Adventures in Africa – Adrielle and Robin

After going on a three day hike up Rhino Mountain this past week, we decided it would be a good idea to give you a summary of some of the adventure activities we have done in the last 2.5 months. We started off our adventure activities on Feb 4^th by running off a mountain with a pilot, and a chute… aka paragliding. After a 2 second run we found ourselves floating above a coastal city looking on a breath taking view. Then on February 20^th those who chose to found themselves in a small cage off the side of a boat. This was a moment in our lives when a shark encounter was a good thing. Though the water was murky, it made the sharks that much more mysterious. As we traveled to Bonnievale on February 27^th, we made a short stop at an irrigation canal. We thought we were going to be getting a lesson on the irrigation systems in the area but little did we know that we would be floating down one of them into a tunnel. This tunnel was 5 feet tall with 4 feet of water and bats everywhere! It was a little freaky at the time but when we came out the other end, most people loved it. At Bonnievale we relaxed on a river with a rope swing and boats. On March 2^nd we headed off to Jeffrey’s Bay. On the way we stopped at Bloukrans Bridge to do the very thing we’re taught not to… jump off. As the world tallest commercial bunjee jump it was 216 meters to the ground. Adreille and I thought it was the best adventure activity but it was such a unique experience that each person will tell a different tale of how they felt on the bridge and on the way down. In Jeffrey’s bay we had a packed 2 days filled with adventure. We went horseback riding on sand dunes and galloped along the beach, got surfing lessons in the salty Indian Ocean, and a few braved the wind to go sand boarding. On March 12^th we got the chance to go on a 3 hour coastal hike in Mdumbi. On March 20^th during our Durban homestay we went to a water park. A memorable moment was when we managed to get 17 people ‘on’ a giant tube going down a slide… rules are flexible in Africa. The next day on our way to Pietermaritzburg we stopped at a waterfall to go abseiling or repelling as we call it down 107 meters. The hike we just did up Rhino Mountain was 4 km to the cave we slept in on the first night. The second day was when we climbed 10 km up the mountain to have a foggy lunch. It cleared up for a few amazing minutes and then we went down the same 10 km for another nights sleep in the cave. The third day was 4 km back to base. Adrielle and I were put in group one. As we write this after the switch at noon today we hope that group two has better luck with the clouds on top of Rhino Mountain. All together the adventures we have done in the last 2.5 months have been amazing and the memories and sights will last forever! As the trip comes to an end, we can look back on our time here and remember some of the crazy things we’ve done. The only thing left to do is brave the heat and animals in Kruger National Park.

Adrielle Krahn and Robin Taves

Bonnievale/Jeffrey’s Bay – Week of Relaxation

After saying goodbye to Stellenbosch, none of us thought the next leg of the journey would involve walking through a sea of bats in an irrigation tunnel – but somehow, it did. That little adventure bought us passage into “Impact Camp” at Bonnievale, beginning a week of relaxation and excitement.

For three nights we slept outdoors under metal overhangs, only meters from a gently flowing river. By day, some conquered the river by kayak, some by rope swing, some by determined dam construction. By night we sat around the campfire, enjoyed Braai after delicious Braai and waited eagerly for phone call every twenty minuets for an update on Olympic hockey game.

Throughout the week we also had the opportunity to interact with Nathan Rieger, a pastor we met last semester in Winnipeg. He led some group devotionals and made himself very available for one-on-one chats. A lot of us really appreciated having him around and tapping into his inspiring wisdom.

We spent the second half of the week by the ocean in windy Jeffrey’s Bay. There we had the opportunity for a bunch of unique experiences. How many people can claim to have ridden horseback over sand dunes and along the ocean? How about having surf lessons in one of the country’s surfing capitals? Some even braved the dunes a second time to go sandboarding. In our down-time we explored the shops and enjoyed each other’s company. To cap off the week our host Bev took us out for a lovely seafood dinner at a restaurant whose floor was made of sand.

Unfortunately this week we had to bid farewell to our beloved “Baba” and bus driver Stefans. A small accident while backing up meant that he had to take his bus back to Johannesburg for repairs. The whole group was distraught to see him go, but hopefully we’ll get to connect with him again before we leave South Africa.

-Brock P.

Guys appreciation day

After lunch the group gathered outside where we were surprised with a “guys appreciation day” rap. The rap captivated our interest, but we still had no idea what was in store for us. The girls ushered us into the dining area where I found that Kaytlin and Robin had been assigned to look after me for the day. They surprised me with a thoughtful card and a Cadbury chocolate bar. The service was “so far-so good”, and only going to get better.

Then came the games. The first of which was one I had mixed feelings for. They had us duct tape eggs to our stomach and slap each other until they broke, last man standing won. While it was a good fun, it left us with considerably red, stinging stomachs. I suppose it’s a small price to pay for the opportunity to slap each other as hard as we can in the gut. Following the egg game we were split into four teams for an obstacle course. We painted ourselves in team colours. My team proudly sported the colour white and consisted of Raf, Jeremy, and Brock. We barely made the podium placing third. The final challenge was optional. We were told to catch one of the wild goats that grazed nearby and get the whole ordeal on video. Despite the odd nature of the challenge Eric and I decided to accept due to the promise of a large prize. To our surprise we succeeded, I managed to catch a goat while Eric filmed.

Just before dinner we were called together to receive our prizes. The prizes we received were favors from the girls. They each wrote down 2 favors they would do on paper slips and placed them in a hat. Depending on how well you did in the competitions you were allowed to pick out x number of slips. I won four great prizes, one henna tattoo from Becca, one serenading from Laura Hill, a serenading from Christine, and one dish washing from Emma.

After the prizes the girls all dressed up and escorted us to dinner. They had arranged seating, mood lighting and some very nice décor. The service was flawless. I didn’t get out of my seat once. And so ended a great day of being pampered. I wont soon forget my day of being appreciated. Thank you to all the girls who put up with our needs and requests, as ridiculous as some of them were. I think I speak for all the guys of site two when I say if we do half as good a job on girl’s appreciation day they will be pleased.

-Ben Brubaker-Zehr