Soccer Camp Pics

Finally spent some time this morning organizing the photos. Here are some from the soccer camp in Loskop...

Pics as promised: Di's favorites

Almost home!

Our 36 hour trek from Durban to Seattle is just a couple hours from being over! Everyone is doing well. Right now we are flying over Wyoming and we have wifi...ironic that we have it at 36,000 feet but could hardly ever find it in South Africa. I think I have slept the least of everyone on the flights so I may be in trouble here in a few hours!

It has been a great trip! I took about 400 photos with my point and shoot camera and I think Dianne and Mark both took over 2000 photos each with their nice cameras. We also have some great video of many memorable moments.

The whole trip went great. Traveling with 7 people for 2 weeks straight 11,000 miles from home can be a challenge but this group did a great job of being flexible. Trips like this can result in people getting frustrated and angry with each other but I have to say that this group became closer as we traveled and worked as a team through a number of "on the fly" plan changes as we adapted to changing circumstances. The boys did really well with all the travel and had great cultural and sporting experiences. Thanks to Dianne for her great organizational skills and experience in South Africa and to the Loschky's for being great friends and traveling companions.

Thanks to many of you for all your help, especially with donations for the soccer tournament at the Mjwayeli School in Loskop. It was amazing and we were able to leave a donation of over $1300 to the orphanage when we were all done. We also left them all the soccer balls, training vests, and the wooden goals Mark and I built with Khenan and Burke before the tournament. We gave quite a bit materially to the kids but they gave us much more in the realm of friendship. I think you'll see that in the pictures once we get a chance to post them.

Already thinking about Brasil 2014!

Brian




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Leg 2 of return trip done

Just touched down in Atlanta after 15 and a half hours from Johannesburg. Haven't watched 3 movies in one day since high school...3 hour layover in Atlanta and then our third leg home to Seattle. Arrive about noon. Will be good to be home, miss Stace and Jenae.


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Phase 1 of trip home done, drove from Durban to Johannesburg. Boarding plane now for 17 hour trip to Atlanta. Thankful for Ambien...

Driving from Durban to Joburg. Nice 30 min run down along the shores of the Indian Ocean. Durban is a great city, like it a lot.

The next 36 hours should be REALLY fun: 5+ hour drive to Johannesburg, 17+ hour flight to Atlanta, 5 hour flight to Seattle. But then shortly thereafter Spain plays Holland in the final which we'll watch from home. Heading down to the beach in Durban for a short run before we start this trek!

Full time...Germany nil...Spain 1...yeah!!!! Spain vs. Netherlands in the final!

Yeah!!!!!!!!! Puyol is Tarzan! 1-0, 74th minute!

Possession to Spain, better chances so far to Germany. 0-0 after 45...who will break through???

Espana vs. Deutschland...about to start! Durban is crazy!!!! What an atmosphere! Have never seen anything like it!!!!

Eating dinner before Spain / Germany. All of our faces are painted red and yellow! LeiMomi is an awesome face painter! Viva Espana!

On our way to Spain vs. Germany semi in Durban. Get to see some Iniesta and Xavi midfield magic. Will it be enough to oust Deutschland? The Germans have been steamrolling some great sides...match starts in about 4 hours!

Di's list of unexpected treasures:

1: soccer matches: 3 australianuniversity guys using the vuvuzela as a beer bong. Best use for it I've seen this whole tournament!
2. Orphanage: meeting new kids Mandisa, Lele, Andile, and Lolo. The best was seeing Kwanele so much healthier than my last visit.
3. Safari: showering under the stars! Can't go go back to the mundane house enclosed shower. Quote from Jared today on safari seeing a group of elephants. There were two adolescent elephants playing with each other - just being loving and I said I thought that was sweet. Jared says, "auntie di, i came here to see the animals, not love"! The kid has had me in stitches this whole trip!

Don't want to come home but my boss (brian) is making me! Heading to durban tomorrow. It is becoming one of my favorite cities in the world.

Hope to post pics while in durban! Love, di

Could this trip have any more diversity? After 3 World Cup matches and then 5 days at Kwethu Childrens Village we spent the last 2 days at Ithala Game Reserve. We stayed in the coolest hut: no electricity just kerosene lamps and mostly open air. I so wish I could send pictures! Today we spent about 5 hours driving on safari roads. The highlight for me was seeing a herd of elephants, about 20, walk by our car about 40 yards away. We also saw many other animals including giraffe. Amazing to see them in the wild instead of the zoo. While we were eating lunch today a monkey stole the sugar for our coffee while we weren't looking. Sneaky little guy. Heading to Durban tomorrow to see the Spain/Germany semifinal. Back to the USA the next morning and we'll watch the final at home. We are hoping for Spain vs. Netherlands.

Sunrise safari this morning. It was COLD! Open air vehicle made it chilly despite 3 layers! In addition to yesterday saw Elephant, zebra and warthog. We are staying at the Mbizo Bush Camp which sits on a cool river. Last night we could see every star in the sky. The southern cross and the density of the Milky Way were visible. Amazing.

Laying on a couch in a thatch roof hut many kilometers out in the bush at the Ithala game reserve. Sunrise safari tomorrow morning and then more "walks" during the day. Already saw giraffe, rhino, ostrich, wildebeest, baboon, and some sort of cat while driving in. Jared lovin' it...the rest of us too!

Farewell this morning at Kwethu Children's Village. Wonderful kids and adults! Yes, tears flowed. We were there for just 5 days but have friends for a lifetime! We all learned a lot about South African culture, but even more about ourselves. Driving to Ithala Game Reserve where we will stay for 2 days at the Mbizo Bush Camp before heading back to Durban for Spain vs. Germany!

Di's perspective

So i havent posted much so have wifi access again. The best quote from today is from Jared: "there is evil terror and kind terror in the world. Auntie Di has kind terror.". Auntie Di: "whats kind terror?". Jared: "kind terror is you kissing me and me thinking its terror because its embarrasing!". He's pre-pubescent. I laughed so hard as im trying to negotiate a really bad road! Lots of stuff to say, but here's what has made me happy: being with the kids at the orphanage, watching tons of kids play soccer, spending time with old friends and making new ones, church today with everyone singing, the kids giving us a concert, movie nite with Fundo sitting on my lap and saying "i love you aunt dianne". So many moments, and still a few days to go. Will probably cry tomorrow leaving the orphanage.

Dianne


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Loskop World Cup

We finished the tournament in Loskop today. 12 hours of soccer in 2 days with a couple hundred South African kids! Amazing fun, many stories. At dinner with the Loscky's in a town a few miles away. Can post an iPhone pics but others will wait until tomorrow.


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Our semi-final is determined: Spain vs. Germany in Durban. Delicious!

Wow! What a great day! 41 years old today and had Happy Birthday sang to me by over 100 South African kids. Pretty cool! First day of the Loskop World Cup and we had a couple hundred kids playing soccer for nearly 6 hours. Amazing! Then watched Brazil go out against Holland...see I predicted the Dutch to go far...but I still want Espana to win. Heading for some dinner now!

Kids dressed for Argentina Game; Leimomi finds a baby to love!

Di's perspective

okay, just lost my original post! Grr..so let's start over, in loskop at a restaurant with wifi - getting my fix along with chocolate and Merlot....Heaven! Enjoying seeing my kids at the orphanage...will post more about that later, but going to try and get some pics on tonight!

At the orphanage. So much to tell, no time or wifi to tell it just yet. Amazing experience and fun. Soccer tournament tomorrow, much of today spent setting up.