Day 62
We left Namibia this morning around 8 and it was really surreal because the ocean was right up against the desert. So we were sailing by sand dunes. It was entirely contradictory and yet there it was.
The good news is that it wasn't that rocky today. I just realized that you guys have no idea the difference in the ocean between rocky and not rocky. Today we were sailing through 2 and a half foot swells, or waves. That was nothing. The other day when I was complaining about a headache we were sailing through 13 foot swells. And they can get up to 15 around Cape Town.
When it is that big you can see the waves break and crash away from the boat. Today the ocean was perfectly flat.
The ocean we are sailing through has a really high density of micro organisms. This means that it is full of marine life. During marine bio we took a mini field trip up to deck 7 to look at the sea lions. There were so many of them and they would pop their heads out of the water. It was like playing Wack-a-Mole trying to spot them. A few were breaching out of the water. During my class right after that I spent most of the time staring out the window at them. At one point about 50 of them were jumping and swimming away from the boat all at once. They looked so tiny and adorable way down in the water.
My marine bio professor said that he saw a humpback whale but I haven't been that lucky.
In the evening I went to a talk in the Union given by our South African interport student, Sbongile, and one of the students on the ship for the whole voyage who is from South Africa originally.
I learned that South Africa has a population of 53 million people. 80% are black, 11% are asian, and 9% are white. They have 11 official languages but the main one is English. She read through all of the languages and some of the names involved clicks. She would click her tongue when she would say the name. How awesome.
South Africa is know for apartheid which was in existence until 1994. Their current president is Jacob Zuma and their ruling party is the African National Congress.
They have a very high rate of unemployment – 30%, and a whole lot of poverty. Less than 30% of children who start school graduate. Between 6 and 7 million people are infected with HIV and they have one of the highest crime rates in the world. Not even do average citizens feel safe in their own homes most of the time.
Here are some of the tips we were given for staying safe:
- Dress like you have nothing worth taking
- Strategically place your cash
- Don’t go anywhere alone
- Don’t look like a tourist
- Keep room locked
- If someone knocks, check who it is
- Leave keys at reception desk when leaving hotel
- Plan your route in advance
- Don’t buy from people on the street
The last one is interesting because in Ghana it was a big thing to buy things from people selling to cars. It was completely normal and safe most of the time. But not in South Africa, they specifically warned us against it. There are also a lot of smash and grabs so if you are in a vehicle you want to make sure none of your belongings are visible.
An interesting tip we were given was on Etiquette. Of course they talked to us about not being too loud and drawing attention to ourselves. But then they mentioned taking photographs of people. Just like Ghana it is frowned upon and you should always ask. But they also talked about how it is more fulfilling to get out from behind the lens and talk to people. Because you will walk away with more than a picture can give you. Basically: Don’t create a spectacle of someone else's living situation – put the camera down and make a connection
I learned about some interesting cuisine: Chicken feet, chicken heads, chicken intestines, and worms.
Those are some of the more traditional dishes. Some more common things are:
- Bobotie – casserole of malay origin – national dish
- Braai – BBQ
- Smoked Snoek – type of fish
- Potroast – stew
- Boreworse – spicy south african farmers sausage
- Biltong – dried, seasoned mean, similar to jerky
- Castle beer
It was also suggested that we go to Nandos. Apparently it is amazing. The funny thing is that Lillian told us about how she was dragged on a three hour car ride just to go to Nandos and when she got there she realized that there was one right down the street from her house in the States. So apparently they are in the U.S. and are not that hard to find. But it is very good food.
Another place recommended to us was Camps Bay Retreat. Maybe I'll have to suggest it to my parents.
They taught us some basic words. These are African:
Thank you – Dankie
Yes – Ja
Bokkie – a small buck or affectionate name for a female
Chommie – my friend
Eish – exclamation
Lekker – great/tasty
Yebo – yes in zulu
And these are all English words that they use in different ways
Tomato sauce – ketchup
Robot – traffic light
Packet – plastic bag
Naatjie – tangerine
Slip slops –flip flops
Tekkies – sneakers
Monkey's wedding – rain shower when the suns out
That last one is hilarious. The girl was so surprised that we had never heard it called that before. Listening to them talk made me really excited. Except for the high crime rates thing. That's no bueno.
In other news: anticipation sucks. We were supposed to hear about the talent show tonight and I STILL haven't gotten an email. I JUST WANT TO KNOW! At dinner two girls came in to the dining room and I overheard them congratulate some guy on making it. Which means people know! And Amanda says Carla was sending out the emails and should be done tonight. But it is midnight and I have gotten nothing. GAH!
This sucks.
Molly and I watched The Heat tonight. Another fantastic movie, I highly recommend it.
Also, my parents are officially in Cape Town. Only about 36 hours until I get to see them! My dad sent me a picture of their view, they are looking right at the ocean. They will see us pull in! I can't wait!
He emailed me about what we are going to do that first day. After lunch on the ship we are going to go up Table Mountain and then go to dinner. And Molly is coming with us! So excited!
SO MUCH ANTICIPATION!
