CAMPS International

Wir sind erschüttert über die aktuellen Ereignisse in der Ukraine. CAMPS International als Mitglied der AIFS Group steht auf der Seite von Frieden und solidarisch mit den Millionen von Menschen in der Ukraine und Russland, die unmittelbar von diesem Konflikt betroffen sind.

Die vollständige Erklärung unserer Muttergesellschaft findet ihr hier: https://www.aifs.com/ukraine-statement/.

Hey!

With full hope for more unique experiences in the coming months and an even better 2022, it’s me again.

If we’re being honest, the weeks after New Year’s Eve are usually pretty boring and exhausting as school and work start up again and you want to make the best of the new year. However, my January this year was quite exciting and different than I would have thought.

By far the highlight was definitely my trip to LAS VEGAS!!! A dream I’ve dreamed of since I was little and one that couldn’t have been better. I was there for 4 days, with 2 days to see everything and was mesmerized every minute of it. Fascinated by the good weather, fascinated by the lovely people, fascinated by the thousands of lights. Fascinated by everything! That sounds a bit exaggerated now, but believe me, I never knew where to look and what to admire first. My photo gallery tells me I’ve definitely seen A LOT… 😉 From casinos and bars, over roller coasters on top of high buildings, to shows no matter where you look. What I found most fascinating was that each part of the “Las Vegas Strip”, so basically each resort/building, had a different motto. Rome, Egypt, Venice, New York, Paris, Asia and more. Everything was there and already impressed you from the outside.

But the absolute highlight within the highlight was a surprise… A helicopter flight from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and back!!! Of course, in my few 16 years of life I have never flown in a helicopter, but I have always wanted and imagined it. (You must know, I love heights and would love to jump out of a plane with a parachute every day.)

From my window seat and with 6 other people in the helicopter I was able to admire things like Nevada, Arizona, the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon and much more and was near to tears because of how beautiful something like that can be. Topped with a getting off and walk in the Grand Canyon, it was definitely an experience that I can now cross off my bucket list of things I want to do in my life.

It’s hard to make January any more exciting after an experience like this, but there were a few other things I really enjoyed…

With the final exams (so-called „finals“), managed to be in January as well (all in one week!), one semester ends and half of the school year is over. As annoying as these are, I was just happy when I got over them and didn’t even have to think about them anymore. More about the fact that I still have a lot of school days ahead of me when I get back to Germany…:(

But back to the beautiful moments of January. As already announced in the last blog, after the first time, this month I went skiing again with my friends in the Mt. Baker ski area. And once again it was a wonderful day that I will never forget. I was again pretty surprised about how easy it still was for me to ski after not going for a couple of years and how much I actually missed it. But honestly, at the end of the day you are also quite exhausted, since we have to leave at 5:30 in the morning to be in the ski area after 2 hours of driving.

With that, January was already over and I really notice how quickly time can pass. I said goodbye to my family and friends 5 months ago and sometimes it seems like it was yesterday. But not to be lying, I can also tell you that the last 2 months have been rather a small low in the many heights. Because especially around Christmas time and with half of the 10 months being over, I had to think a lot about the people from home and I missed them a lot. But I have been gifted with a wonderful host family and friends with whom I can experience many small adventures in a big one every day.

And that’s exactly why I’m looking forward to the last few months that I’ll be spending here until the summer and until then I’ll share my experiences with you. But I’ll get back with that next time!

 

Hey!

I’m back from the beautiful state of Washington and I’m so excited to share this month with you. Because December was what I was looking forward to the most before I came here and I have to say that it was even better than I had imagined. So far the most exciting month! Nevertheless, there were some things that I learned during this time and things that I saw through completely different eyes. Things like my first American baptism, my first self-chopped Christmas tree, Christmas caroling and a professional cookie decorating workshop definitely contributed to that.

But as we all know, the Christmas season also has arrived!! Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays.. not only because of the piles of presents, but mostly because it’s always a time when the whole family gets together and you can feel the love all around.

However, to be completely honest with you, December was also a month where I thought a lot about my family and friends back home and wished I could be with them. But no matter how far apart you are, as long as you love each other, in your heart you are always together. And you can’t forget someone you hold in your heart!

But back to celebration! I have to say, the Christmas season and the holiday itself looks quite different over here and is adorned with very different, interesting traditions. For example, did you know that you put the presents under the tree as soon as you get them and not on Christmas Eve or Day? Or that Sant Nikolaus doesn’t even exist here? The advent calendar and wreath don’t really play a role here either, which is why you can’t even find any in most houses. It’s all pretty crazy when I think about the fact that I was only able to survive every day until Christmas through a little door in my calendar and I actually only cleaned my shoes once a year for Sant Nikolaus. 😉

But there is still hope… because one thing the Americans really like are many lights. Many and everywhere! As soon as November seems to end, the shops and houses are decorated inside as well as outside and sometimes

 

assembled into entire light art attractions. One of the best things about Christmas time here is definitely walking through the neighborhoods and looking at the houses decorated with lights! They also make another school attraction out of Christmas, so that we we had a Christmas themed week, where we dressed up in a different costume every day of the week before break. And a Christmas parade here in my town also takes place every Christmas!

Then the only thing missing piece to a perfect Christmas is snow and we had a real miracle here this year! After not even one snowflake until Christmas, everyone had already given up hope… but exactly on Christmas morning, the 25th, it started to snow and like little children we ran out and played in the snow, which sticked longer than a week!

That already cheered up the Christmas morning, which was actually a bit strange for me. I mean, the difference from having dinner dressed up and then unwrapping the presents to unwrapping the presents early in the morning in matching Christmas pajamas is pretty big. Also, it was my first time being a part of the secret circle of adults wrapping presents and stuffing stockings for the kids, since I was one of the oldest ones this year!

However, Christmas was not the only time I used the snow. Here in Washington, mountains are pretty common and close, which is why I went skiing alone with friends for the first time. Since we always have to go on vacation for a week in Germany, because we mostly ski in Austria or Switzerland, it was exciting to go for just one day. This day was definitely a real highlight and will definitely be repeated again in January!

 

Another real highlight of December for me, was in Seattle… I was at a Jim Gaffigan comedy show! I have to say that I had never been to a comedy show before and was surprised at how much I actually laughed. At least that night we were all out of breath and kept repeating the jokes for days afterwards! And being in a big city again did me a lot of good!

But what you’re probably still waiting for in my December story is New Year’s Eve! I can tell you right away that this holiday is also celebrated and spent quite differently here in America than in Germany. First of all, After 16 years of living I found out that day that lead-pouring is a German tradition and the Americans don’t even know what it is. And secondly, most of the fireworks here are saved for the 4th of July and not wasted on New Year’s Eve. That’s why you don’t just see the typical „rocket and firecracker sets“ in the shops, like you see at Lidl and Aldi in Germany. Here, the evening tends to be spent with music, games and movies, ending with a countdown and midnight toast. So actually almost like in Germany, just without the trash all over the streets and overloading hospitals ;).

So, especially this month, I really enjoyed the exchange between two cultures and was not only able to learn a lot, but also to tell and show my host family and friends a lot about our culture!

For me, the strangest thing about the whole thing was that I not only wished my family and friends at home Merry Christmas earlier, but above all that they were already 9 hours earlier in the new year than I was. So at 3 p.m. I wished them a Happy New Year, while New Year’s Eve hadn’t even started for us yet. Pretty crazy with the time difference!

With the last toast at midnight, my year 2021 was over and I can only say that it was a year full of exciting moments and ups and downs. A year of many decisions and the best I could have made.. 10 months of adventure! I hope that the last months of my year abroad and 2022 will go on just as good and even better than the last 4 months and as my resolution I want to make the best out of everything!

I’ll be in touch in the new year with countless more experiences from my adventure and for now wish you a happy new year!

 

  Hey!

I‘m blogging again from over here in the USA to tell you about my adventures.

Through my announcement and certainly also your own knowledge, you probably already know that there was a small event for the Americans and therefore also for me this month…Thanksgiving! I have to honestly say that since I’ve been here, I’ve been looking forward to experiencing this American holiday, which we don’t even have in Germany.

After Halloween, all the shops and everyone here on the island were already geared up for the family and friends celebration. Because on Thanksgiving, that means inviting the family, decorating the house, and shopping for lots of food. Because what is definitely not neglected on Thanksgiving is the food. (One could almost think that Americans only celebrate for the food… ;)) I couldn’t even decide whether I liked the roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce or apple liked pie best.

But as soon as my host sister and I arrived at our family friends house, it felt very like home and like a great family! Because even if we didn’t celebrate with my actual host family, who was in Utah, we had a wonderful and fun evening.

But that was not the end of November.

The reason we didn’t go to Utah with my host family was because my host sister, my friends and I went on a trip to Idaho to visit friends. A road-trip with friends through America… my dreams come true over here!

A trip with friends is not always just a sightseeing tour, especially since there really isn’t that much to see in Idaho except fields and potatoes. However, this gave me a different perspective of the state and I even had the opportunity to see how my friends there live as college students in the USA. I will never forget this trip and the friends I made along the way and I’m just amazed at how much of what I otherwise only dreamed of comes true.

But after a small week of vacation through the Thanksgiving holiday, I obviously had to back to school… for me, however, it was also pretty exciting because the basketball season has officially started and I was finally able to „work“ as manager of the basketball team. I really have a lot of fun with it and recommend everyone who doesn’t necessarily want to do a sport during their year abroad to still be part of the team through something like this. You always get to know new people and experience a lot of American culture.

I can only say again and again how glad I am to have made this decision and to be able to share my adventures and experiences with you. So if you’re also always dreaming out there, just like me, just make your dreams come true! Because I am definitely living mine over here!

But you’ll hear something from me and my dreams again after Christmas, which I’m really excited about and can’t wait to experience and celebrate all this in a completely different way!

 

 

Hey!

It’s me again, Leni, with best regards from the USA!

You haven’t heard from me in a while, but there have been a few exciting things in the last month that I have experienced and would like to share with you …

Because even if my start into October was not the best due to my soccer injury, my head was filled with plenty of memories. Starting with our senior soccer ceremony, where the 12th graders are given gifts and celebrated because they will soon be leaving school, over my entry into the basketball team as a manager, to a short trip to „Birchbay“ with my host family.

 

    

 

But as I already told you in my last post, October was also a pretty exciting month for my high school. Because, as you can already guess, our Homecoming dance took place!

For those who may not have heard of it before; Homecoming is a school dance that basically welcomes all students back after summer break and let the whole school come together. At American high schools this is a pretty big thing (just like prom, which I won’t be able to tell you about until summer), which is why there is a homecoming football game in addition to the actual dance and the entire week

before that is known as homecoming week with spirit days and a homecoming parade for every club and the homecoming royalty.

Since we don’t have anything like that in Germany, I’ve been looking forward to it the whole time. It was a lot of fun to dress up for every single day, to interact with all the students and once again to experience the really strong school spirit. Everyone cheers each other on and even the teachers and principals join in. I’ll tell you one thing … German schools could use a lot of that fun! 😉

 

Sometimes I really feel like I’m in a movie because just like we know it from the typical high school movies, guys are standing in school with posters asking the girls for a homecoming date while they are looking in all directions for the perfect dress and everyone is exited for the football game.

I won’t explain each touchdown to you, but what I can definitely tell you is that we won the football game and celebrated even more at the dance!

For me personally it was an incredibly beautiful and unforgettable evening all around. I met so many new and different people that evening, danced with a lot of them and had a really great time with my friends. After this week I finally had the feeling that I had really arrived over here and settled in. I just felt to be part of something.

 

And also on my first American Halloween, I had a fun weekend! At school everyone was allowed to dress up (apparently the Americans have a lot of fun with that;)) and sweets were also given. Completely different to Germany, some houses here turn into whole ghost castles and really everyone has carved at least one pumpkin and placed it in front of their houses. Since my host sister and I invited a few friends over for a girls‘ night on Halloween, we of course also dressed up and really had a fun time! Just like the rest of my host family, who have collected a lot of sweets from trick or treating…

 And so the month was already over and I experienced quite a lot again. I am often amazed at how much you can actually experience in such a short time. And that is exactly your sign that you should also decide to spend a year abroad and look forward to all of your very own experiences that you could make!

 

The wintertime with holidays that we don’t even have will for sure be just as exciting and I’m already looking forward to the light-adorned houses everywhere…

But I’ll be back with my Thanksgiving report the next time!

Hey you out there!

You don’t know me yet, but I would like to change that very quickly.

I’m Leni, a 16 year old German girl who is currently living her dream of a year abroad in America. All by myself I decided to live abroad for a year and away from my family, from my friends, from my home. I can tell you that it was not an easy farewell and I often feel very strange so all alone and without jokes with my brother, advices from my parents, conversations about God and the world with my sister and activities with my friends.

But to give you potential exchange students and my family and friends a little insight into my adventure, I sometimes write in my blog what my life looks like over here on the other continent.

So far I can definitely tell you that the first month was pretty exciting for me and filled with a lot of emotions. I don’t think I have to tell you how sad my farewell was, but don’t worry, there was no more room for being sad on the plane. (Except for when I read my farewell book) Because on the trip and when I finally met my host family and saw my new home for the next year, I was just excited and happy that the adventure finally started.

In the first few days I was with my host sister and a friend in the really unbelievable city of Seattle. Since I live on an island, we had to take the ferry over there, which is why we had a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and the city itself. By the way, taking the ferry to the other islands, Vancouver Island or other shores is normal here. Once there, I was really overwhelmed by the huge buildings and the feeling that I had now really arrived in America. But this day in Seattle was so incredibly beautiful and adorned with countless impressions that sometimes I didn’t even know where to look first and next. I feel the same way with all the new impressions that I make here every day.

The next day we already went to the drive-in. Another experience that made me realize that I was in the States. Because, as you know from the American movies, there were of course a lot of groups of friends sitting in the back of their trucks.

The same way, I had a pretty good start in school. Although I’m at a small high school here, compared to the typically large ones, on the first day of school I already got acquainted with the school spirit and the really completely different school system. Students who are supported by each other and also by the teachers, subjects that we cannot even imagine in German schools and of course the typical yellow school buses.

I got to know others on the first day of school, which really helped me to find my way around and to get to know other people afterwards. But even if others approached me in the first few days, I can strongly recommend that you approach others as well. It wasn’t until I joined the girls‘ soccer team at my high school and spoke to others that I made friends with whom I now sit at lunch and, for example, go to the first football game.

Talking about that, it was really like you know it from the movies, with all the trimmings. Cheerleaders, students dressed and painted in the school colors, atmosphere like in the stadium and even girlfriends cheering on their boyfriends on the football team with signs. Through such evenings you get to know each other really well and I am very happy that I have already met so many lovely people.

To be completely honest, speaking to other people and jumping over my own shadow was a big and difficult step, but I, as a rather introverted person, made it too.

And also in the first week, I often had inner stress due to the jet lag and the strange feeling of being alone and all the new, different things. But thanks to my host family, who received me very kindly and who always make an effort to make me feel comfortable here, and the distraction from my first experiences and my everyday life, I slowly settled in and slowly feel secure. So if I can do this, you out there definitely can do it too!

So after a month in the US and three weeks of high school, I’ve already seen a lot and I’m just even more excited and looking forward to everything that will come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Because little spoiler … homecoming and Halloween is coming up this month)

Heute, am 22. April, findet der alljährliche internationale Earth Day statt. Dieser Tag wird seit 1990 in über 175 Ländern als Anlass genommen, sich mit Umwelt- und Klimaschutz auseinander zu setzen und das eigene Verhalten in diesen Bereichen zu reflektieren. Genau das wollen wir als Unternehmen heute auch tun! Wir sind uns bewusst, dass wir in unserer Branche für viele Treibhausgasemissionen verantwortlich sind, indem wir euch auf eurer (Flug-)Reise ins Auslandsabenteuer begleiten. Gerade deswegen ist es für uns wichtig, Verantwortung zu übernehmen und unseren Beitrag zum Klimaschutz zu leisten. Also: Wie setzen wir uns bei CAMPS für die Umwelt ein?

Digital statt analog: Den Großteil unserer Dokumente verschicken wir digital und sparen somit sehr viel Papier ein sowie die Energie, die zum Transport der Papiere notwendig wäre. Auch unseren Katalog drucken seit diesem Jahr nicht mehr, sondern stellen ihn ausschließlich digital zur Verfügung. Dadurch helfen wir, wertvolle Ressourcen wie zum Beispiel Holz, Wasser oder Energie zu schützen.

Strom sparen: Im Büro achten wir sehr darauf, wenig Strom zu verbrauchen, indem wir alle Geräte immer vollständig ausschalten, wenn wir sie nicht benutzen und möglichst vom Stromabnehmer trennen. In den letzten Jahren haben wir alle Lampen durch die entsprechenden Stromsparlampen ersetzt. Seit Jahren nutzen wir ausschließlich aus erneuerbaren Energien gewonnen Strom. Somit reduzieren wir sowohl den Treibhausgasausstoß als auch den Verbrauch wichtiger Ressourcen, die für die Stromgewinnung mit herkömmlichen Energien benötigt werden, unter anderem Kohle, Öl oder Gas.

Transport: In nicht-Corona-Zeiten – zurzeit arbeiten wir aufgrund der behördlichen Vorgaben im Homeoffice – fahren alle Mitarbeiter*innen entweder mit dem Fahrrad oder den öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln ins Büro. Auch zu unseren Messen und Werbeveranstaltungen reisen wir wann immer möglich mit der Bahn statt mit dem Auto oder dem Flugzeug. Auch möchten wir in Zukunft unsere Teilnehmer*innen an europäischen Programmen motivieren, mit der Bahn anstatt mit dem Flugzeug in die jeweiligen Zielländer zureisen.

Glas statt Plastik: Wir verzichten im Büro komplett auf Plastikflaschen und nutzen stattdessen unser gutes Hamburger Trinkwasser aus dem Wasserhahn. Damit vermeiden wir zusätzliche Umweltverschmutzung, da Plastik nur sehr schwer abgebaut oder recycelt werden kann. Außerdem vermeiden wir, wann immer es geht Müll.

Natürlich können auch wir uns im Bereich Nachhaltigkeit und Klimaschutz immer weiter verbessern. Wir sind der Meinung, dass jeder noch so kleine Schritt in Richtung Umweltschutz zählt! Habt ihr noch weitere Ideen, wie wir uns bei CAMPS verbessern können, um nachhaltiger zu agieren?

Lass uns gerne wissen, wie du dich in deinem Alltag für die Umwelt einsetzt!

Hey, ich bin Emma und ich bin gerade in Red Deer in Kanada. Ich lebe hier mit einer jungen Frau und ihrer leicht behinderten Schwester in einem Haus. Es ist keine typische Familie, aber es ist eine tolle Erfahrung. Ich habe eine Weile gebraucht, um mich einzuleben, aber jetzt fühle ich mich hier mega wohl. Ich habe mir langsam, aber sicher einen Freundeskreis aufgebaut und die Frauen-WG füllt sich schon total normal an.

Red Deer ist eine sehr religiöse Stadt und so ist auch meine Gastmutter ein “Follower of Jesus”. Ich begleite sie manchmal in die Kirche oder zu anderen kirchlichen Veranstaltungen, obwohl ich nicht gläubig bin. Ich finde es gehört einfach dazu sich auf neue Sachen einzulassen und so gehe ich jetzt einmal die Woche zum Jugendtreffen einer Kirche in der Nähe. Obwohl es manchmal ein bisschen komisch ist, wenn alle um einen herum tief in ihr Gebet versunken sind und ich Löcher in die Luft starre, habe ich dort schon viele nette Leute kennengelernt und fühle mich total wohl. Die High School, die ich besuche, erfüllt zu 100% das Klischee. Jeder zieht sich an, sagt und macht was er will und wer mit einem Footballspieler zusammen ist, hat das ganz große Los gezogen. Überall stehen knutschende Pärchen und die andere große High School in der Stadt ist der größte Rivale bei sämtlichen Sportevents und wird gehasst. Ich fiebere schon sehnlich dem Frühling entgegen, um Leichtathletik anzufangen und Fußball zu spielen und um generell rauszugehen, ohne Angst vor Frostbeulen zu haben, denn die gibt es wirklich. Die Temperaturen sind schon seit zwei Monaten weit unter dem Gefrierpunkt und Schnee liegt seit September und wird erst im Mai schmelzen. Die Erfahrung, die ich hier erleben darf ist einzigartig und ich freue mich schon auf die restlichen Monate hier in Kanada.

Der Red Deer Public School District bietet jedem Talent seine ganz persönliche Förderung. Egal ob du musikalisch, sportlich, künstlerisch, technisch oder handwerklich begabt bist – Du wirst ein passendes „Option“ Fach finden. Auch viele verschiedene Mannschaftssportarten wie Rugby, American Football, Fußball, Volleyball, Basketball oder Curling suchen immer nach Unterstützung. Außerdem wird sogar jährlich eine große Musical Produktion von der Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School nur durch Schüler auf die Beine gestellt, bei der jeder herzlich zu den Auditions eingeladen ist.

Beim eher traditionellen Unterricht wie Englisch, Biologie oder Social Studies liegt der Fokus ganz klar auf Gruppenarbeiten, kreativen Gestaltungen von Eigenproduktionen und anderen abwechslungsreichen Arbeitsmethoden, Das Lehrer-Schüler-Verhältnis ist locker und angenehm, wodurch der Unterricht gleich viel lustiger und entspannter wird.Auch die Leistungsanforderungen werden für jeden Schüler individuell angepasst, sodass jeder auf seinem Schwierigkeitsgrad Beförderung und gefordert wird.

Ich persönlich hatte durch meinen Auslandsaufenthalt das Glück, eine ganz andere Form von „Schule“ kennenlernen zu dürfen. Meine Schule hat mich sehr geprägt durch die Unterstützung von Lehrern, Coaches und Mitschülern. Ich habe dort Freundschaften fürs Leben geschlossen, neue Talente und Leidenschaften entdeckt indem ich dem Rugby Team beigetreten bin, Darstellendes Spiel sehr intensiv belegt habe und in der R’n’B Band gesungen habe. Mein Tipp lautet immer, offen zu sein für neue Dinge, an vielen Aktionen teilzunehmen und unvoreingenommen in sein High School Erlebnis zu starten, denn wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt!

Von der atemberaubenden Landschaft, mit dem Tafelberg und dem Lion’s Head, den einzigartigen Küsten bis hin zu der Vielfalt an unterschiedlichen Kulturen, hat Kapstadt ohne Zweifel viel zu bieten.

Kurz bevor man in der ‚Mother City‘ landet, bekommt man schon einen kleinen Eindruck von der Stadt. Die Bergketten ragen hoch hinaus und in der Ferne erstreckt sich das Meer. Auch die unterschiedlichen Lebensverhältnisse machen sich schon von oben bemerkbar, denn einige Minuten vor der Landung erkennt man vom Flugzeug aus, schon kleine Holz- und Blechhütten.

Zwischen den Bergen und dem Meer gibt es in Kapstadt viel zu sehen und zu tun. Die Nähe zum Wasser ermöglicht Strandbesuche z.B. am Camps Bay, einer der schönsten Strände Südafrikas. Wenn man von da aus die Küste entlangfährt, gelangt man zur Waterfront, wo man super shoppen und essen kann. Bei gutem Wetter stößt man hinter jeder Ecke auf neue Straßenkünstler und es herrscht eine entspannte Atmosphäre. Hier findet man auch einen der vielen Essensmärkte, die Kapstadt zu bieten hat.

Das Stadtviertel ‚Bo-Kaap‘ (Deutsch: Über dem Kap) ist auf jeden Fall einen Besuch wert. Dieser Teil der Stadt fällt mit seinen bunten Häusern auf, die damals von ehemaligen Sklaven nach ihrer Befreiung bemalt wurden. In diesem Viertel befinden sich einige der ältesten Häuser der Region.

Richtung Zentrum verengen sich die Straßen und man landet in der belebten Innenstadt zwischen Einheimischen und Touristen. Bei einem Bummel auf den Märkten gewinnt man einen Eindruck der unkomplizierten Mentalität der Südafrikaner. Sofort wird man von allen Seiten angesprochen und es werden von den Verkäufern zur Begrüßung fleißig High-Fives verteilt.

Egal wo man sich im Zentrum befindet, den Tafelberg kann man von fast überall erblicken. Um eine wunderschöne Aussicht auf die Stadt und das Meer zu bekommen, kann man den dreistündigen Aufstieg auf den ‚Table Mountain‘ auf sich nehmen. Wemdas zu anstrengend ist, kann auch einfach mit der Seilbahn hochfahren. Oder man entscheidet sich für eine einstündige Wanderung auf den Lion’s Head, wo man mit magischen Sonnenunter- oder Sonnenaufgängen belohnt wird.

Bei einer Autofahrt aus der Stadt heraus, in die Vororte von Kapstadt, wird man mit den sozialen Kontrasten konfrontiert. Man fährt an riesigen, eng bebauten Townships vorbei und nur Momente später sieht man große Häuserkomplexe, hinter denen sich Wohlergehen und Komfort verbirgt. Die Unterschiede zwischen Arm und Reich sind deutlich erkennbar.

Ein kleiner Kulturschock ist wohl nicht zu vermeiden und vollkommen normal, wenn man in Kapstadt ankommt. In den ärmeren Vierteln, den sogenannten „Townships“, beschränkt sich der Lebensstandard nur auf ein Minimum und die komfortable Lebensweise, an die wir gewöhnt sind, findet man hier nicht wieder. Im Gegenteil: Wenn es regnet, tropft es von der Decke und man muss damit rechnen, dass mal kein Leitungswasser aus dem Hahn fließt. Entsprechend kann man davon ausgehen, dass es hier an einigen Ecken etwas eigenartig riecht und der Hygienestandard weit von dem entfernt ist, den wir in Deutschland kennen.

Obwohl Südafrika von europäischen Werten beeinflusst wird, muss man sich darauf einstellen, in eine andere Welt einzutauchen. Wenn man sich jedoch mit einer offenen Einstellung auf das Abenteuer einlässt und auf Menschen zugeht, wird man am Ende positiv überrascht sein, wie bereichernd ein Auslandsaufenthalt in einem so vielfältigen Land sein kann. Natürlich muss man dazu einige Denkweisen in Deutschland zurücklassen und stattdessen einfach alles so nehmen wie es kommt.

Eine kleine Abwechslung zu dem Trubel in Kapstadt bietet die Garden Route. Entlang dieses Küstenabschnitts, das in Mossel Bay anfängt und in Plettenberg Bay endet, gibt es eine Menge schöner Landschaften zu sehen und Dinge zu entdecken.

Adrenalinjunkees sollten auf der Bloukrans Bridge die einmalige Chance ergreifen den welthöchsten Bungee Jump von einer Brücke zu machen. Wem das zu aufregend ist kann in Jeffrey’s Bay, auch ‚the surf capital‘ genannt, Surfunterricht nehmen. Und wer Tiere bevorzugt, kann auf einer Safari den Big Five (Nashorn, Elefant, Büffel, Leopard, Löwe) begegnen oder Seite an Seite mit Elefanten einen Elephant Bush Walk machen.

Wie du siehst gibt es in und um Kapstadt eine Menge zu sehen. Südafrika beeindruckt unsere Teilnehmer immer wieder mit der offenen, positiven und lebensfreudigen Art der Einwohner und der Vielfalt dieses Landes. Es fällt einem unglaublich leicht sich in Kapstadt wohlzufühlen, weil man von den Menschen, die einen umgeben, auf eine so freundliche Art aufgenommen wird und die Lebensfreude einfach super ansteckend ist. Also, los geht’s nach Südafrika! Maak die wêreld jou wêreld (Make the world you world). Melde dich einfach auf unser Website www.camps.de an und vereinbare ein Beratungsgespräch mit uns, damit wir nochmal ausführlich über das Programm reden können. Wir freuen uns auf dich! 🙂