The Weather

The Weather

While in South Africa, we enjoyed beautiful weather.  It was early March there because they are in the Southern Hemisphere.  The seasons there are opposite of the seasons we have here.  (It is Winter there, while it is Summer here.)  South Africa also has a Subtropical Climate, which means the weather is perfect in Autumn for outdoor activities.  It is not humid like our climate, and is much more consistent.  There is little rain, and a lot of sunshine.

 It was only cloudy for two of the days we were there. Towards the beginning of our trip we experienced drizzly weather on March 23rd.  We were visiting FNB Stadium at the time, which was outside, but we did not mind.  We had luckily heard on the 5-day forecast about rainy weather, so we brought along jackets.  We were comfortable because it was fairly warm.

Unfortunately, the rain then followed us to Kimberly.  It rained on us the whole time we were driving and then continued to rain on us while we visited Kimberly Mine on March 24th.  We were even forced to sleep outside in the rain.  We were very thankful to Cameron, who brought along the waterproof tent.  It worked well and kept us out of the rain, but we still wished we could have stayed in a hotel that night.  That was the only night we thought that though.

Fortunately, we experienced beautiful weather the rest of the trip.  It was always in the 70's during the day, and the upper 50's or lower 60's at night.  Perfect weather for enjoying the sights and sounds of South Africa, and perfect weather for sleeping outside.  We were never sweaty or cold.  It was even perfect on the 27th and the 29th.  The 27th was the date of our trip to dive with the sharks, and the 29th was the date of Splashy Fen.  The water was very warm, which is great for diving because the sharks love the warm water.  It is also great for humans too.  The weather was also great for Splashy Fen.  We could roam around and check out all the bands without worrying about getting wet or too hot.  Frequent Splashy Fen visitors said it was the best weather they had experienced since 2005.  We were very lucky to visit South Africa during this time of year.

South Africa, The Journey of a Lifetime!

          All in all, the group had a fantastic time in South Africa.  The sites were unforgettable and the meals were to die for.  The natural beauty that South Africa had to offer really showed the group how amazing our world is.   The Silvermine Nature Reserve was one of the prettiest sites to see while in Cape Town, however the group could agree that the shark cages were probably the most thrilling experience there.  Everyone really loved Splashy Fen, this had to be the best activity that the group got to enjoy while in South Africa.

Here is Cameron striking a pose with his "I Heart Splashy Fen" T-shirt

          The sights and sounds of South Africa will forever be remembered by us. It is amazing to see how kind the people have become, even after all they have been through. They were always courteous to us and we loved getting to interact with the locals. Everything there has a history behind it, and everything has some importance to it. The times have been tough for the people of South Africa, but they have come out to be a kinder and more compassionate nation because of it. The events we attended reflected on the culture of South Africa, and showed the true spirit of the country.

Here is Peyton posing with the local school children of Cape Town.

Voortrekker Monument

           While we were in Johannesburg, we decided to check out the Voortrekker Monument. The weather was down in the low sixties so it was nice to be able to do something indoors.  This monument was constructed to commemorate the exodus of the Boer pioneers from the Cape Colony. In addition to commemorating the trek, this monument also commemorates the Battle of Blood River, which was a result of the movement of this group. We were amazed by the architecture of this building. The design was simple but elegant. It was really cool to see how the sun reflects through the different points in the building, and all of the symbolism built into the building. We had to explain to Peyton that he had to behave well while we were there, so we didn't have any incidents. This monument was a little out of the way to visit, as it is a good trip from Johannesburg, but Derek drives fast so we got there quickly, and it was well worth the visit. We learned a lot about how the settlers lived and how life was at this point of history. We also got to understand the willpower these people had to do what they were doing. Probably the coolest thing we got to see was the cenotaph in the center of the top dome of the building. The central shaft of light from the sun shines through at midday onto the cenotaph, and engraved on the cenotaph are the words, "We for Thee, South Africa". This is representative of the idea that God would support the Boers in all that they are doing. We made sure to try to not break anything, and somehow we succeeded, though we're not sure how. We were once again worn out after a long day of touring.

Golf

Golf in South Africa

Towards the end of our journey across South Africa, we decided to go golfing.  This was a great day to because the weather was perfect.  We went to the Legend Golf and Safari Resort.  The golf course is designed by some of the best professional golfers in the world.  It was beautiful.  Each hole was completely different and individually designed.  What a crazy experience!  There is one hole named "The Extreme 19th."  The tee box is accessible by only helicopter because is on the edge of a 430 meter cliff.  You then have to hit the golf ball 280 meters to the front of the fairway.  It takes 20 seconds for the ball to land! After reaching the fairway, you chip to the green.  The green is in the shape of Africa and even has all the contours of the continent.  It is a par three, and a tough one at that.
Many professional golfers from all around the world come to South Africa to experience what may be the most unique golf course on Earth.  Even the world's best golfers have trouble shooting par on this crazy hole, but it has been done multiple times before.  You cannot call yourself a professional golfer until you have experienced this.
We had a lot of trouble on this hole.  Cameron, Alex, Mackenzie, and Peyton all lost there golf balls in the forest surrounding the green.  Luckily, Derek shot last and landed right on the green.  He even made par! After experiencing one of golf's craziest courses, we decided this was a highlight of our trip.  If we ever come back to South Africa, we will do this again.

                                              

Splashy Fen

          Right now we are at the Splashy Fen music festival. We've been listening to lots of different types of music, and enjoying every moment. Everyone can just be themselves, and everyone gets to let loose. We've had a hectic schedule, so this is good for relaxing and having fun. It's hard to keep up with everything we want to do, and we're all a little tired... so it's nice to take a break near the end of this wonderful trip. It's no real change to us for us to be staying in a tent, as we have been doing plenty of that. 
          We have learned a lot this week, and this festival really wraps up the culture of South Africa in a nice package. We had a lot of time to wind down as well as time to think to ourselves and reflect on the trip so far. It was a fairly laid back festival and there was plenty of people to talk to, and it helped us get to know the people of South Africa better. There weren't all South Africans in the crowd; there were plenty of different ages and ethnicities. It was a good blend of all things It was a blast, and we never had to look for something to do, because of the multiple activities and events at Splashy Fen. 

Sciences in South Africa

Sciencein South Africa

 South Africa has had very influentialcharacters when it comes to the field of sciences. One man, Allan McLeodCormack for example pioneered x-ray Computed Tomography, or as we call it C.T.scans, in 1961 then later installing the first C.T. Scanner at Tufts University.Without his contribution there would not be the possibility to view the insideof the human body with such ease, instead of having to physically cut open theperson. Very recently research has been proven to play a key role in the futureof Aids and the possibility of a vaccine was conducted by Caprisa (Centre for the Aids Programme ofResearch in South Africa). This five-yearlong study has been to discover ananti-body strong enough to counter the effects of Aids.

Shark Cages!

This was the "shark-chaser," the APEX PREDATOR

The sharks were HUGE!

This is the group in the cage with a Great White Shark swimming by

As Derek mentioned earlier in a post, the group was on a road trip! We were making our way from Johannesburg all the way to Cape Town.  One of the main reasons the group decided to go to Cape Town was because of the Great White Shark cage tours that this city offers.  We chose to take this one trip with the Great White Shark Tour crew.  I did a little research to find out that this was one of the best tours to do for cage diving and it proved right!  The group and I drove to Kleinbaai Harbor and got there around 9a.m.. The first hour we just learned about necessary safety precautions and ate some food for the experience soon to come.  As the time reached about 10a.m. the boat left the harbor and sailed about 5 miles into the ocean to Dyer Island.  Our shark caging had begun! To attract the sharks, the companies crew poured this special "chum" mix into the ocean.  It was scary at first to see the sharks right in front of you however it was also an exciting feeling as well.  Seeing the sharks interact with each other in their environment while in the cages was such an exhilarating experience.  Everyone loved it, though Peyton didn't last very long in the cage as he got really scared and almost had a panic attack.  He was worrying about the shark attacks that South Africa is known for.  Due to the great beaches that South Africa offers, they are favored areas for surfers.  The more surfers means the more shark attacks.  Shark attacks have gone up from around the mid 90's by about seven attacks or 25%.  However, the death rate has gone down.  All in all, this was one of the group's favorite experiences in South Africa.

Icon Luxury Apartments

Aside from the usual night camping, once we reached Cape Town on the 25th the group decided to stay in another hotel.  We chose to stay in the Icon Luxury Apartments because they offered 4 star service with a great view looking over Cape Town.  The apartments were located close to small cafes and local shops.  With the delicious food of South Africa, Alex gained a few pounds here and there. The workout gym in the hotel was very spacious and the equipment was top of the line. By the end of our stay Alex had his swimsuit body back in shape!

The service was phenomenal and everyone slept in comfortable bed at night and got a good night's rest.  In the morning of the 27th we left to enjoy the rest of our trip.


Here is Alex working up a sweat and burning those calories!

Robben Island

          The weather was gorgeous at somewhere in the high sixties, perfect for touring, and after a quick bite to eat, we were off. Our big event today was going to visit Robben island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty seven years.The island is about seven kilometers away from the coast of South Africa, and was used to hold high security and political prisoners. While it was sad to see what happened to the prisoners there, it was an essential visit, as its closing is one of the biggest moves against racism in human history. The boat ride to and from the island takes two hours each way, but it is a small price to pay when considering getting to see where so many important events in history happened here. The island is self sufficient, as it created its own water and food supplies, as well as electricity, and has been used as a prison for centuries. It is surprising that the prison lasted so long without many speaking out about the conditions for some of the prisoners there. Another part of the island we got to see is the gun emplacements that are still there from World War II, we had to remind Derek that guns are not toys, and the artillery cannons were for looks only. We returned to the mainland and since we were at the coast, we ate some Tripe, which was curried with potatoes and onions. Not our favorite, but it was certainly  a new experience of South Africa. We got back and after a snack, we went to bed. 

Silvermine nature reserve

          We had the amazing opportunity to visit the Silvermine Nature Reserve. This is a beautiful reserve close to Cape Town, so we stopped there while we were in Cape Town. This is truly one of nature's most beautiful locations. The views from the mountain top were gorgeous, and we took a plethora of pictures, and it was great that we went on that day, because of how sunny and warm everything was, with the temperature in the low seventies. The reserve has some of the greatest mountain and coast views in all of the world. We took one of the nature trails, and got to truly enjoy the beauty of South Africa's landscape. The ecosystem that flourishes in this environment is amazing. Everything was so vibrant and alive. We loved how simple everything was, yet how nature is so elegant. It felt refreshing to get away from the rush of everything on this trip. The bugs could be nasty at times, but the experience was worth it. We were entertained by Mackenzie, whom we had to remind that she isn't supposed to eat the flowers.We got back from the reserve when it was getting late, and after eating something quick on the way to the hotel, we completely crashed.