Lions and Hippos and Zebras, Oh My! A South African Holiday for Local Teen
By Trina Runner on December 21, 2014 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
For BHS student Brady Hillegas, Thanksgiving break involved much more than a traditional turkey dinner. He traveled to the other side of the globe to spend the holiday with his older brother, BHS alumnus Zach Hillegas. The elder Hillegas is living in South Africa, where he is the Chief Financial Officer for an American-based company. Brady, along with his sister, Kelsey, and her fiancée, Dylan Sheldon, took at 10-day romp across the world to have a Thanksgiving break they won’t soon forget.
On the way to South Africa, the trio had a 72-hour layover in London.
“We were able to see the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben while we were there, and it was so cool,” Brady said.
Although they loved the city, they couldn’t wait untill the plane touched down in Johannesburg so the real adventure could begin. When they arrived, the landscape gradually transitioned from city to farms to remote villages. “At one of the gas stations, we saw rhinos, hippos, elephants and zebras. It was awesome!”
After more than four hours, the Hillegas clan arrived at their destination. Wanting to make the most of the visit, they immediately went hiking through the bush country to a breathtaking lookout featuring a 2000-foot cliff. The group enjoyed some local cuisine and then traveled to Blyde River Canyon. Translated, Blyde means happy, and that’s just the impact it had on the visitors. The canyon is considered one of the largest in the world, with plush green fields, waterfalls and a nature preserve.
Although the visual beauty was astounding, their next stop changed their lives. The group visited an after-school program run by a missionary friend of the eldest Hillegas.
“Upon arrival, we were absolutely swarmed by kids,” said Brady. “Many had never had a father figure, and they all wanted to be held. It was really emotional.”
One child in particular captured Brady’s heart. “This little two-year-old girl looked up at me with puppy dog eyes and wanted to be held. I just melted. I ended up carrying her everywhere.”
Hillegas could not help but notice the disposition of the villagers, despite being surrounded by poverty. “The people were so happy. They would just dance uninhibitedly and sing and they were very laid back,” said Hillegas. The group enjoyed traditional South African foods with the locals and headed back to their own village.
The trip would not be complete without an African safari, and the experience did not disappoint. Because of some riots with the government, the expedition was rerouted through an area that featured elephants, lions, cape buffalo, rhinos and a very rare sable antelope.
“It was so wild seeing lions eating a buffalo 20 yards away,” said Hillegas.
When Thanksgiving Day arrived, the group had a fresh perspective on thankfulness. They were surrounded by family, but also friends they had met locally, merging two continents at one table.
“About 40 people came for dinner. We didn’t have turkey, but we did have all the traditional sides and some local dishes as well.” After dinner, they did a few things typical of Americans: four-wheeling and ping pong. “With the weather warm and pools at most homes, we went swimming and then had a ping pong tournament. We also had a blast riding four-wheelers through the mud. It was an amazing opportunity to get to go to South Africa and London and having my family with me made it even better.”
