On March 6, 2023, an excited group of Trinity-Pawling students and faculty embarked on the trip of a lifetime to South Africa. Led by seasoned traveler and Director of College Counseling Slade Mead and tour guides Marius Du Plooy and Vanessa Cloete, the group started their trip in Cape Town, the jewel in the crown of South Africa, and over the course of 14 days, made their way around the beautiful country \u2014 from Robben Island to the Cape of Good Hope to Durban, Sodwana Bay, and more!<\/p>\n
The action-packed itinerary featured a seemingly endless list of sights and experiences that showcased the breathtaking scenery and rich culture of South Africa. Highlights of the trip included hiking Table Mountain, Lion\u2019s Head, and through the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens; visiting Nelson Mandela\u2019s cell on Robben Island, the lighthouse at the Cape of Good Hope, the District 6 Museum, Jubula Beach, the Company Gardens, the church of Desmond Tutu, and a Zulu village; taking surfing lessons; participating in South African drum lessons; exploring Seal Island; snorkeling in Sodwana Bay; seeing amazing wildlife on a sunset safari, on game drives in the KwaZulu Natal region, and at the Emdoneni Cheetah Project; and helping to paint the clubhouse of the Belinda Soccer team in the Gugulethu Township. And those are just the beginning!<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking a school group to South Africa is exhilarating as you watch everyone respond to the new culture,\u201d began Slade Mead. \u201cThe awe inspired by seeing the vistas from Table Mountain or hiking and coming across a herd of giraffes; or the satisfaction of volunteering in a township and then enjoying a lunch, featuring chakalaka, followed by a friendly soccer game with members of the community.\u201d He continued, \u201cOr perhaps experiencing a new food like Apartheid\u2019s necessitated Durban Bunny Chow; or surfing in the Atlantic and snorkeling in the Indian Ocean; or watching the exhilaration of the group experience a sunrise after hiking up Lion\u2019s Head in the pre-dawn darkness. Or visiting iconic places like the beauty of the bluffs at the Cape of Good Hope or the brutality of Nelson Mandela\u2019s cell on Robben Island. In a little under two weeks, everyone in the group becomes a better world citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n