The last full day in South Africa for our UK students. We’ve done everything else, so what better way to spend it than experiencing some of the culture.

Within seconds of being in the village the young children were begging our students to play games and hi-five them

We meet our guides at the shop, a small one roomed shop that serves the needs of the whole community. Then it was time to walk to the primary school, a walk many young children are happy to walk as it takes them to their friends and an education that they are all grateful for.

Our UK students experience the walk.

Many of the children that attend the school walk even further, sometimes on their own and this made our students realise just how lucky they are.

Luke even helped to push one of the teachers cars when it got stuck in the mud.

The African students are always very excited to see our students and teach them songs, and dances as they try – even at 5 years old – to connect with their new friends.

The lower years treat our students to a song

Then it was the turn of some of our students to sing to the older students

To say thank you for taking time out of their lessons to talk to us and teach us about their community the UK students brought with them a large donation of chalks, pencils, crayons, notepads, clothing, toys and sweets for the children which they left to be distributed amongst the most needy children.

Some of the donation to the school

The deputy head thanks us all for the donations

Then we were lucky enough to be shown around a rural homestead in the same village.

Our little friends from outside the village shop even showed us where it was.

We were shown the traditional cooking huts and all got to peek inside the dark room which despite getting covered in soot from the range is surprisingly clean.

We learnt about the way in which traditionally women must sit on the left of a house and men on the right. We also learnt about the gender roles within the community – which the girls did not think were particularly fair!

But sadly it is now time to go back to the camp and begin to pack for the flight back to the UK tomorrow.

It was time to venture deeper into the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Sound Advice

Starting with the St Lucia estuary cruise. A chance to take to the water with the hippos and crocs, not to mention the countless bird species.

St Lucia was having water supply problems today, and on the boat we soon found out why. Below the bridge (the only way in and out of the town, a bit like the Isle of Sheppey in the UK) is the water pipe, and where the water pipe usually is… was a hole. The towns drinking water was pouring from the pipe and gushing into the estuary. Now, why am I telling you this? Well, the section of the bridge from which the water flowed was the only section of the bridge that the boats could get underneath… yep, you got it, that means we were going under this temporary waterfall.

The town water supply, or rather what should be the town water supply.

There were onlookers on the banks gleefully rubbing their hands as they waited for the boat – with all the unsuspecting tourists on board – to get doused in water. But, it was a hot day, and – unknown to the onlookers – by the time the water reached the boat it was little more than a mist. It was rather pleasant actually.

Everyone took the water in their stride and barely moved a muscle

*waves*

Lots of Hippos and crocs were out in the water as well as the fish eagle swooping above.

Everyone got off the boat bubbly and in high spirits

...Some in higher spirits than others

After the estuary, we went hunting for more crocodiles and even a couple of alligators. Except this time they were safely behind the fences of the St Lucia Crocodile centre.

Learning about the crocodile skeleton from Mark

These spiny plates sit on top of the main skeletal body of the crocodile

Just in case you hadn't noticed

From babies and dwarfs to humungous adults, the variety at the centre is astounding.

Four year old dwarves, no, not the students, the crocodiles!

Led by Mark around the centre he made sure that by the time we left we began to learn all the little quirks about each species and even got to see a couple that have been rescued.

through the gates, where very few people tread we see the other side of the crocodile centre

Everyone wanted a photograph of the Alligator eating a chicken...

...before rushing off to the baby crocodiles

The little crocs were just a warm up, there were bigger ones to catch too!

How many people get to say they sat on a Crocodile and lived to tell the tale!?