You've Got The Moon

Luhhh Dis

A full moon comes along once a month, a full moon while I'm in Africa comes along just four times... I have missed two already. So, when the moon continued to wax high above dear old Cape Town, I knew that soon enough I would need to enjoy it. This Thursday the 23rd of September, I did just that.

Like Devil's Peak and Table Mountain, Lion's Head is the third jewel in the mountainous crown above Cape Town. On this fully moonlit night Ben, Nick, Lauren, Grace, and I climbed this sweet, sweet jewel. Leaving after school, we went downtown and then up to the nearby trailhead where we began our venture before dusk. Climbing rapidly, to ensure that we were at the top for sunset, we scaled the cliff-like trail. Up ladders, hand-holds in the rocks, and holding on to chains, we precariously made our way to the top with plenty of time for a little sunset action and a brief night tweak. From the top, we could see the far reaching urban form of Cape Town, the looming shadow of Table Mountain, the solitary cargo shits floating offshore, the golden glow of the World Cup Stadium, and two groups of military planes practicing tricks for the air show later in the weekend. A perfect evening.

But, to add a little adventure, we realized that we had left our flashlights at the bottom of the mountain, so the descent was lit only by the light of the moon and the glow of the city. Obviously, I survived the hazardous climb down, and the others were equally fortunate. Later on, we had a full moon romp on Long Street at the Dubliner Pub. Classic.

Looking Down Towards the Cape and Camps Bay

Brus Bein' Brus

A Pride of Wild Lions at the Summit

Full Moon Uhhhh

Mounting Table Mountain

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

Freaking Steep!

After returning back to the familiarity of Cape Town and getting that much needed shower, we had a final weekend before the daily grind of school got started again. So, on that 11th of September, Evie and I decided to get a good look at the Mother City... from high above it. Taking a typical mini-bus ride into the city from my apartment and then another one up the hillside to the base of the iconic Table Mountain.

Apparently, the hike to the top was only 2 km, but jeeeeeez it was HARD! The trail was essentially a stone staircase of steps about 2 feet high. I've got to admit, that with all my experience hiking about, this was a real challenge for the ol' body. Sure, it was only 2km, but that is 2km straight up the cliff!

At the top, we were relieved to have a steady breeze and a beautiful, clear day. We could see just about everything from the top and it gave us a good idea of the way Cape Town was really like; from the World Cup stadium at Greenpoint, to the port at the Waterfront, and out to the townships in the Cape Flats, we got to see the city in its entirety from the top.

Happy to be at the top! What a view, bru!

Farewell Sweet Evie... Joke

We ended up taking the cable-car down the mountain, not because we were too tired to hike down, but because there was still a lot to do on Evie's last weekend here, and my final days before school returned to torturing me. We took a mini-bus down to the Promenade near the Castle of Good Hope where we walked around the longest standing structure in the city before making a visit to the District 6 Museum. For those of you who have seen the movie, District 9, this area is what the movie is based on. No aliens, but it was a neighborhood that had all non-white residents removed during apartheid. Today, it is a large open field in the middle of the city, a visible scar of the segregation that ended just over 15 years ago.

The museum chronicled the lives of the white, coloured, and black residents that occupied the district in peace before the Group Areas Act designated the neighborhood as fit for 'whites only.' There was also a temporary exhibit on the role of soccer during and after apartheid. It was amazing to read about the extreme racism that soccer experienced for several decades, and the post-apartheid reformation that led to the World Cup coming to South Africa just months ago.

Travel Experiences

          I have been in South Africa for two months now! Time sure is flying by, and I am finally getting more used to the way that this country works. One of the most interesting aspects of living here is travel, by car, by train, or by plane, things are done a little different here.

Just a Herd on the Highway... No Biggie.

            First off, our first driving experience along the Garden Route was the first time I drove on the left side of the road. Nerve-racking at first, but it was also the most pleasant driving of my life… and believe me, there have been some pleasant driving in the US of A. Here’s why it was great. The N2 is the main freeway up the east coast, and it is only two lanes wide. In the US, this would mean getting stuck behind trucks and waiting for opportunities to pass slow cars, but here every car will pull over to the side of the road if they see a car moving faster than them. Then, as if that wasn’t nice enough, the fast-moving car flashes their lights to say ‘thanks’ and the slow-moving car does the same to say ‘ your welcome.’ For some reason, I was really excited about how great South African drivers were and talked about it the whole trip.  

            This sentiment rapidly changed last week while we were driving up the N2, this time north of Durban. On this drive, we almost died a few times from sketchy driving. Once, we were passing a car only to be passed by a cop, with oncoming traffic… on a two-lane road!!! Yes, that’s four cars wide on a two-lane road. Another time, we had cars passing semis on the left side… that’s like passing on the right shoulder in the US! Glad that I wasn’t driving, cause I most likely would have had an accident… in my pants. No joke.

            Traveling in Cape Town in equally hair-raising sometimes. The cheapest way to get around is in the minibus taxis, which are minivans straight from the 80’s in which there are often 20 or so people packed into. It costs less than a dollar to get anywhere, but at times you can see why it is so cheap. On a few occasions, we have had drivers drive on the sidewalk in order to pass people, they run red lights as if there was no crossing traffic, all of them have sound systems worth at least double the value of the vehicle, and none of them have insurance!

Water, Corkscrew, Slingshot, Lighter... Through Security!

            And, above the highways and the traffic are the airplanes… oh, what a difference they are! First of all, no need to get to the airport early for a flight in South Africa. The extent of checking a bag is telling someone your name and handing him or her your bag. Then, as they print out a boarding pass, someone might ask, ‘you don’t have anything sharp in your bag do you?’ Nope, now on to the real security. On my first time through airport security, I was ready for the routine of removing my shoes, taking my laptop out of the bag, getting an ID out for them to scrutinize, taking off jackets and belts, and dumping out any fluid or gel bigger than a gummy bear. The security people were actually mad that I had taken my shoes off and belt. Apparently I was slowing down the 1 minute long security line!

Because of how relaxed airport security was, we decided to see what we could get away with over spring break. We got through security with over 2 liters of water, a corkscrew, a lighter and a slingshot. Probably not a very smart experiment, but it just goes to show how different things are here.

1 Week- 0 Showers - 3 Happy Campers!

Spring Break: The Rural Life

Local kids walk up to 10 kilometers
getting to and from school

            Up the coast to Kosi Bay, we found ourselves just a few kilometers from the border of Mozambique. Our original plan was to go over to Ponta D’Ouro for a day, but there have been nationwide riots for the past few days that have forced the US Embassy to evacuate, and flights into the country to be cancelled. So, it just seemed like a bad time to visit.

            When planning the trip, we all thought that Kosi Bay was going to be a bit of a resort town. Seafood restaurants, gift shops, adventure companies, ect. It was far from that. As we entered town, we found a vibrant marketplace set up along the main road with thousands of people walking in the road and around the produce vendors. Women were carrying huge baskets of food on their heads (just like the movies) and there were barefoot children in school uniforms lining each side of the road, walking home from school. It was by far the most ‘African’ place I had been to yet. We decided to stop and get some food for dinner so we went to the grocery store for some items, and then got produce in the roadside market. In the market, we were the only white people there, but we all felt much safer there than in Cape Town. The food was SO cheap. It cost R5 for a bunch of lettuce and R7 ($1) for about ten tomatoes. It made me wonder how these women made enough money to live off of.

Young Boy Herding Cattle

            It took us a while to find our backpackers (hostel) because it was about two kilometers off the main road on rough sand roads. Following little arrows, we slowly meandered past old women plowing fields by hand, children playing, and people burning fields to get rid of the old grasses in order to make room for new crops. It was true, rural Africa. Our accommodations were extremely cool, as all the pathways were above the sandy ground on wooden walkways and our room was a stucco hut with mosquito netting above the beds… this was malaria country.

            We were still able to get in another day of snorkeling in one of the four major lakes in the National Park. The lake we were in was a salt-water lake that was protected from sharks by being really shallow, and protected by hippos and crocodiles by being to salty. To get to the snorkeling spot, we had to cross over the river mouth with all of our belongings on our head so they didn’t get wet. It proved even more difficult on the way back because the tide had gone up over a foot. The water was once again really warm and the five of us spent the entire day floating along the coral reefs looking at all the bright fish and… eels! Not a fan of the eels. My favorite sighting was the lionfish, which has red, and white stripes and has long spiky things come out of its body. We also played around on some of the tallest sand dunes in the world.

Collecting Grass to Make a Thatched Roof

Burning the Fields

            The following day we decided to go for a hike to the lakes from our backpackers. We hired a local guide to show us the way because it was several kilometers and there was no specific trail. He led the five of us through a maze of  fields and villages, past the locals who were growing peanuts, yams, bananas, and tomatoes. We learned a local greeting (probably in Khosa of Zulu), but I don’t remember it, and most of the people understood ‘hello.’ It was odd to see old women plowing the fields by themselves or burning the dead grasses as there were very few men working on the land, and even fewer children… although that is probably because they are back in school after the strikes have ended. We hiked through a lot of sandy and dry farmland and then lastly through a bit of lush jungle before reaching one of the lakes. It was a really interesting to see the lives of the rural South African before we drove back to Durban for our flight back to Cape Town. The end of Spring Break… so sad.

Only in Africa...

While we were still in St. Lucia we signed up for a safari with a couple of guides from the hostel. They seemed like nice guys and apparently had good experience with guiding safaris in the National Park. So, we made plans for a Tuesday morning excursion with there two brus at about 9am. While we waited for the pair in the lobby for a while, one of them came and told us it would be best if we went and got breakfast before the trip. We went to the restaurant next door for eggs and toast. They went to the restaurant next door for beer and alcoholic cider… before 10am!

Literally Drinking and Driving (we were not in this car)

Hunting for the Emerald Beetle

For some reason we still assumed they had a handle on things, so we all got into the 4X4 for the safari and got on our way, after a short stop for food and more beer. Thankfully, the driver assured us that he would not be drinking, but I wouldn’t be that surprised if he was chugging beer when we weren’t looking.

After we had reached the park, the group of us joined in the drinking and we soon encountered several species of antelope and deer that the park was home to. Our favorite was obviously the Red Duiker, a deer the size of a dog (even as an adult) and a great underhand pitch! After a while of no luck with the animals, apart from the deer and dung beetles, we came across a grouse, some water buffalo, and a RHINO!!! We followed it for a few kilometers, so awesome! I wanted to get our of the car to get a picture, but it was so big and scary that we all just stayed in the car.

The safari included a classic South African lunch of Boerworst and snorkeling in the sea, but we just swam because the tide was too high to see the reef. I’m sure the safari isn’t as hilarious to read about as it was to experience, but at least you can get the general idea about the chaos. 

Hip-Hop Opotamus

Bo Kaap - The Muslim Neighborhood

            It has been a hectic couple of weeks. Lots of exams, papers, group projects, and reading all due before the mid-term break… or as all the Americans call it, Spring Break!!! Yes, this is spring since I am in the Southern Hemisphere, even though the winter has been nothing like I have experienced. On Thursday, I had to skip one of my classes to pick up a special someone at the airport… my sister EVIE! Over the weekend, we did all the best of Cape Town. Walking tour of all the most important sights, like: Old City Hall, the minibus station, Company Gardens, Bo Kaap, the V&A waterfront, the UCT campus, Long Street, and a Rastafarian protest/changing session (just randomly in the park). We also got to go hang with the hipsters at the Old Biscuit Mill again and eat all of the delicious food. I had a cinnamon croissant, a Polish potato and egg scramble, and homemade hot chocolate. As always YUM!

            On Sunday morning (like a 4am kind of morning), Evie and I went back to the airport with three other people from our group… and all from DU! We were truly DUing something for the spring break. Ahhh the school would be proud.

            Our flight brought us to Durban, up on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It was noticeably warmer and more humid, which was perfect for going to the beach almost everyday in St. Lucia and Kosi Bay (even farther North along the Indian Ocean). In St. Lucia we spent the first day swimming in the sea, sitting on the beautiful beaches, and taking a riverboat safari. We all boarded a boat down just a short walk from our hostel, which took us up the wide river several kilometres. We saw at least 50 hippos and about 15-20 Nile crocodiles. We were all sitting up on the bow of the boat, and at first sight of the crocs we all stopped dangling our feet over the edge of the boat! But apparently, the hippos are what you have to worry about; they kill more people than anything else in Africa, well as far as animals, probably not more than car accidents, etc.

            On Monday, we spent the day at the entire day at the beach and in the village. We tried out two of the main beaches, and spent plenty of time in the water. It was the warmest ocean water I have ever felt! Some of the locals were doing really cool bodysurfing stuff which I also tried to do, but nearly drowned instead… not really, but close. The waves were just super massive, so we had lots of fun just trying not to fall over, which no one did successfully.

Enjoying the safari with Nigel Thornberry

The following day we woke up early for our land safari in the National Park. This was a pretty central event to the whole trip, so I will detail it further in a future blog entry.

            On Wednesday, we woke up really early and drove up towards our next reserved hostel in Kosi Bay. Along the way we stopped in Sodwana Bay, one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world! Because none of us were qualified to scuba, we were left to snorkelling… major loss of extremeness credibility. When we pulled up at the beach with all out snorkel gear, everyone just stared at us and laughed because they were all going scuba diving. Still, we were able to take out our own boat and saw flying fish as we looking for dolphins and sperm whales. Once we reached the reef, we jumped in (I did the backwards scuba thing) and got to swim with a sea turtle for several minutes until we started to get stung by the millions of jellyfish.

To be continued…