South Africa!!!

Okay, so I realize I have not blogged in a long time. I am sorry. But here is my South Africa blog. India will be next with a few comments about Mauritius and Singapore (we were only there one day each). So Africa….

 Our first day was, unfortunately spent on the ship sailing in circles because the wind was too strong for us to port. I missed a trip that day and its unfortunate because it would have been a great cultural experience. I was supposed to go on a safari trip early the next day, but when I awoke at 6:30 AM I still felt the ship rocking violently and assumed we had not docked yet. I was right. I got up any way to go the front desk and ask what the situation was. The lady told me to go back to sleep because it would be a while, so I did, and it was a while. I woke up at 9:30 still feeling the ship rocking but not as bad. Soon after the voice (one of our deans who talks over the loud speaker who we refer to as the voice) came on and told us that we were docking soon and our ship would be cleared shortly after. We were so excited. We had been sailing off the coast of South Africa for 24 hours and wanted nothing more than to explore the city. Finally, customs came, each of us were cleared, and the trips that were missed were rescheduled. I learned that my trip would be leaving at two thirty! My bags were already packed so all I had to do was wait. When we finally left I could not wait to get off the ship. We were put on a bus and driven to the airport. Along the way I was able to watch the city speed by. The city was so cool. It is very different than the other ports we have visited. The biggest different is that most of the people are white. I am used to going out in the city and being able to tell who is semester at sea and who is local because, well, let's face it, we are mostly (not all) white and we stick out worse than a hitch hikers thumb on the side of a busy highway. But that is part of the experience. 
We reached the air port and flew from Cape Town to another city. From there we met our guides got in another van and took a three-hour drive to the safari lodge. Dinner was served around midnight and after a beer, my roommate and I went to our room to get go to sleep. We had to wake up at 5 AM the next morning. By the time I called my mom, washed my face, and brushed my teeth it was 1:30 AM. I was going to get 3 1/2 hours of sleep that night. Oh well, I'll sleep when I'm dead....
       

At 5:30 AM we were ready to go to the safari. It was about a thirty minute drive which we passed in silence because we we're so tired. Finally, we got there, were divided into two jeeps, and set off down the road. About 3 minutes later we ran into a dazzle (heard) of zebra and one buffalo. After taking many pictures and learning about the zebras a bit we were off driving again. We spent from 5:30 AM to 4:00 PM driving that day and it was incredible. We saw 3 of the big 5 animals. The big 5 are the 5 most dangerous animals in Africa, lions, leopards, elephant, buffalo, and rhinos. We saw a whole heard of elephants, many, many zebras, several giraffe, lots of buffalo, a wart hog or two, and one rhino. No lions or leopards for us though. But that was okay because we had the most amazing luck with the rest of the animals. We were not supposed to see too many elephants, but we saw a heard of about 50 crossing the water. And at one point, we were driving down the road in our jeep when an elephant was blocking the way. We sat there for about 30 minutes till he decided to leave. One jeep tried to get by but it made the elephant angry and he swung is trunk at them. So we decided to sit tight for a while.  After our game drive we ate dinner at the lodge, which was amazing, had a few drinks, then went to bed. The next morning we got back in the car, headed to the airport, and flew back to Cape Town.

The next day was my roommate birthday. I called to make reservations at a restaurant called African Café. Sarah, Lauren, and I had planned what we wanted to do a couple of days before. But out trips got so messed up from missing the first day of South Africa that Sarah, who was supposed to make the reservations, was not back yet. So I made reservation that morning for about 15 people and sent out an e-mail to those people. Surprisingly, every one showed up, even with such short notice. The night could not have been more perfect. When we arrived to the restaurant the waitresses were so nice. The meals were in a communal style so we all shared food and we had to eat with our hands. We also received traditional African make-up, where they paint white designs on your face. They sang and danced traditional African dances as well. It was so amazing. By the time dinner was over we had been there for four hours. After diner we checked into the hotel we had booked and stayed the night there. The next morning we went on a wine tour. It was amazing. Probably, one of my favorite days in South Africa. We had good company, learned a lot about the manufacture of wine, and had a wonderful tour guide. Our guide even gave us a CD of South African bands that we immediately loved! The wine country was so beautiful. South Africa may have not been as culturally challenging as some of my other trips, but it was still an amazing trip. I hope to one day, go back to South Africa. It had so many more things to offer and we just did not have enough time. My greatest regret so far, is not getting to visit Robin Island. But, all the more reason to go back! 

Takoradi, Ghana

Six days ago I was in Takoradi, Ghana and now I am in Cape Town, South Africa. My days on the sea are starting to get shorter and shorter. When I go to India I hear that sea days will be short and ports will be often. And with every port, I am more and more amazed and excited by my travels. I am learning more than I ever thought I would. For example, in Ghana I did not know what to expect. But what I experienced exceeded my expectations by far. 
       

The first day in Ghana my friend, Sarah, and I went to a beach called Busua. It was about a 30-minute drive out of the city. You see in Takoradi there really isn't much to see. It is kind of like a giant village. There is a main market that reminds me of the grove on a football saturday at ole miss with different smells hitting you and people running into every where you look. The only difference is there is no grass, it's dirtier, and the market sells like steamed fish jerky, cloth, and spices instead of chik-fil-a, BBQ, and beverages. So, needless to say, any other exploration we wanted to do we had to leave the city. And that is what we did. Busua beach was amazing. The scene was beautiful, the sand was soft, you could see a small island right off the beach, there was fresh lobster that could be cooked over a fire for you, and the local kids wanted nothing but your attention and to teach you a few hand games. I spent two days there and each of them was awesome. I got to skype my family and friends which was amazing because I hadn’t really seen any ones face for over a month. However, where I learned the most was at my school visit and home stay.

20% of our classes at SAS are spent in the country. This means that for every class I have there is a set amount of fieldwork and research I must do. They set up trips called FDP (faculty directed practica) and I am required to go on a few for each class. I am taking Multicultural and Global Education and my assignment was to go to a school and observe how the children learn and the teaching strategies used. I was so excited! When we arrived at the school the first then you saw was a square courtyard with buildings on three sides and no air conditioning. The school had grades from pre-school to 8^th grade. Each class had 30 to 50 students in it.

Upon arrival we were ushered into the computer room where the founder of the school and some of the teachers greeted us. Then we were divided up into groups of two or three and put into a classroom. I was paired with a pre-school class. The classroom was very simple with some posters of the alphabet on the back wall, a few windows, and very little material. The teacher started teaching her students and I took notes. They started with some songs, like “Old McDonald” “If you’re Happy and You Know it” and a few others I did not recognize. The she asked us to teach her a song. We taught the “Hokey Pokey”. The teacher loved it. She wrote down the lyrics and memorized it right away. After a lesson of the alphabet, we pulled out our cameras and all structure was lost. Most of these kids have never seen a camera much less touched one. I took maybe 2 pictures and the kids took the rest. What was interesting was the teacher was just as fascinated by the camera as the kids. Overall the experience was really good. I learned that kids go to school mainly in the dry season and they have several long breaks throughout the year. The school we visited was a private school but that didn’t mean kids came every day. Sometimes, students cant make it to school for various reasons like they have to watch a younger sibling, help in the market, or simply don’t want to walk the length that day.

My next experience was very different. I did a home stay. I was paired with a host family and stayed the night with them. When we arrived we did a traditional African naming ceremony where all 36 of us received a new name. We were lined up in groups of 10. Individually, we participated in a ceremony where we drank a sip of water as they said our name three times, then a sip of Fanta while they said our name three more times, and finally, we repeated our name to the village so they knew we understood it. We received a certificate from the chief and a medicinal leaf as well. Some aspects were changed, for example, we used Fanta instead of liquor and we were given the medicinal leaf instead of using it to drink from for health purposes. The name is received is Adwua (Ah- dew-ah) Mansa (man- sa). In African villages you are given a name according the day you were born, a strong name the family likes, and your family name. Typically, you are called by the strong name in the middle. My African family called me Adwua, but my full name was Adwua Melissa Mansa.

After the naming ceremony we were served lunch then spent the rest of the time with my family. I was with a family of 5; a mom named Elizabeth, her husband who I briefly met the next morning, and three children, one 13, one 9 and one 6. Adiza, the 13 year old was the family member I spent most of my time with. She spoke the best English and was able to help me translate the easiest. She taught me a few words like medaase, which means thank you in Twi. (Pronounced chwi). I helped cook and learned to carry water on my head.  We also got to see another school, however, this school was very different. There were three to a desk that we would sit one two, everyone shared books, there were maybe 10 pencils for the class and teachers had to sharpen those pencils using a blade. However, the students were happy and learning was happening. Of course, they were so excited we were here that they could hardly sit still so class was let out very early.

When it was time fore bed, I learned that I would be sharing my bed with my host family. There were 5 of us in one room, for they only had one room in their house; Adiza and I in the bed, the mom, brother, and sister on the floor, and the father was away on business. The family, unfortunately, had expected me to give them more than I could. I brought presents for the kids but that was all I could offer. However, they asked for me to leave everything I brought with me; my clothes, my medicine, and my money. They did not ask just once, but multiple times till I left the next morning. It did become very uncomfortable. I woke early the next morning to the sound of a muslin temple praying, roosters crowing, and a goat’s baa-ing. I left early because of the constant bantering of asking for my money, clothes, and medicine, but felt satisfied with the experience because I had learned so much and lived in a way I never thought I would. I truly experienced some one else’s life and as different as it was it was so incredible. That night, I was talking to Adiza, and she asked me which life I thought was better. I replied that neither was better than he other, just different. There were things she can do that I cannot and things I can do that she cannot. Overall, my trip was again, amazing. I tried foods like banku, which is dough like mashed corn dipped in a soup, drank straight out of a coconut and learned about the different ways of life.

Manaus, Brazil

I have had another great adventure in another wonderful country called Brazil. For the past week, the MV Explorer has been traveling slowly down the Amazon first reaching Manaus, where we stopped for five days, then doubling back to exit the Amazon and out to the Atlantic ocean. This stop was very different then our first stop, Dominica. It was very much a city. It was dangerous. It was big. It was a lot of fun.

For this port I had the first day free to walk around the port. We found a street market where there were venders, clothing booths, and souvenir places. My friends and I walked through the market and up to the Teatro Amazonas, which is an opera house. We did not get to go in, unfortunately, but there were some outside performances, which were pretty amazing.

After a long day of getting lost we headed back to the ship and ate dinner. During dinner we found out that the owner of a school of samba had invited all of SAS to his school. So, all 600 of us piled into taxis and made our way over to the school of samba. Here a band of students played drums and other percussion instruments while we all danced and learned the samba. Now, I don't know if you know what the samba dance looks like but I had not idea. So I was surprised to find out that it was essentially just jumping back and forth very quickly from one foot to the other and using spirit fingers at about mid waist level. But you are also doing this with a partner so while you are jumping and using spirit figures you are leaning forward and backwards in unison with your partner. It really was a lot of fun to dance to. And the locals were very friendly. They all wanted to dance with everyone. 


Manaus, Brazil was a lot of fun. I really did enjoy it. But my absolute favorite was the time I spent floating down the Amazon on a riverboat and sleeping on hammocks. When all 36 of us stepped on the boat we received locally made necklaces and a warm welcome from our two guides, Fabio and Alan. During their welcome speech, we found out that there were two bathrooms, a girls and a guys; a shower that was out in the open on the top deck; and running water that we were pulling from the Amazon River it's self. So needless to say, we were seriously roughing it. After we dowsed our self in sunscreen and bug spray we got into little boats where we fished for piranha which we would later eat that day. Between me and two of my friends we caught about 20 and there were 36 of us so you can image how many fish were flopping around our feet in the canoes. It really was a lot of fun. Then we went cayman hunting. Caymans are a type of crocodile, and after Fabio caught on with his hand I decided I wanted to try. I succeeded! It was amazing. It was such a rush! Fabio was impressed because when I first asked him he laughed at me. He was like, “no Melissa, It is too dangerous.” But he was going to let some boys do it so I told him I was serious and if the boys got to then I should too. So Fabio finally gave in and when I actually caught one he was like, “wow, Melissa, that was awesome.” So I had a great time!

The next day, we rode for 3 hours in our boat to a small village of Acajatuba. The people who lived in the village were known as cabloclos. This refers to the race of people who are part Indigenous and part Portuguese. The people were very nice. We toured their homes and saw their super market. One of the most interesting things I found was when I interacted with the kids. One child was trying to teach me a hand game. Now I am sure you have all heard of "double double this this" it's a really common patty cake type of game that I learned growing up. And these children in a small village in the middle of the forest were trying to teach it to me. It amazed me to see something that is so simple and minute be so universal. It really showed me how connected our world really is. 


After we left that village we went to a small beach where we actually swam in the Amazon River! Fabio told us that is was a safe part and as long as we did not pee in the river we would be fine. Apparently, there is a fish that is attracted to urine and will swim upstream, if you catch my drift, and it’s really painful later. There is also a microscopic thing that can be soaked into you skin. But I’m still alive so I think I am okay at this point.

After swim, we went back to the boat then out to fish some more. We didn’t catch as many this time but it was still fun. We also saw some dolphins. They have two types. One is pink! Then we headed back for super and went to bed after a few vigorous games of mafia.

We rose the next day very early. Remember we are sleeping outside on hammocks in the boat so we basically rose with the sun. Those were some of the most beautiful sunrises ever! After a short breakfast we went for a hike through the jungle. Fabio told us to wear long sleeves, pants and closed toed shoes, but when we met our guide through the jungle he was in shorts and a t-shirt and BARE FOOT carrying a machete. We learned lots about the trees and what sap cures what bacteria and what bug juice repelled mosquitoes. It was very interesting. The people in these villages literally survive off the forest but they also take care of the forest. When we were finished with our hike we came back to the boat, ate lunch, and went to another village called the Terra Preta village. The people in this village were Indians. Their president’s name was Raphael and he was 26 years old!!! This was a village of 36 families. Each family had roughly 10 kids which means there village was about 360 people and 40% of that was children. We played soccer with them and visited their school as well. They go to school during the dry season which is November December January. In this village there are three different languages. But everyone is expected to learn Portuguese on top of that. They only teach up to about 8th grade then if they want to further their education they have to take a boat either to another village or Manaus. Everyone in the village works together and pitches in. It was so cool to see that kind of cooperation between people. We also played soccer against them. I played some 8 and 9 year olds and they beat me. The rest of our trip with filled with more fishing and a last night party where we played musical chairs and limbo and ate our piranha we caught. Over the entire trip was such a wonderful experience and I learned so much. 

Roseau, Dominica

So, like I said before my first port was in Dominica. Which is actually pronounced Dom- i- nee- ca, with the accent over the "nee" part. So basically, we could not have stopped at a better first port. It was so amazing. There was so much to do and so much to see. We were there on Sunday and Monday and set sail again Monday night. Sunday was so amazing. I was so excited to get off the boat that I got up at 7 am and was ready to go by 8 Unfortunately I did not get off the boat till about 9 But it wasn't too bad. When we got off the boat the town was dead. I mean no one was out except the taxi drivers. So Sarah, a guy named Dillon, and I walked about for a bit before heading back so Sarah could catch her planned trip. But while we walked around we found a little church and watched the service for a while. It was really neat. Every one was dancing and singing. The whole place was packed. that must have been where every one was. The whole island is not that big. It only takes like 3 hours to get across the whole island. Lucky for us though the tourist attractions where still open. After Sarah met up with her group Dillon and I and Somme other people set out to a place called Trafalgar falls. It was a place with a twin waterfalls. It was the most beautiful thing ever. It was also really cool because the water fall water was about 65 degrees but there was a spring running right next to it that was 85 to 90 degrees. See the island was an active volcano so there were certain springs that were naturally heated by the lava running under the earth. It was so cool to be able to go back and forth between cold and hot water that was naturally occurring right next to each other. I have to say that Trafalgar falls was my favorite trip on that island. When we reached the bottom of the waterfalls we could actually swim right under neither and through it. It was so cool. After we headed back to the doc so i could meet up with another group of people that I was to go kayaking this. Kayaking was okay. It was a lot of work but it was fun too. We started out in a river and kayaked down into the ocean then back up stream some to an end place. Along the way we saw people fishing and cleaning the fish they caught. We also got to try fresh coconut, oranges, grapefruit, and sugar cane. I had never had sugar cane before and it was pretty good. You chewed on the cane and sucked out the sugar water. Then other took us back to the ship where I was very exhausted. I took a nap, ate dinner and showered. Now what happened next was so fun. Remember that it is Sunday and nothing was opened. But the locals were so excited that we were staying the night that they opened some bars up just for us. It was so cool because the bar was so authentic. We went to a place called JR's first then to a place called crazy coconut. Jr's had an opened roof so when it started raining on us we all just danced harder and had more fun. Then we made our way over to the crazy coconut which was all black lighted. This place was pretty cool!  At one point Sarah and I were dancing and we looked up and there were about five locals surrounding us. At this point we were like, "ooo, got to go..." so we moved to a different spot and it was fine. We headed home about 1130 because, A. We had been out since about 8 and B. We had to get up at 730 the next morning.
        So, the pent day was pretty amazing too. Sarah, Lauren, Dillon, some other people, and me all met up to go canyoning. Essentially, this is repelling down canyons. It was really cool because there were waterfalls and rivers flowing all around us. Unfortunately, it was raining so the water high and dangerous to canyon in the starting place. But they took us to another spot where were able to repel down into some water a couple of times. It was rally scary at first. I almost cried. Lowering yourself down over a 90 degree angle of a cliff and then down 80 feet made me a little nervous. But after the first time, I had no trouble and wanted to do it over and over again.
        After we were done canyoning, we walked around town a bit and did some shopping. Then we got back on the boat showered up, ate dinner, and went to bed. All in all, Dominica was an amazing place and  I highly recommend you traveling there. My room mate made fun of me for saying ts but i have no other way of explaining the island so here goes, I call it a hidden treasure. No one knows about it, but it is so amazing!

Finally on the ship

Well, after a year and a half of planning and talking and thinking, semester at sea is finally here. And let me tell you, it was so rough getting here. 
So, right now it is about midnight, it is my first night on the ship. I have met my room mate. Her name is Lauren and so far we are getting along really well. It is nice to have something go right after everything going wrong trying to get here. Let me start from the beginning. We were supped to leave on Monday, January 10. But Dallas had SNOW! What Dallas never has snow. So my mom cancelled our first flight, which was good cause the air like ended up canceling it any way. So mom moved our flight for the 11th. Mind you this only gives us one day to get everything together if anything went wrong. Well, everything went wrong. We get on the first flight which was delayed, start to pull way from the gate then end up having to turn around because of "engine trouble." when. Get back to the gate, they ended up letting some one else on the plane. So I think it was some one important of famous or something and there was no engine trouble to begin with. So not our flight is 1 hour late, but that's all the time we have between this flight and our next flight. But luckily that flight was delayed an hour as well. So we got there in time. At this point we are ready for things to start going right. However, our second flight wasn't just delayed an hour. It was delayed 2 1/2 hours. One of those hours we spent on a bus crammed full of other people. When we finally did get on the plane, there was too much weight so they had to defuel. Now everyone is just frustrated. But it doesn't stop here. When we landed, they lost our luggage. So I'm thinking great, I'm not going to have clothes for three months! I was at the airport for so long trying to get a claim on my bag, but their Internet wasn't working so I couldn't even do that. I ended up giving the baggage number which they wrote down and finally got to the hotel around 10 pm. I was supposed to be there around 3 pm... 
Any way, my bags finally arrived at the hotel around midnight and after a good night sleep I was ready to get on the ship. Now I am here, about to go to bed, and can't wait for what is to come. my mom saw us leave the port and waved good bye. I have a good room mate. And tomorrow is full of orientations and getting to know our professors. Get ready for some interesting stories, this is going to be quite a semester! 

Let the planning stop and the adventure begin

In 8 days I will be on my way to Nassau, Bahamas, where I will them embark on my great adventure you all have been hearing about for the past year. I am so excited. I cannot believe it is finally here! Vie been planning and making packing lists and such for about two months now. This this next week will be filled with actually buying the stuff I need and packing. Apparently I am only allowed to bring two bags. But what i think I will do is pack for maybe 10 to 14 days and just reassure and stuff. Then I will bring two nice dresses and maybe 5 nice tops with my good jeans. I am so excited to just finally get there. I think i am most nervous about the first week. You know learning the ship, meeting friends, learning the rules, and of course how it is kind of nerve wrecking to think about the fact that i will just not be in the US for about 4 months. But again I just can't wait. I have signed up for about 8 pre sail trips. That just refers to the certain trips I can sign up for before i even get on the boat. So for example my first trip that i have signed up for is in the Dominica. I will be staying on a river boat for three nights and four days. Upon arrival I get a hammock and a fishing pole. We will float down the river, catching our own fish and doing all sorts of other adventure. Another trip that i will be doing is in India. I will be living in a village for three days where I will learn the art of living. I will be leaning things like yoga and  breathing excersizes. It came highly recommended by SAS and plus it is supposed to help anxiety which is something I definitely struggle with. 
there are also trips that i sign up for once I get on the boat. These are things like FDPs or other last minute excursions. And FDP is a faculty direct practica. They are trips that I have to take for my classes specifically in order to pass the class. I'm not so excited for those because a lot of time i have to right papers and stuff. But it shouldn't be too bad. I'm excited for my classes too. See while I am sailing and at sea we have to go to class. That means I will be in class for a total of 11 days straight at one point. But then while we are at port classes are paused and we get out and do our trips and field experiences. 
So over all, it is safe to say that i am mostly excited and a little nervous. It will be a nice break from actual school. And some of my classes will transfer. Then when I get back it will be a summer full of catching up and studying for the rest of my classes. I feel that it will be super worth it though. Next time you will hear from me, I WILL BE ON A BOAT!!! :) 

All coming together!

Finally, a year and a half's worth of planning is coming together. It's been a lot of work. I had to obtain many different visas, send my passport off to be copied, fill out form after form, and the most fun, sign up for my in-port trips. See, while I am sailing from port to port I have to attend classes. But while I am at port, I get to go on what they call, field experiences. They are trips where I get to do all sorts of things. For example, one of my first trips is called the Amazon River Adventure. I will be getting of my ship only to get on a raft where I will catch my own fish to eat and sleep in a hammock! I am so excited. The count down starts!! Only 26 days until I am on my 108 day adventure. Some of my other trips include The Art of Living in China, where I will stay in a village and learn different types of yoga; River to Ocean Kayaking in Dominica, its just what it sounds like, I start in a river and kayak to an ocean; A three day Safari trip out side of Cape Town!
So my friends, 26 days and counting...
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