Im Still Alive I promise!

I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I last posted!  We have been incredibly busy, and I have not been able to consistently get internet so blogging has been a little difficult.  So much has happened I don’t know where to start, but I will try and cover all the important stuff!

 Last week we left on a 6day trip where we traveled up North to visit the tent schools in Opuwo, visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Otjiwarongo, and visit Namibia’s largest National Park, Etosha.  THEN, we came home and taught for the rest of the week and left again for a weekend trip to Sossusvlei home the worlds largest red sand dunes!!

To help organize all the stuff I have to tell you about I first I’m going to start with the trip up North.  While we were up North we spent the night at various locations where we switched roommates every night, so I got the chance to get to know my team members on a more individual basis which was awesome!

Our first night we traveled a few hours and stayed the night in Otjiwarongo where after dinner we met with Dr. Betsy Fox who works for the Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA).  She took the time to talk to us about her work with the foundation to save the disappearing elephants in Namibia by educating the Himba and Herero people about elephants in Namibia so they do not kill them.  It was so fascinating to learn all about elephants and how they are viewed by native Namibians, especially because we got to see some up close (more to come about that)

The next morning we woke up and drove to the Cheetah Conservation Fund where we took safari vehicles and got to see cheetahs up close and personal! Cheetahs are one of my personal favorites and it was so cool to see them up close, I had no idea how tall and lean they are.  If only I had been able to see one of them run!!!

After the cheetahs, we continued driving north, toward Opuwo where we stayed for two nights.  While we were in Opuwo we visited the Ondao Mobile Schools where we presented them with many of the supplies we had collected back home (thank you so much to everyone who donated!!).  This was an experience that made me appreciate everything I have and all the opportunities presented to me throughout my education as I met children who travel over 12 miles to go to school everyday!  While we visited the schools we got to meet and play with children, exchange songs (their singing was much better than ours) and get to know what its like to be a student in a rural Namibia school. 
 

 Well it's getting late and I didn't even get to talk about Etosha yet, but I have to teach in the morning so I'm going to call it a night.  Hopefully I will have internet on my laptop again tomorrow and be able to post more!