Early Days and Garden Route

Howzit!  After one last dinner with family and friends, I bid Philly farewell and hopped on the plane (three of them actually) to Cape Town, South Africa - my home for the next four and a half months.   I have been here now for two weeks, but so much has happened already.  I'll try my best to capture the highlights.  Here goes!

Day One (Monday):

Wes and Sine, two of our RA's, met several of us American students at the airport so we could journey to our apartment complex together.  We were completely exhausted but happy to find ourselves on solid ground and in good company.  Introductions were made, luggage was claimed (by most of us), bus was boarded, etc.  On the way to our apartment complex, we passed some informal settlements.  It was interesting to observe in the distance a way of life that seemed so foreign to my comfortable life in the States.  Our bus driver reassured us that we would have running water (it hadn't occurred to me that we wouldn't…) and we continued on our way.

Home sweet home:

I share an apartment with my roommate, Ann Marie, and two other girls named Grace and Hannah, all of whom are really great.  Together, we have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small common room.  Our house has ample cabinet space - more than we could ever need - but no washer, dryer, or dishwasher.  Our oven is also the size of the microwave.  Actually, I think it is the microwave - they are one and the same?  I don't know; it heats things.   Anyway, Ann Marie's and my room is particularly spacious, so we've been working hard to add warmth to the room.  We have matching bedspreads (decorated with prints of African women) and a rug on the floor with a huge lion's head on it.  Hello, Africa.  Our color scheme is brown, orange, and lime green - I like it a lot. 

To enter our apartment, one must pass through both a barred gate and a locked door (not including all of the doors leading into the complex itself), and then enter the code for our security system.  All of are windows are barred shut as well.  Theft here is a problem, but we are diligent about locking everything both when we are out and when we are home.  Our security is so strong that I can barely get into my apartment sometimes.  Needless to say, I sleep soundly at night.

Our study abroad program (IES) fed us pizza that night, and I knew we were off to a solid start.

Day Two (Tuesday):

The highlight was probably making our own samosas at a restaurant called Bo-Kaap Kombus.  See below:

Michelle and Mickey with their samosas.

Day Three (Wednesday): we took the train from Rosebank to Muizenberg to check out the beach!

Orientation continued with various speakers, including Professor Nick Shepherd who spoke about South Africa in context, and Theunis Fick, whose job was basically to scare us into taking extra safety precautions.  Mission accomplished, Theunis.

Days Four-Six: The Garden Route

After a 5 am departure (little did we know this would soon become the norm for the next few days), we set off via bus for the Garden Route. Our tour guide, Johan, was incredible knowledgeable.  He pointed out baboons, played jazz music, and shared myths about the shape of the land.  He maintained his enthusiasm even when the twenty-four of us only mumbled tiredly in response, and the time passed fairly quickly.  First stop, the Ostrich Farm!

Yup, that's ostrich on my plate.

To the left: The aforementioned Johan

Ostrich kisses

After our trip to the ostrich farm, we explored the Cango Caves.  We spent that night in a cool hostel somewhere along the Garden Route.  

Day five involved canoeing and hiking to a waterfall.  We spent the afternoon there swimming and climbing rocks.  This was probably one of my favorite points. [Pictures to be added later].

Next, we headed off to various places.  Some of us hung out with wild cats; others went bungee jumping; and the rest of us visited an Elephant Sanctuary.  We met three African Elephants who kneeled, shook their heads, and blew their trunks on command.  To our relief, the elephant trainers explained that they rely on positive reinforcement rather than brutality to train the elephants.  When the elephants are old enough, they are released to Kruger National Park. 

We spent the night at another hostel with good food, live music, and cabins that I loved. Hakuna Matata.

The next day, we rose early and passed the morning by hiking, crossing two rickety bridges, enjoying a motorboat tour, and exploring the beach.  We ate lunch (another great meal) and then boarded the bus for the long ride back to Cape Town.  All in all, it was an amazing trip.