CapeTown, South Africa

CapeTown, South Africa 

South Africa!!!! We had so much fun here. The best part was that my dad came to visit! Rachel stayed with us too so it was the 3 Musketeers for the week! I was so excited to see South Africa because I had just learned about Apartheid last semester in Mrs. Washington’s class. Cape Town was definitely the most action-packed and fun-filled port. Since we did so much and we were there for 5 days, I’m going to break it up by days. 

Day 1: Once the shipped docked, Kellen’s parents boarded the ship through the Semester at Sea parent trip. It was so nice to finally meet them! Then Rachel and I jumped into a cab right by the dock and drove to the Protea President Hotel. The hotel was stunning! It had an incredible view of the ocean. Then my daddy arrived!!!! I couldn’t contain my excitement! By the time he went to bed that night, he had been awake for 65 hours! He was tough! After we settled into our hotel, we took the city bus tour and eventually made our way to Table Mountain. It’s one of the 7 wonders of the world and it literally looks like a table on top. People are allowed to hike, but it’s extremely strenuous and almost everyone takes the cable car up. It felt like a gondola at a ski resort, except that it was much steeper. The view at the top was breathtaking! There was even a cute little lodge/restaurant area where we stopped to have hot chocolate. While we were sitting there, sipping on our warm drinks, a cloud completely engulfed us. That night we went out to dinner with Kellen’s family at a place on the waterfront. Kellen, Rachel, and I were excited to have quality food after eating the ship food for a week! We all had so much fun together; it was a great start to an even greater week! 

Day 2: On Friday we had tickets to go to Robben Island. After almost being late, we found out that they had cancelled all the tours for that day because the water was too rough. On to the backup plan! We wondered around the Waterfront a bit until we ran into a company that does helicopter rides, boat tours, shark diving, safaris, and much more. We decided to do the helicopter ride and the boat tour of the harbor. The helicopter tour was so cool; we got to see the entirety of Cape Town and a view from the sky of our ship. It started raining while we were in the sky and we flew right over the rainbow! After the helicopter ride, we took the harbor tour and were able to see the destroyer ships from different countries, an ice-breaker ship, and we saw dozens of seals! Then it was time for some traditional South African food! We ate crocodile, ostrich, kudu, springbok, warthog, and more. Some of it was delicious and some of it was weird! At least we tried it though. Then we were picked up for our afternoon tour. 

What made each of our tour guides unique was that one was colored, another white, and another black. In South Africa it’s not an issue to call someone white or black and people will very quickly identify themselves as either black, white, or colored. As we drove to our destination, our tour guide pointed out the numerous townships. We learned that one of the biggest concerns in the townships is fire. They have running water and electricity and they live rent free on this government owned land. Seeing the townships was very impacting! It's crazy because you'll be driving along a pavement freeway and all of the sudden there is a cluster of thousands of shanty-houses. Our tour guide told us that you would think the townships are really dangerous, but because the government told the people they couldn't govern it, the people living in the townships appoint the toughest guys in the townships as the "police" and whenever someone does something bad, they strip them naked and parade them through the township and everyone beats them up. Humiliating and painful! 

Once we were almost at the Cape of Good Hope, we saw ostriches. They’re the biggest bird and they can’t fly, except our tour guide said that a kick from an ostrich can kill you! On Saturday the weather was crazy. It was freezing, extremely windy, and raining. We all ran out of the car to take pictures, look around a bit, then be blown back into the car at the Cape of Good Hope. Then we made our way to CapePoint where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean meet. We made a run for the tram that brings you up to the top, but no one else in the bus did it except for us! It was definitely worth it. It was such a surreal feeling, standing by the light house looking to your left is the Indian Ocean and to the right is the Atlantic Ocean. The two oceans couldn’t be more different! The Atlantic was stormy and the waves were going crazy, while the Indian Ocean was utterly still. Also the Indian Ocean is 12 degrees warmer. It’s crazy to look at a map and realize where we were. This was definitely my favorite moment of my entire stay in South Africa. 

While driving to see the penguins, we saw baboons. We were lucky though that none of them attacked the car, because our tour guide told us that one time they broke their the windows of the bus. Afterwards we saw the penguins. They were so much smaller than I previously thought! Once we were back in CapeTown, we were ready to eat! We randomly found this hole in the wall Italian restaurant. It had been a house before and it was so quaint. I had lasagna with steak inside of it....yummm was that good! 

Day 3: Yay! This is the day we got to go to Robben Island. It was about a 45 minute boat ride. Robben Island was really neat to see. I remember watching the movie about it in class and saying, "I have to go there!" The island is a lot bigger than I expected! We first drove through the island on a bus, and they pointed out different sites. One was a cemetery for the lepers who were first on the island years and years ago. The men and women were separated, but a lot of them still had babies that were sent to the main land to be adopted. Also they showed us this cave which the prisoners would use to meet up to exchange information. It then became a place for them to study and learn. As our tour guide put it, "it's the smallest school in the world." Then we were greeted by our tour guide for the prison who was a prisoner during Apartheid for six years. While he was greeting us, a man was trying to walk through the group, and then the man and our tour guide recognized each other from both being in prison at the same time. They hadn't seen each other since then!  

Our tour guide took us through the various sections: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Section A was where the prisoners went when they first got there. They could be there from anywhere from 3-6 months, and sometimes more. Section B was for the leaders of the movement. This is when we got to see Nelson Mandela's cell. It is crazy how small the rooms are. Also the colored prisoners were treated much better. It was empowering that even though so many of the anti-apartheid leaders were in prison, it didn't stop them from trying to connect and influence the outside world. The prisoners always found ways to communicate. Two different sections had outside courts next to each other that were completely blocked off, but the prisoners would open the tennis balls, put notes in them, hit them over the wall, then the other side would write back and then hit the tennis ball back over the wall. Also in a garden in the courtyard, Nelson Mandela would write notes, but when they started construction to turn the fence into a wall, they found them. Luckily, he had more copies hidden in other places. 

After Robben Island, we barely made it in time for our wine tasting tour! It was about a 2 hour ride outside of CapeTown. This time our tour guide was white and he had a very different perspective on Apartheid. His subtle comments suggested he thought everything was better during the Apartheid days. At the first vineyard they gave us a tour of the wineries and then we had a wine and cheese tasting. My dad said it was unusual to sit during a wine tasting, but that’s what they had us do. I really like the second winery better. This one you stood up and Rachel and I mixed a white and red wine together which was delicious! Just call us the winemakers! For dinner that night we again stumbled upon a great restaurant. It was very posh and edgy but at the same time classy. We let our waiter order for us and we shared all the food. Another fantastic meal! 

Day 4: We got picked up at 6:30 am for the Safari! It worked out that it was a 3 hour bus ride because that meant more sleeping time! We drove through gigantic mountains (That looked like huge pieces of stone) and even saw waterfalls. Once we arrived at the Safari ranch, we were able to have tea/coffee and yummy crackers before going on the Safari. Rachel, my dad and I sat in the very back which was much higher than all the other seats. We were able to see so many animals: Springbok, cheetahs, lions, zebras, giraffes, elephants, buffalos and more. My favorite was seeing the lions! I’ve always been obsessed with lions afterThe Lion King. The truck wasn’t the sturdiest vehicle I’ve ever been in. A couple of times we had to keep retrying to get up over hills after we kept rolling down. Once we got back to the resort, we had a beautiful lunch waiting for us. Then we headed back to the hotel. We were all exhausted so we decided to have an amazing last dinner in our hotel. 

Day 5: Wake up call = 3:30am!!!!!! That’s what it takes when you go Shark Cage Diving! Our bus driver warned us that out of 12 people usually 2 get seasick. We liked our chances... The drive out to the shark area wasn’t long at all, but the part that got everyone was waiting around for the sharks with the boat rocking. The first girl to puke was sitting right next to me and she threw up all over herself and the floor. The crew had warned us, if we needed to throw up then do so in a roped-off section in the water. The main concern was to not throw up in the cage (because we would have to go in it) and don’t throw up in the bathroom. The second one to throw up was her brother! And guess what? He threw up right in the cage! It quickly spiraled after that. Of the 25 people on the boat, only me, my dad, and 4 other boys didn’t puke. The odds were more like 10 people get sick and 2 people don’t. I don’t know how I didn’t throw up! I felt so sick, but I literally just stared at the land for 2 hours. It’s crazy the thoughts that go through your head when you don’t feel good- Maybe I could go back with the other boats out here? Should I just jump in the water? Then I won’t feel seasick. Of course no one did these things, but I’m sure everyone was thinking it! We did have to wait awhile for the sharks to come, but wow once they did it was like nothing else! The sharks were huge!!! They weren’t afraid to come up right to the boat. Six people can go in the cage at once and we went second. As they were trying to get us into the cage, there was a shark right next to it that could have easily jumped right in. The water was so cold even with a wetsuit on! It was crazy to be in the water right next to sharks. Definitely a memorable and once in a lifetime experience! All the seasickness was worth it, although I don’t think I’ll be getting on a small boat in the ocean anytime soon. 

Once we were back at the hotel, we had to take showers and pack. Then we had one final meal at the Waterfront. The restaurant was right on the water and everything was white giving it an uplifting environment. After another wonderful meal, we sadly headed to the ship. My dad was able to come on the ship and see our room which was really cool. He loved it! Then Rachel and I had to say goodbye to my dad :( 

One of South Africa’s current issues is the Zimbabwe immigrants. Because the borders are so flexible now, thousands of Zimbabweans will cross the boarder every day. Many are even walking through Kruger National Park to get there. Everyone we ran into talked about this. South Africa's unemployment rate is 30% right now, with most of the people being from Zimbabwe. The government just doesn't know how to handle this. Another issue in South Africa is AIDS. South Africa gets help from Canada through programs and supplies. From the help of Canada, the percentage of babies born with AIDS has dropped from 27 to 14 in the last five years, but it's estimated that 5 million people will die from AIDS in South Africa in the next four years. One of our tour guides was saying it's hard to go into the black communities and say they can't have more than one wife, because it's part of their culture to have 3, 4, 5, 6 wives. Even the president right now has 6 wives! 

Apartheid has only been over for 20 years, so there is still much progress to be made; however, everyone feels hopeful and optimistic. The South Africans were so friendly and always wanted to help. I hope this nation continues to take the more humane and peaceful route. 

The three of us had such an incredible time in South Africa. I am so so so glad that my dad made the trek out there to experience South Africa with us! It was definitely the best vacation of my life. We did everything and more that I wanted to do there. There was never a dull moment! CapeTown is beyond beautiful. A lot of people compare it to San Francisco/Half Moon Bay, but I think it’s way prettier than both. CapeTown is a beach town with everything right on the Waterfront and when you turn around from the beach, you see the ever massive Table Mountain. 

Thank you so much daddy for coming!!!!! Rachel and I both had so much fun. This trip will always be special to us! 

Love you all! 

Jamie 

Ghana

Ghana 

Sometimes it’s hard to put experiences into words...this is the situation I find myself in as I sit here attempting to write about my time in Ghana. Words won’t do it justice. You have to see, hear, smell the truths and untruths of Ghana for yourself. Here’s my attempt...

Immediately after arriving and disembarking from the ship, I was surrounded by smiles, waves, and “hellos” from the Ghanians. They all knew that we were coming to their country, so stands were set up right beside the ship and they stayed there throughout our entire visit. Rachel and I jumped on our bus which would be taking us to our drumming and dance workshop. We were so excited to be there and waved outside our window to all the Ghanians on the street; they happily waved back. 

Once we were out of the port area, we were very shocked by what we saw. The majority of the people we saw were simply standing on the side of the road. Most looked up at us in confusion, wondering why there were so many white, college students driving through their town. It puts you in a state of shock when you see what we saw. Ghana is a developing country, and you could see remnants of an underdeveloped country, but also signs of industrialization. Trash was everywhere, women were carrying everything on their heads, houses were made of tin, but at the same time children were in school uniforms walking to school, there were signs for liquor and cars, and Vodafone stands were every 20 shacks. 

After the shortest bus ride we would have (20 minutes) we arrived at a Ghanian hotel on the water. As we walked through to the back, the drummers and dancers were already performing for us. The made us feel very welcomed and we each shook hands with the instructor. Then it was our turn to dance. They taught us a dance with four different movements, but the most important part was to be in rhythm with the drummers. If we were not, the instructor would make us start again. Afterwards, we each had to perform individually. You had to carefully watch the head drummer to know when to change to the next movement. We then had to improv in pairs. Rachel and I did a goofy dance, but one of the Ghanian dancers asked if we were dancers. 

We all had tons of fun dancing, but we were eager to watch them perform. The dancers did four different dances, all from different parts of Africa. The energy they put into their routines is uplifting. Throughout the whole time we were there, the instructor was very insistent that we “make connections” with the dancers and drummers. Semester at Sea had warned us that the girls would get many marriage proposals while in Ghana and they were right! The boys would immediately start calling me their “wife” and Rachel their “sister” or the other way around. Once we were done making “connections” we were able to have a Ghanian feast. 

Later that day, Rachel and I decided we would explore Accra since it was still fairly early in the day. We didn’t think there would be any harm in taking the SAS facilitated bus from Tema to Accra and then walk around Accra for a bit. Of course we were wrong. We got onto the huge bus to find only four other girls on it. As we were driving along, our bus driver started to drive really fast even though there was another truck on the road and there wasn’t enough room for both vehicles to fit. The right mirror of the bus was destroyed. We pulled over and the two drivers started to verbally fight, but they worked it out in the end. 

It was about an hour drive to Accra. We were so happy to finally make it, but literally the second we stepped off the bus, we were swarmed by young, Ghanian men. We tried to walk to the bank, but the walked right with us. They were all attempting to sell us stuff. They would make you hold one of their items and they wouldn’t let you give it back, hoping this way they could make you pay for it. I could shake off most of them, but after 30 minutes of caring around painting, I ended up buying it because the guy was annoying me so much. Right when we had gotten off the bus, Semester at Sea girls had said good luck to us, but we didn’t know why until that moment. We eventually were able to ditch them, except for one guy. Supposedly he was a professional tennis player so that was why he was the only person who wasn’t trying to make us buy something. We had a few hours until the bus came back, but we were eager to leave and it was getting dark, so we took a taxi back. It took 2.5 hours to get back to Tema because of the traffic. Once we got back on the ship everyone had the same experience and was feeling as overwhelmed as we felt. 

While I was in Ghana, I was able to work on a “Habitat for Humanity” project through SAS. We drove 2 hours out of Tema to a small, remote village. It was so interesting to see a village outside of the city. The people were so friendly and accepting there. An older man gave me his oranges throughout the day and an older woman offered me chicken, but I sadly had to decline because we were warned not to eat most of the local food. Our project was to build the foundation of two houses. Their “mortar” was merely a mix of dirt and water. It was hard-work, especially in the hot African sun, but well worth it. We were all so proud of ourselves once we were done. I don’t think I’ve ever been so dirty and sweaty in my life. Unlike the Ghanians though, we could simply get back on the ship and take a shower. 

The last day I had a field lab with my class. We went to two slave castles and dungeons in Ghana. A majority of the slaves who were sent to the Americas came from Ghana. The first stop was at Cape Coast castle. It was a shocking experience when our tour guide would take us down into pitch-black rooms with no ventilation. He then told us that hundreds of people lived in the room that we were standing in with only 40 people and that felt overwhelming. We saw the famous “Door of No Return” which is the small door that all the slaves walked out of when they were said goodbye to their home forever. 

After the first castle, we had another Ghanian feast on the beach. This one was just as good, but we also got chocolate ice cream. So yummy! Then we went to the Elimina Castle. There was a room in the slave castle that was full of bats; it was so gross! Seeing the slave castles was a very powerful experience. It’s hard to grasp that millions of people were tortured there. The people could not leave the dark rooms, so the rooms would fill up with poop and pee. The ground was originally brick, but because of all the human waste, it is now black. Also the women were treated horribly. The European men would chose who they wanted to rape and if a woman fought back, she was chained outside and beaten. Many of the African slaves were impregnated, so they were set to live outside the slave castles in a village until their child was five, then they were set back to the slave castles. This is why many Ghanians have European last names. 

I feel so fortunate that I was able to experience Ghana. It’s still difficult to process that I was in Africa. Africa! And what makes it even more exciting is that we were in the center of the world. Ghana is the most central country on the globe.

Pictures!

 

gibraltar 

gibraltar

tarifa 

in tarifa!

In Tarifa! 

Espana/Gibraltar/The Canary Islands

Espana/Gibraltar/The Canary Islands 

Spain beat out all of my expectations. I will always think fondly of Spain...I might even want to study there during my Junior year, Spring Semester, but hold your horses people...it’s just in the works! 

While we were docked in Spain, I had the unique opportunity to stay with a Spanish family. While Kellen studied there for two months, two summers ago, she was assigned to live with this family by the ASA program. She was lucky in getting the best family in Spain! Once she knew Spain was on the Semester at Sea itnerary, she contacted them, asking if it would be okay if she and a couple of her friends could visit them. It made it conveniant because the ship docked in Cadiz and the family lives in Tarifa; it’s only about a hour away. The morning of our arrival in Spain, the father drove all the way to pick up me, Kellen, and Brianna. He greeted us with smiles and kisses on both cheeks. During our ride there he and Kellen got to catch up from the last two years, and he asked me and Brianna questions to get to know the two other girls who would be staying with his family for almost a week. The only tricky part was that he didn’t speak English, and neither did his family! This made for a great opportunity to practice my poor Spanish speaking skills. 

As we got closer to Tarifa, it started to feel as if we were in a desert, but soon enough we saw the beach. As we rolled up to the house (which was technically an apartment complex in American terms; there are no typical American houses in Tarifa) the mother, 11 year old daughter, and 8 year old son were standing on the porch waiting to greet us. At that moment I knew they were a special family! As we started talking, I and the little girl, Almu, figured out we both danced. When I went upstairs to change into my bathing suit and came back down, she had put on her black leotard and pink ballet shoes for me. It was so cute! At first I thought her leotard was a bathing suit, assuming she was going to the beach with us, but after she slowly and simply explained in Spanish that it was her ballet outfit I understood (and seeing her ballet shoes definitely helped)! I felt so bad that I didn’t get it at first! Afterwards she searched all over her house to find her dance videos from her recital. The ballet style was similar to ours, but their “funk” (which is comparable to our jazz) was very different. 

Once we settled in, Kellen took us on a tour of Tarifa. It’s simply a ten minute walk along the boardwalk to get to town. There were many unique shops and restaraunts along the cobblestone roads. Tarifa is the kitesurfing capital of the world, and July and August are crazy then, so it was weird for Kellen to be there during the offseason because she was there in the summer. There were still a lot of people, but Kellen described to us how all the streets were covered with people that you could barely walk. After our journey into to town, we came back for our first of many delicious, home-cooked meals! 

Mama was an incredible cook and not only that, but she cooked for every lunch and dinner while we were there. I wish I knew the names of everything I ate, but everything was very Spanish and very, very good. We did not go hungry in that house, that’s for sure! Each meal was filled with laughter and good feelings (and remember we’re communicating all in Spanish). 

Their daily routine was different than most Americans. The father was a firefighter and his station was right next to Almu and Jose’s school. It was rare to have a fire in Tarifa though, so most of his day consisted of hanging out with the guys at the station. It’s touching how proud he is to be a firefighter. One night he took us to the station to show us around and meet his friends. He even made me dress up in his jacket and helmet, and then made me get into the truck to take pictures! (He looooooves to take pictures) He had to work the first two days we were there, but the other days he had the night shift. The kids and their mom would wake up at 8am to get ready for school which started at 9am. They both slept in the clothes they were going to wear to school because they said they were too tired to get dressed in the morning. No one really eats breakfast in Spain, except for maybe some toast (But she always had gronala cereal, toast, jam, butter, orange juice, and milk sitting out for us each morning). Then she would take them to school. Afterwards she would work from home; she organizes vending machines that are sent to the universities. At 2pm school’s out, which means lunch time. We always waited for them to walk through the door to see Almu’s precious smile and Jose’s giddy laugh. Then we’d all eat lunch together, and the dad would come home from the fire station sometimes to eat with us. The kids had to finish their homework before they could play, but once they were done they had the night to hang out. Almu wasn’t starting dance for another few weeks, and Jose had soccer twice a week. Their parents were much more relaxed than parents in the states. We’re all used to having our day planned out for us from 7am to 10pm so it was interesting to see Almu having a friend over each night and Jose playing basketball all the time. (He always asked me to play with him) But I think because they had that freedom, it made them really responsible. Around 10pm, Almu would kiss everyone goodnight and would head to bed without any instruction from her parents. Jose was a little bit of a different story though....he had trouble going to bed and would always want to keep playing. 

Family is the most important thing to the Spanish. Everything was centralized around the family. Most of their family lived in Tarifa, so we would walk down the street and we’d run into their nephew or their parents. The first day we were there it was the mother’s nephew’s birthday. It was at a restaurant that had a play place that someone in their family owned. There were probably 50 people there, 45 of them related. All the little kids were running around and having so much fun in the jumpy houses. Almu stayed with us though and introduced us to her family members. They were all so welcoming and happy to see us. You could feel the love. Ironically, it was our Spanish mom’s birthday too! Her husband’s sister and her husband and their grandkids came over for dinner. The little baby girl was only a year old, but the boy, Alejandro, was 3 years old and man was he a ham! He was so adorable. It was such a fun celebration and I think our Spanish mom really loved having us there for her birthday. 

One of the days that our Spanish dad didn’t have work, they took us to Bolonia. Bolonia is an ancient city with Roman ruins. On our way there, they took us up to the “El Campo” area which is where a lot of people in Tarifa own houses (even though it’s 5 minutes from where they all live). Once we got to the top we could see all of Tarifa and got a better look of Africa. Then we drove about 20 minutes to Bolonia. The ruins were all intact; it was so interesting to see. You could walk around the whole area and you really felt like you were living thousands of years ago as a Roman. 

On Thursday morning we had to say goodbye. It was so sad leaving them! I had so much fun and they completely surrounded us with their love. What made it worse is that it was pouring. With all the traffic because of the rain, we barely made it in time for my Semester at Sea field trip to Gibraltar with Rachel! It was about an hour and a half bus ride from Cadiz to Gibraltar. Once we got to the border, a border patrol officer got onto the bus and walked through the aisle and we all just had to show we had a passport, he didn’t even stop to check them thorougly. It was probably one of the most relaxed borders in the world! Then we met our crazy tour guide. She was this tiny, little firecracker. Her British accent first shocked me, but I quickly remembered Gibraltar is a British terroritory. She told us how thousands of Spanish and Moroccans come to Gibraltar each day for work. The whole of Gibraltar sits on a huge rock. Anyone who is sailing into the Mediterrean from the Atlantic Ocean has to sail right by it. It’s only 100 feet from Morocco. We toured the inside of the rock through all the tunnels and then we went to the WWII tunnels. British and American soldiers lived inside the rock for two years straight! They couldn’t go outside the entire time. They would bomb the Germany troops from inside of the rock. The war tunnels were so massive that it would take up to three hours in one of the many directions to get to the end of the tunnel. Gibraltar is famous for it’s monkeys! The monkeys were everywhere, jumping on people, trying to get their food. As my mom cleverly put it, their monkeys are like our cats and dogs, running all over the place. Afterwards they took us down to the town. It was so confusing; it felt like we were in London again! 

That night we got back on the ship, to have a day on the ship before the Canary Islands.  We docked in Tenerife, Santa Cruz. The Canary Islands is a Spanish terroritory, off the coast of Africa. It felt like we were in Spain though; everyone was speaking Spanish and  had similar characteristics to the people in Spain. It was definitely a tropical island, a prime vacation spot. Everyone we met were on vacation and European. Our teachers said this many times: it was a “great tragedy” that we were not be able to go to Morocco. There wasn’t much to do besides the beach, except the first day we went to an African market. It was huge with booths lined up for miles! The Canary Islands to the Spanish is sort of what Hawaii is to us. It was definitely was fun though and relaxing! 

We’ve had 6 days on the ship, and tomorrow we’ll be in Ghana! I can’t wait. I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that I’m going to be in AFRICA tomorrow! Wow! As our teachers put it, it’s our first “foreign port.” I’m excited to see where my time in Ghana takes me. 

I miss you all so much at home! Keep emailing me :) 

Love always, 
Jamie