We had an amazing day with wonderful people at Loskopdam. A boat ride around the lake, animals in their natural habitat, dinner on the banks of the lake, and we saw the Southern Cross for the first time ever.

We left Lopskam and headed for Bela Bela through orange groves, fields of corn and sunflowers.

Day 3

A "new" school and "new" housing development. Homes made of scrap or mud and rocks await new tenants while children await the beginning of the school year in an old building with a new mission.

At a preschool center funded by the Middleburg Rotary Club. School starts in 2 days.

At Care Village, an orphanage established and supported by the Middleburg Rotary Club. Funds are raised through an annual Train Race where teams of athletes attempt to outrun a train.

At the Care Village "Creche," the preschool. In 2003 the orphanage opened with 7 children. Today there are 94 children living there ranging in ages from infant through 18 years old. 50 children are on the waitlist.

Just had a wonderful dinner with our wonderful hosts. Tasted bultong, dried boerewors, milk tart, and South African wines.

We arrived!!

bit of rain. After a small mishap on the escolator at the airport, we were off to Middleburg. We have all had a relaxing afternoon and are meeting for a BBQ tonight.

Here is the Rotary Vocational Travel Team with Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. Left to right: Lindsay Davis (Bridgeport Public Schools), Heather Ferguson (Bridgeport Public Schools), Laurie Noe (Housatonic Community College), Tim Bartlett (YMCA), Donna Thompson-Bennett (Parent Leadership Training Institute), Barbara Welles-Nystrom (Fairfield University). We are scheduled to leave Saturday morning. Weather forecast: snow.

Happy New Year, Everyone

It is less than a week until the Rotary Vocational Travel Team from Bridgeport, CT leaves on a 15 hour direct plane flight from New York to Johannesburg, South Africa (where we will meet up with our team leader from Stockholm, Sweden. We will be heading to Rustenburg which is about 1.5 hours west of there. That puts us not too far from the border with Botswana. Rustenburg is home to the two largest platinum mines in the world and game reserves in the area are home to "the big five;" elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, and water buffalo. It is summer there and the temperatures have been in the upper 80s and low 90s.