Bush Camp

Hey Everybody,

Just got back from bush camp at Tsitsitkamma Falls about an hour and a half away from where we are staying in Port Elizabeth.  The area itself was very interesting because there was a line of mountains along the north side of where we slept.  It was very cool to see since I have never seen a mountain before this.  It is very humbling standing next to them.  The peculiar thing about this area was the pine trees to the south of us.  It was almost like Northern Minnesota, but there was a lot more fern and tropical underbrush.  The Dutch settlers brought them here when they were settling the area, and they are used for paper. 

Driving to this area was an adventure itself.  The highway turned to 2 lanes not long out of Port Elizabeth.  There is also not much of a shoulder.  Of course, the bus I was on got a flat tire and we had to stop on the side of the highway.  In the States, when someone is on the side of the road, people generally slow down as a courtesy to the passengers or just to see what is going on.  Not in South Africa.  The other drivers flew by, and didn’t even move over in the lane much.  After we got back on the road, it was not long until we had to stop for a family of baboons on the road.  That is Africa for you!

As for the activities, the first day we got there we had the afternoon open to check out the falls (where we would be zip lining the next day) or meet the other students at the orientation.  We had barbotie for dinner which was a traditional South African beef dish.  Later in the night we had a drum lesson which was fun.  I was one of the first in the circle.  Although none of us had played before, the instructor started us off easy and in no time we were creating a beat that was together.  We ended up playing for a few hours before mingling some more before sleeping.

The next day, we went zip lining over the falls, and some of the mountains.  They were exciting and obviously an adrenalin rush, but early in the morning we had an overview of South Africa’s history from a local that was outstanding.  He was classified as black during apartheid even though if you were to see him, you would probably call him white.  He explained many of the problems with the country and had some very interesting ideological views.  It was very cool, and I realized I was lucky to be getting this experience.  His name is Bradley, and we will be going on some culture trips with him.  I look forward to spending more time with him and a few of us talked with him separately.  Through his help we will see the true Africa. 

Thanks for reading.  Cheers

Bobby