From Cape Town to Monkton

I still love Cape Town. That city is definitely on my somewhat short list of places I need to revisit some day in the future. Sunday morning, I met up with Caroline and Denise again to check out the local markets in town. I must say, I am awesome at bartering! It's like a challenge and so much fun. I just hope I haven't fallen into a habit - I don't think the cashiers at Target would appreciate it too much if I just started suggesting alternate prices!

Jen had to move on to her next project (working with penguins) so she was unable to join us. Denise showed Caroline and I the scenic waterfront of Capt Town. We had a really nice lunch at a cute place near the water. After lunch it was time for us to part ways again. I decided to then book a flight directly from Cape Town to Jo'burg. I had plans to get up at 5 am to get a bus to take me to George and catch a flight there... but that was just too much. Once I got that all sorted out I decided to just chill out at the hostel for the rest of the night and have some time to myself. Well, that plan completely went down the drain very quickly! I was eating dinner on the balcony with a few people and somehow (I really don't know how) I got convinced to go out salsa dancing! Oh. My. Little did I know, the guy that originally invited me was a salsa instructor! I'd like to think that I typically enjoy myself pretty easily on the dance floor, but this was a challenge! Everyone there obviously went salsa dancing at least on a weekly basis, but I didn't care, if I made a fool out of myself, I was leaving the country in less than 24 hours! When we all arrived back at the hostel, we ended up staying up til 4 am discussing everything from politics to the pets we had growing up. I really realized that last night that I LOVE travelling. I know I've said that before, but I love it even more now. I'm starting to realize that no matter what country you come from, you've got something to offer, something you want to experience, and something you want to acheive. I can't get enough of meeting people from all over the world, comparing each other's lifestyles, learning new things, and recognizing how much everyone in this world has in common.

I was a bit upset to be leaving. I've met amazing people, met some (hopefully) life-long friends, and done some amazing things. Before I left, I was worried that 2 countries wasn't enough for almost 7 weeks of travelling, but wow, I was so wrong. I could have EASILY spent more time in both Egypt AND South Africa. SO many highlights - camels, the Nile, hot air balloons, clubbing in Egyptian bars, snorkelling, diving, bungy jumping, fishing, surfing, safaris, salsa dancing, new friends, new food, new music, new wine... the list goes on! I know I said this at the end of my NZ blog, but I am NOT done travelling! I've built so much confidence and this world has so much to offer - whether it's on my doorstep or 12,000 miles away - let's just say I have a new addiction to experiencing and learning about the world.

CAPE TOWN!!!

I should have come to this city sooner!!! I am LOVING Cape Town! Yesterday was an absolutely, unbelievably fun day. Jen and I started out the day by going on a wine tour. When we were picked up and we got in the van, there were 4 other people on the tour... Caroline from Australia and Denise from the UK (both in there 40s), Jessica from Brazil (20s), and Scott from Canada (30ish). The 6 of us hit it off so well! We were all laughing and having a great time even BEFORE the wine tasting started. Our tour guide was awesome as well. She was so knowledgable about the area and fun! We went to 4 different vineyards and got to try as many different kinds of wine as we wanted. The weather was perfect, the company was perfect, the lunch was perfect... such an awesome day. We had so much fun exchanging travel and life stories.

We had so much fun together that we all decided to hang out for the rest of the evening. After the tour we took the cable car up to Table Mountain for the sunset. The views were AMAZING. After the sunset and we were back in town, we headed to Mama Africa, which was an INCREDIBLE restaurant! Jen and I ordered Robben Island iced teas... SO good! We had to wait for a table, but we were entertained by an awesome band... African originals and covers on just drums and mirambas. The band had maybe 7 people in it and I have NEVER heard people sing like this! Their voices carried with no microphones. I can't even begin to describe what an awesome experience it was... and it just got better from there. We were seated for dinner right next to the stage. I wanted to get a true, authentic African meal so I ordered a PLATTER of meat which consisted of crocodile, ostrich, kudu (sort of like antelope), sausage, and springbok (sort of like deer meat). The ostrich was by far my favorite! The crocodile was extremely tough. We spent several hours at this restaurant, eating, drinking, dancing... it was so amazing. I haven't had that much fun in such a long time. I wish I was staying in this city for longer!

Today Jen and I are meeting up with Caroline and Denise for lunch and then we are headed to a market to buy jewelry, etc. I'm so sad to be leaving this city tomorrow! I love Cape Town!!!

Last Day in Plett!

Yesterday was my last official day in Plettenberg Bay. It was a great last day and it was Jen's birthday! We started out by going fishing with Tracy out on the bay. We didn't catch many fish, but caught one huge one! I believe it was called a Leerie fish? After fishing Jen and I treated Tracy to lunch. And then after lunch, we decided to get pedicures... just a simple pedicure, maybe a half hour out of our day... wow, were we wrong! We got a crazy spa treatment pedicure... soft music playing, candles burning, relaxing on a bed while women scrubbed and massaged our feet. I took over an hour! I even fell asleep! And only $25 for an amazing spa treatment.

We then met up with Chrissie, Daniel, Tracy, and a new volunteer for drinks at a sushi restaurant. After dinner at the house, we concluded the birthday evening with cake and drinks out on the town.

Today Jen and I made the long jouney to Cape Town. Not only was it a 9 hour ride, but the freaking bus had to break down and we were stranded on the highway for an extra two hours! SOOO frustrating! We are now in Cape Town and it is definitely a vibrant cite, as all the tour guide book say. We just had an amazing (and cheap) dinner and we are about to explore Long Street. There are tons of people around and the hostel host assured us that this part of town is completely safe. It has sort of a southern feel to it... the architecture and atmosphere reminds both of us of either Charleston, SC or New Orleans. I'm excited to be spending my last weekend here... it seems like a fun city!

Accomplishments in Plett

Today was my last full day volunteering! Yesterday I did my practical for the marine guiding certification. Basically I just had to lead a boat tour full of the public and teach them about the animals we see. I had a group of 8 Germans who were very friendly and laughed at my jokes. We got to see a huge pod of bottlenose dolphins, and then we headed over to the seal colony. On the way, we even got to see a hammerhead shark! And... I passed! And I also passed the test so I have completed the marine guiding course in South Africa! If I want to get the official certificate, I just have to take an online test which I might do when I get home.

Today I went out on the boat 3 times, once with a public tour, once with a school group, and once with the staff because someone reported seeing Southern Right whale... unfortunately we couldn't find it, but we got to see a huge pod of common dolphins feeding and jumping completely out of the water which was cool.

Tomorrow we are going fishing in the morning (if the weather holds out) and spending a few hours at the township pre-school again. Jen and I are taking the afternoon off to get pedicures and relax on the beach. Tomorrow is her birthday so we are all going out for happy hour, sushi, and to Surf Cafe for the night. So I have to pack tonight because I'm leaving Plett on Friday morning! I can't believe I'm coming home so soon. It's crazy! But I'm definitely looking forward to it :)

Action-packed Weekend!

So far this weekend has been awesome! This morning Jen and I headed to Tsisikama Falls for a zipline tour. We were basically flying through a deep river gorge on zip lines! It was amazing! The scenary is beautiful here... definitely in competition with NZ! After lunch, we headed to the world's highest bungy jump! I wasn't planning on doing it at first... I have been sky diving and I am on a bit of a budget, but I walked onto the bridge with Jen, and I couldn't resist! They had music pumping while people were getting harnesses up and I knew I would regret it if I didn't do it! I asked if it was too late to change my mind (it was only $66) and they made arrangements for me to jump.

It was AMAZING. After watching many people jump, being amongst the noise, commotion, and music on the bridge (or should I say, underneathe the bridge, there were cars speeding above us), I couldn't NOT jump. I knew I would regret it if I didn't. It was AWESOME. After the initial departure from the bridge, it ended up being very peaceful. It was silent in this deep river rivine... surrounded by the Tsistikama mountains and seeing the river mouth opening to the Indian Ocean... I was speechless... I just screamed with amazement, not fear. It was like I was in my own world once I jumped. I can not explain how beautiful it was.

The physical side-effects were interesting though. I still feel like any bit of congestion that was in my body is now in my head. Hanging upside down for so long does some weird things to you. But it was SO worth it. I'm so glad I decided to do it. The views were amazing. And I don't think I mentioned this yet... it was the HIGHEST commercial bungy jump IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!! I have pictures, but I will upload them tomorrow.

I am back at the house now, safe and sound. We are having a big BBQ (or as the South Africans say "Braii"). I must rejoin them for some burgers and sausage. What an awesome day!

Yesterday we went on an amazing hike in Nature's Valley. Tomorrow, if we are feeling up to it, we are headed to hike to the point of RObberg peninsula! It should be awesome if the weather holds up the way it has for the last few days. I love South Africa!!

A Week of Fun and Research

This lifestyle here is awesome - I could get used to this! Everyday is a mix of research and just plain fun! I have been driving the boat up the river for water sampling... we went to the pre-school again yesterday and "made a thunderstorm" (old camp tradition) which they loved. And then we spent the rest of the day boogie-boarding on the use surf in the bay!

There are 2 more girls that have arrived from England. They spend the mornings working with disabled children (they are physical therapists, just out of school), and in the afternoons they join Jen, Tracy and I with whatever we are doing. Today Chrissie is taking us on a 3 hour hike through Nature's Valley (I can't say that without thinking of granola bars). Apparently it is one of the best hikes in the area - supposed to be gorgeous.

A few days ago we hiked part of Robberg peninsula which is pictured at the top of my blog! We stopped at the sandy beach to do a beach clean-up.

Two days ago we took a group of school children out on the boat. They were 12 years old and most of them had never been on a boat before - let alone see dolphins! We got to show them a huge pod of bottlenose dolphins which they loved.

Next week I will be completing my competent crew and marine guiding certifications so I actually have to study this weekend. On Friday, Jen and I are headed to Cape Town together. She is starting a new project there I am sight-seeing and enjoying my last few days in this beautiful country!

More Adventures in SA

There is another volunteer now! Her name is Jennifer and she is from Long Island... nice to have another person to hang out with. I took a surfing lesson on Friday afternoon! I was terrible, but I got up a few times so I guess it could've been worse. I saw GIANT jellyfish and sorta freaked out about it, but my instructor (who was like 17) assured me they feel no worse than a bee sting.

Friday night Daniel, Chrissie, Jen and I went to Surf Cafe for drinks and dessert. There was a decent band playing too which was cool.

Yesterday Jen and I met up with my friend Sara and went to an Elephant Sanctuary, a Monkey park, and a Bird Sanctuary. It was a long day and it was drizzling the whole time, but we had a lot of fun. At Moneyland we basically walked through an enclosed forest full of free-roaming monkeys! They were everywhere and so cute!

The weather is better today so we are thinking about hanging out at the beach and doing some kayaking. Can't wait! I will upload pictures soon!

Typical "Work" Days in Plett

I am loving the volunteer position! It's a great balance of having fun, helping with research, and being involved in the community. On Tuesday morning, Tracey, Charlie, and I took a drive to Nature's Valley (not the granola bar factory, but a nature preserve) which was about a half hour away. We spent the morning examining rocky shore tidal pools. We took a survey or what organisms we found using GPS, and then we caught some new fish for the aquarium back at the shop. I could have done that all day! The tide pools were FILLED with urchins, sea anemones, fish, sea stars, you name it.

Yesterday we worked on my competent crew certification. In the morning we went out on the boat on the ocean where I learned how to anchor the boat, drive the boat, and perform a man-overboard exercise. After lunch Tracey and I took a much smaller boat up the Keurbooms river to choose spots for water testing, marking them with the GPS. The landscape was gorgeous! The river has basically cut a giant valley so the banks of the river are like mountains. Something about it actually reminded me of the Milford Sound in New Zealand. I drove the boat upstream which was difficult because the tide was not up yet so we had to be careful not to run aground.

Today was awesome too! In the morning we headed to the "creche", or better known as the pre-school in the township. Before I came here, I didn't really understand what a township was. It is basically the lower class neighborhood, and townships are all over South Africa. It is amazing the difference between the classes here. Everyday Thursday ORCA (the organization I'm working with) goes to the school to teach the kids a conservation topic. Because the students do not speak English, we must keep it simple so the teachers can translate. They speak the language of Khosa, which I found to be a very pretty language to listen to. I was a bit nervous about today because I wasn't sure what to expect going into the township. I was also a little nervous because we were going to be working with 100 kids, ages 3-6, and NONE of them speak English! It was SO fun though! The time FLEW by. The kids seemed so happy and energetic, but well behaved. It was hard for me to believe that they could be that happy, considering their living conditions. We started out teaching the kids about families of marine animals. Tracey wanted to come up with a game that emphasize the need to work in teams. I came up with a wheel-barrel (wheel-barrow? I don't know) race and they LOVED it. Tracey was amazed at how much they loved it and wants to do it again sometime. After our lesson we helped prepare their lunch. There was so much food! Feeding 100 kids everyday takes a lot of effort, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't wait til next week!

This afternoon we went for a dive! My first dive without being in the PADI course, but Tracey is a dive instructor as well, so no need to be nervous. It was very cool - we saw hundreds of sea stars - all different types. I am still trying to master the last skill in the course - removing my mask and replacing it underwater. I have issues breathing through just my mouth and not my nose at all. I just need to practice.

That's it for now! The next volunteer comes tomorrow and my new friend from Addo, Sara, is going to be here this weekend which should be fun. I can't believe I've already been here for 2 weeks (well almost).

Weekend Excursion to Addo

I just arrived back in Plett after spending the weekend a few hours east of here at a National Park/game reserve. The place was called Addo Elephant National Park, but it was HUGE and have way more than elephants. I stayed in a hostel just a few miles from the park. There was only one other girl staying at the whole place! But it worked out great because we seemed to have similar interests and got along really well. Her name is Sara, she is from Texas, and she is backpacking through South Africa for the next few weeks.

On Saturday morning we went on a game drive through the park in big, open, safari-looking trucks. We saw lions from VERY far away, and a ton of elephants, right up close! We also so meercats, wart hogs, antelope, turtles, ostrich, foxes... and I'm sure there was more but I can't remeber everything at the moment. We spent the afternoon hanging out at the hostel which also had a pub, restaurant, a farm, and fun dogs to play with! In the evening we returned to the park for the sunset game drive. This time we saw the lions up close! One was just lying in the middle of the road! We had to drive around it because they could care less that we need to get by. We go within 8 feet of him! Later on in the tour, we stopped in an open area and had snacks and drinks. There's nothing like drinking wine while standing in the same field as an elephant and some antelope!

When we returned to the hostel, the pub was packed with locals watching rugby. It was an intense game... I felt like I was at a Superbowl party of something. Most of the locals are not original locals, but people who came to Addo to do research and volunteer. It was fun being the only out-of-towners in a tiny little local pub :)

The next morning I went on the sunrise game drive without Sara. It was awesome! I didn't see any new animals, but we got to see 2 male lions fighting! The younger of the 2 was in the other's territory and he was trying to chase him out. I got some awesome video, and you can even hear them growling! I'll try to upload it on facebook, but it might take forever.

We spent the afternoon at a raptor/reptile center which was across the street from the hostel (the ONLY other thing in this tiny town). We held a variety of snakes and hawks - very cool. The whole weekend was SO cheap. I spent $120 USD which covered 3 nights accommodation, meals, 3 game drives, internet use, AND drinks!

I had to get up at 4:30 this morning to catch the shuttle to catch the bus bas here so I am not working today. It's awesome being a volunteer... you don't have to work if you don't want to. Tomorrow Tracey and I are either going to go diving or fishing :) Can't hate it!

Updates in SA

Still loving it :) And the exclamation point still doesn't work, haha. Anyways... I've spent the week completing my PADI Open Water Diver course. Today is the last day. SO far I have completed all the classroom stuff, 3 pool dives, and 2 ocean dives. Today I have one pool dive and 2 ocean dives and I'm done :) I will then be qualified to dive anywhere with a buddy, up to eighteen metres deep. I have no idea why this is in bold all of a sudden; I didn't change anything and now it won't go back to normal font.

Diving has come quite easy for me, and my instructor agrees. The visability hasn't been as clear as the waters I have snorkeled in, but it's still decent.

Last night Chrissie (the volunteer house "Mom") invited me out for a girls night. We went to the favorite bar in town (Surf Cafe) and met up with 5 of her girlfriends. After a few drinks they decided to go to the hotel for karaoke. When we arrived, it was nothing like we had imagine... we were the youngest people by 20 years. Awkward, so we didn't sing. I thoroughlyenjoyed myself though. Chrissie and her friends are very cool and easy to get along with.

This afternoon I am headed out for my first weekend excursion :) I am taking a bus to Addo National Park where I will go on several game drives/safaris. It's like a mini-Kruger I suppose. I wanted to go to Kruger NP while I was here, but it's very far and very expensive. This park has the "big 5" and is much closer.

Well, I'm out - time to finish my dive course :)

Plettenberg Bay

Okay, back from the boat trip. On Sunday evening I moved into my new, temporary home in Plett, SA. There are currently no other volunteers living in the house. I was first a bit upset about this, but there are definitely some benefits. I'm not living alone. A young couple runs the house. They are both SA natives and are very friendly and easy to hang out with. Their names are Chrissy and Daniel. I was able to choose my bedroom - my OWN bedroom, and my OWN bathroom. My room is awesome... with an ocean view :)

Every day a woman named Tuleeswa comes to the house for cleaning, laundry, and dinner preparation. She already did my laundry :) (btw - the exclamation point doesn't work on this keyboard so I'm using smiley faces instead)

Every day around 8 or 9, a lady named Tracey comes to pick me up and take me to "work". I am based at a whale-watching company, and Tracey is my supervisor there. She is from Canada so it's kinda nice to hear another North American accent in town. Yesterday was my first day. I started out the day by going out on the boat to do a wildlife survey, recording all the marine life we see, where we saw it, etc. It was incredible. The weather was beautiful and a perfect day to be out on the water. We saw several Indo Pacific Humpback dolphins, a huge colony of fur seals, and HUNDREDS of common dolphins. The guides told me I was VERY lucky to see so many common dolphins in the bay because they are not actually common. We travelled across the whole length of the bay following them as they were feeding. I took some awesome pictures and video. I'm not a huge dolphin person, but this was fascinating.

After the boat ride, Tracey and I went out to collect food fod the fishes in the aquarium. We caught minnows in an estuary, and used sand pumps to find prawns. When we returned, they had ME clean out the aquarium. I had to change into my bathing suit and jump into the aquarium with all the fish :) Basically I was just in there to scrub the glass and rocks.

In the afternoon we collected more fish and crabs to put in the aquarium. When I returned to the house I was exhausted.

Becuase I am the only volunteer, I have a great deal of one on one time with Tracey, so I get to pick and choose what I do. Here's the plan for the next month: Marine guiding certification, competant crew certification for boat handling, and PADI Open Water Diving :) :) All things that will be awesome to put on my resume when I get home :) There is another girl coming to volunteer in about a week which will be nice. I'm sure I'll be ready to have other people around by then. Overall, everyone is very cool and I'm so excited and happy to be here. It's almost overwhelming. Wish me luck :)

South Africa :)

I am finally in South Africa. The rest of the tour of Egypt was spent hanging out at the hotel and walking around Cairo until our late-night flights. I actually miss Egypt a little bit. The people there surprised me. I felt much more comfortable and safe there than I had expected. The men who hassled us in the markets and on the streets were not nearly as creepy as I had imagined, and the Egyptian guys that worked in the hotels, shops, etc. turned out to be very friendly and polite, and just wanted to know where we came from and if we were enjoying Egypt.

THe flights from Egypt to SA were a bit stressful. I knew I had a 35 minute connection in Ethiopia, but nobody told me I had a connection in Sudan as well. The flight from Cairo took off an hour late but the next flights were delayed as well so I made it to SA safely and on time.

I've already had my first day on the job (well, volunteeing) and I LOVE it. I am about to go out on the boat and take a wildlife survey so I will have to update the details later.

Pictures!

I've added pictures to each post (found a fast internet cafe). Scroll down and take a look!

Last Day in Dahab

Today was our last full day in Dahab :( The last to evenings we went to 2 more seafood restaurants just like the one from the first night. The waterfront of Dahab is lined with these cute places. Each one has a bit different character, but they are all filled with amazing food, friendly servers, big comfy cusions, candlelight, fires, and of course... cats. Last night each of our entrees came with a tiny candle on the plate made out of wax and an onion!

I like the markets here better than in Aswan because we don't get hassled as much... or at least maybe I'm just getting used to it and I know how to deal with it now.

Two nights ago, one of my roomies got extremely sick and Hamada insisted that we call her a doctor. He said the best doctors in the country are in Dahab, not Cairo. The Doc actually came to our hotel room because she was throwing up every 15 min. I felt so bad for her. He actually had to start an IV drip IN the hotel room. She is much better now, although we were all quite worried at the time. We're not sure if it was the water, a stomach bug, or food poisoning.

Today we all spent the day working on our tans. We are currently in town about to go shopping for take out. It's just us girls out now, the boys are back at the hotel building a bonfire on the beach.

Side note: Egyptians are beyond OBSESSED with Celine Dion! I have heard more Celine in the last 2 weeks than anyone should ever be legally allowed to listen to in a lifetime! The power of loooooove!!!!

Lovin Dahab

We are still in Dahab and having a great time! Last night we went out to dinner at a restaurant called the "Funny Mummy". It was the coolest restaurant I've ever been to! We basically sat on the floor on cushions, infront of short little coffee tables. The whole place was very open, with nothing me a canopy and some walls made out of sheets. There wer cool lanterns all over the place, creating a very cozy atmosphere. Then our server brought over a little campfire to keep us warm! I order Egyptian style fish with rice and vegetables and it was AMAZING! And instead of getting rolls and butter to start, they brought out pita bread, hummus, and vegetables. Delicious.

After awhile one of the guys working there opened up the curtains behind our table to reveal the Red Sea - literally 2 fet from our table! All during the meal there wer stray cats (well actually kittens wandering around the restaurant. They wer adorable, but we were told not to touch them. Such torture - I'm a sucker for kittens! It was funny though... I'm eating this fancy meal with a striped kitty sitting meatloaf-style on the cushion next to me. The restaurant provided us with spray bottles full of water to spray the cats if they tried to get into our food.

This morning we went snorkeling! Some people say the Red Sea is better diving/snorkeling than the Great Barrier Reef, but I'm not convinced. It was somewhat cold and we almost backed out, but we rented wetsuits and jumped in. We were snorkeling in a famous area called the Blue Hole. I've never seen a reef like it before. It was more like we were swimming next to the reef, instead of above it. The blue hole itself is over 100 meters deep! The fish were amazing and my new underwater digital camera was awesomse! I even got video of the fish and my new friends! I'm still so bummed that I can't upload pictures here. I can't wait to show everyone! We may go snorkeling again on Thursday. Tomorrow I plan on lounging on the beach all day, and possibly take a break top ride a camel for awhile!

Mt. Sinai

We are now in the town of Dahab which is also on the coast of the Red Sea. On the way from Hurghada (15 hour drive) we stopped at Mt. Sinai to hike to the top. We arrived at the bottom at 2 a.m. and started up the mountain by 2:30. It was almost a full moon so we didn't even need flashlights. Our guide did not speak more than 15 words of English. We had the option of riding camels to the top, but we all decided we wanted to accomplish the hike on our own. It was somewhat creepy hiking at night. And the weirder thing was the fact that there were no trees, no plants, no dead leaves, not animals, not even insects. It was ALL rock and dust. About half way up the wind started up, blowing dust and sand into our eyes. I was hiking at night we my sunglasses on! We reached the summit aroun 5 a.m. The purpose of hiking at this hour to to be at the top for sunrise. Sunrise wasn't until 6:30! We were told to bring our sleeping bags or a blanket to the top. Two of the other girls and I curled up behind some rocks, completely sealed in our sleeping bags. It was so cold and so windy and dust was going everywhere! At one point the ground was shaking!

Finally, around 6 a.m. we emerged from our sleeping bags to get a spot to see the sunrise. There was lots of people on the top by now so it was hard to get a good shot of the sunrise without people in it. At about 7 a.m. we started back down the mountain, all of us miserable from lack of sleep, being tired of hiking, and having dust in our eyes. The trek back took about 1 and a half hours, but it seems like weeks. At the bottom we got to see St. Catherine's Monestery. I was so tired I just took pictures from the outside and went straight to the bus to start snoozing.

After some breakfast we headed out to Dahab. We are staying in a really nice waterfront hotel. The only thing that sucks is that all the tap water in this town is salt water! I had to shower with salt water and I feel gross. We are now about to get some dinner and get to bed early for a day of snorkeling on the Red Sea! Can't wait!

Hurghada

I went clubbing in Egypt! Wow. Last night was a lot of fun. After we had all had enough of the beach, we got together with Hamada to talk about evening plans. We all agreed that we wanted to go down town and experience some Egyptian nightlife. Hamada got very serious (he rarely is) and explained to us the rules of the evening. He warned us about Egyptian men trying to take advantage of us and taxi drivers being extremely rude and stealing our money. He pointed out that we are all old enough to do what we want, but he strongly recommended that we stay with him the whole night. If we wanted to go home early, he would get us a cab, talk to the driver for us, and write down the tag number in case there were any problems. All of this talk made me extremely nervous to go out, but obviously we all still did. We started out the night by going to a sheesha bar. We all sat around a table smoking some kind of flavored tobacco-like stuff out of a massive pipe. We chose apple as our flavor. I only inhaled twice and it didn't do anything to me - I didn't really understand the point of it. Also, instead of peanuts or pretzels as bar snacks, they served chickpeas! And another chickpea-like food that wasn't chickpeas. I could not stop eating them... SO good!

After the sheesha and some drinks, we walked around the marina area to a restaurant for dinner. As we were sitting at the table and ordering our food, BOTH of my roomies got sick at the table and we had to call them a cab to go home. They thought it was the mix of alcohol and sheesha that made them sick. I stayed out longer while half of the group went back to the hotel.

After dinner Hamada took us to a "disco". It was so fun! There was a really good DJ and the place was full of strobe lights and had a crazy atmosphere. I was feeling confident and grabbed an Egyptian guy's hand to dance. He was such a fun dancer too! Instead of trashy dancing at bars back at home, he was twirling me all around the dance floor. I didn't want to leave! I don't think we got home until 3:30 a.m. but it was definitely worth it and we actually got to sleep in today.

We leave Hurghada this afternoon. I'm a little bummed to be leaving this town because it seems a bit more upscale and definitely cleaner than any other town/city that we've been to so far. I will be spending the next 5 days in Dahab and I don't know if they will have internet there, so you may or may not hear from me until Friday or Saturday. That's it for now!

By the way...

The computers here are pretty slow so uploading pictures is pretty impossible. It will have to wait until South Africa or maybe until I get home!

Aswan, Luxor, Hurgada and Everything in Between

I've been on a cruise ship for the last few days and I haven't been able to get to the internet, so I have a lot to update!

The next morning after our Nubian campfire night, we checked out of our hotel and boarded a Nile River cruise ship, which was docked just at the other end of town. It wasn't exactly a Carnival Cruise, but it did have a restaurant, bar, and rooftop pool. After lunch we headed to the Aswan markets for our first true haggling experience. Because we are all obviously tourists, every shop owner throws himself at us saying things like "I don't know what you're looking for, but I have it" and "I give you money to look" and my personal favorite... "You broke something! You broke something! You broke my heart!" You can't walk 10 feet without being hassled. At first I was scared, then annoyed, and then it was fun and almost like a game. Every price is negotiable, and of course you all know my haggling skills - I am awesome at it - No lie! I haggled one price from 100 EGP to 5 EGP. That's like $20 down to $1!

That night, aboard the ship, we had entertainment in the bar area- a bellydancer. And of course she picked me out of about 50 people to get up and dance with her. Let me just tell you, I certainly could not shake the way she could. SO embarassing!

The next morning we had to get up at 3 a.m. to go see the temples of Abu Simbel. Aside from the pyramids, Abu Simbel is one of the most famous places in EGypt. The bus ride there was about 3 hours long, travelling through nothing but desert. Egypt is very serious about keeping tourists safe because if something happens, the tourism industry will take a hard hit. We had to travel to Abu Simbel in a convoy. There was a line of about 20 or 30 buses, led and followed by trucks full of tourism police with shotguns. Scary - but sort of comforting at the same time.

At 3 a/m/ the stars in the desert are INCREDIBLE. There was no light pollution and the stars were brighter than I have ever seen. I couldn't fall asleep on the bus because I couldn't stop looking at the sky. The amazing sky was then followed by the amazing desert sunrise. It was difficult to take pictures from the bus though.

Once we arrived at Abu Simbel, we had a brief presentation about its history and then we were free to go inside both temples. We could take pictures from the outside (which was amazing), but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside. I can't seem to grasp just how old everything is that I'm seeing here. I don't remember when Abu SImbel we constructed, but it's at least 3000 years old. I am also amzed at how these places were created. Abu Simbel was constructed in the side of a mountain, whereas other pyramids and temples are so big that is seems beyond impossible for these people to have built things without modern technology. In addition to the size of these temples, usually the entire inside is completely covered in carvings, paintings, and hieroglyphics.

After we returned to the boat ( stil docked in Aswan) some of the group went back to the markets - I decided to lounge by the pool. In the evening a coupole of us treated ourselves to the ultiamte American dinner - McDonalds. I forgot we were in Egypt and drank the fountain coke with ice - oops. We shouldn't be drinking any of the water, but it's been a few days and I've been feeling fine. That night everyone in the tour group got together for drinks on the deck. It was a very fun night drinking Egyptian wine and beer. The best beer here is called Stella.

The next morning we were en route to Luxor along the Nile. While watching small vilages, desert, etc. go by, we were relaxing by the rooftop pool again! After lunch we arrived in the town of Edfu, where we stopped to see another Temple - yet another amazing place. But, unfortunately, we have seen so many old temples, etc. by now, they are all running together and we are appreciating them less and less :(

That evening our boat was slightly damaged while going through a lock in the river. We were a few hours late arriving in Luxor, but it did not affect our plans. We started the day with a sunrise hot air balloon ride! It was so amazing! We took flight about 15 minutes before the sun rose. I was a bit nervous, but it was actually one of the most relaxing things I've ever done. We flew for almost an hour, right over more temples, and the Valley of the Kings. It was incredible. It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but SO worth it.

We continued the day by taking a tour through the Valley of the Kings. This is a valley in the desert full of tombs of ancient kings of Egypt. We actually got to go in 3 of the tombs. Walking down long tunnels deep into the mountain was a bit creepy to me, but very worth it. The paintings and hieroglyphics on the walls are still in amazing condition! I couldn't get over how old these places are! Two of the tombs still had the sarcophogus (sp?) there! I was amazing to see the actual tombs where the mummies that we had seen in Cairo had actually been excavated.

After lunch we visited Karnak temples - known as the largest religious site in the world - even bigger than the Vatican. I thought I was sick of looking at temples, but this place was amazing. We took some awesome pictures, and some really silly ones too. It was filled with tourists from all over the world, even Egypt. I had an Egyptian lady ask if she could take my picture (because I was wearing a tank top). I didn't let her, lol. It is sooo hot! And this is winter! I can't even begin to imagine how hot it gets in the summer!

Last night we drove about 4 hours to the city of Hurgada. It is a beach town along the coast of the Red Sea. Today we spent the day swimming and catching rays on the beach. Last night we went to the Hard Rock cafe which was more like a club than a restaurant.

Tomorrow we are headed to Dahab where we will snorkel and hike! Can't wait!

Aswan

The train ride is over! It was absolutely miserable. I slept 3 of the 15 hours that it turned into. It was dirty, I had to avoid the bathroom, and I had a large Egyptian old guy snoring in my ear for half the trip! THEN, at 3 am, a few guys were yelling at me in Arabic because I was apparently sitting in their seat. It was awful. BUT, things could only get better from there, and they did.

When we arrived in Aswan, we had a few hours to chill out and take naps and showers. In the afternoon, we met up for a cruise in a felucca. A felucca is like a small sail boat that people have been sailing the Nile for years. We were originally supposed to spend 2 nights on one, but we upgraded to a cruise ship! It was great to be out on the water. The Nile is narrower than I had imagined (well, at least this portion). We then pulled up to a shoreline... to ride camels! Yes, today I rode a camel along the banks of the Nile. So cool. It was a bumpy ride, and at times the camel guide was not paying attention and I thought my camel was going to walk off the cliff, but I'm alive! We rode th camels for about 20 minutes, to take us into the Nubian village. The Nubians are the original habitants of this region of the Nile. We were invited into the home of some Nubians, were I tried hot Hibicus tea! SO yummy! It's a very Egyptian type of drink. The Nubians look more African that middle-Eastern, and they speak a different language. I found them to be more friendly than other Egyptians I have come in contact with so far.

After walking around the town, we boarded our boat again and sailed back to the hotel. From there, Hamada arranged for take-out dinner on the banks of the Nile. We boarded onto a motor boat this time and ate chicken, rice, and vegetables on the way to a random, deserted bank of the river. We had no idea there was entertainment in store! The retaurant dilervery guys (or so we thought they were) built a campfire and played/sang Nubian music. They required us to dance, but it was so fun! All the while we were drinking Egyptian wine and beer, which is pretty good, but nothing to write home about.

I'm enjoying Aswan much more than Cairo. It seems cleaner, and the people friendlier. It is still pretty fast-paced, but more in a tourist/vacation way, rather than a city way, if that makes any sense. The people in the tour are awesome. We all know each other's names and where we're from and we all seem to be getting along well. Tomorrow we have a low key day to recover from the last 2 action-packed days!

Pyramids, Sphinx, Papyrus - Oh My!

I saw pyramids today! Very exciting, but let me fill you in up to that point. Last night when we got back to the hotel after seeing Coptic Cairo, the 5 of us, plus several other girls that had arrived, went to an Egyptian restaurant. Our tour guide came with us which was a big help because the staff there spoke no English. I ordered something called Fatta. It was basically crispy pieces of bread, topped with rice, topped with beef and something sort of like tomato sauce. It was very good! Another girl ordewr grilled pigeon! She said it wasn't very filling, but tasted similar top chicken.

When we returned to the hotel, we had our first official tour meeting. There are now 18 people in the tour - only 2 guys and the rest girls! Everyone is between 20 and 35. About half of the group is from Australia, 1 from South Afirca, 1 other girl from the States (Tennessee), 2 from Canada, 2 from Taiwan, and a few from the UK. So far I really like the group - we all seem to be getting along really well, and we all have the same hopes and fears about the trip.

This morning after breakfast, we headed to the Egyptian Museum. I could not BELIEVE how big it was and how many artifacts they have uncovered from various pyramids, tombs, etc. It was so amazing. Some of the things we were looking at dated over 5000 years old! My favorite part was the mummy portion - we actually saw several mummified Egyptian kings - hair and everything! So creepy!

In the afternoon we headed for the famous pyramids. We spent nearly an hour just taking pictures and marveling over how old and huge they were. There were camels everywhere, and tons of Egyptians trying to rip us off in any way they could. Offering us a free ride on a camel, and then charging to get off the camel! Good thing we had a tour guide to warn us about these things!

After the pyramids it was off the Sphinx! Not quite as large as we had imagined, but still guite impressive. We finished the day by seeing a demonstration on how papyrus is made (paper made from a reed-like plant). We just got back from the market (familiar brands! yay!) and now we have a few hours to chill out and prepare for the evening. Yes... the evening consists of a 14 hour train ride. We were warned that this is the worst part of the trip, the bathrooms are horrible, and we will get no sleep. Should be interesting... I've packed my carry-on full of lysol, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper!

I'm in Egypt!

BIG sigh of relief! I have arrived safely and I'm in good hands... so everyone can chill out now. As soon as I got off the plane I was met my a representative from the tour company. He seemed stand-off-ish at first, but as soon as we got my bags and started walking to the van, he says "So, you live in the State?" (yes) "Congratulations." (?) "Barack Obama!" Haha! That made me laugh. Driving to the hotel took about a half hour. The traffic was insane! I don't know how these people don't get into accidents everyday. When we arrived, the bellman took my bags up to my room. Wow - not exactly a 4 star accomodation! There were stains on the floor, the sheets creeped me out, no window... I slept in my sleeping bag with the light on! I was feeling very lonely and freaked out that I was alone in Egypt. I couldn't sleep, even after being up for over 30 hours! I drugged myself to sleep with some Tylenol PM.

After 6 hours of sleep, I actually woke up refreshed. I knew I had to change rooms to I got dressed and walked down to reception. They then introduced me to the guide of the tour. His name is Hamada, he's from Luxor, Egypt, and seems very cool. He seems VERY concerned with our safety, as well as our comfort. He asked me what room # I was in replied with "Ugh, I'll get you a better room tonight."

I then met 2 other people in the tour. Raj, from Chicago, had just finished the tour and gave us some tips which was very helpful. Sharlene, from Canada is starting the tour also. We then were introduced to 3 other girls on the tour: Chrystal from Canada, and Stacey and Grace from Taiwan. ALL seem very cool. Hamada then walked us to the Sheraton hotel to exchange money. He told us how to act when Egyptian men approached us, and other various tips. Oh - and he also gave us a lesson on crossing the street! Crossing the street is scarier than sky diving! He made us all hold hands and run! He then led us to the metro station where the 5 of us got tickets to go to another part of Cairo to see Coptic Cairo - the Christian part of town. We handled the metro very well - we even had to change lines, but all went smoothly. They had cars for just women! So strange. I'm going to have to ask Hamada later, why they do that.

I took many pictures of the Coptic area but I may not be able to upload them just yet. I am so relieved to be with other girls that were just as frazzled as I was when I arrived. Chrystal and Sharlene slept in their sleeping bags with the light on too! Cairo is not as dirty as I expected, although it's nowhere near as clean as U.S. cities. SO far, everyone has been extremely friendly. I did feel a bit out of place on the metro, being the only women without covering our heads - but nobody seemed to mind.

It's so cheap too! We rode the metro for 1 Egyptian pound! That is USD$0.20! And I bought a bottle of water that cost the equivalent of USD$.030!

Tonight the tour actually starts. Today everyone is slowly arriving from the airport. We had a meeting tonight and then tomorrow we take off to see the pyramids! I'm so excited for this tour - most of my original fears are gone, now that I have met up with the tour group (not the whole thing yet). We are told that there are going to be 19 people in the tour.

Egypt isn't yet what I picutred. There are lots of green, deciduous trees - I was expecting cacti and dust. Well, there is PLENTY of dust. I wore my sunglasses even when it wasn't sunny, just to shield my eyes. The weather is perfect! Partly cloudy, upper 60s or lower 70s.

That's all for now - I have no idea how often I will get to post during the next 2 weeks, but I will upload pictures as soon as I get to South Africa! Wish me luck and pray for my safety!

My New Set of Adventures Begins!

I am headed to Africa for 6 weeks! I fly out on January 29th and I will first be headed to Egypt for a 2-week guided tour with a group of other young solo travellers. The brief itinerary: pyramids, temples, sailing down the Nile, snorkeling the Red Sea... and who knows what else! On February 15th I will be headed down to South Africa. After arriving in Johannesburg I have a short domestic flight to get to a small town called Plettenberg Bay, which is a small coastal town on the south coast - somewhat of an upscale resort town, but not too touristy (or so I'm told). During those 4 weeks I will be volunteering for a marine research organization. I'm not totally sure what I'll be doing, but it could be anything from rescuing beached dolphins, to testing water samples, to helping out in a local school. I will then be headed back to the U.S., arriving on March 17th!

I am SO excited for this opportunity. I will admit though, that I am a bit anxious/nervous about travelling to these countries alone. It is definitely going to be different than it was going to New Zealand alone. So please pray for my safety, and keep in touch! I know that I will have internet access everyday in South Africa, but Egypt will be a bit more sporadic, so if you don't hear from me for a few days, don't fret!

I'm going to Africa!!! Eeeeeeek!