Tim Travels To Masoyi, South Africa, '07

For 3 weeks, I will be in South Africa helping an orphan aid organization with urgent construction. Here unfolds the next chapter of my life. Won't you join me?

11.04.2007

LEGO GOATS

The clock had not reached its sixth hour milestone. Yet, the team (with the exception of Des, who spent the night at the hospice and is now sleeping) piles into the blue van. We need to go to the taxi rink (an odd name for an open field where the municipal buses congregate) to pick up Patrick and his brother Tulani. A thick fog covers Masoyi, creating a grey canopy that only gets lighter in shade as each minute passes. We park beside the electrified fence of the children’s Bible college and begin our ascent. Destination: Mount Legogote’s summit. With the two locals are our “guides”, we ignore the worn out donkey paths that traverse the mountain. Instead, we trek our way through thick foliage, sweeping landscapes and lush meadows, all the while avoiding termite hills, Asinthia thorn trees and the odd centipede. We get to a certain point and find Patrick having a heated discussion with his younger brother. One points left while the other points right. The fog, it seems, has created a challenge in landmarking. As in most sibling disputes, the older one wins out and we head left. Shortly, we get to a point where we can now see the summit. The only thing that stands in the team’s way is a dangerous climb through a questionable crevice. Realizing that we forgot the ropes and biners obviously required for such a technical climb, some conceded that the hike would end there. However, we didn’t come this far just to quit. So, one by one, with the one below spotting the footing for the one above, we slowly climbed. When the last team member got through the crevice, we all celebrated for foiling death today! A metal pole embedded in a cement cylinder marks the summit. Pictures were snapped and apples were consumed. And, as if it couldn’t have been orchestrated any better, the clouds (yes, we were in the clouds) started breaking at that moment, revealing a breath taking view of Masoyi, our construction site, where we are staying. One team member commented that this was the first time in his life that he’s ever looked at barn swallows from above. After playing some Hacky Sack with Tulani (at 1,117 metres – YEBO!) we made our way down, stopping to gawk at some hieroglyphics (read, postmodern vandalism).

posted @ 01:33

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