Leaving Cape Town

So, I'm a half hour from leaving for Joburg to depart on my 11-day safari, but wanted to fill you in on my last couple of days in Cape Town.

Thursday was quite possibly my favorite day in Cape Town so far, and arguably one of the best ever! A group of volunteers took the day off to go kloofing (cliff jumping) at Gordan's Bay/Kamikaze Kanyon. Sounds safe, right?? We went with some teenagers from Mauritius and England, and two awesome guides. We spent the morning hiking up and a pretty steep mountain and then jumping off cliffs and waterfalls into pools on the mountain side. I repelled (abseiled) down a 65 meter waterfall... pretty sweet. Climbing up to the jumps was pretty scary, basically scaling rock walls. And I jumped off lots of cliffs, my highest was 20 meters (over 60 feet). We definitely conquered our fears! It was so so incredible... or lekker! (as they say in Afrikaans). Then we got attacked by baboons and they got into our packs and stole our lunches and threw all our stuff all over the place. They are nasty little guys and can be dangerous but our guides chased them away. Such a great day and I can't wait to show you some pictures!

But all good things come to an end. And basically, I am so sad to leave. I had a very difficult time leaving my class on Friday. We threw a party with cake and ice cream, music, and a final art project. They flowered me with gifts, including a hand painted South African flag. I have so more stuff to squeeze into my bag on the flight home. I'll be able to keep in touch via e-mail with the school and the kids and I know that I will definitely be back here. It's been such an amazing 7 weeks, more than I ever expected, with each day being better than the next. I've grown really close to all the other amazing volunteers in my program and we're all having a tough time saying goodbye.

That being said, I will be back in Cape Town for another couple of nights to reunite with my friends, and I'm pretty pumped up for Safari. It's definitely going to be an adventure! I have once again no idea what to expect but fully intend on soaking up every minute.

I probably won't be able to update you while I'm camping in the bush under the stars, but will check in as soon as I can.

Miss you!
Jackie