So to continue, now I am in South Africa.... Well, I was about a week ago, I know I suck at life, I´m sorry!!!!!
The morning we arrived in Capetown I woke up really early to watch the sunrise. It was extremely foggy so I couldn´t see Table Mountain or anything really, and we actually were delayed about 4 hours actually getting into port because of the fog. But, the sunrise was stunning; I have tons of pictures when I figure out how to let you all see them.
Capetown, our port city was magnificent, there honestly are no other words for it. It is one of the most metropolitan, sophisticated, diverse and beautiful cities I have ever been to. Polar opposite from Salvador. I went on a city orientation and pretty much got acquainted with the immediate area of downtown Capetown. Everyone I met was so warm and willing to chat about everything from real estate to nightlife. Unfortunately for me, there was also an amazing amount of shopping to do here, our dock was right next to a mall! However, I did stay on my $200 budget... yay for me!... Ok, So that´s not quite true anymore, but I was pretty close.
On day two in South Africa I left for my Safari. We went to Kruger National Park in Johannesburg. The safari company we went through, Siyabona, was extremely organized and innovative. Siyabona was apparently the first safari company in the area to hire all black tour guides. Why would this be significant? Well apparently jobs like that had consistently been given to individuals who didn´t know the land or the connection between the wildlife and the surrounding community. So I felt really happy to support them in their endeavors. Immediately upon our arrival at the park (which was a 6 hour drive from the airport) we went on a game drive. I saw an elephant, zebra, giraffe and rhino. Then we got ready to go on a nighttime game drive. It started pouring rain and got pretty windy; I got soaked and was freezing, but lucky for us that compelled the animals to come out. Our truck almost literally ran into a rhino and we saw 3 lions just sprawled out in the middle of the road. It was strange that they were all males and they obviously didn´t care we were there with bright headlights and a loud engine. We had to creep behind them for about 30 minutes; it was for a lack of a better phrase... very cool. Over the next 3 days we saw tons of animals: elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, impalas, bucks, buffalo, monkeys, lions and others. We woke up everyday at 5 am for a game drive. The experience of almost running over an animal as large as an elephant is something...well, you just have to experience. That was all amazing, but by far the best part of the Safari was the company.
Our guide was Richard and our driver was Hendrick. None of us really knew what to expect from our 3 day camping safari, but the accommodations were super comfortable in these 2 person tents with thick mattress pads, sleeping bags, and even pillows-it was all provided. There was even a specific woman who catered all of our meals! I mean, omelets for breakfast catered, it was crazy. An entire staff of people actually lived on the campsite. Everyone took their jobs so seriously and the entire establishment was really respectable. The legends and stories I heard about South African culture from the staff were invaluable... I actually had an assignment for class to collect some African proverbs and my tour guide being the insightful and AMAZING guy he is stayed up all night and wrote me 52 in his native tongue and then converted them to English... can you believe that ?! That in itself pretty much sums up the safari and what it meant to me, I also met some really great people from the ship, they´ve really been there for me during the voyage since then.
The day after my Safari ended, even though we got back after midnight, I woke up early to do another service visit called operation hunger. Another first: first time on this trip that I´ve cried.
We had to weigh and measure children in a South African township (ghetto). After visiting the favelas and townships, though, I realize that we really have no idea what a "ghetto" is. These people live in real poverty, surviving on $100 a month, that´s unimaginable. When we reviewed the results of all the weighing and measuring, there were only 3 children out of 61 who weren´t stunted in their growth. One beautiful 9-year-old little girl had a BMI of 4.2. That´s what did it for me; it was almost unbearable. Pretty much everyone on the bus gave up the box lunches we were provided with and bought lunch later. But you can never give or do enough. You can´t help everyone, and that was a hard realization, especially when the children fought over food and toys.
In a change of events, that afternoon we visited a Rastafarian community. They, rejected by the government, had so little yet were so content with their lives and positions...they also this unyielding faith, we should all be so lucky.
My last day in port was terrible. The group I was supposed to go Robben Island with left me and I was LIVID. I used shopping therapy to make me feel better, I bought GORGEOUS jewelry... but it´s in the past and that´s just one more reason I have to get back to South Africa in the future.
I fell like I don´t do justice to these ports, although that´s partially because I haven´t felt really challenged yet. While every place we´ve been has been educational and unique, I´m still waiting for that something...if that makes sense. That shock, that lack of comfort... downright terror maybe.
I promise soon I´ll fill you all in on Mauritius, which I just left a couple of days ago, and I´ll write some about my life on the ship, cause I haven´t really done that.
Love you and miss you J
"Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ... WOW! What a ride!"--Anonymous
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