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!