Hikes/Zoos/Beaches

Hello!! This past week has been a blast! The kids are in between terms, so they have two weeks of holidays (which means two weeks of getting to hang out with them all the time). That means that it's 75% really sweet, awesome times with them, and it's 25% OHMYGOODNESSTHESEKIDSAREDRIVINGMECRAZY!!!! I think all you teachers out there know what I mean. When you have a group of about 20 kids, things can get a little hairy, or they can be absolutely wonderful!

Anyways, during these weeks off, the manager and I have planned several outings to keep the kids occupied.

Tuesday: Olumo Rock

Olumo Rock is this huge boulder that sticks out of the ground in Abeokuta. It was once a hiding place for Egba warriors and their families during a tribal war hundreds of years ago, and the descendants of the warriors still live there. It was kind of nice to be a "tourist" and listen to some guy tell us about the history of the place, and then enjoy the magnificent view from the top.

I am also a bit of a local celebrity. Because I am so obviously foreign, all the african guys line up to take pictures with me. Not even kidding a little bit. Sort of strange, but nice at the same time!

Thursday: University of Ibadan Zoo

So when I was brainstorming of cool places to go for kids, I could not think of anything better than the zoo. (I will admit, I was also extremely excited to see all the awesome African animals!)

We walked around and saw various monkeys, warthogs, lions, chimpanzees, owls, peacocks, crocodiles, camels, giraffes and ostriches. It was pretty awesome, and the kids loved (plus it tired them out... BONUS!)

Sunday: Bar Beach

Today, we woke up early, had church at Chiprom, and then set out for Lagos (which is a two hour drive away) at 10. We got there at lunch time, and walked across the long white sand to get to the ocean. Most of the kids were amazed at the waves coming onto the sand, and kept asking me "Is it going to sweep my legs away?"

The kids were content to just play in the sand and run back and forth in the waves. Some men with horses came up to us and we paid so we could take pictures on their horses. Then we rented an umbrella and some chairs so we could eat our rice and fish out of the sun. I'm a little sun burnt, but it was a fun day at the beach!

So far it has been a great break for the kids. This upcoming week is also a break for them, but it will consist more of studying and preparing for the next term, so we don't have many outings planned. We will probably be going swimming some time this week to make up for missing it on Saturday (I had a wee bit of a headache/cough and it rained, so we stayed home).

I am really loving it here! Thanks for reading!

Peace,

Sierra