So we have just concluded our Asia binge of 6 countries all over Asia all jam packing into one short month! The time went by in a flash and left us in awe of what had just happened. With only 2 or 3 days between countries at some times, we had little time for reflection, and for processing everything we had experienced on this incredible journey.

Our next, and last, port is Hawaii, USA. It will be nice to be back in the US where I can rely on people speaking English, and know how much something costs without having to divide and multiply by factors up to 7000, but at the same time it is bittersweet because it means the semester is coming to an end. We are now sailing on the Pacific! All my west coast friends can’t believe its my first time in this ocean. We get to Hawaii a week from Sunday and spend 2 days there. After that its exam time and before we know it we will be pulling in to San Diego with our bags packed.

So a little bit on Taiwan…
Taiwan really showed me how much I have learned and grown throughout this experience. Since it was sort of a last-minute stop no one really had any big plans for the 3 days we would be stopped there. If this were one of the earlier ports I would be anxious about what I was going to do the whole time, but now this was not an issue. The night before we got to port we found a hostel in Taipei that had pretty good reviews and me and 6 other girls booked it.

The next day we packed our bags for our Taiwanese getaway.  Three months ago I would have immediately hopped in a cab begging the driver to take me where I wanted to go. But this time we had our maps out and were ready for the challenge. We ended up walking to the bus stop, in the pouring rain =( , and hoping on a bus to Taipei. We sat there soaking wet with our bags on our laps. Surprisingly we were the only SAS students on the bus, which made me think maybe we were on the wrong one? but sure enough after about 40 minutes we had reached our destination.
       
I have never stayed in a hostel before so I prepared for the worst. I packed my sleeper sack in case the sheets were dirty, an extra pillow-case, a towel and all the toiletries I could possibly need. Although I have learned a lot, packing light remains one of my weaknesses =) When we got to the hostel I knew I had no reason to worry. We approached the building. The ground level was a tattoo parlor, but when we looked above in the window and a sign read “JV’s Hostel” in bright colors decorated with smiley faces and flowers. Inside we got the tour of the home, which consisted of a bunch of rooms with bunk beds and a big common room with a couch, some bean-bag chairs, a tv, and two computers. There was also a section with a ton of guidebooks for our convenience. It was all decorated with bright colors, flags, and one wall was covered with Polaroid pictures of all the guests that had stayed there.  The bed I chose was a bottom bunk with pink and purple princess bedding, it was very cute.

It was a pretty dreary day, cold and rainy but we decided we should still make the best of it! Half of the girls decided to checkout a Mexican place but the rest of us wanted some more dumplings!! We went to this great place called DIN TAI FUNG.  It was amazinggg! Immediately upon getting there they handed us a fill-in menu for our choices. A few minutes later we were seated and just a few minutes after that our dumplings came. They were served to us cute little circular bamboo boxes.  We finished off the meal with the Red Bean Buns. This was my favorite food of Asia by far! They are circular sticky buns that taste like they are made out of dough and inside is a warm red bean mush. I tried it once in first grade when we took a field trip to the Japanese supermarket and I never forgot it! My friend Haley and I both became obsessed with it and kept an eye out for the buns the entire trip.

After that we decided to try out the MRT subway system and go to the zoo! Once we arrived we met up with our friends and walked around for a while. The highlight was definitely the Pandas! They had their own exhibit (where the line was out the door!) and looked very cuddly. Once our time at the zoo was done we headed up the mountain to a Tea House to taste some tea. It sounded good in theory but it ended up being self-brew and we were a little confused by the complicated process. Needless to say our tea probably wasn’t the best, but we tried.  We took a gondola down which was so much fun and probably one of the highlights of the whole trip. We could see the whole city from it and we were playing music and singing and dancing the whole way down.

That night we decided to go out on the town, after a luxurious meal at McDonalds we had a little pregame party at the hostel with the other guests which included a couple of quirky English guys and one man from Australia. Then we hit the bars, first Roxy Rocker then to Luxy then back to Roxy Rocker bringing along with us a huge group of Semester at Sea kids.

The next day we took it easy in the morning. Everyone wanted to be able to take full advantage of the WiFi in the hostel and get on facebook and skype with friends from home. Later we checked out the surrounding area and did a little shopping. That night we decided to checkout Taipei’s famous night market. It was a ton of fun. The first section had stands with all types of food. From some that looked like weird shaped thick sausages, to huge ice cream fruit sundaes. I ate at a little stand that was sort of like hibachi where they cooked on a fryer right in front of us.  YUM! Next we checked out the arcade games. The first one was shoot the balloon with the BB gun. I wasn’t that great at it but my team was able to hit 4 so we won a black ballpoint pen haha.  After a few more games we headed into the clothing section. Most of the stores in the market had trendy girls clothes and shoes. Many of the small boutiques reminded me of SoHo. They all had pretty similar merchandise. There was an abundance sparkly jewelry and hair clips that reminded me of the Asian section of Hot Jewelry Box in Ridgewood. The market was swamped which really surprised me because it was a Tuesday night. We ended up staying there until 12:30 browsing around and at that point we just headed in for the night.

The final day in Taiwan was gorgeous! The sun came out for the first time put everyone in a good mood. We walked all around the city just exploring different areas. Overall Taipei was not as bad as I had feared. It just seemed like a mini China. There were good parts and bad parts. Some places with fancy designer stores, and other places that were super run-down and dirty. 

On our walk we stopped for Bubble Tea, I had milk green tea. It was basically like iced green tea with boba bubbles that are black and made out of tapioca. I gave it shot but I have to say, the bubbles kind of grossed me out a bit.  Our next was stop was at sushi express! It was like a fast-food place like 7-11 but it was all sushi individually wrapped. If I ever saw a place like this in the US I would be a little skeptical but it ended up being some of the best sushi I’ve had yet. Our third food stop of the day was a little café called Chocoholic. It looked like a restaurant that would be in the West Village. A little vintage-y feeling and a cool menu. We got chocolate fondue and some iced coffee chocolate drinks. Naturally we stopped for some red bean buns to- go on the way back to the hostel.  Our short trip to Taiwan ended up being a lot of fun. It was pretty laid back and I would conclude that it was a great success.

CHINA!!!

China, China, where do I begin?! I had a really great time in China, I would have to say that it was one of, if not my favorite port yet. This was one of our longer stays which gave me the chance to visit 3 of China’s greatest cities; Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai. Some of my initial observations were the language barrier and the astonishing development. The whole language thing was pretty tough- we stood outside a market in Beijing for 40 minutes trying to get a cab to take us to our hotel, which was less than 10 minutes away. We tried every angle: giving them the English name, the Chinese name, trying to talk to them in the little Chinese we knew, finding another English speaking person… nothing was working!! At times this was very frustrating but we were able to get by.  I had heard that the language barrier was difficult but experiencing it firsthand was       quite a trip.

Another thing that took me by surprise was the development and modernity in all of the cities that I stayed in. When we ported in Hong Kong the gangway went into a luxury mall! It had everything from Starbucks, to Dolce and Gabbana, to a department store that resembled a Chinese Neiman Marcus. As we ventured into the city streets we couldn’t avoid the hustle and bustling with all types of people. Businessmen, teenagers, venders, and some of the most fashionable people I have ever seen.

Beijing was also something else. Apparently it is on a 20 year plan that was put into place in the preparation for 2008 Olympics hosted there. They planted more trees in an effort to improve air quality and had higher standards for cleanliness. It is a very diverse city with areas of high rises and lights, and others with cobblestone roads lined with quaint bars and restaurants. It was obvious that Beijing had come a long way because it did not seem dirty or unsafe, not to mention the airport was the nicest one I have EVER seen.

Shanghai was also an amazing site to see and the most architecturally stimulating city I have ever been too.  It was incredible. Although it lacked cohesion, there were a ton of amazing skyscrapers and buildings of every size and shape. One standout was the Arts & Sciences Museum, which consisted of two structures separated by huge bean-like, spaceship looking things.  Another was the Pearl TV tower, which stood 350 meters tall making it the tallest in Asia! It had 3 colored spheres at various levels on the tower that changed colors throughout the night that reminded me of the big New Years Eve ball in Times Square.  As a whole, I was very impressed with China and I believe that it will on be a matter of time before it surpasses the US.

Day 1:
I spent my first day in Hong Kong and without much agenda; I was ready to explore the city! We ended up having lunch at Jimmy’s Kitchen, a famous restaurant that was far from Chinese food. At first I was disappointed in the menu, but I would soon find that Chinese food would not be at all lacking from my diet in the coming days. Next we walked through the heart of the city. While looking for Lady’s street we ventured into an area that had pet stores and fish for sale crowding either side of the street! It was super smelly, and not exactly what we were looking for. In the journey to Lady Street we stumbled across the BEST frozen yogurt I have ever had, and a store with Chinese candies and snacks from wall to wall. Then a Reflexology foot massage salon caught our eye. It was pretty cheap and we decided to check it out. It was hysterical! They asked us to all change into these Chinese shorts that came down to about our knees. Then they brought out buckets of murky water for us to soak our feet in. Long story short, it was quite an experience and ended up turning out to pretty relaxing =) Finally, we reached Lady Street, a market with everything you could imagine! Jewelry, sunglasses, bags, fans, silk robes, shoes- it was never ending! I am sure you can imagine, the group of us girls loved every minute of it.  That night my friend Jenna and I went to meet up with another friend, Margaret, and her mom for a traditional Cantonese dinner at the Four Season, one of the nicest restaurants on the island. We had an amazing time and each ate from the chef’s sampling menu, which turned out to be a 7-course meal each with a respective wine. While it was all delicious, my favorite course was the beef stir fry that was cooked to perfection.

Day 2: The next morning I got up early and packed my bags for my big trip to Beijing. It felt like we had been traveling all day when we finally got into the city around 8 pm. Seconds after getting off the bus we were paired off and put into these little carriages pulled by a man on a bike in the front. It was so much fun! They took us to a home where we were served a local meal and got the chance to learn how to make dumplings! One thing that stood out about the area was that all the houses were the same and were owned by the government. After this we finally got to our hotel, and even though everyone was exhausted we were so excited about finally being there that we were eager to go out! A group of 5 of us decided to go to karaoke bar which is really popular in China. When we got there we soon realized that it was not at all what we expected. They brought us down a hallway with many doors to our private karaoke room. After playing around with the machine for a while we figured out how to get some English songs such as Britney Spears and Destiny’s Child. In the main room there was a buffet of Chinese food and a fridge with some beer. Otherwise it was just the 5 of us performing karaoke for each other and having a good time! 

Day 3: The next day was jammed packed with tours. We started at the Forbidden City, which is a huge gated city with the Emperors and their families lived for years and years. Now it is open to the public and was swarmed with tourists from China and abroad. Our tour was a little boring but it was cool to see, and I really liked how all the buildings were decorated with bright colors. When we were brought to the “Four Star bathroom” in the complex I could not keep it together! It was far from one star in my opinion; it smelled horrible, each stall occupied a hole in the ground, and there was no toilet paper in sight. I would soon find that this setting was not uncommon in China… Next we passed through an underpass to Tiananmen Square. It is an important city center and among other things, was a site of some political riots even though our guide refused to discuss it. That night we had dinner at a famous Peking Duck Restaurant. Every meal we had was served at a circular table for 8. In the middle of the table was a Lazy Susan where the waitresses would place various dishes down every few minutes with no explanation of what was in them. They were mainly pork, vegetable, and chicken dishes but nothing like Chinese food in the US. They served the duck in little tortillas like a small wrap. It was actually pretty good and had a barbeque taste to it. That night we went out on the town to a club called MIX. It played all American music which was fun,  but surprising because they club was packed mainly with locals. Somehow all the Semester at Sea kids in Beijing found out about this club and we got to all party together which was a blast. We all stayed out way too late and were struggling the next morning when we go the 7 am wakeup call- but it was totally worth it!!

Day 4: This was another jam-packed day. We started off the day with a visit to one of the top Kung Fu school is Beijing. They put on a performance for us which was very entertaining – I commented to my friends that if they were at StarPower dance competition they would most definitely receive a platinum for their performance!  Next we started our trek to the Great Wall. I was excited but nowhere prepared for the amazing site that I was about to see. When we finally got there we hiked up the hill for about 20 minutes and reached a cable car that would take us up to the wall. It was breathtaking! Although I have seen pictures, in person it was sooo much more impressive!! We hiked along the wall for about an hour taking a ton of pictures, and stopping to view the scenery. When we were finished we took a toboggan down which was a little scary at first but ended up being fun. When we got to the bottom, proud of our accomplishment as becoming heroes of the Great Wall (climbing 60+ stairs) we knew it was time to celebrate. We each bought T-shirts saying “I climbed the Great Wall” which we bargained down to less than $3 each, and then we went to Subway and got sandwiches. A little ironic considering the cultural feat we had just taken on, but at the time it was perfect! That night we went to see a Chinese Acrobatics show and I was obsessed!! They had everything from really flexible girls to men running and jumping off huge hamster wheels, and a group of about 15 girls who did a crazy routine with bikes.

Day 5: Our last day in Beijing did not fall short of the rest. We got up early and went to the Temple of Heaven, an ancient sacrificial temple where people came to worship the heavens. Now it is a place where people come to gather in the surrounding park for card games and even aerobics.  It was really funny because throughout my whole time in China there were babies everywhere! They were always super decked out in cute hats, jackets, and matching pants. One custom that they have that I was not aware was, is the quick release pants. I’d say about 80 percent of the babies had openings in the back of their pants exposing their butts! It was hysterical.  At the end of our tour we got to go to a Teahouse for some tea tasting. I really liked this part as we got to sample 5 traditional Chinese teas and see how they are prepared. Each had a specific healing or other beneficial quality and it was interesting to learn a little bit of the history behind it. On the way to the airport we stopped at the Olympic Stadium Complex and got to check it out. It was all very cool looking, especially the water complex which was a shaped like a huge rectangle with the outside the appeared like transparent bubbles. I was a really cool site to see, and I am happy that we were able to fit it in.  Soon we were off, on our way to meet the ship in the new port, Shanghai.

Day 6: My time in Shanghai started with a trip to Peoples Square, a big park where we got to visit the Shanghai Museum. Next we went to an area called the French Concession where the main street was not open to cars and lined with small shops and cafes.  The first night we went up to the Pearl Tower which was amazing! It was a great view of the whole city below! Afterwards we grabbed a quick dinner at a conveyer- belt sushi place. Each roll was on a conveyer belt that circled the bar and you could pick and choose what you wanted. After that we end to an extravagant club called Moet, which was on the top floor a big building close to the ship. Many guests had their own tables with bar service and we spent our last night in China drinking and dancing till the wee hours of the morning.

I apologize for this extensive entry but there is so just so much to share!
From my successful Semester at Sea Beijing site seeing trip, to the markets of Hong Kong, and ending with the lavish nightlife if Shanghai my time in China was far from dull. In a place like China it was impossible to be bored, I was busy day and night and only saw a fraction of what these cities had to offer. Overall it was a great experience and I hope to eventually get the chance to go back someday!!
Hard to believe we will be in Taiwan tomorrow, after that we will only have one port remaining, Hawaii, before we come full circle back to San Diego! The amazing semester has really flown by =)

Vietnam Part I

        So my time in Vietnam… as of a few weeks ago I knew nothing about Vietnam! When I found out that many of my friends had already had long trips planned to Cambodia I decided I better start looking in some things to do during my 5 day stay in Vietnam. After some research I found some fun things to do to fill up my time in this foreign land. We decided to plan a big trip to Nha Trang, which is known for its beautiful beaches and fabulous nightlife.
        I spend my first day in Ho Chi Mihn getting a taste for the city.  It was more developed than I had originally thought. Each block seemed to have a gorgeous hotel and some big designer store like Marc Jacobs and Burberry. It also had its share of the crowded markets with an array of handcrafted souvenirs. Similar to India, the traffic was really something else. More than half the street was congested with motorbikes swerving back and forth. It was crazy! During the day we shopped around in the markets and had a delicious traditional Vietnamese lunch. For dinner my friends’ mom who was visiting, took us all out to a French restaurant. I had a salad with goat cheese and it was so amazing that I am still thinking about it!
        The next day we went on a tour to the Mekong Delta. It is a water village about an hour from the city. We were in a rowboat and made stops to try fruit, fresh honey, and coconut candy! For lunch we took a small carriage thing that was pulled by a horse. We ate a fried elephant fish, which was served whole on a stand that was placed in the middle of the table. By the time we were done it was just the bones. Many of us were disappointed about missing the sushi in Japan, so that night we all went to sushi to celebrate my friend’s 21st birthday!!
        I also go the chance to visit the Cu Chi tunnels, which were used during the Vietnam War. It was very interesting and astonishing to hear that some people lived in these underground tunnels for up to 25 years! We learned about all the horrible torture devices and traps that were camouflaged into the ground. It was unbelievable. We got the chance to go in one of the tunnels we had to crouch the whole time to fit and it was super dark and hot- definitely not a place that I would want to spend a lot of time in. I took a visit to the War Museum as well which was directly in the city.  The museum was very interesting - It showed a lot of disturbing photos and had some information about the war that I had never known. However, it bothered me that the museum was so anti- American. They depicted us as the aggressors when I know that the brutality was very two-sided.  The view of the government is taken very seriously in Vietnam. There is no opposition allowed and it seems like everyone is very obedient to that fact.

I am currently in Vietnam. It is great! I spent the first few days in Ho Chi Minh City which was very cool. My friends and I flew to Nha Trang last night and have been hanging out at the beach all day. This town is Paradise! I will give the full update on Vietnam after we leave tomorrow.

One of the best things about this hotel is the internet access!! Although facebook is banned in this country I was able to upload 2 albums to my Picasa picture sharing site. If you want to check it out there is a link at the top of the blog! More to come soon =)

UPDATE!

We got some big news this morning... in lieu of the recent events, we are not going to either of our scheduled ports in Japan! Everyone is pretty disappointed. As a result we will be switching up our route, some of the new places in the running are: Taiwan, South Korea, Philippines, or possibly staying in China or Hawaii longer. I am very curious to see what happens! That's all for now.. pictures from India are coming soon!

CHENNAI, INDIA

Just finished my 6-day stay in Chennai India. I had prepared myself for the worst, and was actually very pleasantly surprised with the whole trip. I was very nervous about the smell, cleanliness, and crowdedness of the city. Although all of these were apparent in some aspects, it was not nearly as bad as I expected.

The first day in Chennai was a little bit chaotic. We were interested in seeing the city but no one really had any idea where exactly we wanted to start. Within seconds of leaving the port we were shoved into a cab. We soon realized that our lack of plans would not be a problem because after a few minutes it was clear that our taxi driver had his own agenda. We asked to go to the market, but our first stop ( and second and third) was no market. He would say lets just make a quick stop here, just look. We would get out and go into a store that was very clean and nicely set up. The only other customers in there were other students from the ship. It was soon obvious that we would be taken to all of these overpriced, touristy shops no matter what we had to say about it. Finally we were taken to the market, which was a much different atmosphere. We had to stay very close to the side of the road as the cars and rickshaws zoomed past. Each booth was unique and authentic. We found some traditional Indian clothing and some colorful bangle bracelets.

The second day I got the chance to visit Mammallapuram, an ancient port city about an hour from Chennai. It holds some of the best specimens of South Indian temple architecture and is home to temples that are thousands of years old and carved in stone. A University student showed us around this tourist attraction and took some group pictures for us! He did not want money but we did check out his stone carving shop =)

While my first few days in India were nice I was ready for some real plans. I signed up for a home stay at a home stay which would occupy most of my time in India. The stay was in Erode, a village, hours from Chennai in the more rural part of India.  The trip to Erode was tied with the trip to Axim in Ghana for scariest experiences so far on SAS.  We left the ship at 9pm on Monday night headed towards to train station to get on board our “sleeper train” which would take us to our stop in Erode at around 5 the next morning.  Our group of fifteen wandered frantically around the train station which was muggy, smelly, dim, and super crowded. We certainly stood out. After about ten minutes of up and down and left and right our guide informed us that we were at the wrong train station. Next thing I know we are being shoved into rickshaws, little golfcart like taxis, that zoom in and out of traffic. Although I had ridden in one in the daytime this was much different. We had a couple very close calls and one of the rickshaws even got in a little fender bender on the way to strain station number 2.  When we finally reached the train car two quickly noticed had some occupied beds, and we had to scramble find an open seat among them.  Lets just say even though I did not leave my train “bed” at all night, I got very little sleep.

When we finally arrived at the home I felt a lot better. It was a farm house that reminded me a lot of my Grandma and Papas farm house in the Catskills. It was pretty big and had a gorgeous open area in the middle that connected each section. We met the couple that lives there full time along with their son who was there with his wife and two girls, and the daughter who had traveled with us from Chennai. We were greeted with some of the best coffee I have EVER had and at that point I knew it would be okay.

That day the family showed us around the community which was pretty much sustained by through the exchange from local farms. We took a walk through their farm which had been in the family for 300 years! Then we went to see a small community where they made sugar and another that made hay from coconut shells.  We also visited a small public school in the area. The children here seemed a little disheveled and barely spoke English, They were super cute though and sang songs for us. Later in the day we saw a market where everyone brought their vegetables, spices, and breads to sell to the local people.  That night we enjoyed some traditional South Indian food served on a large metal plate and no utensils. After dinner we went to the swimming hole which was really just a big well. We got to ride in a tractor there like a hayride, but with no hay. It was a lot of fun. 

The next day we spent most of our day at a school. There was about 5000 students in total spread between 3 schools. It is very common for kids to board at school starting at age 8. It was a private school where most of the students were middle class. We got to see a Morning Prayer assembly and it was amazing how well behaved and disciplined all the children were and they sat in perfect rows on the floor and sang the prayers in unison. Mid-day we got to see a hand-weaving factory where they make bed sheets and linens.  The workers would stand at the handloom for 8-hour days weaving for barely minimum wage =(. Next we went to see some temples. We had to go barefoot and the it was super sunny so our feet were burning as we walked up to the top. We were the only tourists there so it was interesting to be exposed to the prayers and rituals of the individuals who worshiped there. We jumped right into it and were all given the paste and ash to put on our forehead in each temple.

 When we got back to the school the children performed a traditional Indian dance for us! It was great, and then they asked for us to show them something. We did not have anything planned but we did have a girl who sang with us and she got up and sang  “Lean on Me” and we all joined in. Then my friend Patrick, Brittany, and I got up and showed some African dance we had learned. It was very spontaneous but I think they liked it! After this we were taken to visit a school for the disabled. The students here all had physical disabilities and came from families who didn’t know how to, or did not enough money to help. The facilities were not good and it was very dirty. I felt bad for these children but I was happy that I got the chance to spend time with them and hopefully brighten their day.  At the end of this long day we returned to the school for a meditation session! I found it interesting that this meditation/yoga was a part of the school day for all students. It was very relaxing and I thought it was super cool to practice yoga in its homeland.

We arrived back at the ship around 5 am after another long night on the sleeper train. Everyone was relieved to be back and to be able to shower! After a little nap and some phone calls home we were back into the city. That night my friends and I went to a dance club called Pasha which was a lot of fun but not the most cultural experience as it was mostly semester at sea students.  Overall, my time in India was great. Although I did not make it to the Taj Mahal of Delhi this time, I am happy that I got to see an inside look into rural India and really get to know some of the locals.  It was a really great experience and I would definitely go back.

Cape Town!!!!!

Hello All! So sorry that I have not written in a while! I promise I have not forgotten, just been super busy with work and catching up on some sleep!

Let me start by saying that last week everyone was very ready to get off the ship in Cape Town, South Africa. Everyone I talked to had a jam-packed schedule including Safaris, Wine Tours, Sky Diving, Shark Cage-Diving, Hiking, Cape Town has it all.

Thursday morning everyone got up early all ready to go, little did we know things were not going to be as smooth as we had all hoped. As it turns out, we did not pull into port until a day and half later! Thursday and Friday morning were very interesting as everyone was wandering aimlessly around the ship not quite sure what to do or when we would ever make it on land.  It was very frustrating at the moment, however in the end I was able to do plenty.

When we finally stepped off the ship we could not be happier. Laid out infront of us was the waterfront, a spectacular little area that reminded me a little bit of an adult Disney world. There were a ton of gorgeous restaurants, boats, a Ferris Wheel, shops, and live music on every corner. For the first time in a while we saw a grocery store, and a mall! Behind this spread of liveliness was a staple of Cape Town, the famous Table Mountain! After seeing this amazing scene it is safe to say that everyone was pretty excited to explore.

The first day we arrived I did a cycling wine tour through the vineyards in Stellenbosch, a town about 15 minutes from Cape Town.  We were all super excited to have some wine and arrived at the tour with our all dressed up for a nice little leisurely ride. As we got out we saw 9 mountain bikes equipped with water bottles and helmets. There were two tour guides welcoming us with head to toe bike racing gear and the cycle shoes to match. We were a little intimidated to say the least. However, it ended up being a beautiful ride to an amazing picnic, which was already all laid out for us. Next we had the wine tour, which was great as well.  Needless to say we were all excited when we got some complementary glasses and some bottles for the ride home ☺

The next morning I woke up to a phone call from my friend Jenna telling me to get up and get ready! I had no idea what I was in for but was quite pleased as a joined a group of 10 on an all day excursion around South Africa. We started the day at a beautiful specialty market, which was only there on Saturdays. There were tons of shops, a huge tent with great clothes and jewelry, and a massive area with every food you can imagine! There were people everywhere and wonderful smells coming from every direction. I decided to try something unique to Cape Town, an ostrich burger! It was very delicious and topped with avocado, spices, and sauces. YUM! Next we headed to Simons Town, Boulders Beach to see penguins, and to the very southern tip of Africa, Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. Overall it was a really great day and I was so excited to be able to get to see so many great sites. (You can see too when I finally get enough internet access to put up pics!! I have a ton.)

The next two days we kept it local and hung out around Cape Town shopping around and exploring a sprawling craft market! It was really great and we all enjoyed some great drink and cuisine.  Sunday night some a group of 9 girls went to MOYO, a restaurant that we had been looking forward to dining at since the beginning of the trip. It was a gorgeous set up outside that felt like you were in a tree house. It had dim lighting and pretty lanterns and candles in every corner. There was live music, dancing and a huge buffet with every type of meat you could imagine. The fruit and vegetables were delicious too. My friends and I enjoyed the wonderful meal, a few bottles a wine, and the company of each other. Mid way through the meal a woman came over and painted our faces in pretty white designs! We even made some new friends who are from our upcoming port, Chennai! The whole experience was amazing and I am so happy we got the chance to dine at MOYO! It was something I’ll never forget.

Monday I got the opportunity to visit Robben Island which is a very important part of South Africa’s history. The island has been used for many things over the years but is most notorious for its prison where it held political prisoners for years during apartheid. I feel grateful that I was able to learn more about apartheid and how it affected South Africa. I find it unbelievable that it was in place until 1994, which is really not too long ago. It is clear that there is still a huge divide between the wealthy white population and the majority, poor black people.  South Africa is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, and yet there is still so much to be done. It is definitely a representation of disparity between wealth and it is obvious that most of it is concentrated in very small white areas.

The last day in Cape Town was pretty mellow, running some errands and attempting to use the internet. Everyone was getting back from their over night safaris with tons or pictures and stories to share. Those of us who were not away on Safaris had stories of our own on about the amazing night life!! The bars and clubs in Cape Town were not sparse, many nights we would travel from club to club until the wee hours of the morning. My favorite night was when we went we started at a bar in the waterfront called Mitchell’s, we were sitting next to a mother and 3 boys about our age, outside out the bar. We starting chatting and soon enough we figured out that one of boys has an older sister in Pi Phi at Bucknell, and we are actually really close friends!! Such a small world. We ended up taking the boys out with us to Camps Bay, an area on the water. The club we went to was called St. Yves and was a ton of fun!! Staying out until the club closed turned into a regular thing for me in Cape Town which was awesome but part of the reason that I have been nonstop napping since we got back…

Another day in Cape Town would have been wonderful, but I am happy I was able to take advantage of all my time there ☺ I think that Cape Town was many students’ favorite port so far, I think it was mine and I would definitely like to go back sometime soon!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Going, Going, Ghana... that was the saying posted on the podium during my Global Studies class the morning. We left Ghana last night after 5 long days spent learning (and sweating) in a country unlike anywhere I have ever been before.

The first day I was thrust into a big part of Ghana’s history as I toured two Castles & Slave dungeons, Elmina and Cape Coast.  These were not what you would typically think of as castles. These ancient structures were homes to thousands of slaves sent from their tribes to be shipped off to the Caribbean into slavery.  It was very eerie being the pitch-black room that was described as being at one time covered by 24 inches of human feces.  We got to see the doors “of no return” which led up to the boats.  It was sort of a sad and somber experience.

Another thing that I experienced during this trip was a little bit of the persistence of the people trying to sell their goods to the American tourists. The second we got out of the bus we were swarmed by men coming to shake our hands and ask our names and where we were from. I felt like a celebrity but little did I know what I would run into on our way out. The guide warned us that they would be asking for donations for their “schools” but that it was really just a scam. As we were walking out of the castles the same men came up to us again with shells which read “to my friend Cassie, and their email address.” They were telling us take this, I made it for you but then immediately after handing it to you would say well what can you give me? Make a donation to my school? I did not have Ghana currency at this point but was but I probably wouldn’t have paid them anyone because I was super freaked out and culture shock than anything else.  I refused to take it because I had nothing to give in return and then they made me feel extremely guilty. Many of my friends experienced this same thing and as we were pulling away the men with the shells continued to shout at us and bang on the windows. I was really happy when we finally got on the road.

Because the night life on the ship is pretty limited everyone is super excited to go out in port. People were even more thrilled to find out that there was a duty free shop feet away from the ship that sold cheap beer, and other alcohol. We turned it into our own bar known as simply “Duty Free.” It was a blast, and then we all ventured to another outside bar called ocean bar which was just as much fun! After a long night of partying made it back to the ship in time to watch the Superbowl which was being broadcasted on the ship! Considering we are now 5 hours behind we were up pretty late watching the game. We had a great time!

Another thing Ghana is known for is their beaches! We got to go to a beautiful one the second day called Bussua beach. We hung out at a surf shack, played our ipod and ate fresh coconut and avocados. I got to meet a family that lived in a hut next store and the kids were adorable. The guys that worked teaching the surf lessons came swimming with us and were a lot of fun. They were also so good at gymnastics and were showing off all there flips and minute long handstands! It was unbelievable.

The next day we had another trip set up my Semester at Sea. We took a bus ride to a small village a few hours away from Takoradi for a “village experience.” We got a performance of drums and dancing and got to participate in a naming ceremony which is common in the villages in Ghana. It was very touristy but still interesting. My favorite part of the day was getting to meet the children. They were all standing around our seats and coming up and saying hi. I made friends with a 5 year old girl named something that sounded like Ashton. She sat on my lap for the remainder of the day. The village was extremely scarce. The huts were barely covered and had dirt floors and no running water or electricity. The children were all in clothes that looked like had been wearing for a month straight.  We stopped by a school, which was a little bit more organized. However, the teacher did not show up! So the kids were all running around and attempting to do their own studies. It was sad and  really made me thankful for all that I have. Its interesting because I always knew that there was poverty in Africa, it was not something new to me however seeing it and being there definitely puts a different spin on things and really opens your eyes to what is really going on.

For lunch we went to the Coconut Grove Resort. It was only ten minutes down the road but felt like a different world. A beautiful  Americanized resort that looked like the perfect setting for a wedding. It was right on the beach and had a gorgeous buffet, pool, and many little cottages for guests to stay in. It was unbelievable, but definitely felt out of place.

That night we decided to check out Axim Beach because we heard that’s where everybody was hanging out and had gotten beach villas. The ride there was terrifying! The driver was silent the whole time and it seemed super sketchy. It also didn’t help that it was at night and we didn’t know where we were going. The two boys traveling with us were even more scared than us girls! Finally after an hour and a half, three police checkpoints which officers armed with ak47s and flashlights, and about 50 signs for Axim Beach we made it!! We started to see familiar faces of our classmates and checked into a gorgeous one room hut with a big bed and beautiful bathroom! We were so relieved. That night we all partied at the beach bar and it was such a blast. The next day I experienced another culture shock moment as everyone was trying to check out. All the receipts were scattered around the desk and everyone was confused. It was clear they weren’t use to doing business with this many people. I wanted to jump right in there with my accounting and management skills but I restrained myself and sat back making sure all there math was correct on my mini calculator.  After a car ride home in a car that felt like it was going to fall apart, inhaling red dust from windows that would not go up, I was ready to be back on the ship.

The last two days we kept it local and shopped around in the markets. The whole time it was super hot and humid. Another interesting thing was the smell (which was terrible!!) but actually the smell of the cocoa being produced right down the street. After bearing the heat everyone came back to the ship with some beautiful stuff and as we pulled out from port the ship felt a lot brighter with everyone showing off there new, colorful, tribal patterned garments. Even the guys got into it decked out in African tunics and pants, colored from head to toe! Ghana was an interesting place to visit. It surprised me that it was one of the most developed countries in Africa because the poverty was apparent everywhere.

Today we hit the (0’,0”) mark as we passed the Equator and the Prime Meridian simultaneously! Everyone was pretty pumped to see that on the map. 

Yesterday was Sea Olympics- a huge event on board! My hall was the Yellow Sea and we got all decked out to compete. I opted to be a cheerleader but got put into the “Crew Suit Relay." This was a relay race where you had to put on a crew’s big white uniform and run a certain distance and back before passing it to the next person. We got FIRST PLACE!! It was so exciting! We ended up being the only event that the Yellow Sea got first place in. I was pumped that I participated!

Another favorite event was synchronized swimming. All the teams got really into this and we saw everything from boys singing titanic in speedos to a super-mix of everything from classical to the Waka Waka song! I think Yellow deserved first place, but we ended up with third in this category.

 I also made a contribution to an exciting event , “Dress Your LLC. We selected a theme out of hat, American Tourist (how appropriate), and we had 30 minutes to dress our LLC. I think I ran to our hall and back about 10 times during the half hour to collect things! Our LLC had it all from 6 cameras to the zinc-covered nose, patriotic flag bandana, and topped with a massive mosquito net- it was great!

The Yellow Sea didn’t place this year in the final awards but I think we all felt like winners and we bonded and shared  a ton of team spirit! I know I had fun.… Plus  I had just heard that TESSA GOT INTO GETTYSBURG! and that was victory enough for me.

Ghana on Sunday!! Its Ghana be a good time ☺ , can’t wait!

The ship life is never dull… this week we have encountered an event that will make semester at sea history!  Today we had to make an emergency stop in order to distribute vaccinations to close to 100 students!!  Here’s the scoop… while in Brazil a group of kids spent a few nights in a jungle lodge in the Amazon. At the hotel there were 2  young domestic monkeys that lived there and would wander around and play with various guests.  All of the semester at sea kids met these monkeys and became fond of them. Apparently on little girl (a daughter of a faculty member on board) created a big scene when she claimed that she became terribly injured by a bite by the monkey!  This proclamation soon led to things spiraling out of control!

We have periodic small group meetings after each country and luckily the nurse on the ship was in my group and was able to give us the whole story! So anyways, when the nurse and doctor were notified of this monkey bite they came to the conclusion that the girl would have to receive the rabies vaccine, which comes in sets of 3. As we were ready to depart Manaus, the nurse, the girl, and her mother were on a scavenger hunt around Brazil to try to receive the treatment. After going to 3 hospitals they found a place where she could get the first shot. The doctors were very reluctant to give the remaining doses to the nurse because there is an extreme global shortage of the vaccine and the doctors are extremely worried about the drug getting into the hands of the wrong people.

After we left Manaus the doctor team had to figure out how they were going to deal with the rest of the students exposed. Apparently they were on the phone for 20 hours trying to find enough of the drug to distribute to everyone immediately!  The US State Department got involved and it basically turned into an international issue! Finally they were able to have it shipped to Brazil and after several meetings with the students (they were able to get out of a lot of classes) they called all the students down this morning to the clinic to get the shots!! The total cost of all these vaccinations totaled $100,000 all covered by the Brazilian government. 

Everyone is doing fine and will be receiving 2nd and 3rd doses in the coming weeks.  As for the monkeys the outlook is not as good =(. They are being quarantined and having many tests run on them. There are rumors that the poor monkeys will have to be put to death but we will never really know.

So that’s the latest drama… I’ll write more soon!

Hard to believe that we have already left the second country of our voyage!! I got back from the Riverboat trip this afternoon and have never been so excited to shower!

 My time in Brazil was great. The city of Manaus were we docked was nice, we spent most of the day shopping around at the market where there were tons of trinket stands and local food. We also got to catch the beginning of a mass at a beautiful church! Unfortunately I couldn't understand the service because it was all in Portuguese but it was still a nice experience. Manaus is also home of a famous opera house which we got to take a look at as well. It was an interesting city because some of the buildings were built during a big Rubber boom but now that Manaus is not as wealthy they have not been kept up and are intermixed with some scary areas. I was sort of relieved that I was only there for the day because it was pretty unsafe and the language barrier was difficult too.

 Early Monday morning we left for the Amazon riverboat adventure. It was strange to get onto another boat where I would be living for the next four days! It is two stories, the upper level is where we slept in hammocks, and the lower level is where we had all of our meals. By the time we got back today I had definitely had enough and was super relieved to be back! However, it was a really great trip and I got to try lots of new things! The Amazon river is so magnificent and we got to see many different areas which was cool. It is very humid and there is a ton of lush green vegetation on either side of the river. The sky in the Amazon is gorgeous its hard to describe but it looks HUGE and has so much depth to it. At night the starts were brilliant were scattered across the whole sky! I could have counted hundreds- it was so beautiful.

   The first day we went fishing for piranhas! I wasn't that successful at it,  but a lot of people were! They just looked like normal fish so it wasn't too bad and we got to eat them for dinner later! That night we went looking for caymen, which are similar to alligators. I thought this part was really scary because we went out on little canoes in the dark and all we had were flashlights to spot to caymen. The guide was able to catch one and we learned all about it. I even held it!! Yikes! Some other activities we did included a trek though the jungle which was fun but HOT and a visit to a small village on the Amazon. I really liked the village because we got to meet the cutest kids and everyone was so friendly and happy even though they lived in a remote community on barely anything. More than half of the people got a stomach bug which really sucked, I was pretty under the weather yesterday and hungout in my hammock for most of the day. Luckily I felt better by nighttime because we had a beach party! They crew set up a barbecue outside with lights and music. We played some games and danced it was so much fun. I lost in musical chairs, but almost won limbo!

I really enjoyed my time in the Amazon but I am glad to be back on the ship where I have clean clothes and real food! Now we are on our way to Ghana! It is going to take over a week I think but Sea Olympics and Neptune Day will be in between which will be fun! I am going to catch up on some work and hopefully get a good night sleep =)

One more thing...


we passed the equator yesterday!! How cool is that?!

Greeting from the Amazon!

        Our voyage is really picking up as we approach Manaus, Brazil on Sunday! The MV Explorer entered the Amazon River Wednesday night for the first time in Semester at Sea history!  It is unlike anything I have experienced yet, all of a sudden the rocking motion ceased and we were surrounded by brown murky fresh water.  Looking out the windows we can see land on both sides and the sky in covered in clouds. 
        Yesterday was a great day. I had all my classes and did not feel seasick at all. No headaches or tiredness was keeping me down and I was able to listen to all my lessons which were quite interesting. My favorite of the day was a presentation from a guy who is sailing with us on the first part of the voyage. He just finished his graduate degree at UVM and presented his research to us all about coffee! It was so interesting to learn about an industry that is not yet mechanized yet and how this thing that we so often take for granted is produced and a look into the lives of the families who harvest it.  One thing I took away from it is to be a smart consumer and find out where the coffee is coming from and look for brands that guarantee a percentage to the farmers. So that’s just one little tidbit of my day.
        Last night my friends and I went to our first “Pub Night” on the ship!  Despite the long list of rules (including no card games, no music, and no “rapid consumption”) and the three drink limit (of wine or beer) it was actually pretty fun and a good way to socialize! 
In the midst of this party we noticed a group of kids all surrounding an area of the deck. When I went over to see what was going on I looked down and there was a HUGE BUG on the deck. When I say it was big I mean like over 5 inches. It looked more like an animal to me, yuck! So you can imagine how excited I am now to be spending 3 nights on a small riverboat in the Amazon! In rereading the description of my riverboat trip I saw that activities include: catching alligators with our bear hands, and fishing for piranhas! I will definitely be packing the bug spray and I am hoping to develop more of an appreciation for the great outdoors! Wish me luck!!
So for an update on cabin life, my roommate and I have been getting along great. Last night we bonded over trying to remember all 5 members of NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, I never thought I would forget them! We also discovered that both of our moms did Semester at Sea…. THE SAME YEAR! What are the odds.
Well I am going to go enjoy not having class for a week =) and try to soak up some sun.

Miss you all so much! 
- Cassie

Dominica is amazing!!!  Starting off on Sunday morning we pulled up to a beautiful mountainous island full of green rain forest and bright colored buildings. It is a very unique island which lies between Martinique and Guadalupe, and is famous for its scenic waterfalls and hikes. Also, because of all of the volcanic activity on the island there are some really cool site to see!
       When we arrived in Rosseau, the capital, my traveling crew and I had no idea where to begin but we knew we wanted to explore and learn more about the island! We took a taxi/bus to a site called the Titou Gorge which was up the mountain from the main city center in Rosseau. On the way up we spotted a few priceless photo opps as we headed up the mountain and had to stop to get out! Our driver, Anthony, was great, he told us alllll about the island. Literally must have asked him 100 questions. The gorge was awesome! It was a big pool with a few little falls and then the actual gorge was like a little cave that you can swim through which was a little scary at first but unlike anything I have ever done before! Then at the end there was another big pool with a waterfall.  This gorge was featured in the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean  and we heard all about how Johnny Depp and his crew were shooting on the island for months.
        Next we ventured into the city to try to get something to eat but there is not much open on Sundays because everyone in the island goes to church and stays home and cooks with the family. So we hit the bar! Rum punch was delicious and we sat outside right on the water. We even took a little dip in the ocean which was sooo refreshing!
        At night they opened a club special for us and we pretty much everyone headed over to “Krazy Koconuts” it was a really fun club/bar/ disco scene with strobe lights and loud music. It was super packed all with kids from the ship! We all had a blast going out together for the first time.
        The next day we went decided to check out “Maro Beach” which is one of Dominicas black sand beaches (they are black from the volcanic rock). It was a little rainy and overcast but ended up being a fun time! We got to experience some of the local food. I had bbq chicken, rice, beans, and provisions which is sort of mixture of starchy vegetables. After this  our taxi tourguide Leon we went back into the city/ He entertained us the whole way by telling us about the island and even singing and rapping for us some of his original music! Everyone we met was really friendly and enjoyed talking to us.
When we got back to Rosseau we stopped for some fresh fruit before getting back on the ship. It was delicious and the sun finally came out. Overall, my experience in Dominica was a good one! While it was very different from many of the Caribbean islands that I have visited it was quite a site to see and a perfect start to my adventures this semester.

Pictures will be coming soon!

 Its been whirlwind since my voyage began two days ago!  We have been sailing now for two days and I just saw land for the first time. We are currently docked in Puerto Rico but only to refuel but unfortunately can’t go off the boat.

            So far I have met a ton of great people, everyone is super friendly and outgoing! I also have been hanging out a lot with girls from Bucknell and some new friends from UVA and University of Colorado. Its been pretty jammed packed so far with orientations and information sessions about the ship. They aren’t the most fun thing but its all important I guess!

            Today classes started, this was also a little overwhelming because I had 5 in row from 8-4 with just an hour break in the afternoon.  Missed lunch =( but during my break I was SO EXCITED when I saw how nice it was out and got to lay out for  the first time so far! Being able to soak up the sun with some of my friends was definitely the highlight of my day.

            Something that was pretty unexpected is that I’ve been REALLY feeling the boat!! I did not think I would get seasick but the boat has been super rocky and I think everyone is still working on getting there sea legs. Three of my classes are in the big lecture hall in the front of the boat which is the worst for these symptoms! One girl even got sick in the middle of class, yuck!

            I am getting really excited to get to our first port in Dominica.  Aside from what I thought for a while, this is not the Dominican Republic but an island in the Caribbean by St. Lucia and Martinique. We will be getting there Sunday and staying till Monday and hopefully some beaches will be coming my way!

            The internet here is SUPER limited and SUPER slow. Also, there is no service on the boat. I think this is kind of nice to get away from technology but I hope I will still be able to update everyone! My new Semester at Sea email is ccatto@semesteratsea.net, and we get unlimited access!! I already feel super disconnected and miss all of you so much already! It feels like its been way longer than just a couple days. I whipped out the camera today and will try to get some pics up next week!

Talk to you soon!!

Two 50lb rolling duffles, a carry on, and a backpack later it seems as though I'm ready to go! I will be leaving for the Bahamas tomorrow bright and early hopefully before any trace of the storm that is supposed to come tomorrow to NJ. I am super excited about starting this new adventure but also a little nervous and emotional about leaving for so long! This week I spent some quality time with family and friends which I will cherish and remember while I'm at sea.

Wednesday morning I will be boarding the ship at 8 in the morning, and from there there is no looking back! We will probably depart sometime in the afternoon and then it will be smooth sailing to Dominica on Sunday!

Wish me luck!

- Cassie