Why hello there!
I know I've said this before, but I am so sorry that I have been MIA! As you all know, in March I embarked on a three week road trip through southern Africa with my friend Joey, and since my return to Grahamstown life has been a flurry of activity (some thesis related, some not so much!)
So, where to start? I suppose I should give you a brief re-cap of my recent travels! A friend of mine from high school (what up Magnolia High School marching band!) flew to Port Elizabeth on March 4, and from there, we set out on a 20 day journey which involved traveling through six different countries! We began in South Africa, where we drove along the Wild Coast through Coffee Bay and Durban. We then headed to the small landlocked country of Lesotho where we drove up the Sani Pass, and then headed to Swaziland where we stayed at a wildlife and game reserve. We then returned to South Africa for a two-day safari through Kruger National Park, where we saw a pride of lions hunting a herd of buffalo during a night drive! I literally felt like I was in a National Geographic magazine! After our short stay in Kruger we flew to Livingstone, Zambia, where we swam at the top of the Victoria Falls and went white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River! After a day trip to Zimbabwe to view the falls from a different vantage point we headed to Chobe National Park near Kasane, Botswana. At Chobe we saw leopards, more elephants than you can shake a stick at, and two giraffes, who just happened to be mating. That's what I call a successful safari, and an overall amazing adventure! Over these next few days I will be sure to write a few blog entries providing more stories from what can categorically be called one of the best holidays I've ever had!
I also want to give a big thank you to fellow Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Robin, who is currently studying at the University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban! She was kind enough to show Joey and I around the city and also helped organize an opportunity for me to speak to the incredibly welcoming, and quite hilarious, Rotary Club of Westville.
Since returning to Rhodes I have been busy researching for my thesis, mountain biking, swimming at the beach, puppy-sitting, and cooking obscene amounts of macaroni and cheese for an International Easter celebration! I am also excited to announce that Anti-Sex and Gender Based Violence Week is approaching at Rhodes and I am looking forward to assisting with the Sexual Violence = Silence Protest and the Take Back the Night march!
I'll let y'all go for now, but as previously mentioned, I promise to update this blog more frequently with tales of my holiday adventures, Rotary experiences, and my life as a postgraduate student in Grahamstown. For now, here are a few photos!
All my love,
B
Coffee Bay
Robin, Joey and I in Durban
A lioness in Kruger National Park
Lesotho
Escaping from a vicious warthog attack in Swaziland (I might be exaggerating slightly)
Victoria Falls
Hippo and friend in Chobe National Park
The Zambezi at sunset
