Safely home

Safely home but I think not without a bit of us left with our friends in the Eastern Cape. It seems hard to believe that they are there, six thousand miles away, getting on with the business of sorting out their libraries.

Leaving Port Alfred was emotional and although our journey was beautiful and much less demanding than the one we had through the rain on our way there, we were very aware that we weren't coming back this time. As we drove along the coast, I couldn't help wondering if this was going to be the next big holiday destination - there is huge potential for that kind of trade in the part of South Africa and the beaches are the key to it. They are stunning. Having said that, I wonder if it would be better if the coast stayed as it is - wild and dramatically beautiful.

The final evening in East London was interesting and gave us the chance to see just a little of a much bigger African town. The Sea Front was remarkably like our own sea front in South Shields and the flavour of East London wasn't a million miles away from home in that respect. It's a working town with a large river port so we felt reasonably at home.

Our journey home was about to get tortuous. We spent Friday morning waiting for the South African Airways plane to sweep us back to Johannesburg and a further five hours there waiting for the first of our Emirates voyages to the Persian Gulf. All appeared to be going to plan and we got on board on time. An hour later we had put up with watching as the baggage pallets were very slowly loaded on board, we waited whilst a passenger was ejected from the plane and we waited again whilst their bags were taken off....

Arriving in Dubai, still an hour late, we realised that we had just fifteen minutes to get through security, run to the far end of the United Arab Emirates (well it seemed like that) and join a bus to a far off departure gate apparently somewhere in the desert! We made it with seconds to spare. Some 28 hours after leaving East London we flew into Newcastle and I have never been so pleased to see a soggy North East England.

It was all worth it though - even the long journeys. Who could imagine what we have seen in ten days. It was a truly special experience for us all and one we will never forget.

Out of Africa

Here we are on the last night in East London at the Garden Court. We have left our new found friends in a cloud of real emotion. The challenges they face are huge but they have real spirit and it's been a great experience to work with them.

Tomorrow it's back on the plane to England and the prospect of another 27 hours of travelling. It has been worth it though and we leave this place completely changed. Partly wanting to stay and partly wanting to be back with our families.

Indaba days

Last day for us at the Indaba. We set off for East London this afternoon with our faithful driver Mcne. He has transported us hundreds of kilometres across the Eastern Cape and we have become very fond of our larger than life African friend.

We are about to have a debrief from our friends sitting in the sunshine here in Port Alfred. The new librarians are being inducted upstairs and it's exciting to see the enthusiasm they have. It's a lesson we can definitely learn from them - we could do with some of their young views in our own situation.

So we leave the Sunshine Coast this afternoon and it's back to East London Airport tomorrow morning for the beginning of our long trek home. I think we'll all leave a part of ourselves here with our colleagues in the Eastern Cape, but it's not an end but a beginning for us. We have made so many contacts and I am sure that they will endure and grow strong. Now we look forward to their first visit to the UK so we can reciprocate their kindness.

Magnificent Beasts

Today we have spent the morning working at the Indaba with our colleagues looking at their Annual Performance Plans and their priorities for next year and the year after, using their Government Grant. They are looking at how to use ICT, how to meet the Government target of 50% of the population literate by 2010 and how to maintain and upgrade their libraries.

They face a real challenge but they have started along the road to improvement and the enthusiasm and commitment we have seen in both the staff and the politicians is inspiring. Although they are short on many resources, the work we have seen going on will make a huge difference to the vast numbers of people who are in need of basic skills and support.

This afternoon we spent our leisure time away from the conference on a visit to the Addo Elephant Park just north of Port Elizabeth. It was a bit of a hair raising drive as we chose to a short route through the hills to cut off a corner. It looked like quite a major road but we later found it to be a gravel track with a selection of very large potholes. Half an hour later we finally made it to the main road! Roaring up to the Park reception with two minutes to spare, we managed to make the tour vehicle. And how worthwhile was it.

Addo was set up in 1920 to preserve the indigenous wildlife and the community of elephants who live within the boundaries of the park. It's a fantastic place and we set out amongst warthogs, kudu and ostriches thinking that the distant views of elephant we were getting were going to be the end of it. Ten minutes later we were right in amongst the animals on a wind swept but sunny South African hillside. It was truly inspiring. Our trip took two hours and we saw countless elephants on our way was well as herds of zebra, one of whom decided to block the road and have a good look at us.

Back in Port Alfred now and time for dinner - back to the Action Plans tomorrow morning and then off to East London tomorrow night for our last night in this beautiful and inspiring place.

Catching up

Hello from the Cape.... Our blog has proved hard to keep up to date as we have had no internet access where we could get to update our diary up till tonight.

Our journey down from Newcastle to Jo'burg was very smooth despite a slight delay. Apparently there was a major weather problem the day we flew out which grounded all the aircraft in Dubai and caused the delays.

Peter met us at Johannesburg and we left on time to fly on to East London where we finally arrived, rather weary after 27 hours. The flights were good but none of us got more than three hours of sleep, so the prospect of a briefing when we arrived wasn't really our first wish!

The weather in East London when we finally arrived was warm and sunny and it was certainly apparent it's Summer here. The place is very interesting - you were instantly aware that you are in Africa, with people walking everywhere, even on the main highways.

The last few days have been very very eventful and we have seen the most amazing contrasts from the millionaires houses here in Port Alfred today to the extremes of poverty in the townships. There is an inconceivable gulf between them.

We have now got to understand that timetables and life go at different pace here. Our two days out with colleagues looking at libraries gave us a really memorable experience. We have been to two different parts of the Province, the first day in and around the Alice/Fort Hare area where Nelson Mandela studied at the University.

We also visited a library in a township just outside Fort Beaufort which really was an amazing experience. The Library habit there is very strong and the purpose of libraries is so apparent - that space in the community which is free, safe and for everyone despite their backgrounds. In the background you can see, on the photo, a group of young lads who are sitting doing their homework which is a health related topic. I was really impressed with the way they just sat and worked together. Outside, although this library is new, and, as you can see, very spacious, the township is a network of dirt roads, delapidated buildings and shacks. It's hard to believe that anyone can manage to keep improving in such an environment but they do.

On our second day out we went in the direction of Grahamstown which was completely different. We visited a community library which really does have it right - and this has been a feature of our visit. Although resources are scant and the bookstocks are not up to date at all, the willingness of many of the staff and the real innovation they show in dealing with their community needs is astounding. Karen, in the picture with Ann is in constant contact with the four local schools in the area and she has a passion for supporting the children there, who have no access to internet or to a wide range of resources in their school. The library here is a credit to her and to her manager.
Grahamstown is a delightful place where we stopped at a very European but very African tea shop! It's a Victorian town in aspic with beautifully preserved buildings.

And today we have been delivering our presentation at the Indaba. The drive down here was very long and very arduous last night but this is a lovely place and we have at last been able to get onto the web to update the blog.

Our impressions of this place then - stunning beautiful, happy and committed people who range from those who have everything to those who have absolutely nothing. Everyone we have met has shown us hospitality we couldn't have dreamed of and our lives are changed.

We have learned a great deal from the experience so far and we will keep in touch beyond the Swallows Partnership I am sure - it's certainly be a very thought provoking and humbling experience to see what is happening here.

It has been hard work but we have found time to visit the Animal Reserve on Sunday when we took the trip round on a very shaky land rover to visit the lions, giraffes, elands, ostriches and impala. Unfortunately no elephants yet, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.

On our way

Made it to the airport - we are all very suspicious travellers so have left far too much time! Unfortunately the plane was two hours late leaving Dubai so we have slightly longer to wait than we would have. Still, the plane has made up an hour and we are due to take off at about 14.20 and the time is going quite quickly. Another hour and we should see it arrive in the eastern sky.

Weather here cold and a bit cloudy..... forecast for East London for tomorrow is sunny all the way. Roll on Summer, in twenty four hours time.

From North to South

It's the night before and everything (I hope) is packed up. We are checked in online and I think we are all ready to go. Ann, Laurayne and I will be meeting at the airport tomorrow morning and then it's all systems go for the Southern Hemisphere.

Today was our Society of Chief Librarians Meeting in North Tyneside and it was odd to see the planes taking off over our heads knowing that tomorrow we'll be passing over the new community centre where we met. The new Library, Health Suite and Community Facilities at Dudley have only been open two days and it was chance for us all to see a brand new building. It's a very impressive place and I am sure it will be a huge asset to the local people when the business starts to build up. Some parts of the building are not yet open.

So this time tomorrow we'll be in Dubai. Next instalment of the blog from foreign shores. Watch this space.