Day 9 - 12
Door: Danique Janssen
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Danique
13 April 2014 | Nederland, Elst
Day 9 (Saturday, the 1st of March)
We got up at 6.30 am, a little later than usual, because we were going to Cape Town. It was an exciting day because we were going to Robben Island. We were brought there on a boat. When we came nearer to the island it was way bigger than I expected. I expected it to be a small island with just a prison but it had a whole town around it as well. When we arrived at the island we went into a bus and we got a tour around the island. We saw the place where Mandela and other prisoners had to work all day. There was also a pile of stones as a monument there. Then we went into the prison itself. We got a tour around the prison from a man who had been a prisoner on Robben Island himself. We of course saw Mandela's cell, which was pretty emotional, but also bigger cells for more people and cells with the stories of the people who had been a prisoner there. It was quite impressive and emotional to see. Although the whole tour was kind of rushed which was kind of a down side because you couldn't experience it as well as you wanted. After the tour in the prison we were brought back to the main land and went with the busses to the District 6 museum. District 6 used to be a town with all kinds of different people living there but one day it was suddenly decided to make the town a town where just white people were allowed to live and everyone else had to leave. Noor, a man who had loved through the whole thing himself, told us his story and it was really beautiful and emotional to listen to. He is a really good storyteller and I enjoyed listening to him. He also wrote a book which a lot of people of the group bought to find out more about him and his story. Afterwards we got about 2 hours of free time to shop and eat or do something else. When we got back in Genadendal the clothes we left for washing was all mixed up and everyone had to look for their clothes in different bags than they were before which was quite funny.
Day 10 (Sunday, the 2nd of March)
We went to Cape Town again today. This time we went on a hop on hop off bus and we drove to the table mountain. There were loads of clouds above the mountain so we probably wouldn't be able to see anything if we went up there. We still went up the mountain because a lot of us wanted to go. When we arrived at the top we indeed couldn't see a thing, we could see like 20 meters ahead. It was also very cold because there was a lot of wind so we went inside for some hot cocoa. Then we walked over the table mountain with a little group and two teachers. We started singing and it was really funny. When we were down we went on another hop on hop off bus and we went to the green market, a market in Cape Town centre and we got some time there. After the market we went and to eat somewhere but we couldn't really see more Cape Town centre because it started raining really hard. We had to walk back to our own busses in that rain and everybody was soaked in the end. That evening we had an assembly about the last two days.
Day 11 (Monday, the 3rd of March)
Today we got up at 6 am but when we arrived at the school at 7 am we heard our buddies wouldn't be able to join us until 8.30 am so we had to wait for quite a while. When our buddies were finally there we drove to a safari park in the school bus. When we arrived there we got into the safari jeeps and drove to the place where we were going to have some lunch. We were almost there when our jeep stopped working and there we stood in a safari park with wild animals. We saw animals like rhinos, ostriches and springboks already. We had to wait for another jeep to come and pick us up. After the lunch we went to the elephants. We got to pet them and see them up close. It was really amazing. Then we actually went into the park with the jeeps. We first drove past the rhinos but they didn't have horns anymore because they got cut off by people before they got to the park. Then we saw blue gnus. These were only males because they weren't allowed in their own tribe anymore. Thirdly we saw buffalos. These were kept in cavity because otherwise they would fight with the rhinos and those couldn't defend themselves because they have no horns. After the buffalos we went to the animals I was looking out for the most: the lions. When we got closer we saw a cage so I thought we couldn't be able to see them from up close but then we went into the cage and drove to were the lions were lying. They were really beautiful and loved seeing them that close. We weren't allowed to talk too loud or they might attack us. After the lions we drove past a tribe of zebras and gnus. There was also a cute, little zebra. Then we drove past the younger lions and went back to the place where we had lunch. When we were driving back to the exit where the school bus was standing we saw a tribe springboks so we drove past them. Sadly we didn't see the entire Big 5 because leopards are too dangerous to have in a safari park. Eventually we went back to Genadendal in the school bus and immediately went to bed.
Day 12 (Tuesday, the 4th of March)
We got up at 6 am today because we were going back to the child care place we had been to on day 8. Sadly half of the buddies couldn't come so we had less people to get the job done that day. We first went to a store to buy paint, brushes etc.. We painted as much as possible. We also painted the stage we made the last time we were there. We made two other swings next to one we already made on day 8. We put out hands on a lot of things we painted as well. We weren't able to finish everything as neatly as we wanted because we ran out of paint but we painted almost everything on the playground. The buddies had to go back to school at 12 but we went on till 2 pm. It was hard to do this work in the sun but when we were done you felt like you actually did something for those people and that felt really great. At 2 pm we went back to our hostel and we had some free time till we had to get dinner ready. Around 7 pm the buddies and some of the African teachers came to our hostel and we had a barbecue. It was a lot of fun. After everyone had left we had to clean everything up to show that we had become a real group. Our room went back to the dining room afterwards to decorate it for Evelien's birthday the next day. Apparently the girls from the other room tried to run into our room at 12 for Evelien's birthday but we were already sleeping.
Sorry I haven't put anything on in like forever, it's been a busy few weeks. I will try and get the last 4 days on as soon as possible.
- Danique
We got up at 6.30 am, a little later than usual, because we were going to Cape Town. It was an exciting day because we were going to Robben Island. We were brought there on a boat. When we came nearer to the island it was way bigger than I expected. I expected it to be a small island with just a prison but it had a whole town around it as well. When we arrived at the island we went into a bus and we got a tour around the island. We saw the place where Mandela and other prisoners had to work all day. There was also a pile of stones as a monument there. Then we went into the prison itself. We got a tour around the prison from a man who had been a prisoner on Robben Island himself. We of course saw Mandela's cell, which was pretty emotional, but also bigger cells for more people and cells with the stories of the people who had been a prisoner there. It was quite impressive and emotional to see. Although the whole tour was kind of rushed which was kind of a down side because you couldn't experience it as well as you wanted. After the tour in the prison we were brought back to the main land and went with the busses to the District 6 museum. District 6 used to be a town with all kinds of different people living there but one day it was suddenly decided to make the town a town where just white people were allowed to live and everyone else had to leave. Noor, a man who had loved through the whole thing himself, told us his story and it was really beautiful and emotional to listen to. He is a really good storyteller and I enjoyed listening to him. He also wrote a book which a lot of people of the group bought to find out more about him and his story. Afterwards we got about 2 hours of free time to shop and eat or do something else. When we got back in Genadendal the clothes we left for washing was all mixed up and everyone had to look for their clothes in different bags than they were before which was quite funny.
Day 10 (Sunday, the 2nd of March)
We went to Cape Town again today. This time we went on a hop on hop off bus and we drove to the table mountain. There were loads of clouds above the mountain so we probably wouldn't be able to see anything if we went up there. We still went up the mountain because a lot of us wanted to go. When we arrived at the top we indeed couldn't see a thing, we could see like 20 meters ahead. It was also very cold because there was a lot of wind so we went inside for some hot cocoa. Then we walked over the table mountain with a little group and two teachers. We started singing and it was really funny. When we were down we went on another hop on hop off bus and we went to the green market, a market in Cape Town centre and we got some time there. After the market we went and to eat somewhere but we couldn't really see more Cape Town centre because it started raining really hard. We had to walk back to our own busses in that rain and everybody was soaked in the end. That evening we had an assembly about the last two days.
Day 11 (Monday, the 3rd of March)
Today we got up at 6 am but when we arrived at the school at 7 am we heard our buddies wouldn't be able to join us until 8.30 am so we had to wait for quite a while. When our buddies were finally there we drove to a safari park in the school bus. When we arrived there we got into the safari jeeps and drove to the place where we were going to have some lunch. We were almost there when our jeep stopped working and there we stood in a safari park with wild animals. We saw animals like rhinos, ostriches and springboks already. We had to wait for another jeep to come and pick us up. After the lunch we went to the elephants. We got to pet them and see them up close. It was really amazing. Then we actually went into the park with the jeeps. We first drove past the rhinos but they didn't have horns anymore because they got cut off by people before they got to the park. Then we saw blue gnus. These were only males because they weren't allowed in their own tribe anymore. Thirdly we saw buffalos. These were kept in cavity because otherwise they would fight with the rhinos and those couldn't defend themselves because they have no horns. After the buffalos we went to the animals I was looking out for the most: the lions. When we got closer we saw a cage so I thought we couldn't be able to see them from up close but then we went into the cage and drove to were the lions were lying. They were really beautiful and loved seeing them that close. We weren't allowed to talk too loud or they might attack us. After the lions we drove past a tribe of zebras and gnus. There was also a cute, little zebra. Then we drove past the younger lions and went back to the place where we had lunch. When we were driving back to the exit where the school bus was standing we saw a tribe springboks so we drove past them. Sadly we didn't see the entire Big 5 because leopards are too dangerous to have in a safari park. Eventually we went back to Genadendal in the school bus and immediately went to bed.
Day 12 (Tuesday, the 4th of March)
We got up at 6 am today because we were going back to the child care place we had been to on day 8. Sadly half of the buddies couldn't come so we had less people to get the job done that day. We first went to a store to buy paint, brushes etc.. We painted as much as possible. We also painted the stage we made the last time we were there. We made two other swings next to one we already made on day 8. We put out hands on a lot of things we painted as well. We weren't able to finish everything as neatly as we wanted because we ran out of paint but we painted almost everything on the playground. The buddies had to go back to school at 12 but we went on till 2 pm. It was hard to do this work in the sun but when we were done you felt like you actually did something for those people and that felt really great. At 2 pm we went back to our hostel and we had some free time till we had to get dinner ready. Around 7 pm the buddies and some of the African teachers came to our hostel and we had a barbecue. It was a lot of fun. After everyone had left we had to clean everything up to show that we had become a real group. Our room went back to the dining room afterwards to decorate it for Evelien's birthday the next day. Apparently the girls from the other room tried to run into our room at 12 for Evelien's birthday but we were already sleeping.
Sorry I haven't put anything on in like forever, it's been a busy few weeks. I will try and get the last 4 days on as soon as possible.
- Danique
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