Journey to South Africa – Week 1

In Oct. 2016, I went on an incredible 2-week journey to South Africa!! The words to fully describe the experience spill out in pictures. It was a trip of a lifetime, organized and facilitated by Shayne Traviss (of VividLife) and Dawid De Wet (of Toerboer).

Day 1 – Oct. 13, 2016

Johannesburg, South Africa

Our flight out of Boston was the morning of Oct. 12. We flew to Atlanta, had an 8 hour layover there, then caught our flight to Johannesburg. There was an unexpected delay with the “Joburg” segment. A passenger with 2 children was unable to board the plane because she didn’t have the children’s passports. But the airline had “forgotten” to take their luggage off of the plane. It took an hour for the airline workers to find the family’s luggage. All this before we even took off for our 15 hour flight!

When the plane is in the air that long, time becomes a very strange construct. I think I slept. I know I ate, drank lots of water, walked around the plane, and even did some yoga. When we finally landed in Johannesburg, I felt tired and excited. Our Toerboer guide, Willem, picked us up and took us directly to the restaurant (Moyo’s) where the rest of our group was eating dinner. Everyone welcomed us warmly and helped us settle into the evening. By the time my head hit the pillow at the guest house, I was fast asleep!

Day 2 – Oct. 14, 2016

Moholoholo Forest Camp, Hoedspruit, South Africa

First full day in SA = 9 hr. drive to Moholoholo in a comfy mid-size 4-wheel drive bus that became our 2nd home. Stopped at Nan Hua Temple, the largest Buddhist Temple in the Southern Hemisphere.

NOTE: click on the thumbnail image to see an enlarged slideshow!

Days 3-4 – Oct. 15-16, 2016

Moholoholo Forest Camp, Hoedspruit, South Africa

Moholoholo accommodations were luxurious and blew us away: gorgeous! When we woke up the next morning and walked out on our deck, we saw a family of nyala. So majestic and captivating. Baboons came by also! Our room overlooked a dry riverbed that was apparently their daily route. The day was spent breathing in the surrounding landscape and touring the facilities at the wildlife rehabilitation center, seeing first-hand the hard work they do with the animals.

Moholoholo was a bit of an emotional journey for me. The enormity of the environmental issues faced in Africa hit me full force. Didn’t feel great on Day 4 (sore throat, some dehydration): I was unable to take pictures, so I’m sharing what Tosh Bene took. Currently in severe drought, the land is dry and harsh, yet achingly beautiful. Animals’ migration routes across the continent have been destroyed. Birds’ wings are clipped by power lines. Poaching continues… The light shines at Moholoholo where animals are rescued and cared for. Still, it was hard for me to see them caged and realize the extent of the suffering endured. We cleaned, replenished water, and refilled food bins.
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Special thanks to Tosh Bene for her fantastic pictures!

Moholoholo founder, Brian Jones, fed the hippos. Mesmerizing to watch them chew the food thoroughly and see the green juice dripping from their mouths. Thought we were going to be working with the animals that afternoon, so I didn’t bring my camera, and had to capture the magical moments with my mind’s eye. You can hear the cameras clicking in the video. Thanks to Deborah Rowden for recording this!

WATCH THE VIDEO!

Days 5 to 9 – Oct. 17 to 21, 2016

Daktari Bush School, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Our next adventure was at Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage, co-founded by Ian and Michele Merrifield. Local underprivileged children (8th graders) visit for 5 days to learn about and care for their environment and animals. We taught classes to them, planted trees at nearby high schools, and visited a local daycare center. Shared accommodations and ablutions were basic yet comfortable. The students at Daktari that week were quiet, polite, very smart, and a joy to be with!

A bright light = Primrose, a student we met at the first high school we visited! She impressed all of us with her composure, intellect, humor, and determination. She had been a student at Daktari and is an inspiring example of the awesome ambassadors their students are becoming. I bet we hear about her in the near future. She’s a star! Can’t wait to see what Primrose does next. She wants to become a doctor, has a goal, and a plan. OMG, such an inspiration!
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A few of the pix in this album were taken by some of my traveling companions: Colin Burwell and Carla Sinclair (of Empty Cup Media), Tosh Bene, Laurel Geise, and Eloise Morrison (thank you all for your fantastic pictures!).

Day 6 – Oct. 18, 2016

Daktari Bush School, Limpopo Province, So. Africa

Peggy and I prepping to teach our Environment class at Daktari. We came up with this little ditty and Dennis captured us practicing it. LOL! While teaching, we spontaneously came up with other sing-a-long types of phrases to help them remember key words. The kids loved this one in particular, and would often repeat it to us during our week together.
WATCH THE VIDEO!

Day 7 – Oct. 19, 2016

Daktari Bush School, Limpopo Province, South Africa

While at Daktari, we split our large traveling group into 2 teams so it wouldn’t be overwhelming for the students to be interacting with all of us. Teams alternated between teaching one day and visiting local schools the next day. On our third morning at Daktari, our team visited a daycare center. There were approx. 45 adorable kids (full enrollment is 60) to greet us with their So. African version of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”. We played games with them, sang, ran, spun, danced, and laughed. So much energy and eagerness to learn!

Day 7 – Oct. 19, 2016

Daktari Bush School, Limpopo Province, South Africa

On our third afternoon at Daktari, our team visited the “Eco Club” at a local high school. The school day was ending and most students were just hanging out when we arrived. I nearly broke down in tears when I saw the condition of this particular classroom. It was dusty and the desks were in disarray (the Eco Club students swept the floor and rearranged the furniture). The walls were empty (no colorful posters or visually stimulating, educational prompts). Tucked against the windowed wall were 3 rolls of barbed wire. I could hardly breathe because I was so upset. I was unable to participate in the afternoon’s lesson in my state of mind. Rather than teach, I decided to be an observer and take some pictures. Midway through, somehow I mustered up the courage to be the “score-keeper” in the educational game we were playing.

The activity was transformative. Micah Heineck (Daktari long-term volunteer extraordinaire) has an incredible ability to enlist the kids and build up their enthusiasm. Everyone was totally engaged and having so much fun. By the end, the students were hugging us. In my experience, high school kids don’t normally hug, so this was amazing to me. Tears of joy ensued.

Day 8 – Oct. 20, 2016

Daktari Bush School, Limpopo Province, South Africa

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