the end of my time in South Africa

well its happened, we leave today! NO!!!!!!!! i am sad. I have fallen in love with AFrica. i have had the most amazing time here.
I realise from a brief review of my sintaliting stories of SA, that I forgot to mention the great white shark diving experience, well i suppose the pictures on facebook probably show it all!! it was awesome. Sam and I were actually rather calm on the boat ride to death, probably because we were laughing at guys who were a bit more nervous and throwing up over the side of the boat!!! we are all heart! having fitted into the wet suits which actually pulled all my bits of wobble in the right places, so may have to buy one, we waited whilst they put the cage in the water. as I still have a cold, I couldnt actually smell the dead bloody fish that I stood right next too, again unlike others who kept retching and throwing up! I had two trips into the cage - both lasted about 20mins each I suppose. THe first time, as visibility was poor I just saw this dark shadow (about 4m) pass by, but the pics from on the boat show alot more, also had a lovey dovey couple next to me in the cage who kept holding hands and at one point he tried to hold my hand accidentally - how sweet (I almost classed that as a date!), then they nearly drowned me as we went under the water to see the shark go past and they had their hands over my head holding the bars so I couldnt get up! Sam went in the water and hadnt realised again because of the vis, how big and close the shark was to the cage, probably a relief, they were big! the second time I got in, I had the best encounter I could imagine. We'd seen 3 or 4 sharks by then, and one just eyeballed us right by the cage within centimetres and showed its teeth - i have to admit when it came round again straight to the cage a few of us did just lean back into the back of the cage a bit more. not sure why, as the back of the cage was just bars too!!! i got the DVD so will be boring you all with that upon my return.
Well back to my last 10 days in SA. I went back to St lucia and rejoined the community project in Khula. I was working with different children in the morning as it was summer hols, but this was fun and included alot of hula hooping and mucking about which I can do! afternoons varied to gardening and adult HIV education, which really got me. It was hard to do, trying to make it fun to learn but on such a serious subject. Especially when you dont know these peoples stories but guess from questions they ask and their distraught faces when we answer those questions, it cant be good. i wish I could have done more. However the jokes i made about condoms (as yes I had to do another condom demo), made them laugh, including the different sizes (white sizes and black sizes!!!)
I managed to dance at a local community meeting, in front of everyone which then appeared to turn into a dance off with some of the local women, it was quite surreal and I have no doubt I lost! it was well appreciated though with lots of clapping and laughing!!!
I also had a bit of a drunken night on Amarula, losing badly at ibble dibble but being very supportive of my friend Katy's lyrical genius and guitar playing at 4am - I have video of that too!!! oh dear, it may haunt me!! unfortunately the saturday was wasted, we all sat staring at the tv (thankfully with footie on after some cricket) all just groaning very badly and regretting drinking so much. Obviuosly I shall never drink again.
I am now back with Sam in JO'burg and we went to Soweto yesterday. Astounding place. So much bigger than I thought, over 3m people and some really nice areas. eveyrone seemed friendly, no one tried to shoot us and I just kept waving merrily at them all like some nutter! (must remember to stop that now). the museum for apartheid was moving and it was hard not to just sit and cry.
t was an amazing way to end the day though and my time in SA.
I will miss the place and people alot. Lets hope Oz is as good.
speak soon X

the end of my time in South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa