Well, it was my first trip without my mom and dad, so you cant say it wasn’t exciting ! I felt a mixture of excitement, nervousness and apprehension , just like everyone else. Our luggage was loaded onto the bus and everyone was in a rush of excitement. Yes ! We were off to a 3 day tour to get to know our Grade 4 classmates.
After saying goodbye to our parents and promising to be good, we went to our class. Once in the class, we shared our feelings with our friends and literally jumped for joy. When Jennifer, our class teacher, arrived, we went over our bags and did general last minute checks. Josh was only coming for a day,poor boy ! He missed so much.
On the bus,everyone was chattering ,and for once, the teachers didn’t seem to mind ! We started singing silly , babyish songs like ‘The wheels on the bus ‘ and others ,that I didn’t normally take part in before.
When we got to the Elephant Sanctuary, we were divided into two groups. The first group was taken to pet the elephants while my group, the second group, was taken to learn about the elephants .We felt inside their skull . It was weird ! I don’t know what we were feeling for, I think it was the brain ! Yikes! When it was the first group’s turn to learn about the elephants, it was our turn to pet them.
We went in pairs to feel the elephants. I went with Rabeah , who unfortunately left the school few days after camp.Jennifer and Mrs.Welsh came along to pet the elephants. We felt the elephant’s foot , its skin and its underbelly.It was rough.We went into the elephant’s nightrooms and learnt that the coloured marks on the walls were made by an elephant rubbing against them.It sure was stinky in there ! They like to eat a fruit called Marula, which if eaten in large quantities , makes the elephant drunk!
It was time to go to our final destination,Thaba Morula. Once there, we dragged our bags to the hall and got introduced to the camp counselors ,Nico and Marcus.We chose our cabins.The boy’s cabins were on the other side of camp.Me, Kiasha,Rabeah,Kika,Emily,Alande,Mia,Lara ,Leora and a few others shared a cabin. Rabeah and I were bunk mates.
At night we were to go for a night march in groups but Jennifer decided at the last minute to go in groups of our own classes. Jennifer came with us , so it was fun.We didn’t use flash lights.When we came back, the cook had made a delicious cake but we got a tiny piece each.
That night we couldnt sleep as some kids thought that there was a ghost in the camp.Everyone got scared but of course , it was just a trick of the light . We were all homesick and scared as it was the first time ever to sleep on our own , away from home, at a camp.
The next day we swam in the pool and the water was sparkling blue even though there was a frog by it.The tuck shop was open and it was pretty cool.I bought a braclet for myself.They even had beer and baked beans there !
We went on a game drive to see the animals in the bushveld. We arrived at a big rocky hill where we found marulas! We brought some home too. They were sweet.The view from the hill was wonderful. When we got back to camp, we were supposed to play stalk the lantern.It wasn’t that fun and we were never got to finish it because Hina couldn’t breathe .We also boiled some eggs from a fire made out of dry grass. It was to teach us to how to survive in case we ever got lost in bushveld.This night we got some sleep !
The next day was our last day ,so Nico and Marcus let us swim in a dam that had murky but dirty water! We got messy but it was fun. We also did an obstacle course that was fun.It was now time to go home.I took a few pictures at camp , though not many , with my camera.
When we arrived at school in the afternoon, some of the children were crying and looking as if they were lost.We were very exhausted but I was happy to go on a tour with my new classmates.
I wonder where will we be going for Grade 5 tour.Cant wait!
( The tour was from 7 - 9 March 2011 but didnt get time to write about it . Too busy with school ! )
( The tour was from 7 - 9 March 2011 but didnt get time to write about it . Too busy with school ! )
You sure had lots of fun !
ReplyDeleteHow was the food ?
The food wasn't too delicious but it was okay.We got morning coffee which I tasted but didn't drink.The cake was yummyyyy !!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you had loads of fun there. I am glad you enjoyed it. Did you like being close to biggest mammals on earth?
ReplyDeleteYes, it was quite fun!
ReplyDeleteSome of the elephants sucked the cheeks of some very lucky people , with their trunks! But their cheeks got very dirty.
Thaba Morula sure is fun. a lot has change since you have been here. Its greener, the food is more delicious and we have a lot more new activities. Hope we will see you again soon!!
ReplyDelete