On Thursday, September 13 we departed from Port Alfred and began the long drive to Graaff Reinet. Graaff Reinet is the fourth oldest town in South Africa and it is nestled next to the brooding Camdeboor Mountains. Located in the Great Karoo, Graaff Reinet is in a semi-arid region of South Africa where cacti and agave plants dot the dry, cracked landscape.
Andrea and Loretta were excited to stay together with Joye and Peter who run a plant nursery behind their home. Will and Annie were also glad to stay together with Trevor and Mirinda who operate a meat processing business from their home. During their stay with Trevor and Mirinda Will and Annie found themselves snacking on delicious smoked biltong and kudu salami. Elizabeth stayed with President Lutz Nick, his wife Karen and their daughter Vanessa.
During our first evening in Graaff Reinet, we socialized with our host families until after dinner. We then convened at a local club to enjoy each other’s company. The wonderful Rotarians of Graaff Reinet presented Will with a small birthday present and everyone sang “Happy Birthday.”
The following day (Friday, September 14), was our vocational day in Graaff Reinet. Will and Elizabeth visited Union Preparatory School where they both had the opportunity to teach a mini-lesson to students. Loretta visited local law enforcement agencies and the police academy, where she was very impressed with the training and the firing range. Annie visited the local hospital and Andrea spent the afternoon with a physical therapist.
That evening, we all convened at The Lemon Tree, a local restaurant, where we enjoyed a nice finger supper after our GSE presentation to the Rotary Club of Graaff Reinet. After the meal and presentation, everyone rushed home to watch the rugby game except Elizabeth. She can’t keep up with the youngsters; she went to bed.
On Saturday, September 15 we began our day with a wonderful walking tour of Graaff Reinet, led by President Lutz. We saw the beautiful Cape Dutch Colonial-style houses and toured the Graaff Reinet museum. Behind the museum, a water fountain with a reverse-osmosis filtration system offers visitors a cool drink. This water fountain was a project of the Rotary Club of Graaff Reinet in honor of Rotary International’s 100th year anniversary.
After having lunch with our host families, we joined together again for an evening trip to the Valley of Desolation. The Valley of Desolation is a spectacular geological formation located high in the mountains. We all looked into “the Devil’s Chimney” which is a 120-meter chimney-like tunnel leading straight down through the rocks. Local legend says the wind and the noise of the rock rabbits make an eerie noise that mimics the sounds of devils at play. We didn’t stay long enough to experience the sound!
Trevor and Mirinda hosted a lovely braai at their home for all the team members and local Rotarians. We enjoyed kudu steak and other delicious dishes as we enjoyed each other’s company.
On Sunday, September 16, we all said goodbye to our host families and we departed for our next stop – Colesberg!
Will Moody, Team Member
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2 comments:
Well, it certainly sounds like you all have adjusted to your new lifestyle. Lot's of things to see, do and eat. Tell Elizabeth she needs to take more vitamins.
Looking forward to seeing more photos,
Bernie
Bernie,
We will add more pictures as soon as we find a computer with broadband access!
-Will
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