Ghana

When we arrived in Ghana, Jason and I hired a taxi who took us around to different landmarks in Accra. At one of our first stops I met the nicest woman ever. We talked for a while about her life in Ghana, her children, and her job. She offered to host Jason and I later that week for a barbecue, but unfortunately we were leaving too soon.



Jason bballed it up with some local kids


Village in Accra:


President's house


We had arrived on a Sunday, so many of the popular places in Accra were closed. Long story short, we eventually found a casino and spent the rest of the day there...

The next day we had a SAS trip to Kakum National Park and to Elmina Castle. They were some great landmarks, but out of the twelve hours we were on the trip, eight were on a small, tiny bus. This took away a little bit.

This a is a forest canopy bridge. Kakum has one of the four canopy walkways in the entire world. This one consisted of seven bridges, over 40 meters above the ground. I thought it was so much fun, Jason on the other hand embarrassingly yelled "Mommy!" more than once.







After we left Kakum National Park, we went to see Elmina Castle. Elmina Castle is one of the oldest slave forts in the world. It was built by the dutch and between 2000-3000 slaves would be imprisoned here before loading on ships. It was a very somber and depressing visit.


This church, on the inside of the fort, was built directly on top of all the dungeons.



For the next two days in Ghana, I spent walking around Accra. I did some fun shopping and met some interesting people. However, the lack of a lot of pictures is because I just didn't really get to see that much. Ghana is still in infant stages of development and has minimal infrastructure making it very difficult to get around. Additionally, the landmarks are very far apart, some more than 8 hours by bus. Only having four days there made it impossible to see a lot. I would not recommend Ghana for independent travelers, as it is just not prepared for tourists. I am glad I went though to get a glimpse of "proper" Africa. The poverty is astounding. It is arguably the worst we have seen on the voyage.

One of the highlights though, was the coolest bar I have ever been to. It was very out of place, right in the middle of an impoverished neighborhood. It was six floors of cool dance floors, lounges, and bars. Quite a fun last night.



Sorry for the short post! I'm in Brazil now though, next stop: AMAZON!

You do what?!

The next morning we woke up early to make the long trek back to Cape Town. Before we left, our guide showed us his collection of poisonous snakes, located in his garage next to our lodges. He had over one hundred snakes held in cages or tupperware containers lining the floor and walls of the building. He also had thrown in there, giant scorpions, tarantulas, and other creepy insects. At one point, after showing us a scorpion, he dropped it and it got loose in the garage. After that, I decided it was a good time to leave. We spent the rest of the day hopping from buses to airplanes, to more buses. I got back to the ship later that evening, and I went out to dinner and then bar hopped with other semester at sea students. Rugby and soccer played on tv’s in each corner of the bars, getting everyone riled up for the 2010 World Cup being held in South Africa in June.

This is the mascot for the World Cup.


The next day we had planned to go great white shark diving, but due to rough seas our trip got canceled. At 4:45am I got a call from Jason asking if I still wanted to go because his roommate had two open spots on his trip. I magically got ready in five minutes and was out the door, ecstatic that I would still get my chance to shark dive. My enthusiasm was soon ripped out beneath me when we got to the bus and two other people had somehow gotten there before us to fill the open seats (I was in a minor state of depression for the rest of the day, until I heard that after driving two hours to the shark diving location and getting suited up, their trip ended up getting canceled too). Wide awake at 5:00am, Jason and I walked the deserted harbor for an hour until we finally realized nothing was open and our searching for something to do was pointless. After sleeping for a couple hours, we set out again and decided to get a cab to take us to the Cape of Good Hope. We took the most beautiful drive that winds along mountains overlooking the coast of Cape Town. We made a quick stop at an ostrich farm before finally arriving at Table Mountain National Park. It is commonly thought that the Cape of Good Hope is the most southern tip of Africa, but this is a misconception. The most southern tip is about 90 miles away, but that fact doesn’t take away from the impressiveness of the sight. As usual with anything this amazing, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.



Chapman's Peak, a scenic stop along the route to Cape of Good Hope




Cape of Good Hope:




I'm approximately 12000km from home!


After we left the Cape, we ventured a few miles away to see the famous wild African penguins that reside on the beaches of South Africa. They were absolutely ADORABLE. They also were pretty domesticated, letting us get close enough to pet them, as you can see by the picture below.







I trudged back on the boat downhearted to leave such an amazing place. I urge everyone reading this to plan his/her next trip to South Africa. I know it is the first place I want to go back to out of all the countries I have been to so far.

Annecdote
4/5/2010: After our couple hours of sleep, Jason and I got off the boat and searched for a taxi driver. In our state of delirium from lack of sleep, we went with the first guy we saw holding up a looseleaf sheet of paper with Cape of Good Hope tours scribbled on it in pen. This should have been our first sign. Our second sign should have been when we walked to his “taxi” and got in a 1980 dented up kia with no door handle and missing seat belts. I was a little disconcerted at this point, but decided to disregard it, as Jason was happily talking up a storm in the front seat with the driver. As we made our way to the Cape of Good Hope, our driver started talking about the really rich houses along the coast and the wealthy people that live there. He told us how they do tons of illegal drugs and have orgies on the weekends. I awkwardly laughed and was really regretting getting in the cab. When he went on to tell us that he trafficked coke for the guys, I decided it was time to pull over. I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t make taxi driver decisions in a foreign country after going on 4 hours of sleep.

OH MY GOODNESS!

So today we were going on our African safari! I was beyond excited and completely willing to wake up at 6 am to catch our flight to Durban. After a three-hour plane ride and a three and a half hour bus ride we had sufficiently reached the wilderness of Africa. We stopped off at our lodge, which consisted of small cabins smack in the middle of the woods, to drop off our belongs before going on a short nature hike. After another bus ride, we ended up at nature preserve housing an enormous lake filled with over 1000 crocodiles and 800 hippos. Unfortunately we didn’t see either of those animals, but we did see some nyala (South African antelopes), as well as various birds. While taking our tour dark clouds began moving in overhead and lightening was striking in the distance. Soon enough, rain started pouring down in sheets. We were about a half-mile from the vans, so as I’m sure you can imagine all of us were absolutely soaked by the time we made it to the cars. The rain hadn’t let up when we returned to the lodge and we were greeted with the news that the power and water were out. The braver ones, myself included, made a run for it through the narrow, pitch-black trail that led to the bar. Hey, there was nothing better to do. We sipped on beer in candlelight and watched the rain stream down. We chatted with our South African tour guides, learning about their life and hearing interesting safari stories (for example the owner of the lodge used to be an ecological mercenary for poachers, pretty cool). The owner of our lodge told us the rain we experienced was the most rain they had seen in two years and that it would supply them with enough fresh water for the next three months. After an hour or so the power came back on and we sat down to a delicious dinner. I went to bed early, ready to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to go on a sunrise safari.


Cabins:

This trail is very scary to run through in the pitch black:

Lodge bar:

View from bar:

Rain-soaked:


We had a wake up call at 4:30am, and we were in the vans by 6 heading to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve (it’s pronounced ShluShluweee). When we arrived, trucks were waiting for us, equipped with stadium style seating for premium Big 5 game viewing. The Hluhluwe game reserve is the oldest reserve in all of Africa. It is also has the highest number of white rhinos out of any park in Africa, totaling over 1000. It is said to be home to all of the Big 5, which are elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard. Immediately upon entry into the park we came upon two giraffes grazing not 20 feet from our truck. A few yards down the road and we saw two white rhino in the distance. Next up, a herd of over 50 buffalo. To complete our first thirty minutes in the park, we ventured upon a herd of zebra and nyala grazing on a side of a mountain. Judging from the morning, I was pretty sure today was going to be a good day.



Adorable:






We stopped off for breakfast at a small park for breakfast and enjoyed our fruit and yogurt with a zebra family. Only in Africa is it normal for zebra to be typical sights during a picnic.



Cute little baby


After breakfast we spotted tons of beautiful birds and saw many more giraffes and zebras. By the time lunch rolled around we were anxious to get a sight of some new wildlife. After lunch, our truck began to play a game where points were distributed to those who spotted animals first and to whoever won, the truck would buy you a beer. With this type of prize at stake, obviously I won. One of my six spottings was our first glimpse of an elephant. It happened to be an adorable baby elephant. If I thought that was cool, I was blown away whenever we came smack dab in the middle of an entire herd of over fifty elephants. There were lots of baby elephants cuddling next to their moms, and many were throwing water on themselves to bathe. It was interesting to see how protective the mothers were of their babies though. As soon as we arrived all the mothers formed a semi-circle shielding their young from us. After about fifteen minutes of watching all of the elephants, a couple bulls came billowing down the road very heated. They were flapping their ears, the first sign of aggression in elephants, and were engaging in a standoff with us. Our driver didn’t want to disturb them anymore so we decided to turn around and head out. It was quite an experience being surrounded by fifty animals not ten feet away that had the capability of flinging you like a rag doll.



Unfortunately, we didn’t see any lions or leopards, but for the rest of the day we continued to get up close and personal with giraffes, zebras, nyalas, wart hogs, wildebeests and other various wildlife. We came pretty close to a rhino, but it sauntered away before we could get in some good viewing. As sunset came, we made our way out of the park. I had really enjoyed the safari and had gotten some great pictures, but I was a little disappointed I hadn’t gotten that good safari story. A mile outside of the gates however, I got my story. We turned a corner and came upon about five cars backed up in a line. We saw a giant, 4-ton bull elephant in the middle of the road acting very aggressively. He appeared extremely agitated, and was storming toward one of the trucks. The truck reversed backward to avoid the confrontation. I expected to just sit and watch the scenario play out, but for some crazy reason our driver decided to take the situation into his own hands. He bypassed the entire line of cars and began driving toward the bull. At this point I was mildly alarmed. The bull, seeing us coming, directed his attention to us and faced us head-on. Here, I would say I was at a fully alarmed state. Then, the bull began to charge at our car. Our driver, instead of reversing like a sane person, pressed down on the accelerator. It’s hard to put into words what driving toward a 4-ton charging animal is like, especially one who can flip a truck with one ram. I’ll just say I had progressed into complete panic mode. Luckily for us the elephant retreated a few steps as we got about a foot away. The game of chicken happened again, and finally the elephant left the road and went into the forest, after which he decided to bash his head into a tree and split it right down the middle. I’m pretty glad he didn’t take out that frustration on us.

Yep, this is our truck:


We made it back to the lodge, and fortunately this time the water was running and the lights were shining. We had a delicious dinner of roasted impala, which I must say was excellent. They had set up a campfire for us and we enjoyed sharing stories around it. Around ten, our guides took us on a search for scorpions. They have a flashlight equipped with a special light that makes scorpions glow green when it is shined on them. After seeing over forty scorpions in a matter of thirty feet, I had decided I was wrapping myself in plastic wrap before going to bed. This decision was further cemented when I recalled that one of our classmates had found a scorpion in his pants earlier that morning. I only got about two hours of sleep that night.

Sunset:



WARNING EXPLICIT CONTENT BELOW. PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 OR EASILY OFFENDED.

Annecdote
4/3/2010: So I attempted to get my mother’s approval on whether or not to show this, and due to her lack of response I have decided go ahead with it. Please direct all complaints/criticisms to:

Ellen Wulf
804-752-6118

Here we go…
Recall from my earlier story the angry, charging elephant. I failed to mention in my description my initial outburst when I first saw the elephant. Upon first glance I immediately shouted “OH MY GOODNESS!”. This wasn’t due to the proximity of the animal to our truck nor it s 4-ton size. Now before you even begin your safari, the guides tell you never to make loud noises around animals. However, they did not warn us about what happens when a male elephant gets riled up. I think if you refer to the picture below you will understand my dramatic reaction.

Cape Town, South Africa

I have never been sadder to leave a country. South Africa is the first place I want to return to, and the first place I would recommend people to visit. The people, the landscapes, and the attractions are amazing. The country has so many things to offer, I couldn’t imagine ever getting restless. I think I just convinced myself…I’m going to move there.

We ported in Cape Town on Wednesday morning, and Linda Biehl boarded the ship for a very special lecture. If you remember, her daughter Amy Biehl was a student working in South Africa in 1993 as an anti-apartheid activist and was murdered by four men after a riot. After the end of the apartheid in 1994, a few years later South Africa began The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which allowed criminals to apply for amnesty if their crimes were for political reasons. What was so extraordinary about Amy’s parents was that they completely supported and advocated for the amnesty of her killers. They understood the oppression of apartheid and wanted to further the cause their daughter was working so passionately toward. Mrs. Biehl was a very inspiring speaker and I am really glad I got the opportunity to listen to her.

After getting ready, Jason and I set out to do some sight seeing. We had ported at the Waterfront, which was full of bars, restaurants, shops, and tourist offices. Right when we stepped off the ship we could see the famous Table Mountain, whose name was coined because of its flat top. We strolled along the harbor and stopped in at a tourist office to ask about a winery tour. We set up a half-day trip for later in the afternoon, and then grabbed a taxi to take us to the mountain. We slowly climbed up the steep mountain (this more due to the lawnmower-esqe engine of the taxi, rather than the incline of the slope), and made it to the cable cars. The line snaked around for almost a quarter mile to get to the top. Luckily, Jason’s iphone was a lifesaver once again, and we ordered tickets online so we didn’t have to wait in the four-hour line. We got on the cable cars and began the ascent up the mountain side. The glass in the cable car rotated 360 degrees so everyone could get a good view. Once at the top the view was breathtaking. On one side, Table Mountain looks over all of Cape Town and on the other it shows an incredible view of a vast mountain range. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip so far.

View of Table Mountain from the harbor:


Cable Car:






Because we had planned to meet our cab at a specific time we only had about five minutes on top of the mountain before we had to rush back down and meet our driver for our wine tour. To my fury, our cab driver wasn’t there and after calling him said he wouldn’t be there for forty-five minutes. I was quite angry, but after threatening to cancel, the company gave us a thirty percent discount. Better than nothing, I guess. Once the driver came we made our way to Stellenbosch, the famous winelands of South Africa. I felt that we had somehow been transported to Napa Valley. Acres and acres of vineyards were spread across the rolling hills. Small, quaint towns were periodically nestled in valleys between green mountains. We stopped in a small town, famous for their brightly colored shops and restaurants and attempted to go in to a museum that unfortunately turned out to be closed. Our next stop was a nearby winery, where we sat down and sipped on Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. All of which I thought was delicious, granted I know very minimal about wine so it could’ve been just grape juice and I would’ve enjoyed it. We talked with the other couple on our tour who were from Scotland visiting Africa on holiday. They were extremely interesting and provided for great conversation.

Entrance to winery:


The next winery we visited was Zevenwacht and they were not only famous for wines, but for their home made cheeses. We took a tour of the winemaking facilities and learned about the entire process from the grape to the bottle. What I found most interesting was how they infused the barrels with different flavorings, like chocolate, to add a unique taste to the wine. We did our tasting which paired very nicely with the selection of cheddars they gave us (I think). I tried to send some home, but unfortunately the U.S. has too strict of customs from South Africa. Bummer!



We took the hour-long drive back to Cape Town, looking out over the beautiful landscape. As we approached the outskirts of the city, I got my first glimpse of the remnants of apartheid left in South Africa. There was a huge township that looked like the slums of India. It was really strange to see such modern infrastructure surrounding the acres of destitute conditions. Unlike in India where everything was poor, dirty, and unadvanced, the areas surrounding the slum were clean, pleasant, and had the infrastructure of the U.S. It showed a severe divide, which centers mostly on race.



We returned to the Waterfront later that evening and went to a restaurant right on the harbor. Although the food was mediocre, that atmosphere was fun with live music and a great view of the water. We spent the rest of the night watching an intense soccer game at the bar and drinking the local beer.