Today, I Say Goodbye

Well, my five months here in Cape Town are coming to an end. I have to say goodbye to the place that's been my home, my playground, my nest, my launching pad for other adventures. My feelings are jumbled. On one hand, I'm painfully excited to go home. On the other hand, I'm in denial. Cape Town, in every respect, has become my home. I'm scared to leave. How sad will I be? When will I see my friends again? When will I come back? Will I come back? Will I forget about this place? The people I've met? The things I've done? Will I remember all the good food I've eaten? The places I've been? The things I've seen? My biggest fear is that when I leave, this whole experience will become foggy like a dream. I don't want to wake up and say 'Did that really happen?' Right now, Cape Town feels like a part of me. But I don't want to leave that piece of myself behind. I want to carry it with me forever. As sad as it is to say goodbye, I want to remember this place for everything it was and everything it meant to me. There is insecurity in leaving. Home might have changed, I might have changed, the food might not be as good. I wonder if it's possible to be happy to be home while still remembering the good parts of Cape Town, or if I will only be able to be happy about one or the other at a given time.

Enough of the drama. I'm going to do what every study abroad student does in their final blog. A greatest hits and misses, so to say. Here are the top things I'll miss about the Mother City:

1. The beauty. Table Mountain, the ocean, the beautiful places only a drive or train ride or flight away. Enough said.

2. The food. Food here is cheap and delicious. I've grown accustomed to a delicious meal for the equivalent of $5. I also like the laziness of meals here. You sit, wait, get a menu, wait, order, wait, wait, wait, eat slowly, wait, get your table cleared, talk, wait, ask for a bill, wait, pay, wait. You get the idea. It's a lot of waiting, but it gives you a chance to enjoy your company and when your food finally comes, you're really looking forward to eating it. Like the anticipation makes the food better. Or it could be the amazing cooking or the fresh ingredients. 

3. The energy. Maybe it's just because it's world cup time, but people here are happy and their happiness is contagious. 

4. My peeps. Although most of the people I've met go to Wisconsin, a significant number of my good friends do not. My roommate, for instance, goes to University of South Carolina. It will be strange to not see these friends all the time, and it's sad not knowing when I'll see them again. 

5. Africa time. This goes along with the restaurant thing. Things here run SLOW. Living here has turned me into a slow person. Things just take time, and it's fine. It's refreshing to not have any pressure on you. 

6. Obs. My neighborhood. With Lower Main Rd only a short walk from my house, full of restaurants, bars, shops, interesting people, it's been amazing. State Street had better step it up.

7. Old Biscuit Mill. I can't even go into it or I'll get emotional.

8. Getting in a plane, flying for two hours and What? You're in Namibia/Botswana/Zambia! Everything is so close. You get in a plane in the States, fly for two hours, and you're in Nebraska. Not as cool, though I've never been to Nebraska. 

9. My home! My house is SWEET. I love my room, my view, my garden, backyard, neighbors, EVERYTHING. Even though it's freezing because there's no heating, I've grown to appreciate how cozy it is to be wrapped up all the time in blankets and sweaters.

10. There is more, but this would turn into the longest blog ever. 

Now that I've done the Cape Town list, I'll mention a few things I'm excited to get back to: good coffee, friends, family, Oliver, Roxy, Chicago summer, safety, Madison, the beach, the list goes on. 

I've become used to my life here, and I like it. I like the adventures, the people, the constant stream of new experiences. I've done all I've wanted to do. I don't want more time here, but I wish I wasn't leaving without knowing when I'll be back. Cape Town isn't exactly the place you can fly off to on a whim. I'll miss this place in the indefinite period I'm gone. But it's not goodbye forever. I've grown to love this place too much to not return. 

So farewell, dear Cape Town, until we meet again. 

-Sarah

BAFANA BAFANA!!!

The World Cup has begun!!! On Friday, the first World Cup ever held on the continent of Africa started in Johannesburg. Bafana Bafana (translation: The boys! The boys!, meaning: South African soccer team) took on Mexico Friday afternoon to kick off (no pun intended) the games. Along with tens of thousands of fans, I went downtown to catch the first game. The city was wild! Everyone was decked out in their Bafana gear and there were celebrations in the street. Cape Town was a completely different place. I watched the first game from a little coffee shop on Long St. that was absolutely packed with fans. There were people on the street crowded around the windows looking in to watch the game. When Bafana scored that first, absolutely BEAUTIFUL goal against Mexico the city erupted. I can't describe it. South Africans have so much pride in their country, their athletes, themselves, and especially in stepping up and hosting the world for the first time ever. I don't think people can know how big of a deal it is for the South Africans that they're hosting the World Cup unless they've witnessed and experienced being here for it. Bafana pride is contagious. All the Americans were rooting for Bafana, myself included.

Parade in the streets

Another parade down Long St.

Watching the game in Rcaffe

Taking it to the streets

After the Bafana game it was Cape Town's turn to host a game. Thousands of fans paraded to Greenpoint Stadium for the France v. Uruguay game AND I WAS ONE OF THEM. I can't explain my excitement in going to a World Cup game. Even though the game proved to be somewhat boring, it was still totally awesome. I mean, I was at a World Cup game! How cool is that? The stadium is amazing. It's so bright and white and new. I loved it. My friend Dan and I sat together and we had great seats. We were in the lowest level, 23 rows back from one of the corners. I'd never been to a soccer game besides ETHS games, and I'd say this was a pretty good introduction.

My tickets

Greenpoint Stadium

Inside, view from my seat

Yesterday I went to an English bar with some friends to watch the USA v. England game. The eight of us were the only Americans in a place full of English fans. After a couple hours of speculation and trash talk with the English fans, it was pretty depressing when England scored that first goal. The draw was sweet, though, since we knew we were the underdogs. There was a good camaraderie between us and the English fans, making for a fun time. Hopefully the USA or Bafana goes all the way!

-Sarah

I Love Namibia

I just returned from the most surprisingly amazing places I have ever visited. Namibia is a gem, complete with everything from huge, rolling dunes to sunny coasts to vast mountain ranges. Over four days we traveled 1900 miles and had a great time. I went with my three neighbors, Alex, Callie and Kristine. We left at 8:00AM on Saturday morning and drove up the N7 highway to the border in our little white Nissan Tiida packed with gallons of water, three bags of apples and oranges, bread, peanut butter, jelly, chocolate and one Cosmo magazine. We drove straight up to the border of Namibia, only stopping a couple times to make PB&J's and to get gas. The South African side of the border was organized; the Namibian side not so much. It took us about an hour to get across the border. Namibia must be a more popular destination than i originally thought because there were about twenty people trying to get through the border. Callie had been in contact with the hotel we were supposed to be staying at but they had refused to give an address and failed to answer the phone, so we didn't know how to get there. We ended up driving a couple hours north of where we intended to stay so we could be more sure of finding a hotel. Where we ended up was the Canyon Hotel, a nice place that gave us extremely cheap adjoining rooms. We had a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant before falling into a deep sleep. Driving all day takes it out of you.

Strange rock hills on the road

Sunrise from the Canyon Hotel

We woke up early the next morning because we had to backtrack to get to the Fish River Canyon. This canyon is the second biggest one in the world and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, we had to drive for a couple hours over the bumpiest dirt roads you've ever seen before getting to the canyon. Our little Nissan, affectionatly called 'Tidds' by the four of us, had trouble on the roads. We were worried she would get a flat tire or just fall to bits without warning, so we took it very slow. Eventually we made it to the canyon. It was worth the drive. While exploring, we ran into another group of study abroad students who happened to be traveling through Namibia. They also had a Tiida and theirs was proving to be as much of a struggle on the dirt roads as ours. After a little chat with our friends, it was time to drive up to the desert. 

Fish River Canyon

Tids at the canyon

Fish River Canyon

It was another long stretch of driving before we made it to our hotel. This time we stayed at the Desert Camp near the entrance of the Sossusvlie National Park. Again, we had to drive along dirt roads to get there. Close to the end of the drive we were on a road that weaved through a mountain valley and we saw the most brilliant sunset. There weren't any clouds so you could literally see the layers of color changing from red to orange to yellow and so on. It was unbelievable. The Desert Camp was such a treat. This place was amazing. We stayed in luxury tents, which may not sound like much on paper, but were beyond what I thought a tent could be. These tents weren't the kind you take down at night, and had electricity, comfy beds with the softest linen, a beautiful bathroom and a cozy atmosphere. It was my favorite place we stayed. The Desert Camp was part of a larger string of hotels around the Sossusvlie area and the closest one was a super nice hotel called the Desert Lodge. The Lodge offers delicious buffet dinners and Camp lodgers are welcomed there for dinner. The dinner was amazing. There were these great appetizers complete with a yummy soup and bread, salads, pastas, etc. Then for the main course you went up to a grille where there were selections of meat and a chef grilled them up for you right there. There was a huge selection of meat including ostrich, springbok, warthog, zebra, and a bunch others I cannot remember. I had sprinbok and zebra. It felt kind of strange eating zebra but it was delicious. Then, of course, there was dessert. A beautiful and delicious desert dessert. I think I tried everything. After dinner we headed back to our luxury tents and slept. We had an early morning the next day. 

Luxury Tent

Beds in our luxury tent

In the morning we woke up super early, intending to get to Sossusvlie right when it opened at 6:30AM. Little did we know, Namibia participates in daylight savings time so it's an hour behind there. So, we ended up getting up at 5:15 and were at the gates before 6:30. But in the end it worked out because we got to beat the crowds. Sossusvlie was unlike anything I've ever seen. The park has some of the largest sand dunes in the world and they were magnificent. I never knew sand dunes could be so enormous! Most were as tall as buildings. A major highlight of the park is Dune 45, one of the largest dunes in the park. You have free reign in the park and can climb around on all the dunes, but Dune 45 is the major exploration point for most people. We parked and climbed up the side of the dune. It was a lot harder work than I anticipated, but we did better than most people. I guess we spent a lot of time there because eventually we were all alone on the dune. It felt great to be the only people as far as you could see in the middle of a desert on the top of a huge dune. After a little photo shoot we decided to run down the side of the dune. It was pretty steep and a long ways down, but your feet sunk into the soft sand so it was impossible to fall. Running down was such a cool feeling. The sand was warm but not hot, and it was so soft and cozy to lay in. We probably took twenty minutes to get down, not because it should take that long but because we kept stopping and laying in the sand, rolling around and loving it. When we finally decided to leave the dune, we made some PB&Js and continued to the end of the park. At the end of the road we had to leave our cars and get into a jeep taxi to go to the Sossusvlie valley where we explored the desert some more before leaving the park.

Dunes

Dune 45

View from Dune 45

Walking up the dune

Callie, Kristine, Alex and Me on Dune 45

View from Dune 45

Sossusvlie Valley

From the park we drove to Luderitz, a little coastal town that has been around since the early 1900s. We had called a hotel from a phone number on this map we bought, and had been in contact with the proprietor for a while, having been lost numerous times. When we drove by the place for the first time we were sketched out and did not want to stay there. It was this dark place, with circular windows and a weird looking sign. We were about to choose another place to stay when we saw the woman who had been helping us standing outside in case we drove by. We felt too bad driving away, especially after she waved at us, so we decided to stay. It was a good decision, because the inside of the place was so cute. There was a restaurant that had really good food. I was struck with the taste for home cooking, so I ordered pork chops and mashed potatoes. They were delicious. We got baked apples for dessert which were also delicious. For the third night in a row we went to bed early and got to sleep in the following morning.

Luderitz

Coast of Luderitz

Luderitz

In the morning on Tuesday we explored the town. We started with the coast, which was rocky and very pretty. From there we went to a little coffee shop in town. It was such a cute little place that I would have never expected to be in Namibia. After a bit of coffee and tea we drove out to Dias Point, one of the highlights of Luderitz. We had to drive about thirty minutes through a 'Diamond Recreational Area' (whatever that means, because want kind of recreational activities can you do in diamond mines?), along yet another dirt road, to get there. It was a desolate drive, with nothing but rolling hills of beige dirt, but Dias Point was worth it. There were a few buildings, marooned boats, and a random coffee shop that had a sign advertising 'tea, cake and beer'. Of course, we stopped inside. The place was full of what art history calls 'found objects'; bottles, driftwood, clocks, shells, netting, beer advertisements. Pretty much anything you could find, including stained glass windows on the doors. It was a cool place with outdoor seating and a small playground of recycled tires and various other 'found objects'. The specialty of the shop was oysters. Luderitz is big on oysters, with restaurants and bars (the few of them in the town) advertising their oysters and other edible sea creatures. So we decided to try the oysters. Why not? We were in a coffee shop on the coast of Namibia that happened to sell oysters, miles from nowhere. Each of us got two oysters. They were huge! I'd never seen oysters so big, but then again I'm not well versed in oysters, having only eaten them once or twice. They were cold, and I was surprised at how salty they were. It was as if the guy had gone right down to the shore, picked up eight oysters, put them on a plate with sea salt and lemons, and set them down in front of us. Regardless of whether or not we liked them, it was a really fun experience and we all cleared our plates. From the oyster bar/coffee shop we walked out to the Dias Point monument, a large stone cross on the top of a rocky cliff originally erected by a Portuguese explorer. It was really windy, even by Cape Town standards, and we kept getting blasted by ocean sprays. I can't explain the view from Dias Point. It wasn't monumental, and we didn't really see much because there wasn't much around, but it was striking at how removed we were. I had the feeling of being marooned on some desert island completely cut off from civilization. I guess it wasn't far from the truth, minus the marooned part. When we returned to the car, we discovered we'd lost a hub cap. Oh well.

Coffee shop on Dias Point

Oysters

My kind of place

View from Dias Point

View from Dias Point

We left Luderitz around one in the afternoon and drove to the border. The ride was breathtaking. We took a route through a national park and it was pretty much mountains as far as you could see. The Orange River made an appearance from time to time, making the drive even more beautiful. We made it through the border right after dark and intended on staying at a hostel on the Orange River on the South African side. After driving forty minutes on the worst dirt road I've ever experienced without catching a glimpse of our hotel or anything else for that matter, we turned around and started the eight hour drive back to Cape Town. At one point, when we were passing a truck, we ran over the biggest porcupine in the world. There wasn't really a choice. It was run over the porcupine, run off the road, or swerve into the truck. So it was goodbye porcupine. It got the last laugh, though, as when we pulled into a gas station a couple hours later we found we had a completely flat tire. The situation was laughable. It was 4:30AM, we were in some nameless South African town at a gas station, with seven guys working to switch out our tire for the spare. They pulled out a quill that was probably ten inches long and as thick as a pencil. Luckily, flat tires (as well as missing hub caps) were covered by our insurance so we made out ok. We got into Cape Town at 6:00AM Wednesday morning.

My trip to Namibia was the perfect way to end my semester. I've been to all the border countries now, and Namibia was my favorite by far. It was the most surprisingly beautiful place I've ever been. I hope to someday get the chance to go back to Namibia, one of my favorite places on the planet.

-Sarah

Off to Namibia!

Well I'm off to Namibia for the next six days. I'll be traveling to the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Then I'm hitting up the Namib Desert to play on some sand dunes. After that I'm driving to the city of Swakopmund for a couple nights. Should be pretty fun! As of tonight, when I enter Namibia, I'll have traveled to all of South Africa's border countries.

-Sarah

Castle of Good Hope and other Misc. Adventures

Yesterday I went to the Castle of Good Hope with a few friends. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Summer has returned to Cape Town, so it was quite warm out yesterday. It was a neat place to explore. There were museums and lots of nooks and corridors to wander through. From the roof of the castle you could see all of downtown and had a great view of the mountains. The museums had a lot of relics from the initial Dutch occupation of the cape.

Cannon

Table Mountain seen from the roof of the Castle

City seen from the roof

After the castle we had lunch at a cute restaurant called Milk, Bread and Honey. It was delicious. From there we wandered to the Company Gardens area, which has a lot of the museums and other such institutions. On the way we stopped in St. George's church, a very old church. There were lots of stained-glass windows and an enormous organ. I bet it would be a great place to attend mass if I were to attend mass.

As it should be

We stopped into the National Library, but there wasn't much to see. There was a soccer exhibit about the history of soccer in South Africa. From there we went into the Company Gardens, which I've mentioned in previous posts. It was such a beautiful day to spend walking through the city, and the gardens was a perfect way to end. The rose garden was so beautiful, with some of the most enormous and brightly-colored roses I've ever seen. There was also a well with a spout that came out of a nearby tree, which I thought was interesting. We sat on a bench in a courtyard for a while, just enjoying the twilight and nice weather. On the walk back through the gardens we came across a group of ducklings attempting to hop over the edge of a pond to join their mama, but the lip was a little high so they kept jumping and sliding down again. It was precious and eventually they all made it in.

Parliament

Rose garden, looking measly, with Table Mountain in the background

A close up does the rose garden justice

In other news, there are two youtube videos everyone needs to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idLG6jh23yE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhM-cpSwrmM
The first is the new Nike football commercial, because it is awesome and was totally worth the absurd amount of internet credits I spent to watch it. The second is the of the FIFA 2010 World Cup Anthem. It's a jolly song, and I like it. It's FIFAmania here. There are literally flags EVERYWHERE, and not just South African ones. All the cars have these little mirror covers of the South Africa flag. It feels like every store, regardless of it being a clothing store or grocery store or whatever, is selling soccer things. Clothes, flags, whatever you can possibly think of. I am currently wearing my bright orange sweatshirt with the World Cup logo on the front. At Green Market Square downtown, there is a huge market for bootleg jerseys and miscellaneous FIFA gear. And yet, I was by the Greenpoint Stadium two days ago and they are still doing construction. The train station that lets you off at Greenpoint is still being worked on, bridges are still being built, sidewalks repaired, homeless people being rounded up and removed from the city (no joke), and buildings being painted (or built). The World Cup starts on June 11. That's nine days from now, and they're still finishing up. I have the feeling they'll get everything done, though. Cape Town is just that kind of place. This city is alive right now, with the World Cup just over a week away. It's exciting times over here.

-Sarah