Residual Ghana, A Boatload of South Africa, and then throw in a little Mauritius too

Before I even attempt to summarize four and a half extraordinary days in South Africa and one refreshing day in Mauritius, I just want to say how extremely grateful I am for this experience. It’s really sinking in. I thought it already had but apparently not. We’re about halfway into our trip. We’ve been to six different countries, including the Bahamas and have six left to go. Those six countries have each made such an impression on me in their own unique way and I have been changed by every single moment that I was able to spend in each of them. I am growing in ways I never even knew were possible and discovering things about myself that I didn’t know existed. It’s exactly what I had hoped this experience would do to me and then some. One rather important and life-changing moment that I didn’t mention in my Ghana post was something I discovered after-the-fact, after I had been back on the ship for a few days and given a chance to process everything I had experienced. I think I mentioned how I was given several opportunities to visit schools in the small village of Senase and even step up in front of the class and teach. Well, the memories of teaching the classes really stuck with me. Images of the kids and the schools kept flashing through my mind nonstop. I’ve found the best way to sort out these experiences is by writing about them in my journal. When I started pouring out the memories on to the pages of my journal, I stumbled across a possible reason for why the images had been haunting me so often. I didn’t realize how bothered I was by the method of teaching and the classroom atmosphere. Everything was so structured and rigid. There was no room for the kids to be themselves or the teachers to be themselves. The headmaster would circle from room to room checking in. At one of the schools he even held a cain/switch for discipline. It was not the type of elementary school I grew up in. What I believe is missing is some creativity, a chance for everyone involved in the educational environment to express themselves, through art (there was none whatsoever), through different learning methods, even through an improved classroom environment. Of course, the schools in Ghana are limited financially but that does not have to prevent the kids and teachers from actually getting something long-term out of their time in school. The current method of teaching is rote memorization. That’s good but that lasts all about 10 seconds. This issue probably extends to the schools in America as well. I know I for one definitely have gotten through classes via cram sessions and pure memorization without any real understanding. So this issue is probably on a much larger scale than just Ghana. Nonetheless, it is a much simpler life in Ghana. They are not surrounded by so much excess stuff. There’s no real stimulation. I believe stimulation can enhance long-term learning. Back in the 5th grade, when I attended catholic school one of my teachers tried a new learning approach on us that involved a smorgasbord of hands-on activities. It was so far from the typical note-taking, study, test, move on approach. I can honestly say I still remember a lot of what I learned that year in her class and we’re talking 5th grade (!) here. Obviously not all of the details, but at least the main points. None of the lessons she taught required anything more than our full attention. That is why I believe taking a curriculum, no matter where you are in the world, no matter the financial situation, and getting creative with it and finding new ways to present the material that fully engage the students can go a long way. Even now as I write this, I’m thinking about how I just might contact my old 5th grade teacher to find out if she continued teaching in this way and how she thinks it worked out from her point of view. Wow, I’ve strayed from my main point. Basically, places like Ghana have opened me up to new interests and possibilities to explore within my life. I’m loving it. It’s been such an adventure already and I’m seeing how just because a port visit may be over, the repercussions of that port visit are continuously evolving and changing my life. I am now unexpectedly hooked on this area of alternative learning methodologies. It’s definitely something that I may even consider really diving into when I get off the ship and maybe even after college. I don’t know but I’m finding it’s okay to let life lead and trust that the path can and will appear for you if you’re open to it and that when you step outside of your comfort zone, that is where the discoveries and opportunities occur. So I’m not going to freak out that this is so far from the major I’m going to school for or that I have absolutely no experience in this area whatsoever. If it’s what is right for me, I’m willing to trust that the how will appear in time. Whatever’s meant to happen will.
        Now for South Africa, the 6-day trip that suddenly became 4.5 thanks to some strong wind and rough seas. That’s right. We missed the first day and half of our precious time in South Africa but I am proud to say I was able to squeeze every last thing that I wanted to do into those 4.5 days. It meant getting almost no sleep and traveling up and down and all over the Cape Peninsula but I did it; wine tour, safari, township and school visit, concert on the beach, table mountain, penguins at Boulder Beach, Robben Island, sampled the nightlife, dined in some amazing restaurants, shopped in the marketplace, and even restocked my snack supply for the ship. Looking back, I’m actually pretty impressed with myself. Cape Town is an amazing place and even the few people I met who are in the area for extended periods of time say their time’s not even enough to get everything in. Of course I need to go back some day and do it all over again but I’m satisfied with my time there. The port is absolutely gorgeous. Right away, I was struck by the clean and polished buildings and streetways, the sailboats in the harbor, the giant ferris wheel, the strip of waterfront restaurants, the seals playing in the water and finally the landmark Table Mountain, covered in it’s tablecloth made of clouds.  It was soooo different then what we had just left in Ghana. It actually felt like Disney World. I felt like I was walking through Epcot or the Magic Kingdom. There were street performers. I think I heard the entire soundtrack of The Lion King played by everything from a trumpet to a xylophone by week’s end. It was nice being able to blend into the tourist crowd for a change rather than being the main attraction. And there were people from all over the world in Cape Town. I met people from Argentina, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Germany, France, Australia, England, China… The day we arrived there was a U2 concert so many of the tourists were there for that but many others were there for study abroad or to learn English. I’m not going to go into excruciating detail about each day that I spent in Cape Town because there is just too much to talk about but I will give you some of the highlights:
•       I went on a legitimate African Safari where I saw zebra, buffalo, hippos, a lion (sort of, at least the outline of the lazy lion sleeping under a tree), cheetahs, and even had the chance to get out of our jeep and walk around with the giraffes. It was unreal and definitely a check mark on my bucket list.
•       Along the way to the safari, we took the scenic route through the mountains where a bunch of baboons chased our car, coming out of nowhere. Mommies, daddies, babies, the whole family. The drive was amazing, through the winelands and around mountains where the first step off the road would take you over a pretty decent cliff.
•       The food!!!!! So good. I ate at so many different restaurants including a world-renowned Indian restaurant, an authentic South African restaurant, a restaurant with live jazz, a Portuguese restaurant, a small café that served banana and nutella pancakes with ice cream a la mode. Let’s talk about the Indian restaurant, Jewel of India, because that was quite a meal. I had never tried Indian food before and about 10 different people had recommended this particular restaurant. And I can honestly see why. We sat on cushions around an intricately tiled coffee table like table. I have never eaten a formal meal on cushions before!  I ordered something called Chicken Kadhaii and some naan and rice to dip in the curry. I also tried a mango lassi. Mmmmm! I am officially pumped for India. I also visited an authentic South African restaurant where I tried ostrich, kudu, eland, and springbok. Ostrich was okay. The kudu, eland, and springbok…DELICIOUS!  There’s also this South African dessert called malva pudding that I ordered on two different occasions because it is just that good. I’m definitely going to try and recreate it when I’m home.
•       I went and visited Boulders Beach to see the penguins and there were plenty of them. It was amazing how unafraid they were to come up to people. They would even pose for a picture. I swear they were even smiling. However, the wind. Oh buddy. Don’t ever let anyone tell you Cape Town is not windy. It’s like a Category 5 hurricane all the time. I thought I was going to blow away. Now, my roommate and I did this trip at the end of the day and finished our penguin viewing around 7:30, having no idea about the minor detail that taxis stop running at 6 pm. This place was at least a full hour from our ship. We thought it was sort of strange that we were practically the only people around but didn’t think anything of it until we’re paying for our check at dinner and asking our waitress how we can go about getting a cab. That’s when she broke it to us that we might be stranded in Simon’s Town. Thank god she remembered that she had the cell phone of a friend of hers who drives a taxi AND who was willing to take us such a long distance after hours. The guy was a little strange. Picture a kilt-wearing, bag-pipe playing portly old man with a thick Dutch accent and you’ve got the idea. The soundtrack of the drive home was some interesting music that totally fit the guy’s physical appearance. I probably could have guessed that’s what I would be listening to before I even stepped in the car. In some strange sense, I sort of enjoyed it. I just may track down some of the music just to remember the experience. Haha.
•       I went to a concert on the beach in a really posh area of Cape Town called Clifton’s Bay. My night, scratch that, my TRIP was complete when the band played Waka Waka. We heard about the concert via a local. We just might have been the only foreigners there too. The whole atmosphere reminded me of a summer night back at home, like the fourth of July or something. Families were gathered on their beach blankets with sandwiches and drinks, listening and dancing to the music. Kids were running around with glow sticks. Comfortable is the best word I can think of to describe how I felt when I was there. I felt like I actually was at home. The only thing that woke me up to the fact that I wasn’t was the South African accents coming from everyone but us.
•       I went on a bicycle ride through a township. In case you don’t know, the townships are the areas where the blacks were moved to during apartheid. They still live there by choice, however there’s a low, middle, and upper class within the townships now that didn’t exist then. We visited an AIDS clinic and a school. At the school we were able to play soccer with some of the boys. If I could, I would go to a school and play soccer with the locals at every single port. I had the chance while in Rio and then again in South Africa. Both times have been even better than I could have expected. We also visited the computer lab where a class full of 5 and 6 year olds were learning how to use a computer. The 30 of us SAS kids split off and found a child to help. I helped two of the cutest little girls learn how to hold a computer mouse and drag shoes, socks and clothing over a teddy bear on the computer screen. Neither of them spoke English so it was a little difficult but it’s amazing how far a smile can go.

It was a sad moment when we pulled out of South Africa. I think the entire ship must have been aft to watch South Africa fade under the horizon. Someone was playing all the world cup songs and a little bit of their U2 CD from the concert. It was a truly perfect sailaway but sad nonetheless.

Fast forward four days and we’re in Mauritius. A short-lived visit, only one day. According to my oceanography professor, the island reminded him a lot of Kauai with its green mountains and coastlines. I spent the day on his FDP. It was technically a school field trip and I did actually learn a thing or two but it was mostly lying in a hammock on a private island being served unlimited juice, soda, and virgin pina coladas with a little bit of snorkeling mixed in there. It was too perfect. Now I’m back on the ship and heading to India. It’s a 6-day stretch until we get there and it will be a busy one. After India, it’s going to be rapid-fire Asian countries. We’ll only be on the ship for a maximum of two days in a row, then we hit another port for about 5 days, then 2 days on the boat and it’s another port. For an entire month, we have about 10 class days. I hope my professors don’t actually expect us to get work done!

By the way, I LOVE getting email. So don’t hesitate to send me one at aedunlap@semesteratsea.net. This is a desperate plea. Life on the ship can get pretty boring and an inbox full of emails from home will do more than just brighten my day. Thanks in advance =)

Going Going Ghana

Oh Ghana. What an experience. It all began to the beat of African drums outside my 3rd deck window. We docked in Takoradi, Ghana, a very industrial port. The walk from the ship’s gangway to the end of the pier took around twenty minutes. A peaceful and odorous (from the cocoa beans stored in the warehouses) twenty minute stroll to the entrance gates of the pier where there awaited a mob of taxi drivers and people asking for your name to embroider on a bracelet. Everyone fighting for your attention, pulling you in one direction, then the other. Draping their arms around you like you’re old friends. So chaotic, you can’t even think, can’t even locate the other members of your group. “No thank you” seemed to have no effect on these salesmen. Slowly we picked up on the method of dealing with them and eventually ended up outside the massive mob to regroup and begin the walk into town. The trick is to look them directly in the eye, say “no” with confidence and continue on your way. Indecision is deadly. They jump on that like a swarm of vultures. This was our first taste of Ghana. It didn’t quite begin on the best note. So far my impression of the Ghanaians was that of distrust. It seemed as though they were all out to take advantage of the wide-eyed, fresh-off-the-boat American.
        My impression was only reinforced when myself and three others tried to snag a taxi to the Cape Coast Slave Castle. We were told on the ship that cab fare to the castle would be around 22 cedis. As it turned out, not a single one of the 6 taxis we haggled with would drop the price below 40. They threw every excuse in the book at us for why they wouldn’t drop their price including “I’m a Christian,” “Gas is 7 cedi a gallon,” and “They wouldn’t make a profit.” Nonetheless, we finally hopped in a taxi after an hour of having the same conversation over and over again began to wear on us and grudgingly paid the 40 cedi (10 cedi per person). We ended up getting scammed again and utterly lost on the way home. When our cab driver said he knew how to get to the port in Takoradi, he actually meant he was going to make frequent stops along the way to catch up with friends who would then feed him directions until the next abrupt stop in the trip. We left the castle at 6 and got home around 8:30pm. The lesson learned was if you’re going a good distance away from port, just hire a taxi for the day. Our classmates did this and were able to go anywhere they needed to at any time throughout the day for a grand total of around 40 cedi per person. So for 30 more cedis we could have avoided this stress.
        The Cape Coast Slave Castle was amazing, all white-washed and overlooking a bustling beach front where small fishing boats were being pushed out to sea, boys were playing football and women were washing clothes. This was one of the two slave castles I visited in my time in Ghana. The other was called Elmina Slave Castle. Obama and his family actually visited the Cape Coast Castle recently to pay their respects to their African ancestors. We saw the memorial wreath they left behind in one of the dungeons. The stories the tour guide shared with us just blew my mind. Slaves were divided by gender and strength and were stored in cramped dungeons 250 at a time for up to 3 months, forced to live in their own, sweat, tears, vomit, and waste. There was one tiny hole in the ceiling for light and as a result, many went blind or died from the horrendous living conditions. Even more disturbing is the fact that in both castles a church was built directly above the male slave dungeon. So while the Europeans and Portuguese and Dutch were praising God, 250 men that they were holding captive were just beneath the brick floors drowning in their own bodily waste. We had the chance to walk through “The Door of No Return.” This was the door the slaves walked through before they were loaded onto ships and sent off to the Americas and Europe.  The level of dehumanization of the slaves is disgusting, especially in contrast to the life of the slave traffickers. They lived on the premises in enormous rooms full of natural light and beautiful ocean views.  It was quite an experience seeing first hand the actual origins of the slave trade I’ve learned so much about in history classes growing up.
        The bright side of having such a difficult first day was that things could only improve from there. And they did. Tenfold. My next three days were spent in a small village to the northwest about 7 hours called Senase. A group of Semester at Sea kids from the Fall voyage had done the same trip and highly recommended it to our voyage. Basically it was a homestay where we had the opportunity to live in a rural community and get a true look inside the life of a Ghanaian. Our tour guide Fred, grew up in Senase and began his company Can Do Land Tours only a few years ago. He is literally the most selfless and giving person I have ever met. Without a second thought he was willing to lend money and accommodate us in whatever way we needed. His only desire was for us to have a great experience living with and learning about his culture. Apparently, he makes almost no profit off of his tours. He charges just enough to cover transportation and other unavoidable fees and I believe it. We got a lot for our cedi, air-conditioned bus, slave castle tour, meals, lodging, and unforgettable memories. When he’s not giving tours, he’s volunteering at the local schools and I don’t get the sense he’s giving a lot of tours. Ghana isn’t exactly a tourist hot spot. Oh yeah and did I mention he is only 20 years old?! This guy is absolutely my newest role model, right up there with Nelson Mandela and Gabby from my trip to Haiti. The group of SAS kids from last semester were so touched by their experience in Senase that they started a non-profit to improve education in the region. It’s hard not to be touched by the people of Senase. They were all extremely welcoming and so genuine, so unlike the people I had met in urban Takoradi. I have a stack of torn sheets of paper full of various names and addresses from all of my new friends in Ghana. It was amazing how quickly they were able to accept you and then call you a friend.
        We arrived really late on the first day of our three-day tour and left mid-afternoon on our final day so the only full day we had was the second day. It was a ‘full’ day in every sense of the word. We were stuffed with delicious Ghanaian food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (porridge and bread, cassava and some vegetable and tomato sauce, beans and jollof rice, fried plantains) and even were lucky enough to sample some freshly picked bananas and papau (sp?) during our tour of Fred’s mother’s farm. We were given the chance to visit several local schools and were able to teach a class. My friend Sarah and I taught a class of 6-9 year olds math and English. It was so much fun and the kids were so well behaved. I had a chance to chat with their teacher while they were doing an assignment and learned a lot about the local education system. The public schools are a total joke and completely unreliable. The kids will show up for school everyday and the teachers may not.  As a result, most parents try their best to send their kids to private schools but sometimes the fees force their kids out of school for periods of time until they are able to pay. The teacher pointed around the room at the various empty desks. He said that there were students in those desks that morning until the headmaster came around and sent those students home for not being able to pay tuition. He said most of them will be back but it’s difficult to keep everyone on the same page when there is so much flux in attendance. This explains the reason why 6 year olds are learning the same material in the same classroom as the 9 year olds. It is such a different life in Ghana. After the kids were released from school for the day, many of them followed us home to watch our drumming and dance rehearsal. The next morning we would be performing in front of the entire village. The only problem, we soon found out, is that we had no rhythm whatsoever. Our 6 drummers were really good but our dancers were a mess. All of us were on different feet, missing the change of the drum beats that signaled we were supposed to go from the bend and shuffle move to the spirit fingers side to side move. It was hilarious. At least to us it was. Our director was not happy. He was taking this very seriously. He wouldn’t even let us take water breaks. After two hours of practicing, we got it to a semi-presentable level and called it quits for dinner. Dinner was followed with a night at the club where we danced to hiplife, the Ghanaian music genre that I am absolutely hooked on at the moment. Fred burned us all CD’s of his favorites. Look it up if you get the chance (especially Make it Clap by Westlife). This club had one bathroom and it was built for men only so my friend Gabby and I asked Fred’s friend Jo Kevin if he knew of another bathroom somewhere. 30 minutes later (!!!) we arrived at a public toilet. Apparently, this was the closest toilet with stalls. We still had to squat and go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground flanked by two wooden boards. Though by this point in the trip we were experts at this method. On the way out, a woman cleaning up her little shop introduced herself to Gabby and I and within 2 seconds she had named me her friend and given me a sheet of paper with all of her information on it.
        The next morning we were surprised with another opportunity to visit a school. And then further surprised to find out that we would each be placed in a classroom by ourselves and expected to teach for a half an hour. I was terrified. We all were. What were we supposed to teach for 30 whole minutes? I woke up mentally preparing for our African dance, not a lesson plan. I was put in the Level 3 class full of 13-15 year olds. The moment I entered the classroom, I saw 20 sets of eyes all staring at me waiting for me to do something. I went up to the teacher and asked if she had anything in particular that she wanted me to teach them. She just looked at me like she didn’t understand English. So I clarified. Do you want me to teach math--- Before I could finish, she  abruptly turned to a cupboard nearby and pulled out a math textbook, handed it to me along with a piece of chalk and then settled into the back of the classroom. I scrambled through the pages trying to find an exercise while the class sat in silence staring at me, waiting. I went for something easy, addition and subtraction. As I grew more comfortable and the kids started raising their hands to answer questions and come to the board to solve problems, I kicked it up a notch and taught them how to simplify fractions. My lesson was a little all over the place but I was just glad I was up there making an attempt. I could have just completely froze and neither them nor I would have gotten anything out of that 30 minutes. After talking with my other friends, their teachers were a bit more helpful, providing at least a little bit of guidance as to what to teach. Never would I have imagined I would be teaching in a classroom in Ghana. Twice.
        Never would I have imagined I would be dressed in indigenous African garb, dancing to the beat of drums, in front of 400 villagers. With no chance to refresh our memories on the routine we had practiced the night before, we were thrust into the hot African sun in the middle of the dusty courtyard, our stage. We made it through the first few moves fine. Then the second cycle of moves arrived and everything crumbled. No one was sure what they were doing so they looked to someone else who had no idea what they were doing. The villagers made serious attempts to contain their laughter but it was impossible. I was dying of laughter just performing it. I can’t even imagine how funny it was from the spectator’s view. Our director threw in a few local school girls to try and resurrect the dance and it helped a little bit but we were pretty much a lost cause. We all just started having fun with it. The villagers would clap and cheer when any one of us would finally start getting the move right. We captured this debacle on film and I promise I will post it on facebook when I get a chance. What made this even funnier was our outfits. The boys wore  only shorts, in crazy, bright African patterns. The girls wore knee-length skirts and very revealing bandeau tops. We looked ridiculous especially since some people didn’t remove their t-shirts and instead just tied the bandeau over their shirt. Others kept their sports bras on because the fabric was see-through. Some even wore pants under the skirt. We were the local comedy act for a good 20 minutes. I’m just glad the villagers and elders found it as funny as we did and at least seemed to appreciate the fact that we had tried.
        After the dance, we said our goodbyes and then paid a visit to Fred’s 110-year old grandmother still going strong while our bus was being repaired for our long 7-hour trip back to port. On the way out of Fred’s grandmother’s house, there was a parked car with a Penn State bumper sticker on it. Of all the places I would be visiting, Ghana was the last place I would have imagined to find a Penn State anything. But there it was, back windshield. I got a few shots with it. I happened to be wearing a Penn State T-shirt at the time. It was picture perfect.
        Fast forward through a sleepy ride back to Takoradi with a little Disney karaoke and some successful souvenir shopping mixed in there and we were back at the ship. Home sweet home. Place of toilets that flush, nice warm showers, and plenty of fresh, clean drinking water………….. Or so we thought and dreamed about all 7 hours of our trip only to find out that after THREE days of not washing and tramping through dust and farmland in the sweat-inducing hot African sun, we would have to wait another 8 hours until we would be able to flush a toilet, take a shower, and drink fresh water. It was like one of those cruel jokes except the “just kidding” never came. I slept in my filth for one more night and awoke early the next morning for the best shower of my life.
        The final day was spent at an FDP (Faculty-Directed Practica) on fishing and agriculture in Ghana. FDP’s are required for each of my classes. They are basically field trips while in port led by our professors and a few expert locals. We have to write papers and do presentations on what we’ve learned when we’re back out to sea. For this FDP, we traveled up to Cape Coast and watched fishermen go about their daily business taking a small canoe out to sea, dropping some net, and returning two hours later with some fish. We saw the catch and mixed in among the fish and crabs and sea snake was a lot of trash. Around Ghana, there are no trashcans so people just throw their trash anywhere they please. The beach was covered in it and the ocean is filled with it. We also saw the gender divide. The men take care of the fishing and farming while the women stay at home and process what the men bring back. We witnessed women grinding cassava into powder or something called Garry (Sp?) and frying fish on a huge grill. Most of the villages in Ghana are self-sustaining. They hardly ever make a profit but they almost always break even. Once again, I was reminded of how unnecessary a lot of things in my life are. These Ghanaians possess only what they absolutely need, nothing more, nothing less. Many don’t go hungry and are able to grow or collect most of their food supplies by themselves without spending a single cedi. They lead a very self-sustainable lifestyle. It was a very informative field trip but I was anxious to head back to the city and spend my final hours wandering the market place once more before we pulled out.
As my roommate and I were about 5 minutes into the 20-minute stroll down the pier, two men who worked at the pier offered to drive us to the gates. We hopped in their truck and they ended up taking us to our intended location, the market, free of charge and bypassing the mob of taxi drivers and bracelet sellers. So relieved! And of course we each acquired two new friends and sheets of paper with contact information. The marketplace brought yet another hysterical and memorable moment. I was on a mission to purchase a banana. I had tried one at Fred’s farm and because it was so good, I wanted one more before I left Ghana. Down a really narrow and busy street, a young girl passed by with a tray of yellow bananas balanced on her head. I stopped her and asked how much for one. She said 50 cents. I gave her 50 and she placed one in the bag and then two and then three and then four… until I had about 8 bananas. I was confused but I took the bag anyway and continued through the marketplace. As we were exiting the narrow street, a women pulled me aside, started speaking in Twi, and making peeling motions as if she were peeling a banana. Of course she was referring to my purchase. I told her that I only speak English and she quickly picked up what she was saying in English and asked me what I was going to do with my bananas. Once again, I was confused and I said, now unsure, “I’m going to eat them?” She looked at me, laughed and walked away. How strange. As I continued walking down the street, people kept looking in my bag and making weird faces. Taking a closer look at the bananas I had just bought, they really didn’t look too edible. I decided I wasn’t going to eat them and began the search again for some healthier looking bananas. That must be why everyone’s staring at my bag. They realize I bought rotten bananas. I found some better looking ones on the main street and once again asked how much, making it clear that I only wanted one and that I only had 25 cents to spend. They gave me one but for some reason the woman seemed resistant to do so. I started walking away and began peeling my banana. The outside of the banana looked great. The inside had an orange tinge and when I went to break off a piece to share with my roommate, it was almost too stiff to even break off. Immediately, four different women came at me from all angles, all speaking at once in a mix of English and Twi. A girl suddenly approached with a tray of green, unripened bananas balanced on her head. Then finally someone explained to me that I had purchased plantain and that the green unripened bananas were what I was seeking. Someone snatched the plantain out of my hand, concluding that I obviously wasn’t going to be eating it and I yet again purchased a banana, but this time it was the real thing and exactly what I had been craving, just as sweet and delicious as the one on the farm. How amazingly embarrassing yet extremely hilarious the whole ordeal was, but something I will never forget. Never will I mix up a banana with a plantain ever again. Rookie mistake. Next stop South Africa.

9 hours of sleep in 3 days

I am EXHAUSTED. I just spent three very jam-packed days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The trip began at 9pm Sunday night. We had an overnight flight from Manuas to Rio that was scheduled to leave at 11:30 but due to multiple delays, we didn't leave until around 1am. Tack on the two hours that we lost due to switching time zones, we arrived in Rio on maybe 1 hour of uninterrupted sleep. When we flew over Rio, it didn't even matter how much sleep I had or hadn't gotten. The excitement of a new city to explore was enough to restore my energy. The place was carpeted in green and its mountains crested in very unique hunch backs. The flyover gave us an interesting perspective. We could see the favellas climbing up the mountain sides, the very urbanized coastline full of high rises, the 'Big Jesus' statue, Sugarloaf.

The moment we hit solid ground, it was off and running on our first day in Rio. What a whirlwind. We were picked up at the airport by our guide, Riccardo,  who accompanied us throughout our stay. A native Rio de Janeir'an with excellent english, Riccardofilled us in on the history and landmarks of Rio as we traveled past favellas, through the suburbs, through downtown Rio, and finally dumping us on the beach at a quiosque for breakfast. A quiosque is basically a little stand that serves drinks and light fare. The beaches of Rio are covered in them and our breakfast was delicious. An assortment of breads, jam, cheese, and meat. Little cinnamon rolls. Fresh papaya and cantelope. Moccacinos and freshly squeezed orange juice. The food just kept coming. Sooo good! Right after breakfast, we hopped on some bikes and spent the next 3 hours biking the endless paths through Rio, occassionally stopping for pictures. One of the greatest things about RIo is how active its residents are and how easy it is to be active in Rio. They have bike paths lining the beaches and through the city that are constantly filled with people all hours of the day. There are countless beach volleyball courts and beach soccer fields along most of the stretch of the beaches and they are always occuppied by some pretty amazing athletes. I swear no one is bad at soccer in Rio. If you could see these average citizens out on the sand playing foot volley (a cross between soccer and volleyball), you would be amazed. It's so effortless and I can see why. Kids as young as 4 years old are out on the sand playing soccer. It's ingrained in their upbringing.

The bike ride took us through the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema and on to the perimeter of Guanabara Bay. We stopped at a drink vendor to rehydrate. It was HOT. 35 degrees C and climbing! That's over 100 degrees F. I bought a coco water. They saw off the top of a cocunut, hand you a straw and you suck up the sweet cocunut juice. So refreshing! Next stop was the Flamengo sports club where we got a tour of the facilities. The Flamengo futebol team recently signed Ronaldhino so there were huge murals of him all over the walls. I never realized how futebol clubs worked until this tour. Basically a 'club' is like a gym, complete with outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, training fields, etc. The club has teams for every sport and local residents can join the club to use its facilities. What a great way to gather support for the teams of the club. I wish they would start something like this in the states. This could be the key to building soccer's popularity in the US. We saw a group of little boys playing soccer in the indoor soccer field, watched a few world class gymnasts train on the parralel bars, and saw the synchronized swimming team in one of the outdoor pools.

When I say this day was nonstop, I mean it. From Flamengo, we went to a jungle oasis in the middle of the city for a canopy tour, complete with zip line to the finish and a well-deserved lunch. We were strapped into ropes and a caribiner to complete an obstacle course through the canopies of the trees. I wasn't expecting the amount of concentration required to walk across hanging logs and rope bridges and tight ropes. After lunch we were finally taken to our hotel, the South American Copacabana Hotel, just a few blocks fromt the beach where I think every last one of us crashed the moment we found our beds. This was the first chance we had to rest since we were first pulling into Manaus, over 24 hours prior. We had about 3 hours to reenergize before our beach soccer match later that evening.

Beach soccer is a popular pasttime in Rio and I soon found out why. Our soccer game was probably the highlight of my trip to Rio. We were supposed to verse a group of kids from a local NGO but for some reason that fell through so we versed each other instead. The man organizing the game was a local soccer coach who has won a few national titles with his club team. Our perception of this just being a friendly soccer game was quickly wiped away when he began giving us red and white uniforms, both a jersey and shorts. He quickly divided us into teams, blew the whistle and play began. Soccer in the sand is SUCH a work out. After working out all day on very little sleep, we were all dragging but as the game progressed, some locals started gathering around our little field to watch us attempt to play the sport they have pretty much mastered. Eventually, about four or five of them jumped into the game. They were amazing! At one point, two of them juggled the ball up the field, around our defense, and scored a goal. It was pure magic to watch and slightly embarrasing how easy it was for them to walk all over us. During the half (yes this was a full-fledged game, our 'coach' wouldn't let us even get a sip of water until the first 15-minute half was up), I checked off an item on my bucket list: juggle with a Brazilian. Our goalie, Henrique, and I juggled for the duration of the half until finally it was time for half number 2. It was so amazing. At the end of the game we all jumped into the ocean, cooling off from our unexpectedly intense match.

For dinner, we visited a restaurant that was reccomended by our tour guide called Terraforte. It was a traditional brazilian meal where you eat by the quilo, visiting the buffet, filling up your plate, then weighing it and paying the price. Food in Brazil can be very expensive. I'm talking about 35 Reais on average for a good hearty meal. But the food is absolutely delicious and I am hooked on the local soda called Guarana. I'm hoping I can find it in the states somewhere when I'm home.

Day 2 began with kayaking and a hike up Sugarloaf mountain for an amazing view of Rio. The hike was only about 30 minutes but it was STEEP. I didn't realize the Rio Through Sports Tour actually meant bootcamp. My body had more of a work out in these three days than it has had in a while. The final stretch to the top was via cable car. We ended the day at the open air markets along the beach where I bought a sarong, a signature fashion in Brazil and some havaina flip flops. Had to buy the Brazilian flip flops in Brazil, of course.

Day 3 was the day we had all been waiting for. We saw the world-famous Maracana stadium. It was under renovation for the 2014 world cup but still amazing to see. On the way into the stadium, there are footprints/handprints of the best Brazilian soccer stars like Pele and Kaka, kind of like getting a star in hollywood. Then we were taken to a Brazilian Steakhouse where I was adventurous and tried a chicken heart. Never again. It wasn't that it tasted bad. It was just knowing that I was chewing on a heart that made it extremely difficult to get down. Lunch was followed by an open air jeep ride up to Corcovado to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue. It was unreal. I've seen pictures of it and there I was standing right beneath it and overlooking one of the best views of Rio I had seen yet. It was such a great way to end the trip, the capstone moment.

Now I'm back on the ship, ready to catch up on sleep and brace myself for 9 days at sea across the rough seas of the Atlantic. Next stop: Ghana.

A Day in Manaus

Hot. Sticky. Smelly. Disheveled.  That about sums up what I feel like right now after a full day in the Amazonian city of Manaus.  Sitting right on the equator, the sun just beats down on you. Might I also add that I feel energized, excited, adventurous, and changed after my 8-hour excursion through the markets, cathedrals, opera houses, and churrascurias of Manaus. That is one common theme I am picking up on after now having stopped in two ports. Every step into a new country is leaving me full of life and energy. I just want to go, go, go. I don’t think 10 cups of coffee would even match up to the liveliness coursing through my veins right now. My first introduction into Brazil was definitely an adventure. I left the ship around 9am with no plan, just willing the day to unfold naturally. Accompanied by two of my roommates, a few others and one very bare map, we attempted to wing it in through a bustling jungle city. Right off the ramp, cars whizzed by, one man was praising god for bringing such “beautiful ladies” to Manaus, the smell of trash filled the air, and street vendors covered every sidewalk selling exotic fruit, cell phones, and delicious-looking fried goods. We chose a direction and began walking until we realized this town plopped in the middle of the Amazon is actually pretty big and we have no idea where to go, what to see, what to do. We resorted to our map to try and pick a numbered location from a list of destinations all in Portuguese. Settling on the Teatra Amazonas, we headed that direction. Along the way we came across a gorgeous cathedral with a huge mosaic dome. As we walked by, we could hear the church hymns from a mass in progress. Beyond the church, was a long street bustling with vendors farther than the eye could see. There was jewelry and crafts and baskets and finally the one thing that I have no problem spending money on, authentic Brazilian food. I bought a coconut pastry and one little taste of white chocolate with raisins and apricot(?) inside it. Weird combo, but very good. My roommate bought some creamy egg pastry, an acai shake, AND coconut water straight out of the coconut. We each tasted each other’s goods. The acai shake was gross but the coconut water surprisingly good. Finally we reached the opera, another gorgeous piece of architecture. The interior was very ornate and the ceilings were covered in murals. We had arrived just in time for a free performance by the local orchestra. We had seats about two stories up, built into the wall, like individual box seats. What a great view of the surroundings! The performance was just what the doctor ordered. The heat and the sun were really starting to get to me. It was nice to relax in a velvet cushioned chair and sync into the classical sounds of violins, flutes, oboes, violas… So peaceful. After the opera, our group sort of split up due to different intentions for the day. My roommate, Alyssa, and I wandered the streets on our own. We stumbled into some back areas that left us a little uneasy but the citizens of Manaus are some of the friendliest people I have come across. People were greeting us left and right with smiles and “Bom dias.” We made our way into one of the only open shops, a convenience store, where we each bought a refreshing ice cream. We also stopped into a local grocery store (Carrefour) full of interesting food. This was a godsend because the food on the ship can get pretty old. Snacks are a MUST. I bought mango juiceboxes and banana doughnut cookies. I was going for something new. I have no idea how those are going to taste. Ok here comes the good part and the highlight of my day. We were both ready for a real meal so we consulted our trusty map and discovered a recommended restaurant called Churrascaria Bufalo. I thought I had remembered the interport student from Manaus recommending it as well. We attempted to map out the best way to get there and began on our way. Apparently neither of us are any good at reading maps because after about 45 minutes of weaving and backtracking down abandoned streets, passing homeless men sleeping curbside, ignoring whistles from passing vehicles, and battling the heat and dehydration that was starting to set in, we arrived at the restaurant. Looking back, it was probably not the smartest idea, being two lone females wandering such abandoned streets but we made it and laughed about it all the way through an absolutely amazing meal. After we were seated, we each ordered a local soda called Gaurana. Then sat. and sat. and sat. Until finally we struggled to ask a passing waiter why we hadn’t received a menu yet. He pointed to a previously unseen buffet. I guess the restaurant was buffet style. I headed up to fill my plate. There was spaghetti and fish and fries and salad and corn and beans. I was a little let down by the selection but willing to embrace it. When I got back to my table, the waiter came up to me, pointed at my plate and starting saying something to me in Portuguese. I had no idea what he was saying so I just nodded my head and smiled. That obviously wasn’t sufficient because he kept throwing Portuguese at me and began frantically pointing at my plate and then the buffet. Eventually he gave up and walked away. Five minutes later, he comes back to my table and says “Meat, meat!” My plate was full of the side dishes. The real food was at the barbecue, just behind the side dish bar. Somehow I had totally overlooked that too. I wasted no time and soon enough I was standing face to face with some pretty delectable meat all on these huge skewers. I tried a little bit of everything; bacon-wrapped chicken, roasted chicken, beef, mozzarella cheese, garlic bread. It was sooooo good!  The same guy who enlightened me to the wonders of this great restaurant visited our table for the remainder of the meal. We actually made some progress with a broken conversation in English. I got across that I was on a ship and here for 5 days. I also told him again and again how great the food was. I learned his name was Lucas and we got a picture together. He was so nice. Actually the whole staff at the restaurant was great. If I was in Manaus longer I would definitely go back. It was such a great experience and full of hilarious moments that I will never forget. I’m back on the ship now and will be leaving at 9pm tonight for Rio. It’s a 7 hour flight but I am so excited to see what adventures unfold there!

Floating down the Amazon

Right now I am floating down the Amazon River in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. To say this cool, is an understatement. We still have another two days until we reach our port of Manaus. It's so wierd seeing insects again. I didn't realize they had dissappeared until they were back (and bigger than ever). The water is a murky brown due to the sediment that gets washed down the Andes 3000 miles to our west. The coastline is far enough away that all I can make out are a few scattered houses, no life. I really want to see a pink dolphin. Apparently, they inhabit the Amazon River. I won't be spending much time in the Amazon, so I'm really enjoying this stretch on the river. As soon as we dock, I'll be flying out to Rio for the remainder of our stay in Brazil.

Dominica

        If you’re reading this and you are not in a location that you could randomly start talking to your computer, promise me you will do this later. I want you to just simply say the name of the most amazing island in the Carribbean out loud. Dominica. Dom- in- NEE- ca. Not Duh- min- Ih- ca as I have been calling it since I first looked at the itinerary for this voyage. The sound of the name itself is just a taste of the beauty that Dominica possesses. It is such a beautiful name for such a beautiful place. In just two days, I have already formed attachments. I have never gotten such an energy from a place. Every glance off the deck at the mountains or trek into the little village of Roseau resulted in this sort of charge that coursed through every fiber of my being. It sounds dorky but it is so completely true. I am dreading the moment Dominica slowly fades under the horizon as we hit the open ocean. Seriously. I have never felt this way about any other location. It is just breathtaking. The mountains are covered base-to-peak in the most lush, green vegetation, their summits shrouded in wispy clouds. There are tiny villages built into the greenery, peeking through the palms and jungle. Both days we have been here have begun with a light shower giving way to double rainbows that start in the mountains and end in the ocean. Yesterday, the morning showers were all the precipitation we saw until later that evening. Today was another story but rain or no rain it’s hard to put a damper on any time spent in Dominica. 
        Day  1 involved some stressful searching for my already misplaced camera (which happened to be tucked in a pocket of my backpack that I didn’t even know existed), canyoning (repelling down waterfalls and cliff-jumping) through the jungle, wandering the streets of Dominica, and sampling the nightlife that opened just for us (due to it being Sunday and no places usually being open).
        Canyoning was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Apparently canyoning in Dominica is on National Geographic’s top 20 things to do in the world and I totally see why. We did it through this company called Extreme Dominica (definitely recommend them if my entry is enough to convince you to book a trip to Dominica). The tour begins at their headquarters that sit up some winding roads with spectacular views, at this treehouse-type dwelling called Cocoa Cottage. It’s called ‘cocoa’ for a reason. They make their own chocolate. I spent $10 for a small bag of chocolate with coconut shavings on top but it was worth every dollar. It literally was the richest, creamiest, most flavorful chocolate I have ever tasted. I wish I could have brought some back to the ship with me but it melted in the carribbean sun almost instantly.
        The cottage was storybook. It was built into the mountain. The entire back wall of the house just didn’t exist, completely open to nature. There was a little walkway just outside the open side of the house and beyond was a pretty good sized drop to the next landing in the mountain. I’d like to thing the dense jungle would ease the fall a little bit.
        Our training session for a bunch of first-time canyoners consisted of repelling down this 8-foot ledge next to the cottage. Hardly a taste of what was to come. When we were all deemed ‘trained,’ we loaded ourselves back into the vans that took us 2000 meters above sea level to begin the repel. The first repel was a good 30 feet tall, complete with gushing waterfall. It was amazing being completely surrounded by moss-covered canyon walls and the sky peeking through the trees way up above us.  The key to canyoning is trusting the ropes and the guys at both ends of the ropes. You literally approach the cliff backward, grip the rope and throw all your weight into the little diaper-like thing that holds the caribiner (sp?) attached to the rope as you descend, like you’re sitting in a chair whose legs are attached to the wall. One minute your standing vertical, the next your staring at the sky as water rushes down on all sides. We were able to repel at 6 different sites until we finally descended the entire stretch of canyons. Then, to all of our surprise (it shouldn’t have been but it was) we had to hike back up the mountain. What a workout!  Along the way we snagged a grapefruit off of a tree and passed it along, each of us taking a wedge. We also tasted these coffee berries. They sort of look like cherries but inside there are two coffee beans that you’re supposed to suck the sweet covering off of. Dominica is known for its coffee. I bought a café mocha at one of the downtown cafes. Delicious!
Back at cocoa cottage, there were hummus and cucumber sandwiches and fresh papaya juice waiting for us. I’m not really a fan of hummus but the ingredients were so fresh that I actually enjoyed it. What a change from the processed junk they serve on the ship. We also were able to taste a cocoa bean. It pretty much tasted like the darkest chocolate you can imagine.
        This all happened on Sunday. So when we were dropped back off at sea level, the town was dead. Channel the movie 2012 now. No one was out. The only sign of life all day was the sound of the church choir as we waited for the vans to cocoa cottage. Nonetheless, one of the guides from our tour had a brother who owned one of the local bars. We let him know there were about 600 college kids in town looking for something to do that night, he made a call, and our plans were made. We even started a chain reaction. A few other bars opened up shop as well. The most memorable moment of the night was dancing at one of the bars, named RJ’s, and looking up to find no ceiling. Just stars and the moon until suddenly those skies clouded up and let loose a downpour. I was completely soaked.
        Day 2 began with a snorkeling trip to Champagne Reef and Souffriere Preserve. I’ve only been snorkeling a few times and haven’t been a huge fan of it but now I get it. I get why snorkeling has such a following. The number of different fish and coral that I saw was innumerable. My favorite was the spotlight parrot fish. Look it up. It literally glowed an omniscient blue in the water. The crazy thing was, this snorkeling trip was a field trip for one of my classes. At one point, as I was slipping on my flipper, I had to stop and ask the girl next to me, “Am I really at school right now?”  That is one question that has already been asked many, many times in the five days we’ve been out to sea and in port. It’s just so entirely unbelievable. Thank god out of all of the many activities I could have signed up for on this day, I was snorkeling, an activity that worked rain or shine. This day brought rain, waves of intense downpours that at one point made me question whether rain or sleet was falling on me. We would see the next band of rain off in the distance as the once-clearly visible mountains became hazy and then 5 minutes later we would be drenched. The first snorkeling site was called Champagne because little pockets of hot water flowed out of the ocean floor and bubbled to the surface. It looked like I was swimming in a glass of champagne. The second site, Souffriere was even better. The diversity of the fish and the coral was better and we were right near the location where the Pirates of the Caribbean films were shot. If it hadn’t of rained, we would have missed out on the multiple double rainbows that kept popping up all day long. I have about 50 pictures of rainbows beginning in the misty mountains and ending in the open ocean. It never got old.
        I could write a book on my two days in Dominica. I can’t even imagine how I am going to capture the week-long port stays in one entry. Moral of the story: Go canyoning, have a city open up their closed shops just for you, taste a freshly picked grapefruit, snorkel through a coral reef that bubbles like a glass of champagne, wander through the streets of the friendliest town on earth, and experience multiple double rainbows in one day. A.K.A. Go to Dominica. Or if money’s an issue just wait until I move here someday and crash in my tree house. And I will move here one day. I’ve fallen in love with this place. 

Onboard and Underway

So a LOT has happened since the four-hour layover in Orlando. I landed in the Bahamas, paid an outrageous cab fare to a hostel in the heart of downtown Nassau called The Towne Hotel, and met a ton of amazing people who would be traveling with me on Semester at Sea. I am not exaggerating when I say, Semester at Sea not only took over The Town Hotel, but we took over the island. I think we brought down the median age by a few years with the number of college students roaming the streets.
        The hotel was sufficient. It had a bed, bathroom, tv…but two nights was a long enough stay. The water in our bathroom tended to stop running, refuse to warm and/or spit out brown water. Apparently from other people’s reviews, I lucked out with one of the nicest rooms in the place. I’m shocked. It might have something to do with the fact that I had stopped by the hotel with my family four days earlier while in nassau on a cruise port of call. I had met the owner and received a tour. They hooked me up.
        After meeting a ton of people in the lobby, we all made plans that evening to head over to Senor Frogs, which was about a five minute walk from our hotel. It was so strange how dead the streets were at like 8:30 at night. No one was out. All of the businesses shut down at 6pm sharp everyday. Senor Frogs was the place to be. Once again, Semester at Sea took over.
        The next day was spent at the beach with my two roommates from the Towne. Gorgeous beach. Water was freezing though. I tried and failed to catch up on sleep due to a Bahamian trying desperately to sell his coconut rum drinks by shouting, “No sleeping, no reading, only drinking!” over and over… and over again. Later that evening, the entire semester at sea population of the Bahamas made their way over for another eventful night at Senor Frogs, our last night in the Bahamas before boarding the MV Explorer the next morning.
        In the morning, I made a quick Dunkin Donuts run and helped stuff a taxi full of people and bags. Before I knew it, I was on board the ship. It was surreal. I felt so lost, just following the directions of the work-study students strategically standing at every turn and staircase. I made my way to my cabin, 3161. Deck 3 outside! Not bad for a girl who signed up for economy. When I got to my door, I saw four names on the door. Four roommates??? In a tiny cabin???? Uh oh. As soon as I entered, my fears faded away. The set up of the room is perfect. We actually have one the biggest rooms on the ship that’s divided into two and connected by a door, sort of like a suite. No bunking. No sharing a single closet. My roommates are awesome too and very diverse. One is from Singapore. One is from Minnesota but originally from Ethiopia and another is from Ohio. This feels like freshman year all over again, not knowing anyone, being completely lost on campus, so having three roommates instead of one is definitely a blessing.
        I have to tell you, the food on board is not something to brag about. It’s pretty much different forms of pasta dishes, salad, some type of fish or meat and fruit that probably should have been thrown out yesterday. It hasn’t mattered much for me though because the seasickness has completely wiped away my appetite. I didn’t really think I would be affected by the motion of the boat but this boat rocks. Realllly bad. I literally have to grip a railing everywhere I go otherwise, I stagger around the halls and stairs bumping into people. Just waiting for my sea legs to kick in. Any day now.
        I’ve already had two full days of classes. I’m not going to lie, it’spretty amazing looking out the window in class and seeing the open ocean. I’m taking Global Ecology, Physical Oceanography, Philosophy of Nonviolence and Global Studies. All of which are amazing.
        Tomorrow is our first port: Roseau, Dominica. I am soooo excited. We had a pre-port meeting that explained the culture, sights, and taught us a few common phrases to get around although most Dominicans speak English. I have a canyoning tour set up for tomorrow that involves repelling off waterfalls and cliff jumping. Should be a good time. Next update after Dominica.