ILE DES DEUX COCOS

2/27/09
23:46

I want to live in South Africa and vacation in Mauritius. That’s the new life plan. 

So we docked in Port Louis, Mauritius this morning at about seven. There was a quick diplomatic briefing and then all the SAS-sponsored trips were called in numerical order to disembark. My trip was number 9, entitled Ile des Deux Cocos and Marine Park. Caroline and Jill were also on this trip, along with new best friend Fiona, and some other awesome people who I will mention later on in the story.

We all hopped on buses and began the hour-long drive to Ile Des Deux Cocos, which is French for Island of Two Coconuts, I believe. Jill and I were surprised that the ride was so long since the island of Mauritius is only about 40 miles in length. 

Most people took naps on the way there. At one point we drove by another bus and everyone was passed out. It was hilarious. Heads bobbing, drool dripping, mouths gaping. I was tired because I couldn’t sleep last night, but I enjoyed the scenic view of blue sky, mountains, and fields upon fields of sugar cane. While I was observing my surroundings I saw a Total gas station. Total! Like the one that is on the corner by Dougert’s house. Or at least it used to be a Total, now it’s Edina Gas &Car Wash or something. Still…they have total in Mauritius. I think I saw one in Namibia too.

Anyway, we got to the spot where we would be taking glass-bottom boats to Ile Des Deux Cocos and oh my God. It was beautiful. Like something out of a movie or from a post card. Blue sky, turquoise water, waves crashing in the distance, and Ile Des Deux Cocos. We hopped in our boats and watched the fish and coral reef pass beneath us on our way to the island. 

This island was amazing. Gorgeous. We all just walked around in awe. I live a charmed life, I know. We had the whole place to ourselves, just a hundred SASers hanging out. 

I immediately claimed a lawn chair, stripped down to my swim suit, loaded on the SPF 50 and began my day of relaxation. After about ten minutes of being the hot sun, Jill, Caroline and I were ready to get our snorkel on. We grabbed our snorkels and goggles and got back in the glass-bottom boat.

The last time I snorkeled was in Hawaii and I was really scared to do it then because I was afraid the fish would touch me. This time, despite my goggles being too big for my baby-sized head, I truly enjoyed it. I let myself just float along the top of the water and look at all the tropical fish. I told myself to be one with the fishies and if they touch me…they touch me. No big deal. It was great.

After snorkeling Jill, Caroline and I laid out in the sun a bit more. We met a girl named Jane. She is a new BFF. I couldn’t handle lying in the sun for too long because it was so hot, so we went into the water again. It was soo blue.

At one they served lunch and I was hungry. Typical, right? I had salad, a baked potato, lamb and I decided I would be adventurous and try the tuna. I am not a big fish eater, but I am now a tunaholic. It was so good. It was the pinkest, cooked fish I have ever seen, but it was good. Great. Grand. Wonderful. I could not get over that tuna. I still can’t, actually. I don’t think I will ever have tuna like that again. I wish I could share it with you, so you all know how good it was. I encouraged everyone to have a taste. And for dessert, grilled bananas and other assorted fruits. Mmmm. Soo good. I miss good fruit.

During this meal, our waiter, Ravi, took great care of us. He kept the rum and pineapple juices flowing at our table. We loved him. I also loved my table. It was Jill, Caroline, new BFF Jane, Sylvie (great name), and Danielle.  Great company. 

After the food was all eaten, a “band”, (2 guitarists/singers) played some music for us. The band migrated to another table and I followed them to hang out with the occupants of that table. Namely my dear friend Braxton. We all sat and chatted for a couple of hours. Lounging the day away in the shade. I’m telling you, this island is paradise. You can rent out the entire island for $3000 a night. Crazy.

We had to leave at 3:30, which was devastating news because why would anyone ever want to leave? It was nearing our time of departure, so Jill, Braxton and I decided to take a dip in the ocean one last time. The current was really strong and we drifted into some dead coral. It hurt to walk on, but it was nearly impossible to swim against the current. It must have been pretty funny to see us out there, but it was kind of stressful at the time. Finally we got out and got on the boats to go back to the main island of Mauritius. It was sad to leave heaven. 

Jill and I wanted to go to the shops and get T-shirts and postcards once we got back into port, but apparently all the stores close at 5 and it was 5:30. Bummer man. So we just got back on the ship and showered and ate dinner. 

Tonight we also had the opening ceremony for the Sea Olympics. Each sea had a mascot and a flag and did a chant. It was extremely rowdy. Everyone in their team colors, faces painted, yelling and booing each other. I wish I hadn’t been so tired, because it was hard to get all riled up.  I think we had the best chant for sure because you could actually understand what we were saying and our flag was pretty good as well. After that, our synchro team finally figured out what our routine is for tomorrow night. It’s not very good. I’m kind of nervous. Oh well, we’ll just look foolish. I am really tired now. We advanced the clocks a half hour tonight. Isn’t that ridiculous? A half hour. I don’t get it.

I’ll write about the Olympics tomorrow. Later days.

Out of Africa

2/24/09
21:46

First of all, happy birthday Mara!!

Second of all, I would like to formally apologize for being so slow to update about the rest of my South African travels. It is very busy on the ship right now. Today was the big Global Studies test so everyone was freaking out. I don’t think I aced it, but I don’t think I bombed it either. Hopefully it will be curved and everything will work out. Along with studying (or at least going through my notes), I have to keep up with my art journal and it’s actually rather time-consuming. I need four pages per port and I’ve only done two for Namibia and one for South Africa. Luckily, art is not work for me.

Anyways, back to Africa.

Day 2 = excursion to Kagga Kamma Lodge. 

About twenty-one people were on this trip and we left at nine in the morning. It was probably about a four-hour drive to get there. The lodge is literally in the middle of nowhere. Nothing is around for miles, no civilization whatsoever. It is surrounded by all these fascinating rock formations that were formed because millions of years ago it was completely under water. We stayed in huts or caves. I shared a hut with a girl named Michelle from New Jersey. Hut 5. I just realized that that sounds eerily like Bus 5. Thankfully, our hut did not break down, although it had two very large spiders and a lizard in it. I did not befriend these critters, but they didn’t bother me. So that’s good.

As I said before Kagga Kamma Lodge is in the middle of nowhere so there was not very much to do other than lay by the pool, hike, eat, drink, or take advantage of the free WiFi. How weird that they had internet, but how awesome that I actually brought my computer. 

Upon our arrival we had lunch, which was an assortment of appetizers. Then I went to the pool with Julia, Fiona, Meghan, Kyle, and Kevin and the others hiked or napped or went ATVing. I forgot, you could ATV too. Oh and they had a spa too. It was like a luxury honeymoon resort….in Nowheresville, South Africa. Crazy. 

After about two hours of lying in the sun, we went on what the guides called a “Sundowner.” All the guests split up into different cars with Tracy and Eugene as drivers/guides. Eugene was my guide. He liked to stop often and get out and tell us about the plant and animal life. At one point he picked up a plant and rubbed it between his fingers and then put his hand in Becca’s face (she goes to University of Iowa, Weiner) and said, “Smell my fingers.” She didn’t. I forget the name of the plant, but it was actually very fragrant and he just wanted to demonstrate that. I don’t think Eugene is familiar with the “smell my finger”jokes. I miss Eugene.

On our Sundowner we saw springboks, ostriches, and some other animals. Then we stopped at this rock overlooking the great expanse of land surrounding Kagga Kamma Lodge. It was a beautiful skyline, with the sun setting over the mountains. I took lots of pictures. We watched the sunset together on the rock, drinking this cider that is a combination of beer and apple juice or something, and munching on Spicy Corn Chutney, which are these deliciously-flavored corn nuts. I bought like six bags.

On the ride back to the lodge, I sat next to Eric. He is from California but goes to school at St. Thomas. What a small world. Once back at the lodge, we all sat around a big campfire while the staff prepared a buffet-style meal. It was glorious. Greek salad, pork chops with a great sauce, potatoes au gratin, vegetables, and chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. I sat next to Fiona and we bonded over our shared love for food. This bond was foreshadowing for an even greater bond to come later in the story. 

After dinner, we went stargazing. There were so many stars and the constellations are different in the Southern Hemisphere. I always try and find the Big Dipper when I look at the stars, but you can’t see it here. I did see Orion’s Belt and the Southern Cross. Tracy pointed out all the major constellations and planets that were visible. We could see Saturn through the stargazing telescope. It was pretty cool. 

 Then I followed my fellow SASers into the Lodge bar. I sat with Fiona and our other guide Dave and watched some cricket for a bit. Dave tried to explain how cricket works. It’s sort of similar to baseball but the games (or matches or whatever you call them) can last for days. Like five days. Can you imagine? After a bit of that, I was super tired and went to my hut to share the huge king-size bed with my roomie Michelle. She was a ringer. On my pillow I found a Forrero Rocher chocolate. I have never had one of those before but oh my god. So good. Get some.

The next morning, after Michelle accidentally locked me in Hut 5 (Ringer move) and I had to escape through the window, the gang went on a hike to see cave paintings. Eugene and Tracy were to be the guides of this hike. After getting about forty-five minutes into the hike, Tracy lost half of the group and Eugene…and the trail. Tracy informed us that she had only done this hike four times and Eugene had never done it before. Soo we were in good hands. 

The “trail”we were following was overgrown with thorn bushes and such. The plant life reminded me of the illustrations from the book “Rox-a-boxen”and also the trees from Dr. Seuss’s “The Pants with Nobody Inside Them.” Flashback to childhood stories, right? 

Anyhoo, after losing half of the group, Tracy decided to stop and take a smoke break. Some of the SASers decided to climb on the rock formations to see the view and…well…because they were bored. 

Four of the guys were standing atop this one rock and were shouting down to us in their best South African accents that it was really “lekker”up there. Lekker is South African lingo for cool. Then Eric said it was also a bit dodgy, which is South African lingo for sketchy. Within about a minute after saying that, Eric was scaling a rock wall and a rock came loose and he fell about twenty feet. I didn’t see it, but some of the guys up there saw the fall. He got scraped up pretty badly on his back and knees, but luckily no major damage. Tracy didn’t have any first-aid on hand, but a SASer named Sophia who is an EMT brought her own personal first-aid kit. Lucky. Once back at the lodge, the Kagga Kamma Lodge beautician cleaned Eric’s wounds and then he was taken into town to get stitches on his knee. If someone got seriously injured there, they would probably have to be airlifted out. 

Back to the hike, though. After waiting for the other group for about twenty more minutes, Tracy decided that we should try and find the trail again. We eventually found a trail, who knows if it was the right one, and we headed back to the lodge. Tracy showed us two small cave paintings along the way and told us that she would drive us to the bigger, more impressive ones after lunch. The paintings were of animals and people, and sometimes just dots and lines. It was pretty interesting to think that these paintings were created thousands of years before and still remain.

After the cave paintings, some of us hung out at the pool again and then we discovered that there was internet so we all checked Facebook and such.

Round two of dinner was even better than the first night. I had Eland (type of African antelope) and sweet potatoes and broccoli. Yum. Then our group sat around the fire and played a game called Mafia. It is a pretty fun game, except I was killed first. It was this woman named Lori’s fault. Damn Lori. Then some of us went to the bar to have a few drinks. Some students drank the previous night with the staff and bartenders and they were all BFFs. It was funny.

The best part of the night came next. I began talking with this guest at the Lodge named Sam Hencher. He was from London, but lived in South Africa now and he was visiting the lodge for a friend’s birthday. He was curious about us Americans and why we were at Kagga Kamma. I informed him about Semester at Sea and he proceeded to ask what I was studying. I told him that I keep changing my mind and that my intended major has gone from economics to psychology and now possibly to art. (I am seriously considering majoring in art. Actually I kind of think I’ve made up my mind…but that’s another story.) He asked me if I painted. I told him that I’m more of a sketcher but I’m taking a painting class on the ship. He asked if I brought my paints. I told him I brought my sketchbook but not my paints. He then told me that he is an artist. He was a children’s book illustrator and now works in films and did some work on the Harry Potter movies. He asked me if I would like to come paint with him the next morning and I was thoroughly disappointed because our bus planned to leave right after breakfast. So then he asked me if I would like to paint right now. And I was soooooo down for some late-night painting with my new friend Sam Hencher. 

He left to retrieve his paints and Fiona, who had been listening to this whole conversation, came up to me and was like, “Can I paint too? I’m an art major as well.” And I was like, “Fiona how could you not tell me this?!” And then we talked about our love of art. Bond number two, for Fiona and I.

Sam returned – paints, pencils, and paper in hand. Fiona, Sam, and I all sat down on the grass outside of the Lodge Bar with only a single light bulb and the stars for light and began sketching each other. Jordan, a fellow shipmate, sat down amidst the drawing powwow, so we all sketched him. It was amazing. I was elated. Just sitting in the middle of South Africa, sketching new friends. Sam showed me his sketchbook too. He is pretty talented. Great with watercolor. I love him. I Friended him on Facebook. I can’t see if he has accepted yet though. Hopefully he will find me a job in the art industry or give me a roof over my head when I move to South Africa.

After sketching, Fiona, Jordan, and I went up on some rocks to look at the stars again. We talked for a couple of hours. I love South Africa. 

The next morning we loaded up the buses and began the trek back to Cape Town. I didn’t see Sam at breakfast, sadly, but I am truly glad that I met him. On our way back, the bus broke down. Just kidding. Actually, we stopped at Spier Vineyard to do a winetasting. 

Spier has leopards that you can stroke. You don’t pet leopards you stroke them. So I stroked a leopard. His name was Joseph. He was beautiful. I want one. The wine was good….if you like wine…which I don’t, but it was fun all the same. I got a necklace there, with the African symbol for bravery. I hope when I wear it I can be brave and I can be me.

When we got back to the ship I was super tired, so I showered, ate on the ship, went to the mall that is about 2 minutes from the ship and got ice cream and then came back and went to bed.

On my fifth and final day in South Africa, I woke up early to climb Table Mountain with Lexi and her friends Kelsey and Megan (I think it was Megan). Table Mountain is 13,627 feet high. We took the easiest route up the mountain, but it is still considered a difficult climb. Kelsey and Megan needed frequent breaks and finally Lexi and I went ahead. I kept a pretty quick pace, but I stopped when Lexi wanted to. I love hiking. I love being able to move after being stuck on the ship for days on end. I want to hike that mountain everyday. 

Lexi and I made it up in about and hour and a half. I think I could have done it in an hour without breaks, so next time I’ll have to find someone that can deal. At the top we were overcome with a great sense of accomplishment and we frowned upon the people that merely took the cable car up to the top. Slackers. I bought some souvenirs at the gift shop. Then we had a delicious lunch atop Table Mountain. We got cheeseburgers that are dipped in this sauce called Mrs. Balls’Chutney. Funny name, I know. But it’s big in South Africa and it’s delish. 

Lexi and I had planned to repel down the mountain, but you can’t go all the way to the bottom so we decided it wasn’t worth it. Next time, I’ll do it. We saw many fellow SASers at the top and I ran into my art classmate, Braxton. He and his friend Alex made it up in an hour. I was jealous. They asked our plans for the rest of the day. Lexi and I wanted to go to this coffee shop called Melissa’s because we heard they line their cups of hot chocolate with Nutella. Braxton and Alex decided to accompany us to Melissa’s, so we took the cable car down the mountain. 

At the bottom we searched for a cab. A driver approached us and Braxton was all “Let me handle this, I’m gonna barter.”So he goes, “Us four…one hundred Rand (which is like 10 USD)” and then the taxi driver goes, “Eighty!” What? Is that bartering? We took the deal and drove off to Melissa’s. Best hot chocolate ever. Mmmm. Melissa’s was on Long Street and we decided to walk back to the ship from there. It was about a thirty-minute walk and we saw more of the city and checked out some cool shops.

When we got back to port, I used the mall’s WiFi and uploaded some pictures on Facebook. First album ever. Check them out. Unfortunately I hadn’t uploaded my South Africa pics to my computer yet. Bummer.

Sooo South Africa was amazing. New foods, new friends, new experiences. Amazing. 

Now we’re on our way to Mauritius. We are only stopping there for the day, but I’m excited. I’m going on another Semester at Sea sponsored field trip with Jill and Caroline, but I know lots of people going on the trip. 

The day after Mauritius is the Sea Olympics. Each deck is divided into different teams that are named after seas. I’m the Baltic Sea. Our team color is black and our mascot is a ninja. In the Sea Olympics I will be participating in the relays…don’t know what that entails yet, and the synchronizing swimming event. Apparently the synchro event is the big finale and it’s a big deal. I am prepared to make a fool of myself. We will win. 

This post took me two hours to write, and during the process I had to set my clock forward an hour so it’s like it took me three hours. I am now ten hours ahead of Minnesota time and twelve hours ahead of California time. 

That is all. 

Love love,
H

South Africa, my future home

2/22/09
21:47

Seriously. Amazing. South Africa is amazing. I am going to live here. Seriously.

So I already wrote about Day 1 in Cape Town, but Day 1 got better after that entry. I didn’t think that was possible.

As I said in my last post, I went to Mama Africa for dinner. Kendra, Lexi and I hopped a cab to Long Street, which is where all the hot restaurants and clubs are located. We hadn’t called ahead for a reservation, but we got there fifteen minutes before the restaurant opened and Jill was meeting us there so I was hoping she had gotten a table. Unfortunately, the restaurant was completely booked but Jill and her friend Smith were sitting at the bar so we joined them there. We decided we would just sit and eat and drink at the bar and what a good decision it was.

We ordered the “Mixed Grill”platter and Vegetable Samosas to split between the five of us. The mixed grill had all different types of meat and I can now say that I have eaten crocodile, ostrich, springbok, and kudu. And it was delicious. Ostrich is fantastic. Vegetable samosas are kind of like a vegetable baklava that we dipped in this sweet chutney sauce. Delectable. So good. South Africa is all about chutney. We ordered some drinks with dinner as well. Our South African student aboard the ship had recommended the Springbok shot which is peppermint liqueur and Amarula liquor, which you can only get in South Africa I think. It is quite tasty. We cheersed. Then I had the Robben Island Iced Tea. Also good. Don’t worry, I drank responsibly family….and it’s also legal for me to drink here.

The gang was in great spirits, eating good food and enjoying good company. Then a band began setting up. There were five people in the band, 3 xylophonists, a drummer, a trumpeter, and the lead singer. Lexi bought there CD, Abakhaya: Marimba Project 2. I just burned it on my computer and was listening to it.

Let me tell you about this band. At first it was purely instrumental. The xylophonists were incredible. They were perfectly in sync. I was loving it. Great dance music. I was just sitting there, jamming, when the deep, beautiful, rich sounds of the lead vocalist began reverberating off of the restaurant walls. Zwelibanzi. That is the name of the lead singer. “More like Hotbanzi,”a direct quote from Kendra.

He had a deep baritone voice. Beautiful. I turned around to sip my drink and then I heard what I thought was a woman singing. No. It was Zwelibanzi. His range was astounding. Perfect pitch. Strong. Baritone and soprano. Amazing. Great dancer too. 

Soo Jill and I were in love with him. Whenever he looked in our direction we, (mostly me,) signed to him that we loved him. The trumpeter saw me motioning, “I love you,”(you know when you point to your eye, your heart, and then the person you love) and came over to me and brought me up on stage with Zweli. He goes by Zweli. I danced with Zweli on stage at a restaurant in South Africa. I love my life. Jill joined me after a bit as well. Sadly, Zweli and I parted ways because he had to continue to perform and I had to continue my night on the town in South Africa. 

Jill, Lexi, Kendra and I proceeded to go to another bar along Long Street. Smith had left earlier to meet up with some other friends. We crossed paths with Caroline, Greg, and Alicia at this bar and together we went to a club called Chrome. No one was on the dance floor, so Jill and I tore it up. I am starting to notice a theme at clubs in different countries: the dance floor is empty…until I get there. Not really, but in Spain and now in South Africa I have been one of the only ones dancing. I just wanna dance. At about midnight everyone wanted to head back to the ship, but what about George at the Observatory you ask? Well we didn’t go to the Observatory because it was midnight and on the other side of town. If it was meant to be the gods of South Africa will bring us together. Or maybe they will bring Zweli and I together. Who knows.

Day 1 = amazing. I’m moving here. Seriously. 

Day 2-5 get better but I am a tired panda and need to sleep.

Habitat for Humanity

2/18/09
17:36

First day in Cape Town, South Africa. I got up early to watch the sunrise over Table Mountain. Unfortunately it was really foggy, so I saw neither. Also, due to the fog we got in late. Lateness seems to be a recurring theme when docking.

The ship docked in a really urban part of town with hotels, malls, and restaurants everywhere. Within minutes of being on the highway, though, there are hundreds upon hundreds of dilapidated shacks made of scrap metal and old tires.  Luxury to poverty all within seconds. It is sad and hard to process.

The field trip I went on (Habitat for Humanity) allowed me to get off the ship before most other passengers and take a bus to the building site. When we got closer to the township, we saw a line of people that was about a quarter of a mile long. It was the line for the town clinic. People line up at 5 in morning sometimes only to be seen at 11 at night or not at all.

We arrived in the township after about a half hour drive. Our assignment was to help replaced the shacks with real houses. Several houses had already been built. They are probably about the size of a single-car garage and house anywhere from four to eight people. 

There were twenty-eight people on the trip so we split into two groups to work on separate houses. The fifteen people in my group (only 3 guys) hopped in the back of a pick-up truck and drove off to our building site. The walls of the house had already been set up and the roof was just getting started.

Four or five local construction workers from the township were helping, as well as three Habitat for Humanity volunteers. The three volunteers were three boys taking their ‘gap year’in between school and university. Two were from England, George and Chazz, and one was Dutch, Ian. They were dreamy.

We got right to work by moving the tiles for the roof. Then we mixed cement or ‘dakker,’as they called it, and did some grout work. I think it was grout work at least. Dakker is dirty. My hands were covered. Also it was really windy which was nice or else it would have been incredibly hot, but I got a lot of sand in my eyes. They feel really gritty right now.

Ian asked if anyone wanted to help out on the roof. I volunteered.  I can now say that I have done roofing work. While I was sitting on the rafters, a bunch of little kids from the town came by the building site and started playing with the people from my group who were still on the ground. We got about halfway done with the roof. One half was completely tiled.

We took a break for lunch and then I went to play with the kids. I walked over to the group and a little boy came right over to me and put his arms up for me to pick him up. He had some sort of pussy wound right around his nose and mouth, but I picked him up and swung him around. Then I gave him a piggy-back ride. Then a little girl came over and wanted me to hold her. These kids are so open and loving. Hardly any of them spoke English. They spoke the ‘click’language. I brought out my camera and they were delighted. I let them take pictures of themselves and of me.

A SASer named Ashley had brought stickers and crayons and the kids went wild. They were all pushing and shoving to get some goodies. They covered themselves in stickers and were coloring on each other with crayons. I was surprised and kind of saddened by their fascination with crayons and stickers. These little things were such a treat. They all wanted more, more, more. I have so much, and I still sometimes find myself wanting more, more, more. Reality check.

I loved today. It was a simply amazing experience. I came back filthy and tired, but I want to do it again tomorrow. I find myself wanting to be a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and just immerse myself in South Africa. Maybe I will.

I just showered and plan to go out to dinner with my roommate Kendra, Jill and Lexi, a girl on my field trip today. We are going to a restaurant called Mama Africa. I hear great things. After we may hit up the clubs. George said he would be at the Observatory. If I happen to end up there and George falls madly in love with me…well that is up to the gods.

Carpenter H

Continuation of Safari Saga

2/17/09
18:31

So after I emptied my bladder, Bus 9 (the bus that adopted me) became much more entertaining. Pre-bathroom break everyone had been dozing, post-bathroom break everyone was awake and ready to party. Greg and I played bartender/DJ from atop the cooler. I held the bus mic up to this girl named Chelsea’s iPod speakers, while Greg handed out beers and wine. We played all artists from our youth: Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney. Nothing bonds a group of kids together better than a 90’s sing-along.

Finally we reached the camp. It was dark and pouring, but we were all in good spirits. Lucinda, our bus driver, suggested that we take off our shoes so as not to muddy them up. So we pranced around barefoot, setting up our tents, tying the rain tarp over the tent, and doing our very best not to track mud and water into the tent. It was almost comical how nothing was going our way. 

The first ‘wild’animal I saw while in the camp was a jackal, a fox-like creature that creeps around stealing scraps of food and shoes. Lucinda warned us not to leave our shoes lying about.

Half an hour after our arrival in the park, Bus 5 rolled in. Bus 5 was back in action. Bennie helped those that hadn’t set up their tents and then he began making the feast, Pasta Bolognese. Also known as Heaven. We were the only bus that got shell noodles, which made it ten times better. Everyone hovered over his or her plates trying to shield the meal from the rain so as no to get Schisto (bacteria in water that causes traveler’s diarrhea). We inhaled dinner. It was amazing.

With full bellies, Greg, Caroline and I went to our warm and dry tent. We told stories, did shadow puppets, and I did a rendition of the YouTube ‘Disturbia’video by Chelsea or whatever that little girl’s name is. Then we fell asleep. Or Greg fell asleep. Caroline and I both couldn’t sleep because the sauna…I mean tent we were in had no circulation but we couldn’t open up the flaps due to rain.

Greg’s alarm went off at 5:50am and I jumped out of bed. I was already awake and could not lie in that oven for another second. Bennie came around and shook everyone’s tents and we all ate eggs and bacon for breakfast. Then we loaded up trusty old Bus 5 and began our safari. 

Within the first ten minutes we saw zebras, but they were kind of far off. Then we saw Springbok, Oryx, ostriches, giraffes, blue wildebeest and several types of African bird. The Springboks and Oryxes were everywhere and got really close to the bus. One time during a lull in the animal-sighting we were all sitting in the bus chatting. Stacie was in the middle of a story and then she shrieked. Everyone jumped. Then we looked to see where she was pointing and there was a huge male giraffe, like 3 meters away. Just a giraffe. In the wild. No big deal.

We stopped after a few hours to break for lunch and souvenirs at the park’s store. Once we had all gotten off the bus, Manfred, the assistant tour guide, informed us that Bus 5 had a flat tire. Oh Bus 5. Luckily we had spare tires. After our little break we went back to safari-ing in hopes of spotting some more of the Top 5: lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and zebras. We saw zebras again, but really close this time.

Bennie brought us to some of the park’s water holes, however it is the rainy season in Namibia so the animals don’t need the park’s watering holes in order to imbibe. So unfortunately the watering holes were empty. Then Bennie brought us to a tree and what was lying under it? Oh just a male lion. Granted this lion was off in the distance a bit and we were not allowed to get off the bus. But still…have you seen a lion under a tree from a distance in Namibia? Yeah. Some other buses saw cheetahs and hyenas. Lucky.

We finally returned to camp at about 6. It had been a long day. I took a shower after rocking the backwards hat the whole day. Pretty baller. Felt good to be clean. We watched the purples and pinks of the Namibian sunset from a tower in the park’s center. Gorgeous. While we gazed at the sky, Bennie and Manfred were preparing another fabulous meal. Perfectly grilled lamb, vegetables and porridge-like substance, some sort of pumpkin/squash mix, and corn. It was delectable.  Roasted marshmallows for dessert. A huge bug flew into my mallow. I didn’t eat it and made another. 

Speaking of bugs, I didn’t get bitten by a single mosquito. No malaria…yahoo! There were a lot of insects at this camp. HUGE beetles. Lots of screaming when those came around.

I slept much better the second night. It didn’t rain so we opened up the “windows”of the tent for some air circulation. 

We got up at 5:30 the next morning. We wanted to get an early start just in case Bus 5 decided to break down again. It’s a long drive even without malfunctions. Everyone was pretty tired, so we slept a lot of the drive. When we got back into Walvis Bay, the port city, we stopped at the dunes and took some great dune pics. Dune.

Back on the ship I heard people’s stories of sand boarding, skydiving, waterballing and other such adventures. I wish I had more time in Namibia and could see and do more.

Things I learned on this trip:
-Flexibility once again.
-When the ratio of girls to guys is 3 to 1, girls become very comfortable talking about subjects that are typically taboo in front of guys. Never have I heard girls talk more openly about pooping and menstruating than this trip. The females of Bus 5 discussed the regularity of their bowel movements while in port in great detail around the campfire. Some of them are “lingerers,”I learned. I never partook in this conversation, though, because everyone knows real girls don’t poop or fart…ever.

As for today, we had 4 speakers from South Africa (great accents) who updated us on current events such as the spread of AIDS, the “brain drain,”and uranium mining (actually this is a Namibian issue). It was a pretty interesting lecture. Then I spent some time in the sun. Got a little too much of that. Taco Day for lunch. Best thing ever. I had two tacos. Then cultural and logistical pre-port. Heard about some good sights to see and sweet places to go from Dale, our South African student aboard. South Africa sounds incredible. 

We arrive tomorrow and I’m doing Habitat for Humanity during the day. Then on Thursday I’m going to Kagga Kamma Resort. I don’t know of anyone else going on that trip soooo new friends! On Sunday I hope to climb Table Mountain. 

I should get my beauty sleep now. More after South Affy.

H

Broken buses and bladders

2/16/09
20:45

You know when you go camping and you make a simple dinner of Mac and Cheese, but it’s the best meal you’ve ever had? Well try having a not-so-simple feast of Pasta Bolognese after a three hour bus ride that turned out to be nine hours long, having to sit on a cooler for half of that bus ride because your bus broke down and all the passengers were divvied up into other already packed buses, and setting up tents in the rain and then finally eating at 10 o’clock at night. Let me just say it was the best meal of my entire life. I may have already crowned the nachos in Madrid ‘Best Meal of My Life’, but they are no match for my first Namibian dinner.

Let me start from the beginning of the story. 

The ship docked in Namibia at about 8, at which time there was a diplomatic briefing for all the passengers. There were two American speakers who now live and work in Namibia, one of whom had something to do with safety and security in Namibia. He told us about the crime situation in Namibia, which is high, and gave us some tips about traveling safely. He concluded his speech with his own personal story of Namibian crime: a man tried to break into his house at 4 in the morning and he stabbed the speaker in the arm with a screwdriver, but the speaker held him off with a wicker chair until the intruder finally fled. So we were all totally ready to have an intense wicker chair fight of our own and live to tell about it.

Despite this violent and rather scary picture that was painted right before we disembarked, Namibia was by far the most welcoming country I have been to thus far.  A choir of girls stood at the gangway singing and dancing for us after the diplomatic briefing ended. The girls ranged from 6 to 16, at least that’s my guesstimate for their ages. They stood in three rows and one girl sat and played a Congo drum. It was beautiful, heart-warming, just wonderful. I wish I could have a CD or something. And they were so uninhibited. The youngest girls would break form and shake it up in front for all of us on the ship. Everyone loved it. 

Once we were allowed off the ship we went down to talk to the girls. They were so nice. They introduced themselves and asked us questions. They were hugging people and smiling for pictures. One girl sang us that song by Rihanna that goes…You look so dumb right now. You know that one? I forgot the name. That girl was awesome. I have a video of her, don’t worry.

After spending some time with the choir, Caroline, Greg, and I headed over to Bus 5, the bus that was going to take us to Etosha National Park for the safari. Although this wasn’t a SAS-sponsored trip, nearly 140 SAS students were going on this safari. There were nine buses lined up at the port that could each seat 15 passengers “comfortably.” 

Upon getting settled into our bus seats our guide, Bennie, and his assistant, Manfred, told us that it would be a 5 to 6 hour drive. I had been told previously that the trip would be 3 to 4 hours long. Oh well, I thought, I’m going on a Namibian safari! Once the rest of Bus 5 showed up, Bennie told us that we should get ready for a long drive, about 6 to 7 hours. Wait…didn’t he just say 5 to 6?

In order to prepare for the long journey, Bennie stopped at the supermarket so we could get snacks and drinks. Then the adventure began.

We drove through the dunes of Walvis Bay, which reminded me of the time that Dad thought we should name Liv, Dune. Dune isn’t a name, Dad. The passengers of Bus 5 agree.

Bennie pointed out the resort where Brangelina stayed and had baby Shiloh.

And then we stopped for gas. It had been probably 20 to 30 minutes of driving. Then we drove some more. And stopped again. This time for a quick bagged lunch. Then we drove some more. Then we stopped…again. For gas and more snacks and a pee break. Then we drove some more. I saw a baboon sitting on a fence. Then we stopped again. This cycle continued for maybe two hours. We were caravanning with the other buses as well so we all stopped at the same places, which made the lines really long. At one pit stop we found out that all the other buses were passing around a bottle of vodka and getting shwasted. Our bus was playing Catch Phrase. Good ole Bus 5.

Then we drove some more. And then we started to slow. And then we slowed down more. And then we stopped moving.

Bus 5 broke down. 

Another bus flew past us and honked, mocking us in our sorry state. Then, thankfully, another bus pulled over. And another, and another, until we had about 5 buses parked on the side of the road. The SASers started pouring out of the buses and flooding the country road we were stalled on. It was a downright SAS party in the middle of the street in Namibia. Bus 5 decided to crack their first beer in light of the current situation.

After about 45 minutes of dinking around with Bus 5’s engine, the drivers finally decided that Bus 5 passengers should be dispersed amongst the other buses, 2 extra per bus. So we did that, except Caroline and I didn’t get a bus. So we wandered around carrying our backpacks and sleeping bags and snacks and two 5-liter bottles of water and two beers until Lucinda, a topnotch bus driver, offered to take on more passengers. Caroline sat up front in between Lucinda and her assistant Jason, while Greg and I sat on a cooler in the aisle. Cozy. 

Then we started driving again. Then we stopped. Again. Pee break. I sort of had to pee, but I decided to wait 20 minutes for the next stop because I didn’t have to go THAT bad. Well guess what…we didn’t stop again for an hour. AN HOUR. That hour was quite possibly the most painful hour of my life. I was dangerously close to peeing my pants. DANGEROUSLY. When we finally stopped I ran off the bus only to find…you guessed it, a line at the girl’s bathroom. I offered everyone twenty American dollars (since $20 Namibian is like $2 USD) to let me budge. Kindly, everyone let me go ahead for free.

The story isn’t over and believe me it gets better, but I am utterly exhausted and perhaps seasick? So bed for me.

Off to Mibby and South Affy

2/13/09
11:21

I am now 8 hours ahead of my Minnesotan fans, and 10 hours ahead of my California posse. Yikes.

Today is the last day of classes for a week. I will see Namibia and South Africa in the span of 8 days. I am going on a safari in Namibia. In South Africa I’m doing Habitat for Humanity the first day. Then for the next two nights, I am going to the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve where I will “experience the world of the San people.” 

I am pretty excited for my upcoming adventures. It has been a rather long stretch on the ship. Everyone has had lots of tests, quizzes, and papers due in the last few days. Pub night has been quieter. I had a quiz in World Religions yesterday. It went pretty well except I forgot what important things John of the Cross accomplished. I guessed he was a missionary. He was a martyr. Same thing, right? We’ll see.

My art teacher gave me a B on my journal/homework thus far. Her comments were: I think you can do more. I probably can. If I get a B in that class…I won’t go there.

I will update the blob after my travels!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all my loved ones! 

Neptune Day and other things

2/10
19:54

Neptune Day came and went. It was one of the best and longest days of my life.

It began at 7:15 am when the crewmembers ran through the halls banging drums, screaming, and pounding on our doors. Wonderful sounds to wake up to. At 9am, all Pollywogs were told to meet on Deck 7 aft. There we found King Neptune and his wife (the ship’s captain and a woman I don’t know, both painted neon green from head to toe) seated on the throne next to the pool. Those that wished to no longer remain a Pollywog and become a Shellback had to undergo the ancient sea rituals. The rite of passage for becoming a Shellback begins with green liquid that smells strongly of fish poured over one’s head, kissing a large fish, kissing King Neptune’s ring, bowing to the Queen, jumping in the freezing cold pool and then shaving one’s head. I took part in all aspects of said ritual except the head shaving. Shaving these thick, naturally curly golden locks? Never!

After partially becoming a Shellback it was a mad scramble to find a deck chair and begin the sunbathing process. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, sunny and warm. Everyone felt so happy and grateful on this beautiful day in the middle of the ocean. Jill, Alicia, Caroline, Kendra, Lea and I went to the front of the ship to tan. It was extremely windy there but it felt good because it was so hot out. Everything kept blowing away, so we had to weight things down and hold on tight to our towels. Jill’s smoothie was knocked over by the wind. It was messy. I didn’t help clean up. 

I spent about seven hours out in the sun, but I used a fair amount of sunscreen so I don’t look like the lobsters walking around the ship today. The bald lobsters. Lots of shaved heads. An odd sight. I’ve heard tears have been shed.

After the long hours of lying in the sun, there was a barbecue dinner. Cheeseburgers, hotdogs, ribs, corn on the cob, sundaes. It was heavenly. I had a cheeseburger, two hotdogs, two pieces of corn, and two sundaes…one was a double scooper. Mmmm mmmm.

We actually crossed the equator today, but it was a good thing we celebrated Neptune Day yesterday because it was overcast this morning. Did you know that there is a line running through the ocean where the equator is? Pretty cool to see.

 Oh wait, that’s not true at all. 

The captain made an announcement as we crossed the equator. It was 3:23. I was in Economics of Money and Banking. Riveting stuff.

I met my shipboard family tonight. John the photographer is my Ship Dad. I have two sisters and a brother: Allie, Katie, and Steve. Allie and Steve had newly shaven heads. They all seem very nice and I look forward to getting to know them better.

That’s all for now.

Just a day, just an ordinary day

2/8/09
19:28

Sunday. Day three on the ship. Voyagers are going mad.

Not really, but the days do seem to drag on. After visiting two countries that are so vastly different in the span of a week and a half, ship-life can be kind of dull. Dull isn’t the right word. I just have to find better ways to spend my time. The weather is getting nice, so there’s one time-killer: becoming Hannah “Coco”Peterson again. I’m not living up to my namesake currently.

The project in my painting class today was to bring black and white photos in order to paint a tonal painting (varying shades of black). I printed off a picture of Liv from my computer. The one where she is sitting in the backyard, naked, with a little smirk on her face and her doll lying next to her. Such an adorable picture. The painting turned out pretty good as well. I don’t consider myself the best painter, but I think this could be a framer. The beautiful black man that sat next to me in class today, Braxton, complimented my skills. We’re dating….no big deal.

 I’m really glad I’m in that painting class, now. The class also requires an art journal, which will be a great thing to look back on years after this trip. Soooo artsy right now. I’m all about art. Art is my thing.

Today was Fry Day at lunch. Everyone loves Fry Day. It’s super exciting. Unfortunately, Jill signed me up to work out at 1 and so I cramped during my run. Damn it. At least I got a workout in, though. That’s what really counts.

In the afternoon, after class, I went to lay out. It was gorgeous out. Really hot and sunny. We were stopped at a port in Dakar to refuel. I reached into my backpack for my Kiehl’s lip balm to protect my sultry lips against the dangerous rays, but instead I pulled out a tube of Ivory Black acrylic paint. I smeared it all over and then realized what I had done and started convulsing and projectile vomiting. 

I’m lying. See? Too much free time.

Tomorrow is laundry day. Thank god. I have so much laundry….well actually only one bag and most people have two to three. Such a minimalist these days.

Tomorrow is also Neptune Day, the day we cross the equator. Although someone told me we cross the equator on Tuesday, not tomorrow. I don’t know if this is true or not, so I will wait for the Rumor Ranger (the ship’s way of squelching rumors) to get back to me. Anyway, on Neptune Day there are these Navy rituals in which fish guts are thrown at the passengers and many shave their heads. So there is no class tomorrow and I will smell of fish and be bald.

Well…I may smell of fish, but I won’t be shaving my head. Can you imagine my pinhead…bald? Gross. Also I hit my head on this railing today at dinner (too animated in story-telling) and have a huge bump sooo I totally can’t shave my head now. Bummer, right?

Oh, also, every student is given the opportunity to sign up for a “ship family”where a faculty member is your makeshift parent and other students are you siblings. I signed up because a SAS alumni advised me to and it sounded like an interesting way to get to know people. In the past few days everyone has been getting their family assignments. Everyone except me. But today, I got my fam. John the photographer is my father. I think it will be a single parent household. I have a broken home even with my pretend family. Too soon? I think it’s funny.

I get to Namibia on February 14. Happy Valentine’s Day to me! I’m going on a safari that isn’t SAS sponsored, so I was instructed to take Malaria pills. I did not bring any Malaria pills. No fear, I went to the health clinic and they hooked me up. I am taking Lariam. I am supposed to take it weekly with food. Possible side effects include nausea, vivid dreams, insomnia, dizziness, and loose stools. I am especially excited for the vivid dreams and loose stools. Don’t worry I’ll write in detail about both.

Well this is me signing off.
H

Prince A Boo Boo

2/6/09
15:15

I left out some key happenings in Morocco, I realized.

While perusing the souks, us ladies were called various names such as: Skinny, Sister or Hermana, America, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, and my personal favorite Spice Girls. Also, on our big souk trip ten of us gathered for lunch at a nice restaurant in the middle of the marketplace called Argana. It immediately made me think of, “I’m from Ghana.” I miss my cabin girls.

On our last day, we woke up early at our B&B after a late night of hookah barring, hotel barring with other SASers, and pillow talk in the honeymoon suite between me and Jill. Jill and I, the newly weds, had one of the best conversations I have had in a while. Her and I have always been like this (insert gesture Chandler makes on that one Friends ep when he’s drunk and Rachel guesses what he’s thinking). 

After our carb and dairy overload (3 different types of bread, yogurt, brie, and an assortment spreads) we headed off to the train station. Oh I forgot, Jill, Win (new friend with strong east coast accent) toasted to Marrakech with our mint tea….god I love that tea. I’m on the patch to get over my addiction. Too hard to go cold turkey. Also Win thought Marrakech was actually Amarrakech because we had all been referring to it as such. “Amarrekech, f*** yeah!!!” You know? Kind of like “America, f*** yeah!” Oh ignorant and gullible Win, God love him.

This train ride I had a first class ticket, so I was guaranteed a spot. It was a fun ride home. Lots of laughs. Greg, Lea, Caroline, Jill and Stacey were all in my compartment. We were getting a bit bored so we decided to play a game. Greg suggested Geography, a very boring game that I would not recommend in the future. Basically someone says a continent, country, state, or city and the next person has to say one of the latter that starts with the last letter of the name given. Example: Marrakech, Hawaii
Fun, huh? So we start this stupid game and it was my turn and I think I said Alabama or something and Stacey replies, “…airplanes.” I died. She obviously wasn’t listening to the rules. And it is a pretty complex game. We busted her chops a lot for that remark.

Upon our arrival back in Casablanca everyone decided to go the Hassan II Mosque, which is the second largest mosque in the world (I think.) It was incredibly windy because the mosque is erected over water and the sea was quite rough. Walking against the wind was a chore. A fun chore. I felt just like Helen Hunt in Twister. Not really, but do you remember that movie? The mosque was beautiful. Every inch is intricately detailed with tile mosaics or wood carvings or Arabic writings. Exquisite. I took a tour with some others and there is an entire hammam (bathing area) built solely for tourists to view. 

Seeing as the mosque caters to tourists, Jill and I expected the pamphlet to be proofread a bit better. But it seemed as if they just took the French version and typed it into freetranslations.com and copy pasted. Let me give you an example:

The work of the Moucharabieh limiting these mezzanines is of a very high fineness.

Is that even English? We had a good laugh over that, being the snobby American writers we are.

After, 6 of us decided to go to Rick’s Café, from the movie “Casablanca.” It was closed. Total bummer. So we just walked back to the ship. The waves last night were nuts. A girl broke her finger, one got a concussion, a “code blue”was announced over the loud speaker. I don’t know what code blue is but I think it was a head injury. After the big waves died down a bit, I went to Jill and Caroline’s room and watched Aladdin. Great movie. Classic.

I had class today and good lord it was hard. Pretty much everyone is either seasick or actually sick. My roomie, Kendra, was really seasick. Caroline threw up twice. I have a head cold. Awesome. It was hard to stay awake in Global Studies. I really wish they would do a better job with that class. I had such high hopes for it. I think it should be more about current events and culture in the countries we are visiting rather than the climate and ancient history. I do recognize that the history of these countries is important but I think it would be more useful to have knowledge of present goings-on since…well…we’re in the present.

I’ve been talking and thinking a lot about mi familia et mes amies (Spanish and French, how do you like that?) I think about how it would be to travel to these places with all of you. I think about Nate bartering. I think about Dad talking to taxi drivers. I look at scarves and pottery and am reminded of Mom. I think about what Katie would order at a restaurant. I think of how big Liv is getting and wonder if the t-shirt I bought her will fit. I think about going to Guatemala and how Clare was just there. I think about California and how all my friends, new and old, will be there and not me. You are constantly with me. You are in my dreams and stories. Miss you.

Ssalamu 'ledum

2/5/09
16:58

Feels sooooo good to be showered after 3 days in Marrakech. Morocco is definitely not the cleanliest country.

Although there is a language barrier in Spain, it is still relatively similar to the US. Morocco, on the other hand, is a whole new world (a song from Aladdin which we sang frequently while in the country.)   

Our logistical pre-port meeting the night before had been about safety and protecting yourself while in port. Morocco is more dangerous than Spain. The females aboard were even advised not to make eye contact with Moroccan men because they will see it as an invitation to harass them. Given this knowledge, I think most of the women were feeling a bit uneasy about Morocco. I’m just glad we had 4 guys in our group.

When we finally disembarked in Casablanca Tuesday morning, it was rather overwhelming. Traffic is crazy. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of system, so walking out of the port was kind of scary with taxis and scooters zooming every which way. The group I was traveling with (relatively the same group from Madrid) planned to go directly to the train station and get a ticket to Marrakech. Getting a taxi to the train station was not easy with a group of 13. We split into 3 or 4 groups (each having at least one guy in it) and got separate taxis. You have to barter with the drivers to get a good price…and I for one didn’t really know what was a good price. We all paid different amounts for the same ride. Some 50 Euro, some 15 (the taxis accepted Euro on occasion).

We weren’t the only SASers with the idea to go to Marrakech and the huge group of young Americans at the train station did not go unnoticed. The train ride from Casablanca to Marrakech was quite different from my trip from Cadiz to Madrid. I got a second-class ticket on the train, which means I was not guaranteed a spot to sit. Luckily I found an open compartment where I sat with some friends. This train was slower also, kind of rickety. And the scenery I observed out my window was not glamorous. Dirty, decrepit shacks. Dirty sheep and cows roaming the grassy hills. Lots of filth. Morocco has lots of stray cats like Spain. Less pigeons. Pigeon is a delicacy in Morocco. Yum.

In Marrakech I staid at a riad (basically a bed and breakfast) called La Riad Mura Kush (spelling?). It was beautiful. Muhammed and Hassan, the men working at the riad, were very kind and helpful. They spoke good English and knew French and Arabic too. My French is definitely rusty. Unfortunate. But I can still read it very well, so that was nice. 

Upon getting to Marrakech I was still a little uncomfortable, but by the second day I felt very at ease. We went to the souks (markets) and I bartered, by myself. I was really scared to do it but once I started I wasn’t nervous at all. I just had to realize that it’s okay to walk away, it’s not offensive, it doesn’t hurt their feelings, it’s just how you play the game. I didn’t buy a lot of stuff (2 t-shirts, 2 postcards) but we spent a lot of time there. It is so colorful. There are snake charmers, storytellers, monkey trainers, acrobats, and street vendors. Carts filled with dates and nuts, spices and herbs. The smells are intense. I wish I had more pictures but most people did not want to be photographed.

Food, as usual, was what I spent most of my money on. The first night we had chicken shawarma, which is kind of like chicken and vegetables wrapped up in a pita. Very good. Then for dessert I ordered tiramisu-like ice cream dish. Eating ice cream in this port was ill-advised as well as drinking fountain drinks…my group did both the first day in port. No traveler’s diarrhea for anyone yet, though. 

I taught everyone diarrhea in sign language. We have been doing that a lot. A LOT. 

One US dollar is like 8.73 Dirham (Moroccan currency) so everything is really really cheap. So after the shawarma and tiramisi, I also ordered a pizza for later….why not it was like 5 bucks for everything. The next day I got tangine which is sort of like a Moroccan pot-roast. I tried this guy Brenden’s tangine…he got rabbit. I’ve eaten rabbit. 

I also fell in love with the mint tea in Morocco. They call it Moroccan whiskey. I’m not a big tea drinker but my God this stuff is like a little piece of heaven. I am addicted. I am going through withdrawal right now. Sometimes if a vendor thinks you are good at bartering and they had fun with you during the sale they will serve you mint tea. I am so disappointed I was never served mint tea. It’s just so good. 

After the souks a group of us went to the El Badi Palace, the remnants of an old palace. It was really cool to see and a great photo op.

One thing I learned from this trip is NOT to travel in such a large group. There is no way to please everyone, and tensions can be high when people are not flexible. “The f-word is very important on this voyage,”says Dean Les McCabe. So true. Plans change constantly. Adapt. 

It is hard to find a place that can accommodate a large group and keep everyone together. Drama may ensue. It is hard to find taxis for a large group. Morocco is not exactly the safest place at night. Add those two things and people start freaking out and f-words (not ‘flexible’this time) start flying. This example may or may not have happened last night. But once we had all sat down at a little café and had some thé du menthe things were good. At least for me. It’s all about looking at the bigger picture. When is the next time I will be in Morocco? Why should I spend any time being upset? 

Back on the ship now for 8 days of class.  I haven’t had class in 9 days. Tomorrow will undoubtedly be a bit rough.

 When leaving the port tonight, the ship has to turn around and the captain turns off the stabilizers so the rocking is intense. On Monday night when we came into port the same thing was done. You know when they show all the dishes falling in Titanic and people hanging on to pole’s for dear life? Well it was kind of like that. Chairs were sliding, the nightstand in my cabin flipped, and some of us kids went to slide around on the floor. It was like a roller coaster ride. Real fun. Unless you get seasick. I haven’t decided if I’m going to go slide around or not tonight. If so I’ll have to put on socks to get the best slide on.

I have to draw in my art journal now. School…who knew this was actually school.

Other Spanish Tidbits

2/1/09
13:36

So I tried to get everything in yesterday, but I realize I have left out some details.

Other interesting events in Cadiz:
Everyone told us it would be cold and monsoony in Cadizzle, but the weather was gorgeous.  It could almost be considered tanning weather.

When ordering ice cream, I thought I was ordering a banana split but it was only banana-split flavored (still good).  Upon realizing my mistake I decided I wanted a scoop of chocolate ice cream as well so I said in my best Spanish “A SCOOP OF CHOCOLATE.”  Oh wait…that’s English.  I did say it really slowly though, thinking that would help. The ice cream lady got the point.  Score.

Alicia’s ROTC friend from USD, Liam, is studying abroad in Ireland so he made the trek down to Cadiz and hung out with us for the afternoon and night.  It was nice to have a guy along on our escapades en la noche, not that I felt unsafe in Cadiz, it is just comforting to have one around.

I have never been a fan of coffee but when it started to cool off in the night I ordered un café con leche con Bailey’s, which really hit the spot.  Ordering at that café, however, was nearly impossible.  It was like once the waitress found out we couldn’t speak Spanish she started speaking even faster.

There are stray cats everywhere in Cadiz.  It should be called Cat-iz. Ha.  I want a cat.  Maybe that is why it smells like cat litter in Spain.  And maybe that is why our hostel was called Cat’s Hostel.

Our final adventure came after we left this western-themed bar.  It was like the bar was trying to have some American flavor, but all the influences clashed.  Western props plus gangster statues and pictures plus Rihanna music equals United States? Yes ma’am.  So anyway, we left that bar and walked back to the ship but the main entrance (the one we had used all day) was closed.  I was tired and my whole body was aching and I just wanted to be in bed.  But we had to walk about three quarters of a mile to get to the other entrance.  Halfway through the walk, Alicia and Caroline and I decided we would just hop the fence (it was like a 3 foot fence) so we put our stuff down on the other side and were about to jump when blue lights flashed.  Policia.  The police started talking to us in Spanish, which none of us spoke, and finally they made a gesture to go to a different street.  Apparently, we were not allowed to walk on the street we were walking on. 

After an hour in jail….

Just kidding.  Still only a criminal in Madrid.

Other events in Madrid:

Lots of pigeons. In Dizzy and Driddy.  Several flew at my face. Not a big fan of pigeon attacks.

Also lots of caca.  Apparently no one picks up after their dogs.  Watch your step mis amigos.

Rained the first day, my scarf was not waterproof. Went back to the hostel and got my handy-dandy Northface rain jacket.   Good purchase, Mom.

People traveling with me in Madrid/new best friends:
Taylor, Bradee, Lea, Stacey, Greg (Jefe or on occasion Jake), Nate, Laura.  There were 3 others who kind of split off and did their own thing. 

Historical/beautiful landmarks we saw on our tour:
Palacio Real
Plaza Mayor
Puerta del Sol
Catedral de la Almudena

The train station we arrived at, Attocha, has a mini jungle in it and there was a huge turtle pond.  Took lots of pics of turtles. Why? TURTLES!

At the Prado we saw loooots of paintings of Jesus and the Crucifixion.  The coolest painting to see was Las Meninas painted by Diego Velasquez.  It was cool to see it because we had studied it in Global Studies 2 days beforehand.

That night while going into the third club our guide, Santiago (Adrian’s brother), gave us our free drink cards and sent us in.  Then two bouncers handed out business cards that said the name of the club: Sol & Sombra.  I was under the impression that these were more drink cards and stealthily took two.  Joke was on Hannah.  I went to the bar with Laura and Caroline and ordered two drinks and when asked to pay 3 Euros, or however much it was, I handed bartendero (that’s the Spanish name for bartender….not) my card.  The bartender informed me that the card meant nothing.  I think he was wrong, so I kept one.  Stupid bartender, play by the rules.

The Spanish family that sat behind me on the way home from Driddy Drid was entertaining.  There was a mother and father and little girl who was probably about 6 and then a baby boy.  Younger than Liv.  I was exhausted and trying to sleep and this baby boy was just singing.  It was like he was opening his mouth and making the noise of an alarm clock, just for the sake of making an annoying noise.  Loved that.  And the little girl sang lots of songs towards the end of the trip, since we were the only people in the train car.  She was a good singer.  I liked her.  She had a good laugh too. So did the mom.

Katie, you were wondering if babies around the world sound different in other countries.  The baby boy did not sound much different than LivyBabe except for his annoying tendency to make that noise.  The mother and daughter also acted towards him as I do with Liv.  Playing silly, repetitive games in high voices that mean nothing, but bring a smile to everyone’s face.  Made me miss my Livingston Bear.  The little girl also did something that all little kids do, I guess. She tried to get her mother’s attention.
“Mama, mama, mama?… Mama…..Mama …..MAMA!!”
“Que?!?”
“When do we arrive in Cadiz? (in Spanish of course)”

I loved hearing them interact and listening to the mom laugh at something her daughter did. Made me just a bit homesick for my own happy family.

Today:
Really wanted to sleep in and skip Global Studies, but I thought it was important to learn about Morocco so instead I just skipped breakfast.  Slept afterwards.  It was the first time I remembered my dreams since coming to Spain.

Had a bit of a pinkeye scare last night.  After I took my contacts out my eye was really watery and irritated. Shit. It’s fine today, but I’m wearing my glasses just in case.  I wasn’t even thinking about pinkeye. I bet someone at home has it.  Sam? I think you gave it to me last time.  Figure it out, you guys!