Wild Coast (Pt. II)

On Saturday morning, we decided we wanted to wake up to see the sunrise. In Bulungula, there is a sand dune about a half mile away on the beach where there is an incredible view of the sunrise every morning. We got up at 6:30 and walked to the dune. It was a little cloudy, but we still saw an amazing sky. After this nice warm up, we got ready to go on our full-day hike. We started at 8:30 am, and hiked the coast south to Coffee Bay. We did have a tour guide, one of the local guys from Bulungula who is employed by the lodge. He didn't speak much English, which was pretty funny considering the length of the hike... The hike took 9 hours total. It probably should have gone faster, but it was a hard hike! The first half was not too hard, but the second half was almost completely hills, and many of those hills were VERY steep. Plus, we made a lot of stops for pictures and to take in the views. We knew that it was supposed to be an 8-9 hour hike, so once we were nearing the end (or so we thought), we asked our guide how much longer. He kept saying ,"Just around the corner" or "Five minutes"...... LIAR! Five minutes turned into an hour! We were pretty miserable by the end, to be honest, but now that I look back on it I am SO happy (and proud!) that we did that. There is no better way to enjoy the landscape of the Wild Coast. It was like never-ending, virtually untouched land. We walked right next to donkeys, sheep, lambs, cows, chickens, dogs, and more. I was really nervous about how my knee would take the trip, but somehow it survived well! It did hurt, especially on steep downhill slopes, but the next day and since then, it has been completely fine! It meant a lot to me that I could get through this, considering how many problems my knee has caused me. Now I have more confidence in my knee, but we will see how my doctor's appointment goes when I get home. Along the way, we passed through many rural villages, very similar to the one in Bulungula. We met several local people who were some of the most friendly people I've ever met. All the women would smile at us and want to hold our hands. Even if we couldn't speak well to one another, we knew how to communicate! And they definitely appreciated our attempts at speaking the minimal amount of Xhosa we can. Without this hike, I would not have had the pleasure of encountering so many amazing people throughout the Wild Coast. 

We finally arrived in Coffee Bay at dusk at 5:30 pm. Needless to say, we were RELIEVED and exhausted. Our hostel, called Coffee Shack, has received much praise from various students in my program here. The second we entered, we knew why. People greeted us with beers in hand, asking us to come party. As soon as we checked in at the front desk, the woman walked us to the bar where we were given our free welcome-drink. (Note: We all chose WATER because we were so thirsty. Yup, we passed up free alcohol, how responsible of us!) Our hut was on the other side of the "river," which was really just part of the ocean that formed a river when the tide was high. So we could not make it across to our room to unpack and shower. But there were also rooms and showers on that side, so we moved all our stuff into the bathroom and took a much needed, long shower! It was the first time we really had hot water during this trip, and it was the perfect time for that! Then we sat down to a nice, big dinner of steak and potatoes. It was the perfect heavy meal after a long day of exercise! We met some people from all over the world, especially our special friend, Ricardo from Brazil who greeted us when we had first arrived. He also said that we looked terrible, and repeatedly called us crazy for doing such a long hike. He was a character, that's for sure. We also met a girl who graduated at UPENN and is now in med school at GW in DC. She's from the DC area, and she was so nice and great to talk to. She is working at a hospital in Mthatha for the summer, which is such an amazing opportunity. When we were finally able to cross the river, Melissa and I were way too tired to walk back to the other side where the bar and the fun was, so we just stayed in bed. Casey went back across for a little, but didn't last too long. The Coffee Shack was such a fun place, and we all wished we could have stayed there an extra night to actually partake in the fun, but we all had to return to Cape Town for our last final! The next morning, we all woke up and walked along the beach near our hostel and had a nice breakfast with Ricardo. By 9am, he and his friend were both drinking beers. He kept asking if we wanted one, and we just laughed at him. (And he called US crazy?!?) It was funny observing all the guys there who remind me of frat bro's from Trinity.... Part of me was relieved to not spend a night there, since I was definitely not looking for a reason to party on this trip! After breakfast, we walked around Coffee Bay a bit and visited a couple shops, etc. Then we got into our shuttle to Mthatha at 11. Ricardo followed us to the shuttle and told us we weren't allowed to leave. (I think he was on beer 4 by this point?) We finally got him to let go of the door so we could leave, and we were on our way back to Mthatha. We got to Mthatha at about 12:45 and immediately went to our bus to check in. The bus left at 1:15, and we began our LONG journey back to Cape Town. By long, I mean that we arrived the next morning at about 9:30. This bus was the only one that worked for our schedule, and it was the cheapest, but it made a TON of stops throughout the coast. But luckily, it was an overnight bus again, so that helped to break up the trip a lot, making it much more bearable... or so I thought. I was lucky enough to share a seat with a friendly guy from the Wild Coast. He would not stop talking to me the ENTIRE time, and kept bragging about his marathon running ability, and such. Finally, when I managed to get him to stop talking to me so I could go to sleep, he decided to spend the next 5 hours sleeping on my shoulder.... I kid you not. No matter how many times I tried to move away, I was unsuccessful. I do not like being touched while I sleep, especially not by a stranger! Though I didn't get much sleep, I did manage to just accept his cuddling, and just laughed it off. At 3 in the morning, the people in front of me got off, so he smiled at me and said he would give me room and move up there. What a guy. As I finally began to fall asleep, he turned around and poked me and asked for my e-mail address. (Mom and Dad, why does this keep happening?) I was a little grumpy at this point, and asked him why he needed it. He told me so he could ask me about marathons in the States, and I told him Google would be a better source than me. He didn't seem to mind too much, as he said bye to me in the morning. Just chalk it up to another African experience. It was definitely a trip full of experiences!

Once we arrived back in Cape Town, we were greeted by cold, rainy weather. (Stupid winter!) But this was good for studying since we didn't want to be outside. Once I finished my final on Tuesday morning, I definitely felt a sense of relief, but also panic. Then it hit me that I have less than a week in Cape Town. As I write this, I want to cry because I only have 4 days left here! We've all been cramming in the last minute activities. I spent the day downtown, shopping for one last time at Green Market Square, and then we spent some time at the Waterfront for the last time. I can't believe I just said "for the last time!" It's actually the weirdest thing that we're leaving so soon. It's definitely hitting me and getting to me that we leave. Last night, my internship had a special bowling/pizza night with all of the staff, including the Khayelitsha staff. I was so happy to have a chance to spend time with all of them and say a final goodbye. We all hugged and said our goodbyes, and I could not help but cry (a couple of them cried too). I really think that will have been my hardest goodbye. They've truly impacted me since I've been here, and I know it is improbable that I will ever see them again. I am hoping that I can come back here in the somewhat-near future, but even then, it will be hard to know if they'll all still be here! You never know where they'll end up. But 3 of them do have Facebook, so I can keep in touch with them that way, which is great. When I got back to my apartment, I started crying again. I really love all of them, and they made my experience here so much more meaningful and special. I am so lucky to have had that opportunity. 

The rest of the week will be busy with similar activities and errands. Tonight I am going to my last braai at the apartment next door. People from my program have been gradually leaving throughout the week, but luckily my closest friends are also still here until Sunday. I guess that's all.... As my trip comes to an end, I can't express my gratitude to everyone I've met and my parents and family for making all of this possible. I am still baffled by all of the incredible experiences I've had here. I made a small bucket list before I came here, and I can honestly say that I've checked off most of my list (and the most important items), and that each and every experience has far surpassed my expectations. I feel like I've gotten a taste of so many different lifestyles here, and the last trip to the Wild Coast fulfilled the village experience, which was a perfect way to end my time in South Africa. I'll write one last post once I've settled back in at home.

WILD Wild Coast! (Pt. 1)

I just returned from my trip to the Wild Coast this morning. This was probably my favorite trip of the semester... I don't even know if I'll be able to describe everything accurately. I decided, along with two of my friends, to take advantage of the long gaps between finals and our last couple weeks in Cape Town. Our schedules worked out so that the three of us could take a trip from the 1st through the morning of the 6th.... with spending the least amount of money possible. Let me say right off the bat that this was a success, thanks to my frugal friend Casey. We decided the cheapest way to get there would be by bus.... a long bus ride, that is. So we decided to save additional money by taking an overnight bus so we would not have to break up the trip and we could also avoid paying extra money for housing for two nights (there and back). We took a 14-hour bus ride from Cape Town to Mthatha (also spelled Umtata so people have an easier time booking buses). We were the only white people on the bus, so several people laughed at us when we couldn't understand the announcements made in Xhosa, but everyone was really friendly. We then had to take a mini bus from Mthatha to Elliotdale. This ride was about an hour. Our destination was Bulungula, but we were not there yet.... and the best part is about to come. So we arrived in Elliotdale at a mini bus station/shopping center. Here, we thought we would be taking a mini bus, only to find out that we would be taking a backey. For those of you (the lucky ones) who don't know what a backey is, I'll try to explain: it's basically a piece of crap truck with the back enclosed and (uncomfortable) benches lining the 3 walls of the back of the truck. No, they are not insured... or legitimate in any way, for that matter. We got into the backey at about 11 am on the 2nd. By 1pm, the driver finally decided to grace us with his presence. But not to leave! He managed to squeeze 13 people in the back (including the 3 of us), 5 barrels of gasoline, several bags of groceries, luggage, a wooden door for someone's house, and other things that I am probably forgetting. Once again, we were the only white people there, as you may have guessed, and only two people spoke any English at all. So, we managed to provide entertainment for all of them, as I am sure our faces revealed the amusement/shock/bewilderment/horror that we were feeling in this strange situation. By 1:30, when we finally started to leave, I turned to my friend and said, "Well, at least the roads are paved!" Less than 2 minutes later, the nice pavement disappeared and a hole/rock-covered dirt road took its place. At this point, all we could do was laugh.

About 30 minutes into our trip, we were actually pulled over by police. It turns out that our driver's license was expired, and most likely was not his. (T.I.F.A..... I'll let you figure out what the "F" stands for. Mom, don't be mad- it is TOTALLY necessary under these circumstances!!) An entire school of children was just being let out of school, and they all came out and stared at us, clearly shocked to see 3 white girls in the midst of this commotion. No one could explain to us what was going on until about 30 minutes after all of this when a policeman told us that another taxi was being dropped off and that we would still be getting to Bulungula. In the meantime, we just chilled on the side of the road with some goats, sheep, and stray dogs. At about 3 o'clock, another driver came. We thought another taxi would take us to our destination, but, not surprisingly, we were wrong. That's right, another DRIVER came. We crammed everything back into the vehicle, and just tried to go along with everything willingly. Oddly enough, our unlicensed driver ended up driving the rest of the way to Bulungula..... and that other driver never even got in the truck with us. None of us could figure out why this all happened right in front of the policemen without a problem, so we just assumed we missed something. Plus.... T.I.A.! But, more importantly, we were actually FINALLY on our way to Bulungula at this point.

This part of rural South Africa did not have any road signs. So we actually had no idea if we were actually headed in the right direction, but no one seemed to be too worried, so we tried not to be either. Many, many dirt roads, and about 3 hours later, we finally saw a sign that said "Bulungula Lodge and Parking" with an arrow pointing straight ahead. You can imagine our relief. But, it turns out this sign was misleading, because we didn't arrive at the lodge for another 30 minutes at least. When we finally got dropped off, we had to walk about 10 minutes to the lodge. I was still doubtful that this place existed, but when we turned the corner and saw a beach and several huts, we knew we had arrived. Bulungula is an absolutely incredible place. It is located in a village called Nqleni. This guy, Dave, went to UCT and then travelled many places, knowing he wanted to start some sort of community-initiative program. He then hiked the entire wild coast and decided this village would be the perfect place. On a travel show on TV, it was named one of the top 25 must-see (but most difficult to get to!) places in the world... It is very clear why. First of all, 40% of all the profits go to a community trust, and most of the employees are people from the village. Dave even lives in the village with his wife. Here's a couple of sites/articles that better explain Bulungula:

http://www.bulungula.com/  

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/oct/24/guardian-readers-travel-awards-bulungula

As soon as we entered, we were amazed. It is a very simple place, yet striking and inviting. Dave gave us a quick tour: in the bathroom, the toilets do not flush to conserve water, so the toilets have 2 sections- the front for urine, the back for toilet paper, #2, and everything else. If you use the back section, you had to put 2 scoops of dirt in afterwards to cover it up; the showers did not have hot water, but there is a whole contraption where you place some toilet paper covered in paraffin oil at the bottom of a metal tube, then light it with a lighter attached, and then you have a boiling hot shower for about 6-8 minutes. The main building is where the library, bar, and kitchen areas are located. It used to be a building for fishermen and their supplies. Then he showed us the different huts that were almost identical to the ones in the village. The only thing inside the huts were beds and a couple of grass mats. The entire lodge runs on solar energy, so the lights were very dim, but it was nice living in this kind of simplicity. We knew that one night would not be enough there, as we had originally planned, so we decided to change our plans and stay a second night. The next day, we planned on doing a village tour/women's power tour with a local woman. Our original plan was to begin our 2-day hike to Coffee Bay, but we did not want to miss out on experiencing the village, so we decided to do the entire hike in one day, starting on Saturday, instead. 

So on Friday morning, we met our 9-month-pregnant guide. She then walked us to her village. Our first stop along the way was where two women were making clay bricks for houses. Our first instruction was to help out, so we had to form a brick out of this clay/mud material and COW DUNG.  (EW EW EW!) My friend Casey was better at touching the dung- I figure it's because she is going to be a doctor, so she can handle these things. Clearly, I had a little trouble going near the cow dung, but we made two bricks and got on our way. Our next stop was at our guide's hut where we got our faces painted with a clay/stone material that is used to protect skin from the sun. She also put a traditional head wrap on us. After being beautified, we walked down to the river to collect some water in buckets. We learned to balance the buckets on our heads! This was so hard at first, but I quickly got the hang of it and was able to carry it all the way back to her house without letting it fall. (I'm very proud of myself, haha.) Of course, our guide's bucket was about 10 times the size of ours, but we can ignore that fact. We then walked to the forest to collect sticks and branches for the fire, which we tied together and also balanced on our heads. When we got back to her hut, we went to her garden to gather some spinach for lunch. Then, we had to grind corn kernels with a large stone so that we could make a maize. This was so much harder than I expected, and as soon as I slammed the stone down (attempting to copy her), the kernels flew everywhere. Her sisters and mother laughed, and some chicks and chickens ran in and started pecking at the kernels.... Yup, they came right in the house, along with some puppies and roosters. It was quite a sight. I was, of course, embarrassed, but tried again.... and failed. Then I decided it might be best to let one of my friends have a turn. After we all finished, our guide came over and basically re-did everything, making it much finer than we were able to. We then cut up the spinach and placed it in a bowl over the fire, later adding some salt, sugar, and the maize. We allowed this to sit for about 5 minutes while we played with some of the local boys, including her 6 year-old son. Then we ate lunch.... and it was good! I don't even like spinach, but it was a simple dish and tasty! She also showed us her other job, in which she measures fish that her father catches to see if they are large enough. If they are not, they are thrown back into the ocean. It was definitely an eye-opening experience to see and be a part of what this woman does on a daily basis. Though it was not necessarily a fun day, it was a great experience. I really can't explain what it was like seeing the typical life of someone in a village. For example, she was utterly shocked to hear that I am a soccer player, and she said that no girls whatsoever play in her village, only the boys play. And in their village, if a woman is married, she is not even allowed to work. So she decided to remain single so that she could earn a living and provide for her family. She shares this one-room hut with several sisters and relatives of all different ages, from 4 months old to her age (which is probably late 20's, but I'm not exactly sure, as I did not feel comfortable asking). Her parents and brothers live next door, in a much larger and nicer house, that has a TV and radio, a kitchen table, and even a cabinet in the living room area. Leaving her was sad, but I did not get quite the same feeling that I do in Khayelitsha. Let me explain. In Khayelitsha, I leave every day feeling sad for the kids who are left alone without any supervision. At least in this village, all the kids were relatively contained and she certainly did discipline them. In Khayelitsha, there is more crime, more burglary, etc. But here, there is none. Everyone lives simply, but they seem to be happy. And the houses are not dilapidated corrugated tin, like they are in Khayelitsha. In this village, the houses are made of clay/mud or even cement, and the roofs are made of sticks or metal. It does not seem as much like the villagers are forced against their will to live that way as is clear in the townships; rather, they choose to live that way and seem satisfied. I hope this gets my point across adequately, though I think it is something you need to experience yourself to understand.

The rest of the day was low key. We enjoyed the warm and sunny weather that we have been missing in Cape Town, and we walked on the beach and laid on the beach, reading books. I can't remember the last time I had time to read a book during the day that was not for school, but just pleasure. I read almost an entire book in that day. I can't imagine a better place for a study break, that's for sure! Bulungula is easily the most relaxing, laid back place I have ever been in my life. There was literally nothing to do, but I mean that in the best way possible. We just sat around and read and enjoyed one another's company. We also met several other people who were also staying there, from different parts in the world. Not to mention that Dave is one of the coolest people I've ever met! Obviously he's done a great thing here, but on top of that, he's the kind of guy that spent the ENTIRE day helping roofers fix the roof. I kid you not, he was on the roof the entire day helping with the repairs. Not many people would do that, but it just goes to show you what a great guy he is.

I'm sick of writing, so I'll write about the rest of my trip later!

By the way, I will be getting home in EXACTLY 7 days.... almost to the hour (if traffic is not too bad!). Lots of mixed emotions, but I am definitely getting more and more ready to be home. I can't believe it's almost time to leave Cape Town!!! Things I am looking forward to at home: obviously my family, friends, and neighbors. But also: Internet that actually WORKS, a cell phone without having to buy air time, summer weather, mom's cooking, and much more.

AMANDLA 24-Hour Crime Prevention: 30, April - 1, May 2011

It's your lucky day (since obviously you are all waiting for my blog posts, right?), and I am posting twice! I had to write this blog for my internship's website, so I thought I would update you with the very same blog.

Last weekend was the annual 24-hour Crime Prevention soccer tournament at the Chris Campbell Memorial Field in Khayelitsha. This is the biggest event for the organization, and it promotes choosing sport over crime in the township. I was definitely anticipating this day from the months of preparation, the stories I’ve heard from the past years, the pictures, and much more. I am not going to lie, I was a bit nervous going into it because I don’t remember ever purposely staying up for a full 24 hours straight… (Not to mention that the date crept up on me pretty quickly…) But I did come prepared with Coca Cola and even some Red Bull, in case I got really desperate for energy.

My day started at 6:30 am in order to pack ample food and clothes and to get to the field by 8:00 am. When we got there, the excitement was already beginning, as the Coca Cola truck was there to set up their stage. They brought a DJ for the majority of the event, and it’s a huge accomplishment to be recognized by someone as big as Coke! Once we got there, we started setting up the AMANDLA flags and random odd jobs around the field.

The day would not have been possible without all of our sponsors and volunteers. We were lucky enough to not only be sponsored by Coca Cola who provided drinks such as Powerade, but also Umbro who provided prizes for all the winners, and Shoprite who provided food for hundreds of participants. I also have to mention that some local professional soccer stars joined us to hand out prizes and speak to the participants. And we also had police present throughout the entire event, just in case. Not to mention all of the referees and scorekeepers! This list could go on and on.

The event commenced with a few speakers including the mayor of Cape Town, the Provincial Minister of Community Safety, and of course, our very own Florian Zech. Once the speakers finished, we started the Under 13 Boys’ tournament, 240 participants total with 32 teams. Within the first hour, we had over 300 kids at the field! Next up were the Junior Girls with 8 teams and 67 people total. Then came the Senior Girls with another 8 teams and 72 participants. Hours and hours of soccer later, we began the Under-16 Boys’ tournament with 32 teams and 270 participants.

Sometime that night (to be honest, the time all kind of blended together and I can’t remember what exact time anything happened), the boys’ tournament ended, and we prepared for the men’s tournament. This tournament ran from about 10:00 pm until 9:00 the next morning, and had 48 teams and 383 total participants. This meant we would need liters and liters of soup (in the biggest pots I’ve ever seen in my life) and literally countless loaves of bread (we handed out over 400 loaves of bread total during the entire event!), and liters and liters of coffee, so we all worked together and made this run smoothly. [Side note: South Africans LOVE sweet coffee… and by sweet, I mean the same amount of sugar, if not more, than coffee, so it’s more like hot sugar water with a little bit of coffee flavoring.]

Throughout the event, Leigh and I embraced our role as interns/volunteers and did countless random jobs (you’re welcome, Amy!), but we made sure we had the most fun possible doing each and every one. We worked with our new friends at Shoprite, handing out food and dancing/playing London Bridge the entire time. The kids thought we were crazy, but we had a blast. Everyone managed to stay awake by consuming large amounts of caffeine, but mostly just by staying busy, and making the best out of every moment, and of course by laughing and dancing unnecessarily pretty the entire time. Needless to say, by the time we got home at about 10:30 Sunday morning, we were more than ready for some serious sleep!

At the end of the day, I think the tournament was a huge success. I had more fun than I imagined, and feel closer to every single member of the staff. I have tremendous respect for what everyone who works at AMANDLA has done to make this day possible (and most of them are only in their mid-20’s!). I am very lucky to have been involved with this, especially since I’ve never been involved in such a big event before, and it will definitely stand out as one of my best memories from my time in Cape Town.  The statistics speak for themselves for the success of the event:

128 Teams

            32 Under-13 Teams = 240 participants

            8 Junior Girls Teams = 67 participants

            8 Senior Girls Teams = 72 participants

            32 Under-16 Teams = 270 participants

            48 Men’s Teams = 383 participants

2173 Total People in Attendance throughout the day

            1032 active participants

            1141 spectators

292 games played during the whole 24 hours of soccer!!!

Mom and Dad in Cape Town!!

So I know it's been a while, and I haven't updated you about Mom and Dad's trip in Cape Town. But I'll do my best to remember what I can now! 

Mom and Dad got in on the 18th around 9pm. I met them at the airport a little teary-eyed..... happy tears, of course! And by a little, I mean a lot. I was so emotional that Mom thought something was wrong with me, and I had to convince her that I was just really happy to see them. Mom was surprisingly perky (I guess that shouldn't be surprising because she's pretty much always perky) after the long trip, and they both luckily slept a fair amount on the plane. They moved into their bed and breakfast very close to my apartment. The next day, Mom joined me at my African Instruments classed and was inspired by the music. She noticed how African music intertwines seemingly opposing rhythms and notes into intricate melodies. Dad skipped out on music class (SHOCKING!) and we met up with him afterwards to tour the campus and have some lunch. We took a cab to the waterfront, and they were amazed at how well I bargained- it's a new skill I've learned in SA. There was something terribly wrong with the car and it was vibrating pretty roughly the entire trip. I told them to remember the saying T.I.A. (This is Africa), and they got used to the idea REALLY quickly. That evening, we walked around the waterfront and had dinner on the waterfront while the sun was setting.

Unfortunately (for me), Mom and Dad had to leave at about 3:30 the next morning to go on their safari in Botswana. Can you believe they left me behind to go to CLASS?! Just kidding... kind of. They will be better at telling about their trip, but I can say a couple noteworthy things. They saw all of the Big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, rhino ....) and much more. Seeing a leopard is a very rare occurrence. Their driver drove about an hour out of the way just to see this leopard leap across a branch on a tree. Though this might not sound very exciting, trust me, it is! I haven't seen a leopard since I've been here, but that is not surprising since most people don't ever see one. I've met people who have gone on several safaris in the past 20 years and have never seen one or have only seen one once, so it's really amazing that they got to. Mom's highlight of the trip was seeing lions mating. She learned that this process is very painful for the female lions, and the males even have to bite them around their necks for grip, leaving a scar. Needless to say, when they returned to Cape Town, they had some stories to share!

Mom and Dad got back to Cape Town on Good Friday, pretty late at night, and we moved into our hotel in Sea Point. Dad had to get acquainted to driving on the opposite side of the road, with the stick shift on his opposite hand, etc. It was pretty funny at first. He'll kill me for saying this, but he lightly tapped a car the first time he got in the car. (Maybe this humbled him? Or at least lessened his road rage? I'll have to wait and see.) Dad was eager to make a conference call to work, but surprise, surprise.... the internet was down at our hotel (T.I.A.)! He just laughed it off, embracing the meaning of the phrase once again. The next morning, we went to Old Biscuit Mill which is a neighborhood goods market. There is just about every kind of delicious food you can imagine at this place, and it is open every Saturday. It is a favorite weekend activity for me and my friends. Dad tried his first ever ostrich burger! I think ostrich is very similar to steak, in texture and even flavor. We then adopted my good friend from Trinity, Leigh, and went to Robben Island. We had a windy ferry ride to the island, where we were led to a line of buses. We got on a bus with a tour guide named Tabo who is actually from Khayelitsha! He was AWESOME. We took a bus tour of the island, seeing things like the Robben Island church, school, former areas for people with leprosy, etc. Many people employed on Robben Island reside there, as well as some former prisoners. Former prisoners also are the ones who give the prisoner tour, which was the next stop on our tour. Unfortunately, this tour guide was not as great as the first one. (He even made some pretty awful remarks about America and some conspiracy theories about 9/11, but I won't get into that. It will get Dad's blood boiling again.) All in all, it was still a great day and we learned a lot about the prisoners. Prisoners were treated differently based on the color of their skin. Bantus and Coloreds were given much different rations of food, for example, Bantus receiving a far less daily intake than the Coloreds. And of course we got to see Mandela's cell, where he spent 27 years of his life. It was really exciting for me to see his cell, because I've studied him a fair amount since I've been here. (The next night, Invictus was on TV, the movie about Mandela being elected as President and the South African rugby team's road to victory during the Rugby World Cup. The 2 occurrences helped South Africa bounce back from its terrible time during the Apartheid. It made the day even more meaningful because we got to actually see the things in person that were in the movie, such as the quarry yard where Mandela and other prisoners spent hours a day. I even recognized a restaurant at the waterfront that was shown briefly when the South African team won a game. Pretty cool!) 

On Easter Sunday, we decided to enjoy nature and tour the Cape Peninsula, which I had done at the beginning of the semester. We got unlucky with the weather, and it was pretty cold, windy, and rainy almost the whole day. We did get lucky and were able to beat the rain while climbing up to the lighthouse on Cape Point. When we went to the Cape of Good Hope (the south-westernmost point in the continent of Africa), it got really rainy. We quickly ran out and took some pictures at the sign to prove that we went there, and then we rushed back into the car. We then drove to Simonstown and Boulder Beach to see the African penguins. Yes, there are penguins in Africa! When I went there at the beginning of the semester, it was really cool, but this time was better because there were baby penguins! The penguins, like other birds, have a mating season. The babies are lighter in color and fluffier and SO CUTE! We got back to our hotel where the internet was still out of service. Honestly, it just got funnier for us each day, since we were staying at this really nice, modern hotel, that somehow consistently had minor problems. (Not to be overly repetitive.... but T.I.A.)

If there's one thing I've learned while in South Africa, it's that they LOVE their public holidays. They have nearly an entire month off of work every year for public holidays that are just celebrated in their country. This meant that I did not miss any classes during Mom and Dad's trip, because Monday the 25th, the day after Easter, is a holiday called Family Day, the 27th is Freedom Day, and May 2nd is Worker's Day. (I also don't have classes on Fridays.) So it was the perfect time for them to come! On Family Day, we went to an event at my internship in Khayelitsha. I help coordinate events at the soccer field, and it was my job to make the schedule and games for the day. We played games such as 3-legged races, a balloon race (where a balloon is placed in between 2 kids' backs and they have to run up and down the field without dropping or popping the balloon), a complicated tag game that one of the guys at the field created, apple bobbing, and bobbing for candy in a bowl of flour. It was such a fun day, a day for kids to just be kids and have fun. I convinced some of the students in my program to come to the field and volunteer. They got to play with cute kids and paint faces, etc. It meant a lot for me that Mom and Dad got to see where I spend much of my time and the people I spend that time with. It was definitely difficult for them to see how awful the township is, especially the conditions the people there live in. This is something I've grown somewhat accustomed to seeing, but it certainly impacted them. Mom was especially vocal about the shocking sights. It's hard to capture it in pictures and words. The hardest part is that there's almost nothing you can do to really make a difference here. Giving money would only help a small number of people, when there's nearly 3 million people living in this township alone. All you can do is what people at my internship have done, and create some kind of sustainable healthy environment for the residents. They created this safe haven for the kids and thousands of community members.... doesn't get much better than that.

We had planned on taking the cable car up Table Mountain later that day, but it was too foggy and windy, so we had to change our plans. This happens frequently, as the weather in Cape Town is often foggy and windy, especially during this time of year! Instead, we just looked at some of the views at the bottom of the cable car station and got some lunch by the beach in beautiful Camps Bay. Not a bad alternative! The next day, we went to Stellenbosch, South Africa's wine country. They finally got to meet the one and only Sibs, my Trinity professor. We stayed at her incredible estate in our own guest "cottage" that should have more appropriately been called a HOUSE because it was huge. My Trinity class was also actually spending the night at Sibs', but they had to rough it in a couple of her suites with king sized beds. Leigh, the adopted daughter, stayed with us in our 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, large living room and kitchen area, cottage. Sibs' house is even more impressive and beautiful, not to mention her gardens and multiple swimming pools, plus the view of the Stellenbosch mountains isn't too bad either! We went out to dinner with my class and Sibs at the vineyard called Spier. It's pretty famous, and I recognize the brand from America. We dined at Spier's buffet-style restaurant called Moyo, with every kind of African meat you can imagine.... ostrich, kudu, springbok, and more. There performers playing the djembe drums and singing. Since I am now an expert on the djembe (right...), I was excited to see some other professionals playing. After the drumming, they encouraged everyone to get on stage and dance to Shakira's WakaWaka. If you don't know the song, get on Youtube and watch the music video. It was a hugely popular song during the World Cup last year. And this next part needs to be documented, so this blog is serving that purpose: Charlie DeVinney danced to WakaWaka on stage with me and my friends, in front of complete strangers. Well, I can't exactly call it dancing, since he is not the most graceful person, but it was beautiful in my eyes. Africa brought out a whole new side that I never thought I'd see. My friends thought Mom and Dad were insanely hilarious... or maybe just insane? It was a blast!

The next day, since my class was a little slow-moving, we decided to go ahead and tour a winery. The three of us and Leigh went to a winery called Camberley and tried 9 different types of wine! It was a LOT of wine, and obviously a lot of fun! We then met up with my class at one of my professor's favorite restaurants in the posh town called Franshoek, where we had more wine and lots of delicious food. (A main theme on their trip is delicious food, by the way.) We headed back to Cape Town for our last night together :( Thursday morning, we tried our luck one last time with the cable car. Although it was still a bit foggy, we were lucky, and it was open. So we got to go to the top of Table Mountain and walked around. It was beautiful, and pretty cold! Mom was a trouper, but then couldn't handle the heights, so she went to the gift shop while Dad and I walked around the top to see all the different views. We had lunch once again in Camps Bay. It was a great ending to a great trip. They then drove me to my internship in Khayelitsha since it is close to the airport, and hung out there for a little while before heading home. I wish they could have stayed another week. There is so much to do here, and it is impossible to see everything in such a small amount of time! I know they had a great time, and again, it meant so much to me for them to make the effort to come visit me. After the trip, Mom thanked me for everything since they got to see things that they never would have seen as tourists, especially everything in Khayelitsha. This made me feel really good, because I was, admittedly, a bit worried that the trip didn't meet their expectations with the weather, limited time, etc. I miss them already! Mom, if you think I'm forgetting something, feel free to write your own blog post and I can add it to my site. I'll post some pictures later!

Spring Break... An Adventure-Filled 10 Days!

Hello everyone! I got back from my incredibly Spring Break adventure on Monday. Sorry for the delay in posting on here, but it was hard settling back into reality in Cape Town, and I had a lot to catch up on back here! I guess the easiest way would be to take you through the trip day-by-day... Bear with me, this is gonna be a long one! But I promise to include lots of pictures.

Day one: We flew from Cape Town to Jo-burg where we boarded an overland truck. These trucks have lots of seats, as well as lockers in the back and tons of storage below for kitchen supplies, food, tables, chairs, camping equipment, etc. Everything you need for 10 days of camping! We drove a long way to our first campsite in Palapye, Botswana. This place had awesome outdoor showers with pretty lights above them. And there was a biker gang staying there that night.... They were hilarious and partied until late in the night. We were exhausted, so we sat and watched the free entertainment that included karaoke and great dancing by these guys.

Day two: We had another long drive to our campsite in the outskirts of the Okavango Delta, called Sitatunga Camp. We were briefed on everything we'd need to know about living in the delta for the next two and a half days. While at Sitatunga, we experienced our first rain storm while camping. Luckily, it was warm out, so we did not mind the rain! We also visited a crocodile farm 500 meters from our campsite. This is where crocodiles are born and bred essentially for the sole purpose of being killed for food. I thought it was really disturbing and inhumane. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that our wake-up calls thus far were 4:30 or 5:00 am.... Enough said!

Day three: Got to sleep in...until 6:00 am. The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta and has several different islands. We boarded a smaller safari truck and drove about an hour. Then we miraculously loaded everything, including ourselves, into mokoro boats. These are made of either sausage tree wood or fiber glass. These boat rides were truly one of the highlights of the trip. We met our tour guides/polars with whom we would spend the next 2.5 days. The polars hold long sticks that they use to push off the bottom of the river to move us through the water. This takes great strength and balance, while I was busy sunbathing comfortably in the front of the boat, taking in the scenery. We were completely surrounded by reeds, about 3 feet high, that would smack you in the face as you moved past them. Lily pads and lilies were sprinkled throughout all the water- it was so beautiful! I'll show a few pictures of the mokoro rides to try to explain what I'm trying to say!

Here is the chaos as we were loading all the mokoros. There I am with my blue Phillies (WOO!) hat with my boat-buddy, Catherine! We're excited for our first-ever mokoro ride!

My feet. 

Tough to tell here, but there was a long line of SEVERAL mokoros getting all of us and our things to the campsite!

We made it to the bush campsite and set up our tents once again. I shared a tent with my good friend from Trinity, Leigh, and my new good friend/roommate, Caitlin. We got really good (and efficient!) at setting up our tents and taking them down. (I'm so proud of us!) We then went swimming in some fresh water and went on our first game walk later that evening with our awesome tour guide, Oracle. We saw lots of zebras, birds, and animal poop! I can now name several animals' poops. Not sure how useful that knowledge is, but I have it.

Day four: A full day in the bush campsite at the Okavango Delta. Didn't mention yet that the delta had no bathrooms (except a hole in the woods), no showers, no electricity, no nothing! And we were potentially living very close to all kinds of animals. The stars at night were incredible. The tour guides pointed out some of the star formations, and we could not stop staring. They were so bright and clear. (This was the middle of nowhere, so you can try to imagine how beautiful they were.) We had an early morning game walk, went back to the swimming hole (that was a hippo-free zone!), and went on a mokoro game ride that evening to watch the sunset. It was amazing seeing animals in the most natural habitat possible. There is no place quite like the delta in the entire world. Unfortunately, we didn't see any elephants or lions, but that's what happens when you're in a natural environment! There's nothing you can do about it. We did see an amurula tree. Amurula is a cream liqueur native to South Africa. We got to try some of the tree's berries- it was delicious! Later that night, we had a cultural exchange with the local tour guides. They performed several songs and dances, that I can't even try to put into words. All I can say is that they were simply awesome. We then sang a few songs in return (the National Anthem upon request, I'm Yours by Jason Mraz, etc. We sounded terrible, but they loved it!). This night was one of the most fun of the entire trip.

One of my favorite pictures of the water. So still and perfect.

Zebras in their natural habitat!

Here I am with my friend, Christina, hanging out on an elephant skull in an elephant graveyard!

Here's one of the guys' performances. So awesome!!

After our last mokoro ride with the best polar ever.

Day five: Another early wake-up call and we packed up the site and loaded everything back on the mokoros. It was sad having to leave the guys and the delta. On the other hand, it was exciting to know that we would be able to shower in the near future! We drove back to the Sitatunga campsite in Maun, took quick showers, ate a fast lunch, and drove to Planet Baobab. Baobab trees are the trees you picture when you think about Rafiki and The Lion King. There, we got to swim in a really nice pool and relax by the bar. And, of course, we showered again. It was like living in luxury after surviving the delta!

Day six: ANOTHER early wake-up as we departed for Chobe National Park in Botswana. Chobe has the largest elephant population in the world (approximate 120,000!). We arrived at our campsite near the park by about noon for lunch. In the late afternoon, we went on a sunset viewing cruise. We saw lots of hippos, some crocodiles, elephants, birds, and more.

Another cool picture of the sky pre-storm on the sunset cruise.

Hungry, hungry hippos?

Mother and baby elephant getting some dinner.

Beautiful sunset on the water.

Day seven: I opted to do another early morning wake-up so that I could go on a safari ride through Chobe National Park that began with an elephant crossing in front of us on the road! We saw buffalo, impalas, birds (including one bird called the umbrella bird that would form an umbrella shape on top of the water to get rid of the glare in order to look for some food in the water- so cool!), some mongoose, and Pumba.... I mean warthogs. While it was cool seeing all of these animals inside the park, we were all a little disappointed that we didn't see any lions or leopards. But even more so, we didn't see any elephants inside the park! And quite honestly, we were sick of impala. At this point, we've seen them everywhere, and have realized that they're not much more than glorified deer. We were pretty unhappy as we headed back to the park's entrance, and most of us were nodding off. All of a sudden, we came across an elephant. He crossed onto the other side of the road (our right), leaving his baby on our left. Elephants are very territorial, so he did not like this one bit! The elephant gave us several warning signs that we were informed of, such as stomping the ground, throwing dirt over his shoulders, growling at us, and ripping down tree branches. He began to charge us from the front of the vehicle. The driver knew exactly what to do, and he revved the engine, making the animal pause for a second. Then the elephant tried to get sneaky, and crept behind a tree and tore down more branches, before making his way straight towards the back of our truck. I was in the back row, so I was terrified and clung to the boy sitting next to me. The elephant got within a few feet of us! Luckily, our driver once again knew how to handle the situation, and he revved the engine again, expelling carbon dioxide which was enough to frighten the elephant and make him back off. Then the elephant made his way to the left side of his vehicle (smart creature, huh?), and our driver decided that was enough and we quickly drove away. Animals can be very dangerous, and apparently our driver has only experienced a similar situation 7 times in the 10 years he's been working at Chobe (keep in mind that he does several game drives A DAY, so that's pretty ridiculous!). He told our group leader that that was actually the closest he's ever come to having an animal attack without seriously injuring someone. So we got really lucky. (Sorry, Mom. I didn't want you to see this.) It was scary, but serves as a great story to tell. My heart was racing for over an hour after the incident.

Elephant x-ing!?

At the entrance to the park!

Buffalo-sighting!

Pretty impala. Our driver said their butts have the McDonalds sign.

Angry elephant. At this point, we weren't super scared yet.

Here is is from the back of the truck, starting to get way too close for comfort. This was the last picture I took before clinging to Marc, sitting next to me.

After this event, we went back to the campsite and packed everything up once again. This time, we travelled pretty far into Zambia in time for a late lunch. Right after lunch, we headed straight to Victoria Falls from the Zambian side. Victoria Falls are also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders).... There is a reason for this: It is the wet season, so the falls are currently at their greatest capacity. They are one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, and are one of the largest waterfalls in the world. They are not the highest nor the widest, but they are still considered the largest falls in the world because of the massive volume of water that falls from them. The water that falls from Vic Falls is far more than from any other falls in the world, and we got to see this at its peak. As soon as we got off the bus in the parking lot, we could feel the water from the falls' mist. We all entered the park not really knowing what to expect. To put it simply, we were in awe of the falls. I hate to say it, but they put Niagara Falls to shame. We got DRENCHED to say the least. It was like being in a water park made for adults, but way more fun than any water park I've ever been in. We crossed a bridge at one point in the park and the mist was so strong that we couldn't see in front of us! It was a blast. We walked from one end to the other, and got to see the bridge that serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe on one end of the park, and the lip at the very top of the falls at the other. From the Zambian side, you are truly AT the falls- right next to them! You really can't get much closer than we were. The mist was so strong that we could only see the falls for a few seconds at a time, when the fog would briefly separate. It was overwhelming in the best way possible.

Here are a few of us enjoying the downpour from the falls!

Here I am at the very top of the falls!

Day eight: I thought nothing could possibly top the previous day's events. But I was wrong. This day we were free to choose some optional activities at the falls. I decided to do a Lion Encounter in which I could walk with lions in a rehabilitation program for about an hour, a gorge swing (similar to a bungee jump), a microlight plane (similar to paragliding but motorized), and a sunset dinner cruise. On day 8, I woke up early to do the lion encounter. We were up close and personal with some large female lions. They are about 17 months old and about half the size they will be when they're full grown. The purpose of this rehab program is to reintroduce lions back into the wild because in the past 30 years, Africa's population of lions has decreased by 80-90%. In one stage of the rehab process, the lion "cubs" are walked daily. In another stage, they are released into an almost-natural environment in which they must show that they can hunt prey on their own. At another stage, they are released into the wild. This program facilitates the breeding of lion cubs with no human interaction from the lions who have made it through all the stages. These lions who have not had any human contact are the ones who are able to make it into the wild, so it is as natural a process as possible. It is a really great program, and was a ton of fun. We walked with two female lions who are sisters. They were more wild than I expected- we had to carry sticks and were told that if the lions gave "the naughty look", that we had to immediately back off and listen to the tour guides and yell a stern "No!" to the lions. I did not feel unsafe at any time, but it was nice to see that the lions were not fully domesticated by any means.

Here is a group shot with one of the lions.

Petting the lion!

A little yawn.

She's so cute!!

Later that day, I went to the gorge of the falls. This is where the falls were located thousands of years ago. While here, I did a gorge swing. This is much like a bungee jump, and there is debate on which of the two is scarier. I am afraid of heights, and I was terrified! But it was really fun. The guide had to nudge me off the ledge, because I panicked last minute. It was pretty funny. But I am so glad I did it!

Harnessed-in, pre gorge swing!

Here it is... scarier in real life.

Awesome action shot of our group leader, Mike.

Sunset at the gorge.

Day 9: I got to sleep in this day!! That is, until 7:00 am. This morning I did a microlight flight over the falls. It was a short and expensive ride, but well worth it. This is by far the coolest activity I chose. And it was so cool seeing the falls from above. You get a better view and get your bearings while seeing them from above. It showed me how large they are, and how there is a zig-zag pattern that you can't otherwise see. I bought a disc of a couple hundred pictures of both me and the falls. It also includes pictures from the different seasons, so you can see how dry the falls are in November, especially compared to now! After this, we decided to cross the bridge and border and head into Zimbabwe. The falls from the Zim side were more spectacular. You're a bit further from them, so you can see them more clearly and you don't get quite as drenched as from the Zambian side, though we were definitely still soaked! We walked from one end (Devil's Cataract) to the other (Danger Point). From Danger Point, we saw a DOUBLE rainbow and stood on rocks at the top of a cliff. It was beyond anything I can describe. Once we left the falls, we walked a bit further into Zimbabwe to an open market. At this market, you can trade goods for goods. I traded a couple pairs of socks, hair ties, bobby pins, and some US dollars, and got a beautiful tapestry, a bowl, a few bracelets, and awesome salad tongs. It shows you how desperate Zimbabweans are and how poor their economy is, because there are not many places in the world where you can actually trade goods for goods, in many cases without paying any money. I really enjoyed the market, and I could definitely have spent much more time there. We returned to our campsite in Zambia in time for a sunset cruise, with free food and beverages. It was a great way to celebrate the last night of a wonderful trip. By about 9:00 pm, we had ridden on a boat, drank our fill, eaten, and danced, and were all exhausted. Most of us were asleep by this time after a long, fantastically fun day.

Vic Falls from by microlight- #1 of the top 15 must-see sights according to a magazine! I definitely have to agree!

The bridge/border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The entrance to Vic Falls from the Zim side.

Part of the rainbow from Danger Point.

Feel the freedom- flying over the falls. Notice the rainbow below!

Group shot on our last morning together. We got some awesome t-shirts that we designed. I'm hanging out of the window in the top right corner.

The trip was amazing, as I'm sure you can tell. I made a lot of new friends and got closer with old friends. I did something very much out of my comfort zone, and really enjoyed it. Though I won't be camping any time soon, I hope! I've had enough ant infestations and bug bites and skin allergic reactions, so I'll take a nice break from camping, haha. I saw many beautiful sights in Africa, and I'm so lucky to have explored 3 countries in 10 days! I can now say that I've seen 10 sunrises and sunsets in 10 days- probably the most I'll see in such a short time in my entire lifetime. Needless to say, when I returned to my home away from home in Cape Town, I was relieved to have my bathroom back, but more importantly, my BED! It was a little tough going back to reality and back to classes, but it definitely felt good to be back at the same time. I am also now just over halfway finished my entire stay in SA! CRAZY! When I got back, my friend Elle from Trinity was here! So I got to see her. She's also studying in SA, but she is doing an intense Bio program through Duke (boo Duke!!) and living at different national parks, etc. It was really great to see her and catch up a bit! She'll return to Cape Town in May when her program ends, so I'll get to spend more time with her then. I also got to meet up with the mother of one of Mom's students from Goshen Friends School. Some people from the school were here building a house for a foster family with 6 HIV-positive kids. They did a really awesome thing, and it was great getting to meet Jamilla and hearing about her project. Seeing Elle and Jamilla was a really fun way to start my week post-vacation!

Elle, Leigh, and me after dinner!

For those of you who don't know, my mom and dad are coming!!! They get here in just over a week, on Monday the 18th! I am so incredibly excited that they're able to come, and I've been counting down the says for at least the past month! (Seriously, you can ask my friends. And my parents- who have received a countdown in my e-mails for a while now.) I just wish Chad could come, too, but he's too busy being employed these days, (Yay, Chadwick!) so I guess I can't complain too much about that.

That's all for now!! Thanks to anyone who actually bothered reading this long post. Wish my parents luck on their long plane ride!