I cannot believe I am already at my last week with the ORCA Foundation. It has gone so incredibly quickly but at the same time I feel like I've been here for ages. I feel very sad that it's my last week but I am so glad that I have decided to stay in Plett for two extra weeks. So let's remember what I've done!
On Monday I went on two boats. On the morning trip I saw common dolphins again (yay!) and actually managed to get some good pictures this time! They really are awesome animals. On the second trip we didn't see anything, which was sad. Later on I went into the big aquarium to clean it. I actually enjoy doing this! We then did some things like data entry and such like.
On Tuesday I again went on two boats. On the first trip we saw a Bryde's whale (yay!). I hadn't seen one for a while so I was excited. It surfaced really close to the boat and it was so cool. I think I was definitely more excited than the customers. Again on the second trip we didn't see anything. We then went back to the house and started to make posters for preschool. We have taken the picture of every child and are making a poster for each class to send to their partner school in Spain. They recently sent us posters with pictures of their children so we are returning the favour. In the evening we went to see a band from Cape Town play. They were really good and it was super fun. I probably drank a liiiittle too much. But it was funnnn.
On Wednesday we went on a hike in Robberg. It was crazy hot today. Like it got up to 30 degrees by 11am. Even the breeze was hot so there wasn't much respite. We were going to do the whole hike which takes around 5 hours. We decided not to in the end because it was too bloody hot. I'm glad we didn't because we were all totally destroyed afterwards. I probably would've passed out or something. Afterwards we came back to the house and finished off the posters for preschool. I was going to go out in the evening but I was feeling horrible and dehydrated from the hike so I had a nap instead. Yes yes, I know, I am so cool.
On Thursday we went to measure the turtles as we do every Monday and Thursday. We have four in total now - Oscar, Elvis, Chuw and Eben - and they are all doing really well which is great. Especially Oscar. He is getting really big and is swimming and diving really well despite his eaten off flippers. We then went to preschool. Hilde joined us too which was nice. Tracy's husband Derik and Ken had come to film the day for their news videos that they make. (I am in one about Oscar too). It was very fun but tiring because we played lots of running around games and there were looooads of them. Apparently Thursday is the day that the most kids show up because they love 'Miss Cracy!' (what they call Tracy) so much. She's like a celebrity there I swear. They chant her name and everything. We played dolphins and fish (we were the dolphins and the kids were the fish and we had to catch them! They had to run from one side of the courtyard to the other without getting caught. Is that how you play British bulldogs...? I can't remember). Anyway it was fun and the kids loved it. Afterwards we went in search of hoodies that we could use to print my design onto. I can't remember if I've mentioned this but I have designed a logo/symbol type thing to go onto an ORCA hoodie. It will have the ORCA logo on the front small and have my design on the back. It needs to be printed in Knysna and I just hope it gets done in time before I leave. I have a bad feeling it won't. Everything is kind of slow here...which is not necessarily a bad thing! In the evening I received some rather exciting news from back home and then me and Hilde went to eat at Surf Cafe. I had nachos and they were frigging delicious! We laughed lots. It was fun.
So then it was Friday, my last day! I actually wasn't feeling too sad as I'm not leaving just yet. We were going to try for boats but none went out unfortunately. So we did a SASS instead. It was kind of crap weather which was a shame as it was my last day and the rest of the week had been sooo nice. Never mind. We then went out for lunch. Tracy joined us. It was nice. I had something with halloumi in it. I bloody love halloumi. Again we were going to try for boats in the afternoon but again there were none going out - the weather had turned even worse! So we just went back to the house and did some odd jobs. Then it got to 5 and I was no longer a volunteer! Weeeird. We went out that night to see a local band. They were awesome. It was great. Ended up going out afterwards and got very very drunk. It was very fun.
On Saturday I was horrendously hungover. I felt really really awful. Stupid drinking! Why can't hangovers just not exist? Me and Hilde went to the cinema and afterwards I was feeling quite a lot better. We just relaxed all day and watched films and ate food (or attempted to in my case).
On Sunday it was lovely weather again. Me Ulrica and Hilde ate out in the sun, had some cocktails and other drinks. It was lovely and relaxed.
I'm not sure if I'll keep this up quite as regularly as I have been doing now that I'm no longer on the programme. I'll just have to see if I can be bothered. I have two more weeks in Plett then 4 to 5 days in Cape Town, and then I'll be flying to Sydney and then onto New Zealand! I am going to be so so sad to leave Plett and South Africa and all the amazing people I have met here. I have had SUCH a good time and I can't believe it's starting to come to end. All I can say is that I'm so glad I am not going back to England just yet and I am getting really excited for the next part of my trip!
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