That's A Wrap Folks

So here goes the last blog about Cape Town adventures…the short and sweet of my last two weeks, during which I…

Visited the Shepherd’s house for a delicious soup dinner and family time with them. Cara-Leigh introduced me to Stumble Upon, and, since then, I have watched the youtube video “People Are Awesome” about fifteen times. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out.

Breakfasted on eggs and toast with Storm, Tom, and Dave. Storm and I were indebted to them one breakfast for losing our tennis match. I was secretly glad we lost because Storm is excellent at making scrambled eggs.

Toured the District 6 Museum and several townships in Cape Town. It was truly an eye-opening experience. I asked our guide, whose family lives in the township of Langa, if residents moved from the townships when they had the means to do so. He explained to us that the township residents might be unsatisfied, but they are not unhappy. In fact, I would argue that the sense of community in such places creates a happiness that many wealthy people will never know. I do not want to understate their poverty, however. While some residents live relatively comfortable lives, it is not uncommon for two families to share a one-room house. It is a very different world.

Saw Goldfish live at Assembly. There was a very large contingent of Americans there, set on seeing the band one last time before leaving SA. Plus, I was thrilled to spend time with Elizabeth, a friend of a friend from home, and her boyfriend Tom who was visiting.

Spent many an evening in Constantia with 2/6 of the Hobbs family (Mrs. Hobbs was visiting for a couple weeks) and other friends. We watched movies, ate food, walked around gardens, exchanged the casual face massage and arm scratch, and played heart and soul on the piano.

Witnessed Boi submerged in ice cold pool water at 9 pm. What a time to be baptized! But it surely shows commitment. I was so happy to be there for such a special occasion.

Visited the art museum with Tash. I’ve never been so interested in individual pieces, but, it is easy when you are viewing them with someone well-versed in art and art history.

Chowed on waffles with Mark and Wimpy. For those of you who don’t know Wimpy, it’s a 5 star establishment. Denzel Washington was often seen dining there during his filming of Safehouse. J of course, asking the waitress for a waffle without ice cream and syrup on the side really complicated things…so demanding I am.

Hung out with George-ians for Tegan’s fondue night. Of course, it wouldn’t have been complete without potatoes and green beans dipped in fondue or without seeing how many marshmallows Nick could fit into his mouth at once.

Picnicked at the Mike Hobbs manor in Constantia with Pasqua, Cara Leigh, Rafe, Jono, Cale, Jenna, Mark, and Hobzy. We stuffed our faces with cheese, crackers, dried fruit, and chips ahoy cookies and then roamed around the gardens for the afternoon. Unfortunately, my branch did not fare very well in our boat race down the creek, but it’s the thought that counts. The property is so beautiful in the early evening, and it was lovely to spend a warm day outside with such wonderful company.

Dined at the Harbour House in Kalk Bay. We were seated next to the glass windows looking directly out onto the crashing waves on the rocks below. It was exquisite.

Roamed the Old Biscuit Mill for the last time with Pasqua. We split 2 crepes: one with caramel, nuts, and whipped cream, the other with egg, avo, and cheese. Sweet and savory never tasted so good.

Hiked table mountain via Platteklip Gorge with Lans and Brittany. Of course, the rain hit us about an hour’s time up the mountain, but they were great sports and we trekked on through the wet and the cold. The warm table top restaurant was a welcomed respite from the weather.

Said goodbyes to many Americans leaving between 7 June and 13 June, when we left. It is a strange thing to spend every day with people and then say goodbye possibly forever.

Went to Beef Cakes with the girls and Dylan for Sam’s last night. We spent the evening laughing and eating burgers and trying to completely shut the door that kept opening with the wind. At the end of our meal, they brought us toilettes that expand in the water. Unfortunately for many customers, these potential toilettes look an awful lot like mints at first glance. Needless to say, we tried to convince to attempt to eat them.

Attended Ruth’s ladies night with champagne and bread pudding and so much beautiful makeup. The ladies and I went to Cape To Cuba for the nicest pina colada I’ve ever tasted.

Hosted a “Fine Farewell Party” at the Strubens Diggs. I was so touched by the amount of people that came to bid me adue, even thought many had to write exams the next day. I made the mistake of buying balloons, which were then popped continuously throughout the evening, the shocks of which shortened my life span by a year or two. I played a powerpoint that I had made for everyone, and, after an evening of lively social activity, said my goodbyes to many people. Still, I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that I was leaving. It felt very surreal.

Hiked Table Mountain twice more with Taylor. The first time we went, we hiked Nursery Ravine in the rain and wind without any view whatsoever in the fog. Since we’ve ventured that way more than a handful of times, it was surprisingly exciting to be hiking in bad weather, simply for a new experience. The day before we left, Taylor and I took Izzy up India Venster. It was a very windy day, but we were cruising and made it up and down again (via the gorge) in 3 hours’ time.

Attended Dan’s breakfast get together. He made an infinite amount of scrambled eggs, tomatoes with cheese, and buttered toast. Well done, Chef Atlas. It was delicious!

Went Sokkie Dancing, planned by Ruth, for the first time. It was such a fun cultural experience. I had always imagined the Afrikaans culture from my time in Stellenbosch, and this was a completely different side of it. In fact, most people there spoke only choppy English. Sokkie dancing is a jol. After Ruth and Jono taught me the steps, Rafe tried his best to lead me on the dance floor. Not surprisingly, he found that I too often try to lead myself, but this led to many laughs. When cotton-eyed-joe came on, everyone jumped on the dance floor and began line dancing, and I was able to blend in a bit more. After dancing, Rafe and I went to visit Pasqua and Mike in Constantia.

On my last morning, I went to church on main for the final time with a blessing from Mark before he began his sermon. The meaningful goodbyes, prayers, and amazing worship prepared me to say goodbye, even though it still did not feel real at this point. After church, Rafe, Byron, Pasqua, and Cara-Leigh drove me to the Cape Town airport (don’t ask me how we fit all of my stuff in Rafe’s boot). With time to kill before my flight, we chatted over coffee and sandwiches before they walked me to my gate and hugged me goodbye.

The truth of my leaving did not hit me until I was on the plane, flying to Jo-burg. It hit hard and I fell asleep, exhausted by tears. Luckily, a large contingent of my American group was also flying to Dulles on the same day, so we all sat with each other for 6 hours in the Joburg airport before boarding our 18-hour flight. In that time, I felt more at peace about leaving, and I came to terms with my separations. I was happy to know that it would be easy to contact people across the world while at home.

Now that I’m home (at Tufts), I struggle to understand the reality of two completely different lives and the fact that, in a day’s travel, I jumped from one to the other. I have much reflection to do and will write about my thoughts on it all later…when I understand it. All I know now is that I’m delighted to be home and reunited with loved ones and that I dearly miss my friends and life in Cape Town.

The Home Stretch

We are hitting the final stretch here. What was once months left, turned to weeks, and now days. I’ve recently realized that I’ve experienced enough here to satisfy my “checklist”. Between adventure, travel, and must-sees, we’ve done it all. Now it is time for me to make peace with Cape Town, to soak in the last days and gain some closure. Thus, as you will see, my daily itinerary has changed quite a bit. What was once a life centered on activities, is now one rich in relationships and wonderful company. Because, what I now understand is that the “things” I’ve done here have provided me with stories and memories, yet the people I’ve met here will change my life forever.

In the past 2 weeks I've…

----Travelled to Stellenbosch with Byron to see Plush live with some new friends: Nick, Carin, Carla, Hilke, Liesa, Nick, and Dale (aka “the night walker”). Of course the evening wouldn’t have been complete without a late-night visit to McDonald’s, which-let me tell you- is a 5-star hotel here compared to Ronald’s American houses (think, two stories). For those of you who haven’t heard the band, I highly recommend their new CD. I managed to stay awake for whopping four minutes on the car ride home. Thanks for driving, By!

----Watched Due Date with Mike and Rafe for the 3^rd time in two months. “Why are your dad’s ashes in a coffee can?” Just watch it.

----Stood in line for Tiger Tiger (a dance club) for 1.5 hours with some Northwestern folk. Part way through the line a girl asked us which one of the “52 US states” we were from. I was tempted to tell her I was from the state of Boston, in case she was counting that as 51. *A common misconception here is that Boston is its own state since the area of Boston is much better known than the state of Massachusetts. Luckily we gained entrance into the dance club and had a fabulous time.

----Lunched on quiche at Mango Ginger as a group of seven (missed you Sam) before taking Eliza to get her nose pierced. The woman that did the deed was covered head to toe in piercings and tattoos, in places I’ve never imagined. Tattoos on her fingers and knuckles, piercings on her neck…she told us she had pierced either side of her nose over ten times so Eliza was not to worry. Needless to say, that fact helped little, but Eliza was a trooper and the nose ring looks great on her. Of course, we had to stop at a health food store en route back home, into which we excitedly entered and out of which we immediately fled, after seeing how delicious everything looked and how much money Cathy’s Date Balls and things were about to drain from our wallets.

----Witnessed Sino’s baptism. It was a beautiful event, a renewal of vows, so to speak.

----Dined on half price sushi at Food Lover’s Market before going to see Water For Elephants in Cavendisch. Before that night, I wasn’t aware that all are given specific seats in movie theatres here; you book them beforehand. Gone are the days of arriving half hour before a movie even after you’ve purchased your ticket, just so you aren’t kissing the screen or behind the tall guy in front. But, be forewarned, there are no ushers.

----Spent over an hour on a bouncy castle at Tegan’s 21^st, themed around childhood fantasy. What began as quick jol on the “bounce house” (ahem) turned into a mass chaos of bodies running and back and forth as the blow-up child’s toy gave way under the pressure of a clear weight overload. It was nearly impossible to resist the flow of the black hole of random limbs tangled around deflating pieces of the jumping castle. At one point, Ashleig and I became stuck in place, feet in the air, heads touching the ground. What a wonderful birthday that was.

----Watched Despicable Me on a laptop while crammed on a bed with seven other people. It was a feat, let me tell you. Yes, I do believe I used that word correctly; feat: an achievement that requires great courage.

----Spent the day in Stellenbosch with Ashleig, Nick, and Byron. We went to breakfast in town at Jan Cat (everything is in Afrikaans in Stellis, heads up). From there they gave me a tour of the campus and we were off to go wine tasting at Tokara. Because many of the wineries make most of their profits on wine bottle sales versus tastings, they often offer tastings for free. This is the perfect opportunity for poor university students like us who have no intention of buying wine but would be more than happy to partake in free samples. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging at a park just outside of campus, surrounded by the beautiful Stellenbosch mountains. I fell asleep immediately upon entering the car on the way home.

----Attended Jaryd’s 21^st at Neighbourhood. Tegan brought along her pink, furry cowboy hat, with which we took around 20 pictures, all with different guests wearing it.

----Went to three church services in one day. I attended church on main campus service in the morning, went for a run, and then went to both the Common Ground and Church on Main Claremont evening services with Mike and Rafe. It was one holy day!

---- Saw Rosemary Towns End, (Chris, Jaryd, and Cyle jamming together) perform at Zula Bar. They were fantastic! It was an occasion that both my local and American friends attended. It is always interesting to compare and contrast the “going out” dynamic of the two cultures.

----Chowed down at the Eastern Food Bazaar with homegroup. This time, I was well versed in the largely oversized (or maybe just right?) portions that is EFB food. Of course, I did feel compelled to order an extra plate of hummus and pita bread seeing as half of my homegroup had never tried it before. The necessities in life…

---- Played squash for the first time with Coach Mike Hobbs. It was great fun, and I have a newfound respect for squash players. However, the right side of my body was embarrassingly sore for days.

----Hiked lion’s head with Melissa, Hellen, and Shewaga (they had never been!). Besides the numbness in my entire right side (yes, from squash) it was a wonderful hike with wonderful company. Because of the scattered clouds overhead, the sunset was an extraordinary array of deep pinks and reds.

----Spent a Friday night making pizza (aka watching Mariah, Geo, and Sam make the most delicious home-made pizza I’ve ever eaten [besides yours, Fred Kass]) and playing bananagrams. It was good to be with all the girls again for a nice, relaxing Friday evening in.

----Woke up at 4:45 AM to be driven to the White Shark Lodge in Kleinbaai (about two hours drive). We went the 8 of us girls plus about 4 others to finally, after a long awaited 4 months, go SHARK CAGE DIVING! The sharks are fascinating animals, not frightening, but rather intriguing. It is very clear that they are not at all interested in attacking/hurting/snacking on us in any way. They simply want the dead tuna head that floated in the water in front of our cage. The cage held five people and was fully submerged under water with the exception of about 1.5 ft of air space on the top in which we could catch a breath between dives. I went in the cage twice (going in again with a small group after everyone had had a go) and had the opportunity to stand on the very left and then the very right side of the cage, surrounded on 3 sides by water. There were a couple moments during which the shark would bump into our cage while turning one way or another. One such time, Taylor and I let go of our holds on the grip bar and just clung to each others’ wetsuits…talk about survival instinct. It was an amazing (but cold) experience to say the least. I have two simple suggestions for future reference: 1) put your wetsuit on the right way the FIRST time, 2) pee BEFORE you put it on.

----Watched the Bulls vs. Sharks rugby game with great company at Ruth’s house. She made a huge batch of delicious butternut soup and pudding for dessert and somehow managed to break her spatula while sanctioning order in the house (wink wink)! What a woman. And, of course, Mike and Jono had me convinced that one of the rugby stars was actually the actor that played Prince Caspian in Narnia. Thanks for that one guys.

----Played a few tennis matches with Storm, Dave, and Tom. Every since I taught Dave the endearment and tenderness of the word “betch” when used in a sentence such as “Luvv ya, betch,” he has begun to greet me regularly in such a way. Of course, it does not work unless said with an American accent, which he happens to be brilliant at. Must be why they picked him to be Ryan Reynold’s stand in in Safe House.

----Lunched with Dylan at Cocoa Wah Wah. He made fun of my tendency to eat breakfast food throughout the day (don’t deny it, you did).

----Spent a lovely afternoon over coffee with Ashleig at Cocoa Cha Chi. We talked about the abroad experience and how it is like living in an alternate reality. It was so wonderful to hear about her many adventures during her time in the UK and about her life in general. She is preparing to lead a missions trip soon! What an amazing woman!

----Celebrated Jo’s birthday with a short and sweet cocktail hour at Banana Jam.

----Made chocolate chip and banana pancakes for a crowd of unknowing Africans who still think pancakes should be thing and very large (aka crepes) during our Disney movie marathon at Tom’s house. I was asked several times for this recipe, to which I replied “your ‘pancakes’ plus the very necessary bit of baking powder.” They really were delicious though, but after four batches and three Disney movies (The Incredibles, Mulan, and Lion King) I had had my fill of pancakes for a few years.

----Became an official member of Church On Main. As I walked up to the front of the room to be mentioned with the other “newbies”, the lead elder smiled at me and said “Just in time, Bryn.” So true…

----Worked out at the Virgin Active gym with Rafe (aka sat in the jet pool for a while).

----Gone on countless runs around the Rondebosch Commons with Mariah.

----Attended Lisa’s final art exhibit at the Hiddingh Campus. Her work is beautiful. She even surprised me afterwards by organizing a homegroup date at Cocoa Wah Wah. When I arrived there, they had arranged a message with the magnets on the wall: “Farewell, Bryn. We love you.” It’s too early for goodbyes guys, seriously. But, it was a very sweet gesture. Highlight of the afternoon: Catching Chris “I don’t smile for pictures” Dudley on camera with a grin on his face! GOTCHA!

Worked? Went to lectures? Hmmm….

I sure do love this place.

Mama Kass visits

When parents come to visit, it usually means days of museums, tours, and fancy lunches, it usually means hotels and mature, censured conversations and saying goodbye to friends for a little family time. When Sarah Kass comes to visit, it means normal life plus one. Whether or not she enjoyed every moment of the usual, she saw and experienced it all, and I’m so grateful she did.

Rafe and I picked my mom up early on a Thursday morning. Much to my surprise, she was ready to go right away (I’ve got energetic genes, you know). We took a walk into town, picked up our rental car, went to a flow yoga class, at YoYoga and went to dinner on Long St at a restaurant called Fork. Mom soon found that driving here is not quite like it is in the states, simple because of the fact that most rules don’t apply. Oh, and the whole driving on the left side of the road but on the right side of the car made a slight difference. It didn’t make things any better that I am completely comfortable with driving without knowing exactly where I’m going, seeing as this is inevitable. So, needless to say, we saw much more of Cape Town than we had intended in that week.

On Friday, we took a tour of Robben Island—what a testament to human strength, that museum is. As usual, I parked in the furthest parking lot from the dock and there we were, running to the boat (I wish I could tell you this is unusual). Just as standard, I fell asleep on the beautiful boat ride there. Then, to continue the amazing normalness of the situation, we were so busy talking that we couldn’t get a seat on the bus after the walking tour and instead sat on the steps in front of the bus doors that were broken and stuck wide open. After our tour, we got Marcels!!! That evening, we went out to dinner with Georgie, Blades, and grandpa Don Williamson at Andiamo in Greenpoint. We arrived late after parking 4 blocks too far down the road (it’s just getting more and more standard isn’t it?). Carb-loading never tasted better

Saturday, I woke up around 4 am to eat breakfast. Sierra and I drove to the start of the Two Oceans Half Marathon, where we nearly stepped in line behind the 56k runners. That would have been a shocker. The race started promptly at 6 am but we didn’t move from our places for a good 5 minutes. Most of the race was in the darkness of the early “winter” morning. It was such a great vibe, running through Constantia and Kirstenbosch, and then finishing at the UCT Rugby Fields, where I met up with my mom and some friends. From there, we went to the Old Biscuit Mill for breakfast and then drove to Stellenbosch for Church on Main Family Camp. We arrived in time for lunch and then walked into town with a group of Church on Mainers for ice cream and coffees. That evening, we had dinner with everyone and attended the evening church service and then spent time chatting and playing games and such. It was lovely that my mom was able to meet and spend time with everyone.

Sunday, we woke up for the morning Easter service at Family Camp and stayed for tea and hot cross buns. Then we were off to go wine tasting for the day. In the rainy dreariness of the day, the wineries were all the more cozy. We got back in time to attend the evening church service in Claremont where mom met everyone else!

Monday, we hiked table mountain in perhaps the worst hiking-table-mountain weather imaginable. Mom kept saying “But, this is so much more memorable!” I grudgingly assured her that table mountain on a nice day is plenty memorable. It was definitely an adventure. After around four hours of hiking in the cold, ferociously windy, rainy weather that had enveloped the mountain, we got hot chocolate at the base of the mountain and returned home for hot showers and then walked into Rondebosch. That evening we made dinner for the Strubens Digs and went over early to prepare. The night was long and full of laughter. We ate and played games and worked hard to understand the mixture of South African, Zimbabwean, and American references.

Tuesday, we went to afternoon yoga and then to Food Lover’s Market for smoothies. Then I took mom on a tour of UCT. I forgot just how beautiful the campus is; I take it for granted after having trekked there 5 days a week for lectures. But, it is truly picturesque. That evening, we went to dinner with Mariah and her parents and Sam to Aubergine, a restaurant in the Gardens. We ate rabbit and butternut soup and melon sorbet…delicious!

Wednesday, we went to morning tea at the Mount Nelson with Hellen and Brittany. To put it plainly, it’s hours of chatting, drinking fine teas, and eating pastries, in a covered terrace, on beautiful couches, with a view of the Mount Nelson gardens (perfectly groomed) behind you…not too shabby. It was refreshing to spend time just sitting and talking especially with such great company. Then my mom and I went paragliding. You can ask her about that, it’s probably not the most comfortable, calm thing she has ever done, but she was a trooper. When we got to the landing spot, right by the shore, we promptly hiked back up to Lion’s Head and then hiked the mountain (again, not the most mentally calming activity, especially in the rain). By the time we descended the mountain, it was around 6, and I took my mom to Rafiki’s for some banana and avo pizza. That night, Rafe and I stayed up working on assignments that were due the next day, and I totaled around 3 hours of sleep before waking up early to turn in my paper.

Thursday, we drove part of the peninsula tour, but didn’t make it far before we wanted to walk around. We walked along the beach on Camp’s Bay and then at Clifton before heading farther down the coast. We passed through Sandy Bay and Hout Bay and drove along Chapman’s Peak Drive to Noordhoek (the “whitest beach”), where we jumped out for my “brief” nap on the beach, which turned into an hour, while my mom walked around and read. Then we went for coffee and browsing in the town. That evening Izzy and family, Sam, Mariah, Geo, Taylor, Eliza, my mom, and I went to the Eastern Food Bazaar for dinner. Note of caution: the portions=HUGE! We ate a lot. Enough said.

Friday, we woke early to hike up to Rhodes Memorial to watch the sunrise. Then we went to yoyoga. My mom ventured back to Kirstenbosch while I went running with Mariah, and we met back up again later to go to coffee at Cocoa Wah Wah with Dylan. Then, Mike and I drove Mama Kass to the airport to say goodbye for a while…I hate goodbyes. In honor of mom’s leaving Cape Town, my friend Jaryd and I made banana pizza at the Strubens Digs that evening. THANKS MOM, FOR A GREAT VISIT!

This is Home now

It’s been a while, hey? Hi all. The days are flying by, I tell you.

There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men: time. ~Napoleon I, Maxims, 1815

The past month has been a whirlwind of glamour mixed with indelicacy, topped off with a surprisingly wonderful feeling of normality. Who knew that Cape Town could not only be a place of vacation and luxury but also home? I surely did not, but it has been a welcomed truth, and, unfortunately, it means that, the more that time passes, the closer I come to leaving what is now home.

To keep from writing another novel, I will glance over my life in the past month here. Hopefully my love for this city will become apparent as you read. In 30 days I have…

Spent one hilariously random night at Clifton and Sea Point with a jolly crowd. Before we left, Jo, Simon, Matt, Rafe and I shared in some laughs at Stones, waiting for Mike to get off of work at Pancho’s. Then we all laid on the beach until the wee hours of the morning, when a local left the warmth of his bedroom to tell us how loud we were being. We left for sea-point where I learned how to properly use a see-saw. The night ended around 4 in the morning.

Travelled to Clifton to soak in the last summer days of brilliant, scalding sunshine.

Eaten my body weight of samples at Old Biscuit Mill. One wonderful morning, Sierra, Mariah, and I ran a long 9-mile run on the coast and then went to OBM for brunch. It was a sweet reminder of Sunday Brunch at Tufts.

Hiked table mountain at least once a week, often with Taylor but also with some folk who had never hiked it before. Nursery Ravine, Skeleton’s Gorge, India Venster, and Platteklip Gorge. Taylor figured out that hiking on the exposed edge means we can wave to the cable car, so we now have to allot at least 30 minutes to that activity every time we hike. Another day, Taylor and I encountered a kingdom of dossies about 20 minutes from the summit. We stopped dead in our tracks for about 15 minutes, trying to decide how to continue and contemplating turning around for fear of our lives. If you don’t know what a dossie is, don’t look it up, for our sakes. Their eyes could cut glass, I tell you. In total, I’ve probably hiked Table about 15 or so times.

Spent time with Elizabeth Schulze (Katherine Perry’s freshman and sophomore year roommate) and Northwestern friends who are here for the quarter, completing their journalism internships.

Shipped out on a sunset “booze cruise” on the waterfront to Camps Bay and back. The pilot of the ship had to remind a small group of us that the catamaran was, in fact, NOT a trampoline. He also was not pleased when a friend and I thought climbing onto the roof seemed like a grand idea. By 11 pm, I was exhausted and managed to watch about 15 minutes of Despicable Me with Mike and Rafe (who came to fetch) me, before falling asleep.

Watched the rugby finals (UCT vs TUKS), sitting above the field, feet hanging off the edge, with Mike, Rafe, Izzy, Lans, Taylor, and Eliza. The finals were away, but broadcast live on a huge screen on the field, as if we were all watching a drive-in movie. The difference is, there isn’t a cash bar at old-school drive in movies.

Spent many a night at the Strubens Rd digs, watching youtube videos about sharks with Byron, listening to music with Mike, riding towards campus early morning with Mark, doing homework with Rafe (aka half working, half goofing off), attending Dan’s homegroup, reading FMLs with Matt, laughing hysterically-about anything really- with Nandi, and watching Jenna bake marvelous sweet treats.

Cebrated: Cinco De Mayo with a Pancho’s dinner and many margaritas, Mariah’s birthday with a dinner at Café Paradiso, Brittany’s birthday with a day cruising kloof street, lunch at Rick’s, and a nap on the beach, James’ birthday with an American-themed BBQ (think jorts), Byron’s birthday with an eventful night at tin roof and then an evening of singing and dancing at Polana, a restaurant on the waterfront with live music on Fridays (this eventually led to a conga line and a huge dance circle with some 50 somethings), Lisa’s birthday with a beautiful 21^st, vintage-themed, and then late night at Rafiki’s afterwards. Twenty-first birthdays here are celebrated much differently than they are in the states. Lisa’s parents even surprised her at her party, driving to Cape Town from Jo-Burg, where Lisa is from. It was wonderful!

Made dinner (chicken wraps) and talked about life with Tom and Nandi.

Attempted to: hike Devil’s Peak without a guide (people got nervous when they started to doubt my directional skills…sounds about right), summit Lions Head twice –once Niqui, Mike, Storm, and I stopped for health reasons, and the next Eliza and I had to hike down due to poor weather—, win the program vs program soccer tournament (we were clearly the underdogs), boycott the farewell dinner (I don’t want to say farewell), become best friends with a musician in Goldfish- a band I’m obsessed with, here- when I saw him at Mercury where my friends in the band Rosemary Towns End were performing live, and beat the crowd down lion’s head when Julia, Isaac, Taylor, Scott, Ilana, James and I hiked up for sunset.

Went to a wine and cheese festival in Stellenbosch for the day. Geo, Sam, Mariah and I ate a life’s worth of cheese bits, and I particularly enjoyed the Rosè…from every possible taste venue, before meeting up with the other 9 people we had travelled with. We danced, nibbled, drank, and attempted to find the best and worst mullet at the festival. We made “friends” with locals and tried our best to seem Afrikaans instead of American “naughty girls” (a brand of wine, don’t worry).

Finally got to be on tea and coffee duty at church only to stupidly leave my phone at the top of my bag on my chair. Someone capitalized on the opportunity and snagged it, but all is not lost. I’m down a bit of mula, but I’ve got a new mobile. AND, I completed the foundations course at Church on Main!

Went to the airport with Mike to pick up Rafe after he’d been away. I’m a much bigger fan of hellos than goodbyes. It was so nice to go to the airport to greet instead of wish farewell. Of course, we spent the evening NOT doing work, eating pizza (you know better than to order jalapeno, now), and drinking tea/eating rusks with friends. I even tried to learn guitar, but stuck to familiar tunes (wink wink). Think, "We're the 3 best friends that anyone could have..."

SPENT THE WEEK WITH MAMA KASS (that I will devote it’s own entry to).

Semester Vac: Botswana, Zambia, and Zim (Second Half)

After we left the Delta, we continued traveling to Planet Boabab, a game lodge in Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana. Of course, we were forced to slow down on the way due to giraffe and elephant crossings. Hello Africa. Then, to make things even more TIA, we suddenly realized our tire was completely stripped when we lost the entire rubber cylinder on the road behind us. While we waited on the side of the road, village people appeared out of the bush asking for our shoes. It was straight out of a movie. Planet Boabab ended up having an amazing pool and, between the hours of sitting on a truck and the fact that we were finally in close proximity to proper toilets, we went mental. We had belly flopping competitions, chicken fights, and many interesting picture moments. After a shower and dinner of vegetable stew and mielie pap, a stiff corn meal mix and staple food of a South African diet, we all went to the bar and then fell deep asleep.

The next day we crossed the border into Zambia, a rather painless process that simply involved a lot of sitting in the shade talking about life. We arrived at camp with time to get lunch and take a short swim. Then we were off to a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa and at one point touches the banks of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We waved to Namibia from our Zambian bank. Our cruise was filled with sightings of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeests, exotic birds, monkeys, and impalas and plenty of good laughs from the back of the boat. The sunset itself was breathtaking.

We took a game drive in Chobe National Park at sunrise the next morning and hopped back in the truck to head to Victoria Falls, the largest falls in the world (with a width of 5,604 feet and a height of 354 feet, and considered by some to be among the seven natural wonders of the world. David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer said to be the first European to view the falls, named them after his Queen Victoria. We visited the falls from the Zambia side that first late afternoon, and, upon sighting the water itself (you can hear it from miles away) we were surrounded by an unbelievably thick mist. At first, I was determined that it had suddenly started heavily raining, until I realized that the mist would clear in certain areas of the path farther from the falls. From Zambia, one can actually see very little of the falls themselves, but the experience of being there allows you to better comprehend the mass and power of the water that is falling and subsequently rising in the depths below. It was the most naturally powerful thing I’ve ever seen.

The next day, we all split off to tackle our own agendas, and, naturally, a good group of us decided to purchase an all-day adventure package. The first activity was a 54-meter abseil down fifth gorge. The second activity is the high-wire zip line over a 100-meter gorge. The third activity is the rap jump, a face down abseil down the 54-meter rock face. The fourth event is the gorge swing (the world’s first). It can be seen in the Amazing Race. The free fall is over 50 meters before the rope swings you at 120km per hour across the gorge. Unlike a bungee jump, which, to me, feels a bit like flying, the gorge swing literally feels as though you have simply stepped off a cliff to your death far down below. Luckily the free fall is over in a matter of a few seconds. In the case of a tandem swing, you must lean off backwards to avoid being off timing with each other. With a full day package, you can do each activity as many times as you’d like, but the catch lies in the ascent to the top after the abseils and gorge swings; It is definitely a hike. Thus, the day turned into free falling and running up hiking trails and continuing until they called it quits. I managed to complete the abseil, zip line, rap jump, and 4 gorge swings which all left me with a fine adrenaline rush and an excess of endorphins for the day. We slept well.

The next day we left early to get across the border into Zimbabwe. Because we were on foot, we were unable to really explore the area, but, luckily, the view of Victoria Falls is very close to the border. From there you can actually see the falls from afar in all of their glory. The sight is truly phenomenal and very worth the trip. Plus, it was fun to say we simply strolled across the Zimbabwean border. The guard at the gate didn’t even check that we had all received passport stamps because he said, “There are too many of you. Just go.” We visited a good’s market after the falls which was eye-opening and overwhelming. The vendors gladly accepted anything American, including hair ties, soap, bobby pins, clothing (even shirts off of our backs), shoes…anything. It was a different world and I felt somewhat like Justin Bieber in a crowd of over-crazed teenage girls. We spent the rest of the scorching day by the pool, while I tried to finish my book (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- so good!), but fell prey to sleep.

At 4:15 the entirety of our truck and the second truck we had been adventuring in parallel with boarded a sunset cruise on the river. Just to give you an idea, most have coined it the “booze cruise”. It was a jol; everything laughing and recounting the incredible week, together, at sunset, on a boat, in Zambia. When the boat docked at 7 pm, we all immediately ran to the auditorium to begin a dance party with music that was all-too familiar (think YMCA on repeat). It was certainly a site to be had. Most were in bed that night around 9 pm. The next morning we woke up, packed our things, and headed home. It was then that I realized what a home Cape Town really is. The trip left us with great memories, even better photos, and a good lot of new friends who we get to share the next two months with in Cape Town. I was grateful to shower and sleep in my own bed that night.

Semester Vac: Botswana, Zambia, and Zim (First Half)

The trip began with an early flight to Joburg. Of course, I wisely decided not to sleep the night before, seeing as we were meeting at 5 am. I sat next to my now-friend Felicia on the way and promptly turned to her to say, “Hi. I’m Bryn! I’m so sorry because normally I would talk, but right now, I’m just going to fall asleep immediately.” She laughed. Then two full travel days commenced on our nomad truck, through what seemed like the middle of nowhere, into Botswana. The hours passed relatively quickly reading, chatting, and some long games of hearts. Mostly it was a great chance to get to know the 20 other people from different programs traveling with the 7 of us girls on the bus.

Every night on the trip, we got into camp in the early evening, in time to set up our tents (yes, we were actually camping) before the sun went down. Britt, Taylor, and I were tent roomies each night. We shared a long-running private joke that Brittany would find something to do every time Taylor and I started to prepare the tent. Don’t worry, Britt, you pulled through in the clutch time. Norman, our top chef, prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us every day. It was beyond delicious: chicken curry, steak, spaghetti….we ate very well. The post dinner plans every night usually included bar or bed and a very chilled evening. It was a nice balance to be camping and yet be in a place with sinks, toilets, lounges, and even pools. After a most-likely short night’s rest, we awoke every morning between 430-630 am to take down camp, eat breakfast, and carry on our way.

Then began my favorite part. We spent three amazing days in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. It is the world’s largest inland delta formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in the Kalahari Desert. The delta is home to several ethnic groups, each with its own ethnic identity and language. One such group, with a village in the Northern region of the Delta acted as our guides and new-found friends during our short visit. After a 2.5 hour truck ride through swamp land deep into the bush, these polers picked us up and took us to camp in makoros. A makoro is a type of canoe propelled through the shallow waters by standing at the back and pushing with a pole. The vessels are made out of tree trunks and are anything but luxurious. Yet, their simplicity created a sense of easiness that made everyone instinctively feel comfortable on the wild Delta.

Taylor and I were taken across the Delta by a man called Waco. In his early 30s, Waco is already head of this lot of his village as they take tourists into Okavango even though many of them are older. He speaks English very well, and you should see him dance and sing! Waco is perhaps one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. After a makoro ride up at the front of the pack, Taylor and I adamantly asked Waco to be our safari guide. So, he led us, namely Geo, Tay, Izzy, Lans, Britt, Eliza, and me, that first evening into the bush to take a safari on foot. Having tracked animals for National Geographic, Waco is no newbie. He could pick up a piece of shit (excuse my French), sniff it once or twice, take a wise look around (all while chatting happily with us, mind you), and turn abruptly and say, “There was an elephant 300 meters in that direction 3 hours ago; there are his footprints over yonder…oh but do you see that elephant in the distance?” – at which point we would squint our eyes and spend minutes trying to merely spot the marvelous animal with our only human senses. We saw elephants, giraffes, wildabeasts, zebras (pronounced “zeb-ruz” here), and many a poisonous spider. Waco was a safari god. The seven of us went on 3 seperate walks with him (anywhere from 1.5-4 hours long), and, at every occasion, we learned so much about the Delta and its many inhabitants, about Waco’s life, and about the ways in which our lives are filled with too much business and not enough appreciation.

When we weren’t on pede-safari, we were swimming or lounging as proper campers do. There was a swimming hole down the Delta a bit and several times a day we would all caravan on makoros and act silly in the water. Let me just say that mud fights and chicken fights were not uncommon. The swimming hole was very leach friendly, and it was a popular game to sneak up on each other in the mirky waters (thank you, Taylor Orr). Early on, the polers gave us the freedom of trying to teach ourselves to drive the makoros. Everyone gave up after minutes, but I was very intrigued so continued over the 2 days to try to teach myself to pole. Luckily Waco took an interest in guiding me and, with his coaching, I became half decent at it. It was so nice to be able to take it out for 20 or 30 minutes at a time and just skim down the delta. It creates a sense of peace…the epitome to me of “going with the flow”. It also acted as an escape from a busy, people-filled 10 days. Unfortunately, my new-found poler skills got me into a bit of trouble. I took my friend Julia for a long ride down the Delta on our second day, chatting the whole way. Just as we had turned around to head back to camp, I dug the pole to deep into the sand and the weight of the side of the boat suddenly broke the pole into two pieces. We just looked at each other in shock as the second half began floating away in the unknown, potentially snake/hippo-filled water. On impulse I belly-flopped into the water grabbed the floating half and clambered back into the makoro. Luckily Waco had been on his way to check on us and helped us return with a broken pole. I think I apologized to the older man who had owned the pole about 20 times before I left, making sure to compensate him generously, although he seemed very uncomfortable taking my money. I suppose, that is the best way I can think of to have spent my Pula in Botswana. It will now go to a better cause than I could have put it to myself.

On the last night of our stay in the Delta, our new friends sang and danced for us around the fire. Their songs told us a story of their village, and they were so passionate and fun-filled. Even the women on the trip who seemed so quiet became marvelous dancers and shouted in praise to their past. It was beautiful and so very natural. We, of course, wanted to reciprocate and so, naturally, I led the group in our own Delta version of the Cha Cha Slide, a song often played at homecoming dances or bar mitzvahs when you simply want everyone to do the same thing. It was hilarious, to say the least. Then all of us in camp circled around the fire in the middle of nowhere and sang songs and danced until we were sweating in the night air. It was a magical ending and created a commonality between the lot of us that no language barrier could break. In the morning, our polers carted us back to the shore to be taken back to “real life”. We sang with Waco the whole way. It was a sad moment to say goodbye, and I dare say that there were tears.