I went to South Africa in May, 2007. It was a 21-hour plane ride, and we arrived at night. The lace we first stayed at was beautiful. It was full of all sorts of trees, plants, and flowers. The rondevals we stayed in were small and round. They were brown with thatched roofs. Inside of them were two twin beds with candy on the sheets, a vanity with hot chocolate, tea, and coffee packets. You go into the bathroom, and there is a shower with a stone floor, a little sink, and a toilet with a flower in it.

We went on five safaris and one of them was better than the rest. It was called Addo National Park, and when we got there, we got into an open jeep that held about ten people. It supplied rain coats and blankets. On the safari we saw three lions, a rhino, a hippo,m five zebras, multiple kudos, four warthogs, eleven giraffes, and many more animals. The land was either dry, or full of green plants. There were many different kinds of plants, big and small. It started to rain and we all grabbed for our raincoats. My friend, Abbey, and I got it the worst because we were in the front. By the end of our safari, we were all drenched and worried about our cameras having water damage.

We also went to the ocean when we were in South Africa. IT was beautiful and smelt of fresh salt water. The waves sounded like dump trucks when they unload garbage. The colors were all sorts of blues and greens. The water was cold and full of bubbles and seashells. If you were to stand close enough, you could feel the mist of the water from the waves.

We went to a village while in South Africa, and when we arrived, boys huddled around our van to check out the girls. They got in trouble by their chief, but that didn't stop them from following us around. While in the village we got to sit in on a witch doctor ceremony. We were all in a small round hut, and crammed in there as tight as we could be. People had their faces and bodies painted white and were wearing feathers, beads, and skirts. They sang and danced in a circle, then greeted us all and told us it was good luck for them to have us sitting there with them. One leader yelled out the door to the spirits, and they all joined in with him. They then began to sing, dance, stomp their feet, and clap their hands.

On the way home it was a 23-hour plane ride, and it was a relief to be back home again.