Oudtshoorn Rotary Meeting

I was very lucky to meet with Rotary Oudtshoorn during my vacation last week.  The members  were incredibly warm and friendly, and even offered us lodgings during our stay in Oudtshoorn!  I can't thank them enough for the incredible hospitality.  Below is my first banner swap, as well (I thought Rotary Far North might enjoy this).

Ostrich Fams and Cave Exploring in Oudtshoorn

We just had spring break this past week and a fellow Ambassadorial Scholar and I went out to Oudtshoorn.  Oudtshoorn is known as the ostrich capital of the world.  While there, we also checked out the Cango Caves.

This was the entrance to our caving adventure

Concerts were originally held in the larger chambers of the cave (above), but because people would take away pieces of the cave as souvenirs, it was decided to stop having such concerts.  

Me crawling through some of the narrower passages of the cave

Angie and me with our wonderful tour guide

Because Oudtshoorn is known as the Ostrich Capital, Angie and I took a tour of one of the ostrich farms.  Though it looks like I am getting a hug from the ostrich, it's actually reaching around me for some ostrich treats.  What a weird feeling!

These things looked vicious - I kept thinking I was in Jurassic Park

We also drove through Swartberg Pass.  It was one of the most amazing things that I have done.  The views were breathtaking and the photos just don't capture it's beauty.  

We were blown away by the Pass - literally.  The winds were so fierce that we couldn't even stand upright to pose.


Another memorable part of our trip was travelling to Knysna, which is famous for it's amazing forests and lagoon.

A view of the lagoon

These are pictures of where the lagoon meets the ocean.

All in all, it was a great way to spend spring break!  

Seal Island

My host counselor took me on a ferry trip out to see the seals on Seal Island.  The view was fabulous, and the seals were fun to watch too :)

The name of the ferry that took us across, I didn't get a chance to meet the Skipper, unfortunately

Just a few of the spectacular views aboard the boat

The stars of the day - the seals just lounging and enjoying the sun

A few seals went out to nab some fish

Rotaract District Conference

I had the chance to go to the annual Rotaract District Conference a couple of Saturdays ago and I finally have gotten the pictures from it.  For those of you who don't know, Rotaract is affiliated with Rotary and specifically targets people under the age of 30.  I know, I missed the cutoff age, but oh well.  The conference was about an hour away from Cape Town, and I've included some pictures below:

We were situated right by a lake, and when the fog would roll off of it, it made for a very beautiful sight.

The Rotaract Club logo 

All of the Rotaracters from Wynberg (the district that I am currently in).  I am at the far left, and no, the bridge wasn't caving - though it does look like it will!

Wine Tasting in Darling

I just came back from a great weekend with some fellow ambassadorial scholars.  We traveled about an hour outside of Cape Town to a place called Darling.  We sampled some amazing wine, hiked and walked around the beautiful countryside, and ate... a lot!  here are just a few of the pics that I took on the trip...

this photo was of a church, if you couldn't tell already - I liked the architecture and wanted to share it with you all.

this is the place we stayed at overnight, we had the place all to ourselves - August is off-peak travelling in these parts.

the views were pretty amazing, and the picture doesn't do it justice.  

Travelling outside of Cape Town, most people speak Afrikaans, which is not easy for me to get the hang of. Thankfully, the people we encountered knew some English, as well.  My aim is to at least try to be conversational in Afrikaans.  I have a lot of goals while I am here, though!  

The Most Beautiful City in the World

Cape Town is called the most beautiful city in the world, and from the little that I have already seen, I agree.  Here are just some of the pictures I took on my brief tour of the city:

These pictures were taken from various points in the city.  I have been lucky to have a wonderful Rotary host showing me around, Elizabeth Danckwerts.  I will be staying with her until I find a suitable place to live.  For those of you who are wondering what she looks like, I've included a picture:

She has been kind enough to help me set up things like my phone, my bank account, basically my life here in South Africa.  I can't thank her enough! 

One other thing I thought you all would enjoy - there is a lot of wild life here, as you would expect in Africa.  In fact, the government has posted up signs warning people to watch out for the baboons and to avoid feeding them.  In fact, on my first day here, I ran into a family of them crossing the street (in a forested area).  One managed to steal a butternut squash from a car and ran away with it.  Ever heard of Yogi the Baboon? 

So thiis is just a taste of what I have been up to these past few days, I will keep you posted regularly.  Feel free to leave me any comments or questions - I want to stay in touch! 

The Day Before the Big Day

So here it is - the barebones version of my blog, at least.  I have the visa, have the yellow fever shot, now I have to pack - bleh!  I don't even know where to begin....Stay tuned (and thanks to all who made my last few weeks in the States unforgettable - looking forward to sharing some fun stories and maybe seeing some of you in South Africa!)