All good things must come to an end...

The past couple of days have been my last ones in South Africa. I am on the plane right now from DC to LAX, and I have a mix of emotions. Excitement, nervousness, tiredness, anticipation, tiredness (getting on another 5 hour flight after an 18 hour flight can do that to you :)), and many more emotions. I do not know how I am even awake right now! I don't even know where to begin wth my story of this semester in South Africa. I ahve experienced some of the most exciting, thrill-crazy adventures, but I also have experienced some of the lowest moments in my life seeing the poorest of the poor. I have encountered and taken care of many people infected and dying from HIV, which has really challenged my faith. I am excited for my journey back home, and I am looking forward to beginning the process of growth and understanding of everything that I have expereinced, but I am little scared too. But I am so thankful to my family, school, and God so much for the opportunity that they gave me to come to South Africa. Thank you everyone who supported me, prayed for me, sent me packages :), and skyped me while I was gone. Thank you for always thinking of me! :) You guys are the best. My trip would not have been the same without your support, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I have seen, learned, and experienced countless things during my time in South Africa, and it will be a trip that I will never forget for the rest of my life. So, as I have ended all my other blogs....UNTIL NEXT TIME....OR SHOULD I SAY.....UNTIL NEXT TRIP.....

Jaws in real life! Time to go shark cage diving!

On May 1, a group of 7 students and I went shark cage diving. AaGGggHHhhhh! It was THE craziest thing I have ever done in my entire life! our group had to be picked up at BI in Kalk Baii at 5:30am, so some of us who were staing in Oceanview had to be picked up at 4:30am! It was a super early morning start, but I knew it was going to be all worth it in the end! From BI, the van took all of us students and four others on a two hour drive to Gaansbaii. It is one of the most popular areas to see great white sharks in the world! When we got there, we had a quick breakfast at a restaurant and then boarded the biggest ship in the shark cage diving industry. IT actually held the world record for around the world in the shortest amount of time in 1998! It was pretty cool. :)

In
In Gaansbaii, the boat took us to Dyer Island, right next to what they call "Shark Alley." I got a little sick on the way out there, because we were right smack dab in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. But I also think it was from all the excitement/nervousness from the fact that I was about to get into a metal cage and essentially swim WITH GREAT WHITE SHARKS! So we finally stopped in this area, and everyone who was shark cage diving (cuz some people just came along for the show) got divided into three groups. I was in the third diving group. :)

The divemasters and the boat crew threw chum in the water, as well as tuna heads as bait, to attract the sharks, but I didn't really expect for the sharks to come. But when the first group went into the cage, great whites soon came after about 10 min.! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Total we saw either 6 or 7 different great whites (not sure if the 7th one was the same from earlier), and I saw 3 while I was in the cage myself! One of the sharks was a 12 footer, and it almost jumped into the part of the cage that was uncovered! CRAZY!

What the divemaster would do is throw the bait in the water, close to the boat, and as soon as the sharks bite into it, he would begin to pull it away from him, essentially bringing the shark to the cage! So this one shark had a really good grip on the bait, that while the divemaster tried to pull the bait back towards the boat, the shark came full force attached with it! In my second time in the cage, a 15 footer shark jumped out of the water at the bait and got so close to the cage and started ramming the cage! Yes...I was in the cage! SO INSANE! Totally the biggest rush of my entire life! I thought that jumping off the world's highest bridge was the craziest thing I had done in my life, but shark cage diving totally topped that experience times a million! I couldn't beleive that I could even see the shark's super sharp teeth!

After, we had lunch at the same restaurant where we had breakfast and then was brought back to BI and then eventually to Oceanview. Shark cage diving was the best way to end my South Africa semester! It was an opportunity that I knew I would never be able to do again! :)

Later that night, Virgina and Berna held a braii (bbq South Africa style) for Brianna and I's last night in Oceanview. They invited some family and friends. Of course again, the food was amazing! There was so much of it! We had steaks, porkchops, salad, pasta...everything! The next morning, Brianna and I went to their home church with them called New Apostolic Church. It was definitely a different experience, because the service was held in Afrikans and English, and I had never been to an apostolic church before. But I am happy that I have been able to experience so many new things during my time here in South Africa. I have learned alot about the people, history and culture of South Africa, and I wouldn't trade it for anything! :) My time is coming to a close here...so until next time....

Sssstttooorrrrmmmerrrsss! RUGBY TIME!

On April 28, Friday, after History and Culture class, a group of five of us journeyed out to Newlands Stadium for the Capetown Stormers vs. the New Zealand Crusaders rugby game! :) It was my second and last fugby game that I got to attend while in South Africa. But this one was different than the Sharks game that I went to earlier in the semester, because the five of us got tickers in the standing room section only! :) I didn't really know much about this area, but after being in it, I swear it was like the hooligans section! There were so many crazy fans, cheering at the top of their lungs the entire game! HARD CORE STORMERS FANS! :) There were so many posters for the players and flags flying, all showing Stormers spirit! I was so close to the filed, I could literally feel the action! :) The Stormers won the game 42-14, so of course, we celebrated later that night! Virginia picked us all up from Newlands and brought us all home. Her and Berna have been amazing...so hospitable! Got home about midnight, and even though I had to wake up about only 4 horus later for shark cage diving, I tried to go to bed, but there was so much excitement from the night and anticipated excitement for the next morning! :) So until next time...

Last full week in Capetown....

Tonight, April 25, was my first night in Oceanview with my homestay sisters, Virginia and Berna. I may have stated earlier in my other blogs that they are high school teachers for one of the main languages of South Africa, Afrikans. They are really sweet, and they cooked a great meal for us on our first night. My fears of not having good slowly began to go away..we were off to a good start. :) Went to bed that night in my own bed and myown room, which was nice because I have been sharing a room with a roommate or even three other girls for all my time in South Africa.

The next day, April 26, a van picks up the people who are at Oceanview in home stays to bring us to Bible Institute (BI) in Kalk Bay for class. We have another history and culture class of South Africa, and after class Virginia and berna pick us up from BI & tell us that they are going to take us around the city. Brianna and I were quite excite to get shown around by people who have lived in South Africa all their lives. We drove down the Atlantic Seaboard, stopping at Chapman's Peak, Hout Baii, Llandudno, Camps Bay, Bantry Bay, a quick stop through Kirstenbosch Gardens, and then the Capetown Soccer Stadium. And of course...we took pictures at each place. :) They even showed us where they grew up before being forcibly removed from Noordhoek because of the Group Areas Act, which forced them into Oceanview. Later that night, they took us to Grandwest Casino, which was like a mini Vegas, but with a theater, ice skating rink, bowling alley, arcade, and even mini theme park for kids. IT was really fun and great people watching! :)

On APril 27, the entire group of students and I went on a Peninsula Tour. Seeing the Cape of Good Hope was my favorite thing about today. It wa so fun to be able to walk up to the lighthouse and look over where both the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet. That was so crazy to me! Looking out into the oceans was so peaceful, and I was able to get some really good pictures. Later in the day, our group went to Boulders Beach, where there are tons of penguins! :) It was funny to see so many in one place!

On April 28, I had History and Culture of South Africa class once more. Today was especially cool, because we watched the DVD entitled Amandla, which was about music and the change music endured during the Apartheid regime. Amandla, which means power in Zulu, also talked about how music was the hope for people of South Africa during such an oppressive time. It was their strength, and it was a way to express themselves. It was a very powerful DVD, and I learned so much from it. Later that night, our group was supposed to go to a Redbull soccer extravaganza, but it got cancelled because of very very windy weather. Right now in Capetown, it is winter, so we actually have been really lucky that it hasn't been raining that much. :)

On Thursday, April 29, our group journeyed out to Stellenbosch and Spier. Both cities are some of the top-producing wine places of South Africa. These cities are beautiful, but after doing the township tour of Langa, the difference between the two areas is massive. The areas of Stellenbosch and Spier have been very much maintained with that old Victorian style. I remember having to think to myself once on the Stellenbosch and Spier trip if even I was still in the same South Africa that had all these townships and rural areas. The vineyards and the land were jsut so beautiful, I couldn't imagine, even though I knew, that jsut a couple cities down was the oldest township of the western cape, Langa. In Spier, we were not able to walk around the city, but it was very relaxing to just walk around the vineyards and picnic areas. This week has been pretty jam-packed, but it's been alot of fun, and Friday is not even here yet....Until next time...

Weekends were made for fun

On April 23, Lyndsey, Brianna, and I were able to venture out to Groot Constantia Winery. It is the oldest winery in the country of South Africa. We trained out to Wynberg and then we got a 5 taxi (less than a dollar!) to the winery. The taxis are the main mode of transportation, but it kind of is a weird thing. There is like this stop where all the taxis are and certain ones go to certain places, but the thing is is that it doesn't say what taxi goes where and the drivers for them are no where to be found! :) haha So at first, we literally had to go from taxi to taxi asking who would take us to Constantia. When we finally found one, we were excited cuz we thought we were going to be well on our way, but little did I know! :) The different thing about here is that the taxi does not leave until the entire car is full. There were a lot of other passengers in the taxi, and I couldn't even imagine how long they had been waiting, but when we got in we were only waiting for one more person...but we had to wait! I thought to myself that people who rely on the taxis for thier main transportation, how inconvenient it can be for them sometimes, becuase what if you have to get somewhere at a certain time ya know? And it's not like you can come earlier to prevent this from happening, because you don't know the schedules of other people. It was a crazy concept to me. So different from the hustle and bustle of the States back home.

So we finally got to Constantia, and it was gorgeous! I could not believe my eyes! The winery, the landscape, the view, and all arond....all of it was breathtaking! WE also got to go on this private tour with just the three of us, and that was also a treat as well! :)

The next day, April 24, our group hiked Table Mountain! One of the most famous landmarks of Capetown, and all of South Africa. It is known all around the world, becuase of its table top looking stature. :) It was supposed to be a three hour hike, but I ended up doing it in about an hour and a half! During the hike, the view was amazing! It was so gorgeous....I could see the entire city! when I got to the top, the view was one of the prettiest things I have ever seen in my entire life! Our group had lunch up on the mountain, and then I was able to ride the cabel car dwon. The entire expereience was one that I will never forget. This entire trip. I have just beena ble to do so many incredible things. I feel like everything that I have seen in the pamphlets, on tv, in the tourist books, I have all been able to do! After hiking Table Mountain, it was so evident how beautiful the city of Capetown is and why so many people call it the Mother City of Africa!

On APril 25, a group of us girls went to Hillsong Chruch. It is similar to Saddleback, very mega church style, but I really enjoyed it. The pastor talked about the power of God's redemption and His saving grace. We are His children, and his grace is amazing. IT was really cool, becuase one of the ladies in the church was able to share her story and God saved her life, literally, from a lifestyle of drugs and depression. It was amazing. After, the girls and I were able to Green Market Square, where we were able to buy lots of souvenirs and shop around for some really cool gifts, for some people back home. :) Later that afternoon, I switched over from staying at BI to my homestay in Oceanview. Like I have been staying in my past posts, I am kind of a nervous, but I know it will be an experience I will never forget. I feel like I'll really be able to learn from them much of the history of South AFrica, because Oceanview, where they are living, is a result of forced removals of the aprtheid. I will blog about my expereience afterward. :) My parents were saying that being nervous wabout staying in someone else's home is understandable, but they also encouraged me to be open to new experiencxes, so that is the attitude that I will go into this expereience with. :) Until next time....

Robben Island

On April 22, we went to Robben Island. Robben Island was primarily used as a prison. There were other uses for it, such as a training and defense station as well as an institution for the mentally ill, but most of the history that I learned about the place revolved around its historical significance as a prison for the political people who fought against Apartheid. Robben Island was one of the best things I have done for my education here in Capetown, South Africa thus far.

Before Robben Island became a museum, many African political leaders were imprisoned there. So therefore, visiting Robben Island was an experience I will never forget. The whole time that I was walking around and reading the stories of those who were sentenced to time on the island, thoughts of surrealsim kept going through my mind. For example, I couldn't believe that our tour guide was an actual prisoner of the Island for four years and was telling me parts of his personal story. I found that very admirable of him, becuase it is not east to share one's life and experiences to complete strangers. Also, I couldn't believe that I got the opportunity to walk in actual cells of prisoners who spent much of their lives there. It was so astonishing to be around and actually "see" history.

Learning about the history behind Robben Island was so incredible. There were many wonderful things about the tour, but the highlight was seeing Nelson Mandela's actual cell for his time at Robben Island! Like I actaully got to see his cell and put my hand inside it! I was awe that he had spent 18 years of his life there, and even more I couldn't believe that he also wrote a book in that cell. I cannot even begin to imagine spending 18 years of my life in prison and being sentenced to prison because I fought for what I beleived in. The government felt threatened against the truth and reconciliation that Mandela wanted to bring to the nation of South Africa, so they put him in prison. It was absurd.

After this experience, my beliefs of apartheid and oppression have been enlightened. Probably one of the most surreal moments for me came at the end of the tour when we were on the boat ride back to the Waterfront. I began to imagine in my head what it would have bene like for the political prisoners who were released in 1991. Just for me, I was so anxious to disembark the boat and get on land. But for the political prisoners, disembarking the boat meant so much more to them: a new life and a new beginning-freedom.

During the week in Capetown..

On April 19, we youred a couple museums in the city. We went to Spier Contemporary 2010 and the District 6 museum. The Spier Contemporary is a national exhibition of art from all over the country of Africa. It was cool to see expression of art by people from Africa. I am not that into art, but it was really interesting to see. The District Six Mueseum displayed much of the history surrounding the forced removal of 60,000 inhabitants in an area of Capetown called District Six. During the 1970's due to the Apartheid Regime and racism, many families were forcibly removed by the government and forced to begin an entirely new life in a new place, because colored and black people could not live in the same community as white people. The government took away their homes and livelihood. Another interesting thin that I have been learning is that apartheid did only affect people, but it also affected music, art, and even the churches all over South Africa.

On April 20, at night, we went to the local sports theatre. It was like an improv comedy kind of thing, very similar to Who's Line Is It Anyway? I didn't know what to expect at first, but it was pretty funny. The crowd was 26 of us APU students and then a bunch of old people...haha!! There were 5 comedians, 2 girls and 3 guys. It was really cool, becuase basically the audience was the ones to give them topics and scenes and then they had to act it out on the spot! :) It was fun.

On April 21, we had a tour of the oldest township in the Western Cape of South Africa, called Langa. This tour of the township was definitely an experience that I have never done before. The word township is something totally new to many Americans, as well as to myself, so I was pretty hesitant to go on a tour of Langa. Townships are a huge part of the history and culture of South Africa. If I could describe Langa in one word, it would have to be the word contrast. I remember one specific section of Langa where there were nice homes and apartments on one part of the street and right down the same road there were shack and shanties. Our tour guide's name was Thabu, and he was born in Langa and grew up there so he was able to really share some unique stories with us. It is really crazy for me to think how the township has been around for so long. "Technically," post 1994, the Apartheid Regime ended, but yet Langa still exists.

That night, our group went out to Ocean View, the community that our group does homestays at, to support the guys from our group in a basketball match against some of the local guys from Ocean View. It was really fun! It was held in a community center kind of gym and many host families, members of the community, and APU students all came out to cheer on and support the game. :) It was especially fun for us, because we missed out on all of basketball season back at APU. Our guys ended up losing, but it was so much having everyone in one place and cheering! :)
Something different about being here is that something is planned for us everyday and every night. It can get pretty hectic, but it's all alot of fun. It keeps my mind off of being homesick for sure. :) But I am looking forward to going home home and spending time with my family, friends, and Paul. Until next time...

First weekend in Capetown!

This past Sautrday, April 17, a group of us decided to explore the city for my roommate, Brianna's birthday. So from BI in Kalk Bay, we had to take a train into Capetown, which is about a 20 min. train ride. Buying the tickets was an experience within itself, but the train ride held even more surprises for us. :) This lovely gentleman was really excited about Americans and he kept trying to impress us with his French, and it was quite the entertainment. Soon enough, one of the train officials came around to check tickets, and little did we know that we didn't have a "first class" ticket but were sitting in a "first class" cab. So, right then, we were told to stand up and told to move to the "third class" cab all the way in the back of the train. So at the next stop, our group of nine had to run out of the cab we were in and try and make it all the way to the back of the train before the doors closed. It was pretty intense, hectic, and funny, but now looking back, it is crazy to think how that system is still in place today. It sort of reminded me of the infamous Rosa Parks incident. The weird thing to me though was that not only did we not know about the different tickets we could purchase for the different classes, the train guy who we bought our tickets from did not even ask us if we wanted to buy "first class" tickets, and our group did not even think about asking if a "first class" ticket even existed. I guess I just didn't even think about how this system was still in place in 2010, after ecerything that has happened in this country. IT was probably one of the more obvious cultural differences.

From the train station, we had to take a taxi/cab to the waterfront, but the cool thing was that it was less than $1 US dollar! When we finally got to the waterfront, we had lunch at this place called Mitchell's. It was a really cool Scottish pub, and they had the Manchester United vs. Manchester City soccer game playing. So we enjoyed watching that and seeing how excited all the Man. U. fans got when Man. U. scored in the last 30 seconds of the game...in overtime! It was really fun to be around such avid fans! :)

Soon after, we found a really good deal for 40 RAND to ride on a boat called Lady J around the harbor of the waterfront. We got to see a really good view of Table Mountain and a lot of other really cool ships and cruisers. I even got to attempt to literally put my cup on Table Mountain! Check out the pic! :) We also got to walk around and see a couple of street shows of people performing different stunts and dances. Probably the weirdest thing about doing things here in Capetown is just the fact that we have to get our own transportation or walk wherever we want to go for the things that are not planned for the entire group. But luckily, it is gorgoeus every where one looks here and the scenery is breathtaking! :)

On Sunday, April 18, jsut Brianna and I journeyed out to Clovelli Beach, which is right next door to BI. The walk was about 20 min. and it was right along the water, so of course....it was gorgeous. :) WE stopped at an authentic Italian restaurant for lunch and had one of the best crust pizzas I had ever tasted! :) The owner was a straight-up Italian guy, like right out of the Godfather, but he was so funny! The entire time he talked to me in Italian, and I had to speak back to him in Spanish!!

At the beach, Brianna and I laid out and soaked up the last of summer here. We got in just a couple times, but the water was so cold...but super clear. Every time that I just stop and look around me, I am in awe of how beautiful the city, mountains, water, and everything is all around me! It is so amazing.

Garden Route

On 4/11/10, we officially left Pietermaritzburg and began our drive towards Capetown on what is know as the Garden Route. Our first stop was East London. After driving about 5-6 hours, we got to our hotel, and it was gorgeous! It was maybe 500 feet away from the ocean! Gorgeous! Since our group had to be in Capetown by Thursday afternoon, we could onyl stay in each city for one night, with the exception of our stay in Carmel. But before leaving East London, the next morning I got up to see my first sunrise ever...and it was amazing! I woke up at 6am, and it was perfect! While I was watching it, I could not believe that I was in South Africa seeing what I was seeing! :) It happened so fast, but I will never forget the experience! So beautiful.

On Monday, we began our drive out to Port Elizabeth. When we got there, our group was able to visit Reagen's home and community where he grew ip. Reagen is one of the community life coordinators of our group. It was really coll to see him in his element, as well as meet his family. It made me miss everyone back home! :) That night, in Port Elizabeth, we also stayed at another gorgeous hotel right on the ocean! So pretty! For dinner, we went to an area called the Boardwalk. It was so nice to just walk around and see all the different shops and restaurants. I had sushi for the second time since Ihave been here in South Africa, and it was amazing! There also was a casino there, so some of us tried our luck. :) I ended up winning 100 RAND in blackjack, which is about $15 US dollars! :)

The next morning was the big day! April 13, 2010....the day I bungee jumped off the world's highest bridge! The Bloukrans Bungee Jump is located in George, South Africa, and it is a bungee jump of 216m off the world's highest bridge! IT was the biggest rush of adrenaline I have ever felt in my entire life! After bungee jumping, sky diving seemed like nothing! :) I wasn't really afraid at first and thinking about it, but when I got there it all sunk in! :) As soon as we began walking across the bridge to the place where we had to jump, I looked down, and I freaked out! I couldn't believe I was going to do what I was about to do. All the guys who operated the jump were Afrikans, and they were way cool! The whole experience was so much fun! I will have to tell you all about it when I get back in person, and I can even show you a DVD of me doing it, but what I can say is that bungee jumping off the world's highest bridge has been one of the best and most crazy things I have ever done in my entire life....but it was so worth it!!!

After the bungee jump, our group headed off towards Carmel. So yeah, East London, Port Elizabeth, and Caremel are all gorgeous cities on the coast of South Africa. In order to get from Pietermaritzburg to Capetown, these were some of the cities we got to see. At Carmel, we stayed at a Christian conference center, which also was gorgeous! :) They had tennis courts, a volleyball vourt, a swimming pool, game rooms, and even private paths to walk down towards the beach. It was amazing! The next day, April 14, our group had another fun day! In the morning, I got to visit Highgate Ostrich Farm and in the afternoon, I got to experience and go through the Cango Adventure Caves. The ostrich farm is also world-renowned, one of the biggestin the world. There, I got to sit on an ostrich and even hold & stand on a real ostrich egg! :) The Cango Adventure Caves is the only show cave in Africa and has some of the oldest formations, dating back to one million and a half years old.

On 4/15/10, we left Carmel and headed out to Capetown. We got to CApetown in the afternoon, and I couldn't believe my eyes! It was beauty everywhere! We stayed the night in a hotel in dowtown Capetown and the next morning our group headed out to Bible Institute (BI) in Kalk Bay. Bible Institue is about 25 km from the Cape Town city center, and it is located less than 100 feet from the water! The main dining hall has a view right into the ocean. :) I am very blessed to have stayed in some of the most beautiful places in all of South Africa. I will be staying here at BI until April 25, and then from April 25-May 2 I will be staying at a homestay in Ocenaview, which is a coloured community that came about because of the Apartheid Regime. During Apartheid, people who were considered "coloured"were taken from the towns of Fishhoek and Simon's Town and stripeed of their homes by the government. They were forced to have to begin their lives from scratch. Some were not told anyting, and some were despised that if they did not leave, they would be hurt. They essentially were lied to. At my homestay, my roommate, Brianna, and I will be staying with two sisters, Virginia and Bernadette, and basically become part of their family for a week. :) I'm excited, but I am also a little nervous.

I'm so excited about the rest of my stay here in Capetown, and I will continue to blog about all my experiences. :) Until next time....

Safari Time!!

After the Ekhuteleni experience, our group switched to go on safari. It was tough, because many of the people in our group were still recovering from sickness from the cultural experience at Ekhuteleni, but we were still all able to make it out to safari. On ssome of the game drives, the group was not complete but the most important thing was that we were all safe. :)

So, the first day of safari, the group went on three game drives at the Mkhuzi Game Reserve. This game reserve was actaully where we stayed and slept at night, and it was really cool because the entire reserve is unfenced, including our camp, so in the past semesters some of the animals have come into our camp to join us. :) Our first game drive was at 6am for about two and a half hours, and I was able to see giraffes, warthogs (like Pumba from the Lion King), and a lot of impala and inxala. Our driver's name was Israel and he drove us around in an uncovered jeep kind of safari car. It was really cool! Later on in the day, we had our second game drive where we saw a black rhino and the coolest thing ever...a leopard attacking an impala. Seeing a leopard is such a rare thing! Our coordinator, who has been doing this for 20+ years and is like 60 some years old, has seen a leopard only once in his entire life, and when he saw it was just by itself not even attacking anything. Later, our guide told us that he has never seen a leopard attacking something and the last time he saw just a leopard was 8 years ago. Our coordinator, Reg, said that we really got a treat because some people go their entire lives on game reserves and never ever seen a leopard, so it was really, really cool! People also usually don't get to take pictures but a few of us were able to snap one! :) Later on in the day, we had our third and last game drive before dinner. On that drive, we saw hippos, a baby crocodile, and a python. The whole day was so cool, and it was such an exciting experience! I absolutely loved it.

On Friday was our last day of safari, and we went to a different game reserve called Phinda Game Reserve. Here, our group attempted to search for the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo. At the end of our safari trip, we weren't able to see all of the Big Five, but we were able to see buffalo, rhino, and leopard. I also got to see three cheetah! Here's a pic of two of them! It was amazing! Definitely, it was one of the best experiences I have ever had!

So, after safari, our group had one last day at AE to pack up all our stuff to head out for Capetown. I wasn't one of the ones who got really sick in the psat week, but I did get a little sick, but I was able to recover and pack up all my stuff in the end.

I will continue to blog, but basically our entire group leaves AE, where we have been staying for a little over 2 months, early mroning on April 11 and begin our drive to Capetown. We will be following the Garden Route passing through the cities of East London, Port Elizabeth, George (where I will bungee jump off the world's highest bridge), and Carmel. We will also get to see so much of the coast and do so many amazing things. I'm way excited! IT is going to be such a great traveling week and one of the most unforgettable weeks of my life. I already know it. :) So, until next time...

Total immersion in the Zulu culture

For the week of 4/5/10-4/9/10, our group had the Ekhuteleni cultural experience and the safari. Our group was divided into two groups, 26 in one and 26 in the other. One group visited Ekhuteleni first while the other was at safari and then midweek, the groups switched. So I was in the first group, and we went to the Ekhuteleni village first. There, we lived in cow dung huts with grass roofs...super rural! It was definitely an experience that I will never forget...and there even was no running water! But overall, despite from some people people gettting sick, it was an amazing experience and one of the best for me thus far.

Before arriving at Ekhuteleni, we got to attend a Zulu bridal shower. We did not know the bride, so it was kind of awkward at first, but our guide was part of the family so they welcomed us with open arms. The village was very rural, kind of in the middle of nowhere. I got to see some traditional Zulu cultural dance and see how people from the Zulu culture celebrate a pre-wedding ceremony. One of the huts was specifically designated as the slaughterhouse, which was a sight to see within itself. :) The entire community particpated in cooking the food for the celebration. At times, I felt a little uncomfortable, and I really couldn't believe that people were living as they did in 2010, but it was very interesting and cool to see new things. It was also interesting to see the different interactions of the Zulu people, men, women, and children. One different thing was that all the women would dance and the men would just sit off in a distance and watch them. Many of the women were also dressed in traditional attire with beads and all. The cool thing about the pre-wedding ceremony was that the entire community was involved in preparing and celebrating, and even people from other communities came to give the bride gifts. :)

The drive out to Ekhuteleni was very rocky, but when we finally got there we were warmly welcomed. The view around us was gorgeous, and the people were so friendly. But it was definitely an experience I will never forget. As soon as we arrived, we were fully immersed in the Zulu culture. Our cultural guide's name was Patrick and he was amazing. He and his family basically run the cultural experience on their own with help from some members of the community. As soon as we got to Ekhuteleni, we got to try the traditional Zulu beer as a welcoming gift from them and I drank the whole thing but it was really gross tasting to me. Also, they lit these herb branches that we like incense to tell their ancestors that new people were visiting the village. It was very different, and to be honest, it sort of felt like borderline cultic. But the weird thing to me was that they would sing Christian songs with us in Zulu, and they would say that they are Christians but then hardcore WORSHIP, not revere or respect, their ancestors. Later, I found out that their religion was a mix of Zionism and ancestry worship.

Later on in the day, we went on a hike to visit a traditional medicine man. On the way to the forest, where he retrieves his herbal medicines and stuff, we passed this place that Patrick pointed out was sacred ground. For the people of the Zulu culture when they passed this specific place, they would have to spit on a rock or a bundle of grass and then throw it in a pile on the ground to signify that the nation and the people were united against war or any harm. It is so crazy, but so interesting to me, to learn how other people from different cultures live. Their customs are so different mine, and I necessarily don't need to understand, but I need to learn how other people in this world live. :) We also got to visit a lady who makes traditional Zulu beadwork for people to wear to celebrate marriages, engagements, and other celebrations. Also, she makes brcaelets for people to buy. I got to help her make a bracelet, and it is challenging work! The beads are so small and the hut is so hot, but that is how she makes her living. I was happy that I was able to see what I did.

One big thing that was really hard for me to understand was the lack of sanitation and water at the village. The people who live here, some of them whom do not have a choice but actaully some do, do not have access to clean, running water. Like for us, the village bought water from town. Also, the closest hospital to them is an hour to 2 hours away in a car, but the drive is outrageously dangerous, especially at night, and the road is not paved halfway there. NOt to scare anyone back home, but some people in our group got sick and had to be taken to the hospital and since I am one of the 6 nursing majors on this trip, I had to accompany them. Currently, everyone is fully recovered, but it was definitely a situation where all of us nursing majors had to put our brains together and make important decisions. I think even more though, because were were in a rural village where healthcare was not accessible. There were definitely some sketchy situations that we ran into, but I always knew that God was there with us with His hand of protection. Thank you so much to everyone from back home for all your prayers. I learned a lot from this trip, and it is one that I will never forget to say the least. :) Until next time...

Durban Days

On 3/27/10, our group was able to go to Ushaka, one of the most popular water parks in Africa. It is located right on part of the Indian Ocean in Durban. It is very similar to Sea World, and it was so fun! The first slide I went on was the highest water slide in Africa...so much fun...but very scary! :) I figured I had to conquer my fear of heights now and get it all out of my system in preparation for bungee jumping off the world's highest bridge in a couple of weeks! At the park, we also went to the dolphin show, rode all the slides in the entire park, and walked through the aquarium. The aquarium at Ushaka is one of the biggest in the world. There, we all kinds of exotic aquatic fishes, turtles, and even sharks! I was even able to see the feeding time for the sharks and that was way cool! The entire day was so much fun. :)

The next weekend on 4/3/10, we went back to Durban and got the opportunity to go to a Sharks rubgy game! The group got really excited and a bunch of us even painted "Go Sharks!" on our faces to show our team spirit! :) So much fun. The game was so amazing, and the players were so tough! It was the game opener for the Sharks, and it definitely was a good one! They played the Reds from Australia, and at first they were behind by alot at half time, but then they caught up and won by one point 30-29 in the end! On the way back from the game, our entire bus partied the whole way back! We played musci and danced the entire drive home...so fun! :)

These next coming weeks are going to be really intense for our entire group, because first we go on a cultural experience and safari for five days and then we're home at African Enterprise (AE) for one day and then we headout on the drive called the Garden Route towards Capetown to finish our time in South Africa for the rest of the semester!

My time here at AE has been amazing! The staff were so generous and hospitable, and I always felt well taken care of. But I am ready and excited to go to Capetown. We will have a lot more freedom there, and the city is gorgeous! It's often called the most beautiful city in the world! :) I hear it's just a great city to explore overall, and there is so much to see and do. So, until next time...