a ridiculous amount of wood carvings...) we sought out trying to find Ashanti Lodge, our home for two nights. Much to Freds annoyance we walked in the rain, but my excellent navigation skills found the way and we arrived around half and hour later. Freddie is now yelling at me saying "WHATEVER!!" Darling...its true. :P The Lodge is lovely. The most amazing showers with actual real tiles on the floor and a glass casing!!! WOW!!! That evening along with two other girls sharing our dorm room we set off for the famous Long Street (according to the LP guide) in search of a decent restaurant. We stumbled upon a little mexican with interesting character and your own personal sombraros. Wonderful. Stuffed us right up good and proper. The other two headed off back to the hostel but Freds and I decided to sample the local nightlife. Well...we went to a bar called Zula where an acoustic music night was going on. Two guys Matt and Max were brilliant, and entertained us for a few hours. Dads...(Katie's) They did a brilliant cover of Mark Knoflers Romeo and Juilet...made me think of you!!
Today...woke up to gorgeous sunshine, even though the forecast was dyre, the gods are with us! Headed straight for Table mountain to make the hard trek up the side. Via cable car! Gorgeous views despite our toes getting frostbite. Note...dont wear open toed sandles next time! Then caught the sightseeing bus across the city to Sandy Bay, the posh area of town where all the rich cool kids hang out. Suited us then! Had lunch in a upmarket restaurant then paddled in the sea and watched the waves crash around whilst still sitting directly underneath Table Mountain. I can see why this idilic place is the setting for many photo shoots and film documentries. Utter beauty. We then got on back on our bus and headed to the V&A Waterfront. Wandered around the shops and through the craft market. I think I now want to live in Cape Town, it's just so gorgeous!! Even through the cold (probably around 15degrees) it was all just marvelous. Back on the bus, we headed back up to Long Street for a tad more shopping and to get food for dinner tonight. We're staying in, cooking for ourselves in the hostel kitchen and slobbing out infront of the tv for hostel movie night. niceeeee.
Tomorrow is more shopping (there is a brilliant line of vintage shops near our hostel, very excited!!) and visiting some of the gallerys and museums. Fred flys home tomorrow (boooo) so we are getting a taxi from the hostel to the airport around 2.30pm. As she checks in, I get picked up from the airport and taken to my project around 20km away in Hout Bay.
It's been fantastic having Freds with me. This would no way even have been close to as much fun without her.
Let the adventure continue!!!
Love you all
miss youuuuuuuu
love Freddie and Kates
xxxxxxxx
Sunday 16 August 2009
Maun - Jo'burg
Hi everyone, I have 8 minutes left on my timer so it's going to be quick! (it's Katie btw!)
I ended up staying in Maun, Botswana for five nights when the rest of the African Trails group headed off into the Delta. Had a good lot of time to catch up on stuff and just chill! (the tan has progressed quite a lot...it was boiling!) I chose to endure an hour flight over the Delta with the Candians, Sam and Liam who had also stayed behind. I hate flying. I hate it even more now! A tiny five seater plane...my worst nightmare! The Delta though was beautiful, from the 500 feet in the air you could see for miles...just bare wilderness. The curvature of the earth you could see even. Lovely, but I could have done with going up for 5 minutes then coming straight back down.
The African Trails truck left us behind in Maun with the 7 others leaving for Jo'burg...was very emotional as had become quite close to a lot of the group! I'm sure there are going to be many a trip round the country and across to Oz and Canada hopefully!!
Freds and I flew out of Maun this morning with Air Botwana to make the hour and a half flight to Jo'burg. Yet again showing my fear of flying. We are now in the Backpackers Ritz in Jo'burg, buzzing with people and ready to get drunk tonight to say goodbye to the rest of the group here with us before we make the 26 hour train journey to Cape Town early tomorrow morning!
Wish us luck!!
love you all
miss you all so much...
Freddie and Katie
xxxxxxxx
I ended up staying in Maun, Botswana for five nights when the rest of the African Trails group headed off into the Delta. Had a good lot of time to catch up on stuff and just chill! (the tan has progressed quite a lot...it was boiling!) I chose to endure an hour flight over the Delta with the Candians, Sam and Liam who had also stayed behind. I hate flying. I hate it even more now! A tiny five seater plane...my worst nightmare! The Delta though was beautiful, from the 500 feet in the air you could see for miles...just bare wilderness. The curvature of the earth you could see even. Lovely, but I could have done with going up for 5 minutes then coming straight back down.
The African Trails truck left us behind in Maun with the 7 others leaving for Jo'burg...was very emotional as had become quite close to a lot of the group! I'm sure there are going to be many a trip round the country and across to Oz and Canada hopefully!!
Freds and I flew out of Maun this morning with Air Botwana to make the hour and a half flight to Jo'burg. Yet again showing my fear of flying. We are now in the Backpackers Ritz in Jo'burg, buzzing with people and ready to get drunk tonight to say goodbye to the rest of the group here with us before we make the 26 hour train journey to Cape Town early tomorrow morning!
Wish us luck!!
love you all
miss you all so much...
Freddie and Katie
xxxxxxxx
Livingstone, Zambia - Thebe campsite, Botswana
freddie here again, wooooooo!
the next day was spent still in Livingstone. we didnt have amything planned till the evening so we did things like washing in the morning, how exciting? however i had brought some washing powder and for africa our clothes were amazing and actually smelt nice we wondered into town to look at the markets. i traded a pair of shorts and an elastic band for a souvenier. the sellers wanted the strangest things! Katie and i were having heart palpatations by the end of it because ever stall hastles you and tells you their life story. I manages to give one guy some stall layout advice for which he seemed very grateful. After that we went back to the campsite, swam in the coldest and dirtiest pool you can imagine and got ready for the sunset booze cruize. the boys dressed up as girls ( i now own a stretched dress) and i dressed up as a boy, well i wore one of their afican tops as a dress! on the other hand katie and canadian katie dressed up as what can only be describrd as a chav! it was a all matching tracksuit, meant for a little child!FIT! but it was absolutely hilarious when we arrived. Too say the form of transport, that was taking us down the river, was a raft was a slight overstatement! it was like planks of wood attached to steel barrels with another layer on top. So all the drinks on this trip were included. can you imagine the state we were in? i cant either because i dont really remember much. we met these people who were on world challenge and they had met up with dixie!!!! and knew richard simpson! ha! we stumbled off the raft and there was a bonfire which we got to dance around and bang some drums. i would like to add that i was amazing! then we had a dance in the bar and this local girl was grinding on me, lovely experience. i would love to tell you what kate was doing at this point but i dont have much recollection of her throughout the night. then it was time to go home and me and kates were in bed by 10.30!
the next morning it was some bright sparks idea to go white water rafting. everyone felt a little worse for wear! first we had to climb down a gorge. we were told flip flops were fine but it was like climbing down the side of a bloody mountain.
our raft group consisted of kate and rob, andrew, canadian kate and shana, katie and i. we told our guide that we wanted to be an extreme group but when one of our team couldnt grasp paddling forward and backward, i think he made it as easy as possible. (that wasnt me by the way!) The first rapid was the best but after that it was quite tame. we all agreed ot would have been better to be way more hardcore but nevertheless we loved it! we were aloud to jump out of some of the rapids. katie got stuck in a whirlpool and i shot down so fast that i had to get in someone elses raft for a few minutes. when we got to the end we had an amazing lunch and the driveback consisted of chanting and drinking. that night everyone was in bed by 9 O'clock.
the next day was our drive to botswana. my bum was in agony, which was odd when everyone elses arms and legs ached! so sitting on a bumpy truck was not my fav activity for the day. it was our shortest journey yet. when we arrived at the campsite we watched the rafting DVD. one girl, ellie, had fallen out of the raft and when she was pulled back in her bottoms had come down. she was praying that this wasnt on the DVD. not only was it on there, but it was on the highlights at the end in slow motion 5 times!
the next day was a very long journey 8-6.
missing you all loads. but its not long till you will see my tanned face again
lots of love
freddie and katie
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
the next day was spent still in Livingstone. we didnt have amything planned till the evening so we did things like washing in the morning, how exciting? however i had brought some washing powder and for africa our clothes were amazing and actually smelt nice we wondered into town to look at the markets. i traded a pair of shorts and an elastic band for a souvenier. the sellers wanted the strangest things! Katie and i were having heart palpatations by the end of it because ever stall hastles you and tells you their life story. I manages to give one guy some stall layout advice for which he seemed very grateful. After that we went back to the campsite, swam in the coldest and dirtiest pool you can imagine and got ready for the sunset booze cruize. the boys dressed up as girls ( i now own a stretched dress) and i dressed up as a boy, well i wore one of their afican tops as a dress! on the other hand katie and canadian katie dressed up as what can only be describrd as a chav! it was a all matching tracksuit, meant for a little child!FIT! but it was absolutely hilarious when we arrived. Too say the form of transport, that was taking us down the river, was a raft was a slight overstatement! it was like planks of wood attached to steel barrels with another layer on top. So all the drinks on this trip were included. can you imagine the state we were in? i cant either because i dont really remember much. we met these people who were on world challenge and they had met up with dixie!!!! and knew richard simpson! ha! we stumbled off the raft and there was a bonfire which we got to dance around and bang some drums. i would like to add that i was amazing! then we had a dance in the bar and this local girl was grinding on me, lovely experience. i would love to tell you what kate was doing at this point but i dont have much recollection of her throughout the night. then it was time to go home and me and kates were in bed by 10.30!
the next morning it was some bright sparks idea to go white water rafting. everyone felt a little worse for wear! first we had to climb down a gorge. we were told flip flops were fine but it was like climbing down the side of a bloody mountain.
our raft group consisted of kate and rob, andrew, canadian kate and shana, katie and i. we told our guide that we wanted to be an extreme group but when one of our team couldnt grasp paddling forward and backward, i think he made it as easy as possible. (that wasnt me by the way!) The first rapid was the best but after that it was quite tame. we all agreed ot would have been better to be way more hardcore but nevertheless we loved it! we were aloud to jump out of some of the rapids. katie got stuck in a whirlpool and i shot down so fast that i had to get in someone elses raft for a few minutes. when we got to the end we had an amazing lunch and the driveback consisted of chanting and drinking. that night everyone was in bed by 9 O'clock.
the next day was our drive to botswana. my bum was in agony, which was odd when everyone elses arms and legs ached! so sitting on a bumpy truck was not my fav activity for the day. it was our shortest journey yet. when we arrived at the campsite we watched the rafting DVD. one girl, ellie, had fallen out of the raft and when she was pulled back in her bottoms had come down. she was praying that this wasnt on the DVD. not only was it on there, but it was on the highlights at the end in slow motion 5 times!
the next day was a very long journey 8-6.
missing you all loads. but its not long till you will see my tanned face again
lots of love
freddie and katie
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tuesday 11 August 2009
Quickie....
Hi everyone! Freddie has written an excellent (or so she tells me) blog that we were going to upload today but she has forgotten to bring her journal which she wrote it in with her into town, so no blog until after she gets back from the Delta i'm afraid!!
Just to tell everyone that we're both still having an amazing time. We're in Botswana now, about an hour or so away from the Okavango Delta in a town called Maun. Botswana isn't the most inspiring country, as our guidebook tells us Maun is the most tourist-friendly town in the whole of the country...I was bored 10 minutes after arriving!!
Freddie is off on a two night wilderness stay in the Delta early tomorrow morning, I've decided not to go and chill in our campsite for a few days with the Canadians Katie and Seana, and Jenna one of the new arrivals we picked up in Livingstone. We're going on a hour long flight over the Delta on thursday which is supposed to be the best way to see the river and animals, so I'm very excited about that!
Hope you are all keeping well and can manage to hold in your excitement for Freddie's next installment...
Love you lots and lots
Freddie and Katie
xxxxxxxxx
Just to tell everyone that we're both still having an amazing time. We're in Botswana now, about an hour or so away from the Okavango Delta in a town called Maun. Botswana isn't the most inspiring country, as our guidebook tells us Maun is the most tourist-friendly town in the whole of the country...I was bored 10 minutes after arriving!!
Freddie is off on a two night wilderness stay in the Delta early tomorrow morning, I've decided not to go and chill in our campsite for a few days with the Canadians Katie and Seana, and Jenna one of the new arrivals we picked up in Livingstone. We're going on a hour long flight over the Delta on thursday which is supposed to be the best way to see the river and animals, so I'm very excited about that!
Hope you are all keeping well and can manage to hold in your excitement for Freddie's next installment...
Love you lots and lots
Freddie and Katie
xxxxxxxxx
Thursday 6 August 2009
In Transit and now Zambia!
Katie's back. Wow, internet in Livingstone, zambia is not the greatest so I'm hoping that this manages to make it through to you all!
When we left Llongwe, we also left Ellie. Second year medical student at Notts uni...we're already missing you lovely! Emotional goodbye as the truck set off to enter Zambia and leave Malawi behind. Our main destination is where I'm writing this from in Livingstone but we had a few transit stops along the way... our first was a couple of nights in Croc Valley campsite in South Luagana national park. My favourite campsite that we've been in. Slap bang in the middle of the park our main companions in the site were hippos, elephants and crocs. Based with a gorgeous view on the river we could see crocs and hippos lazing around on the banks and occasionaly moving in the mud. hippos are rather boring creatures I've come to realise! Elephants and giraffes grazed on the other side and seemed oblivious to our presence. The majority of the group went off for either a morning or night game drive but Freds and I decided to stay back to save money...as it turns out the drives proved dissapointing compared to the Serengeti.
Our next night was a bush camp! No campsite, just off roading in the middle of nowhere! The middle of nowhere though turned out to be in the middle of somewhere for the Zambians as a group of youngsters seemed to turn up as soon as we got our tents out and sit round the fire with us all evening. Freds and I volunteered to be on truck watch and ditched our tent for the comfort of the truck roof! very exciting to sleep with the moon in view. Rather chilly so was very grateful for my sleeping bag. (which has a distinctive odour about it now...)
We had another night at some campsite two nights ago but all I can remember of it now is some very cute dogs that Seana named Beans and Toast, and Fish and Chips. A lot of conversations nowadays are about food. hmmmm food.
So last night we stayed our first of four nights at the Grotto Camp in Livingstone. About 20 mins drive from Victoria Falls. Camp is really nice, very busy as there were three other trucks staying there last night. (also lovely to be woken up at 6.30 by them packing up) We arrived and were shown a video of all the adreliline and animal things we can do over our stay here. Bungys, gorge swings, helicopter rides, rafting...exciting!!!!!!!
I booked in for a bungy jump which I've just done! Actually the most terrifying thing in the world. Looking over the drop and thinking i'm just about to plumet 110m down there I thought my pants weren't going to make it! Luckily they did and it was amazing!!! I bought a video and the photos i'll try to put up shortly! The bung was off a bridge just next to Vic Falls, so me and Seana (who was also jumping) and the rest of the gang who had come along to support us walked over to the Falls.
BEAUTIFUL. We got pretty soaked but they are just about the most fantastic natural things I've ever seen. It's a gorgeous day today as well which is just as well, we dried off pretty quickly in the sun. (tan is peeling...booooo)
Tomorrow we are off on a complusory booze cruise set by our driver Karl in the afternoon so we're gonna spend the morning exploring Livingstone which seems quaint with some lovely little markets and shops. I might trade in all my clothes for new ones =) Saturday is white water rafting day which i am SO SO excited about! The Zambezi river is acclaimed to be the best place in the world to raft down...woop!
Hope everyone is having fun at home/abroad whereever you may be! And that the weather is as nice as here!
Love you all, miss you tons and tons
Freddie and Kates
xxxxxxxxx
When we left Llongwe, we also left Ellie. Second year medical student at Notts uni...we're already missing you lovely! Emotional goodbye as the truck set off to enter Zambia and leave Malawi behind. Our main destination is where I'm writing this from in Livingstone but we had a few transit stops along the way... our first was a couple of nights in Croc Valley campsite in South Luagana national park. My favourite campsite that we've been in. Slap bang in the middle of the park our main companions in the site were hippos, elephants and crocs. Based with a gorgeous view on the river we could see crocs and hippos lazing around on the banks and occasionaly moving in the mud. hippos are rather boring creatures I've come to realise! Elephants and giraffes grazed on the other side and seemed oblivious to our presence. The majority of the group went off for either a morning or night game drive but Freds and I decided to stay back to save money...as it turns out the drives proved dissapointing compared to the Serengeti.
Our next night was a bush camp! No campsite, just off roading in the middle of nowhere! The middle of nowhere though turned out to be in the middle of somewhere for the Zambians as a group of youngsters seemed to turn up as soon as we got our tents out and sit round the fire with us all evening. Freds and I volunteered to be on truck watch and ditched our tent for the comfort of the truck roof! very exciting to sleep with the moon in view. Rather chilly so was very grateful for my sleeping bag. (which has a distinctive odour about it now...)
We had another night at some campsite two nights ago but all I can remember of it now is some very cute dogs that Seana named Beans and Toast, and Fish and Chips. A lot of conversations nowadays are about food. hmmmm food.
So last night we stayed our first of four nights at the Grotto Camp in Livingstone. About 20 mins drive from Victoria Falls. Camp is really nice, very busy as there were three other trucks staying there last night. (also lovely to be woken up at 6.30 by them packing up) We arrived and were shown a video of all the adreliline and animal things we can do over our stay here. Bungys, gorge swings, helicopter rides, rafting...exciting!!!!!!!
I booked in for a bungy jump which I've just done! Actually the most terrifying thing in the world. Looking over the drop and thinking i'm just about to plumet 110m down there I thought my pants weren't going to make it! Luckily they did and it was amazing!!! I bought a video and the photos i'll try to put up shortly! The bung was off a bridge just next to Vic Falls, so me and Seana (who was also jumping) and the rest of the gang who had come along to support us walked over to the Falls.
BEAUTIFUL. We got pretty soaked but they are just about the most fantastic natural things I've ever seen. It's a gorgeous day today as well which is just as well, we dried off pretty quickly in the sun. (tan is peeling...booooo)
Tomorrow we are off on a complusory booze cruise set by our driver Karl in the afternoon so we're gonna spend the morning exploring Livingstone which seems quaint with some lovely little markets and shops. I might trade in all my clothes for new ones =) Saturday is white water rafting day which i am SO SO excited about! The Zambezi river is acclaimed to be the best place in the world to raft down...woop!
Hope everyone is having fun at home/abroad whereever you may be! And that the weather is as nice as here!
Love you all, miss you tons and tons
Freddie and Kates
xxxxxxxxx
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