Surfing, Hiking, Shopping...Oh My!

Well these have definitely been a VERY EXCITING few days here in Cape Town!  So much is happening in such a little time.  The other day we went to a different beach, and they had surfing lessons.  I've never surfed before so I figured I would give it a try.  IT WAS REALLY HARD!  I literally could not get myself to stand up on the board.  Of course, I was the one that got hurt when the board came flying at my head and knocked me.  I'm fine now, but definitely was not feeling great after that!

On the train ride home, we experienced rush hour...it is something I do not want to experience again!  There were SO MANY PEOPLE squeezed into one train car.  When it came to our stop, the group of us were not even able to make it out the door.  We had to ride to the next stop and I PRIED the doors open so we can get off and catch a train back home.  It was insane!

The next day I went to a mall, but this time I took what the South Africans call a "combi".  It is basically a taxi that is a mini van/bus.  This is the way most people get around the country.  They squeeze people like sardines in there, but it is extremely cheap and quick because they are all over.  The mall was nice, and as usual things are very inexpensive!

We went to The University of Western Cape to register, and things are insane.  The registration system is very different from what I am used to at Scranton, so I am still not exactly sure what classes I am taking, where they are, what time they are at, etc.  I'm sure it will work out!

Today we decided to hike Devil's Peak.  I have only hiked a few times before, but this was probably the most strenuous thing I have ever done.  I really thought I was just going to die on the mountain.  However, with encouragement and VERY frequent breaks, I made it up to the top.  It's a good thing because the views are absolutely PRICELESS.

PS- There's a Kenilworth in South Africa!

I have some VERY exciting plans for this weekend, so stay tuned!!

Below I posted a few pictures from the last few days.  However, there are a TON of other photos posted on my Facebook, so go check them out!

First Update!

Hello everyone!  Well, these last few days in Cape Town have been absolutely amazing.  The area is absolutely beautiful.  The mountains, the trees, the wildlife...it's all great.  Two days ago we went to the US Consulate in Cape Town and learned about the country which was really interesting.  We went to the beach yesterday, and the water was ICE cold but it was just so amazing with the mountains as a backdrop (see picture below).  The group went to a traditional African restaurant today and I tried 4 things that I honestly NEVER thought I would try... oxtail, ostrich, springbok (the little animal), and kudu (the bigger animal) in the picture below.  I thought they were ALL disgusting, but at least I tried! I also tried some kind of authentic beer that may be the worst thing ever, but still.

 I have been talking a lot to our RA, our program director Melikaya, and our driver about South Africa and have learned some absolutely crazy things about South Africa.  For example, when voting in political elections the people of South Africa vote for the PARTY they want to win, and the party chooses the person they select as president.  Everything here is INCREDIBLY inexpensive.  You can ride a cab for what is under 1 US dollar, get Chinese food for about 4, and buy groceries for 1/10 of the price back home in the states.  That being said, I was SHOCKED to hear that the "average" salary of a working person in South Africa is about 150,000 Rands, which translates to about $15,000 in America.  It is CRAZY!  Their huge beach houses can go for about 5,000,000 Rands or about $500,000.  Try getting a house like THAT back home!  The driving is absolutely crazy.  When you want to get in a taxi, you wait until the taxi/mini bus screams as you pass them, you hop in, and get crammed in until they fit about 20 people in it.  This country is definitely incredibly diverse, and I am absolutely loving my time here.  If you have any questions so far, comment or check my Facebook album or email me or message me or whatever you want!  Talk to you later!!!

I'M HERE!

Well, this is going to be a quick post because I just arrived!  Today I arrived in Johannesburg with Molly after a 15 hour flight.  Since we had an 11 hour layover, we decided to go on a tour!  We saw a bunch of different parts of Johannesburg (both the really good and the really bad).  We then went to the Top of Africa which is the tallest building in Africa.  We then went to Soweto and passed by Desmond Tutu's house as well as Nelson Mandela's.  We had a traditional South African lunch- chicken curry with spinach, pumpkin, and SAMP (sooooo good!!!!).  THEN we went to the Lion Park!! We got to play with the baby lion cubs, feed giraffes and ostriches, and see a ton of other animals. POST AGAIN SOON!  Check out my Facebook album for pictures from today until I figure out this whole blog thing, but here's my favorite picture from today! (CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES)

WELCOME!

Welcome to my blog!  I'll be studying in Cape Town, South Africa for the next 5 months and I plan to update this regularly to let you all know what I'm up to!  I'll post pictures, stories, experiences, etc.  If you have any questions, want my address, or have something I should post about, please contact me on Facebook, by email, or using the contact box on the right.  THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT EVERYONE!