(TOM) Over the last couple of months we've done a good bit of organizing work and the trip is coming together nicely:
- Six days at Zulu Nyala, with safari drives in the morning and evening.
- A day trip (between safaris) to St. Lucia Wetlands to take a guided day hike through the coastal sand dunes and beaches and Indian Ocean (SEE LINK)
- Another day trip to go whale watching on a small boat that has to pass from lagoon to Indian Ocean through the breakwater to get to one of the best whale watching areas in the world (SEE LINK)
- We are going to then spend a day at Phinda (an amazing game reserve) to find out just how many lions and cheetahs (and possibly leopards) we can see at one of the best big cat reserves in Africa (SEE LINK)
- Then we go toward Durban and up to the Drakensbergs where we will stay for five days with a host family in the small, very rural village of Impendle. There we will spend time living and working in the community as volunteers. We will help build or repair some, work and play with orphans orphans, etc. - whatever needs to be done to make as much difference as we can. We found this opportunity through the small but very active Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Durban (SEE LINK), which is very special since Miranda is going through her Coming of Age year at our local UU congregation in Atlanta.
- When we are done, since we are so close to the Drakensbergs, we are going to take a tour up Sani Pass to the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho (SEE LINK).
This will be our second UN World Heritage Site in less than a week!
- Then we fly to Cape Town for about five days. This was Sukutai's (Miranda's) big idea. She really wanted to go and has worked hard to gather information and plan our time there. She also saved money to pay for her part of the extra cost of flying there. She has been great, and I'll let her tell you about it in another post.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
(MO) hey everyone! i am SOOO super excited! i cant wait to get on that plane and go on another adventure!
The trip with me mum to Costa Rica with the sloths and guava fruit was incredible, and now i get to go on a trip with me dad. I am now calling myself Sukutai,
which means "hug" in African! oh my gosh. i have to go. this is fun! I luv having a blog! yay! hope to write more tomorrow. wait, tomorrow is Halloween! i am presenting a poster i made of Cape Town tomorrow!
which means "hug" in African! oh my gosh. i have to go. this is fun! I luv having a blog! yay! hope to write more tomorrow. wait, tomorrow is Halloween! i am presenting a poster i made of Cape Town tomorrow!
"We're going to South Africa!!!!!"
(TOM) That was all I said to Miranda on the phone, standing outside her school fund raiser auction. I had, amazingly, just won a trip for two to South Africa and I couldn't wait to tell her. Ier head was already spinning with thoughts of her upcoming trip to Costa Rica with Sheri in august 2007. Now she is hearing that a year later she is going to South Africa. I can't believe it myself.
I suggested to Sheri that she and Miranda take a mother/daughter adventure, never expecting they would end up planning to go to Costa Rica. I was happy for them ad excited for them, but when fate (and a sweet deal, and a ton of frequent flyer miles) allowed for Miranda and i to do a father/daughter trip to SA the following year we were beside ourselves.
So, we have 6 days/nights at a private game reserve in KwaZulu Natal province. What else' so much to see, such a large country, so much history, incredible riches, and stunning poverty. How can we possibly experience this great country, connect with these amazing people, and try to give back at least a little.
So, I'm going to do plans for our time in KZN. We've already agreed that we are going to spend at least 3 days volunteering and have picked Knysna because we can help both people of a local township, and the worlds most endangered seahorse (on alternating days).
And Miranda is responsible for planning our time in Cape Town. that was a negotiation. she really wanted to go (me too), but it required an extra flight and some extra cost. so she's working extra (mowing grass, babysitting), being frugal, and saving an amount we agreed to in order to help with the extra cost (have I mentioned yet that she is amazing?).
As we plan the trip, take the trip, then re-live it as much as possible, we'll both be posting here. We hope you can enjoyour trip with us vicariously.
T
I suggested to Sheri that she and Miranda take a mother/daughter adventure, never expecting they would end up planning to go to Costa Rica. I was happy for them ad excited for them, but when fate (and a sweet deal, and a ton of frequent flyer miles) allowed for Miranda and i to do a father/daughter trip to SA the following year we were beside ourselves.
So, we have 6 days/nights at a private game reserve in KwaZulu Natal province. What else' so much to see, such a large country, so much history, incredible riches, and stunning poverty. How can we possibly experience this great country, connect with these amazing people, and try to give back at least a little.
So, I'm going to do plans for our time in KZN. We've already agreed that we are going to spend at least 3 days volunteering and have picked Knysna because we can help both people of a local township, and the worlds most endangered seahorse (on alternating days).
And Miranda is responsible for planning our time in Cape Town. that was a negotiation. she really wanted to go (me too), but it required an extra flight and some extra cost. so she's working extra (mowing grass, babysitting), being frugal, and saving an amount we agreed to in order to help with the extra cost (have I mentioned yet that she is amazing?).
As we plan the trip, take the trip, then re-live it as much as possible, we'll both be posting here. We hope you can enjoyour trip with us vicariously.
T
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