like I never left

/ my instagram

Well, I've been home for a whole day now, and what an odd feeling it is. It seems, strangely, normal. It feels like time just stopped when I got on that plane in July and resumed the minute I spotted my dad at the airport yesterday. Like life hasn't been real these past four months. Good thing I kept this blog, so I know July, August, September, and October actually happened!

Last night, went for a drive with Rachel through Sioux City. We even went to South Dakota, which brought my state count to 4 in 24 hours! (VA, MO, IA, SD + SA & Senegal!) We drove through the northside, Morningside, and all the other sides of the area, and we stopped at my favorite view in town (looking over the hill at night where Old Lakeport branches from Lakeport). We talked about normal sisterly stuff, and that feeling came back. It's like I never left.

I couldn't stop the sleep that overtook me at 9:30, even though it felt like I'd slept through pretty much the whole trip. I woke up at 2 am wide awake, so I got up and showered and finally made it back to sleep around 4 only to awaken again at 7:30. Maybe I can use this jet lag to turn into an early riser? Unlikely, but a girl can try...

Breakfast consisted of a pumpkin spice bagel with cream cheese (heavenly) and later I met Mary at Starbucks for (my favorite) chai latte. I stopped at the mall to replenish my perfume, and when did things get so expensive? It kills me that I can't divide the prices by 8 anymore. I kind of enjoyed that. So I reluctantly pulled those green bills tucked behind the pretty blue ones to pay.

It was definitely an all-American day. My dad also excitedly informed me we have "baconnaise" in the fridge. That's bacon-flavored mayonnaise. A vegetarian's nightmare. (Oh yeah, I'm back to being a real vegetarian.) The story on the side of the packaging said that two guys won a bunch of money on America's Funniest Home Videos and decided to spend it on starting a business that brings more bacon flavoring to the world. How noble. How American. Eish.

So that's what's going on at the Gray household, just so you all know. I must admit, it's feeling a little good to be back. 

goodbye

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. / Lao Tzu

Here's the thing: even after all these months, I still cannot believe that as I write this I am sitting in Durban, South Africa. I am sitting what seems like an impossible number of miles from my home and the only way of life I'd ever known. Until now. 

When I was first looking into studying abroad, I knew I wanted to come to South Africa. I'm not even sure why, but I never considered anywhere else. I researched the differences between UCT and UKZN, and even though I really wanted to go to Cape Town, I decided Durban was best for my studies. As I ran around DC completing tasks for my application (just before the deadline, of course), I never could have imagined just how amazing my experience would be. What a beautiful feeling having absolutely no regret is.

The first week that I was here was extremely hard, I won't lie to you. I spent the first two nights wondering why in the world I had left and if this had been the right decision at all. That feeling slowly disappeared as I walked into Shepstone to meet other students who had made the same decision I had. Although we came from different places and spoke with funny accents, we had all arrived here at the same time. We pretty much had no choice but to become friends, and they were the best group of people I could have ever asked for.

If there's one thing I've learned from my experience here, it's that I can get attached to things far too quickly. But really, how could I not? I've been met with nothing but acceptance and love from everyone I've met here in Durban. For four months, I never had the feeling that I didn't belong. That's not a common sentiment for me. I have a habit of second guessing myself. But that voice was quiet for my entire stay here, and for that, I have no words to adequately express my gratitude.

They say that studying abroad changes you. I can't say that I will be a different person when I pull into the driveway at home, but I can say that I will forever interact with the world differently. I'll see the potential for friendship in every person that I meet. I'll try to be more aware of what's going on in parts of the world that aren't reported on CNN. I'll give more of what I have because of everything that's been given to me here. 

I can't thank you enough South Africa. I'm leaving with a head full of memories, a heart full of love, and a life full of blessings. Until the next time we meet...

All my love,

Emma

Iowans

A couple of weeks ago Ryan got to come visit me here in Durban. He managed to get time off from his classes to make the trip all the way across several time zones to spend a week in beautiful South Africa! Major feat and major respect, Mr. Pitt. 

The week started off with bagels that Ryan had brought along. And not just any bagels, guys. Sara Lee bagels. The best kind. If you didn't know, I am a major bagel lover (actually a carb lover, if we're really being honest), and I haven't been able to find them anywhere in Durban. Not that I've tried looking extremely hard, but still. If three grocery stores don't have them, I think it's safe to assume the entire city is void of bagels. But not that week. No sir-ee. I savored every bite of that delicious, peanut butter covered, baked goodness. And I was happy.

Did I really just spend a whole paragraph talking about bagels? Yes. Needless to say, the week was off to a good start. 

The weather was quite morose and drizzly all week, as it has been quite often here, but we did venture out to see the city. We even walked down to the port, where I hadn't been yet. Let me tell you, seeing all those sailboats made me love Durban just a little bit more. 

On Saturday we joined Jill, Danny, Shamique, Sami, Anita, and Sihle for a trip to the Natal Lion Park. This was the first time I'd been able to see lions since being in Africa, and I could not get over how beautiful they were. They weren't a very lively bunch, but oh, were they stunning. This moment was also accompanied by Danny singing songs from The Lion King, just so we can all truly understand what an experience it was. 

On Sunday, I introduced Ryan to Peg (I really should be their PR rep.), and then we ventured on to uShaka. It took just about a year to get there since roads were closed for a bike race, and traffic in Durban had become even more chaotic than usual. I even witnessed Mdu, our quiet cab driver, explain with indignation why he had right-of-way to another female driver. I found the whole thing quite humorous, but I guess it was more of a you had to be there moment. 

We did finally make it to uShaka, which was really nice. There were shops, restaurants, an aquarium, a water park, not to mention the beach! Ryan and I walked around the aquarium, and, of course, went to the dolphin show. When it came time for volunteers, you can bet your life savings that this guy was the first one up and shouting at the top of his lungs. He managed to gain the support of everyone around us, but I couldn't help because I was too busy laughing. Ryan got chosen, in his words, to "live his dream" (i.e. get splashed by a dolphin). I'd say he was pretty happy.

This goofy guy right here was by far my favorite fish in the aquarium, and, yes, I did spend about ten minutes trying to get the perfect shot of him. But look at that face! And those teeth! So much personality! What's not to love?! 

The aquarium had a lot of great animals that I don't think you necessarily get to see on your average American SeaWorld expedition. I saw a few that confirmed my extreme distrust of the ocean, but others that were just too incredible to not take a second look.

We ended the day at Moyo, a popular restaurant with really great food and... face painting! Apparently this is traditional Zulu stuff, and I think we look pretty good. Why is face painting not more socially acceptable? It's so much fun!

The week came to an end, and Ryan headed back to Iowa without a hitch, thank goodness! We gained some good stories, some not so good (Ryan got his shoes stolen), but all in all it was a week of experiences we'll always remember. So, thank you, Durban. We love you even more.

old news

I haven't been terribly great about updating this blog during my stay here, so there's some things I haven't gotten around to telling you about, the first of which was our ziplining adventure! We headed to Karkloof early in the morning where we were outfitted for our canopy tour. The girls had to wear hairnets to keep our hair from being ripped out, which is actually pretty smart but actually made us look pretty ridiculous. 

It took about two hours to get down the hill, zigzagging from side to side. It was fun, but nothing can compare to the big swing experience. On the way home, we stumbled upon this:

Is there no end to your beauty, South Africa? Really.

seven days

Well, everyone, I've reached the week that I thought would never come. The more time I spend here, the more I wish it wasn't coming so soon. I think if I had left a month ago, I would have been completely fine with it - satisfied with my experiences but ready to be back with family and the familiar. 

In recent weeks though, I've really started to really feel comfortable here and attached to some of the friends that I've made. What's more, I won't only be missing my foreign friends. It's strange to think that even when I go back to the U.S., I won't be anywhere near Jill, Danny, or Shamique, my American friends who I've really gotten to know over these past few months. I love the U.S., but why is it so gosh darn huge? Luckily we all go to university along the east coast, so we should have the opportunity to meet up. It just won't be the same!

I've been busy with exams lately, which are very different from how they work at American University. Almost all the exams are held in a sports hall on the very edge of campus (a 20 minute walk from my res) and are held during two 3-hour time slots per day. So it's possible to have two exams in one day and be writing for six hours! Luckily that didn't happen to me, but Danny wasn't so lucky...

That's the other thing. Exams are "written" here. Rather than a bunch of short answer questions or multiple choice, all of my exams are essays. Usually you're given a list of five or so themes and have to write essays on two or three of them. The idea is to get everything you know about the subject down on paper, and there is definitely a reward for length, not necessarily substantiality, which has been hard for my American educated brain to deal with. From the time I was first learning to write and structure paragraphs, I've been taught to combine ideas in meaningful ways that support my argument  Also, definitely no "fluff!" (Thank you, Mrs. Collins!) However, there seems to be more reward here for providing fact after fact after fact rather than making an eloquent argument, which has been tough. I just hope for the best!

On a more optimistic note, I have this whole week off until my last exam on Saturday. That's right, exams on Saturday! They really are crazy here.

On a completely unrelated note, I finally got certified as an open water diver after all my ear problems! I've got the card and everything to prove it. Pretty cool, hey?

Also, check out my latest post on the Interstudy blog!

snow + subsequent thoughts

It's always fun for me to watch my Facebook and Twitter come to life at about 3 pm as friends and family back home are just waking up to start their day. As I write this, all of the morning chatter is centered around the sight of the first snowfall in northern Iowa and South Dakota. I have to admit I'm smiling at the emotional range:

[Disclaimer: Any grammatical errors are not my own, they are those of the people I choose to associate myself with. I am reevaluating said relationships as we speak.]

"ITS FREAKING SNOWING!!"

"I'm going to get freezer burn out here."

"I highly dislike you at the moment Mother Nature."

"Wish i lived somewhere Warm or HOT!!! Go away Winter!"

"You know something crazy is going to happen when it drops 20 degrees and less than an hour #iowaweather #apocalypse"

The apocalypse card has even been played. Every year, I tell you.

/// home, circa 2009. photo credit: Candace Gray, aka "Mom"

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about my return to the States as my South African deadline gets closer. I think mostly I'm content to be returning to familiarity and a life I've always loved. But really? I was hoping we cold hold off on the snow until after Thanksgiving. Snow is always prettiest when it first falls. At this rate, all that will be waiting for me will be that gross sand, salt, and slush mixture piling up on the side of the streets. And the thought of having to clean ice off my car windows? I'm cringing already. 

Nonetheless, there are certain things my heart has been longing for lately. So, a list has been made.

American-y things I can't wait to come home to, in no particular order:

1. The ability able to understand at least 85% of the conversations going on around me.
2. Rain that lasts for a couple hours, maybe a day, definitely not a week.
3. Bagels.
4. Mexican food. (Is it sad this is on my "American-y things" list?) LA JUAS and CHIPOTLE. Have I made myself clear?
5. Looking left then right, not vice versa.
6. Driving. 
7. Pedestrians having the legal (and observed) right-of-way.
8. Reliable internet + free, unrestricted wi-fi. 
9. Hulu + Netflix.
10. NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB. 
11. My Blackberry (soon to be traded for an iPhone!) and unlimited texting. My fingers need some exercise.
12. Liquid detergent + enough washers and dryers to go around.
13. Measurements I can understand: miles, pounds, gallons, calories, fahrenheit, pant sizes.
14. Discussion-based education.
15. 8.5 x 11" paper. double spacing. 12 point font.
16. Old friends.
17. Squirrels.

Things I will miss, also in no particular order:

1. Indian Ocean.
2. Bar One.
3. Amsterdam.
4. Constant newness. (Not the most eloquent choice, but it is a word.)
5. Accents. They're kiff, bru. 
6. Rand. (I'm torn here. My mind still works in dollars, but South African money is so much prettier + almost everything is cheaper!)
7. Random, intelligent, relevant conversations.
8. New friends!
9. Monkeys.

I'm sure I'll think of more to add along the way, but I can't say everything on here because then we won't have anything to talk about when I get back! Oh, who am I kidding?

Enjoy that snow today, midwestern folks. ;) 

religious exploration and (more importantly) free food

Is it just me or has it been years since I last updated you on my life? Quite a lot has happened, so I think I'll gradually tell you about my adventures so as not to completely overwhelm you!

So, where did I leave off?

As I said before, I stayed here in Durban over the semester break because I figured it would be best since I had (count 'em!) four papers due the following week. Now, I do not want to trick you into thinking I actually worked on any of those papers over the break. (Oops?) Regardless, I'm glad I stayed in here because there was beautiful weather all week. Why would I want to stress myself by travelling somewhere with cooler weather when I could just relax on the beach right here? It just doesn't make sense. For me, the beach trumps pretty much anything else.

What's better than waking up with absolutely no plans? Waking up with absolutely no plans nine days in a row! I can't remember the last time I've had that luxury.

The first Sunday of my break I decided to go to the Hare Krishna temple in Chatsworth. It was apparently a spectacle to see, and my nerdy religion side was intrigued. I called up Mutu, our trusty cab driver, who I suspect might have been laughing when he got off the phone with me. When I got in the cab, he asked if it was ok if he picked up some friends. Of course I had no problem with that, so we headed off to get them while joking about Danny and Jill's upcoming epic drive from Cape Town. (They did survive.)

His friends were kind of slow in getting out of their house, but it was ok. No plans! Of course, they inquired about my American-ness, and since they were all jazz musicians, they quizzed me about some American jazz artists. I'm quite sure I embarrassed myself, but, hey, some people are jazz nerds, some people are religion nerds. The world needs balance.

When we arrived at the temple, there were cars parked everywhere. I was surprised, but maybe that was normal? I had no idea. I started walking around, trying to take in my surroundings and ignore how utterly out of place I was feeling. After passing the same guy twice, he stopped and asked me what I was doing, so I admitted my touristness and out-of-place-ness (my diction is full of creativity today). Aiden and I got to talking, and it turns out I'd walked in on a pretty important religious festival celebrating Radharani, the Supreme Goddess and consort of Lord Krishna. What luck! He took me over to meet his wife (Tracy) and friends who were waiting in line for food.

Food! Free food, guys! There was a giant, unorganized mass of people waiting to get plates of the delicious meal. Aiden even admitted that food played a role in joining the Hare Krishna movement for him. They fed him food and stories, and he kept coming back. Pretty cool, right?

They told me that even the preparation of the food is done in devotion to God (in the form of Lord Krishna for them). The cooks take special care to not taste the food and to not even enjoy the aroma. Abstaining from the human pleasure helps them to focus their thoughts and actions on God in true devotion. Even when eating the food, one is not supposed to enjoy it to please the senses. Everything is to be done with the focus on God. (Aiden did assure me that if I just enjoyed the food because it was really good, that was ok. Whew!)

Because we waited in line for a long time, it was hot, and I hadn't eaten any breakfast, I started to get light-headed. This wasn't really a terribly good excuse since everyone else there had apparently been fasting all morning as well. Regardless, Tracy and Aiden graciously marched me to the front of the line to get food. As I walked along the line of tables, my styrofoam plate was slowly filled with rice and curries and things that smelled too good to bear. How on earth did people cook this stuff without smelling and/or tasting it? That is true devotion, guys.

We ate out on the grass, and my goodness, the food was amazing! Of course, it was all vegetarian, and they told me that they ate with their hands because feeling the sustenance with their fingers supposedly helps with digestion. Tracy was so kind to offer me the spoon she had brought along since I was less experienced with the proper, not-getting it-all-over-myself finger eating technique. 

Another lady joined us, and I internally gave myself a pat on the back for recognizing that her accent was different. (Previously, I'd just been able to tell American and not American. I'm skilled.) She sounded Australian, but I found out she was from New Zealand. (Close enough!) And let me tell you, this lady was a storyteller. I could have listened to her for hours on end. She gave us her own take on some of the stories of Lord Krishna and Radharani. 

It is amazing to me that stories that people shared thousands of years ago are still entertaining today. That's something that I definitely appreciate about Hindu texts - they can be fun. The holy one(s) are so much more approachable when they are presented as being as silly as you and me. Still other-worldly and to be revered, but genuinely near and dear to the hearts of Hindus everywhere. (Ok, religion nerd moment over. Sorry.)

Once we finished eating, I got to take my shoes off and go inside of the temple. Tracy assured me that it was fine for me to take pictures, and she really wasn't kidding. At least three people saw me with my camera and told me to take pictures. I happily obliged! I took a seat next to some elderly ladies sitting on the periphery of the temple to watch the goings on. Multiple people had their cell phones out taking pictures of the states of Krishna and Radharani. (See what I mean about near and dear?)

After taking all of that in, I left to look at some of the stuff they were selling outside. I bought some really beautiful yellow sari fabric and the lady then offered me free bracelets. I love bracelets and can never turn down free stuff!

In all, it was a great day, and I'm so thankful to Aiden and Tracy for making me feel so much less out of place. As I was waiting to leave, a man came up to me specifically to invite me back again. What started as a day of touristy intentions turned into an opportunity to meet some truly gracious and loving people. If you're in Durban, this temple is definitely worth a visit! 

I'm sorry my blog posts always turn into borderline novels. Congratulations if you made it through the whole post! 

Sodwana

Last Friday, I abandoned Durban to get in touch with nature at Sodwana Bay, where we were supposed to do the final dives for my SCUBA class. As I mentioned earlier, I got an ear infection the week before, so I knew I wasn't going to be able to dive. I checked the weather and saw that it was supposed to be cold and rainy all weekend, but the instructor assured me that the weather was going to be beautiful. I thought maybe there was some confusion with my conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit or something (it's been a while since I had a science class, or even a math class for that matter), so I decided that I'd still tag along. 

It was a pretty long drive, since Sodwana is even further north than Saint Lucia, where I'd gone previously. When you get out that far, the major establishments get fewer and farther between, and, as luck would have it, this was when I needed to use the restroom. We stopped at three petrol (gas) stations that were all out of water and wouldn't let anyone use the restroom. I put on my best Candace Gray face (love you, mom) and attempted to reason them into letting me use the facilities, but I couldn't get through. I was just about ready to offer up a 50 rand note at the next place we stopped, but luckily they had water! Whew. Lesson learned, guys. Lesson learned. 

We finally made it, just in time to pitch our tents and eat dinner. I stayed up playing Texas Hold 'Em with some of the guys on the trip, and get this... I was actually pretty good! We were playing for wine gums (fruit snacks), and I think we all ate more than we actually bet. Everyone else had to get up at 5:30 am to dive, but this lucky gal got to sleep in! Bummer, right? 

I woke up the next morning to find everyone still sitting around! Apparently, they had gone down to the beach, but they didn't have the boat license that was needed and the people in charge of that didn't come in until 8 am. Later, it was decided that the water wasn't good enough to dive because of the wind and rain, so we needed a new plan. (So much for beautiful weather. I'll trust my Fahrenheit calculations from now on, thank you very much.) Someone suggested that we go to "Gate 6," one of the gates to Mozambique where there was a market. I didn't have my passport on me since I wasn't planning on just exiting the country on a whim, but others said they didn't check passports there.

I was a little unsure since I think it's probably a slightly worse situation when an American gets caught illegally in Mozam than a South African. South Africans they can send home. Americans they can send to jail. I over-think things a lot, can you tell? I took their word for it though, and we were off. 

It was about a two-hour drive to the border, and it required taking some muddy back roads, which was pretty fun. I was watching our driver's Garmin, and I was impressed that these wheel-worn paths were actually showing up as roads on the device. I'm sure in the U.S. our GPS would have been yelling at me to "MAKE A LEGAL U-TURN WHEN POSSIBLE" if placed in a similar situation. 

Unlike the weather, the group didn't lie to me about the gate. We parked the car and walked to the fence. There was border patrol on either side of the gate, but no one was checking credentials. And then I was in Mozambique! We walked around the market, which was pretty sparse that day, probably due to the rain. The others in the group purchased beer and these whole cooked fishes to eat with their hands. I'm not a big seafood person, but it was fun and slightly sickening to watch them eat it. I didn't end up buying anything, but now I can officially say I've been in two African countries!

On our way back from the market, we gave a lift to a family back to the main road. Hitchhiking is a pretty common thing to do here, which obviously has its risks, but I have to admit that I love the idea of helping out complete strangers in such a simple way. They squeezed in the back of the truck with the three guys already riding back there for the short, bumpy trip. 

That night, I had to defend something I never thought I'd have to defend. Peanut butter & jelly! I got it out, and no one could believe that's what I was having for dinner. One of the German guys laughed at me and said "So American!" Seriously, it's not considered a meal here unless there's meat involved. Now I'm beginning to understand why they list vegetarianism under "disabilities" at the hospitals here. Never fear, I held my ground and ate two lovely sandwiches. They just don't understand what they're missing. (In fact, I'm kind of craving one right now.)

It poured over night, and the weather conditions weren't any better the next day. No diving again. This time we went to the beach, which was so gorgeous. There's something about an empty beach that I just love. So peaceful. We walked around the rocks, looking in tidal pools, and I wandered off to take pictures. Eventually, we decided it was time to go so we could get back at a reasonable time. (Guess who hadn't done any reading over the weekend. It couldn't possibly be me.)

The weekend was kind of a bust since even the people who could dive didn't get to. That's a bummer, but I have to admit that it's good for me since I didn't have to miss any dives! Regardless, Sodwana was still beautiful, and I'm glad that I went no matter how damp all my clothes were when I got back!

This week is our semester break! I'm hanging out here in Durban since I have four papers to write. Some break, eh? Hopefully I can find something fun to get into as well...

walking: a memoir

One thing I definitely miss about home is walking. That's right, you heard me.

Walking is something I definitely had to get used to when I moved to DC. I desperately missed the convenience of a car and would make jokes about forgetting how to drive whenever I was back in Iowa (because I think I'm funny or something). It was frustrating when I had to make the short walk up Massachusetts Avenue (in my defense, a pretty steep hill) loaded down with groceries, and usually I'd be sweating once I got back. It was inconvenient to have to get up even earlier on a Sunday morning so that I could walk 35 minutes to church when the car ride would have taken ten. (And do not even talk to me about taking the bus. You simply cannot attempt to be on any kind of schedule with them.)

Despite being the capital of the United States of America, I felt like DC was taking away all of my freedom.

But slowly my bitterness started to fade, and I grew to love those walks. I loved noticing the subtle changes in the color of the trees lining my way to church each week. I still laugh at the thought of the old man outside of the Catholic church who told me he liked my boots and then proceeded to tell me what seemed like his entire life story. I loved adventures into Metro Center and Chinatown just for a day of exploring. I even enjoyed trying to find shortcuts back from Friendship Heights and meeting people who were kind enough to tell me I was going the wrong way. (My American University sweatshirt was a dead giveaway.) Don't get me wrong, I still loved driving, but I began to value the time spent observing and interacting with things around me rather than watching them zip past in my peripheral vision.

I'm definitely an independent kind of gal. I don't mind hanging out with a group of people, but every once in a while I get an itch to go do something by myself. Walking became that thing for me in DC. Armed with a camera or just my two eyes, I liked to go. To just be. I could go left, I could go right, I could go around in circles. It wouldn't matter. Me, myself, and I didn't really care.

Now, I've gone and planted myself in another place. In another country, to be exact, and it's just not the same. People do not walk around alone here, especially girls, especially at night. It simply would not be safe, they tell me. This I can understand. Even in DC it is not smart for me to be walking around by myself at night. But during the day here I do not see many people walking, and rarely any girls by themselves. And (instead of trying to tell you what I need to say without actually saying it, I'll just go for it) never a white girl.

You might remember this post, where I mentioned I'd gone on a walk. The Monday after that a guy in my class asked me what I did over the weekend. I told him about my wandering and this is what I got:

Wait... you mean you walked... alone?

Umm, yes. I did. (insert joke about having fully functioning legs)

Ok, ok, I wasn't really that blunt with him, but his message was clear. People like you just don't do that.

Today, I decided to rebel again because I needed groceries, and shopping is one of those things I really prefer to do alone. I'm kind of weird, I know. I'm also kinda cheap, so I wasn't going to call a cab for just me, myself, and I. We could walk.

I found the place I was looking for right away (which is a feat in itself for me), passing people sporadically on the sidewalk. I got my groceries pretty quickly since I didn't need much, slung the bag over my shoulder, and began to retrace my steps back to campus. This time, I was on the side facing the cars as they passed me, and I caught a couple of people literally staring at me. It wasn't a stare that made me uncomfortable. It was more of a what in the world are you doing, woman? stare from, well you know, white people. (Granted, I was carrying a 5L jug of water in addition to my other bag up a hill, so I might have looked a little crazy. I like to combine my workouts and grocery shopping. Efficiency is key.) I would have given them an overly ecstatic, cheesy thumbs up, but I never think of these appropriately sarcastic actions until the time has passed.

All of this is to say that today I realized I love walking, I really do. It has always given me the time I need to be alone. In letting my mind relax and wander, I get the opportunity to notice things that I wouldn't otherwise...

Like a Cinnabon box on the ground! They have Cinnabon in South Africa, guys! I've never been so happy to see trash in my life.

I think I know where my next adventure might be taking me...

giraffes and hippos and zebras - oh my!

Last weekend I left Durban for the popular vacation spot of St. Lucia with the other Interstudy students. The little town is located about 2.5 hours (or 3 or 4, depending who you ask) north of Durban. We left at around 4:30, but didn't actually leave Durban until around 5:30 because traffic was so slow. Luckily we had a spacious van that allowed for moderate spreading out, so the trip wasn't unbearable. We did finally make it to our destination around 8 pm. Once there, we went to a restaurant for dinner. We had ordered our food before we left, so it was so nice to have it all ready when we got there - no waiting! The meal was great, and I was so stuffed afterward because I couldn't bear to leave any of the good food on my plate.

We soon discovered that there was no water in St. Lucia, though. We couldn't order tap water, and when I went to the bathroom the toilets didn't flush and the sink didn't work. This was no joke! Apparently this happens sometimes in the area, which is unfortunate for such a popular destination! I'm not sure exactly the reason, but I do know this is the dry season, so perhaps that's the reason. (However, it has been raining here for the past three days. Ironic.)

We checked into our rooms at The Boma, which were extremely nice. The "cabanas" had a kitchen, dining area, living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a deck that looked out over the marshy area surrounding the estuary. I would have been happy living there! Also, they had water reserves so our rooms still had running water. We lucked out!

The next morning, we woke up bright and early to plenty of breakfast food. We were originally supposed to leave at 5:30 am to go to the game reserve, but the time was (thankfully) pushed back to 6 am. It is important to get an early start because the animals are only really out and about in the morning hours. We got in our official-looking safari vehicle, and the guide took us on the hour drive out to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve.

When we got there, I was surprised to see that cars just drove right into the game reserve. Of course there were lots of signs with things that you should avoid, but everything seemed to be mostly at your own risk. Plus, the park was huge. From what the guide was saying, it sounded like you could easily drive an hour or two across the park. Now, we're talking 40 km/h here, folks, but still, that's pretty big.

The park is famous because it is home to all members of the Big 5 - elephant, black rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, lion, and leopard. Unfortunately, we were only able to see two of the five, but we still saw a great variety of animals! We came upon giraffes, Cape buffalo, impalas, wildebeests (the ones who killed Mufasa), rhinos, vultures, warthogs, zebras, and a blue headed iguana. The guide, who had eyes like a hawk, did find some elephant tracks, but we never were able to find them.

We were exhausted by the end, and it was only noon! We came back for naps, more food, and then even more food at our night braai.

The next morning we got up early again (though not as early) for kayaking! We drove just a short distance to the estuary and met up with our guide there. They were two person kayaks, so Jill and I paired up, and I think we made a pretty good team.

Once out on the water, it took no time at all to be faced with a real, live hippopotamus. The guide suggested that we try to go towards the middle and then around, but when we went that way, the hippo popped up again right in our path! We turned back and did eventually make it past the bouncer hippo. There were a number of crocodiles along the shore, and we were able to get really close to them. (I'm not a very good judge of distance, but it was really close. Believe me.) We also saw lots of beautiful birds, including white flamingos. I kind of felt like I was on National Geographic or something. (I'm so American.)

The guide had told us at the start that we'd turn back once we got to "hippo territory," but when Jill and I expressed that we'd like to get closer, he was more than happy to let us! We paddled over to a mass of hippos (again, it was really close) and watched them. They weren't really that entertaining, but one of the baby hippos started to make its way towards us. We thought this was so cool, but the guide had us turn back because the momma hippo was probably following close behind.

After that, we paddled back to our starting point. It was a little cool, but when the sun came out, it couldn't have been a more perfect day.

We ate again (I felt like I was overflowing with food at this point), and packed up to head home.

It was so great that my only complaint is that I wish we'd had more time! There were so many things to do there and just not enough numbers on the clock. Maybe I'll come back someday...

Hope you have a great weekend! I'll be spending mine in a freezing cold pool learning to scuba dive. More about that later!