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February 2006
This was probably
the best holiday to
South Africa
that we have had. Six weeks of glorious sunshine to
enjoy during the
UK
’s long cold winter as well as Christina finally convincing
her mother & father to come out to our home in the bush after five years of
trying! They realised that if they didn't come come now, they may never get there
and so at the ages of 76 & 82 Nicole & Jim accompanied us to
South Africa
for the trip of a lifetime!
Their reaction to their first trip to
South Africa
was one typical that we have seen from Europeans many
times before. They were completely shocked by EVERYTHING they saw and
South Africa
was ‘nothing like we had imagined’! They loved the
diversity of cultures and the beautiful scenery. Cape Town was awesome and Jim was
in heaven in the wine estates sipping wine and admiring the beautiful gardens (www.vergelegen.co.za/index.php) We did the usual tourist sights of visiting Table Mountain, Robben Island,
Boulders beach with all its penguins, Camps Bay and Hout Bay, to name but a few.
After two weeks in
Cape Town
we flew to
Mpumalanga
for a 4 week stay at our house in Kruger Park Lodge.
Once again Jim & Nicole were stunned at the beautiful setting of our house by
the river on the golf estate. ‘I had no idea it was anything like this!’ said Jim.
At 82 he was in his second childhood, running around with the grandchildren, playing
with them in the pool, enjoying walks along the river and simply sitting,
gin & tonic in hand, watching the river running through the grounds.
It reminded him of his childhood in
Ireland
living close to the River Liffey with its fast flowing
waters.
Our children loved the impala grazing
on the lawns outside the house and the troop of monkeys that often paid us a visit.
Nicole was surprised to find a particularly bold monkey in the house one day,
it calmly took a mango out of the fruit bowl, walked out, then sat eating it in
front of her, leaving the peel for her to clean up!
Mum & Dad loved the little towns
of Pilgrims rest, Grasskop, Sabie and the visits to the Waterfalls. They also experienced
a visit to a rural village that we have been visiting for several years. We took
them to Homezeya Primary School and all 900 children and teachers were outside to
greet us on our arrival with some african songs.
With donations from the parents at Farnham
Gymnastics Club in the
UK
, we were able to bring much needed sports equipment
to the school. The children went wild at the sight of the footballs. The school
had no sports equipment at all and the Head teacher told us they used to have a
football, but that it had burst and they had been unable to buy a new one. We visited
the
village Church
and again with the donations from Christina’s gym club
we were able to give £500 towards bricks for the building of a new Church.
Once visited,
South Africa
stays with you for ever. Christina's parents enjoyed
every minute of their six week stay and we know they would love to return again.
Jim said he was going to come back as soon as he got home! Our enjoyment was seeing
them having such a fantastic time. Sadly three weeks after returning home Jim had
a heart attack. He is so happy that he managed to see
South Africa
before his health declined and often thinks about his
holiday. Four months on he is recovering and often wonders if he will ever look
at our river again.
Perhaps next winter.....
Photographs from our trip to the village
Jan/feb 2006
![Select a picture below to enlarge....]()
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A fruit shop in the village.
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The bricks bought with donations from
Farnham Gymnastics Club in 2004. They are now in the process of buying more bricks
with the most recent donations from the gym club
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Our friend Rivers, outside the Church. The plan is to use
this as the Church hall once a new Church is built.
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Christina with Rivers & the Church caretaker & her
baby!
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The children catching new footballs bought with donations.
Background, the classroom that was built with £700 donations from the gym club in
2003
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Christina & family in one of the classrooms. Average
70 children in one classroom and no desks.
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Headmistress, Shiela Theledi looking at sports equipment
bought for the school.
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School canteen!
Each child is asked to bring one stick to school so that a fire can be made to cook
school lunch - a bowl of maizemeal for each child. This is the only meal of the
day for some of the children.
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Christina's father, Jim, enjoying a gin & Tonic by the
river in the garden.
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Christina showing off her gymnastic skills on the trampoline!
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A warm welcome for Christina's parents from the children
at Homezeya primary school.
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In the village. Little girl with baby brother.
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