World blog: South Africa

Hello everyone! Sorry its been so long since I've last sent an update, but I have had a lot of tests since I last got back on the boat, so I've been really busy. South Africa was absolutely amazing, I definitely want to come back here next year for the World Cup.

Okay, so the first day we were a little delayed into port in Cape Town because there was a lot of fog. We ended up docking around 10 am and able to get off of the boat around 11 am. The “VMA Waterfront”(thats the newly renovated dock/port part of Cape Town) is extremely nice and beautiful. There is a big mall right on the water and a bunch of little shops and restaurants. Its awesome. When I first got off of the boat, I just walked around that area and explored for a little bit. Cape Town is a really safe city by night, in contrast to Johannesburg (Jo-burg as everyone there calls it), which is the world's most dangerous city. After walking around, Henry and I decided to take a taxi over to Table Mountain, a big mountain basically right downtown in Cape Town. So we got on a taxi and drove over there. Our taxi driver was very nice –he is planning on starting his own taxi business and was telling us all about it for the whole drive (which was great because one of my projects for a class is to interview an entrepreneur, so I started taking notes and everything so now I can use this as one of my interviews). When we got to Table Mountain, it was closed because of too much fog (we were planning to take a cable car up to the top because we didn't have enough time to hike it), so we went back to the boat.

That night, I went on a Semester at Sea day trip called “Jazz Safari.” It was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. First, we went to this Jazz Bar called “Best Ugly”and saw some live jazz in the top part of the bar. It was a really nice, classy bar. The band was really good, and I was able to buy a CD that had some of their music on it. After the jazz bar, we drove about thirty minutes outside of Cape Town to guy Robbie Jenson's house. Robbie Jenson used to be a world famous jazz artist, but his lungs collapsed and now he only plays occasionally in Cape Town. He has played with people such as Eric Clapton and John Butler! Anyway, so we drove out to his house where his son (who is a chef) cooked us dinner and we just hung out with him and his wife. It was really cool. After dinner, we all sat around in his living room and he played a little bit of saxophone for us and told us lots of amazing stories about his life. It was an awesome experience. I bought a CD of his as well. Then we went back to the boat.

Day 2 –The second day, I had to get up early because I was sighed up for a SAS Safari in a reserve called Kagga Kamma (look it up, its really cool). We had a pretty long bus ride –about 4 and a half hours. It would have been faster, but the bus was having a really hard time going up the dirt mountain roads (understandably). The geography was really cool. There were lots of huge, strangely-shaped rock formations. When we got to the reserve, they had lunch outside waiting for us, and then we were able to check into our rooms. THE ROOMS WERE CAVES BUILT INTO THE SIDES OF THE ROCKS. They were really nice, too. We had free time for most of the afternoon, so Henry and I hiked around. Some other people went to the pool or drove ATVs around. The reserve wasn't a typical South African reserve in that it didn't have lions or elephants or anything, it was more of like a “ranch,”very untouched and used a lot for historical research –it was known for its cave paintings and other things of historical importance. That night, we had an evening game drive before dinner, where we saw lots of elk-like species and ostrich. When we got back, they had dinner waiting for us around this big camp fire. Then, we all hiked up to this peak area where they had a telescope and everything set up to look at the stars. I didn't even need to look in the telescope –I have never, and probably will never again, see so many stars. You could see every detail of the Milky Way and everything. I have pictures, but they don't really do it justice at all. It was spectacular. Then I went to bed in my cool cave room (I have pictures of that, too).

Day 3 –After breakfast, our whole group went on a guided hike to some caves to see some cave paintings. We had two guides, one lady leading in the front and then another guy, Eugene, in the back. Eugene was new working there and had never done that hike before. He was the best nature guide, he was extremely passionate about everything and wanted to tell us about every plant and animal. So we were hanging out in the back with him learning about everything, such as a giant red and black grasshopper and other stuff. Needless to say, we were inspecting all of the wildlife too closely, and got lost. So Eugene tried to figure it out with us for a while, but we ended up just going back to the main area. Eugene was upset that he got lost with us, so he offered to take us back that afternoon and explore around with us so he could figure out the trail. After lunch, we first drove to some cave paintings that were a little further away. Then we got back and went on our exploratory hike with Eugene. We had a really small group this time, and we could take as long as we wanted. This was awesome, I want to be Eugene. I asked him how he got into just being an awesome nature guy... well in South Africa they have what is called “The Nature College” and you go and just learn about nature and everything so you can be trail guides. He wrote down all the information for me and showed me his books. Really cool. I want to do it. Anyway, we found lots of new cave painting and saw some more animals on the hike. After our hike (we didn't get lost this time), we went back to the lodge and watched cricket and rugby and just had some dinner. It was really relaxing. Also, because we hadn't seen any real “safari”animals, Henry and I were talking with the front desk at the lodge trying to plan a way to get to “Big 5”game reserve (the Big 5 are: Lions, Leopard, Rhino, Elephants,and Buffalo). We got it all planned out that a driver would take us the next morning (we were leaving the Semester at Sea trip, they all went back that day), after a sunrise game drive in Kagga Kamma, to another game reserve where we could go on a real safari.

Day 4 - It ended up only being about $180 USD total for all transportation (from Kagga Kamma to the Fairy Glen Reserve and then to Cape Town afterward) and for the safari and a nice buffet lunch. TOTALLY worth it –we got to see lions, zebra, rhino, and giraffes, and everything. I took about 1000 pictures just at the safari. It was so cool –we were able to get really close to lost of the animals. After the safari, we were driven back to the Waterfront where the ship was. After taking a well-needed shower, Henry and I headed out to Long Street, the center for nightlife in Cape Town. We met up with some other students and had a late dinner at this little Cuban restaurant that was basically a shrine to Che Guevara. It was pretty cool. Then we walked into some Irish bar, and lo and behold, the old A/V guy from SAS is rocking out on his guitar and was basically the band for the night. There were way too many Semester at Sea kids here, so it wasn't really that fun. Then we left and it started to rain, so we just got a taxi back to the boat around midnight.

Day 5 –This morning, I had to get up really early because I had another Semester at Sea day trip planned to go to a township. Townships are basically the huge expanses of slums outside of Cape Town. It was about a 30 minute drive, but seemed like we were going to a whole different planet. It was crazy how quickly it changed from nice, cosmopolitan Cape Town to these extremely poor slums. We got there and were swarmed but kids. Surprisingly, they weren't asking for money or anything. They just really liked to see foreigners –and absolutely loved getting their picture taken. It was very strange, but everyone in this extremely poor slum seemed genuinely happy. I was so taken aback because I had never seen such extreme poverty (there weren't even actual constructed houses –it was all just old billboards and industrial material that had been made into shacks where everyone lived.... and it went on for miles and miles). It was very intense. Also, there we SO MANY children. The population in South Africa is extremely young –over half of their population is under the age of 18 because of the prevalence of HIV/AIDs and the extremely high birthrates. Most of their populations didn't reach higher ages. Anyway, first we visited a place called “Vicky's Bed and Breakfast,”she is a woman who started a small bed and breakfast in the slums so that people could visit and get an idea of life in the slums. Her establishment has won many awards. After that, we were able to walk around a little but before getting back in the buses and going to a marketplace in the township. I bought a few things in the marketplace. After that, we went to a church and then to another bed and breakfast called Kopanong, where we had some snacks for lunch. We were EXTREMELY lucky, because the day we visited the township was also when the current South African President was coming to make a speech, and there was a HUGE political campaign rally for the ANC (African National Congress) political party (elections are in April). Everyone was extremely celebratory –literally dancing in the streets. It was amazing to see how involved and extremely proud everyone was. I got plenty of pictures.
After the township, we went back to the waterfront and had some lunch and just walked around and did some last minute shopping before we had to be back on the boat to set sail again.

We had 4 days at sea after that, during which I had three tests and two big papers due, so I was extremely busy. Yesterday we arrived in Mauritius in the morning. Mauritius is a small island off of the east coast of Madagascar that was colonized by the French. It basically the paradise destination for many Europeans. We got off the boat and got in a taxi in search of some waves... that we never found. We went to Grand Baii, about 30 minutes away. The whole island is extremely small, about 55 miles at its longest point. When we got there, I tried to use my debit card at an ATM, and the ATM machine wouldn't return my card. So I went inside the bank, and they said they needed my passport. Well, the ship didn't give is our passports because the Mauritius Immigrations said that we didn't need them. So I went all the way back to the ship, and they wouldn't give it to me. So I called the bank, and they said that an embossed, signed, stamped copy would do. So the purser's desk got that all ready for me, and I called the bank again, and they said they couldn't give me my card back at all because it had been reported stolen. So I gave up on that, and we just went and walked around Port Lois, which was nothing special at all. I called Bank of America, and they didn't know why but for some reason on Feb 18th the card was marked stolen in their system –they have no record of anyone called and reporting it stolen or anything... and I called them and notified them of my itinerary before leaving the US, so it wasn't that the card was being used abroad. They are getting a card sent to me ASAP. Anyway, then we just returned to the boat that night (we just had the day in Mauritius, set said again last night at 10pm).

Now I am back at sea for 5 days before I get to India. The Indian Ocean is extremely calm and extremely blue. It looks like a lake almost.

Anyway, I will try to get pictures up ASAP in India... its taking a while to sort through and edit them because I took so many. My camera is possibly the best purchase I could have ever made before going on this trip.