**Check out earlier posts for newly added photos!**
The past few days have been incredible- last three days in Cape Town WELL SPENT.
On Friday Amanda, Amy and I went down to the Waterfront around 1pm, I quickly bought a snazzy headlamp for the safari and then we got some lunch at Harry's Pancakes (salads this time, though). Our ferry to Robben Island left around 3pm. Unfortunately, I had a ticket issue that held me up and I wasn't able to sit up top with Amy and Amanda. So I was annoyed and went to sit in the bottom, no-open-air part of the ferry and ended up sitting next to the nicest guy and his family. They were from Pretoria, which as it turns out is only 30 minutes or so from Jo'burg! When I told him about my dilemma in visiting Jo'burg alone he offered to show me the town, so if I do stay around that is a nice option to have! He was super nice and my ferry ride turned out to be okay in the end =)
As soon as we got on the island we boarded a bus and were driven around and given a tour by a former prisoner. He was a very good guide (had jokes, too) but being on the bus was kind of annoying and it was hard to see things and take pictures and what not. The whole island is not taken up by the prison- there are churches and some houses and many buildings that are now used as conference centers. There are also old asylums- the island held mentally ill people and people with leprosy before becoming a prison. At one point the guide was showing us a building where guns were made during WWII, and he told us that two years ago he showed Obama around the island and at this point in the tour told him "Please, don't go back to Mr. Bush and tell him we have WMDs!!" Haha.
After the bus tour we entered the actual prison, where we were showed around by another former prisoner who was there from 1983-1990 for working with the African National Congress (ANC). We saw a room where up to 40 men would sleep, on 1/2 inch thick mats and then beds in later years. Then we were taken out to the courtyard off of Nelson Mandela's building, in which he spent much of his time in one particular corner where he had a garden. We quickly saw his cell, and then headed back to the ferry. I am glad that I saw Robben Island for everything that it represents and to learn more about Nelson Mandela. I felt for the tour guides though- the first one told us that the unemployment rate in South Africa is 47% so many of the former prisoners have no choice but to come back to the island for work. But can you imagine having to return every day to such a place after having been a prisoner there?? I can only imagine how hard it must be for them.
Back at the Waterfront we walked around a bit more and Amy introduced me to chocolate cookies and cream ice cream- tasty. Try it.
Saturday brought the Cape Peninsula Tour with Tour Guide Kenan! Eight of us in the house were going, plus four people from Table View (Side Note: learned that at Home of Hope, where the Table View people work, there are only 10 kids... to four volunteers per shift!!!!! At Bap it usually averages to about four volunteers to 40 kids. Currently, there are two BRAND NEW volunteers on shift at Bap that are by themselves because of the people that left Bap to go to Home of Hope. Which means 2 volunteers to 40 kids. UGHH! I hope the people that switched projects because they wanted to live in a nice house know how much they screwed over Bap- volunteers and kids.) ANYWAYS... we left for the tour around 9am and headed down the coast, past the Waterfront and Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles (BEAUTIFUL drive, frequent stops for pictures). Our first official stop was in Hout Bay, about 45 minutes from Cape Town. Hout Bay is famous for its seals, so about half of our group went out on a boat to see the seals but I opted to walk around the vendors and shops by the water- I've seen seals before. Did, however, pet a huge sea lion that apparently hangs out there at the wharf- he was 43 years old!! Walked around with the girls and we all bought a few things (even though I specifically told myself I wouldn't buy any more stuff!! Got a great scarf though for $6, how can I pass that up?)After about an hour we headed back out and drove along the coast to a point with an incredible view of Hout Bay- took tons of gorgeous pictures.
Next we went to famous Chapman's Peak Drive, which is a drive along the coast that is supposed to have spectacular views. Unfortunately, it was closed because they are working to make the road safer from falling rocks. Disappointing because we had to take a detour that took about an hour to Simon's Town, though of course even the detour was great- through some winelands. In Simon's Town we got lunch at a great restaurant; I had a chicken, shrimp, and calamari combo dish. Then we walked right up the street to Boulders Beach, which is where the penguins live! They were really cute when they swam in the water, but the ones on the beach (sunbathing I guess) didn't move- like just stood there completely still. It was weird.
From Simon's Town we headed toward Cape Point through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. This was a pleasant surprise for me, because the reserve had been on my list of things to see, but I crossed it out a couple weeks ago when I realized I wouldn't have time for it- so lucky me that it was included today! The reserve is gorgeous, drove through it all the way to Cape Point at the verrrrry tip of Africa and saw several ostrich and baboons! Which were carrying little tiny babies on their backs- very cute but I was happy to be in the van seeing as apparently baboons are nasty little buggers (Though everywhere were signs- "Baboons WILL enter your car"). At Cape point we got tons of pictures as well, the water was such a vivid blue and sparkling in the sun. Didn't go all the way to the top of Cape Point where there is a lighthouse (at this point it had been a long day), but walked halfway up with Amy and then got a little snack and just sat and enjoyed the views and the beautiful day. From here we headed home- a nice drive at sunset.
When we got home I was SO tired (had woken up at 6:30 am this morning, God knows why) but everyone was hungry so we decided to go to Panchos, the Mexican place in Obs. Unfortunately, when we got there it was completely full (Saturday night at 7:30, duh) so we decided to get take out and bring it back to the house. While we waited for the food, we all got a few drinks. After a half hour at the bar we decided that we would buy a few six packs to bring back to the house for the evening. With about 8 bags of food containers in hand, we went across the street to a bar the sells six packs, a simple task until someone suggests a shot or two. Half an hour later we were all back at the house eating out back and it was decided that we were going out- Long Street!! So me, Amanda, Jen, Amy, Shawna, Katie, Alyssa, Christiaan, and Jonas all headed out around 11pm and spent the night in the Dubliner (of course this made me happy) and just had a BALL. Everyone had such a good time, which definitely shows in the 100+ pictures that were taken (taking out one camera and passing it around the whole night is a very good method of documenting a night). I am so happy that we all went out because I didn't think I would have the opportunity to do so again in Cape Town, and I am just so happy that everyone had an awesome time. And the best part was that it was completely unplanned but the night just evolved and this morning everyone was saying "How did that even happen??". Originally our plan had been Panchos and the internet cafe and bed- I'll take getting plastered with this group any day =)
Sadly, I woke up hurting a bit which was bad news because at noon we got picked up for SKYDIVING, though as it turns out a really great way to get over a headache is to have jumping out of a plane to take your mind off of it. Today was another beautiful day and, thankfully, not too windy! YAY! Once we were there we had to wait around for about an hour (they have to organize us into planes that only fit six people, and most people videotape their jump which adds another person [I didn't get it taped- it cost like $60 and the final product was a bit too flashy for me]). Christiaan and Jen went up first, and before they got back down I went up with the guy I was jumping with, Julian (a 34 year old from Colorodo, been skydiving for 18 years) and two guys going on their own. I was so surprised that at this point I really wasn't that nervous- I guess after all the waiting I was just ready to do it. You sit on the floor in the plane facing the tail, and Julian sat behind me and I kind of sat in between his legs and leaned back on him. He was super nice and talkative, and I realized that it was good I wasn't with any of the others because I think we would have just been siking each other out more. So Julian has this thing on his wrist that shows our altitude, and when the hand hits 9 (9km) we jump. So at 3km he says "This is how high Table Mountain is. Two more Table Mountains to go!" and so I'd say around 7km I started to get nervous. He explained that he would open the door and I would put my feet out on this little step thing and then he would do everything- my only job was to keep my eyes open. So at 9km he throws open the door and yes I was scared out of my mind, though I expected it to look higher up than it did. So without much ado out we went!!!! I think I shut my eyes for a second but after about 3 seconds I realized that it was a COMPLETELY awesome feeling, and at that point I remember looking up and seeing the plane above us. And then it was 35 seconds of free falling, which wasn't scary at all, and the only discomfort was that I felt like it was a bit hard to take a breath. At 5km from the ground Julian pulled the parachute, which I expected would not be a good feeling being yanked up (minus that at least you know you are going to survive at that point). It wasn't really a yanking feeling at all though, and once the chute was open he showed me how to steer and turn which was cool but turning a lot makes you lose altitude faster which I didn't want to do- being able to see Table Mountain from that point of view was unbelievable, especially it being my last day in Cape Town. After about 4 minutes he told me what was going to happen with landing and before I knew it we were touching down, completely smooth landing. I was thrilled, this is without a doubt the coolest thing I have ever done, and I am so lucky to have been able to do it here. I would do it again in a heartbeat, so I hope there are still people at home that are interested (you know who you are!)!! It was fantastic.
Tonight we were going to go to the Green Dolphin at the Waterfront for a goodbye dinner to me, but I (and pretty much everyone in the house) am really tired and still need to pack (though this may be an impossibility- I have acquired WAY to many things here). Plus, I couldn't ask for a better night than last night so I am completely satisfied.
The past two days have just been absolutely great in every way. I have seen and done so much and had such an incredible time in just 48 hours. I can't believe I leave tomorrow- I could cry right here at this computer thinking about it. God I love this place. At least I can say that I went out with a bang =)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Pictures!
AhHa!!! I have discovered that SOME of the computers in the internet cafe have IrfanView, so I have been able to downsize my pictures and will upload some to my blog, finally. I am going back and slowly but surely adding some pictures to my previous posts so keep an eye out! (I know it is a hassle to go back, my fault for not working it out until two days before I leave here!)
Last Shift at Bap & etc
Good news! I found my credit card! As I had suspected, it had fallen through a crack into the locker below mine. Unfortunately, I had already transfered $400 to AVIVA with Dad's card so that they could give me cash but I guess that doesn't matter. Now I can still say that I have been responsible and not lost anything (knock on wood)!!
I am still contemplating what to do about my last days here. The issue is that I fly to Johanesburg (2 hr flight) for Kruger, stay there for one night after Kruger and then was supposed to fly back to Cape Town, only to fly home via Jo'burg two days later. So my thought was to just leave South Africa right after Kruger instead of flying back to Cape Town and to get home two days early. Good idea to just stay in Jo'burg, Kris, minus everything I have ever heard about how Jo'burg is SUPER dangerous, especially to walk around in alone, especially as a girl. Which is why that idea hadn't even really occured to me, but it is something to think about. It is not at ALL that I am in a hurry to leave here, but flying back and forth from Jo'burg is something I'd be happy to skip. Plus, when I would get back to Cape Town everyone I am close with would be on shift, which would just make it depressing to come back to a basically empty house. Anyways, I am going to think about possibly just staying in Jo'burg, but if not I will go early to the airport on Monday and try to switch my flight home to Jan 31.
Now I have to backtrack several days... let's see... Sunday night! Right so we were supposed to go out for Georgina's last night. I hadn't felt well all day (stomach bug- super fun) but of course didn't want to miss out on the evening, so we (Me, Georgina, Jen, Amanda, and Shawna) started drinking here (finally drank the bottle of wine that came in my welcome pack!) and then headed out to Long Street. Sadly, within 30 minutes three of us really didn't feel well (I'm not the only one with the bug) so we went home. I was so disapointed to miss Georgina's last night but Shawna stayed out with her and they still had a good time- plus I really felt like crap.
Woke up the next morning feeling better which was good because Jen, Amanda, Christiaan and I were booked for SKYDIVING!!! (one of my life long dreams regardless of the fact that if anything, heights are probably what I am most afraid of). Unfortunately, Cape Town happens to be the windiest place I have ever been, and Monday was a particularly windy day. So the skydiving people called and said that we would have to get there right away or we would miss our chance to go. Of course, the taxi didn't come for 45 minutes, and then it took another 45 minutes to get there (of course we had to stop for gas, there was traffic, etc etc). So when we FINALLY got there we were good to go, they got Jen all suited up and then... no go. The wind had become to gusty and they wouldn't take us. We were so bummed!! Skydiving is not the type of activity that you want to have postponed when you are already there and ready to go. So we attempted to rebook for this morning but they were full (go figure, there is like no wind today) so we got in on Sunday- my last day here! So I am hoping for good conditions because if I come home without doing this it will be my one disapointment of Africa and I would like to keep that slate clean.
Now for my last shift: probably my favorite one of the five. On shift was me, Amanda, Amy, and Christiaan, joined by Katie and Alyssa (23, Canada) on day two. Maybe it was just because I was really trying to soak it all up, but this shift the time seemed to go by fast (I don't recall thinking "Oh my GOSH it's only 6 pm right now?" ever) and the kids were great and I really enjoyed the sisis as well- one of the shifts in particular is super sweet and they couldn't believe it was my last shift. We also learned this shift just how much the kids LOVE to sing and dance. Their new favorite game is us standing around clapping and they get in the middle and start dancing like crazy and we call out their names and they just go wild, it's hilarious. They have so much fun that they can't control themselves, usually end up falling to the ground laughing histarically and they all end up in a mosh pit/big pile. It's great. We also sang a LOT of songs- they really enjoy such classics as "The Wheels on the Bus", "If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands" and, of course, "We Will Rock You". It's fun. And really cool how much they respond to music.
Lunch time! Preparing the food.
This was the first shift that I didn't fall asleep easily at every opportunity I got. My mind won't stop, kind of like how it was before I left to come here. Now I can't imagine NOT being here, going to Bap and seeing the kids. My last day (yesterday) I just kept thinking- "this is the last time I'm going to feed a baby lunch/dinner, have free play time, do baths, give a bottle, say goodnight" etc etc. Saying goodnight was the hardest part- it's my favorite part of the whole day, when they are in their adorable footie pajamas and in their crib/play pen/bed and I try to go around and say goodnight to all of them and give them a cuddle (this is an english thing to say- thanks Georgina) and they all give high fives and then do this "thumb flick" (for lack of a better way to describe it), like you are giving each other a thumbs up and then you push your thumbs together- I don't know but it is incredibly cute and they all do it. And then of course last night Babalo, who is one of the coolest 3 or 4 year olds I have ever met, kept on saying "See you tomorrow!" which he has never said before (he has two phrases- "What are you DOING?" and "You're CRAZY") and of course I kept thinking, Yea- tomorrow and then never again!!
Me & Mbali- what a cutie!
Luckily, last night my mind was taken off of it all with a few rousing games of spoons in the flat.
Today I am trying to think positively, seeing as I do realize that I have just experienced something incredible and that I will always remember it. I went out and ran some errands in Obs this morning and felt happy and at easy with the fact that I am leaving this city that I adore so much in three days. I went back to a shop that I have been in about 10 times to finally buy the things I've been eyeing and talked to the super sweet girl that has been in there every time for a while (she started out asking me about my "I Bleed Warrior Blue" t-shirt that I happen to wearing- the second person to comment on it today!). She was surprised that I wasn't at home for the inauguration but agreed that I was making good use of my time here. I also went into Pick 'n' Pay to get some food and the man that rang me up said "Wow, you are very happy!" which I was taken aback to hear but really I guess it is true and apparently it shows, so that's nice.
Now Amy, Amanda, and I are going to the Waterfront to do some shoping (I need a head lamp for Kruger) before Robben Island at 3pm! Cape Peninsula Tour all day tomorrow, and then hopefully skydiving on Sunday (keep your fingers crossed for me!!)
xoxo
I am still contemplating what to do about my last days here. The issue is that I fly to Johanesburg (2 hr flight) for Kruger, stay there for one night after Kruger and then was supposed to fly back to Cape Town, only to fly home via Jo'burg two days later. So my thought was to just leave South Africa right after Kruger instead of flying back to Cape Town and to get home two days early. Good idea to just stay in Jo'burg, Kris, minus everything I have ever heard about how Jo'burg is SUPER dangerous, especially to walk around in alone, especially as a girl. Which is why that idea hadn't even really occured to me, but it is something to think about. It is not at ALL that I am in a hurry to leave here, but flying back and forth from Jo'burg is something I'd be happy to skip. Plus, when I would get back to Cape Town everyone I am close with would be on shift, which would just make it depressing to come back to a basically empty house. Anyways, I am going to think about possibly just staying in Jo'burg, but if not I will go early to the airport on Monday and try to switch my flight home to Jan 31.
Now I have to backtrack several days... let's see... Sunday night! Right so we were supposed to go out for Georgina's last night. I hadn't felt well all day (stomach bug- super fun) but of course didn't want to miss out on the evening, so we (Me, Georgina, Jen, Amanda, and Shawna) started drinking here (finally drank the bottle of wine that came in my welcome pack!) and then headed out to Long Street. Sadly, within 30 minutes three of us really didn't feel well (I'm not the only one with the bug) so we went home. I was so disapointed to miss Georgina's last night but Shawna stayed out with her and they still had a good time- plus I really felt like crap.
Woke up the next morning feeling better which was good because Jen, Amanda, Christiaan and I were booked for SKYDIVING!!! (one of my life long dreams regardless of the fact that if anything, heights are probably what I am most afraid of). Unfortunately, Cape Town happens to be the windiest place I have ever been, and Monday was a particularly windy day. So the skydiving people called and said that we would have to get there right away or we would miss our chance to go. Of course, the taxi didn't come for 45 minutes, and then it took another 45 minutes to get there (of course we had to stop for gas, there was traffic, etc etc). So when we FINALLY got there we were good to go, they got Jen all suited up and then... no go. The wind had become to gusty and they wouldn't take us. We were so bummed!! Skydiving is not the type of activity that you want to have postponed when you are already there and ready to go. So we attempted to rebook for this morning but they were full (go figure, there is like no wind today) so we got in on Sunday- my last day here! So I am hoping for good conditions because if I come home without doing this it will be my one disapointment of Africa and I would like to keep that slate clean.
Now for my last shift: probably my favorite one of the five. On shift was me, Amanda, Amy, and Christiaan, joined by Katie and Alyssa (23, Canada) on day two. Maybe it was just because I was really trying to soak it all up, but this shift the time seemed to go by fast (I don't recall thinking "Oh my GOSH it's only 6 pm right now?" ever) and the kids were great and I really enjoyed the sisis as well- one of the shifts in particular is super sweet and they couldn't believe it was my last shift. We also learned this shift just how much the kids LOVE to sing and dance. Their new favorite game is us standing around clapping and they get in the middle and start dancing like crazy and we call out their names and they just go wild, it's hilarious. They have so much fun that they can't control themselves, usually end up falling to the ground laughing histarically and they all end up in a mosh pit/big pile. It's great. We also sang a LOT of songs- they really enjoy such classics as "The Wheels on the Bus", "If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands" and, of course, "We Will Rock You". It's fun. And really cool how much they respond to music.
Lunch time! Preparing the food.
This was the first shift that I didn't fall asleep easily at every opportunity I got. My mind won't stop, kind of like how it was before I left to come here. Now I can't imagine NOT being here, going to Bap and seeing the kids. My last day (yesterday) I just kept thinking- "this is the last time I'm going to feed a baby lunch/dinner, have free play time, do baths, give a bottle, say goodnight" etc etc. Saying goodnight was the hardest part- it's my favorite part of the whole day, when they are in their adorable footie pajamas and in their crib/play pen/bed and I try to go around and say goodnight to all of them and give them a cuddle (this is an english thing to say- thanks Georgina) and they all give high fives and then do this "thumb flick" (for lack of a better way to describe it), like you are giving each other a thumbs up and then you push your thumbs together- I don't know but it is incredibly cute and they all do it. And then of course last night Babalo, who is one of the coolest 3 or 4 year olds I have ever met, kept on saying "See you tomorrow!" which he has never said before (he has two phrases- "What are you DOING?" and "You're CRAZY") and of course I kept thinking, Yea- tomorrow and then never again!!
Me & Mbali- what a cutie!
Luckily, last night my mind was taken off of it all with a few rousing games of spoons in the flat.
Today I am trying to think positively, seeing as I do realize that I have just experienced something incredible and that I will always remember it. I went out and ran some errands in Obs this morning and felt happy and at easy with the fact that I am leaving this city that I adore so much in three days. I went back to a shop that I have been in about 10 times to finally buy the things I've been eyeing and talked to the super sweet girl that has been in there every time for a while (she started out asking me about my "I Bleed Warrior Blue" t-shirt that I happen to wearing- the second person to comment on it today!). She was surprised that I wasn't at home for the inauguration but agreed that I was making good use of my time here. I also went into Pick 'n' Pay to get some food and the man that rang me up said "Wow, you are very happy!" which I was taken aback to hear but really I guess it is true and apparently it shows, so that's nice.
Now Amy, Amanda, and I are going to the Waterfront to do some shoping (I need a head lamp for Kruger) before Robben Island at 3pm! Cape Peninsula Tour all day tomorrow, and then hopefully skydiving on Sunday (keep your fingers crossed for me!!)
xoxo
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
YES WE DID!
Today I can say with good reason that I wish I was home- January 20, 2009 has finally arrived after so much hope and anticipation and I am in AFRICA!!! I do wish that I was going to be there at Obama's inauguration with my family, what an exciting time! Unfortunately, I am about to leave for Bap so I won't even be able to watch on TV. Oh well, I can be a proud and excited American while I play with the most adorable kiddies in the world =)
In other news, IT IS MY LAST SHIFT AT BAP! So sad... I don't want to talk about it.
Lastly, I think I lost my credit card. And I might be coming home 2 days early. These two events are not related and I will explain more later. Hope everyone is doing well!!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Day 27
Day 27- the first day of my trip that I do not know exactly what I am going to with myself. I was supposed to go kloofing with Jonas today but decided a couple days ago not to (didn't want to pack my weekend TOO full or spend TOO much money in 3 days). As it turned out, though, the trip was cancelled anyways because there weren't enough people signed up to go. Then a bunch of us (Me, Georgina, Amanda, Jenn, and Shawna [new American girl that is staying at the house but will start Gary's Surf School tomorrow]) decided to spend the day at Camps Bay, but it is really windy today which is not good for the beach. So now I am thinking of doing a 3km walking tour of downtown Cape Town that I've been wanting to do- there are still so many things in the city to see (Castle of Good Hope, Company Gardens, Bo Kaap, etc). I can probably recruit someone to do this with me (though it is the type of thing I wouldn't mind doing alone).
This past shift at Bap was really, really good. Granted, this may be because I only slept there one of three nights- after our first day we came back for an AVIVA cookout and slept at Obs House, and after the third day Ida and I got a taxi back to Obs because we had to wake up really early on Saturday for shark cage diving. The cookout was pretty fun, it was at the Table View house which is SO nice (so many bedrooms, granite counter tops, pool and pool-side bar...) and all the staff was there so it was nice to hang out with them. Afterwards a bunch of us went out in Obs, first to Stones (the pool bar) and then to Roots, a beach themed bar that I had never been to- sand floors, tiki hut bars... gotta love it.
Didn't stay out too late since it was back to Bap the next morning. On the way we picked up 100 baby bottles and during our break labeled all of them with the kid's names on color coded labels (indicating whether the bottle is taken at 2am, 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, or 10pm). With six of us working on it it didn't take that long but when we did bottles the next morning it made ALL the difference in the world- no more broken bottles/lids, no more missing bottles, no more labels that are completely impossible to read. This shift we also redid the out of date poster boards with the kid's pictures that hangs on the wall in the flat. We took all new pictures and put up new, labeled boards. It was nice to do something (as little as those things are) that will last beyond all of our time here. And it is amazing the difference that seemingly small things can make. Though really what Bap needs is on a larger scale- the baby house needs a complete makeover badly (we thought about writing to Ty Pennington). The kids need a cleaner, safer place to live and they need plenty of volunteers to play with them and love them... two things that are not so easy to come by.
The new bottles!
Another orphanage project just opened up through AVIVA (Amanda and Jenn are the first volunteers to work there) that was recently given a COMPLETE makeover- they brought in volunteers that worked non-stop for (I think) four days and now the place is BEAUTIFUL- I have only seen the outside but there is grass (something Bap lacks) and a great swing set. And inside it's clean, and the kids have their own individual beds and much more. Granted, I am glad to be working at Bap where they really, really need us, but I just wish the same thing could be done for our kids, who I guess are considered lucky to be at Bap but really have basically nothing. It is just amazing that there are people in the world with so much money they don't know what to do with it and then you come to a place like this and there is a world of good that could be done with just a little help, and it is amazing that these problems still exist at all. It's sad and makes me wish I could do a heck of a lot more.
Anyways... as I said the shift went really well, I love everyone on it and am so sad that it is Georgina and Ida's last shift!! Makes me realize how fast the end is coming for me because after they leave (and Sofia and Friederike- also leaving this week) I have been here longer than anyone else in the house, which is CRAZY. How did that happen?? I just got here! I don't even want to think about it.
Yesterday Ida and I were picked up at 5am for shark cage diving. It was about a two hour drive there, during which time one might think it would be a good idea to sleep, but I was awake the whole time and turns out I am glad because we were driving over mountains by the coast as the sun rose and it was GORGEOUS. I swear, if you blink here you will miss something worth seeing. It was very nice. We arrived at the cage diving headquarters (a house about 1/4 block from the water & boat) and had a very nice self-serve breakfast (and several cups of coffee). Then they gave us a quick debriefing and we were off! There were only 12 of us (plus the crew), so it was a small group compared to most apparently which was quite nice. We rode out about 15 minutes but were still in relatively shallow water (~10m). This is technically the off season for seeing Great Whites, which are the only species in the area due to the cold water temperatures. However, you generally can see them year round, and this is the most famous place in the world to see them (some people may have seen the famous picture of a man in a yellow kayak being followed by a huge great white- that was taken here). So they put down anchor and throw out a "chum line"- nasty fishy stuff that the shark will (hopefully) catch the scent of and follow back to the boat. Also, the whole time they are throwing nasty fish stuff out into the water and have 1/2 a fish on a buoy as bait.
So everything was super... until I started to feel a bit seasick. Man, I have been a puker my whole life. Threw up twice, which sucked, but then the first shark was spotted so I threw on my wetsuit (in actuality, "throwing on" a wetsuit is the exact opposite of how it works, those things are so incredibly hard to get on [and off]). Plus these wetsuits have hoods, like what scuba divers wear, and little shoes that zip on, and I had a mask on, and they put a weight over your shoulders to help you go under in the cage. All of this was quite uncomfortable after having just thrown up let me tell you, but there was a shark! So I had to get in the cage.
THE CAGE
Five people get in at a time (and only 7 of the 12 on board were getting in at all which in my opinion is not worth the $120 to only watch from the boat but whatever) and you have to hold on to the top of the cage, and then when a shark is coming around they say "Divers go under!" or "Divers, on your left!" so you take a big breath and pull yourself under and look for the shark. Unfortunately the visibility was really poor under the water but there were several very exciting moments when that didn't really matter because the sharks would actually ram into the cage, putting them at about half a meter or less from you and that was awesome. I got out of the cage after about 15 minutes though because you really could actually see the sharks better from the boat. And we saw sooo many. After waiting about 30 minutes to see the first one we would see one every 2-3 minutes, and they would swim right next to the boat and go for the bait and come out of the water- it was awesome. And they looked HUGE, though they were only about 3-4m long and can grow to be 7m long- hard/scary to imagine. It was really great though.
Ahhh!
After about three hours we packed up (there were other boats around not having any luck, and in the off season the different companies help each other out so we left to let another boat come into the area since we had already seen so much) and headed back. At the house they put on the video that a videographer on the boat had been taking the whole time, and it was quite funny- for one, to see yourself in the wetsuit getup, and also because whenever someone was on camera they seemed to either wave or give the thumbs up- it reminded me of stereotypical Asians always giving the peace sign. Anyways, we were driven back to the house and were home by 2pm (I slept the whole way). (NOTE- all of this sounds incredibly touristy, and I guess it is, but it didn't feel like it. And it was definitely worth the money. And the staff was super nice and included volunteers just like us. So it was completely worth it and I am very glad I did it!)
Last night, everyone (Me, Georgina, Ida, Amanda, Amy, Jenn, Amanda, Shawna, Reino, and Christiaan) went out to Mama Africa on Long Street for a kind of goodbye dinner for Georgina and Ida. It was such a nice evening (I shared a kabob appetizer and I have no idea what kind of meat was on it [I am thinking crocodile, ostrich, and springbok?] but really have no idea, and had some kind of fish for my meal- very good). The best part though was that our table was right next to this AMAZINGGGG live African band that was SO good. Like you couldn't help but sit there dancing in your seat. And we had the perfect table because everyone else from inside the restaurant kept coming up to stand and watch them but we were right there the whole time. And of course, Amanda and I were both picked out by the lead singer/drummer man to dance with him on separate occasions... of course I loved this. It was so much fun. We didn't go out afterwards because tonight is G&I's official last night so we had already planned to do it up tonight. Can't wait =)
Some of the band!
This past shift at Bap was really, really good. Granted, this may be because I only slept there one of three nights- after our first day we came back for an AVIVA cookout and slept at Obs House, and after the third day Ida and I got a taxi back to Obs because we had to wake up really early on Saturday for shark cage diving. The cookout was pretty fun, it was at the Table View house which is SO nice (so many bedrooms, granite counter tops, pool and pool-side bar...) and all the staff was there so it was nice to hang out with them. Afterwards a bunch of us went out in Obs, first to Stones (the pool bar) and then to Roots, a beach themed bar that I had never been to- sand floors, tiki hut bars... gotta love it.
Didn't stay out too late since it was back to Bap the next morning. On the way we picked up 100 baby bottles and during our break labeled all of them with the kid's names on color coded labels (indicating whether the bottle is taken at 2am, 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, or 10pm). With six of us working on it it didn't take that long but when we did bottles the next morning it made ALL the difference in the world- no more broken bottles/lids, no more missing bottles, no more labels that are completely impossible to read. This shift we also redid the out of date poster boards with the kid's pictures that hangs on the wall in the flat. We took all new pictures and put up new, labeled boards. It was nice to do something (as little as those things are) that will last beyond all of our time here. And it is amazing the difference that seemingly small things can make. Though really what Bap needs is on a larger scale- the baby house needs a complete makeover badly (we thought about writing to Ty Pennington). The kids need a cleaner, safer place to live and they need plenty of volunteers to play with them and love them... two things that are not so easy to come by.
The new bottles!
Another orphanage project just opened up through AVIVA (Amanda and Jenn are the first volunteers to work there) that was recently given a COMPLETE makeover- they brought in volunteers that worked non-stop for (I think) four days and now the place is BEAUTIFUL- I have only seen the outside but there is grass (something Bap lacks) and a great swing set. And inside it's clean, and the kids have their own individual beds and much more. Granted, I am glad to be working at Bap where they really, really need us, but I just wish the same thing could be done for our kids, who I guess are considered lucky to be at Bap but really have basically nothing. It is just amazing that there are people in the world with so much money they don't know what to do with it and then you come to a place like this and there is a world of good that could be done with just a little help, and it is amazing that these problems still exist at all. It's sad and makes me wish I could do a heck of a lot more.
Anyways... as I said the shift went really well, I love everyone on it and am so sad that it is Georgina and Ida's last shift!! Makes me realize how fast the end is coming for me because after they leave (and Sofia and Friederike- also leaving this week) I have been here longer than anyone else in the house, which is CRAZY. How did that happen?? I just got here! I don't even want to think about it.
Yesterday Ida and I were picked up at 5am for shark cage diving. It was about a two hour drive there, during which time one might think it would be a good idea to sleep, but I was awake the whole time and turns out I am glad because we were driving over mountains by the coast as the sun rose and it was GORGEOUS. I swear, if you blink here you will miss something worth seeing. It was very nice. We arrived at the cage diving headquarters (a house about 1/4 block from the water & boat) and had a very nice self-serve breakfast (and several cups of coffee). Then they gave us a quick debriefing and we were off! There were only 12 of us (plus the crew), so it was a small group compared to most apparently which was quite nice. We rode out about 15 minutes but were still in relatively shallow water (~10m). This is technically the off season for seeing Great Whites, which are the only species in the area due to the cold water temperatures. However, you generally can see them year round, and this is the most famous place in the world to see them (some people may have seen the famous picture of a man in a yellow kayak being followed by a huge great white- that was taken here). So they put down anchor and throw out a "chum line"- nasty fishy stuff that the shark will (hopefully) catch the scent of and follow back to the boat. Also, the whole time they are throwing nasty fish stuff out into the water and have 1/2 a fish on a buoy as bait.
So everything was super... until I started to feel a bit seasick. Man, I have been a puker my whole life. Threw up twice, which sucked, but then the first shark was spotted so I threw on my wetsuit (in actuality, "throwing on" a wetsuit is the exact opposite of how it works, those things are so incredibly hard to get on [and off]). Plus these wetsuits have hoods, like what scuba divers wear, and little shoes that zip on, and I had a mask on, and they put a weight over your shoulders to help you go under in the cage. All of this was quite uncomfortable after having just thrown up let me tell you, but there was a shark! So I had to get in the cage.
THE CAGE
Five people get in at a time (and only 7 of the 12 on board were getting in at all which in my opinion is not worth the $120 to only watch from the boat but whatever) and you have to hold on to the top of the cage, and then when a shark is coming around they say "Divers go under!" or "Divers, on your left!" so you take a big breath and pull yourself under and look for the shark. Unfortunately the visibility was really poor under the water but there were several very exciting moments when that didn't really matter because the sharks would actually ram into the cage, putting them at about half a meter or less from you and that was awesome. I got out of the cage after about 15 minutes though because you really could actually see the sharks better from the boat. And we saw sooo many. After waiting about 30 minutes to see the first one we would see one every 2-3 minutes, and they would swim right next to the boat and go for the bait and come out of the water- it was awesome. And they looked HUGE, though they were only about 3-4m long and can grow to be 7m long- hard/scary to imagine. It was really great though.
Ahhh!
After about three hours we packed up (there were other boats around not having any luck, and in the off season the different companies help each other out so we left to let another boat come into the area since we had already seen so much) and headed back. At the house they put on the video that a videographer on the boat had been taking the whole time, and it was quite funny- for one, to see yourself in the wetsuit getup, and also because whenever someone was on camera they seemed to either wave or give the thumbs up- it reminded me of stereotypical Asians always giving the peace sign. Anyways, we were driven back to the house and were home by 2pm (I slept the whole way). (NOTE- all of this sounds incredibly touristy, and I guess it is, but it didn't feel like it. And it was definitely worth the money. And the staff was super nice and included volunteers just like us. So it was completely worth it and I am very glad I did it!)
Last night, everyone (Me, Georgina, Ida, Amanda, Amy, Jenn, Amanda, Shawna, Reino, and Christiaan) went out to Mama Africa on Long Street for a kind of goodbye dinner for Georgina and Ida. It was such a nice evening (I shared a kabob appetizer and I have no idea what kind of meat was on it [I am thinking crocodile, ostrich, and springbok?] but really have no idea, and had some kind of fish for my meal- very good). The best part though was that our table was right next to this AMAZINGGGG live African band that was SO good. Like you couldn't help but sit there dancing in your seat. And we had the perfect table because everyone else from inside the restaurant kept coming up to stand and watch them but we were right there the whole time. And of course, Amanda and I were both picked out by the lead singer/drummer man to dance with him on separate occasions... of course I loved this. It was so much fun. We didn't go out afterwards because tonight is G&I's official last night so we had already planned to do it up tonight. Can't wait =)
Some of the band!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Yay!
THANKS TO MOM & DAD for my AWESOME Christmas package!!! It is amazing... everyone sat around while I opened everything and kept saying "Wow you are very loved!". You guys are the best!
Now off to Bap~ back in 2 days!
Now off to Bap~ back in 2 days!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Table Mountain and Winelands Tour
Yesterday I woke up at 8 am and was supposed to go on my Cultural Tour, but decided to opt out. For one, I wasn't feeling super when I woke up and didn't want to be stuck driving around with a schedule to keep all day if I was sick. Also, I had heard that the tour isn't that great, that you get to see a couple neat things but the highlight is visiting a township, and doing so in a touristy way doesn't interest me. I know the point is to get a glimpse of their culture and township life but to me it seems like most people would just end up gawking at their poverty which seems wrong- these are peoples LIVES. I don't know, that's just the way I feel about it.
Instead Georgina and I decided to finally get to the top of Table Mountain the easy way- Cable Car! We went around noon and had to wait about 20 minutes to catch a car up. The cars are really neat- hold about 60 people and have a rotating floor, so you get a 360 degree view going up and down. It ascends the mountain in probably two minutes For most of the time you are hanging not too far above the mountain, but at a certain point all of a sudden you are hanging over NOTHING and that was kind of scary, though the views were INCREDIBLE. On top you can see everything- Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles on one side, all of Cape Town, the Waterfront, Obs and beyond on another side, and then a huge expanse of mountains in another direction. We walked around on top for a while on nice trails and then we had lunch at the restaurant outside. We visited the gift shop (I bought a t-shirt) and then headed back down- were probably up there for about three hours. We are lucky that we just happened to chose this day to go because the weather was absolutely perfect up top, and a lot of the time this is not the case due to cloud coverage.
Today was all together an amazing day- WINELANDS TOUR! First and foremost, it was nice to have an outing with everyone (Georgina, Ida, Amy, Amanda, Jenn, Amanda, & Christiaan), an international bunch (3 Americans, 2 Canadians, 2 Norwegians, and an English girl). Everyone gets along great and really enjoys each other's company it seems. It is so nice to be forming friendships with these people and then to experience things with people that you genuinely like.
This morning I woke up at 6:30 am (seriously what is wrong with me?? My roommates will vouch for the fact that this is very unlike me... maybe I'm turning over a new leaf?). Unfortunately the first thing I did when I woke up was electrocute myself on an outlet- also I am rather accident-prone here. Anyways we left around 8:30 am I think and had about a 45 minute drive to the first winery (I will have to come back and fill in names- can't remember now). The drive became more and more scenic as we entered the winelands and passed dozens and dozens of estates. Finally we reached out destination- a beautiful estate with a driveway lined with orange trees up to an archway through which you could see the fountain the courtyard inside. We got a short tour throughout the buildings with huge vats to hold the wine and rooms filled with hundreds of wine barrels. We also got to go out and pick some grapes off the vine though they weren't quite ripe (they need another month or two). Then we sat down for the first tasting at a long table under an overhang overlooking the courtyard. All in all we probably tried nine or ten wines here I think- about 5 whites, 4 reds and one desert wine (approximately). With the last three we had chocolate to try with each- one piece of chai chocolate (I bought some of this- delicious), then a piece of salt chocolate (not my favorite, kind of strange but good) and then the last was the geranium chocolate which tasted like you were eating a flower. The whole experience was very informative, very relaxing, and very tasty. We probably sat there for two hours. (During which time it is important to note that I recruited THREE people (Amanda, Jenn, and Christiaan) to go skydiving!! Woohoo!)
At the first winery.
The whole group!
We left this estate and headed next to the cheetah conservation place to pet a cheetah! Of course you end up paying about $10 for 5 minutes with a cheetah but I don't care- it was worth it. We pet Joseph, a 6 year old male and he layed there and purred so loudly, he loved it. The place is for cheetahs that were abandoned by their mothers or whose mothers were killed, and they have 13 cheetahs. Sadly, after cheetahs have been raised in captivity they cannot be released back into the wild, but this seemed like an okay home for them. Joseph was big and beautiful and it was VERY neat to pet him and be so up close. Very cool experience.
After this we drove a while to our next destination- lunch, which was great because we were all STARVING (and a few of us tipsy as well). Lunch was on AVIVA at a cute restaurant called Essence- I had a chicken sandwhich, fries and a small salad. Next we drove to winery number two (along the way passing zebra, ostrich, etc along the road) where we had our second tasting. Tried probably 6 wines but this place was not quite as nice as the first, plus we were in a bit of a rush to get to our third winery. And the last one was, like the first, gorgeous! Beautiful gardens, fountains, and goats as well. At this place you could taste six wines for 20R- $2.00! Plus, you got to chose from a long list which ones you wanted to try. Everyone kind of rushed through and only tried about four, but Amy and I took our time and ended up trying seven (guess the people liked us), all of which were soooo good. I should have bought some. Granted, at the end of this Amy was tanked and I was pretty drunk but I guess that is what a day of wine tasting will do to you. It was fun. We also got to do a cheese tasting (delicious) and I bought two cheeses- one with cranberries in it and one goat cheese for $3.00 all together (probably would have cost at least $10.00 at home?). So those will be delicious to have at Bap this shift. We left this winery to head home but Amy suggested we head to the Waterfront instead for Harry's Pancakes, where everyone had to try the banana and cinnamon pancake dessert. We all agreed so drove straight to the Waterfront and ate outside by the water at sunset. I got a pancake with ground ostrich on it (my first taste of ostrich- good!) and then the banana pancake for desert (mmmmm!). I like the idea of pancakes with anything for any meal here, and it is very popular. Dinner was the perfect end to an amazing, beautiful, fun-filled day.
My ostrich pancake!
Now I am really tired and will probably head back and go pretty much straight to bed (need to call Mom and Dad first!). Tomorrow we are back to Bap, and on the way we are going to buy about 100 new bottles so that we can reorganize and relabel all of the babies bottles. Our shift is also working on making new poster boards with all the kids pictures on it (one currently hangs in the Bap flat but is very out of date). So these are our projects for this shift. We have decided to take a bit of action and do what we can to better the baby house since there are so many things there that need work.
Tomorrow night is an AVIVA braai at the Table View house, so we will come back from Bap after serving dinner and get to sleep at Obs tomorrow night (very nice!) and return to Bap on Thursday morning. I will spend Thursday night there, but Ida and I are coming home Friday night instead of staying until Saturday morning so that we can go Shark Cage Diving on Saturday (leaves around 5 am!). Sunday I am going kloofing, and now we are going to try to book skydiving for Monday (hopefully we will be able to do this though I have no idea how far in advance you need to book it and I guess often trips are canceled due to weather, so we will have to see about all that). In other words, my next break will be known as "Lauren's Adventure and Death-Defying Break" and I am SO excited.
After these past six days off all I can say is that I am incredibly happy here and with all that I have been seeing and doing. And now I get to go back to my babies... not a bad deal =)
Instead Georgina and I decided to finally get to the top of Table Mountain the easy way- Cable Car! We went around noon and had to wait about 20 minutes to catch a car up. The cars are really neat- hold about 60 people and have a rotating floor, so you get a 360 degree view going up and down. It ascends the mountain in probably two minutes For most of the time you are hanging not too far above the mountain, but at a certain point all of a sudden you are hanging over NOTHING and that was kind of scary, though the views were INCREDIBLE. On top you can see everything- Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles on one side, all of Cape Town, the Waterfront, Obs and beyond on another side, and then a huge expanse of mountains in another direction. We walked around on top for a while on nice trails and then we had lunch at the restaurant outside. We visited the gift shop (I bought a t-shirt) and then headed back down- were probably up there for about three hours. We are lucky that we just happened to chose this day to go because the weather was absolutely perfect up top, and a lot of the time this is not the case due to cloud coverage.
Today was all together an amazing day- WINELANDS TOUR! First and foremost, it was nice to have an outing with everyone (Georgina, Ida, Amy, Amanda, Jenn, Amanda, & Christiaan), an international bunch (3 Americans, 2 Canadians, 2 Norwegians, and an English girl). Everyone gets along great and really enjoys each other's company it seems. It is so nice to be forming friendships with these people and then to experience things with people that you genuinely like.
This morning I woke up at 6:30 am (seriously what is wrong with me?? My roommates will vouch for the fact that this is very unlike me... maybe I'm turning over a new leaf?). Unfortunately the first thing I did when I woke up was electrocute myself on an outlet- also I am rather accident-prone here. Anyways we left around 8:30 am I think and had about a 45 minute drive to the first winery (I will have to come back and fill in names- can't remember now). The drive became more and more scenic as we entered the winelands and passed dozens and dozens of estates. Finally we reached out destination- a beautiful estate with a driveway lined with orange trees up to an archway through which you could see the fountain the courtyard inside. We got a short tour throughout the buildings with huge vats to hold the wine and rooms filled with hundreds of wine barrels. We also got to go out and pick some grapes off the vine though they weren't quite ripe (they need another month or two). Then we sat down for the first tasting at a long table under an overhang overlooking the courtyard. All in all we probably tried nine or ten wines here I think- about 5 whites, 4 reds and one desert wine (approximately). With the last three we had chocolate to try with each- one piece of chai chocolate (I bought some of this- delicious), then a piece of salt chocolate (not my favorite, kind of strange but good) and then the last was the geranium chocolate which tasted like you were eating a flower. The whole experience was very informative, very relaxing, and very tasty. We probably sat there for two hours. (During which time it is important to note that I recruited THREE people (Amanda, Jenn, and Christiaan) to go skydiving!! Woohoo!)
At the first winery.
The whole group!
We left this estate and headed next to the cheetah conservation place to pet a cheetah! Of course you end up paying about $10 for 5 minutes with a cheetah but I don't care- it was worth it. We pet Joseph, a 6 year old male and he layed there and purred so loudly, he loved it. The place is for cheetahs that were abandoned by their mothers or whose mothers were killed, and they have 13 cheetahs. Sadly, after cheetahs have been raised in captivity they cannot be released back into the wild, but this seemed like an okay home for them. Joseph was big and beautiful and it was VERY neat to pet him and be so up close. Very cool experience.
After this we drove a while to our next destination- lunch, which was great because we were all STARVING (and a few of us tipsy as well). Lunch was on AVIVA at a cute restaurant called Essence- I had a chicken sandwhich, fries and a small salad. Next we drove to winery number two (along the way passing zebra, ostrich, etc along the road) where we had our second tasting. Tried probably 6 wines but this place was not quite as nice as the first, plus we were in a bit of a rush to get to our third winery. And the last one was, like the first, gorgeous! Beautiful gardens, fountains, and goats as well. At this place you could taste six wines for 20R- $2.00! Plus, you got to chose from a long list which ones you wanted to try. Everyone kind of rushed through and only tried about four, but Amy and I took our time and ended up trying seven (guess the people liked us), all of which were soooo good. I should have bought some. Granted, at the end of this Amy was tanked and I was pretty drunk but I guess that is what a day of wine tasting will do to you. It was fun. We also got to do a cheese tasting (delicious) and I bought two cheeses- one with cranberries in it and one goat cheese for $3.00 all together (probably would have cost at least $10.00 at home?). So those will be delicious to have at Bap this shift. We left this winery to head home but Amy suggested we head to the Waterfront instead for Harry's Pancakes, where everyone had to try the banana and cinnamon pancake dessert. We all agreed so drove straight to the Waterfront and ate outside by the water at sunset. I got a pancake with ground ostrich on it (my first taste of ostrich- good!) and then the banana pancake for desert (mmmmm!). I like the idea of pancakes with anything for any meal here, and it is very popular. Dinner was the perfect end to an amazing, beautiful, fun-filled day.
My ostrich pancake!
Now I am really tired and will probably head back and go pretty much straight to bed (need to call Mom and Dad first!). Tomorrow we are back to Bap, and on the way we are going to buy about 100 new bottles so that we can reorganize and relabel all of the babies bottles. Our shift is also working on making new poster boards with all the kids pictures on it (one currently hangs in the Bap flat but is very out of date). So these are our projects for this shift. We have decided to take a bit of action and do what we can to better the baby house since there are so many things there that need work.
Tomorrow night is an AVIVA braai at the Table View house, so we will come back from Bap after serving dinner and get to sleep at Obs tomorrow night (very nice!) and return to Bap on Thursday morning. I will spend Thursday night there, but Ida and I are coming home Friday night instead of staying until Saturday morning so that we can go Shark Cage Diving on Saturday (leaves around 5 am!). Sunday I am going kloofing, and now we are going to try to book skydiving for Monday (hopefully we will be able to do this though I have no idea how far in advance you need to book it and I guess often trips are canceled due to weather, so we will have to see about all that). In other words, my next break will be known as "Lauren's Adventure and Death-Defying Break" and I am SO excited.
After these past six days off all I can say is that I am incredibly happy here and with all that I have been seeing and doing. And now I get to go back to my babies... not a bad deal =)
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