Showing posts with label signal hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label signal hill. Show all posts

Friday, 22 August 2014

I Can't Believe You're Bloody Deporting Us

There's too much to write about my last two months in South Africa, so have some photographs instead. I've been back in Scotland for a week now. I'm still settling in, everything is very new and shiny yet it all looks too familiar. We didn't just leave South Africa, we got DEPORTED! Leaving in style. Visa problems. I've been banned from South Africa for twelve months but i've made an appeal because that just can't be. #ThisisprobablynotProjectTrust

I'm working on another post about being back home and my upcoming plans of the USA and Jamaica.


Last Shift Tantrums

The day we visited the Grand West Casino 

Blouberg Beach

Our second to last day at the Children's Home

With Katie on Blouberg

Drumming for the International Maths Olympiad at the University of Cape Town

Our very last day at the Children's Home

That time we went to Julians for a Braii

Chicken Braii Chicken Braii

When Katie and I had an end of year-hair crisis

Drumming on Long Street with Katie

University of Cape Town drumming

Mzoli's Drum Fun

The guy that pee'd in the plant pot

Two of my favourite people

The time Katie and I climbed Signal Hill to watch the Sun Rise and there was none

Johannesburg

Signal Hill, Cape Town








Saturday, 31 May 2014

Bakkie i'll Be Back

In my previous blog I wrote of Biltong and Birds, Travel and Transport: All of which are general things that I'll surely miss when I'm home. Here I continue, with more things that I'll shortly be greetin' about. It's quite difficult to write about these places and people, knowing that I'll soon be without them. 

Cape Town: The Mother City. It's diverse and it's fascinating, it's beautiful and it's bursting with culture. From the colourful mosques of Bo Kaap to the shining shacks of Kayelitsha and Langa, Cape Town is like the whole world in one city. Not to mention it's backdrop, the Waterfront, the Gardens and the old dutch architecture of Long Street. And then there's the wine farms, the extreme sports and the stunning coastline that reaches out to meet not one but two oceans - The Atlantic and the Indian. This city is just incredible, I want to live here.

Cape Town looking as beautiful as ever. View from Blouberg Beach.
                                      
Table Mountain: Table Mountain is a Natural Wonder of the World. It's beautiful and bizarre. I can easily pin-point my favourite Table Mountain memory. It was after midnight and Nelson Mandela had just passed away. The sky was so clear that you could almost see the milky way, even though we were just above the city. We had written a message in the memorial book to Tata Madiba when we decided to make the trip. I lay in the middle of the road, about half way up the mountain. It was peaceful and it was silent, we watched the stars. I then decided to take a roll down the road. It was incredible. I have literally rolled down Table Mountain.

On top of Table Mountain, View over Camps Bay with the Atlantic Ocean.
                                       
The Beach: The beaches are picture-esque, like post cards. White-gold sand with cool, clear, shark infested waters. Whether we want to surf, swim or simply sun bathe, there's always a beach for us. I love being in water so going to the beach is always a treat for me. One time with Yvi and Rachael, we REALLY went for a swim. We couldn't stop laughing the whole time as the currents pulled us back and forth. At one point, Rachael got herself caught in a whirlpool. It was all in good fun.

Surfing at Blouberg Beach. Well, at least TRYING to surf.
                                
Bakkies - Bakkies are essentially pick-up trucks. They are everywhere here, every second vehicle is a white Bakkie. I'm being stereotypical here but three type of people drive Bakkies. First, you get the big Afrikaans guy. His Bakkie is always spotless. Then you get the soccer mum who doesn't actually need a car that size. Sometimes her kids are sitting in the back. Then, you get the guys on their way to work... Bakkie overload! It's almost like a game of how-many-upright-people-can-we-squeeze-into-the-trunk. I think it should be legal to ride in the back of a Bakkie EVERYWHERE. It's so much fun. Think of the saved petrol when you can shove you're entire collection of friends and family into the trunk of your Bakkie.

Riding in a bakkie on the way to the beach. Surfboards and all!
                                     
Signal Hill: My favourite place in the entire world. From Signal Hill, Cape Town is a silent city. It's a beautiful golden glow that dips into the horizon where the waves come in. Table Mountain becomes a dominating sillhouete. You can hear yourself breathe. I'll never forget the feeling of sitting here with my friends, there wasn't a word between us as we gazed over Cape Town. 

Sitting on Signal Hill with my friends. Table Mountain to the Right.
                                      




Wednesday, 18 September 2013

smiles all round

18/09/13
I have only been here for 3 weeks and 3 days. It feels like SO much longer. The amount of knowledge i've gained, friends i've made and sights I've seen in that time is incredible. It's so exciting knowing there's still 11 months of experiences to come by.

I'm  faced with new things everyday. Today I had to stop a fight! Two of the teenage girls I work with were screaming and slapping and even ripping at each others clothes. I was definitely shocked to find out it all started because one stole the other's socks. One of the girls was shaking on the verge of a panic attack!

Last night we visited Signal Hill again. It's definitely my favourite place on earth right now, it's beyond breathtaking. The sky was a warmer colour and clouds were rolling over Table Mountain like a blanket, It was sooo amazing.







I have extremely EXCITING news! I'm taking on South Africa ALONE! Okay, that's not the exciting part. I'm going to Plettenburg Bay on Friday. Plettenburg Bay is on the coast at the other end of the Western Cape. I'm taking a 6 hour bus from Cape Town. I'll be spending the weekend with two Project Trust boys, from the Outward Bound project in Sedgefield. We plan to stay in a backpackers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Somewhere in there, we will be throwing ourself off of a bridge...THEE worlds highest bungee jump! I am so so so excited. That doesn't mean i'm not terrified though. As long as I'm not first and not last, I'll be fine.



Next week is going to be very busy at the Children's Home as it's the school holiday. Lucky for me, I'm only working Monday, Tuesday and Sunday! Even better, i'm working night shift! I'm yet to experience night shift so I'm not sure what to expect. Unfortunately the hours are longer during the holiday. I'll be working (sitting in a dark corridor) from 7pm-7am. Crazy ?!