Garden Route Adventure Weekend!

The best place to start when talking about our Garden Route Adventure Weekend is at the beginning, so here I go!

Murray and Mark pick us up on Friday morning and say, “Alright, Team America! 2 hours until we bungee jump!”  Now, at this point I am FREAKING OUT.  I had planned on bungee jumping, but I didn’t know it would be so soon!  We drive the two hours to the Bloukrans Bridge in Nature’s Valley.  This area is in the Western Cape (PE is in the Eastern Cape).  Our car ride was a big party because everyone was trying to distract Liz and me from the plunge we were about to take!

Jamming out to music, trying to keep our mind off
of the jump!

We arrived at Bloukrans and went through the steps to get ready: 1) pay 2) get weighed 3) get a harness 4) jump!  There was no safety video, no instructions, nothing.  I think that was the craziest part.  We got to the edge of the bridge, walked across and watched the pros get set up.  As all the jumpers and supporters were talking, the “main guy” said, “Number 25!  Who is number 25! You’re up!”  Everyone looked down and their hands and I AM NUMBER 25!  I’m the first to jump off of the highest bridge bungee jump in the world!  I begin to chicken out at first, but the pros talked me back into it.  If you’re friends with me on Facebook, you really need to see the video.  It's hilarious.  The jump was the most incredible feeling in the world and I would do it again tomorrow if I had the chance!

The official certificate! Highest bridge jump IN THE WORLD!

Wellyna and me crossing the bridge!

Don't look down!

5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - BUNGEE!

All of the courageous Freewalker jumpers!

After our amazing experience on the bridge, we drove the 30 minutes to Plettenberg Bay, checked into our hostel, and bathing-suited up for the beach!  Our group loaded in the car to head to the beach to swim with seals!  We put on wetsuits and boated out to Robberg Island to swim with 4,000 seals.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  The seal pups would swim all around you and they were so curious and friendly! 

Headed to Robberg Island

Seals everywhere!

You had to keep your hands like that so the seals didn't
bite your fingers! They were so curious!

Getting some seal kisses!

So graceful

Hi, baby!

Mmmmwah!

Team America goofing off in our wetsuits!

Team America + Brits + Belgians + Israelis + South Africans headed back to the hostel to get ready for dinner.  We went to a restaurant called “The Health Hut”.  I had pesto gnocchi, but that was definitely not the highlight of the night.  One of my roommates started dancing at the front of the restaurant (where the average age was 89 years old…).  We soon had the whole restaurant dancing and taught all of the older patrons dances like the Macarena, YMCA and Cha Cha Slide.  It was so much fun!

All of the Bama girls at dinner!

Just doing the Macarena...

So much fun getting the restaurant on their feet!

Saturday morning comes, bright and early, with our day starting at 5:30 am!  We drive 2 hours west of Plett to Mossel Bay.  Mossel Bay is where they film SHARK WEEK!  The boat took us on a 30 minute cruise right off the coast.  I was one of the first in the cage and they began baiting the sharks!  It was amazing how close they came to us.  The sharks kept biting the cage and running into it.  It was so scary, but amazing!

Excited to begin our journey!

Cool, huh?!

We were in that cage!

So powerful

We went to the beach and spent time body boarding in the awesome surf.  Our group headed home to get ready for dinner at The Lookout.  I had mussels and they were oh so good!  A lot of the group went out, but I decided to stay in and rest up for tomorrow.  Around 2 am, the girls came back and we decided to sleep on the hammocks outside at the hostel.  I felt so peaceful and it’s a funny story to tell people!

Enjoying the beach at sunset

All of the Freewalkers at The Lookout!

Sunday arrives and we actually got to sleep in!  We drove back through Plett to arrive at Monkey Land.  Monkey Land is a sanctuary where monkeys are rescued from zoos and homes and they teach them how to be monkeys again.  These precious primates were everywhere!

Awww!  Baby and Mama

See? Monkeys everywhere!

Marcell

Zoboomafoo

He likes to Move It, Move It!

Hanging out with howler monkeys

We then hopped over to Birds of Eden, which is basically a biodome with birds flying everywhere.  If you know me, you know birds are my biggest fear, so I was a little apprehensive.  It was much more fun than I anticipated and I’m getting over my fear quickly!

This parrot kept talking to us!

Just arguing with a flamingo!

Our last stop on our tour was zip lining through Tsitsikamma treetops!  I had never been zip lining before, so this was a totally new experience.  The scenery was beautiful and it was very relaxing.  There were so many waterfalls and the view was breathtaking!

Roomies ready to zip line!

Alabama girls loving the scenery

Wahoo! So much fun! 

Beautiful, right?

Ready to head home and rest up!

We headed home with our camera memory cards full and a suitcase of dirty clothes.  First stop: Facebook.  We were all dying to share our adventures with America!

Lots of love,

Katharine / Miss Martin