Erica's Top Ten List

10 Favorite Things in South Africa

So as our amazing trip to South Africa comes to a close, I have been thinking a lot about what things have made this trip so special. So, here are my 10 favorite things that I have seen or experienced in South Africa:

1) The friendliness of the people: In the village, everyone was gracious and welcomed us with open arms. Whether driving or walking, we would greet everyone on the streets and they would greet us back. Everyone was happy to see us and was willing to give whatever they had to make our stay more comfortable. Whether it was an open home to stay in or a cold drink with cookies, it was really neat to see what a community that really cares about each other is like.

2) Our homestay family: There were 4 homestay families, and I feel like I got the coolest. I stayed with Ma, who is one of the strongest women I have ever met. She is independent, loves to watch the African version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and can whip up some mean bogobe. Her laugh would resonate around the room and she can always make people smile.

3) Going to the orphanage: For me, that was one of my favorite parts because it gave me hope for the children. The orphanage was amazing; it was just like what you would find in the US. The children were happy and healthy, the facility was beautiful and the kids were so fun to play with. It was definitely one of the highlights for me.

4) How everything was slow paced: It was so weird for me to get used to ‘South African Time’ as the LC’s call it. In South Africa everything works much slower, but its kind of nice to take time to smell the roses. If you’re 20 minutes late its not a problem and if you have to wait in line at the bank for 45 minutes, well that just gives you more time to get to know the people around you a little better. The transition to being able to really not have to worry about deadlines or schedules was a little weird for me at first, but after I got used to it I started to appreciate the extra time.

5) The kids: All of the South African kids are so cute!!! The school children all want to high five and sharp-sharp (a cross between a high-five and thumbs up). They’re so enthusiastic even though most of them have very little.

6) Going to the clinic: Being able to go to the clinic was definitely a great experience that I wouldn’t be able to have had in the USA. I had been trying to be able to get the paperwork through to be able to volunteer at the Laconia Clinic and it took 5 months to go through and by then it was too late in the year for me to be able to volunteer there. All we had to do was ask and the next day I was able to sit in with a nurse while he took patients. It was really neat because he explained to me what he was doing as he examined the patients and gave them medicine, so that was a really good experience for me.

7) Seeing the boys come down from the mountain: This was really interesting because it was such a celebration for the families who hadn’t seen their sons/brothers in 3 months. It was really neat to be able to see such a cultural tradition that many wouldn’t have been able to see.

8) Going shopping: I never knew it would be so much fun to go souvenir shopping. There are little stands set up on the road that sell all sorts of little souvenirs. Not only are most of the items wicked cool, but also you get to haggle with the sellers, which makes you feel really satisfied, if you can get a good deal.

9) Going to Kruger: For many people this would be way higher up on the list, but for me while it was fun I enjoyed my time in the village a little more than my time out of it. Kruger is really neat because the animals get so close to you- we saw giraffes, rhinos and elephants that were just standing in the road! The night safari was a unique experience too because a lot of animals come out that you wouldn’t ever get to see in the daylight.

10) The soda: I know this sounds weird, but it’s just so good! I think I got hooked on ‘Fanta Grape’. For any of you who haven’t heard, in South Africa they make their soda with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and the difference is really noticeable.

Well, that’s all for now. These are just some of the things that we have done/seen that I really enjoyed, but everyone had different outlooks on what the best things that we did were. We’re currently heading back to Johannesburg to go to the Aparthied Museum, which should be fascinating, so we’ll catch up later. Bye!

~Erica