My Namibian colleagues are fabulous. I really lucked out with an amazing staff of teachers.
Jen, my roommate and fellow volunteer, was out of town this week so I was on my own to start building ties with my fellow teachers. One of the nights I invited a group over to my house to watch the Ghana-Germany World Cup game. I picked up some cool drinks (what they call sodas), a six-pack of Windhoek lager (the favorite for beer), chips, and hoped for the best. It was a great turn out, with Miss Josephina, Mr. Kanjala, Mr. Enjala, Mr. Hamatuma, and Mr. Shivute coming over for the game. It was fun to socialize with them outside of the staff room and watch a great soccer match!
One of my favorite teachers goes by the name of “Kuku”. Kuku means “grandmother” in Oshiwambo. The first time I met her, she introduced herself as Kuku, and said, “You are now my granddaughter!” From now on, when she sees me, she greets me as her granddaughter, saying, “Good morning, my granddaughter! How is the morning?!” I’ve never met someone who embraced her grandmother-ly-ness so much! My favorite thing about Kuku is the entrance she makes into the staff room. She struts in with a little walk all her own, and loudly announces, “Kuku in the staff room!” Just so that everyone knows that she has arrived!
I also made a very strategic move and brought sweets to share in the staff room. This made me lots of friends, quickly. I just bought a bag of these candies called chocolate eclairs (dangerously good) and shared them during our break. People were appreciative and it was fun to share something with everyone. That is one amazing thing about Namibia – everything is to share. They really live the mantra, “What’s mine is yours” and it’s such a great way to approach life.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Experience with Police Corruption and Etosha National Park Trip
This weekend was a mandated home weekend for the learners, so the school was going to clear out. Three fellow volunteers and I decided to head to rent a car and head to Etosha National Park and go on safari for the weekend.
On the way to meet our friend in Tsumeb, two volunteers and I had our first experience with Namibian Police corruption.
I was driving along in our Toyota Corolla (on the right side of the car, and the left side of the road) and mostly adhering to the specified speed limits. However, we had some distance to cover before dark, and we were literally out in the middle of nowhere. I’m not kidding – nothing for miles. I figured going a little faster than the 120 km/hour speed limit wouldn’t make a difference to anyone, and there surely weren’t any police officers anywhere around. Needless to say, I was sorely mistaken.
I’m trucking along, and from out of the bush pops a person. I had never seen a police officer before, so my friends and I assumed it was a hitchhiker trying to get a ride. We kept driving along. About 10 minutes later, a police car drives up in front of me with its lights on. I start freaking out inside, knowing full well that I was speeding, and not knowing what the consequences could be.
The officer asks for my license, and then says, “Follow me to the bush!” angrily. Then he gets in his car (with my license) and drives off. I gather that I’m supposed to follow him, but I have no idea where we are going, and he is speeding off ahead of me. I lose sight of him for awhile, and then eventually see him at the side of the road. Once we stop, I am able to see that he had been operating a radar gun or camera of some kind, and that it was him, not a hiker, that had jumped out from the bush just a bit earlier, trying to flag me down.
He asks me to get out and I meet him over at his police car. He tells me he is going to write me tickets for speeding and for wasting government petrol. He says that I will have to pay the ticket in Tsumeb (about a 4-5 hour hike from Okahao) during business hours. Long conversation short, we get to talking about why I’m here, who I’m here with, how long I’m here, etc. I’m batting my eyes, and apologizing and explaining I’m here teaching voluntarily from the USA, I live very far from Tsumeb, I didn’t know he was a police officer, and it was my first time driving in Namibia. The conversation takes a turn for the better, and I have a feeling I’ve won him over. He says that he is starting to take pity on me and recognizes that it would be nearly impossible for me to get to Tsumeb during the week to pay the ticket. Ultimately, we come to an agreement that I will give him N$100 (about $14 USD) and he won’t write me a ticket! “This is just between you and me,” he says, in broken English. “I could get in a lot of trouble, so do not tell anyone. Warn your friends, too.” I run to the car to get the cash, return and trade him for my license. I bid him farewell in Oshivambo, and we’re on our way…my wallet a little lighter, a good story in tow, and definitely not driving faster than 120 km.
Police corruption aside, the experience at Etosha was amazing! The park is huge, and just chock-full of animals of every kind. It was a very different kind of safari than the one I went on in South Africa. This was all on your own, no guides, and you’re able to camp out at the protected rest camps in the park. We were able to see a lot more animals and in the ultimate African habitat. At Etosha you just drive around, looking for wildlife, and hope for the best. We saw herds of giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeests, springbok, impala, kudu, ostrich, oryx, rhino, lots of bird, and more. Throughout the weekend I did all of the driving – about 18 hours worth – and I was exhausted by the end. It was a relief to make it back to Okahao after a long weekend, and time to get ready for week two of teaching.
On the way to meet our friend in Tsumeb, two volunteers and I had our first experience with Namibian Police corruption.
I was driving along in our Toyota Corolla (on the right side of the car, and the left side of the road) and mostly adhering to the specified speed limits. However, we had some distance to cover before dark, and we were literally out in the middle of nowhere. I’m not kidding – nothing for miles. I figured going a little faster than the 120 km/hour speed limit wouldn’t make a difference to anyone, and there surely weren’t any police officers anywhere around. Needless to say, I was sorely mistaken.
I’m trucking along, and from out of the bush pops a person. I had never seen a police officer before, so my friends and I assumed it was a hitchhiker trying to get a ride. We kept driving along. About 10 minutes later, a police car drives up in front of me with its lights on. I start freaking out inside, knowing full well that I was speeding, and not knowing what the consequences could be.
The officer asks for my license, and then says, “Follow me to the bush!” angrily. Then he gets in his car (with my license) and drives off. I gather that I’m supposed to follow him, but I have no idea where we are going, and he is speeding off ahead of me. I lose sight of him for awhile, and then eventually see him at the side of the road. Once we stop, I am able to see that he had been operating a radar gun or camera of some kind, and that it was him, not a hiker, that had jumped out from the bush just a bit earlier, trying to flag me down.
He asks me to get out and I meet him over at his police car. He tells me he is going to write me tickets for speeding and for wasting government petrol. He says that I will have to pay the ticket in Tsumeb (about a 4-5 hour hike from Okahao) during business hours. Long conversation short, we get to talking about why I’m here, who I’m here with, how long I’m here, etc. I’m batting my eyes, and apologizing and explaining I’m here teaching voluntarily from the USA, I live very far from Tsumeb, I didn’t know he was a police officer, and it was my first time driving in Namibia. The conversation takes a turn for the better, and I have a feeling I’ve won him over. He says that he is starting to take pity on me and recognizes that it would be nearly impossible for me to get to Tsumeb during the week to pay the ticket. Ultimately, we come to an agreement that I will give him N$100 (about $14 USD) and he won’t write me a ticket! “This is just between you and me,” he says, in broken English. “I could get in a lot of trouble, so do not tell anyone. Warn your friends, too.” I run to the car to get the cash, return and trade him for my license. I bid him farewell in Oshivambo, and we’re on our way…my wallet a little lighter, a good story in tow, and definitely not driving faster than 120 km.
Police corruption aside, the experience at Etosha was amazing! The park is huge, and just chock-full of animals of every kind. It was a very different kind of safari than the one I went on in South Africa. This was all on your own, no guides, and you’re able to camp out at the protected rest camps in the park. We were able to see a lot more animals and in the ultimate African habitat. At Etosha you just drive around, looking for wildlife, and hope for the best. We saw herds of giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeests, springbok, impala, kudu, ostrich, oryx, rhino, lots of bird, and more. Throughout the weekend I did all of the driving – about 18 hours worth – and I was exhausted by the end. It was a relief to make it back to Okahao after a long weekend, and time to get ready for week two of teaching.
Melt-My-Heart Moments
#1: One of the Grade 9 learners, Sam, comes over just about every night to watch the World Cup soccer games. One night, he asked me, “Miss, can you please teach me how to email?”
I say, “Of course I can. Sam, is there someone special that you want to email?!”
Sam replies, “Yes, Miss. I want to email you when you leave our school.”
#2: Last week, a colleague and I went to the Okahao Community Library (which consists of about four shelves of books to inquire about the use of a computer skills typing program. While we were there, my colleague needed to use the Internet (the only place in town where you can access the Internet, as far as I know) and so I waited for him to finish. While I was waiting, a group of about 13 Grade 2 learners came into the library. It seemed like they had just finished with school and were coming to look at picture books. They were about the cutest things I have ever seen – and were very curious about the white person in town.
I remembered that I had a book of stickers in my purse. I decided to give them out to each of the kids. They were SO excited by just getting a tiny little sticker on their shirt!
Once I had made sure everyone had received a sticker, I decided to sit down at the table where they were sitting and see what they were reading. It was obvious that their English skills were poor, if they knew any at all. They were looking through the books, and so I decided to pick one up and start reading it out loud. Within a matter of minutes, I had the most silent, intrigued, and mesmerized group of 7 year-olds. I read two books to them and they were practically sitting on top of one another to see the pages of the book. I’m pretty sure they didn’t understand much of what I was saying, but it was so precious. It made me wonder if anyone ever read to them before. I hope to go back to visit the library and have the chance to read to them again.
I say, “Of course I can. Sam, is there someone special that you want to email?!”
Sam replies, “Yes, Miss. I want to email you when you leave our school.”
#2: Last week, a colleague and I went to the Okahao Community Library (which consists of about four shelves of books to inquire about the use of a computer skills typing program. While we were there, my colleague needed to use the Internet (the only place in town where you can access the Internet, as far as I know) and so I waited for him to finish. While I was waiting, a group of about 13 Grade 2 learners came into the library. It seemed like they had just finished with school and were coming to look at picture books. They were about the cutest things I have ever seen – and were very curious about the white person in town.
I remembered that I had a book of stickers in my purse. I decided to give them out to each of the kids. They were SO excited by just getting a tiny little sticker on their shirt!
Once I had made sure everyone had received a sticker, I decided to sit down at the table where they were sitting and see what they were reading. It was obvious that their English skills were poor, if they knew any at all. They were looking through the books, and so I decided to pick one up and start reading it out loud. Within a matter of minutes, I had the most silent, intrigued, and mesmerized group of 7 year-olds. I read two books to them and they were practically sitting on top of one another to see the pages of the book. I’m pretty sure they didn’t understand much of what I was saying, but it was so precious. It made me wonder if anyone ever read to them before. I hope to go back to visit the library and have the chance to read to them again.
You Know You're in Namibia When...
#1: You know you’re in Namibia when the Acting Principal begins the morning briefing by letting all of the teaching staff know that class 12F’s classroom will not be able to be used for the morning. It is not in service because the door was left open overnight and goats came in and slept in the classroom and made a mess.
#2: You know you’re in Namibia when you go camping at a rest camp in the middle of Etosha National Park and that happens to be one of the few places to get a hot shower and a good meal in the whole country. I had oryx steak, and it might have been the most delicious meal of my life.
#3: You know you're in Namibia when nothing is easy, and things rarely work the first time. I am certainly learning to be more patient here. :)
#2: You know you’re in Namibia when you go camping at a rest camp in the middle of Etosha National Park and that happens to be one of the few places to get a hot shower and a good meal in the whole country. I had oryx steak, and it might have been the most delicious meal of my life.
#3: You know you're in Namibia when nothing is easy, and things rarely work the first time. I am certainly learning to be more patient here. :)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Okahao and First Days of School
I arrived in Okahao after a ten hour care ride with eight other people and no air-conditioning! Needless to say, it was a relief to finally arrive at my site.
My new roommate, Jennifer, is wonderful! She is a year-long WorldTeach volunteer in her second year from Canada. She welcomed me to my new home-away-from-home and took me around our school and town the first evening.
Our place is basic, but has everything we need. I have my own room and we have a bathroom, small kitchen, and living room space. We live on the school grounds, along with most of the other teachers.
Okahao is a good-sized town that has most of what I would need on a daily basis. It consists of the school, a church, a community library, a hospital, bars and some stores. It is bigger than I anticipated, but still nothing like a town at home. For example, there are donkeys and goats and cows everywhere – just roaming freely! It’s pretty crazy to hear donkeys braying outside your bedroom window.
Saturday we took a hike (40 minutes or so) into the nearest “large city”, Oshakati, to do our grocery shopping and look around. Oshakati is surprisingly well equipped for feeling like you’re really out in the middle of nowhere. They have a small shopping center and market, Internet café, etc. There are stores where I can get anything I would probably get in the U.S. It’s pretty amazing. My favorite part of the experience would have to be stopping on the way there for a cow in the middle of the road, and doing the same on the way back for a donkey.
Sunday the highlight was my run through town. People looked at my like I was a.) crazy, and b.) a celebrity. Everyone was shouting Oshiwambo and English greetings at me, and one boy actually came up and started running with me! Jen and I took a run last night (we’ve set a plan to run 3-4 times a week together) as the day was cooling down and had twice the attention! A couple of the teachers saw us and they’ve expressed interest in us starting a teacher’s running group, so we’ll see!
I am teaching at Shaanika Oshilongo Senior Secondary School, a hostel school where 650 learners live at the school and the teachers as well. I left Reed, but haven’t escaped the idea of living where I work! :☺
My first day of school was great, once I got past the fact that I had to be up at 5:30 AM. Meme Ilyambula, the acting principal, introduced me to the entire school at morning devotion at 6:30 AM. Then, I was integrated into the staff room, and introduced to my new colleagues. Everyone is really great and I’m looking forward to getting to know them.
I did not expect having to run a classroom yesterday, but the current pseudo ICT teacher got excited to hand his work over, and gave me all of his grade 11 and 12 computer classes (which is 26 periods total, so about 3-5 per day). Then, he just left me in the classroom and told me to entertain them…so there wasn’t too much of a lesson on computers, more of Heads Up, 7 Up time! I had been warned that there would be some lazy teachers eager to pass the work onto me; I just didn’t know it would happen on day one!
Today was more structured for sure. For my classes I created an ICT Knowledge Assessment to help me gauge what they know, and what they still need to learn. From my first three sections, I’ve discovered that they know very little to nothing at all about computers in practice. Their computer classes so far have been focused on theory and memorization, not actually how to use a computer. One of my biggest challenges will be teaching them how to type correctly and efficiently. None of them know how to type using the home keys, and neither do the teachers. I’ve been asked to type assignments/exams for teachers because it takes them so long to do it themselves, if they even know how to turn on the computer at all. I’m working on getting a typing skills program for the computers to develop their abilities in this area.
I will begin classes for the teachers next week. We will have a beginners group and an intermediate group. Each will meet two times per week. I’m finding my schedule is getting pretty full, between class periods and lesson planning, so I don’t think I’ll have time after all to teach any additional courses as I had hoped.
The learners in general are well behaved and very excited to learn about computers. They seem excited to have a new teacher, “Miss Dana”, and asked me lots of questions, like if I knew 50 Cent, or Barack Obama! They were very interested to know if I was married, and if I had kids. They are also very curious about the USA.
World Cup fever is taking over around here, and since we have a TV in our house, we have access to watching the games. This means a constant stream of learners (mostly boys) coming by to ask if they may watch the games. Last night we had sixteen boys huddled around the TV watching the Paraguay-Italy game. It was adorable.
This is getting awfully long, but another especially notable experience is the African sky. The sunsets are gorgeous – the reddest skies I have ever seen. The starry nights are exceedingly more incredible. The stars look huge, and close, and the sky looks bigger than I have ever experienced.
I promise my blog updates won’t always be this long! Thank you for reading. I have also updated my contact information in Namibia on the side of the page. Be well!
My new roommate, Jennifer, is wonderful! She is a year-long WorldTeach volunteer in her second year from Canada. She welcomed me to my new home-away-from-home and took me around our school and town the first evening.
Our place is basic, but has everything we need. I have my own room and we have a bathroom, small kitchen, and living room space. We live on the school grounds, along with most of the other teachers.
Okahao is a good-sized town that has most of what I would need on a daily basis. It consists of the school, a church, a community library, a hospital, bars and some stores. It is bigger than I anticipated, but still nothing like a town at home. For example, there are donkeys and goats and cows everywhere – just roaming freely! It’s pretty crazy to hear donkeys braying outside your bedroom window.
Saturday we took a hike (40 minutes or so) into the nearest “large city”, Oshakati, to do our grocery shopping and look around. Oshakati is surprisingly well equipped for feeling like you’re really out in the middle of nowhere. They have a small shopping center and market, Internet café, etc. There are stores where I can get anything I would probably get in the U.S. It’s pretty amazing. My favorite part of the experience would have to be stopping on the way there for a cow in the middle of the road, and doing the same on the way back for a donkey.
Sunday the highlight was my run through town. People looked at my like I was a.) crazy, and b.) a celebrity. Everyone was shouting Oshiwambo and English greetings at me, and one boy actually came up and started running with me! Jen and I took a run last night (we’ve set a plan to run 3-4 times a week together) as the day was cooling down and had twice the attention! A couple of the teachers saw us and they’ve expressed interest in us starting a teacher’s running group, so we’ll see!
I am teaching at Shaanika Oshilongo Senior Secondary School, a hostel school where 650 learners live at the school and the teachers as well. I left Reed, but haven’t escaped the idea of living where I work! :☺
My first day of school was great, once I got past the fact that I had to be up at 5:30 AM. Meme Ilyambula, the acting principal, introduced me to the entire school at morning devotion at 6:30 AM. Then, I was integrated into the staff room, and introduced to my new colleagues. Everyone is really great and I’m looking forward to getting to know them.
I did not expect having to run a classroom yesterday, but the current pseudo ICT teacher got excited to hand his work over, and gave me all of his grade 11 and 12 computer classes (which is 26 periods total, so about 3-5 per day). Then, he just left me in the classroom and told me to entertain them…so there wasn’t too much of a lesson on computers, more of Heads Up, 7 Up time! I had been warned that there would be some lazy teachers eager to pass the work onto me; I just didn’t know it would happen on day one!
Today was more structured for sure. For my classes I created an ICT Knowledge Assessment to help me gauge what they know, and what they still need to learn. From my first three sections, I’ve discovered that they know very little to nothing at all about computers in practice. Their computer classes so far have been focused on theory and memorization, not actually how to use a computer. One of my biggest challenges will be teaching them how to type correctly and efficiently. None of them know how to type using the home keys, and neither do the teachers. I’ve been asked to type assignments/exams for teachers because it takes them so long to do it themselves, if they even know how to turn on the computer at all. I’m working on getting a typing skills program for the computers to develop their abilities in this area.
I will begin classes for the teachers next week. We will have a beginners group and an intermediate group. Each will meet two times per week. I’m finding my schedule is getting pretty full, between class periods and lesson planning, so I don’t think I’ll have time after all to teach any additional courses as I had hoped.
The learners in general are well behaved and very excited to learn about computers. They seem excited to have a new teacher, “Miss Dana”, and asked me lots of questions, like if I knew 50 Cent, or Barack Obama! They were very interested to know if I was married, and if I had kids. They are also very curious about the USA.
World Cup fever is taking over around here, and since we have a TV in our house, we have access to watching the games. This means a constant stream of learners (mostly boys) coming by to ask if they may watch the games. Last night we had sixteen boys huddled around the TV watching the Paraguay-Italy game. It was adorable.
This is getting awfully long, but another especially notable experience is the African sky. The sunsets are gorgeous – the reddest skies I have ever seen. The starry nights are exceedingly more incredible. The stars look huge, and close, and the sky looks bigger than I have ever experienced.
I promise my blog updates won’t always be this long! Thank you for reading. I have also updated my contact information in Namibia on the side of the page. Be well!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Windhoek and Orientation
Walalapo! (Good morning in Oshiwambo)
I arrived in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, a week ago and have been going through WorldTeach volunteer teacher orientation and acclimating to Namibian culture. It’s been a busy and exciting week!
The group of 16 volunteers is great. I feel a bit old as two-thirds of the group is college students, but we’ve had a lot of fun hanging out and getting to know everyone. We are packed into a backpacker’s hostel and have had lots of sessions and cultural events throughout the week. We have spent a lot of time learning about Namibian culture, taking language lessons (Oshiwambo is the language spoken in my region), learning about teaching computers, classroom management, lesson planning, and more.
Highlights of the week would definitely include a performance by a Namibian cultural dance group in native attire. The singing was so beautiful and their dancing so unique. We also took a tour of Windhoek and drove through Katatura, the main township in the city. We went out to a traditional Namibian dinner one night where the main dish was cooked goat head. I tried some of the goat head as well as the tongue…and the eye… Something to check off the life goal list but certainly not something I will crave or need to try again! :)
Among the most difficult cultural lessons have been our conversations around the prevalence of HIV in Namibia. Around 20-25% of the population in Namibia is HIV positive. There is still a large stigma attached to getting tested and finding out your status, and thus the virus spreads. It’s pretty upsetting to learn and see the impact this has on the country.
Another especially eye-opening and difficult cultural difference to comprehend is the acceptability of teachers having sex with their learners (students). This is illegal, however, our Field Director tried to prepare us for the reality that teachers in the schools often have sex with underage girls. Sometimes the principal knows about it and still does nothing. Some girls even get pregnant. This was really upsetting to learn about, and I’m hopeful that I do not encounter a situation like this in my school. She said that it’s ok if we try to do something about it if we find out it’s happening, but to not have the expectation that we will be able to change a cultural norm. Hard to believe and not sure how I would react knowing this was happening to my learners.
Tomorrow I leave for my site and I’m so excited! I’m ready to finish with orientation and get to work. The Ministry of Education will provide transportation for all of us to our respective sites – I have an eight hour ride ahead of me so hoping to practice my language skills and do some brainstorming about lesson plans for next week.
I will be in Okahao in the Central North and working at the Shaanika Nashilongo Secondary School. I’m going to be living with another WorldTeach volunteer in her second year. I’m looking forward to meeting her and settling into my new community!
I will send updates after I arrive in Okahao and have my first day of school on Monday. Tangi unene (thank you very much) for reading my update and kala po nawa (stay well)!
Oh, I also now have a cell phone so if you happen to have some credit on Skype, ask me for my number and we can chat! Oddly enough, my phone can access the internet, so emails are always welcome. :) I will also post my address as soon as I know what it is in Okahao.
I arrived in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, a week ago and have been going through WorldTeach volunteer teacher orientation and acclimating to Namibian culture. It’s been a busy and exciting week!
The group of 16 volunteers is great. I feel a bit old as two-thirds of the group is college students, but we’ve had a lot of fun hanging out and getting to know everyone. We are packed into a backpacker’s hostel and have had lots of sessions and cultural events throughout the week. We have spent a lot of time learning about Namibian culture, taking language lessons (Oshiwambo is the language spoken in my region), learning about teaching computers, classroom management, lesson planning, and more.
Highlights of the week would definitely include a performance by a Namibian cultural dance group in native attire. The singing was so beautiful and their dancing so unique. We also took a tour of Windhoek and drove through Katatura, the main township in the city. We went out to a traditional Namibian dinner one night where the main dish was cooked goat head. I tried some of the goat head as well as the tongue…and the eye… Something to check off the life goal list but certainly not something I will crave or need to try again! :)
Among the most difficult cultural lessons have been our conversations around the prevalence of HIV in Namibia. Around 20-25% of the population in Namibia is HIV positive. There is still a large stigma attached to getting tested and finding out your status, and thus the virus spreads. It’s pretty upsetting to learn and see the impact this has on the country.
Another especially eye-opening and difficult cultural difference to comprehend is the acceptability of teachers having sex with their learners (students). This is illegal, however, our Field Director tried to prepare us for the reality that teachers in the schools often have sex with underage girls. Sometimes the principal knows about it and still does nothing. Some girls even get pregnant. This was really upsetting to learn about, and I’m hopeful that I do not encounter a situation like this in my school. She said that it’s ok if we try to do something about it if we find out it’s happening, but to not have the expectation that we will be able to change a cultural norm. Hard to believe and not sure how I would react knowing this was happening to my learners.
Tomorrow I leave for my site and I’m so excited! I’m ready to finish with orientation and get to work. The Ministry of Education will provide transportation for all of us to our respective sites – I have an eight hour ride ahead of me so hoping to practice my language skills and do some brainstorming about lesson plans for next week.
I will be in Okahao in the Central North and working at the Shaanika Nashilongo Secondary School. I’m going to be living with another WorldTeach volunteer in her second year. I’m looking forward to meeting her and settling into my new community!
I will send updates after I arrive in Okahao and have my first day of school on Monday. Tangi unene (thank you very much) for reading my update and kala po nawa (stay well)!
Oh, I also now have a cell phone so if you happen to have some credit on Skype, ask me for my number and we can chat! Oddly enough, my phone can access the internet, so emails are always welcome. :) I will also post my address as soon as I know what it is in Okahao.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cape Town, South Africa
I arrived about a week ago in Cape Town after 34 hours of travel. This past week has been unforgettable and full of breathtaking experiences. I would have to write a novel to share everything about this amazing place, but for the sake of this blog I will try to be brief!
Day 1: Arrived in Cape Town! Met by my friend and gracious hostess, Jessica, a good friend from college who has spent the last month working at the University of Cape Town. We spent the evening at a local restaurant eating pizza and watching a soccer scrimmage between South Africa and Colombia...with South Africans and Colombians. It was a rowdy and exciting game and group to watch the game with!
Day 2: Went to a cheetah sanctuary and pet a real live cheetah! Such beautiful animals. Also went through an African bird sanctuary and saw lots of incredible birds. We then went to the Victoria and Alfred waterfront and spent the day walking around there. It is very close to the newly built World Cup stadium and the site for a lot of the tourist traffic they are anticipating.
Day 3: Theme of the day...baboons and penguins! We drove all along the coast and one of our first stops was Boulders Beach, known for the flock of African penguins that call it home. They were adorable! Could have watched them all day.
We continued our drive along the coast and headed to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Our eyes were peeled the entire time as we scanned for the baboons of which signs every few kilometers warned us about...and finally we saw a pack of them! Just walking along the highway as if we were guests driving on their road. Freaking out and photo snapping ensued.
We arrived at Table Mountain National Park and hiked up to Cape Point, which is the south-western most point of Africa. It was absolutely breathtaking and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The Cape of Good Hope was just as spectacular and known as the convergence point of the Atlantic and Indian seas.
On our way out, we had an ever more exciting and dramatic encounter with the baboons! We discovered a patch of traffic (mind you...we are out in the middle of nowhere) only to find that the baboons were the source of the hold up. About 15 baboons had taken over the road, and one Alpha baboons was claiming ownership over a vehicle by sitting on top of it! Two girls about our age apparently hadn't gotten the memo that baboons are dangerous wild animals and had been out of their car and so the troop began to wreak havoc on their car...we even saw one try to open the car door! (Fortunately they had locked it). Seeing as they didn't seem TOO dangerous, we snapped a bunch of photos and I ended up getting pretty close to a relatively tiny baboon preoccupied with some food. The park staff ended up coming to chase the baboons away with large sticks, the girls got in their car, and we took off with about 30 more photos on our cameras.
We ended the day with a seafood meal at sunset at the marina in Simons Town.
Day 4: Highlight of Day 4 was riding the tram up to the top of Table Mountain to see the view of the entire city. Table Mountain is a contender for the new Seven Wonders of the World and now I understand why...it was incredible!
Day 5: African Safari! Elephants, rhinos, hippos, warthogs, wildebeests, zebras, lions, leopards, giraffes, springbok, buffalo! Spent the morning checking out animals by Jeep, the afternoon by horseback. It was amazing so see these wild creatures up close and personal. Check out Facebook for photos to see the variety!
Day 6: Vineyard tour. South African is known for their wines, so we went on a tour to visit four different wineries in Stellenbosch. Delicious wines, gorgeous scenery.
Day 7: Today we saw the "other side" of Cape Town. We went into the townships, the areas created to segregate blacks and whites during apartheid. Tragically, these areas have remained areas for poor black communities. Millions of South Africans live in these townships in homes made of scraps of tin and wood. Many do not work and the areas are dirty, notorious for crime and unsafe conditions. While a lot has changed politically for SA since the end of apartheid, there is still a long way to go. Throughout the week we have been driving past the townships but we really observed the sheer poverty actually driving through, visiting a school, an orphanage, memorials, and talking with a couple people from the area. It is really hard to believe people have to live in such conditions and was a really eye-opening experience.
After an amazing week of vacation, tomorrow I finally head to Namibia to begin my WorldTeach experience. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to travel, sightsee and vacation before the real work begins. Looking forward to getting to Namibia and meeting my fellow volunteers and starting orientation. My access to the Internet will likely lessen, so I will update the blog again when I can. Thanks for reading and miss you all!
Day 1: Arrived in Cape Town! Met by my friend and gracious hostess, Jessica, a good friend from college who has spent the last month working at the University of Cape Town. We spent the evening at a local restaurant eating pizza and watching a soccer scrimmage between South Africa and Colombia...with South Africans and Colombians. It was a rowdy and exciting game and group to watch the game with!
Day 2: Went to a cheetah sanctuary and pet a real live cheetah! Such beautiful animals. Also went through an African bird sanctuary and saw lots of incredible birds. We then went to the Victoria and Alfred waterfront and spent the day walking around there. It is very close to the newly built World Cup stadium and the site for a lot of the tourist traffic they are anticipating.
Day 3: Theme of the day...baboons and penguins! We drove all along the coast and one of our first stops was Boulders Beach, known for the flock of African penguins that call it home. They were adorable! Could have watched them all day.
We continued our drive along the coast and headed to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Our eyes were peeled the entire time as we scanned for the baboons of which signs every few kilometers warned us about...and finally we saw a pack of them! Just walking along the highway as if we were guests driving on their road. Freaking out and photo snapping ensued.
We arrived at Table Mountain National Park and hiked up to Cape Point, which is the south-western most point of Africa. It was absolutely breathtaking and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The Cape of Good Hope was just as spectacular and known as the convergence point of the Atlantic and Indian seas.
On our way out, we had an ever more exciting and dramatic encounter with the baboons! We discovered a patch of traffic (mind you...we are out in the middle of nowhere) only to find that the baboons were the source of the hold up. About 15 baboons had taken over the road, and one Alpha baboons was claiming ownership over a vehicle by sitting on top of it! Two girls about our age apparently hadn't gotten the memo that baboons are dangerous wild animals and had been out of their car and so the troop began to wreak havoc on their car...we even saw one try to open the car door! (Fortunately they had locked it). Seeing as they didn't seem TOO dangerous, we snapped a bunch of photos and I ended up getting pretty close to a relatively tiny baboon preoccupied with some food. The park staff ended up coming to chase the baboons away with large sticks, the girls got in their car, and we took off with about 30 more photos on our cameras.
We ended the day with a seafood meal at sunset at the marina in Simons Town.
Day 4: Highlight of Day 4 was riding the tram up to the top of Table Mountain to see the view of the entire city. Table Mountain is a contender for the new Seven Wonders of the World and now I understand why...it was incredible!
Day 5: African Safari! Elephants, rhinos, hippos, warthogs, wildebeests, zebras, lions, leopards, giraffes, springbok, buffalo! Spent the morning checking out animals by Jeep, the afternoon by horseback. It was amazing so see these wild creatures up close and personal. Check out Facebook for photos to see the variety!
Day 6: Vineyard tour. South African is known for their wines, so we went on a tour to visit four different wineries in Stellenbosch. Delicious wines, gorgeous scenery.
Day 7: Today we saw the "other side" of Cape Town. We went into the townships, the areas created to segregate blacks and whites during apartheid. Tragically, these areas have remained areas for poor black communities. Millions of South Africans live in these townships in homes made of scraps of tin and wood. Many do not work and the areas are dirty, notorious for crime and unsafe conditions. While a lot has changed politically for SA since the end of apartheid, there is still a long way to go. Throughout the week we have been driving past the townships but we really observed the sheer poverty actually driving through, visiting a school, an orphanage, memorials, and talking with a couple people from the area. It is really hard to believe people have to live in such conditions and was a really eye-opening experience.
After an amazing week of vacation, tomorrow I finally head to Namibia to begin my WorldTeach experience. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to travel, sightsee and vacation before the real work begins. Looking forward to getting to Namibia and meeting my fellow volunteers and starting orientation. My access to the Internet will likely lessen, so I will update the blog again when I can. Thanks for reading and miss you all!
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