Gap Year Experiences
Updates and info from on the ground during our 11 week and 5 week Experiences in South Africa
Final moments in Cape Town
Wednesday 24 February 2010
So the last few days in Cape Town were bitter sweet. With completion of the volounteer's Pepper Lounge at the Ubuntu Centre in Khayelitsha and with our sailors passing all their qualifications with top marks, our final weekend started with one last sunset trip up Signal Hill.
The volounteers last day in Khayelitsha
The Pepper bundle of love on Signal Hill
As celebratory as it was due the feeling of completion and accomplishment after a hard working week it was also a fairly sad evening as it was Jake's last moments with us. Due to this we had to give him a proper send off with everyone making their way down to Assembly for another night of good music and extreme dance moves. True to their word, Georgie and Georgia even managed to come home from the night with our official team mascot; Andrea.
Georgia, Andrea (the much loved mascot) and Georgie
Saturday started off fairly slowly with Team Pepper feeling the beatings from Jake's farewell but soon enough we were all packed in the punisher and ready for a trip down to the tip of the continent at Cape Point. With lots of mountain goat action, a fair amount of jumping around and some great weather, it was a pretty fun day spent at the Cape of Good Hope National Park.
Fun and games at Cape Point
After a quick stop at Simonstown for some Salty Seadog fish and chips on the pier it was time for the boys and Abi to head to Newlands for a Super 14 rugby game, and the rest of the girls to treat themselves to a well earned dinner. With a win in the rugby (Go Stormers!!!) and a delicious meal it was time to head to Knoxville for one final night out! The Pepper crew has properly become part of the Knoxville regulars and I'm sure we will be sorely missed in those parts.
With our last full day in Cape Town being a fairly organisational one (lots of packing, last minute shopping and postcard sending) we still managed to fit in a relaxed stroll through the Kirstenbosch gardens allowing everyone to absorb the last views and atmosphere of the great city of Cape Town. The evening then kicked off with live music by SA band, Just Jinger in the perfect setting of the gardens. This set the mood for the rest of the night with the crew then shipping off to Caprice, followed by some last minute fun back at the Zebra!
Last morning in Cape Town
Monday morning we packed up and headed up the beautiful east coast to a serene little spot of Vic Bay. Although the weather wasn't exactly ideal for camping, it only slightly drizzled and the wind hadn't quite picked up to gale force just yet. I have to admit I was expecting a very grumpy group, but was extremely pleased by the fact that not even camping in the wind and rain got this crew down. Spirits were very high and to be honest I think they secretly enjoyed the foul weather. Added a new dimension to the Pepper Experience. We kept ourselves fairly dry yesterday with a trip slipping, sliding and climbing through the Cango Caves in Oudsthoorn followed by a well earned trip to the cinema last night.
And in a great act of kindness the weather Gods have awarded our extreme enthusiasm, dedication and optimism in the bad weather with an absolute peach of a day today! The crew have rushed down to the beach with surfboards, rugby balls, frisbee's and whole bunch of other sunny weather paraphanalia.
Our home in Vic Bay
I do apologise that there has been a slight lull in the blog posts but everybody has had such an action packed last week and have been involved in all sorts of things such as paragliding, shark cage diving, live concerts, rugby etc. Hopefully we will get updates up about all this excitement by the end of the day as the guys are winding down in the campsite over looking the Indian Ocean in Vic Bay.
One last word must go out to Jake. His hacky skills and guitar strumming has already been missed by all of the team. Jake, if you read this soon, we all hope you have the most fantastic trip through the rest of Africa and I hope your ex-Pepper survival Kit has come in handy. Take plenty photo's, send us news and remember; "Just Chill Bro!"
Jake in his element
Well, till next time,
Pip.
xx
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