Howzit!!! That is how the South Africans greet you, and obviously after a month I am now a fully fledged local!!!

Wow, we leave tomorrow.....can't believe it......emotions are very much happy ones that I have had this experience, met some wicked people (some true friends for life), and seen the most amazing sights....the children will stay with me forever, and this is by far not the end of my involvement with the home....our departure last Friday was nowehere near as emotional as I expected it to be as a big bit of my heart belongs there and will continue to support them.....we had such a brilliant week with them, we took a group to the Science Museum on Tuesday, such an interesting place (yes I am officially the geek!!), and they loved it, we then took some other children to the Aquarium on Thursday, they had a ball, touching fish, watching the penguins be fed and seeing guys swimming with sharks and the most enormous stingray I have ever seen......Friday, Vanessa, Aimee and I did them a little party...full on party bags, bubbles, and face painting, I think we enjoyed it just as much as they did :-) Then time to say goodbye....big hugs all round.....and as I said just didn't feel like the end.............

Then home....totally exhausted from the day and the week, but no time to rest as we had to prepare the house for the party, some of the guys from the home were joining us so no time to dwell...........and so the party began......great giggle, got some good pics but won't load them till Oz.....Anj and Francesca did an awards ceremony which was hilarious......even more hilarious was mine.......Man Eater of the house......seriously, can you believe it!!! the best bit was them both doing a full rendition of Nelly Furtados classic "she's a maneater!!!!!" And for those of you that know me well, you will be chuckling now......and for my mum, nan oh god and my dad!!! I haven't been, I have just been approached more than any of the others!!! lol!!!!! Anyway.....we all rose in the morning, not too many hangovers, and decided to stay at the house and not go to Cape Town, we have become a little family while we have been here so we chilled at the beach and had some food together on Saturday night.......

Sunday, we tried for the 3rd and final time to get up Table Mountain....yet again just too windy.....some of the guys did a skydive while we did that and said it was amazing......still not so convinced!!!! Then went to a flea market in Green Point and picked up some awesome African Art which I can't wait to show you when I get home....

So, here we are on Monday.....I have cleverly booked our domestic flights to the wrong airport in Jo'burg...so could be an adventure tomorrow getting to the right one!!! All part of the fun eh!!!!

Farewell from South Africa......and Cape Town, by far the most beautiful place I have ever been to.....and heres to the next stage of the adventure...............

Loadsa love and see you in Oz :-) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS - forgot to mention the change of heart on the pics of the children......the home needs money....and I want to help....so letting you see them and their environment will help you feel closer to it.......some of you have asked how you can help, and honestly, it is hard cash.....as I said on the pics, they have to pay duty on goods from abroad and that cancels the value of your efforts.......you can participate in an adopt a child kind of programme, where for example, you say I can afford however much a month and then choose what it goes towards...eg day trips....the home will then send pics by email of what your money paid forto enhance their lives. I have spoken to the director at the home and they really need help....last year alone their electricity bill grew by 27% - familiar story eh.....70% of their running costs are their staffing......and believe me, their wages are about 30% of the average south africans, alot of them do it because of their hearts........ anyway....email me if you wanna know more :-) xxxx