One Long Break = One Long Blog

'Jump' starting the new year...so punny =)


Best bungy crew EVER.


Our wonderfully dangerous hike...cameras could not be reached during the life threatening moments...sorry.



The biggest thing that has happened since my last post is that school ended which meant one thing, VACATION!!! And boy, was I ready.

I consider myself very fortunate for everything I was able to do during the ≈2 months of ferias from school. A quick recap: back to Namaacha to help with training, Maputo (the capital of Moz), Ponta do Ouro (the southernmost tip of Moz), Ilha de Mocambique (an island very close to my site, the first capital of Moz before independence from Portugal), Cape Town, Kruger National Park!!!, more Maputo, Johannesburg (spent all Christmas day in the bus terminal, actually had a blast), Coffee Bay (wild coast, South Africa), Plettenberg Bay (Garden Route, SA), Jeffreys Bay (Garden Route, SA), Tofo (beach in southern Moz), Massinga (southern Moz and Mike’s site), Gorongosa (central Moz, where 2 sensational PCVs live), and back home to Monapo!!! Needless to say, I logged some kilometers. Now for a few of my favorite parts…

GETTING TO SEE MOM AND MARTI!!!! Unbelievable and so so so much fun. We had too many good times, but if I have to choose one specific event, it is definitely the fish market in Maputo. Our trip started in South Africa with Cape Town and then Kruger, and let me tell you, they loved “Africa.” From our lodge in Kruger, we were driven across the border to the lovely country of Mozambique. They quickly realized that what we had been vacationing in a beautiful bubble. Maputo is a typical African capital full of people, poverty, problems, and prawns. So, we took a visit to the fish market for lunch one afternoon. Upon entering the outdoor market, you find stand after stand full of prawns, fish, squid, lobster, etc. People are tugging on you from each direction guiding you to their seafood, which they demand, is the best seafood. Waiters from the restaurants behind the counters are also tugging, wanting you to get your fish cooked at their restaurant. The hustle and bustle of this market makes it notorious for pickpockets and petty crimes. Best place to take your family? Probably not, but hey, I wanted them to see what life here is really like. We bought a kilo of prawns and a kilo of grouper (4.4 pounds total) and headed to the back. There are a ton of tables set out encircled by about 7 different restaurants that cook your newly purchased fish. We picked one and sat down to relax. That’s when I got my first good look at my mom and Marti. They looked beat: sweat dripping, faces flush (whether it was from the insane heat or all the commotion, I’ll never know). We opted on the best remedy to relax, Mozambican beer sampling. After eating the delicious food and drinking Laurentina preta, Laurentina clara, and 2M (winner: Laurentina preta), we left that fish market in the highest spirits feeling accomplished. What an experience.

The Coffee Shack in Coffee Bay, South Africa. Talk about a backpackers that has customer service down. Quick example of how: we arrived on a Sunday to a complimentary drink and a memo that on Sundays they have a free, delicious, dinner for all guests. Not too bad. They also had these day trips planned that were relatively cheap that most guests took advantage of (beach day, hiking, cliff jumping, walk to hole in the wall, day with the locals, etc.). While relaxing the first night we kept hearing these stories about a tour guide that took people hiking insisting it was easy, when in reality it was far from it. One girl ranted about how her life was repeatedly in danger. I didn’t pay too much attention because I didn’t have any intentions of hiking while I was there, and, who knows, she was probably a bit crazy and overreacting. Well, on day three of our stay, the activity was a hike ending with a cliff jump. Esther, Diana and I were really interested because of the jump. The guide said it was an easy hike to the cliffs so we were in. Having forgotten her close-toed shoes, Esther was hesitant. The guide insisted that it was so easy she could go barefoot, so we signed up. Having no idea it was THAT guide, we laced up our shoes/took off our flip-flops and were off. My goodness, was it tough. We hiked along countless slate cliffs that dropped off to gigantic rocks and a tempestuous Indian Ocean. I can recall 3 times that I legitimately worried for my life. Being told “don’t step on the grass at the edge, it WILL fall away” isn’t exactly what you want to hear while walking on a foot wide ledge. In the end, we jumped off a 10-meter high cliff into the Indian, saw some of the most incredible views, got a great workout, and had a blast. Looking back, that hike was one of the most memorable parts of my whole trip. Worth risking my life? Yes, but I probably only think that because I survived =).

BUNGY JUMPING the world’s highest bungy bridge!!!! Insane. Half way between Plettenberg Bay and Jeffreys Bay lies the Bloukrans bridge, a whopping 215 meters high. You sign up, get strapped up, and make the walk out to the middle. The most energetic crew is out there to greet you, rocking out to some pump up music, ready to make your experience all it can be. We were 5 to jump and we all had one goal in mind- to have the best form when we jumped. Looking back, we all agree that was the best idea any of us had. Right after I jumped, with sensational form, was when I realized what I had done…thrown myself off of a bridge. Luckily, it was too late to freak out, all there was to do was enjoy it. With nothing to grab onto, I fell (they say it’s a 7 second freefall), bounced, fell again, bounced, and so on. What a rush! Definitely another unforgettable part of the trip, and a heck of a way to kick off 2011!

Getting back to Monapo was really something else after that long of a vacation. I got home and was back at school within the hour. This year, I will be teaching 9th grade physics, 11th grade biology, and 12th grade biology. I’m really excited about my schedule and have some grand plans for this second year. I feel like getting away was just what I needed to clear my head and get motivated for my second year.

I hope everyone had the best Christmas and New Year!!! I miss you all more than ever, and will see you this year!!!! Can you believe it? I can’t!

<3 Von