Not all those who wander are lost ...

Apologies in advance for this long post … this past week and weekend were incredible!

Right now, I am just totally in a peace of mind … this past weekend, a group of 8 of us girls hopped into 2 rental cars and ventured out to Hogsback. Hogsback is a little town in the mountains and was the place that J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired to write the Lord of the Rings. Just with this stated, I was extremely excited to see this mystical place and see what would inspire her to write those amazing books. Well I was definitely not disappointed!! Even the drive there was beautiful … all of us had lumps in our throats and we felt like floating – the view and the atmosphere was just so unbelievable and we could not believe the beauty around us and also could not believe that we have this opportunity to study abroad in such a magnificent place.

On our drive to Hogsback, we stopped at a town called Grahamstown. Grahamstown is known for its art, and I could feel its artsy vibe! I ventured into one of its many cathedrals and met a lady there who took us on a tour. This woman is incredible! She told us stories of her family and explained that she is taking care of her many grandchildren. She should have retired years ago, but she keeps working at the church so she can raise money to give her grandchildren a good education. I went out of that building moved and inspired.

We also stopped at a National park on our way to Hogsback. Earlier that week, we researched this place called the Great Fish River Reserve and saw that this place has rhinos, buffalo, and other wildlife, so we decided to go check it out! We get to the entrance of a gate, and this woman comes up to the cars and hands us papers to sign and also hands us a map of the place. Ryann asks this woman what there is to do here, and she replies with nothing. Johanna asks her how much it is to get in, and she replies with “not yet”. She then opens up the gate and we are at a loss of what to do. She did not give us any directions and the map did not help us at all! The whole thing was extremely sketchy. We start driving around … or should I say jumping around. Our poor cheap rental cars were getting beat up by the road and the bushes around us. It got to a point where we were scared for our lives – if the car breaks down or we blow a tire, there is no way we will find our way back and we will be eaten live by wild animals. Plus it was extremely hot and we would die from dehydration … okay, I’m over exaggerating a little bit, but I was definitely scared! However, we eventually turned around and luckily got out of there safely with only a few scratches.

Arriving in Hogsback, I was blown away by its beauty and culture. We drove past many villages and were literally driving in the mountains!

The first place we stayed at was called Away with the Fairies. This place really loved the Lord of the Rings! You can have the option of staying in The Hobbit, Bilbos hut, Pippins hut, Mary’s Hut, Frodo’s hut, or Sam’s hut! This place also has a bathtub outside, on the edge of a cliff!!! It overlooks the mountains, and you can see the villages underneath you. It was extremely peaceful sitting in there at night, looking up at all of the stars, and looking down into all of the lighted up villages.

The next morning, we were able to hike the mountains and hike to some incredible waterfalls! A few of us ventured out, and we came across this skeleton skull – I honestly did not know what to think about it!

Hiking this place was incredible! This is when J.R.R.’s quote could not be any more true – “All those who wander are not lost”. I love being able to wander into the enchanted forests and discovering amazing sights and landmarks. The whole thing was extremely peaceful and magical – it seriously was so amazing.

 

Hogsback has a lot of cool places to visit. We visited a pottery barn where this father and daughter make pottery and sell it to people. We ended up visiting this place twice because one of the people we came with wanted to go back to get this necklace. While we were there, we went inside their house, and we exchanged the mundane courtesy questions, and I told them that I was studying mechanical engineering and prosthetics. They then asked me “oh, is that why you came to visit Hogsback?” Astounded, I said no, they explained that the most prestigious prostheticist in the country lives in Hogsback, and she started her own project of helping miners in Sub-Saharan Africa because they lose a lot of their limbs. The people at this home told me that they will give her my contact information, and I am super excited to get a hold of her and hear more about what she does!

Another place we went to is called the Fairy Realm. It’s a garden that features a lot of fairies – Hogsback really gets into fairies and magical stuff! The man that runs this place told us that he lost his whole leg going paragliding … this concerns me because I will be going paragliding later this week!!! However, he explained that I should not be worried because he was paragliding recklessly – he explained it the same as driving – if you are careful, you will be fine, but if you drive recklessly, then there will be consequences. I just could not grasp the fact that he lost his WHOLE leg while paragliding! But he then had it reattached back on – the technology now a days astounds me! (mom – I’m still going paragliding)

 

Another place we visited was called the Ecology Shrine. Right when I saw this place, I felt at peace! A woman started this Shrine and built it all in a year and four months!!! She showed us all of her paintings and masterpieces and explained her views on individuals and how we are all connected with the universe and the nature around us.

The next morning, I decided to revisit that bathtub and woke up early to watch the sunrise. Nothing compares to sitting cozied under blankets while watching and listening to the nature around us.

We then ventured out to our next place to stay called Terra Khaya. I cannot get over this place! Terra-Khaya is a camping facility and eco-farm and shows an alternate way of living. It is situated in the hills of Hogsback in boony land, and it practices sustainable living in simple and created structures. You are seriously in the clouds in this place! All of the structures are built with recycled materials and natural resources and this place also has a bath underneath the stars and a shower that overlooks the mountains! It was probably the best shower I have ever taken! The water comes from the stream, the heating and cooking is wood-powered, and the electrical appliances are run off solar. They produce their own dairy and the food comes from the livestock and gardens. This was such a neat place to stay at!!! I visited the horses, pigs, chickens, and the dozens of cats and dogs. I definitely did not want to leave this place. It was so nice being able to escape the city life, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and enjoy the natural beauty and culture around me. Hogsback is definitely a place that I would want to go back in the future.

Earlier this past week, I was able to celebrate my 19^th birthday in South Africa!!! It was really neat to be able to celebrate my birthday in another country, and I was not homesick during this time because I have wonderful friends who celebrated with me!! I am so grateful to have made this friendships here … they are friendships that will last a lifetime! YAY for all of these opportunities that God has unfailingly given me!!

ONLY FOUR MORE DAYS UNTIL MY MOM AND AUNT COME TO VISIT!!!!!