People keep asking for pictures of Mauritius....and unfortunately there won't be any more pictures until my computer decides to start working again (which may never happen if my power cord doesnt find me in India!) I can't resize pictures anymore because I'm relying on the computer lab computers. I'm sorry! I'm bummed too!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Mauritius
Our glorified pit stop in Mauritius was awesome!
Thanks to Pete and Aunt Debbie for awesome letters! I love the lobster note cards!!!! And Pete, thanks for all the cool India info!
We arrived at about 8AM and went through immigration to get another stamp in our passports!
I had a Semester at Sea planned trip today called Adventure Park and Beach. We headed off at 9AM and I really had no idea what to expect from the description that SAS had provided us. Our tour guide's name was Ejazz or that's what it sounded like anyways! He was a really nice guy and very sarcastic which was awesome! We went to the South East part of the island and along the way went through many little towns and villages. Mauritius is interesting because it reminded me a lot of Ghana. There are many poor areas but there are also some very rich areas where the "White Mauritian" live. These people tend to own the sugar cane plantations which is a major industry in Mauritius. The other major industries are tourism and textiles. We learned that the textile workers work 6 days a week for 11 hours a day and make around $600 USD per month.
As we made our way to the Adventure Park, we drove up these mountain slopes and stopped at a point where we could take pictures of the mountains and beaches below. It was an incredible view! We drove further up the mountain where we finally got to the reception area of Adventure Park. We signed our lives away and got situated into our harnesses. We were told to put on bug spray (which no one bought) and we definitely learned our lesson. I have never seen so many mosquitoes on my legs in my life. Luckily they don't itch...yet. We were also warned that Adventure Park was for people with moderate strength and exercise levels....they weren't kidding!!
We were in charge of our own carabineers during the entire ropes course. We had to clip two carabineers onto a safety line. The first thing we did was cross seven different suspension bridges. The first one was very close to the ground but as we got further, the bridges got further away from the ground and the wooden planks on the bridge got further apart so sometimes you would have to hop from one to the next. There were rope handrails on all of them except one. On this one I held on for dear life to the carabineers that were attached to the safety line. After each bridge we had to remember to unclip our two carabineers and reclip them to the safety line on the next bridge. It was so much fun!
After that we made our way up a really steep hill to the Parcour course. This course was a little bit more difficult; requiring more strength and skill. The climb to this course just about wiped me out...and the course itself was brutal but probably one of the most fun ropes course experiences ever!
It consisted of seven different challenges and bridges. The first was just a rope suspension net that we had to cross. It was pretty easy but the mud made the ropes very slippery to climb on. The next was essentially the same as the suspension bridges except the planks were very far apart and we had to jump from one to the next. There were no hand ropes on this one. Instead, there were ropes hanging down from the safety line that we had to hold on to in order to balance and jump. The next one was a rope net that had a top and two sides. There was no bottom so the rope net on the sides swung around making it really difficult to balance on. I was getting quite the work out and my arms were exhausted. This obstacle basically had me doing the splits the entire way! The next one basically had logs hanging down from two ropes that were attached on either end. They swung back and forth like a swing. We had to jump from log to log like standing on the seat of a swing and jumping from one to the next. I felt like I was in a Donkey Kong game!! The next obstacle was the most strenuous. It was just a huge rope net hanging from the trees and we had to scale it to get to the other side. It required a lot of upper body strength. I literally couldn't even unclip my carabineer at the end. My arms had no strength left in them.
The next obstacle was the BEST. A zip line from one tree to the next. We were responsible for rigging up the pulley at the start and taking it off and clipping it back onto our harness at the finish. It was a great ride and way too short! I loved it! The final obstacle consisted of four ropes and the safety line. There were two ropes for your feet and two very loose ropes to hold on to. People were falling all over the place. I decided to forget holding on and shuffled along using the foot ropes. I held on to the safety line with both hands and balanced the whole way across, never falling once. I was proud of myself!!
I made my way back to reception where we were greeted with a washcloth to take all the dirt off, some water and soda, and a Mauritian meal. the lunch consisted of chicken with curry, rice, vegetables, and some kind of small round black beans that were on the rice. It tasted amazing after the strenuous exercise we had just gone through! We piled into the buses and headed to Flic en Flac beach. The sand was beautiful and so fine! There was coral everywhere and the water felt like a bathtub. It was so relaxing! After an hour or so on the beach we had to head back to the ship. The day FLEW by!
Here comes the scary/sad part for Semester at Sea...
Our trip was in two buses and our bus noticed that there was a boy in the other bus that looked drunk and out of it. Our tour guide went to investigate and he came back saying it was like nothing he had ever seen before. Someone found out that he had met up with some friends on the beach and most have gone to a bar to drink. They think he either did drugs or drank Petrol. On the bus ride home he was totally unresponsive and people were holding his head up. When we got to the ship there were about five guys that tried to carry him to the pier. He looked unconscious and literally almost on the verge of death...he was very white and his eyes were rolling around. It was very scary. The medical staff rushed out in a wheel chair but he was so dead weight that he couldn't even stay in it. So the man in charge of discipline on the ship, Al, and who also happened to be on our trip, picked him up and put him in one of the vans where they were going to drive him to the hospital. The hospitals in this country though, are very unreliable and we're pretty sure they don't have the things necessary to take care of him. Most likely we will leave Mauritius and him behind and he will end up going home. I just think it's so dumb of these kids to spend their 8 hours in port getting absolutely trashed to the point of near death. So many kids did all you can drink catamaran booze cruises and came back trashed. And then they get in trouble with the ship. There are so many more deserving kids that could be on this trip. The crew was saying that this is the most rowdy, rude, and drunken bunch of kids that have ever been on an SAS voyage. Hopefully kids will learn after seeing the state that this student was in...
Mauritius was a great day trip and I'm sure there is a bunch to see, but overall 8 hours was the perfect amount of time and I had a BLAST at Adventure Park!
Here are some funny things I saw in Mauritius:
Mauritius Post "More than just letters"
So delicious. So Mauritius.
Laughing Cow cheese advertisements were painted on buildings everywhere...
Spotted a Pepsi ad...first one I've seen since....the US? Coke is definitely winning!
Doom. -A bug spray ad that was hilarious
On to India!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Goodbye Africa
It was an amazing time in Cape Town and I'm pretty sure I'll be finding myself here again, sometime during my lifetime. We thought our time might be extended here for a few more hours since we lost a day but no such luck.
We pulled out of port and watched as it faded into the night. It was neat to see Cape Town and Table Mountain lit up at night from a distance.
The highlight of the night was tacos for dinner!!! They were delicious but I wish they had done it when we were at sea because we had it right after a delicious midday snack before we boarded the ship! Oh well...still a great surprise!
On to Mauritius!
Things I noticed about Cape Town....
- Coke didnt come in glass bottles :(
- Many stores are really similar to American stores like Simply Asia=Noodles & Co
- The mall was HUGE and had the widest range of stores from your average grocery store to Gucci and Burberry
- The bathrooms in the mall are ridiculously clean and fancy. The sinks looked like a flat countertop but they were slanted just a tiny bit so that the water ran ito a skinny basin that ran along the mirror edge....basically I was impressed!!!
- Chocolate Frio's are delicious
- They're really into ice cream/gelato
- Everyone is so nice and wants to know who we are, about SAS, where we're going and how long we're staying
- Everything is clean!!!
- Their accents are amazing
- It's a very active city
- Advertising is awesome and according to one lady, the industry is doing extremely well
- World Cup soccer jerseys are very hard to find : (
- Vuvuzelas are everywhere
- They seem to be more into rugby than soccer (The 2011 Rugby World Cup is being played here as well as the Cricket World Cup)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Peanut Butter Jar Plant (This one's for Chris!)
This was actually a tree but when I picked off the...leaves?....they were exactly like the peanut butter jar plant! But in miniature form! I was excited!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Inverdoorn Game Reserve & Cheetah Rehabilitation Center
What I love about South Africa is that you can experience all different types of terrain and environments in so little time. Today we saw everything from city life to dry Sahara to country life and mountain ranges. We squeezed every ounce out of this day that we possibly could and my current mood is exhausted, irritable, tired, homesick and I should probably just go to sleep but I am always anxious to write these blog posts as soon as I get back on the ship.
Today we (Me, Hannah, Alyssa, Amber, Stephanie) had to be at the circle in town at 6:40 AM where the tour bus would pick us up and drive us to Inverdoorn Game Reserve. At 7 the van finally arrived to pick us up. We were getting worried that we were standing in the wrong place! There were three other ladies in the van, two from Brazil and one from Argentina who are in Cape Town to take English language classes. It is very cheap for them to take the classes here compared to in their home countries or in Europe. So we got to practice some English with them along the way. Our tour guide, Bruce was really cool and knowledgeable about the route that we were taking to get there. He took us on a scenic route which ended up taking about 3 hours to get to. We took the Forgotten Highway which was a route they originally thought would be the main route from Cape Town to Johannesburg. As you drive on this route, you realize why it is called the Forgotten Highway. It is now mostly a scenic route that winds around the most incredible, huge, cloud covered mountains and through wine lands and pear and apple farms. The mountains form a ravine where there is a river at the bottom and many people camp there. Since today was a Sunday summer morning, we saw many people enjoying their breakfasts at the campsites. As we made our way high up into the mountains we saw many troupes of baboons which were everywhere! They were scampering up and down the windy roads looking for foliage to eat. Since it was so early in the morning, it was the perfect time for all of them to come out and we got quite a few good pictures! Bruce was telling us that the scenic viewpoints along the road have to have special trashcans with lids that lock to keep the baboons from getting inside. But the males are still strong and smart enough to rip the lids off. It was quite a contraption...they're VERY smart!
As we made our way closer to our destination, the land began to get arid. The trees disappeared and mostly scrubby bushes and thorns grow on the ground. The road turned to a desert brown sandy dirt color at the entrance of the reserve. It was very bumpy but nothing like what we would experience with the safari ride! We piled out of the van at the main building of the reserve. There are many geologists that set up permanent camp there to research. The site was beautiful with canopies and tables and chairs with tea, coffee, and cookies to begin our day. It was funny because we ran into a whole group of SAS kids who stayed the night there -you can do an evening and morning safari with overnight accommodations. We piled into the safari vehicles at 10:30 AM and set out on a 2.5 hour ride to spot the big five (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, water buffalo...minus elephants since they didn't have them there).
First of all....safari vehicles are the most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever ridden in. The safari vehicles in Animal Kingdom at Disney World are spacious and luxurious compared to these!!! I literally had to sit sideways the whole time to give myself enough leg room. The first animal we looked for was a lion. The lions are kept in a separate part of the reserve. our safari guide, Eugene, told us that 10 years ago, farmers would raise lions in an abusive environment where they feed them and make them big as fast as possible with the intention to kill. Then people would come to these places where they would pay 150,000 Rand to kill the lions. The lions would be drugged and placed in a small area where the people would then shoot them. This practice was made illegal 8 years ago. Inverdoorn buys the lions from the farmers and takes care of them, feeding them lean meals and introducing them into the wild where they can learn to hunt on their own. The fence that separates the lions from the other animals was really neat...all the fences are like it...the gate uses solar panels and motion detection to open for the safari vehicles and they have to make sure they close behind the vehicles so the lions don't get out! We were given specific instructions not to stand up in the vehicle as that ruins the outline of the vehicle and the lions pick you out as an individual and could attack. It took quite a while to spot the lion which was hiding in the brush. We only got a glimpse of her.
Next we saw zebra and water buffalo which were very impressive...kind of ugly and scary looking. At this point Eugene said we had a bit of a problem. Something about the vehicle overheating. We were literally 20 steps from these water buffalo. He got the vehicle going and stopped a little further to adjust some things. We were off again very quickly. Giraffes were next. We were able to get out of the vehicle and actually walk up close to the giraffes. Of course people walked way too quickly and scared them away but it was neat to get more up close and personal with them. We looked for the Rhino for quite a while but never found him. He was hiding from us the whole time! We also saw some springbok which are kind of like kangaroos. Some kind of gazelle or similar animal were grazing by a pond where the hippos live. We saw them sticking their eyes above the water. Lastly, we went to the Cheetah Reserve where they breed Cheetahs. They are going extinct and apparently some son of a royal Indian man who lived in the Taj Mahal wiped out a whole species of Cheetah. Not sure how he did that..! The cheetahs were gorgeous though and really lazy! We were able to get very close to them. They told us how they exercise mostly the female Cheetahs because it increases their body temperature and ovulation where as when male Cheetahs run, their body temperature increases and burns their sperm. This means that the females are exercised the most to increase breeding.
We made our way back to base camp where the most amazing lunch and dessert was waiting for us. We had a mango salad, chicken, pasta, rice, rolls, chocolate pudding and coconut cake. Scrumptious and I most definitely enjoyed seconds! After that we were asked if we brought our "costumes" aka swim suits...and if we wanted to swim in the pool. No one brought theirs of course.
We all piled back into Bruce's van along with a guy, Sam, from Australia who had stayed at Inverdoorn overnight for their evening/morning safari. He was really cool! We took the highway back to make the trip a little faster. Bruce asked us if we had been to Table Mountain which is the mountain that Cape Town is known for. We hadn't been there yet so Bruce suggested that we get dropped off at the lower cable cars and ride up to the top. He took everyone home, driving past Bishop Hill where all the really really nice houses are and dropped us and Sam off at the cable cars. These cable cars are AWESOME. They hold about 65 people and take you super fast to the top of the mountain. It was sunset at this point and the clouds (the "tablecloth") were rolling over the mountain. It was the most incredible view I have ever seen overlooking Cape Town, the harbor and you could see Robben Island (Where Nelson Mandela was kept in prison) in the distance. There were so many couples up there sitting and enjoying a picnic dinner with champagne and watching the sunset. The view was absolutely breathtaking and I just can't get over the view. We were up there for about a half hour taking pictures. It was FREEZING. Many people were wearing winter coats and long pants. They were prepared! We looked silly in our shorts, flip flops, and tank tops! Luckily I had a fleece jacket with me!!! We made our way back down the mountain via cable car and took a taxi back to the ship. Home sweet home! It's always an amazing feeling walking back onto the ship.
It was a jam packed fun filled day. Tomorrow I am going on a Freedom in Creation trip to Capricorn Primary School where we will do some art projects with township kids. It should be exciting! I just realized that I need to get money out of the ATM.....I guess I'll figure that out bright and early tomorrow. So much to do here in Cape Town and so little time!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Cape Town, South Africa
First off: Thanks to everyone who sent me mail! Aunt Debbie & the Harpers!
Second: If you don't have time to read this really long post, here's the synopsis: I LOVE Cape Town.
We were supposed to arrive in Cape Town on Thursday morning but as many of you know that definitely didnt happen. It was such a tease. We were headed straight to Cape Town on course on Thursday morning. It was an amazing sight to see 21st century civilization. There were seals in the ocean flipping and barking as though they were greeting us. As we got closer to the harbour the ship began to turn to the left and eventually made a full 180 degree turn. We were all wondering what was happening and trying to rationalize the abrupt turn around. "Maybe we're backing in?..."
Announcements (which we call The Voice) finally came on stating that its too windy for us to go into the harbour and that the winds are being monitored to get us in as soon as possible. An hour passes as we continue to watch Cape Town disappear into the distance. We decide to head back to bed in disappointment thinking that by lunch we'll most definitely be there.
As I woke up before lunch and looked out the window...Cape Town was no where to be seen. Lunch was a disappointment. The Voice came on again and said they'd be playing Karate Kid in the Union to pass the time....No thank you. By this time it's about 1PM and we decide to relive our childhoods and watch Beauty and the Beast. Surely we'll be to Cape Town by dinner time....
We stuff our faces with popcorn, candy, and ice cream for a mid afternoon snack. And then put on our hoodies and sweatpants and pull up some deckchairs to the railings and watch the ocean for another hour. We pass the time by playing the Price is Right on our iPods. Cape Town is still no where to be seen. And we also see some other ships out in the ocean circling. Dinner finally comes around and its stirfry! And then the movie Salt followed by Toy Story 3 plays in the Union so we're SUPER stoked. After the movies there was an open mic night to help take our minds off things. It was time for bed when we were told the winds were cooperating and we would surely be there between 11PM and 1AM. Tons of kids planned on getting off the ship in the middle of the night to explore and hike some mountatins to watch the sunrise. I chose to hit the sheets and wake up to a docked boat in the morning. We were planning on horseback riding on Friday so we were going to meet at 7AM for breakfast.
As I wake up to the annoying beep of my alarm on Friday morning....I think to myself "The boat is still rocking...and the boat doesnt rock while we're in port. What is going ON??" I find my friends for breakfast and we're all in a very grumpy state. We want to know why we arent there and WHEN we will be! We're no where near Cape Town. And the Google Earth map that shows the rout the ship has taken is absolutely insane- it was a bunch of circles like the Captain had been stearing the ship while sipping on some hard liquor! So we decided to hit the sheets again and wait it out. At that point we couldnt handle the thought of another extra day on the ship, joking that we should try out the lifeboats and take them to shore. As I was sleeping, The Voice came on saying we should attend the Positive Energy meeting in the Union where they would send good vibes in hope we'd make it to shore.
At about 10 AM we were told that we were on Pilot's watch where the South African Pilots (the tug boats) would tell us when it was safe to come in to the harbour. By 11 we were being tugged into the harbour and it was an amazing feeling knowing we would get off the ship! I watched as the people on the docks were thrown the huge ropes that secure us to the dock. They literally use an electrical cord and tie it around the rope and then throw it to the guys on the dock who wind it up as the huge ship ropes are being pulled with it. It take three men to lift it out of the water....they're REALLY heavy!
We had to go through immigration on the ship where we get our passports, look at an immigration officer and get a stamp. It took a surprisingly short amount of time to get all 800 passengers through. By 1PM we were off the ship! It was one of those moments where I really wanted to kiss the ground. The next thing we noticed was we were offered taxis and we said "No thank you" and they immediately left us alone, unlike other places we've been! I'm gonna like this place...
As we walked further into the V&A Waterfront, there was a huge fancy hotel in front of us, a Ferris Wheel, stores, fancy restaurants, shops, and...I know this is going to sound really bad...but people that actually look like us! We're no longer the outcasts! People dont give us a second look. There are so many people here and I love their accents! British with a twist! The weird thing is, I defiinitely felt reverse culture shock. It's so Americanized...well more like England-ized...everything is so clean and fresh. The food and water is safe to eat and drink. And there are stores we actually recognize. It was a bizarre feeling.
We spent much of the afternoon walking around and going into many stores (Soccer jersey stores galore!). But an ATM was first on the agenda! The exchange rate is 1 USD to 7.29 Rands. We tried to get tickets to a soccer game at a World Cup Stadium but the team wasn't playing at the stadium near the harbour. We were crushed! I found a vuvuzela to buy! And a South African flag. We booked a horseback riding trail ride on the beach for Saturday and learned about some Safaris. We had Haagan Daz ice cream which was delicious and found some wifi too. Then we rode the huge ferris wheel which has air conditioned gondolas with flat screen TV's that show cool pictures of the ferris wheel. The Germans built it and apparently it is traveling around the world....soon to be in America. Last night we ate at a South African Grill. I wish I could remember the name of it...it was delicious! Many of my friends had crazy meats like Springbok and Ostrich. I had some kind of local rice dish with chicken. But the best part was the sour cream on top!!! And we all split three traditional desserts which were outstanding too!
Last night we went to Long Street which is the main strip in Cape Town. There are so many bars and clubs....including some interesting looking gay bars...They don't call this the Rainbow Nation for nothing! We ended up at Long Street Cafe which was a little more laid back. We ordered some beer followed by the best drink EVER. Choco Berry Cooler. I dont know what it was made with but I sure do need to find out!!! After that we went upstairs to a place that had a DJ. It had a balcony looking out onto Long Street and we saw some friends up there so decided to join them! The DJ played a strange mix of old American rap songs with South African music. There were some creepy South African guys there who were totally loving dancing with American girls. When we were there, we ran into these college kids who happened to be from England and a girl from Washington state. They decided that they were going to move to South Africa after college and have been rooming together. The girl we met, Lucy, bartends and told us how little she gets paid. Basically $35 for an 8 hour shift. They gave us some info on the waterfront as well...
Cape Town is the most dangerous port we are going to. The reported number of stabbings is very high and rape is also a problem. Mugging at knife point is common. Lucy was telling us that just a block away from where we were, it is a common occurence for people to be mugged at knifepoint. She said that even locals take taxis everywhere. During the daytime it's fine but night time is a different world. This information has made us really cautious the past two nights but overall, we tend to feel very safe in the areas that we've been in. We caught a taxi back to the ship that night and ended up trading numbers with the taxi driver who said he would pick us up in the morning to take us to the horseback riding stabels which are 40 minutes away.
Today (Saturday) we got up really early to head to horseback riding. The taxi guy picked us up and charged us 800 Rand for the total trip. Apparently, after talking to many people, he gave us an awesome price. Plus he waited for us and took us back to the ship. He was awesome and really friendly. Horseback riding was beautiful! I hadn't ridden a horse since I was about 10. My horse's name was Conac (sp?) and only had one eye. It had been abused but was taken to the stables we were at (Sleepy Hollows Horse Stables) to be used for therapeutic riding. He was very tame which was comforting. We were taken through the brush and dunes to the beach which was pure white sand. The ocean is crystal clear and absolutely picture perfect. The mountains were amazing with the clouds wrapping around them and spilling over like you see when the water makes mist at the bottom of a waterfall. Two women were also with us who were from Johannesberg and Cape Town. They were great to talk to and ride with. After the two hour trail ride we were exhausted and came back to the waterfront in search of booking a Safari for sunday, wifi, and food. We ate these really weird chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches at this cafe called Love Revenge and Cappucino. They were interesting but I'll definitely have to go back and hit up their awesome looking gelato. Safari was next on the agenda. We're going to Inverdoon (sp?) Game reserve tomorrow morning at 6:40 AM...yikes! It will be AWESOME. Wifi was next and I got to facebook and also skype Mom, Dad, Pete and Chris! It was SO awesome to see everyone! It made my day complete!!! We had the South African version of Noodles & Co. for dinner. It was out of this world....fresh peppers, peas, bamboo shoots, and yummy noodles. I wanted more!! We also hit up the grocery store to stock up on some things like granola bars. I found Special K with berry cereal and I can't wait to eat it!!!
Thats it for now...more to come after my safari tomorrow!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Random Activities
The thing I love about SAS is I find myself at random things that I would never normally go to. At lunch today, Brittany asked me if I was going to check out the meditation in the Union at 3. I didn't think I would go but whaddya know...3 rolls around and I'm in the union with Brittany and Hannah listening to this lady talk about meditation and how she's been to these 10 day sittings where all they do is sit and meditate. So then we meditated for 15 minutes and I end up drifting in and out of sleep rather than meditating....how the hell do people do this for 10 days!!! I dont get how people can do that for 10 days let alone these 90 day sittings she was talking about....I'd feel like I was wasting so much time! But it was neat to experience!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Zero Zero
Today at about 12:15 PM we crossed the Prime Meridian and Equator, (0,0). The Captain joked that we might feel a bump as we crossed this point! It looked just like any other place on the ocean of course!
At about 4:30 or so the Captain alerted us about whales on the port side of the boat. Sure enough, along ways out there were what I guess were whales, surfacing the water. It was really neat! We also saw another ship passing by during dinner.
Other than that, not too much has been going on. I've been reading for a quiz this week in Global Studies and thats about it! Tonight there is a lecture "What's Good About Africa?" that I'm going to....mostly for extra credit! Seems like a strange title for a lecture but it should be interesting!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Castles & Slave Dungeons - Last Day in Ghana
Oh boy...I'm not gonna lie...I'm ready to go back to class. Ghana was simply exhausting.
I know everyone wants to know this: I got your mail!!!!! A big thank you to Mom, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, and Aunt Debbie for sending it to me! I had the hugest smile on when I found the envelopes stuck in my door this morning. THANK YOU!!!!
Today was our last day which started out with me going to breakfast and being super excited that they had FRUIT LOOPS for a cereal choice. (It's the little things in life, especially when on a ship...) A great start to an awesome day! It was rainy, wet and cold this morning....a rare kind of morning for the dry season in Ghana. We boarded the buses and made a 1.5 hour drive to the first castle Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana. It was very interesting. We were shown the chapel where the English governor, merchants, and soldiers would worship. Directly below the chapel was the dungeon. So while the white men were praying there were 1,000 men packed into 5 rooms yelling, crying, starving and dying directly under the chapel floor. We were able to go into the dungeon where they told us about the living conditions. There was a little moat in the center of the room where the slaves would go the bathroom and vomit. The rain water was then supposed to carry the feces away. But it very very very rarely rains in Ghana! Eventually many of them ended up dying from disease. When the castle was no longer used for keeping slaves, the dungeons had about a foot of feces on the floor. This was the same place these people were sleeping! The floor we were standing on was the original floor. When we all piled into these massive dungeons they turned off the light and let the natural light shine through the 3, one foot by one foot windows that were high on the wall. We then all sang Amazing Grace and it felt so awful to be in the dark, without being able to see anything. The slaves were kept in there for 3 to 4 months. They got one single day while they were there to go outside and help split rocks that were used to build the castle. They were then shackled and brought back to the dungeons. In one of the dungeon rooms, there was this hole near the top of the ceiling. This is where the soldiers would feed the slaves. They literally threw food down to them and the slaves fought for it. They did the same thing with water and the slaves would have to catch it in their cupped hands. The water they used was rain water and many times had traces of malaria in it. This would end up killing many of the slaves. We also walked around the castle and saw where the Governor slept which was a huge room with 7 windows and his living room had 9. A drastic comparison to the practically windowless, hot and sweaty dungeons. The governor as well as soldiers would fulfill their sexual urges by raping female slaves. The pregnant women would be sent to the nearby town to deliver their children and then were sent back to the castle. The babies that they birthed were called Mulatto and are a major race in Ghana today. If the women refused to be raped, they would be chained to a ball where other slaves could see her and it would scare them into allowing the governor to rape them.
We were then taken to a condemned cell. In this cell, as many as 30 slaves were kept. There was no air, light, food, water, and very little ventilation. If the slaves did not die in this cell in 14 days, they were moved to an even more claustrophobic cell where they would die. Lastly, we went through the "Door of No Return." This was the door that the slaves would go through as they were led to the slave ships that would carry them to places like the United States. They would be counted and shackled as they were led to the ships.
When we went through the door, on the other side was, what is now is a fishing village. Hundreds of boats were lined up. Men were adjusting their fishing nets and preparing to head out to sea to drag the nets and catch fish. It was so colorful and the boats are painted many bright colors. It was very neat. We then were able to go back through the door, unlike the slaves that left and never returned.
It was really weird because after going to this castle we went to this resort which was in the middle of no where and ate lunch. It was really nice, very delicious, and right on the ocean!
After that we went to another castle which was a Portuguese castle and very much the same as the previous one. Except this one had a draw bridge and two moats!!! So that was kind of cool! Other than that, it had similar dungeons.
It was very interesting to see the castles and it made me feel like a monster!
I don't really understand my fascination with things like this. The holocaust and slave trade has always interested me. Both are such horrific times in history that I guess I am just fascinated by the thought that people felt what they were doing was fine. It was an amazing experience to actually be in the dungeons. I still can't quite imagine it. It really fascinates me though.
We are now back in the big blue ocean and on our way to South Africa. Tomorrow is an A day which means I have international marketing. There are 6 days of class between Ghana and South Africa and I'm really hoping they will fly by!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Questions
Sorry to call you out but someone is commenting on my blog by the name of Pepe Le Pew....who IS this?? Do I know you? Are we friends? Relatives? Just wondering.....comment below!
Are the pictures I'm posting coming out? Feedback is appreciated!
Thanks everyone!
Goodnight!
Sea Olympics - Life Long Learners Synchronized Swimming
Their motto was "Age ain't nothin but a number kiddo"
Kakum National Park - Ghana
Kakum National Park was quite an experience! It seems like the past few days have all been "an experience" and I love it! I feel like I'm becoming used to being stared at everywhere I go.
This morning we set off for the post office, bank, and Kakum National Park. When we got to the end of the port area, we got off the shuttle that SAS has been running from the ship to the end of the port (it's a long walk!), and asked where the post office was. We had a general idea and knew it was in walking distance. We asked a cab driver (bad idea!) and he obviously said it was too far to walk and pointed us in the right direction. We've been pretty bossy with the annoying salesmen so Brittany said "You're lying, we were told we could walk" and then we headed off.
When we found the post office, it felt like we were in a western movie. There were wooden bars between us and the attendant. All we wanted was to buy some stamps but she said that if we wanted to send a letter, it HAS to be weighed! She wanted to see the letters and we were like..."they aren't written yet!" and then she started asking us how many pages the letter was. We were so confused and frustrated. We finally got out of there with some post cards and stamps. Then we hunted down an ATM but either the ATM was closed, wouldn't accept our card or pin number, or only took VISA. Finally someone's card work and we've been trading around money all day.
We then took a cab from there to Cape Coast Station where you can catch "trotros" to this other station and then to the park. The park is two hours away! So when we hopped out of the cab, this guy stormed us and told us we needed to buy a ticket and get in his "trotro" Sowe plopped down 3 cedi and got in the trotro. 3 cedi for a two hour trip is an amazing deal! A trotro is basically a passenger van that is usually in pretty bad shape. It's super cheap and they pack people inside and it's really hot with no A/C. So Hannah and Brittany and I were in this van with 9 Ghana locals squished and hot. It was about an hour and a half to the enxt station where we were pushed out of the trotro and pushed into the trotro to the park. We had no idea where we were but we were just hoping we were being led to the right place. After another 30 minutes we were dropped at the entrance of the park.
We got right on a trip where we hiked up this hill to the rope bridges. There were some other SAS kids there too! So when you reach the bridges you find out that you get to cross seven of them and they are 40 meters from the ground. The bridges swing and are so much fun to walk across. I got lots of pictures! It was very funny because there were some American tourists there and the women in the group were all super scared of heights so they took the short cut where you only cross three bridges. The view was breathtaking and it was so much fun to be above the tops of the trees. After the seventh bridge I couldnt believe it was over! I wanted more!!!
We hiked back down the hill where we were going to eat lunch and then realized we didnt have much money. We could have taken a trotro but we didnt know what time we would be back or when the next one would come. So we ended up taking a cab back to Takoradi for 2 hours. He wanted 80 cedis but we literally only had 57 between us and he kept on saying he wanted 60. We were like "But we SERIOUSLY only have 57!!!"
It was a long ride to the ship but very roomy and relaxing compared to the trotro. I am exhausted! I have a castles and slave dungeons trip tomorrow where we go see the old castles where they kept the slaves.
Only one more night in Ghana and then we head to South Africa. Ghana has been a learning experience, that's for sure!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
What are we "Ghana" do?
Well....today started poorily and ended fantastically so that's all that matters right?!
At 7:30AM I met my friends in Tymitz Square (The lobby area on the ship) where the rest of the kids were waiting. Except when we got there....Andrew Briggs wasn't there and the majority of the kids were from Students of Service, a student organization on the boat. Because Andrew wasn't there (he was already in Accra), everything was very disorganized. We finally swiped our cards and exited the gangway. We began walking to town where we would catch taxis. I originally thought this would be a small project but we ended up being a group of about 30 kids. So as we're getting taxis there are all these people shoving clothes into our faces telling us to buy! buy! buy! It was very hectic and no one knew what was going on. Finally a guy shouted "Go to Cape Coast Station. Find a taxi and get there" So that's exactly what Hannah, Brittany and I did. I haggled the price down from 10 cedis to 5 cedis and we were on our way. Except when we get to the station which indeed was the correct station....no one was there. Awesome. And we felt so out of place being absolutely stark white compared to the tons of people around us. After 15 minutes we decide we need to get out and go back to the ship. So we catch another taxi who rips us off at 10 cedis and we get back to the ship frustrated, hot, annoyed, and smelly. We couldn't believe that we didn't make it with the rest of the kids to the correct bus station. It just didnt make sense! But being back to the cold air conditioned bus was nice. We were asking ourselves what are we going to do now? The service trip was supposed to be an overnight and take up the next two days that we now have wide open.
We decided that we needed to do SOMETHING! Takoradi is very small and has about 5 stores to offer....all selling beads, bowls, masks and drums. So we asked the hospitality desk who suggested African Beach. I hadn't been there before but Brittany had and said it was nice. So by this time it was about 9:30 and we had time to kill so we went upstairs to the pool deck where we put our feet in the wading pools which felt amazing!!! I had a huge urge to go swimming!
Finally around 11:30 we went to African Beach. Our cab driver there tried to charge us 20 cedis and it should have been 5! So Brittany told the taxi driver he was ripping us off because we're American. This made the driver feel bad so he brought it down to 10....why am I telling you guys about taxi fares? Anyways.....
Africa Beach was AMAZING. The water is about 75 degrees and perfect. So Hannah, Brittany and I swam and tanned. This guy Alec was also with us but he's kind of bizzare, annoying, and immature....But what a great contrast to our disappointing morning! By noon we were hungry and there was a nice resort right on the beach. We wandered in and sat down for lunch. And whaddya know they have a pool that we just might have to use later....Of course we did the most American thing you could ever do and ordered cheeseburgers and chips (aka French Fries) and hummus as an appetizer. With "Ghana's favorite" Star Beer to drink! The burger was interesting....it had a ton of spices in it.
Hannah and Alec wanted to go back to the ship but Brittany and I stayed at the beach and went swimming again. We talked all about why we wanted to go on SAS, the people on the ship, people we've met, etc etc...
And then we decided to hit up the pool. This resort was interesting...nothing super fancy but by ghanian standards it was sooo nice. The pool was a perfect round circle and VERY deep. There were so many white people there, that it was really bizarre. Most of them were either British, German, or Spanish. It was just comforting to see white people...how sad is that?! The pool was refreshing and we sat on the chaise lounges for a long time. Took a taxi back to the ship...ate dinner...and here we are!
Totally not what I was expecting for today but it ended up being very relaxing and just what I needed. Tomorrow we are going to Kakum National Park which has a canopy walk and rope bridge across a canyon. It looks spectacular and everyone has been raving about it. I really hope this ends up working out....it should be a blast! But you never know...maybe we'll end up somewhere unxpected!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Picture Correction
This is random but the picture of me under the post "Dominica!" definitely ISN'T in Dominica. It's in Manaus, Brazil!
From "Obamaland" to Takoradi, Ghana - Africa
Wow...I really am not even sure where to begin....its been quite an interesting 36 hours filled with lots of emotions....including but not limited to: excitement!!, amazement, surreal feelings, "what's that awful smell?" feelings, confusion, scared, frustration and most importantly...RELIEF!
I think the easiest way to sum up the past two days is through the words of a favorite song by OneRepublic called "Good Life" An excerpt of the lyrics is below and the whole lyrics and meaning can be found at http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858804878/
Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone
New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say
Oh, this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life
Say, oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life
To my friends in New York, I say: "hello"
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Colorado
Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are God of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about?
So the meaning of this song is obvious which is to appreciate what you have and make the most out of life. The lyrics and how they relate to me will be more clear by the end of this post (sorry it's so long) After driving around Ghana, it is obvious that the people don't have anything, yet at the same time, they have everything.
I guess I should start at the beginning. We arrived in Takoradi February 6th at about 8 am. Me being the non-morning person that I am made every effort to make sure I was up to see us pull into port. I had no idea what to expect. So at 7:30am I dragged myself up 3 flights of stairs and sloppily poured my Total cereal into a bowl with some instant milk (yum...) and scraped through the remaining fruit to find the scarce pieces of pineapple.
I made my way out to the deck and was hit by a heat wave. Whoa it's hot...and REALLY foggy! The sun was rising and there were many large container ships in the harbor. The fog was so dense that you could only see their grey outlines on the horizon with the combination of the humidity and blaring hot sun.
Usually the tugboats come alongside the ship to attach the ropes and guide us into port. Not this time...instead five guys in canoes paddled out to our ship and got the rope..."So this is how they do it in Africa..." It was a really surreal feeling...the night before we were still in the Atlantic and then the next morning to wake up and be in Africa, wow...crazy. The people seemed so excited to meet us as we docked. We couldn't get off until the Ghanaian (Guinean?) immigration cleared the ship. So during this time I decided to go up to the 7th deck (the pool deck) and look down onto the port area. We are in a very industrial place so there are many factories, railroad tracks, and shipping containers all around us. Right near the port is a tiny market with way overpriced African souvenirs. To welcome us, about 8 people both men and women were singing, dancing, drumming, and stomping some sort of African Dance which was very exciting!
Finally the ship cleared and the main goal was to find an ATM to get Cedi's which are Ghana's form of money. So we set out on a mission that needed to be complete by 11:15 AM which was when Hannah and I needed to be back on the ship to eat lunch and be in the Union in time for the overnight trip to the city of Winneba which we were super excited for.
So we started walking towards the tiny market. Of course we are immediately swamped by African guys trying to sell us custom bracelets. We always say we'll come back later but I think they know we won't. I felt bizarre because I stick out so much compared to the locals. Brittany was joking that I'm getting tan enough to blend in with the locals (Yeah right!)
After we forced ourselves past the pushy guys we started walking past this factory which I later learned produces something to do with cocoa beans. It smelled AWFUL. We were gagging and holding our noses and attempting not to puke the whole way. The factory had very high concrete walls and we couldn't see inside. there was an open area between the top of the wall and the roof where they get their fresh air and light. All we could here inside was the chatter of the workers....apparently they're immune to the god-awful smell.
So after about a mile and a half of walking...we get to the teeny tiny town where we think there will be an ATM. Here a guy selling some soccer jerseys asked us if we were from "Obamaland." I shook my head and smiled and said "Yeah....yeah I am from Obamaland...." Of course there are no ATM's to be found...and the REAL town of Takoradi is a 20 minute walk or a taxi ride away. Of course we don't have cedi's to pay a taxi OR enough time to walk to town. So Hannah and I walk back to the ship while the others find a taxi that took US dollars. Hannah and I walked back the same way we came which was what looked like a run down closed railroad track. There were weeds everywhere and the track ended on both sides of town. It looked old and not used. So we were walking back past the smelly factory when we got yelled at by one of our ship's officers who was throwing his hands in the air and waving and yelling in broken English that we were being very unsafe. (We learned they use the tracks to push train cars back and forth between the "town" and smelly factory.
So finally Hannah and I made it to the ship where we ate a most delicious lunch of Spinach pasta, chicken, salad, potatoes, and...CREAM PUFFS! SCORE! After that we went to the Union where officials from the city of Winneba introduced themselves along with the Chief who had a servant that carried around a pillow and umbrella for him. We learned that the city of Winneba and the city of Charlottesville, VA just created an agreement between them where they are now "twin cities" which is a HUGE overstatement. Apparently Semester at Sea and the Institute for Shipboard Education which runs SAS as well as the University of Virginia have partnered with the University of Education- Winneba. So part of our trip we were supposed to meet and interact with university kids.
I'm getting ahead of myself though. So there were 70 kids jammed into two "coach" buses. One with A/C....the other not. I was in the one that didn't have A/C plus they added another column of seats in the bus so on one side of the aisle were 3 people and on the other side there were 2. The aisle was soooo skinny and the seats were very close together. I'll never complain about being jammed into an airplane or anything...EVER!
After 3 long, hot, sticky hours of looking out the window and seeing nothing but poverty after poverty and women carrying loads of everything from eggs to dishes to sewing machines on their heads, we arrived at the government office in Winneba. They had a ceremony for us which consisted of throwing some water on the ground. We were supposed to be greeted by traditional drumming and dance from members of the two warrior groups from the region, but they didn't show and there was no mention of them. We were then told the 70 of us were split between three hotels- Windy Inn, Lagoon Lodge, and Relaxed Inn and we would have roommates that were assigned to us. To a bunch of college kids, this was no good very bad news. We then went to the Windy Inn which was very nice, had a pool, and a sports bar. Our hotel was 15 minutes away and was....interesting. There was no A/C, the double beds had separate sheets and separate mattresses but were next to each other in a single bed frame...European style. The toilet didn't flush and there was no warm water. The shower literally was a spicket on the wall. The people that were staying at the Relaxed Inn had dinner at our hotel because theirs did not have eating accommodations. Dinner was supposed to be ready in 2 minutes but was ready in 20. It was good though! Rice, chicken, hot sauce, ice cream, and fruit. We were able to get cleaned up a bit and then we piled back into buses and went to a ceremony at the University of Education where there was a performance for us which our group was late to. During this whole process, none of us knew what was going on because our tour guide, Rosa would not tell us anything which was very frustrating. Apparently the performance included mingling with other students but we didn't know so when the students started asking for our contact information it was very sketchy. The performance included the choir singing and some drumming. The main focus however, was educating the students and community members about SAS. To explain this program to anyone is hard to do, let alone to people of another culture. And it was very awkward when they talked about expenses for this trip because these students clearly couldn't afford it. The whole thing felt like a press conference between Winneba and SAS which was disappointing and a little long....2 hours of Q&A.
Finally when we left, we had to drop off the people at the Relaxed Inn which was a 30 minute drive from our hotel across bumpy, dark, and sandy roads. I was praying the whole time we wouldn't get stuck. We finally made it to their hotel...and then we thought we were missing someone. Thankfully...someone had miscounted and we were able to go back to our hotel. Lots of kids wanted to see the Super Bowl but had to miss it because there wasn't a TV playing it...they're big into futbol here...not football! So I decided to shower in a freezing cold shower and go to sleep. At 4 AM all I could hear was the sound of the maid sweeping. It was an interesting experience.
Breakfast in the morning consisted of toast, butter, and nestle instant coffee with goat's milk....mmm...interesting. I didn't quite feel good after that but maybe it was just in my head. So then we met up with the kids that were in the other hotels and we learned the Relaxed Inn wasn't so relaxed. Apparently the beds collapsed into the springs and were like boards. Five kids slept in one room since it had A/C and some slept on couch cushions. They had a rough night.... We then went to the Central University of Winneba where we watched another 2 hour music performance and interacted with more kids who creepily asked for our phone numbers. We were supposed to meet the market queen and chief fisherman of Winneba but that didn't happen either. Instead we walked around the market and they were selling everything from oats to fruits and chipotle peppers....to dead rotting fly covered fish with the eyeballs still in. YUCK!!!!!! There was a gutter running all through the market that I'm pretty sure people just go to the bathroom in. There were goats, chickens and dogs running around too. And to think this is where they do their daily shopping?!
I was so ready to get out of the sun at this point and so disappointed that nothing was going as planned. We went to the government office for a goodbye ceremony where the mayor answered his cell phone in the middle of his speech and talked to the people while he was standing in front of us for a good three minutes. We piled back onto the buses for the millionth time (I made sure my stuff remained on the A/C bus this time) and then went to our hotel where we ate lunch. It was good too...beans, pasta, plantains, vegetables and bottled water!!!
At this point we all just wanted to be back at the ship. Raja, one of the trip leaders did a little meditation practice which was neat and relaxing. Some kids at this point went to the beach. We were so frustrated, hot and tired that we wanted to go home. So we were supposed to leave at 3 but left at 2. First we had to find the kids who walked to the beach. We piled into the buses and went on a search and finally found them swimming with some little kids in the ocean. I wish I could have joined them! I'm glad I wasn't soaking wet the whole 3 hour ride home though! So then the bus driver told us we had to open the windows because he wasn't going to use A/C for three hours. It was a long ride home but it was nice to just finally rest. As I looked out the window, mile after mile all I could see was broken down huts, stores, kids playing outside without shoes, dirty stray animals everywhere, and just filth. But everyone is so happy. To us they have nothing, but to them, they act as though they have everything they could need and I bet they do. It's amazing to think how simply they live. America is such a high demand and high comfort society but it's what we're used to. As I looked out the window I felt privileged and way too demanding. Even though our hotel wasn't what I expected, at least we had running water, a toilet, and a place to rest the night. We had food prepared for us and water given to us....what is there really to complain about? I should be thankful to even have the opportunity to see these places and I shouldn't set my expectations so high. I mean really....I'm in Africa! There is no point in being frustrated.
Some people were probably looking out the window thinking "How can I help?" But to me....I think they're honestly happy living the way that they are. I've noticed that many people are interested in the Peace Corps that are on this trip.....not me! Is that bad to say? I kept on thinking that I was an awful person for not wanting or have any desire to help these people or set up some sort of non-profit and be a "do-gooder" This trip has simply just opened my eyes to everything that America doesn't let you see. It's a crazy world out here and I'm so grateful, blessed and thankful that I live in the good ole' USA.
It was the most amazing feeling in the world to drive into the port and see our ship. I took one of the best showers of my life....and at this point I WANTED a cold shower to cool down from the hot sun. Tonight I ate dinner and hung out with my friends. It isn't safe to go into town at night and really Takoradi doesn't have much to offer at night. So we made our own fun by playing piano, ping-pong and chatting. I decided I needed to write all this down before I forgot. So that's my first two days in Ghana. There are many more details but that's the jist of it. A little disappointed but we have three more days to make up for it!
Tomorrow I am meeting my friends and some other students to go on a service visit with Freedom in Creation. Freedom in Creation is a non-profit founded by Andrew Briggs, an SAS alumni. He was one of the do-gooders who wanted to make a difference. He started this non-profit which helps former child soldiers in Uganda by allowing them to draw and be creative to express the feelings that they may be keeping inside about their time as a child soldier. The foundation also helps bring clean water to these villages. I'm really not sure on all the details but we are going to a school in Accra, Ghana tomorrow to meet some local elementary school kids who will be helping us create a poster. Hopefully it will be fun and I'll have a chance to go to Accra which is one of the bigger ports in Ghana and is actually the capital of Ghana. I'm looking forward to that so I guess I should go to bed soon!
Sorry this was so very long! And just remember to appreciate what you have and make the most out of your life, because after all, this has gotta be the good life!
Goodnight everyone!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Ship Life
It's been a long few days here in the middle of the ocean. We've been lucky to have smooth seas the whole way. Today it is very rainy, cloudy, and stormy. There was so much lightning last night yet the water was really calm.
Yesterday (Thursday) was a reading day and Sea Olympics. Each hallway is divided into a sea!
Caribbean (My Sea!) is orange
Agean Sea is navy blue
Baltic Sea is light blue
Bearing Sea is purple
Yellow Sea is yellow
Arabian Sea is black
Red Sea is Red
Mediterranean Sea is green
Luna Sea (Faculty and Staff) is pink
Sea Salts (Life Long Learners) is white
The sea that won the sea olympics gets to get off the ship first in San Diego. The Red Sea won first and we ended up coming in fourth.
Sea Olympics was really cool...events included synchronized swimming, spoon races, crab soccer, basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, trivia, tug of war, crew suit races, card stacking, dress your LLC, banner contest, and chanting contest. The synchronized swimming was the best!!! The Sea Salts had five elderly men in their mid 80's in the pool area wearing white shirts and shorts. They were also wearing their bright orange life jackets. When the music began they dropped their shorts and had on speedos underneath...the eldest guy must have forgotten about this part so when he dropped his pants he had some nice white undies on. Then they got in the pool and basically did swim lessons in sync. It was so funny! All the other seas did a great job as well...it was a lot of fun to watch. The day ended with a BBQ dinner which was delicious!!!! I felt like I was eating normal American food again! Burgers, hot dogs, and cheeseburgers with corn on the cob, potato salad, and baked beans. So YUMMY!
As we continue to get closer and closer to Africa, it gets hotter and hotter! Everyone is listening to songs with the word Africa in the lyrics....we're all so excited! Just as we are all getting into the swing of things we're going to arrive in Ghana and then we'll have to do it all over again!
There are many rumors around the ship like:
We run out of peanut butter by the end of the voyage
20 people left the voyage
There is a Taco night
They kick you off the ship if you get pregnant
They kick you off if you fail classes
There are no more bananas until Ghana
They grind up the left over food and dump it in the ocean
The drinking water will be salty for the remainder of the voyage (Thank God that's not true)
I've noticed that the later you stay up...the better conversation gets. Since we don't have computers to constantly stare at and facebook to be on, instead we actually get to know the people around us and have some great conversations! But these usually happen late at night so you have to juggle sleep with conversation! I've been getting lots of sleep lately. Losing an hour every other day is no fun! We are losing another hour tonight so we wil be five hours ahead of New York! It's crazy! And then to think when we arrive in San Diego we'll be three hours behind New York!
Classes are going well...mostly projects which is annoying. I think I enjoy the actual class part a lot better at Miami. I feel like I learn way more. Here, the focus isn't so much on the class, but on the experience which is to be expected. It's really interesting to compare business classes here to those at Miami.
I'm wondering what it will be like to arrive in Ghana. I can't really imagine pulling up to Africa. All I can picture is this rickety dock, some wooden huts, and then African animals grazing in the background. I'm sure it will be nothing like that but I really don't have any idea what to expect!
That's about it...it's almost dinner time and the State of the Voyage is tonight...which I guess is like the State of the Union! On the table for tonight (literally) is pasta (who would have guessed???), bread, salad, and shrimp jambalya (sp?). I've realized I'm kind of forced to try new things on this ship or else I will starve. So I've learned to love pears and grape juice. I know I know....that isn't that "out there" but I'm working on it!
This experience so far has been amazing and like nothing I've ever done before (obviously!). Thanks to everyone for all your support and updates and daily emails that keep me going. It's great to hear from everyone at home and every day I get up excited to check my email!
I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to attach resized images to these blog posts. We'll see if I ever get it to work!
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