South Africa Goals

Even though I'll be in South Africa for five months, and it seems like that amount of time should be sufficient to do all the things I want to do, I think it's necessary to have an idea of what I truly want to do when I'm there. That way, I'll have a better chance of actually fulfilling my expectations. This list might guide me while I'm there, and keep me from going adrift in the span of time. Or, my expectations could be totally off and I could completely abandon this list for a new one upon reaching South Africa.

My goals have come from various sources, such as recommendations from friends, my imagination, books, even the travel channel. I hope to complete most, if not all, of these goals. I think it will be easy to forget what I had had in mind while planning the trip when I'm actually there, living and going to school and trying to figure out my way. Hopefully, this list will remind me why I wanted to go to South Africa in the first place. So here they are, and maybe posting them where all my friends and family can see will hold me accountable for accomplishing them.

My South Africa Goals:
1. Climb Table Mountain. There are gondolas that take people up to the top, but you can also hike. Where I'll be living is practically at the foot of Table Mountain. Here is a picture of Table Mountain:

2. Learn about South African wine. Along with this, I want to visit a vineyard and do a wine tasting. Here's a link to the Wines of South Africa website: http://www.wosa.co.za/.
3. Learn to scuba dive. The idea terrifies me, as I am not a fan of swimming or deep water. But I figure that the whole point of studying abroad is to leave my comfort zone, so I might as well do something I would never do at home. Scuba diving is definitely one of those things.
4. Cage dive. Again, this is a scary undertaking. Sharks have widely prevented me from venturing into any ocean past my knees. I for some reason feel compelled to look one in the eye, while under the protection of a metal cage, of course.
5. Go on safari/go to Kruger National Park. Kruger National Park is a huge game reserve in northeast South Africa. I plan on going on safari there at least once. Here's a link to the park website: http://www.krugerpark.co.za/.
6. Travel to another South African country. This seems to be an activity a lot of study abroad students do. The major destinations seem to be Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. I will go anywhere. I especially want to see Victoria Falls, the huge waterfalls between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and go to the desert in Namibia.
7. Visit Robben Island. This is an island off of Cape Town where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for nearly 30 years. Here is a link to the Robben Island Museum website: http://www.robben-island.org.za/.

Robben Island, with Cape Town in the background

8. Watch a soccer game. I'm not into soccer at all, but since the World Cup will be held in South Africa when I'm there, I don't think my friends and family back home will let me get away with not going to a game. Here's a picture of what the Cape Town stadium looks like:

Green Point Stadium

9. Learn some Xhosa, a traditional language still spoken in South Africa.
10. Try traditional South African food. I am a foodie to the core and cannot wait to sink my teeth (literally) into new foods.
11. Go whale watching. There is great whale watching in South Africa. There are boat tours as well as points on the coast where you don't even have to leave land to see the whales.
12. See penguins. At Boulders Beach there are resident penguins, known as 'jackass' penguins because they are loud and grouchy. People can go to the beach and hang out with the penguins, which seems totally awesome.

Penguins at Boulders Beach

13. Go to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. This is a huge garden on the Cape that grows only indigenous South African plants. It's supposed to be really beautiful.
14. Learn about South African art. I'm taking a class on art in southern Africa at UCT, but I want to explore some museums and art galleries in the city.
15. Make friends with South Africans. I want to join the UCT running club, and hopefully this will be helpful in making South African friends.
16. Volunteer. UCT has an amazing volunteer program, SHAWCO, that sends students to the townships. Here's SHAWCO's website: http://www.shawco.org/.
17. Drive along the Garden Route. The Garden Route is a coastal highway that is supposed to be absolutely beautiful. There is great land and ocean scenery. There are also great hiking trails on the Garden Route.

I'm sure the list will grow. I promise to provide updates as goals get checked off! Let me know if you have any suggestions for other activities!

-Sarah