Blogs from Mpumalanga , South Africa, Africa - page 29

Lesotho - Blog One December topics to write about are: SA26 wraps up their first 3 months at sites with IST (In Service Training) in KwaZuluNatal Province and my first Christmas with my host family here in Mpumalanga Province. Sandwiched in between was my trip to Lesotho which needs to be told FIRST while it’s still fresh in my mind. Blog One is an odd assortment of details, Blog Two is about getting around by public transport (featuring The Bus Ride from Hell), and Blog Three is the treasured parts (where I try to restrain my raptures about Lesotho weavers so I don’t bore most of you). School starts back up Jan 7 in Mpumalanga and Jan 14 in KZN so PCV’s have a nice long break. Two groups of ten PCV’s planned 5- 6 day ... read more

We woke at 0445 to get ready for the longest driving day in the whole trip. We are off to Kruger National Park, then Arathusa Game reserve. We left Petoria to early to try and get breakfast there so we took our chances on the freeway. By 0730 everyone was thinking about food, so Maria navigated us to the nearest town, Middleburgh. Turns out it was not that close and little did we know at the time it was the start of a trend for taking excursions off the beaten track. We enjoyed another inexpensive Wimpy meal. The journey was long, we took what we thought would be a scenic route, but ended up a very long way to Malelane Gate into Kruger. The road works were prolific, but seemingly slow in progress. Workers lined the ... read more

What a Mixed Bag! Three of us SA26’s did day site visits. Eva and George came to Kameelpoort where they toured Sele Secondary and Ndayi Primary, met my host family and then I cooked lunch for them. On following days, we visited Eva at Mt. View, then George at Kwagga. Site - How it looks/How it feels Carolyn I have hills around my town. And the town is sweet. I like my 12’ x 14’ room in Martha’s yard. She has a new kitten and a dog she keeps tied up. George BEST A view like the best of Montana. Big sky, rolling hills with cows and a stream (which I’d never go in!) Has his own bathroom w/flush toilet. Hot water from outside tap. Eva and I loved turning it on and feeling the water! ... read more

We are now complete having returned from lovely Cape Town to find Linda and Bill already 'stoeped'! Next stop Hazy View in which is Kruger with all it's fabulous sights, sounds, animals and birds. Twilight game drive and we saw rhinos, hippos, giraffe, elephants, impala,buffalo, water hogs with three babies (Margaret had planned on trying water hog but that might be off the menu now!). Dawn game drive today (5.15am start) and we saw the fourth of the big five - 2 female lions at very close quarters and a cheetah which was some distance away but we spotted it. Yesterday we had a day trip round lots of the amazing, spectacular natural sights including the three Rondawels, Lisbon waterfall, the Pinnancle and too many more to name. Lovely lodge with even larger stoep than Alfie ... read more

Hi Everyone Here we are at day 8 of our photo tour and this is the first opportunity we have had to stop and look through our photos and upload them. Day 8 has seen us drive from Johanesburg to our lodge "Misty Mountain" and it is certainly living up to its name - rain, mist and cold - though what can you expect at 2000m above sea level. We've had a great time so far - our 3 tour companions are fantastic people to travel with - they are as mad about birds and animals in general and are as click happy with their camera's as we are. They have a great sense of humour and as American's they have taken great delight in using some of our terms such as "bop" for birds of ... read more

I have gone to three weddings this month. Weddings are a big expense, because you feed everybody who comes. Usually a two day affair, Saturday at the home of the bride and Sunday at the home of the groom. People are there from morn to night, music is playing (DJ music) all that time, community members dance whenever, eat whenever, and somewhere in there they exchange vows. Wedding A - of Mama B (Leah Bundu) the maintenance worker at Sele School. Her family home was over 2 hr. drive away. First they wore traditional clothes, bridesmaids in pink and blue, and bride in the red and black blanket. Later...this is SA time so l.a.t.e.r... they wore “western” clothes, bridesmaids in green, and bride in white. Earlier in the day someone brought our group some ... read more