Mauritius

So, today I found heaven. Although an extremely small island, Ile de deux Cocos (The Island of Two Coconuts) is the most pristine island I have ever seen. This island is only about a half mile off the coast of Mauritius, which itself is an amazingly gorgeous island. We docked on Mauritius at about 8am, and after diplomatic briefing my trip left. My whole group of friends signed up for the same trip, so it was nice to spend a relaxing day with all of them. We drove an hour to the opposite side of the island, which is only about 60km long and 40km wide. The drive was beautiful. Mauritius is a volcanic island, so the mountains are tall, steep, and jagged. The fertile valleys are lined with sugar cane, and the color green that blanketed the island was stunning. I don’t think that I have ever seen such a vivid, clear green in my life. After an hour we reached the shore, where we took glass bottom boats to the Ile de deux Cocos, which was as I said a half mile away. The boat was so close to the coral reef below, probably only about 2 feet above. We saw fish, but nothing big. When we got to the island we were greeted with a cooled towel which smelled so good. We really got the star treatment. There were huge cabanas which we set our stuff under, and then we went into the beautiful, warm water. The water was perfectly crystal clear. It looked like someone dropped a few drops of blue and a few drops of green food coloring in the water, but not too much. The water was very lightly colored, it was just perfect. After enjoying some pineapple juice a few of us walked to opposite side of the island where we found lots of black rocks, jetting out into the water. After gazing in amazement of the beauty around us we headed back to the main area to eat lunch. This was the best meal that I have had so far on this trip. There were salads of every kind, chicken, shrimp, tuna, grouper, ribs, lobster. The seafood was delicious, and so fresh that it didn’t even taste like fish! The salads were equally as good, even though I have no clue what they actually were. We also got two complimentarily alcoholic beverages, which was plenty with the heat of the sun. After lunch we went right back into the water where we spent the rest of the day just floating there. We headed back to the ship around 4. Tonight we are going to have the opening ceremonies for our Sea Olympics, which are tomorrow. That means no class! Can’t wait. Today was such a relaxing day. Who ever thought that I’d go to Mauritius?!?!

 

 

Now 10 hours ahead of the East Coast

 

Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world – Scott Cameron

 

So since we left South Africa we have been cruising at between 26 and 30 knots, which is ridiculously fast for a ship. Consequently, it makes things a little rocky. Showering becomes a workout more than a relaxing few minutes, and walking down the halls makes you look drunk. Anyways, we have all become quite accustomed to sleeping in this environment, and everyone sleeps almost all the time. We are like little babies, rocked to sleep. I have decided that when I get home I will need one of the ambiance cd’s in order for me to fall asleep. I am so used to the cracking and smacking of the waves against the ship that silence might just not do it for me anymore. The malaria meds are giving me vivid dreams. My roommate says last night I was screaming “Don’t do this to me, I can’t take this anymore.” My dream was that I came home and Brian was in jail and had a million tattoos, so I guess my screams made sense. After Global Studies this morning I laid out for a few hours to prepare myself for the whole day in the sun tomorrow in Mauritius. After laying out, I came inside and took a two hour nap. Oh the terrible life I lead. Right now I am getting ready for dinner, and then immediately following dinner my friends and I are stuffing 16 people into a cabin to watch Slum Dog Millionaire, which is evidentially an amazing movie. After that we have both cultural and logistical preport . . . I wonder if we will play Bingo again…? There is not much to tell us about Mauritius. No going into townships (which we hear for EVERY country), and I guess wear sunscreen? Mauritius is pretty much a resort island. It is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous . . . a paradise of sorts. I am going on a day trip to Ile des deux Cocos &Marine Park. Google it and be jealous. We are snorkeling, taking a glass bottom boat ride, sun bathing, relaxing, having a few drinks . . . .. oh the pain, oh the agony, oh the class credit?  Anyway, dinner is calling my name.

 

Something to think about . . .

For my poetry class I have write about 3 different experiences that I have during the trip. For one of them I wrote a poem about the children in the Townships that I visited. I thought I'd share. It is hard to describe these children, but I think this poem is closer than my previous description.

 

 

To Those who Need a Place to Play

 

For one day I was a human jungle gym.

Children running, they all wanted in

on the fun. Tiny mud splattered hands

grasping me instead of snatching Rands

and cries of happiness instead of

the typical pain. Turn into a dove

and fly away to the top of the tall,

white, unbalanced human seesaw.

Innocence regained with the pumping.

One, two, three, and the thumping

loops them over the top of the swings.

For once they feel like Kings.

Much can be learned from these small

unwavering hands, unable to fall

from the human jungle gym. Release,

get down, away from the playground, but please

take a monkey bar or two. 

Names already etched into the white metal

The human jungle gym can never forget you.

 

Delay

So, we were supposed to leave Cape Town at 8pm two nights ago, BUT we got delayed. Go figure. The winds were too strong, making the waves too rough for us to get out of the port without our stabilizers on (you must have your stabilizers off while entering/exiting ports). We didn’t end up getting out of the port til 8am the next day, putting us 12 hours behind. I hope we make it to Mauritius! I spent all day yesterday either in class, sleeping or cramming for our first Global Studies exam which was today. It was 100 questions multiple choice, and everyone was freaking out. I am still so warn out from South Africa, and it probably doesn’t help that I am sick. Yesterday I napped for 3 hours! And today I am probably going to sleep the whole day because I have no classes, only the exam. You are supposed to work hard and play hard, but I did the reverse. Play hard in Namibia and South Africa, work hard yesterday, and sleep hard today!  I woke up at 5:30 today to study for the Global exam. I don’t think I have ever studied so hard for an exam before. They told us that about 40% of people fail the first exam, so we are all freaking out. At least all 700 of us have to study for the same thing. I had the breakfast of champions this morning. Croissant with ham, eggs, cheese, and some fruit on the side. So delicious. Oh yea, and tons of coffee. Just have to keep reminding myself that . . . Only 2 more days after today until Mauritius, until paradise! And then the day after Mauritius we have our Sea Olympics which is a whole day of fun. Can’t wait. Then after that four days until India. Gotta love it. 

 

I miss South Africa so much. I miss the food, the scenery, the people. I miss the restaurants, the nightlife, the weather. *SIGH*

 

Chrissy Mathues

South Africa, my future home ;-)

 

Two nights ago a group of 11 of us went to the rugby game. On the way there our taxi got pulled over for hopping a median. It was frightening for a minute until we figured out what was going on, and then it was fine. The game was the Vodacom Chargers (the home team) vs the Reds. The game was amazing. People are nuts about their teams! It is equivalent to soccer (futbol) here. The venders served chips, soda, beef jerkey, and then men walked around with donuts and heated containers of hot chocolate strapped to their backs with a tube connected to it to pour out and he carried cups and marshmallows. It was so funny. Also there was no drinking at the game. Surprising, huh? Rugby is such an awesome game to watch. The clock never stops, so there are never breaks. The refs barely do anything, and as soon as a player gets tackled someone snatches up the ball and the game continues. I love it. We ended up winning 27 to 24. To get a “touchdown”is 5 points and to get a “field goal”is 2. It was a good game.

 

After the game we came back to the area and went to the brewery at the waterfront. I was really tired, though, and I have laryngitis (no voice at all) so I wanted to sleep it off. I got some nachos and then left. On the way back to the boat a man roared at me. I think he was off one of the other boats, and was extremely intoxicated. As we passed he just stared at my faced and roared. It was fascinating. I knew there were lions in South Africa, but I didn’t know that there were some in Cape Town! It was strange and gave us a good laugh.

 

Yesterday we did a wine tour. It was probably the most beautiful landscape that I have ever seen. The wineries are in the area of Stellenbosch, about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town. We started at the Stumble Inn, a backpacker’s inn in the town. At 10:30 the group of us and others who were staying at the inn loaded into two buses and headed for the first winery. After two wineries we ate lunch, which included wine. After lunch we went to two more wineries. At each winery we tried 5 different wines, so we tried 21 wines in all (including lunch). I was being tasteful, though, and either spat or poured out most of the wine. My favorite are the sparkling wines, followed by the rose, and then sweet white . . . So good!

 

Last night a group of us had a girl’s night out, and attempted to go to this club called Tiger Tiger but you had to be 21 to get in for females and 23 to get in males on Saturdays, so we obviously couldn’t go there. What is that about though, we aren’t in the US! Gr. We ended up going to a bar close to that or a while and then going to Chrome on Longstreet, where I had been a few nights earlier. I had the best time there. It was an amazing night. Lots of dancing, lots of fun. I will never forget that night.

 

Today I woke up and realized that my camera is broken. There is a lens error. I think that I tried to turn on the camera and had my hand over the lens, and that messed it up. Although this is a simple repair, time is of the essence here. I had to buy a new camera, which are about double the price here as they are in the US. I bought almost the same camera as I had before. It is sad because I had just gotten my other camera for a Christmas present from my parents, but I figured that pictures are invaluable and I don’t want to compromise good pictures for a cheap camera. I want to get my old camera fixed when I get back to the US, and then sell one of them. 

 

Today was my last day, and it was an awesome day but sad. I do NOT want to leave yet. I still have so much to do and to see. I spent the day around the J&A Waterfront, spending my leftover Rand, using the internet, and hanging out with someone who I had met a few days before. We just hung out, watched the seals, enjoyed the company and admired how nice of a day it was out. I am really in euphoria here in Cape Town. Some Semester at Sea students already bought tickets to the 2010 World Cup which is to be held here. Other students are planning graduation trips to here. I don’t know when I get back, but I hope that it is soon.

 

Right now I am sitting on the ship in the Piano lounge. We were supposed to leave Cape Town 10 minutes ago, but there are high winds and rough seas. It is going to be a puke fest when we actually do end up leaving, sometime before 11pm tonight. You must have your stabilizers off while you exit the port, and that means that we will be rocking and rolling. There were some injuries last time we rocked, so I think we are trying to avoid it the best that we can. Anyway, I’ll say it again. I will very much miss South Africa and the unforgettable people I met.

 

Oh, life.

I am taking today to catch up on some much needed shopping. It has been over a month now since I had been to a mall and bought something nice, so I am having tons of fun doing that. I stopped at the MAC makeup store and treated myself to some nice non-smudge eyeliner and some shadow to do the smokey eye. I didn't bring all of my eyeshadows and stuff, and I have been finding that I want to do different things with my makeup when I go out at night, so I wanted to stuff. They also did my makeup while I was there, which is nice. I also found Cadbury Hot chocolate! I bought some and am saving it for back in the states. I am also by myself for the first time in a month. It is refreshing. (Don't worry mom, the US Embassy people said that its perfectly safe to walk around the harbor area by yourself during the day). Its also nice to blend in for once. There is a high white population in South Africa, so no one can tell me from them. We get free WIFI outside of the mall area so I am sitting here listening to some African music, working on a paper, just relaxing. I love it here, I can't say that enough.

Cape Town, Day 2

Do you know those rare moments when you feel indescribably alive? I had one of those today. Today I did a SAS tour called Operation Hunger. Operation Hunger aims at feeding malnourished children and adults, as well as providing education on how to better their situations. A bus of 44 of us left the dock and drove about a half hour to our first Township. Townships were set up during Apartheid, when blacks were forced into poverty. These individuals have been unable to pick themselves back up and remain unbearable situations. The first Township that we went to was shocking. None of us knew how to react as we stepped off of our air conditioned bus into a community with no electricity and inadequate shelter. Then, it happened. Before we say it, we heard it. Children, laughing and playing. After an introduction to the head of the community we had some time in the newborn – 3 year old play area. It was set up in what used to be the school, a single room with no electricity and tin walls and roof. Blankets covered the floor. In this small township there were 30 babies in this room! This township also has a system where everyone takes care of everyone else and their children as well. Every child is looked after. If a child’s parents leave to find work in a nearby town, other families will take this child in and share what little they have. It is inspiring. The unemployment rate there is 80%. The dilapidated houses were pieces of scraps held together with a few nails. Our job here with Operation Hunger was to weigh and measure the children. These measurements are then used to compare to previous months measurements in order to assess the progress being made. There were so many children of all ages, and we got to play with them for hours. I jumped between the infant/toddler room and outside, where the other children were playing and running. These children loved us. They wouldn’t let go of us as they jumped on our backs or just sat in silence and held them. Some spoke some English, some did not, but that didn’t matter. A smile and a laugh are universal. I have never seen such well behaved children. They were all angels. Each distinctive face told such a story. And to look into the eyes of one of these child was to discover the real truth, the poverty. But on the outside these were the happiest children I have ever seen. These children seriously have nothing material value, but their smiles were more valuable than the biggest diamond. All 44 of us fell in love right then. As the bus pulled away we waved at the innocent kids, hopeful that someday a generation will succeed in ending this poverty. We all donated a little money and collected over $200 US to help buy school and craft supplies. The second township we went to is the site of a soup kitchen which is ran 2 times a week. As we pulled up it looked much like the first township, except the houses were a little bit more stable and the Township was set up much more like a neighborhood you would see at home. Everyone came out to greet us. As we rounded the corner to the soup kitchen I just saw throngs of kids, sitting on the ground with an empty bowl in their hands. They were waiting for their meal. Before we came to this second Township the bus stopped at a store and most of us bought a few loaves of bread. One loaf only cost one dollar US, and it just goes to show how seriously impoverished these individuals are. A line was formed outside of the soup kitchen. Children were first, and then adults behind them. After they collected their meals we interacted with the children. We also talked to the adults here, a lot more than we had at the other Township. I met a fourteen year old who wants to be a doctor. He says he wants to practice in Durbin. He told me that they get free education through grade 12, which is excellent for a Township. After I took a few pictures, it started. Every child wanted to have his/her picture taken, and also wanted to take pictures. The children were absolutely fascinated with cameras! As we left this township an elderly couple came up to me and asked me to take pictures of their faces. They were so happy when I said sure. It was almost like they wanted their faces, their existence to live on to be shown to others. They wanted to be someone. The elderly women gave me a blessing and said thank you thank you. She told me that not only did we come, but that we came and helped them to live another week. I told her “you are all our inspiration,” but she just nodded her head no and said, “no, you’re an angel.”

Word do not describe today. The smiling faces and the laughter and joy of these children cannot be written. Wealth should not be defined by the number of things you have, but by the number of things you give . . . happiness is never superficial.

Cape Town, South Africa

When I woke up yesterday it was so foggy that you couldn’t see one foot off the ship. Every few minutes a fog horn was sounded. Although this was annoying, I understand the necessity. We had to wait off the coast of South Africa for about an hour because of this, so everything got delayed about an hour. At the diplomatic briefing they told us about all the safety regulations we should follow for the area. This is our first port that has a crime level of critical, the highest it can be. Also, crime is on the rise here, not the decline. When we finally pulled into port Table Mountain became visible, although clouds hovered over and sat on the top of this flat-topped mountain. Table Mountain is the best known landmark in Cape Town, and we plan to hike it later this week. The dock where we are is awesome. The last two ports have been industrial ports, with cranes and shipping boxes everywhere.  This port is similar to Baltimore Inner Harbor, but just a million times better. It is called the V&W Waterfront. There is a huge hotel right in front of the ship, and attached to it is a huge mall, almost as big as the Plaza at KOP. I mean this thing is massive! There is another mall about 2 blocks from that as well. Stuff here costs about 85% of what it would in the US. I have to be careful because it has been a month since I have done descent shopping in stores I know, and they have all of the upscale names within 5 minutes of the ship here! There are also some Curio shops and tons of restaurants and bars in the waterfront area. At noon I left to go to Robben Island on a SAS tour. We walked to the ferry and then left on a half hour boat ride to the island. Robben island is home to a prison like Alcatraz. During the apartheid era political prisoners were held here. Before that time normal citizens were held in jails there, and previous to that the island was used to house lepers so that they “didn’t infect the general population.” Most of the tour guides on the island are former political prisoners who have returned to help tell the story of the island, and our tour guide was one of these men. We took an hour bus tour around the area to see the geography of the island. There are also remnants from World War 2, when the island was used to protect Cape Town from a possible invasion. On the island there is also a 9-hole golf course that was used by the jail masters. This golf course, however, is now destroyed by the many rabbits that used to inhabit the island. A few years ago they had to kill 10,000 rabbits in order to control the population. After the bus tour we took an hour walking tour through the maximum security prison, where the political prisoners were held. We saw Nelson Mandela’s cell which was amazing to see. There is such history in one little cell block. Our tour guide was imprisoned for simply belonging to a political party. Political prisoners got sentences of 10 and 20 years, nothing in between and no one was ever let out early. They were fed poorly, treated poorly, and tortured. They were forced to do mining work that destroyed their eyesight, our tour guide included. Their mail was even censored to the degree that sometimes all that remained of the letter was Dear –and Love -. They also mentally tortured the prisoners by writing fake mail from the “wives”of the men saying that they wanted a divorce. Many men went insane. After this tour we went on Penguin Boardwalk and saw the many penguins that inhabit the island.  They are so cute! After the Robben Island tour I went back to the ship to get ready for the night, and then a group of us left for dinner. We ate dinner at a Steakhouse that served wild game, but the only exotic thing that was ordered was Alligator. I tried it, and it was quite good. Chewy, fishy chicken. I got a salad that had a mayo dressing, fried croutons, avocado, and this odd-ball cheese that was sweet. We managed to get free champagne because the restaurant next door was trying to get us to go there and offered us champagne. After dinner we went to a local brewery and there weren’t too many SAS kids there which was great. We tried this shot called the Springbok which tasted like mint and chocolate. It tasted like a milkshake. Delicious. I had an awesome first day in Cape Town, but I can tell that I am not going to even get to do half of what is available there. Miss you all and wish you could experience this too!

 

CAPE TOWN!

 

We just got to Cape Town, South Africa, and I couldn't be more excited. We are all so ready to get off the boat but we have to wait for customs to clear the ship. At 12:15 - 17:00 I am going on a Robben Island tour, and then a whole group of us are going out tonight. So excited. This port looks so modern and there are awesome colorful buildings. There are lots of shops and restaurants, and it looks like I could spend 5 days in just the port area alone! 

 

 

There is no passion to be found in playing small,  in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living –

 

           Nelson Mandela

Namibia

Day 1- We arrived to Namibia (a country north of South Africa on the western side of Africa) at around 8am. After breakfast we had our first diplomatic briefing, when two ambassadors from the US Embassy came aboard and gave us current safely concerns along with a brief history of Namibia. After the briefing we all filed up to Deck 7 because there was an all girls children’s choir that was performing on the dock for us. They were from the capital city which is inland, and many of the girls had never seen the ocean before. They were going to tour the ship later in the day. After the ship was cleared we disembarked and found our line of 10 Wild Dog Safari buses/vans. With 14 people in each van, the group of us left the dock at Walvis Bay, pronounced Valfish Bay. Ater making a brief stop at an ATM and the grocery store to stock up on snacks and beverages we left the area. It wasn’t long until we were out of the Walvis Bay area and were into the open desert. We passed some sand dunes where people were hang gliding! The sand was a beautiful orangy tan. We went through the town of Swapukmond, a German city 35km away from the dock. I was shocked at how modern and clean both Walvis Bay and Swapukmond were. It felt like you were in any old beach town. After Swakupmond there was not much more to see. Our bus, which came to be called “Bus Number Two”was myself, Colleen, Matt Wald, Jull, Phil, Joe, Allison, Celest, Karen, Tyler, Colin, Erika, and a few others. The full cooler of beer was opened early. The sun is so hot here, and the water is terrible (we had no choice!). Both beer and wine are very cheap in Namibia. You could buy a 6-pack of beer for $N67,00, or $US6.70. Wine was even cheaper. You could buy a bottle for $N37, or $US3.70. Most of us bought a bottle, and I sprung for a Rose with the giraffe on the front, made in South Africa. After about 3 hours we realized that the 4-hour bus ride was going to be much longer than that. One bus broke down and we picked up two of their passengers, Joe and Casey. We also rigged the intercom system with an ipod, headphones, a deck of cards and a cap in order to broadcast music. That was the best idea of the tip. 6 hours into the trip and a few beers later we began a sing along to Lion King songs, followed by dance party marathon. Bus Number Two turned into Disco Number Two. All of us put the other buses to shame as we passed them by. They all looked so tired and bored, but not our bus! After about 8 stops (both at toilets and on the side of the road) I stopped counting. Evidentially drinking leads to excessive peeing, a concept that my bus didn’t catch on to that well. When we finally made it to our campsite in Etosha Wildlife Park it was pouring rain. We had to pitch our tents in the rain and the dark, and it was a disaster. My tent didn’t have enough poles so I squeezed in Jill and Colleen’s tent. After a midnight dinner of past and cheese we went to sleep. Sleeping was rough, though. It kept pouring, we were soaked, our stuff was soaked, and it was so hot and humid . . . but “Hey, we’re in Africa!”

 

Day 2- After a 6am wakeup call we all rushed the bathrooms to brush out teeth. There we found a million giant beetles everywhere! Egh! I dealt well, though, they don’t hurt! We had a light bre3akfast and jumped on our bus for our Safari! The first animal that we saw was a Springbok. We were all so excited to see an animal so we took a million pictures of this single Springbok that was in the distance half covered with brush. This came to be a joke, as Springbok are EVERYWHERE! We were just excited at the first one. We drove around until 2 when we stopped and had lunch at another campsite about 65km into Etosha towards the west of where our site was. After lunch we headed back via a different route. At the end of the day we had seen, in the order in which we saw them: Springbok, Zebra, Wildabeast, Giraffe, Oryx/Gamestock, Red Hearted Breast/Antelope, Black Faced Impala, Warthog, Blue Crain (rare to Etosha), and a Lion. You can only imagine how amazing it was to see these animals! Zebra crossed the road in front of us! “Hey, we’re in Africa!” The giraffe were my favorite. They are “sexy animals” They are so majestic, agile, and sleek. We even got to see on running! I bough this amazing wooden bowl that has a giraffe bending down into the cent of it and it is painted with African designs. Can you say future coffee table centerpiece? Back at the campsite we all relaxed as our guides made us dinner. Some people went swimming, but I didn’t want to be a mosquito breeding ground. Etosha was in the malaria danger zone. After dinner we all just sat around and talked, had a cup of wine, and sang a few songs. Many people chose to party late into the morning, but Colleen, Jill, and myself went to bed. Before heading into our tent, however, we stargazed for a while. They say Namibia is the best place in the world to stargaze, and it was beautifully amazing. Perfectly clear, crisp, Christmas lights in the sky. We found Orion’s Belt, and then went to sleep.

 

Day 3- The last day was uneventful. Most of bus #2 hated me in the morning for being so lively and perky when half of them were still partially intoxicated from the previous night’s festivities. I was extremely glad that I chose to sleep, because we did have to get u at 5am. The sunrise was amazing. It was 360 degrees of color: bright pinks and oranges I have never seen before. I took my last picture of an “African tree,”my bus’s name for a tree that stands alone and looks like the tree from the Lion King. As I am writing this in my journal I am on the bus on the way back to the ship, and I am the only one awake. The sun is shining brightly through the windows now, and the clouds that look painted are clearing. Only one day no the ship until our next port. Is this really happening? Am I dreaming? But “Hey, I’m in Africa!”and have never felt so alive.

 

PS: Just to let you know, the same outfit –shorts, tank top, socks, underwear –that I left the boat wearing was what I wore the entire time in Namibia . . . during the day, sleeping. Yeah for camping, not showering, and being gross!

 

PPS: Thanks Mom and Dad, Aunt Fern and Bill, Grandma and Grandpa Kelly, and the Helpa’s for the Valentine’s Day greetings! It is such a good feeling to come back to the ship and have four letters on your bed from the people who you love. I appreciate your support and I hope that you are living the journey with me. I think about everyone all the time and know how lucky I am to have support at home. Thank you everyone for being so awesome. One month down L but three more to go J! 

Walk the Line

Today, at 3:23, the MV Explorer crossed the equator. It is hot, and humid. Tomorrow is my class free day, so I am looking forward to a day of laying out and studying for my first two quizzes. 

 

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning" -Ivy Baker Priest

NEPTUNE DAY!

Today was the day that we have been looking foward to, Neptune Day. It is tradition that whenever a boat crosses the equator (for the first time on a voyage), the Pollywogs, or individuals who have never been across the equator must be initiated. This initiation usually involves lowering the Pollywogs in a cage to a depth of After this they go through rituals such as shaving their heads, pouring blood, ect. This all to pay homage to King Neptune so that the boat will not sink. Although we technically don't cross the equator until tomorrow (a fact I just found out), our unexpected extra day in Gibraltar caused us to be a day behind so we had to celebrate today. We were awoken at 8:00am, although I was already awake, but about 15 of the crew members dressed up with tin foil hats on their heads, banging pots and pans and singing. It was hilarious. I got pictures. On a side note, we love the crew here. They are awesome. They carry your plates to your table, clear off your table, bring you drinks, make your bed, fold your clothes, ect. But anyway, at 9am the celebrations began on the 7th deck (the top deck, also the deck with the pool and where we have our pub nights). After the parade of pan banging waker-upers came onto the deck, the introduction of King Neptune and his queen began. We then recited the oath to Neptune, which I have videotaped. It was priceless. Then, for the next 4 hours, groups of 2 or 3 people got initiated and payed homage to Neptune. This involved getting "fish guts" poured onto us. It wasn't really fish guts, but whatever it was was soooo cold. We then had to kiss a fish, kiss the ring of King Neptune (our captian on the ship), bow to the queen, jump in the frigid pool, then kiss a fish again. I also have this on take, and again, priceless. Then those who wish to shave their head could. Six of the 18 people in my group of friends did shave their heads, one girl and five guys. They all look awesome. They had music playing for most of the DJ and it was just an amazing moring. After that a few of us made claim to some real estate on the Observation Deck (7th floor, front of the ship). Yes, real estate. At about 12pm these days this ship turns into a floating skin roaster. The front of the ship is the best. It isn't crowded because people don't think to go there, it is so windy so it doesn't get that hot, and someone always has music playing. After relaxing out there for a few hours we all went to play cards. I then showerd and read a little bit (oh yeah, this is college after all, right?). For dinner they held a BBQ outside along with the normal dinner that they have in the 5th Floor Formal Dining Hall and the 6th Floor Informal Dining Hall. We ate outside by the pool. Yum. Later tonight, at 20:00, we are going to the Union to listen to a presentation by one of the staff on board. She was Desmond Tutu's personal assistant for many years, and I can't wait to hear what she has to say. After that maybe a movie with the group, some hot chocolate, and then bed? Classes, tomorrow, boo, but then I have to remember that the day after tomorrow I don't have classes and can lay out and be lazy all day again! Woo Hoo! Don't worry mom and dad, no tests yet, and I have a paper done that isn't due until the end of the semester (typical me). Well, today was pretty awesome . . . oh, and go SPF 45 . . . no burn yet, only a nice tan glow!

 

Oh, and I used some internet time to upload a few Morocco pictures and Neptune Day pictures to facebook. On of the pictures in my Morocco batch of me on the side of the ship with land in the background . . . this is Gibraltar. I only have 5 minutes of internet left, so I am going to have to buy a package. I am considering the $250 package which will give me another 750 minutes. I think this will due, but if not I'll have to buy more. It is expensive, but I want to keep supplying all of you with images of my semester! I figure this trip cost my parents enough, I can shell out $250 to keep them updated! 

 

PS. King Neptune rules all.

 

The past few days have been uneventful. Back to classes. Today was B5, which means we have officially had ten days worth of classes, but since in only have A day classes (other than global studies) I can say that I’ve only really had 5 class days so far. Today I woke up, went to breakfast as usual, had global studies, and then laid out for a few hours. It was probably about 75 out today, but in the sun it was so hot. We are currently stopped in Senegal to get some fuel, so I can add Senegal to the list of places I have “seen.” Tomorrow we don’t have classes because it is Neptune Day . . . the celebration of us crossing the equator. It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it. (Check my facebook for a picture of today’s activities). Dinner tonight was one of the best so far. Mac and Cheese made with cottage cheese, bbq chicken, chick pea polenta, devils food cake, cranberry juice . . . yum. Doesn’t get much better than that on the ship. Tonight we are going to play some games and maybe go to pub night! Miss you all tons!

 

Morocco

 

So we finally got to Morocco, about one day late. My trip met in the Union at 7:30, and we received our passports which were stamped (we got no stamp in Spain!). We al boarded mini buses, 3 buses of 15 people each. My friends Matt, Chris, and Yaisel were on my trip so it was good to know people. The port where the shipped docked was extremely shady. Casablanca is an industrial city, and the port was mainly used for this purpose: cranes, shipping containers, endless pieces of equipment. The entrance to the port was actually about 1.5 miles from our ship! As we drove through Casablanca I was drawn back in disbelief. It was not what I was expecting. Everything was covered in dirt and mud, cars, streets, buildings, businesses, everything. Casablanca is not a very nice city. The one thing that amazed me was the variety of clothing. Some women wore very traditional Islamic garb and covered every part of their bodies, while some women wore mid-calf length skirts and didn’t cover their head. The same went for men, too. Our first rest stop on our 3 hour ride to Marrakech was very clean, and definitely stood out amongst the dirt and dust that surrounded it. As we drove father the land opened up in to rolling green fields. Once in a while we passed a small village built of brick and mud. While the villages at first look like a deserted bombing zone, a closer look reveals freshly washed colorful clothing hanging to dry. It is very sad. There are lots of cattle and lamb, and men in the field attending to their livestock. It was a weird feeling that was shared between all of us at that moment, an unstated sensation of unreality. The surroundings could easily be those of Virginia or even the mid-west at times, but they were not, and we were really in Morocco. I think in the states Africa is portrayed unfairly. We are taught about AIDS and the poor traditional tribes, but no one bothers to look at how similar many aspects of the continent are to every other. Don’t always get that “I feel bad for Africa”feeling.  Yes, there are many issues here, but now, not everyone here is the same. As the sun started coming up I was surprised at how much warmer the sun was here than in Spain, even though their latitudes aren’t that different. When we passed through Marrakech I was amazed. It reminded me of Arizona in some richer areas. We passed by the market where we were to return the next day. There are tones of people and animals in extremely close quarters. There are also tons of orange trees here, like the ones I saw in Sevilla. The threes, evidentially, were taken to Sevilla from Morocco. Driving towards Ozouratate, our destination, we passed through The High Atlas Mountains. These mountains are the tallest in North Afria, and are indeed impressive. The mountains were snowier than those in Alaska! I can’t describe how beautiful they were . . . We ate lunch at 4pm at a touristy “authentic”restaurant before heading to Ozouratate (population 1200). We saw the most beautiful sunset of pink, purple, and orange. The clouds reflected the light perfectly . . . the sky looked like a painting. When we arrived to the Nomad/Berber village it was dark so we couldn’t see the surroundings but we knew that we were 10km off-road away from everything. Right before we went off-road we passed CLA studios, the setting for lots of American-made films such as Gladiator, and Bable (which happened to be filmed in the village where I stayed!). At the village we had tents of 6 people with mattresses, heavy blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags. There was also a toilet and a sink, with no toilet paper of course. We ate a dinner f bread, soup, a meat dish, and amazing Moroccan oranges, followed by the most amazing mint tea I will most likely ever have. The campsite played music and dancing started, but I was disappointed that it was American music. A group of about 8 Berber men came out of the village and began to interact with us. We sang and danced to their music around a fire they built. They only spoke broken English, what they had learned for previous tourists. One Berber, who called himself Kamel (because Kamel was his last name) had his eye on me. He took his head wrap and made me a turban, leaving only my eyes uncovered. “Beautiful,”he said, and he gave me the nickname Fatima Couscous. So, for the rest of the night, he called me Fatima. Also, using palm leaves he weaved me a camel (and later another, 2 humped camel), and called them my GPS’s to find my way back to the village. Kamel was 21 years old. After taking a picture he wanted me to send him a copy, so I gave him a pen and paper to write down his address. He gave me an email address . . . go figure (I think he goes into town to get the internet). After brushing my teeth with bottled water we all went to sleep. We ended up having eight people in our tent, not six, because there was not enough beds for everyone. So it was me, Trish, Faith, Matt (who is in my group on the ship), Derek, and 3 other boys who I didn’t know. We all slept in what we were wearing and woke up and stayed in our clothes because it was so so cold, probably about 30 degrees. We smelled yummy. After having bread with honey and mint tea for breakfast we left the village. The surroundings were beautiful,. The village was in an oasis in the Sahara with the high Atlas mountains in the background. My experience with the Berbers was a life changing experience, We always fear the different and unknown, but through community and broken English we shared culture, political, and religious ideas, and felt like were were all the same for one night. I am looking forward to keeping in contact with Kamel. Although he wanted to marry me and told me his mom would make me great couscous, I’m sure having a pen-pal will be fine. The Berbers really make you realize how the simple life, yet hard-working life, may lead to more happiness than what we perceive in the US. Although far fetched I would love to someday move back and learn the language and culture of this beautiful group of individuals. Oh, and for the record, my camels from Kamel are my favorite souvenirs so far, and I’m sure they will always remain special. When we got back to Marrakech we ate lunch and then wandered around one of the largest bizarres in North Africa. It was called Jemma Lel Fna. There were so many vendors, snake charmers, monkeys on shoulders, fresh fruit, every type of produce, everything. You had to keep your money close, however. We also heard the mosque call to prayer twice. After making a few purchases we went to our hotel . . .. interesting. You had to press a light switch to light the hallway and you had to insert a card in the wall to get light for your room! I was roomed with Danielle, a girl from Alaska who works at Coldstone too, perfect! After checking in we went to dinner and a horst fantasia at this extremely toursity Disneyland type place. The food was amazing (soup, bread, couscous with pumpkin, cabbage, chicken, oranges, and mint tea), but way to overdone was the whole production. I didn’t appreciate how my can of coke was DHR 25,00 or about $3 US. Rip off city. Overall prices here are good, but they try to get the tourists. After the show we all came back to the hotel. The majority of people went to waste their money in extremely shady bars, but a few of us, my roommate and myself included, went to go to sleep.  We when went to take our shower the water was shut off, and they wouldn’t turn it back on until the morning. So, we went to sleep in our same gross clothes, because, well, why not. The next day, our last day in Maroc (Morocco), a small group of us went to free breakfast at the hotel. They had olives, tomatoes, pastries, “pancakes,”fresh jams, honey, and fresh orange juice. The pancakes were amazing . . . thin squares of fried flat dough. Amazing. After breakfast we wandered around town for a while and spend the rest of our Durham at a grocery store. You could get Moroccan candy/wafer type bars for DHR 0,95, or about ten cents US. The American food, like Oreos and such, were very expensive however. We bought bread and a chunk of gouda cheese for lunch for only DHR 20,00. Split between three people it was less than a dollar each. The buses then took us back to Casablanca where we boarded the ship . . . and so ends Morocco. I wish we had more time tin Morocco, it really flew by.  There is so much here left to explore, and so much culture, this is one place where I definitely want to get back to. 

Change of Plans

Minor change of plans . . . due to a storm in Gibraltar the ship was unable to connect with the refueling ship.  We have been in Gibraltar for about 24 hours now . . . just sitting and waiting.  We are supposed to connect this morning and then head off, but this obviously makes us late into Morocco because we were supposed to arrive there in 10 minutes.  This will make us completely miss our first day in Morocco . . . and my 3 night awesome trip will probably be canceled.  There is no point in worrying about it, though, because it is no ones fault.  I'll probably end up going to Marrekech with a lot of people who were already going to go there from my group.  I'm excited for the possibility of that, too!

Gibraltar

 

Last night 8 of us crammed into a room and watched the movie 21.  It was a good time, except that we were all half asleep do to our exciting trip to Spain!  Right now we are docked at Gibraltar (sp?) to take on some fuel.  We have spent all day waiting to get into the area because there was a storm and no boats were able to dock.  It was awesome, though, seeing all of the boats waiting.  At one point you could count about 20 boats!  Gibratal is very unexciting, just a large rock pretty much.  I did take a few pictures that I will post later, but seriously, it’s just a rock.  In a half hour there is a guest speaker doing a presentation called Morocco Over Time, Through Poetry . . . should be interesting.   Then dinner will be after that, and I’ll have to savor my last salad for 5 days (because you can’t eat that kind of food in Morocco without getting very sick).  I am greatly missing the pastries from Spain, and the ones that they serve on the ship for breakfast are just not adding up.  I am already sick of potatoes and peanut butter sandwiches, but I am enjoying eating the soup, salad, fresh fruit, cheese, and the fish of the day.  Also, the desert is pretty good.  I bought a some snack foods in Spain which should hold me over for a few weeks.  Kayla (my roommate) and I are struggling with our room smelling.  Since the bathroom is so closed up and our fan doesn’t work 100% right, the water ends up sitting and its just musty in there.  Also, since the Spanish smoke an insane amount, any clothes you were to the bar end up smelling like a smoldering cigarette.  No joke.  So our room smells a little bit.  I bought an air freshener today so hopefully that will help!   I hope to get on the internet sometime in Morocco!  PS.  I have never loved sleeping as much as I do on a rocking boat!

Chrissy Mathues