Final Update from South Africa + Mozambique!
July 7, 2024
HI FROM SOUTH AFRICA!
We arrived safely in Mozambique after a quick flight! All of the kids started clapping when we landed, ultimately getting most of the plane to join in their applause for the safe landing. After leaving the airport, we drove to our new accommodations at Tofo Beach! This beautiful place is right on the beach, and after arriving we had dinner and moonup before going to bed on the night of the third. For the next morning, to begin the Fourth of July in the best way possible we all woke up before dawn and went down to the beach to watch the sunrise together. All of the kids lined up near the shore, silently sitting and appreciating the beginning of this beautiful day together. This day was full of amazing plans! We all wore our signature red white and blue beads to showcase our holiday spirit, and then after breakfast, we walked down the beach to our outfitters to get ready for our morning ocean safari.
We soon embarked on the boat, launching off the beach and heading down to coast to look for some of the amazing sea life that the crystal clear waters of Mozambique have to offer. After not much time, we ended up finding a whale shark! All of the kids immediately hopped into the water and were so amazed to see that this giant whale shark was swimming right below us, mere feet beneath Alessi when I first got a look. All of us then swam next to it, diving down to get on its level and appreciating how awesome these animals are. Trudy even got the closest, and we got some incredible footage of her swimming along side it! All of the kids were amazed to see how even though the whale shark looked as if it was lazily swimming, putting in no effort, that they were swimming their absolute hardest and could barely keep up. We felt so lucky to find this whale shark so quickly after being on the water! Zach was especially enthusiastic to see it up close! Zach always throws himself into the Moondance spirit of living in the moment, encouraging the group to be grateful, appreciate every moment, and make as big of a positive impact as possible everywhere we go. After the ocean safari, we headed back to shore, enjoying the landing on the beach almost as much as seeing the whale shark, driving straight there and holding on while we beached ourselves on the boat. After this, we had some free time where Wham, Zach, Will Blair, Will Litton, and Lee initiated a volleyball tournament for everyone to join in on! We played volleyball for a while, enjoying the refreshing sunshine and swims in the ocean until we headed off to our lunchtime coconut cooking class. Here, we got to watch as our guides taught the group how to shuck and make milk from coconuts, and then use the shavings in order to make delicious coconut bread cookies and a yummy peanut sauce to go with our lunch of crab, fish, and rice. Trudy was the first to volunteer to try to shave the inside of the coconut with the traditional machine that they use. Then, Reese followed close behind, doing the same thing before Will Litton smashed up all of the peanuts for the sauce. After this demonstration, we began to use all of the mixtures we had made to make the coconut break cookies into tons of crazy and fun shapes to go with our delicious meal.
After lunch, we headed back to our lodge to get ready for our afternoon Dow boat ride activity! We got the chance to ride on a Dow boat around the bay in Mozambique, taking pictures, listening to music all about America, appreciating the view, and enjoying seeing all of the amazing wildlife. This boat ride was so peaceful and an awesome way to end the 4th.
The next day, we started the morning with another ocean safari, where we actually got to see ANOTHER whale shark! This ocean safari was so much fun, we also got to see some humpback whales breaching in the distance. After this, we had some more free time where we got to lay on the beach and have another fun volleyball tournament before a yummy lunch at our outfitters with some chocolate milkshakes to go with them. Then, for our afternoon activity, we had our first day of surfing! Though she had never surfed before and was nervous about being able to, Lila absolutely threw herself into this first lesson, taking it slow but showing real progress! Harper totally crushed it, catching waves with ease along with Molly and Trudy. Alessi also killed it, surfing like she has been all her life and somersaulting into the water when she took a dive. The boys had much more of a relaxed surf, mostly catching a few waves and hanging out on the boards and talking. After this, we had dinner and moonup before going to bed.
The next day, we had surfing in the morning! Lila definitely wins the award for most improved, she was finally standing and surfing all the way to the beach! During this day, the boys were all surfing waves together, tackling each other off of the boards and making it a competition. They made the guides laugh harder than they ever had before, cracking jokes the whole time and making this activity the most fun possible. After lunch, we had our trip to the local markets! This was the most fun activity for all of the kids, they threw themselves into bartering, getting ridiculous deals and learning the ins and outs of bartering. The boys all bought crazy hats, shirts, and baiting suits for low prices, and many of the kids bought whale shark carvings to bring home with them, Trudy even getting two for free. All of them especially got the best deals on the bracelets being sold, Lee even started a bidding war between multiple vendors to get the best prices. All of the kids said this was their favorite activity so far, and seeing their bright smiles made Claude and I’s day. After this, we had a yummy final dinner before our last moonup, where everyone gave each other compliments and reminisced on all of the best moments and memories from the trip.
This group has been extraordinary overall. They all love each other, and even pulled an almost all nighter on their last night in order to spend every possible final moment together appreciating each others company. Claude and I are so grateful to have had such an amazing group. Each kid has left a lasting impression on not only our hearts, but in each others lives. They have made lasting relationships, and we know that they will last. We spent our final day traveling from Mozambique back to South Africa before having our final banquet pizza dinner in the airport and having an emotional goodbye before sending them back home.
We hope that they all make it home safely and miss everyone so much already!
With love and gratefulness,
Anna and Claude
Service + Safari
July 3, 2024
Hi from South Africa!!
We arrived at our next campsite and were so excited to begin the next section of the trip! For our first day here, we had a sunset riverboat cruise where we took a pontoon boat out onto the lake and river that bordered our camp. We cruised slowly, seeing hippos, crocodiles, and terrapin birds in the water while we listened to beautiful music, talked, laughed, and threw peanuts and raisins into each other’s mouths with great skill. Claude gained the nickname “Mr. Underthrow” for his usually short tosses, while I (Anna) seem to throw perfectly every time. This group is so incredible; everyone gets along so well and we love to see the strong friendships being formed. During our free time today, the kids played a game of ultimate frisbee and we all hung out by the pool and talked. Claude and I love being around these kids; they are so entertaining and are excited about every aspect of this trip. Next, we had an amazing dinner by the water full of laughs and reflections on the trip so far.
The next morning we had our first day of our service section! When we arrived, we got to spend some time playing games and getting to know all of the local kids. In one particular conversation, the kids were guessing how old our campers were, and Wham was told he looked 30 years old, making everyone laugh. We taught them ninja, don’t touch my rock, and more fun games to fill the time. When the paint arrived, we quickly got to work! Claude and I thought that we may not finish this house today, but the kids impressively finished painting the entire inside and outside in a few hours! Once we finished and arrived back at camp, I led a workout class for Trudy, Harper, Lila, Reese, Alessi, and Molly by the pool while all of the boys fished for bass off of the dock. Trudy and Harper worked out for two minutes before they decided that fishing would be more fun–I can’t blame them! After the class was done, we did a polar plunge in the pool and Wham joined us, doing mermaid dives and having a blast with us in the freezing cold water. After this, we all joined the fishing party and watched in awe as Lee caught the first fish, a huge bass, and then another smallmouth bass, and then was followed by Will Litton who also caught another smallmouth. For the rest of the day, we had an afternoon game drive, which ended the day in SUCH an amazing way. The reserve is introducing a new male lion, and the only other male lion on the reserve has not been too happy about this. On our way back to camp nearing the end of the drive, we stopped by the new lion’s quarantine area to check him out. As we drove closer, we began to hear the loud roaring of two lions. After observing their behavior and interactions for some time, we ended the day with Moonup and some hot coco after a delicious dinner.
The next day Claude woke up early with Lee, Will Litton, and Zach to do some sunrise fishing! They all enjoyed the beautiful sunrise, watching the fog drift over the water and listening to hippos saying good morning nearby. Then we all woke up and had another yummy breakfast before our second day of service. Today, we painted a day care center! This day was filled with music, laughs, and intense paint fights. Reese and I played wavelength together and had some amazing conversations. Her smile and humor always bring the group attitude with her and we are so happy to have her here. Lee “accidentally” painted many people, initiating most of the paint fights. I myself ended the day with nearly white hair after all of the boys cornered me and I became the canvas. The girls all had a great time, Molly especially helping out being able to reach the higher parts of the walls. Once we got back to camp, we had the incredible opportunity to meet and play with the dogs that work on the reserve! These dogs are all highly trained and used to track and subdue poachers. Claude and I even had the awesome opportunity to have the dogs attack us (while wearing arm guards) while the kids watched! Later this afternoon, we had another game drive where we split into boy and girl cars, me with the boys and the girls with Claude and had some amazing and silly conversations. The rest of the night included lots of singing and meaningful conversations.
The next day, we had another day of painting and finishing our work at the daycare center. On the drive there, we had an amazing giraffe sighting! Three huge giraffes were feeding on the side of the road, and it was an amazing way to start the day. This last day of service work was amazing! Claude and I had wonderful individual conversations with every camper about what they wanted out of the trip. The most common answer was the new relationships they have formed and the hope that they would continue on after the trip, giving us high hopes that they will. We played with more of the kids this day, and the goodbyes were hard, and our arms and hearts ached after the time we spent there together working. After lunch and some free time, we headed out for our bush walk! On this walk, Lee was eager to be the first to try any activities! We also got to rub some hydrating rock aloe on our dried out hands, and Lee and GC (Will Blair) even tried eating some, saying that it was very slimy. After this, Claude and I got the chance to surprise the kids with our next activity, sleeping out under the stars! The kids were surprised but ended up having an incredible time! The weather was warm, the stars were bright and beautiful, and we entertained ourselves sitting around the fire, eating marshmallows after a delicious dinner. After this, we played games, had dance offs, talked, and had an amazing night all sleeping in the bush with jackals yipping off in the distance. Claude told the kids a hilarious bedtime story, with many of the kids being animal characters in it before the late night talks and eventual sleeping began.
Today, we left our camp and headed back to Johannesburg so that we can fly out tomorrow for the last section of our trip in Mozambique! We are all so excited to get there and finish this incredible trip on the beach, surfing and going on an ocean safari and hopefully seeing some amazing sea life!
This group is so special, and each and every kid makes it so. They have a never-ending desire to make the most of every moment. Tune in soon for shout-outs from the kids!
Lee: hi, mom and dad! Africa is awesome and I’m having a ton of fun. I hope Hobson is doing well and baseball and I hope you guys are all doing well, love you guys and can’t wait to see you.
Will Litton: hi, Meghan and Dad! I’m having a great time in Africa. I’ve met a bunch of good friends. today we met some African kids in the village! Can’t wait to see you!
Harper: hi mom and dad. I’m having so much fun. Thank you for letting me go on this trip. I hope you guys are having fun. Tell Honey I said happy birthday on the fourth. Love and miss you all.
Zach: hi, mom and dad! South Africa is really cool and I’m having a lot of fun. Today we met some kids in a local Village. I can’t wait for the Cape!
Will Blair: hi mom and dad I am having a good time here have seen a lot of once in a lifetime things and I’m enjoying looking at all the animals.
Trudy: hi, mom and dad, I am having the best time here! I love everyone and I’ve seen amazing things! Love y’all so much
Wham: hey mom and dad. I’m having an amazing time in South Africa. Thank y’all so much. The safaris are incredible and I can’t wait to show y’all pictures. Miss you like crazy. Love y’all so much.
Alessi: hi, Mom, Kate, and Camden. I am having the most amazing time. Truly so grateful for this experience. Can’t wait to show you all the pictures and tell you about all the stories and things I have seen. Miss you and can’t wait to see you all. Tell the pups I said hi. Best experience ever. I have learned so so much. I love you and I miss you.
Lila: hey mom and dad and Leo! South Africa is so cool! I have a good group and have seen some cool animals and amazing views. I also loved meeting the kids who live in the village. I love and miss y’all!
Reese: Hi mom and dad! I miss y’all so so much! But I am having the best time ever. I love my group so much and all of safaris and service work has been fun! I miss the dogs too so make sure you’re taking good care of them! I love y’all!!
Molly Scott: Hey mom and da, I am having the best time! This group is amazing and South Africa is so cool! Can’t wait to show pictures and tell stories when I get home. I love yall so much and am so thankful for this experience.
Checking in from South Africa!
June 27, 2024
Hi from South Africa!!
The kids all landed safely in Johannesburg, and the trip began! From the start, this group was so special, immediately bonding and wanting to spend time together, even watching soccer on the hotel TVs as a group on our first night. They were all excited to hand over their phones and get the trip started, gathering together by the hotel pool, hanging out and getting to know each other before our first moonup began. Our first leaders of the day were Molly and Wham, who got the next day off to a great start, leading the morning huddle with a positive attitude. We began the day traveling to our first game lodge, where the kids were amazed by the beautiful accommodations! We then had an afternoon game drive, where we saw our first animals—mostly wildebeest and zebra—along with the stunning South African bush landscape, filled with tall pale grasses and dry air characteristic of the chilly winter months. We enjoyed our first delicious dinner and had moonup. During our free time, the group loved playing games together, especially Wavelength and a game where everyone picks a famous person and tries to guess who the others chose. Will Blair, nicknamed early on “Giraffe Cheese” for his belief and desire to find such a thing that may not exist, often dominates this game, picking random celebrities he has heard his sisters discuss.
The next day, led by our leaders Alessi and Will Litton, we had our morning cheetah walk! After a delicious breakfast and morning huddle, we set out. The guides tracked the cheetahs in the bush, and we walked outside of our safari vehicles to find them. We found two adult male cheetahs sleeping under a tree in the middle of a muddy red rocky plain, about 30 feet away. After this activity, we played a rigorous game of Death Sack, where we juggled a soccer ball three times before someone catches it and throws it at someone else while everyone scatters. Zach was especially good at this game, hitting me with impressive precision and getting me out in round one. While the game continued, the rest of us sat by the small pool next to our dining area, talking and getting to know one another better. Later, Zach even played a game of One Touch with our outfitter Vincent, bringing him back to his soccer-playing days! The rest of the day brought an amazing surprise! We usually only get one opportunity to do a rhino darting, but due to an injury around the eye of one of the female rhinos during a confrontation with a huge Cape buffalo, they had to use a helicopter to dart the rhino, and we got to join! We watched as the helicopter whipped around the sky, darting the rhino. We then witnessed the treatment and examination of the rhino! The procedure was quick but so amazing to see! After this, we continued to the scheduled lion safari, where we found the pride of lions—two females, one alpha male, and seven adorable cubs—all sleeping and eating together. We were the closest we’ve ever been to the lions, just 10 feet away, watching them. It was incredible! One baby lion was especially full, laying on his back and rolling around. After this, we had another delicious dinner and moonup before going to bed. The kids all stayed up this night, playing group pranks on each other and getting to know one another better.
The next day, it was Claude’s birthday! The day began with all the kids wishing him a happy birthday and a yummy breakfast with peaches. In the morning, we had the ground hornbill learning experience, where we saw some hornbills in their nest and learned all about this beautiful endangered species. The experience ended with a surprise pop quiz that every kid aced, making us very proud. This taught us a lot about how interesting these animals are, despite their habit of breaking people’s windows with their large beaks.
After this, we had some free time out in the bush after our beautiful picnic brunch by a gorgeous lake, sitting by the water and enjoying the unique view, knowing that there were hippos out there too. Trudy and Zach taught the group about properly layering clothes and proper expedition behavior, both lessons taught incredibly well. While we were appreciating the view, a huge herd of sables slowly began to creep closer to us. Eventually, they, along with two adorable babies, came right up to us. It was incredible to see them so close and realize that by being patient and appreciating where we were, such an amazing experience was possible. Throughout the trip, Molly has especially stood out with her kindness and positive attitude, along with Lee and his way of making every moment fun with his amazing sense of humor.
After this, we had a picnic lunch in the bush and played some games together! We had an intense game of “Don’t Touch My Rock,” where we balance a rock on our hands while trying to knock off other people’s rocks. We also played a few rounds of Ninja, where strategy really comes into play. Our guide Makayla suggested a South African game they used to play as kids, where you put a small piece of impala poop in your mouth and see who can spit it the furthest (the poop is totally sanitary and clean!). Both Trudy and Wham played! Wham spat his poop the furthest, beating even Makayla to everyone’s amusement.
To end this amazing day where spirits were high and everyone was especially goofy, we went to a beautiful new spot to watch the sunset with a mountain view and a beautiful enormous fig tree. We listened to music, danced, talked, took pictures, and enjoyed the view. After dinner, for Claude’s birthday, we had a delicious strawberry cheesecake before moonup. After moonup, the group continued their tradition of staying up and hanging out together before going to bed, never getting enough of being together and making the most of every single moment on this amazing trip.
Today, we started the morning with our scheduled rhino darting! This time, we got to spend more time during the actual procedure, truly taking in how amazing it was. All the kids got to touch the rhino and help flip it over. Wham even administered medications. Trudy helped attach the collar to the ankle. Will Blair helped draw blood, while Will Litton helped measure the rhino’s oxygen levels to ensure it remained healthy during the procedure. Harper helped spray tick spray on the rhino to help get rid of them. Harper is a calm and kind presence in the group, always quick with a witty joke. After this, every kid got to take an individual picture with the rhino before it regained consciousness. We then went to an AMAZING lunch picnic spot! We went to a stunning cliff that overlooked the reserve, with mountains in the background and green landscape below. We enjoyed talking, appreciating the view, exploring the area, and our yummy fruit kabobs and mini steak and veggie wraps. After this, we went back to camp and enjoyed some free time where everyone played games again. In the afternoon, we went to a beautiful spot called Christmas Hill to watch the deep pink sunset over the bush and rolling mountains. We enjoyed our usual snacks of mango, peanuts, and beef jerky while playing another intense round of “Don’t Touch My Rock” and throwing peanuts into each other’s mouths from impressive distances. After this, we had our delicious final meal at our camp, with an impressive South African feast prepared for us by a beautiful fire under the bright stars and the Milky Way. We finished the meal with a yummy chocolate cake before having moonup, led by our leaders of the day, Lee and Reese. Reese had an especially good day today, leading with enthusiasm and volunteering to help all day, especially during the rhino darting.
After dinner and moonup, we had a karaoke competition where everyone sang songs together! Lila sang a beautiful rendition of an Amy Winehouse song. Wham and Trudy performed “Hideaway” with tons of enthusiasm. Lee and Alessi performed a soulful rendition of “Wagon Wheel.” Harper and Zach gave a compelling performance of “California Girls.” Will Blair and Molly performed an incredible version of “Party in the USA.” Will Litton and Reese beautifully sang “Call Me Maybe.” Claude and I tried our best to sing “What a Wonderful World,” a song picked by the kids.
Our time in South Africa so far has been wonderful! This group works so well together; everyone would rather be together than apart, and we love to play as many games as we can come up with! The group even asked Claude and me today to come up with more games for them to play, and we had to reference the staff manual! We are looking forward to transferring to our next campsite and reserve tomorrow and beginning the cultural immersion section of our trip, where we will be for the next few days.
With love,
Anna and Claude
Safe Arrival in Johannesburg!
June 23, 2024
Hello South Africa 2A Families!
We have heard from our leaders that the group is all safely in Johannesburg, and the trip is off to a great start. We can’t wait to hear more about their adventures!
Moondance HQ
