My day in Singapore

    Singapore: probably the most organized, modern and clean place you could ever go. In my short 12 hours here, I realized this and enjoyed it. After coming from India, a litter and dirt free metropolis was a welcomed change. To accompany this environment were warnings everywhere of the very many laws in place to actually create such clean and all-too-kind surroundings. “No pets outdoors! Fine $500” “No chewing gum! Fine $1000” “No food or drinks allowed on the train! Fine $1000”… The list goes on, but you can see how scary this can be as a foreigner, especially when you do not want to do anything wrong. Overall though, I think if the U.S. had more extensive and enforced laws, such as littering policies and no smoking allowed in any public places, that our cities and highways would look a lot better and create a healthier environment.

    Okay, enough of my ranting! In the morning I went to the Singapore Zoological Gardens, one of the world’s best zoos. It was a great zoo, with amazing gardens, but it just isn’t the same going to a zoo after you have seen the majority of the animals in the wild on a safari. I have to keep reminding myself not to take it all for granted, but it is difficult. We all joke about “the difficult lives of SASers” and in all seriousness about how spoiled/lucky we have come to be during our travels. We don’t clean, we don’t cook, we don’t walk if there is a taxi nearby, we get to go to exciting places weekly, we don’t have jobs…the list goes on, but you can see why going home will be a sad and drastic reality check for us all.

    At the zoo I finally got to ride an elephant with Liz and Paige, something everyone is probably happy for so I will shut up about it! After the zoo we took a bus to the train station and headed for a stop in China Town. Here we were recommended to try the cheap, “fast food” huts called the Hawking Center. These food centers are everywhere in Asia, so I finally had to try food. After my sickening experience with street foods in India, I was hesitant but finally had to at least try it. My dumplings and noodles were not bad, but tasted like ramen. It made me even more excited for the food in Asia, where I’ll get to eat lots and lots of carbs, sadly my favorite! After China Town we went to Orchard Road, the prime shopping district (where I did not allow myself to even walk into a store and be tempted…and yes they even had a Forever21!). Before our on ship time that night we met up with my hall mate Nick and some other SASers for an amazingly delicious dinner at the Hard Rock Café. Who knew I would ever miss BBQ, slaw, French fries and potato skins so much? They were phenomenal, to say the least!

    There are only 3 countries left to visit- Vietnam, China and Japan- all back to back in the next 3 weeks. Although I am excited to see everyone at home, I am starting to realize just how hard it is going to be to adjust to my old life. Traveling gives you such an adrenalin rush, along with a constant flow of stress and exciting events continuously occurring. For all these reasons I have always loved to travel, yet I know it will be hard to find these own excitements in everyday life. I think that is something I will definitely have to work on once I’m back in the states. With summer classes, work, and all the other commitments life brings your way, I’m sure I will have more than enough to keep me busy! And I think more than ever, I will truly appreciate being able to just relax with friends, sleep in often, talk with family, and play with my dog!

India

Cochin-Delhi-Agra-Varanasi

    India!!! I am still having a difficult time comprehending that I actually traveled throughout India. I’m beginning to fully realize that all of the countries visited and many of the amazing things I have been a part of on this voyage will not soak in until months after I return to the U.S. The way SAS works is that you literally attempt to squeeze months of traveling into just one week or less. This type of traveling is honestly stressful and tiring, but in the end it is always worth it because of the things I witness and people I am able to meet. My week in India was no different; I filled my schedule to capacity in order to visit two of my bucket list destinations- Agra and Varanasi.

    I traveled through SAS for this, so it was a nice luxury to have it all planned out for me along with tour guides. (Many SASers traveled independently in India and had amazing experiences. I was previously too scared to this, but now I can definitely say I would be completely confident traveling on my own throughout any country, especially India.) Anyways, my ship docked in Cochin/Kochi, India on March 12 and I immediately rushed to the airport with my group of 70 students. Later this evening we arrived in Delhi, a beautifully diverse city filled with immense poverty on the streets and the drastically wealthy elsewhere. This is a common factor of the modern caste system, which I never believed could be so evident, but regardless of what most Indians will argue, this caste system still exists. In addition to the caste system, I have to mention India’s population of approximately 1.5 billion which all live in a country that is 1/3 the size of the U.S. This can help explain the poverty and unemployment, but even more so this extreme number should help you to picture the crowded streets (which have no general direction of traffic), busy railway, and the inescapable rush of beggars and children everywhere. I only tell you about these factors of Indian life in hopes that you can create a mental image as I depict my travels through a truly amazing country.

    My second day in India was probably one of the most difficult days of my life. At 5 a.m. I groggily followed my group as we ran to the Delhi railway station in the dark, cold and pee-smell filled air. Good morning India! The entire city was already and up and moving so early, I don’t know that India ever really does take a break, unless it is to go to a religious ceremony. After taking my first train ride, well ever, I can say it was quite the experience, but it was difficult to meet locals since we were placed in first class seating. After looking at the overcrowded, animal trailer looking general cars though, I can say I am appreciative I was not sitting there at my grumpy 5 a.m. state. Once we reached Agra we visited 3 World Heritage sites- Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort and finally the Taj Mahal! They were each so uniquely beautiful and the Taj Mahal was fascinating to see, yet much smaller on the inside than I ever imagined. Sunset at the Taj was breathtaking and I even enjoyed the Indians attempting to sneak pictures of me as they walked passed…hey everyone needs to feel like a celebrity at some point! :-)

    The following day we departed Delhi for our second major part of the trip- Varanasi. I was so excited for this important city and ultimately had no idea what to expect. After an entire day of flying/driving we finally reached Varanasi just as the sun was setting and the city prepared for their evening ritual. Every evening the Hindus conduct the Aarti service on the River Ganges. I climbed out of the rickshaw, attempted to walk through the streets without being hit or sold junk, and finally reached the river bank. The bright colors, strong smell of incense, bells ringing, candles everywhere and the mass amount of people- Hindus and many white tourists all mixed together, surrounded me. It was breathtaking and I was immediately drawn to the stage front where the crowd surrounded the Brahmin performers. At this point I purposely separated from my large group in order to fully immerse myself in this celebration. It was so different than any religious experience I had ever seen and I loved it. I have never seen people so devoted to faith and it made me long for such a beautiful religious experience for my own faith. As with many other things, this trip puts all your beliefs to the test and has taught me a lot about what I do believe and should believe, rather than a close-minded approach I am sad to say I used to possess and many still possess.

    The fourth day we went back to the Ganges River for yet another religious ritual, the morning cleansing bath in the river. We rode a boat through the river watching the refreshing morning life- people bathing, others meditating- and I made a wish with my candle lit, flower filled bowl before placing it afloat in the river. The entire experience was all so serene and peaceful. My time at the River Ganges was the most memorable in India. Forget the sightseeing and monuments, this was a real and living experience, and more than ever I felt so alive and awakened to the beauty of life. Even days later I still feel as though I gained more than I will ever understand from this experience and the rituals I witnessed. I am by no means a Hindu, but I do believe their faith has value and I respect the loyalty and devotion that its followers possess.

    The remaining days I spent in India were on my own in Cochin, where the ship was docked. I went shopping, a lot, and actually enjoyed the task of bargaining in the Jew market. Paige and I also went to Kodanadu elephant sanctuary, an hour rickshaw ride outside of Cochin. We watched as the elephants were bathed in the river and followed the commands of their trainers. It was an interesting experience, but I don’t exactly see how this can be considered an “elephant reserve”? We were so close to the elephants and were able to pet them, but unfortunately were not able to ride them, which was our initial motivation for going to the reserve. Overall I absolutely enjoyed India. Its distinct people, beautiful religions, busy streets, and diverse cultures- I learned so much from everything I did and saw and even more from the people I conversed with. India taught me more about myself than I ever thought possible and left me with a hunger to learn more about what happiness is really about. Aside from being thankful, I feel truly blessed that I have had the opportunities to learn, question and grow individually that so many people never take the chance to do. Take any opportunity life brings your way…you could learn more about yourself than you ever imagined!

Mauritius

Change of plans, again! We actually made a 4 hour stop in Port Louis, Mauritius on the morning of Wednesday March 7^th.  The short time was enough time to walk around the city with Paige, Nick and Michael, stop by the mall and then have brunch and mimosas before heading back to the ship. It was good to stop even just for a short period! I didn't make it to the beach, but good thing it was a lot more entertaining watching all the SASers drunkenly stumbling or being carried onto the ship. Anyways, 2 more days until we dock in India, I’m so excited/nervous! As always keep me in your prayers! XOXO

Mauritius canceled!!

Due to "bad weather" our stop at the island paradise of Mauritius has been canceled. Of course everyone on the ship is super bummed. Looks like another day of tanning instead Mauritius :( 5 more ship days until India, guess I should use this time to start preparing for the intensity of Agra, Varanasi, Cochin and many more all in 1 week!

Port #4 Cape Town, South Africa

South Africa!!!

We arrived in Cape Town on Friday, February 24^th at sunrise. I woke up bright and early to watch the ship pull into port with some of my hall mates. You know you’re up early when you can still call friends from home that are awake from the night before (it is a 7 hour time difference at this point). Anyways, the sunrise was beautiful and I was immediately taken by Cape Town- from the mountains, to the beach, to the luxurious city buildings, it offered all that a modern city could. A seal even led the ship into port, which made the early morning wake-up even more worth it.

Although I was so excited to finally get off the ship and explore amazing Cape Town, I had 2 FDPs (field practicum for my classes onboard the ship) in the way. First, I attended a poetry session for my creative writing course. Poetry is bad enough during the afternoon, much rather in the early morning without coffee. My second FDP was for anthropology and we went to the Cape Town museum, walked through the Company Gardens, and eventually ended our discussion of race relations during the Apartheid at the Slave Lodge. I attempted to make the most of these rather dull FDPs and finally as they ended I rushed to the V&A Waterfront area for one of my first of many shopping trips. Our ship was docked right by the waterfront, so immediately I realized it was a tourist trap. Unlike our other ports though, the South Africans did not harass you and beg you to buy; it was a much more modern and luxurious shopping experience (and the inflated prices only proved that). Just think shopping in Myrtle Beach, SC- this area looked just like Broadway at the Beach. The first night I went with my roommate Liz, Paige, Amanda, Meagan, and Liz’s friends (who happen to be studying abroad here for the semester) to an “authentic African restaurant” called Moyo. Although the wine was cheap (as it was everywhere in South Africa), the food was over-priced and if this was authentic African food then I would be fine not eating it ever again. After dinner it took us 3 hours to beg a taxi to come pick us up, yes I meant 3 hours. The concept of “African time” is still valid in South Africa, although not as bad as in Ghana. Now= 30 minutes, Quickly= when I get to it, Hurry= I’ll tell you 15 minutes, but really I never plan on coming. I’m really not exaggerating about this. Anyone who knows me, can tell you I am a punctual and organized person, this lack of discipline in all of Africa is truly one thing I will not miss…I had to constantly remind myself to calm down we would make it somewhere sooner or later, but just to rely on later.

Saturday morning at 4:30 am Liz and I went cage diving with Great White sharks. It was a lot of fun and a check on the bucket list! Honestly though, I can’t say I would ever do it again. It was all just too fake- luring a shark in with fish heads and chum- eh just not my thing. On the other hand, it was exciting to see a shark up close and jumping out of the water. That evening I went to a great seafood restaurant on the waterfront and got an upscale meal for less than $10 USD. I’ve come to the conclusion that food is way over-priced in the US. Afterwards Paige and I were supposed to go to the football (soccer) game at the World Cup Arena, but lost our group/tickets, so we decided to make the best of it and head back to the waterfront to watch the game etc. We went in Quay Four with the initial intent to finally try a Sahara hard-cider (which are amazing FYI) and to get free wi-fi, but somehow along the way we met the Argentinean rugby team. We spent the remainder of the night with them, as I attempted to use my broken Spanish (I impressed myself with how much I recalled, but I do really want to learn more).

Another early morning wake up. After 2 very short hours of sleep, I departed for my safari in Kruger National Park. We flew to Johannesburg, and then our tour group- Viva safaris- picked us up and drove us the remaining 6 hours to Marc’s Treehouse Lodge in Northern South Africa. The next 2 days were spent in Kruger and on other small game reserves spotting animals such as- elephants, giraffes (my favorite), zebra, impala, water buffalo, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus, but sadly no cats! So therefore, I did not see 2 of the Big 5 – lion and leopard, I think I’ll survive though. The safari was a great experience and something on my bucket list, but like shark diving, I don’t know that I ever want to do it again. It is just a lot of money to see the animals from so far away if you ask my opinion.

The last day in Cape Town I rode the train to Boulder’s Beach, about an hour away. The train ride was pretty uncomfortable at first, especially since my friends and I were the only white people on the train. We later learned that we were supposed to ride in the first class seating and a fellow SASer was threatened that they would get thrown off the train for not riding in first class. Thankfully none of this drama happened to my friends and I, but just to be safe we rode in first class on the way back to Cape Town. You can definitely say that the Apartheid still affects the daily lives of all South Africans, especially the division between the rich and poor. Anyways, back to Boulder Beach, we went there to see the penguin colony! The beaches were absolutely beautiful and the penguins were everywhere and we even got to swim with them. Beware though, they may look cute but they are mean- there are signs everywhere warning you that they will bite and in half of my pictures I look scared. Later in the afternoon, I finished my last minute shopping at the waterfront stocking up on gifts for family and I since this was our last modern port for a while.

I was most excited for South Africa of all the ports and I can honestly say that it has been my favorite so far, next to Brazil. I will definitely make every attempt to come back here again in my life, and spend much more time than 6 days. Like everyone says- “Semester at Sea is like a sampler tray, you get to see and try everything and decide the countries that you want to go back to”. I did not have time to go to the Stellenbosch wineries, hike Table Mountain, or visit a township all of which I plan to do on a further visit. Although I missed some things I am very thankful for all that I did squeeze in to 6 days and my body is thoroughly exhausted. Now as we head to the paradise island of Mauritius it is time to catch up on many hours of sleep and ace my midterms…wish me luck!