Garden Route Tour

Garden Route Tour

This was the most eventful weekend of my entire life.  Prepare to be amazed. 

It all began with a 6 hour drive from Grassy Park to Sedgefield, a city in Western Cape.  The following events are not fabricated.  Everything that is documented on this post did occur, as is proven in the photographical exhibits attached under each event. 

1)      Big 5 Safari

After being cooped up in a stuffy bus for six hours, we had the privilege of stretching our legs outside in a nature reserve.  While signing papers, waiving our rights if anything were to happen to us on the safari, we perused the gift shop, went to the toilet, and applied an ample amount of sunscreen.  Then, we congregated outside of our two open top jeeps and were finally off.  The safari itself was wonderful.  Our tour guide was a savvy environmentalist and gave us plenty of fun facts.  We saw everything from rhinos, to hippos, to zebras, to kudus, to giraffes, and so much more.  The expansive land was filled with plant life and sprinkled with groups of animals feeding, grazing, pooping, relaxing.  We stayed on the dirt road, but still we were able to get very close to some of the animals.  The rhinos especially weren’t phased by our presence. They remained adjacent to the road even as we pulled up and parked right next to them.  We weren’t able to get this close to the lions, but still our encounter with the lions were wonderful.  The lions are fenced off from the rest of the reserve.  They are fed dead animals, and do not hunt even when faced with animals that would be their prey out in the wild.  We saw one male lion, as majestic as he could possibly be, and two lionesses, cleaning themselves and basking in the sunlight.  They were all absolutely beautiful and lethal, if they chose to charge our jeep.  Overall, the safari was super fun and informative, and I had a wonderful time.

 

 

2)      Lion Walk

After the safari, we had a lunch break, and then set off to a new adventure: a walk with lions.  Again, we signed our lives away on waivers that said that we recognized the danger involved in the activity in which we were about to partake.  We congregated after signing the forms and were given wooden staffs we had to hold firmly throughout our walk.  The lions had been trained to respect those who have sticks.  I don’t want to know how they learned to fear people with staffs.  I worry they were beaten.  ANYWAY, the lions were paraded around to various photo-ops by the trainers.  We trailed behind, gripping our staffs.  I had mixed feelings about the whole ordeal.  The lions were practically slaves.  Then again, are we protecting them from the challenges they would have to face in the wild?  Who are we to make that choice for them?  ANYWAY, the experience made me think a lot, which is good.  And now I have some nice pictures of me with lions.  Go cats.  Meow.

 

 

3)      The Market

The next morning, we went to a wonderful market in Sedgefield.  It was the perfect way to start the day.  The market was separated into two sections: the food area and the craft area.  First, I ventured into the food side to grab some breakfast.  After checking out the bounty of options, I settled on a waffle topped off with chocolatey goodness as well as strawberries and cream with a refreshing glass of orange juice.   I ate with some of my companions as we contemplated whether or not we would partake in the bungee jumping that would be happening in the afternoon.  It began to drizzle.  As an avid lover of rain, I thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance.  I was very content with the waffle and the weather.  Once I finished eating, I ventured over to the craft side where I made a variety of purchases of souvenirs.  I bought a leopard necklace from a lovely couple, some knick-knacks from a Kenyan nomad who informed me that he enjoys marijuana, and a wooden lion from a very savvy South African salesman.  The market was a great opportunity to meet merchants and taste some awesome food.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4)      Elephant walk/ride

Next, we drove over to an elephant sanctuary where we were to walk with elephants, feed elephants, and finally ride elephants.  We hastily snatched some smelly communal ponchos as we were chilled to the bone in the damp weather, waiting for our guide to take us to our elephant pals. After having a mini fashion show, modelling our ponchos on an imaginary catwalk, we were greeted by our guide, a funny funny South African man.  He proceeded to play a prank on one of the glappers, saying her clothes were too neon for the elephants.  He was very convincing.  She was just about to head to the bus to change when he told us that he was lying.  Elephants can barely see color, so there is no way they would be angered by a neon jacket and some bright shoes.  We all laughed and were impressed by his acting skills. So we moved out into the sanctuary and thus began my torment.  The animals again were being paraded around, in an enclosure far too small for them.  They did not have the freedom to roam or feed whenever they may want to.  They worked long hours entertaining selfish and ignorant humans who want to say they encountered nature in its most primal form.  NO.  Still, I participated, like a coward.  We walked with the elephants, with them leading us, trunk in hand.  Then we watched them do what the trainers assured us were not tricks, but actions that the elephants would do in the wild.  There was kneeling and blowing and head shaking as we sat in audience formation, gawking at the poor gentle giants.  At least they were safe and fed snacks for their work.  To be fair to people in general, the elephants that were in the sanctuary were rescues, so they are better off in the sanctuary than they would be in their previous homes.  Next we fed them pumpkin and sweet potato bits, and finally we rode them around a track (3 people to one elephant; one trainer and 2 glappers).  Just like the excursion with the lions, I enjoyed the activity because it made me think and made a good story.

 

5)      Bungee Jump

What do I even say about this? 

Okay, Anna, calm down.  Let’s start at the beginning.

We departed the elephant sanctuary and set off for the highest bungee bridge in the world, towering at a resounding 216 meters.  The Bloukrans Bungee Bridge is a record setting adrenaline hotspot that sees thrill seekers each day.  On our way to the drop-off point, we actually drove across the bridge we were soon to be jumping off of.  That was a very exciting moment.  We got to the registration table where we waived our rights and had our jump number and weight scribbled onto our hands with marker.  Next, we got our harnesses on, and then we waited.  You don’t just line up on the bridge; it’s far more organized than that.  You receive a specific time in which you are supposed to meet at the top of the bridge.  When our time neared, we all congregated and made our way over to the bridge.  How many times have I said bridge?  As the jump actually got closer and closer, the more excited I became.  I wasn’t nervous at all.  The walk across the bridge was treacherous.  There is a pathway on the underside of the bridge made of a metal grate that you walk through in order to arrive at the plunge site.  It’s more of a cage than a pathway.  And since it is made of a metal grate, you can see right through the floor to the valley, a whopping 216 meters below.  Okay. I’m probably boring you with my meager effort to set the scene.  The air was tense yet freeing.  The view was stunning yet terrifying.  My friends were jittery yet pumped.  Let’s move to the actual plunge site (that’s a phrase I came up with myself, so don’t go thinking that “plunge site” is THE TERM for where you jump off a bridge; it’s not).  We were given a brief orientation on what you can and cannot do such as you can party like there is no tomorrow (because there might not be if you take the plunge and something erm goes wrong) and you cannot smoke.  Yay.  Rules.  Then it began.  One by one, my friends were strapped in, were lead to the edge of the bridge, and were brave enough to take the leap of faith.  Then they would be hoisted back up onto the platform we were on, and that’s when the screaming and celebration ensued.  The response from those who had just jumped was extremely reassuring to my already calm and confident outlook on the whole thing.  After cheering on quite a few of my friends, it was finally my turn.  My ankle thingies were Velcro-ed on and I was all hooked up.  I took one last second to show some love to my friend JC who was absolutely terrified of heights and wasn’t looking forward to facing her fears.  I grabbed her hand for a brief moment and then waddled up to the edge, not thinking about what I was about to do.  With my feet bound and my life on the line, the two workers began their countdown from 3, signaling it was just about time for me to jump.  And so I did.  Without thinking, I leapt out into the abyss, surrendering to gravity, Newton, and the world.  The fall was, how you say, not fun.  With bronchitis and the flu gripping my body, I almost blacked out.  But the rebound, the elastic motion, the bouncing until you settle, was spectacular.  You feel as if you’ve conquered the world.  The air whips past you and you are invincible.  I couldn’t help but yell out, cursing those who have wronged me, praising everyone else, loving this life.  And that was that.  A worker dangling from a line came down and hoisted me up.  I made small talk with him driven by pure euphoria.  Then, back on the bridge, I was greeted by my ecstatic and proud friends who huddled around me, asking me how it was and how I felt.  After everyone had jumped, we took the walk through the metal grate cage back to land, feeling like absolute champions.  I had a celebratory meal of chicken strips and fries, and thus was the end of my bungee adventure.

6)      Cango Caves

The next day, we were posed with a choice on what we wanted to do.  Option one was essentially a petting zoo with leopards and other “wild” animals and the other was the Cango Caves a UNESCO site with stunning natural rock formations.  There are plenty of reasons why I chose the caves over the petting zoo.  But, mainly it was because I had seen enough practically domesticated animals that should have been wild in the past few days, and, as an environmental science buff, caves are my ish, and I had never seen any of this magnitude before.  The majority of the glappers chose to go see the animals, but some of us did choose to go on what is called the “Adventure Tour” in the caves.  This means that after the standard tour, you are taken through 4 very cramped tunnels, climbs, whatever else, to reach a deeper point in the caves.  The tour guide was a fun little petite woman with a precious lisp.  She told us the story of the discovery of the caves in the 18^th century, and about the different types of formations found in the caves, and about concerts that were once held on the site (they were stopped shortly after people began abusing the privilege of being in the caves by vandalizing).   It was very informative and I loved hearing about how all of the natural beauty came to be.  Then it was time for the Adventure Tour.  We walked deeper and deeper into the caves guided by small lights lining the floor, then embarked on the coolest journey.  Jimmying through crevices, crawling under gigantic rocks, sliding down walls, the Adventure Tour was spectacular.  I felt like a real explorer, delving deeper into the stony mysteries that are the Cango Caves.  I bonked my head a couple of times, but the bumps, bruises, and scrapes were well worth it.  This was easily the highlight of my weekend—even better than bungee jumping.

Camera was dead.  I'm so sorry.

7)      Ostrich Farm

Finally!  This post is coming to a close.  This has taken me weeks to compile as I have become far busier since the switch of projects from building to human rights.  But alas, that sudden jump in busy-ness is for the next post.  Right now I need to focus on writing about the ostrich farm. So, my fellow cave explorers waited for the people who went to pet the animals for about an hour.  Although there were free refreshments at what was more like an ostrich country club than a farm, the wait in the lobby with all of the pretentious ostrich eaters did not give me the best first impression.  Often, first impressions are very telling of what is to come.  Once the rest of my group arrived, the tour began in a room filled with chairs set up in audience style.  A man came in and told us everything anybody could ever want to know about ostriches.  He even had visual aids like ostrich leather with the tiny pock marks for where the feathers poke out and an ostrich feather feather-duster.  So at this point, I was very content with the happenings of this tour. Next, we went into the incubation room where we were informed on the absolutely astounding strength of ostrich eggs (a decently sized human can stand on one without even cracking the shell) and on the incubation period of baby ostriches, which I have since forgotten.  Then we ventured out to see a miniature ostrich, which I fed.  Then we went over to a normal sized ostrich.  The tour guide made it spin around trying to get food, and showed off the flexibility of the neck (it can turn 360 degrees).  That particular ostrich can also give kisses.  You receive a kiss by putting some of the cylindrical food in between your lips, by making your presence known to the ostrich (ostriches are very dumb), and by waiting while the ostrich does the fastest lean-in you’ve ever seen.  When I went up for my kiss, the ostrich was so sloppy that my upper lip actually bled a little post-smooch.  Rookie mistake, ostrich, rookie mistake.  This next part is when it all went downhill.  It was time for a few “lucky” people to ride an ostrich.  I was expecting something actually humane, like, perhaps the ostriches wouldn’t mind a human on their rumps.  But that was not the case.  First of all, the way the ostrich was wrangled and taken to the mounting point was awful.  They used a stick with a metal loop at the end to capture the fleeing ostriches.  Their necks would be caught and they would lurch backwards.  It was terrible.  It only got worse from there.  The noises were heart-wrenching and the squirming was unforgettable.  They placed a bag on the head and led it over to the place where the human hops on.  It is not a pleasant stroll while on the back of an ostrich.  It is a frantic run, bucking, and twisting, trying to get the stupid human of its back.  I watched one ride, learned all this, and had to leave.  I left with my fellow animal lover, Mikaela.  We went to the gift shop and each bought a bracelet, symbolizing standing up for what you believe in.  Whenever I wear my bracelet, I think of those poor ostriches and how I was strong enough to leave the situation I was uncomfortable in despite whatever my peers thought.  And that was that.  Mik and I waited for a while for the others to finish watching the torture, and then we were on our way home.

 

 

 

W0Wow0WOW.  This post took me ages to complete.  I am sorry to those of you who have been waiting for an update on my life.  This weekend filled with adventures happens October 24-26, which is almost a month ago, soooooo whoops.  The posts will be far briefer from now on.  I just felt as if this one weekend needed to be in one ridiculously long post.  Coming up next, for those of you who are curious, will be some info on the new project I am in—Human Rights.  Expect that in the next couple of days.

 

I love you guys, and again thanks for reading!