Garden Route Day Two: Cheetahs, Ostriches and Caves

We had a bright and early rise today to head out on our morning safari drive. Our cameras were vigorously clicking as we caught sight of zebras, elands, kudu, gemsbok, impala, gnus, springbok, ostriches, giraffes and elephants. The early start built up quite the appetite for the four of us, so we thoroughly enjoyed the extensive buffet breakfast in the restaurant of the Game Lodge. We then got a tour of the other facilities on the grounds, including the reptile house filled with snakes (most with poisonous venom) and an outdoor crocodile pit, along with an enclosure housing several cheetahs. These majestic cats are endangered and while wild cheetahs’ life span is an average of nine years, those in captivity can live for up to twenty-nine, since they are fed rather than forced to hunt, their teeth are kept in check to remain strong and are tended to if need be.

The next stop of the day was an ostrich farm in the town of Oudtshoorn. The drive to reach our destination was spectacular, including a stretch of mountainous road known as the Robinson Pass. Once at the ostrich farm, we took a quick tour and had a chance to interact with the ostriches, which surprisingly are quite characters! We watched a jockey ride one around the pasture (both highly impressive and hilarious at the same time) and I got a chance to feed them – in a really interesting way (photo posted soon).

From the farm we made our way to Cango Caves to do an hour-long tour in the depths of caves. It was absolutely phenomenal – I wasn’t expecting to be so blown away by how impressive, massive and beautiful it was inside. At one moment, our tour guide was attempting to illustrate what a certain chamber of the cave looked like to its first discoverer and turned off all the walkway lights to bring us into total darkness. One chamber was particularly large and had quite the amazing acoustics; our guide informed us that concerts and choir performances used to be held there. He asked the crowd if anyone would like to demonstrate the powerful acoustic quality and my friend Sarah, a singer, bravely stepped forward to volunteer. Everyone quieted down while her soprano voice beautifully belted out a melody from Phantom of the Opera. She definitely proved the point!

Our day ended on arrival to the hostel we were spending the night called the Backpacker’s Paradise. It was quite aptly named – for a hostel, the accommodations were very nice; it had a feel of summer camp. They even provided a scrumptious dinner and breakfast was included the following morning. We had ostrich for dinner (appropriately themed after our day), which wasn’t half-bad and tasted semi-similar to steak. We are certainly not going hungry on this trip!

Overall, a variety-filled day!

xo Em   

Garden Route Day One: Penguins and Safari

Our five-day mini vacation on the Garden Route unfortunately doesn’t have many opportunities for WiFi, so I’ve decided to blog “Victoria Falls-style” and keep a journal entry of each day, which I can then upload separately whenever I get the chance. I miss having the ability to constantly keep in touch through the Internet with happenings back home, but as everyone knows, sometimes it feels nice to be unplugged for a short while. I fortunately have Wi Fi access at the current hostel we’re staying in, so I figured I’d upload an update on the first part of our trip. I unfortunately don't have my cord to upload pictures onto my computer, so you'll have to wait to see photos when I return to Cape Town!

Bags packed and ready to go, we started our adventure early this morning by being picked up at our apartment in a roomy van by our tour guide (whose name is Dave Jones, funnily enough). Our destinations for today were the farthest distances from the city on the Garden Route, so we made a good deal cruising along in the van – no complaints, as the scenery was breathtaking. Our first stop was Betty’s Bay in Stony Point, where we got to see quite a large wild penguin colony (always a favorite activity of mine). We then made our way to Hermanus, a beautiful, charming city on the coast. After spending an hour perusing through little shops and markets, we had a quaint picnic lunch on the rocks along the water. Hermanus is known for its large marine animals, specifically Southern Right Whales and great whites, though unfortunately it’s currently not whale-sighting season. However, we will be making our back through the city on our return loop to go shark cage diving later this weekend.

We arrived at the Garden Route Game Lodge in Albertinia late afternoon in just enough time to enjoy a quick cocktail from the bar before our evening safari drive! The rustic lodge is gorgeous and reminds me a little bit of Mala Mala. We even get to stay in the cutest bungalows, equipped with a front porch. When we first set off for our drive, I hate to admit, I was a little disappointed – I had been extremely spoiled by Mala Mala and I could tell that this was quite different in many ways. It’s a nature reserve, but there are fences around each separate “enclosure,” and there aren’t a fraction of the sheer number of wild animals compared to Kruger. Our first sighting was of a male and female lion picking at a decrepit carcass (which was fed to them) and we were observing them from a disappointingly far distance – not quite the two feet away that I experienced on safari. However, I felt incredibly lucky to have the opportunity for a couple extra game drives, and I put the expectations from Mala Mala behind me and appreciated every sighting we encountered. Things certainly excitingly picked up later in the evening – we spotted a cheetah (my first!), which is highly endangered, by hearing the kudu barking at it, ears perked and eyes focused on its stealthy movement. We also drove right up next to a small family of three rhinos and later on had a practical face-off with a zebra right in front of the vehicle. Throughout the rest of the evening, there were sightings of giraffes, wildebeest, plenty of kinds of antelopes and buffalo. I’m stoked for our early morning drive!

After a buffet-style delicious dinner in the beautiful dining room, all four of us were pretty exhausted from the day. If our first day was this jam-packed, then I can’t wait to see what the next four days have in store!

xo Em 

"Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled"

- Prophet Mohammed (Sarah’s choice of quote for the week)

Friday was officially my last day at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. After speaking with my Connect-123 advisor about how I feel as if I’ve gotten everything I can out of my time spent in theatre, she hooked me with her sister-in-law who is a pediatric infectious disease doctor at the Red Cross. She was nice enough to meet up with me in the midst of her crazily busy day at the hospital and gave me a tour of the facilities that I hadn’t had a chance to explore, since the majority of my time was reserved to the surgical and anesthesiology units. Being an infectious disease physician, she works mostly with children who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), though outside of her clinic hours, she primarily works on TB research. She led me through the lab where she and her team are currently in the final stages of developing a blood test for TB, a diagnostic screening that holds considerable weight because “the national department of health has neglected to focus on children up until now because children – unlike adults – rarely transmit TB” (from an article I found online – I’m a science major; providing sources is practically in my blood). I asked her several questions about her work and the intricacies of South African healthcare, but my curiosity led me to scope out more information about the TB epidemic. I learned that of the nine million people who get infected with HIV each year, a third of them are in Africa and about 15% are children. Add in the high prevalence of HIV, which dreadfully compromises the child’s immune system, and 40-60% of those infected have at least one occurrence of TB in their lifetime. I asked the doctor about testing for HIV in newborns in the country and she told me that due to the incredibly high prevalence, every child is tested for the virus at birth unless the mother does not consent.

Back home in an anthropology of Africa class I took for my minor, I completed a research paper on HIV/AIDS in South Africa. No amount of hours at the library and piles of books could compare to actually wandering through the wards of the infectious disease unit, smiling and waving at the tiny, adorable children in the hospital beds and hearing details of the epidemic coming from the lips of a South African physician. When Sarah displayed her quote of the week, I couldn't get over how fitting it was to my recent realizations. This was the reason that had sparked my interest in coming to this country and I couldn’t have asked for better closure of my internship.

On a brighter note, Saturday and Sunday’s weather was divine. How refreshing to feel some breezy, 70-degree weather after living through such a steamy summer! I somehow had managed to catch a little bit of a cold on Friday, so the weekend was pretty low-key. After spending Friday night on the couch with some tea and a marathon of the TV show Psych with my roommate Christie, I was ready to make the most of the weekend. We spent Saturday afternoon in Sea Point, a beautiful suburb of Cape Town situated right along the water. The four of us packed our lunches and books and picnicked on the bright green grass alongside the ocean.

As it was St. Patty’s day, we celebrated the night at one of our favorite bars downtown called the Dubliner – needless to say, an Irish pub. Also needless to say, it was absolutely packed and while my claustrophobic personality tends to be turned off by being packed in a room like sardines, the live music, delicious drinks and great company made it a hell of a fun night.

My friends and I spent Sunday afternoon strolling through a huge indoor marketplace at the waterfront, oohing and aahing at the breathtaking displays of arts and crafts. We each walked away with a purchase of some kind and I officially completed all my shopping for loved ones back home. The relaxation theme continued when we returned; my roommate Sarah and I lounged by the pool on the roof of our apartment building with our noses in our books until dinnertime (I’m almost finished with a favorite of my dad’s, Atlas Shrugged – I highly recommend it!)

This past weekend was my last in Cape Town. I can’t tell you how strange it feels to say that. Luckily, it is not my last weekend in South Africa – three of my friends and I are departing on a private guided tour of the Garden Route on Wednesday of this week for five days. The timing of this mini-vacation could not have been more appropriate, as it perfectly concludes my three-month adventure with a bang and “ties up loose ends” in the sense that it includes all of the events on my African to-do list that I have yet to conquer. These upcoming five days will include two safari game drives, cave explorations, ostrich riding, canoeing, wine tasting and zip-lining, just to give a preview! Oh, and in less than a week from today, I will accomplish the adventure that was number one on my list before coming to South Africa…

Great white shark cage diving!

Until then,

xo Em

Having a wonderful time swinging in Sea Point

 Inadvertently wearing green on St. Patty's Day

 Kate, Sarah and Christie

 Christie's mom sent us matching bracelets, saying "Awesome" and "Star"....too cute :)

 Apparently this was "release your inner child" weekend...playing around at the waterfront

 Colorful elevators at the Red Cross

Happy Belated Pi Day!

Last night could have been like any other night back home. I was typing this laying on the couch in my apartment, listening to an episode of Psych that Christie’s watching on her laptop and drinking some tea after returning from a night out at the movies. We wanted to have a little “hump day” outing so we caught an evening showing of The Iron Lady at the movie theater in town (which is called Labia – hold the laughs). I can certainly see why Meryl Streep won the Oscar for her performance; she was brilliant, as always.

My week could not have started out better. Monday evening I had the privilege of meeting up with a cousin of a great family friend, Susan Remsen. John picked me up near my apartment and took me to Blouberg Beach, an area of Cape Town that I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to explore. The bright blue waters were scattered with countless kite surfers, a sight made all the more beautiful with a stunning view of Table Mountain as the scene’s backdrop. I hate to say it, but I didn’t take a single picture! I was much too caught up in endless conversations with John and listening to his hilarious and insightful life stories. The restaurant we ate at was called Primi Blue and with a table situated right next to the window, it was hard to take my eyes off the view. After several glasses of wine, delicious food, and many laughs, I didn’t even realize it had grown dark. John is the sweetest guy and treated me like a queen! I would love to see his house (situated across the street from Kirstenbosch Gardens) and meet his partner and dogs, so we’re going to try to get together once more before I leave Cape Town. I’m certainly in good hands and great company here!

Today I spent my last moments in theatre watching my final brain surgery (insert lip pout here). Tomorrow marks my last day at the Red Cross – I cannot believe how time has flown. It’s a paradoxical feeling; part of me feels as if I arrived in Cape Town yesterday but mostly I feel like I’ve been here for years rather than months. I’ll be hopping aboard the plane two weeks from tomorrow, carrying back with me loads of goodies, souvenirs and memories.

I want to wish happy belated birthdays to three great friends back home, Adam, Nikki and Lupe! All throughout my college career we’ve had annual combined celebrations and I regret not being there to celebrate with the NU crew this year. I love you guys!

xo Em

Drumroll please…

Ta da! Skydiving pics!

Taking off!

 Excited and ready to go!

 Watching Becca jump out

 Here we go!!

 Flying the parachute all on my own!

                                 
We did it!
                                      
 Audra, Becca and me beforehand

 Telling the fam about my adventures :)