The most beautiful place in the world?

We are in Tsitsikamma Park, where we will be staying for the next couple of days. This park is in the middle of an indigenous forest with old-growth trees, on the side of a mountain, right along the Indian Ocean. It is so beautiful that it is hard to describe. The waves crash big and loud against the rocky shore, and the mouth of the Storms River is in the same bay, just a short walk away. The water get so deep so quickly at the shore that dolphins swim incredibly close. Whales too, although we are out of season for them.

We are staying in small and charming (and rustic!) little a-frame wood cabins near the shore. The sound of the waves is constant. We have a little outdoor kitchen for cooking, and chairs for sitting outside on the deck porches of the cabins. It's like a little village mostly just for us.

Students have had free time today to explore the walking trails and all the beautiful nature. Some walked up to the Storms River mouth and crossed the suspension bridge hanging over the river gorge. Lots of stairs on that path! Other students wanted to take the so-called 'Waterfall Path,' but began the trail a little too late. It was blocked with a sign warning people not to start after 1:30 PM for reasons of safety. It gets dark at about 6:00 PM, and there are no street lights around here. In fact, we had to walk a half-mile back to the main building from the cabins just to get the internet tonight. And it was pitch black, lit only by the stars and our flashlights.

The best part is that the weather has cleared up! While we haven't had beautiful blue skies to go with the beautiful surroundings, at least it hasn't rained. And it looks to be clear tomorrow too, for when we go forest gliding, after which some of our braver (crazier?) students plan to go bungy jumping. That should be fun to watch. From the sidelines. On solid ground...

Port Elizabeth

We left lovely Graskop early this morning, although we have been up so early these past days in Kruger Park that a 6:00 AM wake-up call felt like sleeping in! We spent the first part of the day in transit, leaving northern South Africa, flying to Johannesburg, and then flying out to the east coast, to Port Elizabeth. This city is a charming small city on the shore of the Indian Ocean, and the start of the so-called Garden Route. We had some free time after we checked into our hotel, which people have been using to do laundry, go to the ATM, check out the South African McDonald's, and get some dinner. Some students are going out tonight, while others are sticking close to the hotel to play pool or hang out.

The unfortunate thing is: it's raining. Not just a little bit of rain, but a heavy and steady windy downpour. Some of us went to find some dinner, and in a 20 minute walk, we were complete drenched. So we are in this charming place, with a bit of free time, and there is a very strong disincentive to go out and explore. Such a shame.

It's even more of a shame that rain is forecast for the next few days, as we head off to the last remaining indigenous forest in South Africa, Tsitsikamma Park. We are spending a couple of days in Tsitsikamma to get the chance to experience this amazing forest, and we plan to go treetop gliding on Monday. Some of the students are planning on going bungy jumping from the world's highest jumping point. And it's supposed to be raining the whole time!

Hopefully, all will be well and we'll still have plenty of adventures in Tsitsikamma. We don't know if we will have internet there, so if we don't post updates for a while, don't be worried.