A month in and a hike in...HOGSBACK!

Been away from my computer for a bit so couldn't get this post out till now.

Catching some waves

I'm going to skip on the school week considering it's about the same for classes. Homework is starting to roll in so that's no fun, but when is it?

On to the fun stuff:

Wednesday was Ash Wednesday so in honor of that a small group of us decided to have Praise on the Roof. At CSB/SJU there is Praise in the Pub on Wednesdays so we wanted to do something similar. We gathered on the roof of Langerry to sing songs and give a little praise to God. It was a clear night so the stars were all out which gave it a great touch.

On Thursday, I got out and surfed for the first time ever. So fun! I am into all the extreme sports so this was right up my alley. I skateboard, snowboard, and now have picked up surfboarding. It is very much a waiting and balance game. You have to wait for the perfect wave that will give you enough force to push you forward and allow you time to get on the board. You also need good balance (just like in any sport that requires you to stay on a board) to keep you on the board while the water knocks you around. I thought I did pretty good for my first time, but hope to hit some bigger waves the next time I get out.

Hogsback

This past week a few of the guys and I had planned to backpack and hike and started getting everything set up. Unfortunately, the day before we were to set out most of them bailed and decided to spend the weekend in Port Elizabeth. So lame. I love P.E. and can understand staying in a few weekends but I want to get out and explore South Africa. How is that supposed to happen when
sitting on your underside on your free days? Exactly.

So, my buddy Sam and I decided that we still wanted to go and to get some others to go with us. We talked to some friends and found that Erin and Ashleigh had wanted to go hiking too. So it was back on!

Terra-Khaya lounge through the fog

On Friday, we rented a car, packed our gear, and headed out to Hogsback. Hogsback is a wonderful place to go hiking and camping. It is about 3 and a half hours away from P.E. and rests in the Amathole Mountains. We arrived in the evening on Friday and found a spot to stay at a place called Terra-Khaya. A very cool place and definitely more of an outdoor stay (hippie-ish). We set up our tents and then met the owners who run Terra-Khaya. They invited us into their lounger/lobby area that was also the kitchen. It was covered but completely open from the side. The fog that had been climbing up the mountain side started to come right into the room. A nice atmosphere but something I had never experienced. They started a braai (South African Bar-B-Que) for us and we had roasted vegetables, slices of beef, mushrooms, bread, and tea. Most of which game from their garden or the forest. After dinner we decided to head to bed. It was a little misty with all of the fog but a comfortable temperature. In the morning we grabbed some tea and porridge that they had made for us. It was oats and apples with cinnamon... I think. Ha it was good and free so I wasn't about to complain. It all goes down the hatch the same way.

Madonna and Child Falls

From there we decided to get our day going so we left and found a nice hiking trail by a place called Away With The Fairies. We parked our car and headed off for Madonna and Child Falls. It was a nice, cool, and foggy day but I was fine with it. It kept the bugs away and the baboons that liked swinging from tree to tree up at the top of the canopy. The waterfall was fairly deep into the forest/mountain so it took us about two and half hours to reach it. Along the way, there were multiple viewpoints that allowed you to look out and capture the beauty of the mountain range and the valleys it creates. The oldest tree in South Africa also lives along this trail so we were able to check that out too. It's called Big Tree, very original. When we reached Madonna and Child falls it stunned us. We could hear it but it kind of pops up out of nowhere and then BAM. I have never been this close to such a big waterfall so I loved it! The mist rising off of the falling water was nice and helped cool us down. 

Who wouldn't grab a selfie with
the oldest tree in South Africa?

After we had explored the falls we worked our way up a part of the mountain side until we found a nice spot to rest and eat lunch. We also picked and ate some blackberries that were growing near by. We then worked our way back to the spot where we had parked our car and decided to call it a day. It was pretty foggy so we had gotten a little chilly and damp. We stopped into Away With The Fairies and order some pizzas and beers. We talked for awhile and warmed up by the fire. We decided to hit the hay after because we were pretty beat from all of the hiking. 

We camped out under some trees because we heard it was supposed to rain. Good thing we did and had also put on our rain covers because it came down all night. We woke early Sunday morning so we could check out and hit the road back to P.E. The car needed to be returned and homework awaited us. This weekend was definitely a success and I am very glad that I was able to get out and explore more. Also, hiking around Hogsback with people I barely had known before this trip was very cool. Travelling in a small group allowed us to learn a lot about one another. 

Crossing a small river with the group

Side Note:

It has been over a month since I arrived in South Africa. I can't believe it has already been that long and that a fourth of my study abroad is over. However, it has been amazing thus far and will continue to be that way up until I land back in the U.S.

Today I hope to Skype some friends (Miah, Tim, Thomas, Jon) and hopefully the parents. Daylight Savings Time helps with moving us an hour closer. South Africa doesn't participate in Daylight Savings. Other than that I will be busy typing up a paper on Nelson Mandela. Great man but this whole paper typing thing... not so much ha.