by Hannah Coombs | Jul 6, 2015 | South Africa 2015
AFO performed 3 concerts for the National Music Festival in Grahamstown in the space of 16 hours, each of which was better than the one before. The audience loved every second of it, however the faces of the orchestra members would show otherwise as the review of a music critic stated in Saturday’s paper. The other double bass players and I did not bring our instruments with us so the festival arranged for some to be delivered for us. We came into the room to find four rather large crates being unscrewed. Our basses had been transported over from Johannesburg. They were of good quality and looked fantastic from an audience view. Hopefully they will meet is over in Johannesburg later in our tour. All the different types of music that we played went over very well. The fast reels and jigs had people clapping along, while the slow airs and laments I am sure had many people almost in tears. Our South African number Kwela was meet with cheers as the audience recognised the melody. The dancers also amazed the audience, as did our piper Andrew Spence. But the piece that had every laughing was the Hen Mairch Over the Midden, as Mr G and Douglas Clark clucked on stage. Many other of our tunes also had the some participation from the tour parents, as they waltzed and joined us on stage for Auld Lang Syne. ...
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 6, 2015 | South Africa 2015
Everyone was very sad as we waved to our guides from the buses and headed down the drive to the exit of Kariega Game Reserve. But we were on our way to our second stop of the tour. Arriving at our new accommodation everyone was very taken aback as the quality was somewhat down hill from the luxury we had at Kariega. For this we were not prepared. The camp beds turned out to be surprisingly comfortable, I personally slept like a rock. The showers were lovely and warm, well maybe too warm at times as it didn’t have a cold tap. The staff there were very friendly, especially when my roommates and I got locked out of our room – through no fault of our own, we were given the wrong key. The kitchen staff were equally accommodating, providing excellent service and they even very kindly prepared our dinner on our second night. With desert too. Overall our time at the high school accommodation was comfortable and we were well looked after by all the staff....
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 3, 2015 | South Africa 2015
After our morning ride through the game reserve to see the animals we returned to the restaurant for brunch. I think it is safe to say this is some of the best food we have ever had on an AFO tour. After some free time, in which some brave people ventured into the freezing cold pools, we headed back onto the Jeep’s for see the other half of the game reserve. In this half we saw Zebra’s, Hippo’s and Giraffe’s. After a few more hours searching for these animals we all met up by a roaring fire for a few drinks and some snacks as the sun set over the hills. Our group and a few others then head back out after dark to see the night animals, and it did not disappoint. However the photos did, as it was a bit dark to see through the lens. The evening was very exciting, after a wonderful BBQ we had a ceilidh. The dance space might have been small but that did not stop us and some of the guides from dancing the night away. An early night was had by some while others, such as myself and the rest of my cabin mates, stayed up to watch Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. It was a nice chilled out end to the day. During our breakfast this morning we had some entertainment as the very talented cooks and other breakfast staff broke out into song. It was the first African music we have experienced since we arrived, and it was truly amazing. Even some members of the...
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 2, 2015 | South Africa 2015
We met at 7:15 for a quick breakfast before we loaded on 10 Jeep’s and headed into the bush to see what animals we could find. “Wow” seemed to be the words on everyone’s lips as we saw Lions, Elephants, Rhinos and many more. The cameras were well in use as we all stopped to capture the moment and take in the surroundings. The view was once again extremely picturesque, with rolling hills and trees for miles. We stopped for a quick break to enjoy some tea, coffee, hot chocolate and muffins before continuing on our adventure. It was a very rocky journey as we drove up steep hills and through valleys to get over the 8000 acres of land, which hold many varieties of animals. During the morning ride our car got stuck in a ditch and my group all had to unload while our amazing guide Jo got us out of it. ...
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 2, 2015 | South Africa 2015
After three flights and two bus rides we finally made it to Kariega Game Reserve. On the way in we saw just a glimpse of what we would experience over our few days here, as animals ran across the hills and swam in a near by watering hole. We had a fantastic welcome from the staff here at Kariega, they helped unload all of our luggage from the bus and dropped them off at our rooms are we went to the restaurant for a few nibbles and an introduction to the reserve. The restaurant was beautiful, very open and relaxing, and to top it off an amazing view. The snacks went down well with the group and many people tried some South African delicacies. The chalets themselves were possibly even more amazing. Wood cabins with high ceilings, TV’s and three bathrooms, housed 6 per chalet. Some lucky people even had a pool. Once the remaining people arrived we all ate dinner together – even if it was after 10 o’clock. The meal was a delicious buffet which was thoroughly enjoyed by all especially after eating all that plane food. Then it was off to bed before an early start on game drives to see what animals we could find. ...
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