Smooth ride to South Africa? Not so much

Well, the past few days we have had some really rough seas. I had to shove socks under my TV to keep it from moving and my drawers I have taped shut. I did feel sea-sick so I have been taking meds. It really has made me dizzy and tired though. I haven’t been able to sleep much at night, it’s really hard. It’s either the rocking get’s bad or something’s slamming or falling in someone else’s room and you can hear it. Other than that I’ve been doing really well. I did get an A- on my debate that I had last week so, I was really happy about that. Midterms are approaching quickly. Most of them happen after Capetown, South Africa en route to Port Louis, Mauritius. We do get a pre-test in Global Studies so maybe we will get an idea of what to even study. There is just entirely too much scattered information in that class to even get an understanding of what he could possibly ask us. But, I’m sure I will do fine. Pre-sale 2 begins tomorrow for any day trips we want to buy from Vietnam – Hawaii. I don’t really have too many to get because I have in many of those countries large trips. So, I hope that I get the ones that I want. Other than all of this I have pretty much just been reading for classes, relaxing, or watching movies on the movie channels. I prefer to watch the kid’s channel. Last night I watched Little Giants, what a classic. That reminds me I’m happy the Giants are now 3-0! I just wish I was able to watch these games. I’ll be able to catch the last 3 season games and hopefully we get into the playoffs so I can watch those games too! I definitely miss having Sundays to watch football and relax at school. It’s tough here sometimes because there is no real “weekend.” I do have time to relax, but it’s not like a regular weekend at home. Tomorrow we have our cultural pre-port and Friday we have our logistical pre-port. They usually are really helpful and filled with information that’s necessary. Where we are docking is apparently right near all of Capetown. Which is really good compared to some ports which we have to take shuttles out of the shipyards because they are industrial shipyards and it’s dangerous. I am really excited to get there and I have some exciting things I have signed up for. I’ll be sure to update prior to arriving in South Africa which is Saturday morning, with more details on my trips. Also, on the things I’ve learned from my pre-port meetings. I cannot believe tomorrow is OCTOBER already! This is going by so fast when I think of it! I have to get ready I have dinner with my “family” tonight. They are a good group of people, but I miss all of you at home. Nothing can compare.

Ghana and Neptune Day!

09/24/09

Today, I woke up in hopes of a shorter bus ride to Kakum National Park and Eliminia Castle. I went down to breakfast and we actually had a real breakfast this morning instead of croissants. It was fanstastic! We boarded the bus and were on our way to Kakum National Park. Someone eventually asked how far and was told 3 hours. I honestly thought it was going to be that far, but it was too late to turn back now. I learned something really cool about all Ghanaian people’s names. Whatever day they are born on they have a name that corresponds to that day and it becomes part of their name. There are ones specific to males and specific to females. After the long drive to Kakum National Park due to traffic we finally arrived around 1130am. We had a short hike up to the top. It was quite steep at times and many people in the group had to rest. We learned about all the different types of medicines that come from the trees in the forest. The people of Ghana use many of these to cure things such as diarrhea, upset stomach, a cough, fever, etc. Eventually we made it to the top. Now it was time for our canopy walk. However, I didn’t know that the walkway was literally less than a foot big. And the sides of it were made out of ropes. We were really high off the ground. And there were 7 bridges to cross. The view was absolutely gorgeous. I can say it was my first Rainforest Experience too!!! Unfortunately, there were no animals in view because they only really come out at night, but it was soo worth it. After, we hiked back down and went to a hotel for lunch. Ghana is suppose to have some really spicy food and I was hoping it wasn’t too bad. It actually was really good. I also decided to get a beer as you all know I am trying one in every country. It’s called Star and it was the biggest beer in a bottle I have ever seen. It tasted good, but then again I realized I only had 15 minutes to drink it. Needless to say I drank it quickly and burped the entire bus ride to the Elminia Castle and home for 4 hours. After about a half hour we arrived at Elminia Castle which is located on the Cape Coast. It was gorgeous with palm trees, beaches, the Atlantic Ocean, etc. In front of the castle are lagoons. This is where the fish market is located. It smelled absolutely disgusting. We went into the castle for a tour. A little history about the castle is, that is the longest standing European building in Africa. It was first in power by the Portuguese, then Dutch, then the British. It was used as a place they kept men and women that were bred for slavery. it definitely took me back a little seeing some of the rooms in which these people were kept. After the tour ended we got back on the bus and headed back to the ship in TEMA (a four hour drive). Oh and I just wanted to mention the fact that some kids chose to go to the fish market so it smelled like fish for the 4 hour ride. GROSS. Eventually we arrived at the ship and they kept dinner for us again. I was totally exhausted so I went back to my room and to watch a movie. I decided to skip my Habitat trip because there was no way I physically could get up again and this time I would have to be up by 5am. I decided to make plans to see Accra since I had yet to see it.

09/25/09

Today, I woke up and grabbed some breakfast quick and went to get the 8am shuttle to Accra. We left a little after 8 and sat in a lot of traffic. The bus driver pulled over twice, it was really an awkward ride. I had no idea what was going on. Thankfully, we arrived safely a little after 9am. As soon as we got off the bus we got bombarded with people trying to sell us things. It is tough to just walk away from them because they are just being nice and trying to get you to buy things. Eventually we got away and found a taxi to go to the textile market. My friend wanted to have a textile made. We sat in traffic for a little while and then we got to the market. We entered and people rushed to us to come and have a look in their stores. I felt like I was back in Morocco again. It made me feel a little uncomfortable until one guy offered to help us. My friend was able to find a textile and have it embroidered but that took like 45  minutes. Then, we took a taxi back to the gas station and were ready to shop just a little more before catching the shuttle back to the ship. I really wanted a bracelet made. It’s made out of string and the boys that sell that make them right in front of you. One high school student came up to us and asked us if he could make us bracelets. We replied yes and he pulled all the supplies out of his backpack. It was actually really cool to watch them make it. But, since we were stopped and stuck there we were approached by many others trying to sell us things and literally we only have enough for the bracelets. It started to get a little uncomfortable, but the boy making our bracelets told them all to go away. Eventually they stopped trying to sell us things and just talked to us. Funny story, one guy told me I was multi-colored and asked me if I knew that. I said no I have no idea what you are talking about. He said yeah your white, your brown, your dark brown. He was referring to all my freckles hahaha. Then, a  few them tried to get my bracelet that I have had on for over 2 ½ years. I almost flipped out. My friend explained how important it is to me and then they left it alone. They were a fun bunch of guys. Just as the boy was finishing my bracelet it starting to rain. Thankfully, yes dad I brought my rain jacket so I put it on. As we were about 10 feet from the gas station a torrential down pour came and I was soaked. We waited for the bus and then headed back to the ship. Tired and hungry we ate and took showers. Then, I just relaxed for the rest of the day. Had dinner and watched a movie. I definitely liked Ghana a lot and want to go back. It is really a welcoming place and English is their language so it makes communication much easier than many countries we will go to. Tomorrow is Neptune Day! We finally cross the equator we start the celebration at 9am. So, I’ll grab some breakfast and then head to the 7^th deck.

09/26/09

Today, is NEPTUNE DAY! Well so much for sleeping in a little. We were awoken at 740am by whistles, drums, cymbols, and loud bangs on the doors going down the hallways. This happened at least 2 times. Since, I was awake I went to have breakfast earlier than expected. We headed up to the top deck just before 9am. Tons of people up there and two men dressed with plastic aprons and gloves standing next to 3 large barrels by the pool. We were told to stand near the pool and wait for the entry of King and his people. As the band of people came up the procession of King Neptune began. King Neptune was covered head to toe in green  paint and wore a grass skirt. It was our ship’s captain. It was probably one of the funniest things I have ever seen. After introducing all of “important people” the ceremony began. Those who wanted to participate were told to form a line near the pool deck and be ready to become shellbacks. If you have never crossed the equator by ship you are called a pollywog. So, people formed the line and the barrels were opened. It was “fish guts” that was to be poured on people’s heads and then jump into the pool. Tons of people did it, but I opted not to. I don’t feel well and I didn’t want to stand around soaking wet and cold. Tons and tons of people did it. It was really cool to watch. It was required for the Crew members who have never done it before. So, in their white uniforms they had to do it too. It was pretty funny. Also, professors and all were jumping in too. The second half of the ceremony is head shaving. Apparently, old sailors would shave their heads during the crossing of the equator. So whoever wanted to got the opportunity to do it today. The first one up was a girl, yes a girl with longer blonde hair. 5 minutes hair…. GONE. I mean shaved to the scalp. This went on for a couple hours. Many many girls did it. Some did half their heads, others did Mohawks, and some just outright shaved the whole thing. An older woman who was a life long learner probably about 70 years old shaved her head. Some of the living and learning coordinators did too. A girl whose mother works on the ship had to be maybe in middle school still had long hair and just shaved it all off. It was awesome to watch, but soon as I heard that razor it made me so nervous for the people in those chairs. I went to lunch and took a nap. We had another lifeboat drill again tonight, always fun.. NOT. Then, I had my bridge tour which I got to see the place where the captain and the crew work out of. It was really cool to learn about the ship and the technology. We are the fastest cruise ship in the world, and that is our greatest weapon against threats or violence from other ships. After that we went and got some dinner and now I’m going to watch Now and Then and hang out. 6 days of straight classes this week. But, then SOUTH AFRICA!!!!! I am really excited to get there!! I’ve got a couple of things planned that I am really excited about and I’ll update you on them the end of the week!

GHANA!

Yesterday, we reached GHANA! We are docked in an industrial port which is actually located in TEMA not too far from Accra. We arrived a little late and were told that clearing the ship which means going through passports, papers, etc would take 2-3hrs. Well, thankfully it only took 1 hour and I waited in line for EVER to board the bus for my FDP for my International Law class called United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees Office and Camp. First, we left the city of TEMA and headed to Accra to go to the UNHCR office. There we met with representative of UNHCR and they gave us a great presentation on Refugees. Basically it was an outline of how you become a refugee, what are your rights and obligations, and the international and domestic laws that apply. When the presentation concluded we got back on the bus and ate our boxed lunches provided by Semester At Sea. This consisted of a sandwich, Capri sun, apple, some sort of cake, and chicken legs. Probably the most random lunch I have ever eaten. Guess who ate the apple? I was starving what can I say. Haha I did however sit there with my oh so sharp (NOT) plastic knife and cut the skin off.  But, don’t I still get credit because I ate it?? We arrived a little late to the Refugee Camp and a couple of things we were suppose to see were closed. Anyway, we were briefed by the Manager of the Camp, Educational Managers, among other important figures that work the Refugee Camp. Then, we went and took a tour of the grounds. We stopped by the doctors office, the welfare office, the police station, the disabled school, passed many elementary schools, and finally came to stop at the top of the hill at an elementary school. We were asked to donate books if we had them, but all I had was stickers. Every kid loves stickers don’t they? After everyone was done donating a classmate and I were approached by a man who helped run the school. He asked to exchange information because he said he needed help here at the Refugee Camp. He had over 900 orphans and limited supplies. So, hopefully I will be in touch with him and can help send stuff from the US to this particular Refugee Camp in Ghana. The atmosphere at the camp made us feel a little uncomfortable. After all we are entering their territory. Some waved at us and smiled, while others just had a blank stare. After the tour we got back on the bus and we were running late because of the late start. We were scheduled to be back at 5pm. It took us over 2 and a half hours of traffic through Accra to get back to TEMA. I was exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry. I ate dinner, went to my room, turned on the TV and got into bed.
Today, I had to be up at 6am. Since, I went to bed so early last night I slept like crap. We were told to be down in the dining room at 630 and to the buses by 7am. We were being served a “continental breakfast” which consisted of croissants, croissants, and guess what? MORE CROISSANTS! It was basically like eating thin air and since the line was out the door you could only get as much as you could carry. I made my way toward to the bus and it wasn’t until then I found out how long the bus ride was to the place we were going. Apparently, people were saying it was a 4 ½ hour ride to the Waterfalls. We all couldn’t believe it, no way it could be true. We asked the tour guide and he confirmed. Everyone was pretty angry when we left. The ride was absolutely horrible. I don’t think I have or will ever in my entire lifetime go over that many speed bumps in my life. I am so happy I do not get motion sickness because I would have gotten sick within the first 5 minutes. It eventually gave me an awful headache. We asked to have a bathroom stop along the way and well that was an hour into the trip. I didn’t have to go then so I didn’t and not until we start moving do I find out when the next stop is. The tour guide told a girl that we are “bushing it.” Translation: pop a squat behind a bush when the bus pulls over. I did not partake in this either.  But, what was I to expect this is AFRICA I am in. Well, after 4 and a half hours we arrive at the welcome center of the Waterfalls. Starving as ever they tell us “hopefully” lunch will be here AFTER you do you hour and a half hike. Great, just what we wanted to hear. So, we go through this trail in which we cross 9 bridges and the same river each time.  It was actually really cool. The trail was really interesting it was home to Cocoa, Plantains, and Coffee Beans. After the hike we finally reached the waterfall. It was absolutely gorgeous. The water was spraying all over the place though. Many people went swimming; I opted out because I didn’t want to be wet the rest of the day. We spent about a half hour there and then made the same hike back. Thankfully, our lunch was waiting for us on the bus. Now, it was 2pm and we haven’t eaten or had anything to drink really since 630am. So, we engulfed out sandwiches. I think I ate chicken or so that’s what the label told me. After lunch on the bus we were headed to see the Sacred Monkeys. Reminder our trip time to be back is 5pm. So we drive another hour and a half to see the monkeys. We learned a lot about how they became sacred and took some trails through the woods. The highlight of my day was when we were each given a banana and were told we could feed the monkeys. At first we were all a little confused. Then, the guide showed us. All you had to do was squat down and these little monkeys would come over to you and peel the banana in your hand and pull a chunk of it off with their little hands and run away. You would have multiple ones at the same time. It was such an awesome experience. We boarded the bus after and were on our way back to TEMA to the ship. We arrived 3 hours late and thank god they kept the food open for us. I had some dinner and now I am relaxing for the rest of the night. I figured instead of one long post I’ll share my first two days with you and then my last two days. Don’t get me wrong I loved the sights we got to see, but the bus ride was just awful. All in all I can say it was worth it.

Today, I had my debate for Deviance and Social Control. The other side went first and had no real argument or none that my group could find. However, they somehow found a way to piss me off whatever they were saying. So, when my group went the first presenter did the history of life imprisonment and then I went second and gave the arguments. I more like yelled them to emphasize my point, but whatever I think we will get a good grade. We had a strong conclusion and fought for our side when claims were made against us by classmates. Also, since I have limited internet connection I do not know what is going on around the world. The best source is Wikipedia which is honestly the worst source of information ever created on the internet. Not much to rely on. So apparently Patrick Swayze died??? I don’t find out until a week later. However, on a happier note GIANTS are doing quite well. Definitely pumped that they beat the COWBOYS! Other than that I have no idea what’s going on in New Jersey or the US for that matter. Tonight, we had another pre-port lecture about logistical things; trips, food, shopping, malaria, water, etc. It went by pretty quickly as much of the information is actually repetitive. I did start my Malaria pills today and will continue to do so for the remainder of the trip until China. Now, I am just relaxing and watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding for the rest of the night. My trip of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees is one of the first to leave the ship tomorrow. Oh, and yesterday our pre-port was soooo funny. Instead of reading the boring stuff about Ghana our Dean decided to follow the pattern of the talent show and actually rapped the entire 5 minute presentation. It was quite comical, I was practically crying from laughing. But, nonetheless it got his point across. I may not update for a few days depending on when I get back from some of my trips as many of them leave at or before 7am and do not get back until night time. So, don’t worry about me. There will be an update sometime this week.  So excited, GHANA AT 8am!!!!!

PS. HAPPY 20^TH BIRTHDAY MEGGGG!!!! SORRY I CANNOT BE THERE TO CELEBRATE! ONE MORE YEAR UNTIL 21. PREPARE YOURSELF HAHAHA

Well, due to apparent demand for me to write I guess I’ll update. Haha just kidding. There wasn’t too much going on this week until this past weekend so I didn’t want to do the same update every day so I’ll just give you what went on this week and what’s going on for next. My classes this week went well. Global Studies we had two guest lecturers one from Ghana and one from the Bahamas. It was definitely an interesting class and had the ability to keep my attention at 9:30 it the morning. I am reading a book for my Marriage and The Family course and I really like it. It’s called what is marriage for? It talks about the history of family, marriage, and how it has developed both socially, religiously, and legally. Definitely a book I cannot wait to finish. My Deviance and Social Control class is a lot of fun. We watched a really movie called Edmund it was apparently about alienation. I found it to be one of the weirdest movies I have ever seen. Let’s just say it’s not a movie that any of us would really pick up off the shelf at blockbuster because we were dying to see it. I have a debate in this class tomorrow on the highly debated topic of: Life in prison without the chance of parole is inhumane. Well, I chose the side of being against that statement and I have a few strong arguments so it may get a little heated. It is an informal debate, but should get really interesting once the class starts discussing. My International Law class is still difficult to understand the professor, but I think I’m finally get the ideas of what she’s saying. We had a guest lecturer the same one from Ghana to present topics related to domestic and international laws. This class has an FDP, which is a field component attached it and it is taking place in Ghana. We are meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees of Ghana. They will give us a presentation on the policies and standards for Refugee camps in Ghana. After we will travel to a Refugee Camp and then later have dinner on the ship with several members of the UNHCR. So, it’s really exciting and unusual opportunity that I intend to take full advantage of. As for other trips I am doing in Ghana they consist of Mona Monkeys and Wli Waterfalls, Kakum National Park and Elmina Castle, and Habitat For Humanity. All of which I am highly excited about. Last night we went to a seminar title “The Ugly American” it basically had to do with what stereotypes did we have for Ghana and what Ghanaian people have stereotyped for Americans. Of course it came down to we are loud, and obnoxious. After, it turned into a discussion with a Ghana student about cultural aspects, what to do what not to do, what to eat, etc. I am happy that I went because I learned a lot about the culture in the short hour of time we had.  On Friday night, we had a ship-wide talent show. It was 2 and a half hours long and I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard since this voyage left Halifax. Some were making fun of the woman who does the morning announcements, others the ship captain, and the security who check you on the ship. Another group made fun of how horrible the performance on the camel trek trip was. Some girl pretended to be Susan Boyle. It was a great way to get the community together and relax too. I really wanted to do an FDP in South Africa called Robben Island which is where Nelson Mandela’s prison cell was for 18 years. So, we will get an in depth look at the Robben Island and the history of the area. Unfortunately, it was an FDP for another class so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get on the trip. I decided to check the field office and there was one spot left, I was confirmed yesterday and I could not be more excited!! However, I probably will not doing shark diving anymore or bungee jumping. I’m sure I’ll do it somewhere else along this voyage or something. Saturday, was a reading day so I spent it outside and got my tan, I mean my sunburn on. It’s fading into a tan, slowly haha.  At dinner last night there was COFFEE ICE CREAM. I cannot remember the last time I ate ice cream. It was like Christmas!!! Haha Well, that was pretty much an update of what’s been going on all week. I arrive in Ghana Tuesday morning! I am really excited. But, I miss youuuu!

PS. IT’S BEEN OVER 3 WEEKS SINCE I LEFT! CRAZZZY

Today, I woke up at 10am. I went to bed at 10pm last night which translates to I slept 12 hours last night. I guess I could say I was tired for sure. I was thinking about it today and we’ve been on this voyage for 18 days already. We’ve also seen 2 countries in that time period, and a third just prior to leaving. It’s all happening so fast I don’t doubt that at all. Before I know it, we’ll be docking in Accra, Ghana. This whole experience has been so exciting. Every day is something new. Anyway, I had lunch and then it was back to reality. I went up to the pool deck and read for class. I can’t believe after a week and a half off classes are starting back up today. I had two this afternoon and both went well. As it is still difficult to understand my International Law professor I think I am following along pretty well. I had my dinner tonight with my extended family. What this means is there is a Life Long Learner who adopts students for the semester. So, if I ever need help or someone to talk to I can call or email him or her. Do to the exceptionally large response of students wishing to participate each LLL was given approximately 5-8 students. My LLL is Milton who is a grandpa to 2 of the little adorable blonde children ages 5 & 6 that run around the ship. He had accomplished a lot of things in his life. He was a professor for many different subjects including sociology. So, in a sense I can relate to him. He is from Canada and has worked in about 12 different countries around the world. We met for dinner at 5:30 tonight with the rest of our “family.” There were 8 total students and 7 of us showed up. We stayed at dinner for almost 2 hours just talking and getting to know one another. I really like the idea of the extended family because now I have 7 new friends too. Because things went so well tonight we are meeting for dinner again on Friday at 5:30. I think a lot of us are looking forward to it. It’s definitely something that I hope to keep regularly throughout the rest of our voyage. Well, I’ve been updating my journal and relaxing for awhile. I’m going to watch some movies on the TV. Wizard of Oz is on! Miss you all!

Morocco - Camel Trek in the Sahara!

9/10/09

Today we are in MOROCCO, more specifically CASABLANCA! It’s so weird that we are in another country already, but I am really excited. Also it should be interesting as we are entering Morocco when it is Ramadan which is a month of Holiday for the people of Morocco. They have specific guidelines and the main one is that they can eat before sunrise, and at sunset, that is it. They cannot drink or eat at any point in the middle unless you are young, very old, or traveling. So, I knew this was going to interesting experience. We were told to try and avoid consuming drinks/food in public as it would be frowned upon. I woke up really early because I was one of the first trips to depart the ship. I had to eat breakfast and packed/ready to go by 915am. Of course packing never goes well and not everything would fit in my suitcase so I had to deal with what I had. Pack lightly they tell us, HA. Anyway, we met in the Union at 930 were given our passports and told to sit in our section corresponding to our bus numbers. We then, grabbed a boxed lunch and headed for the buses. After everyone got on we were told that Lunch would be provided today on the way to Marrakesh, therefore the box lunch was a snack. Everyone was pretty excited because we did have a 4 hour bus ride ahead of us. The tour started the minute we left the port of Casablanca. The bus took us around Casablanca a little showing us the Mosque, Rick’s Café, beaches, among other sights. Side note: the tour guide told us despite popular belief Casablanca was filmed in Hollywood and not in Morocco. After this we started our ride toward Marrakesh which is the city we would be staying between Casablanca and our destination: The Sahara Desert. It was tough to stay awake and I fell asleep a few times, but it was so beautiful and so different from Spain. Along the way we stopped for lunch at a restaurant. It was situated in Marrakesh in the Souks. The Souks is like a giant marketplace and they sell everything from clothes to fresh fruits. I was a little nervous about trying the food, but of course I did. They have practically a 5 course meal. First, we got a ton of fresh made bread. It is such good bread too! Then, we got a bunch of fresh cut vegetables chopped. I tried a little of each. Then, the next came out pieces of chicken that tasted absolutely delicious. All dishes after the salad usually come out in this pot like object called a Tagine. It’s what most of their main dishes are cooked in. Next, was oranges with cinnamon sprinkled on top, of course I passed on this. Last were the pastries!!! They were soooo good. After this we had some free time to explore the Souks. It was definitely a different environment and everyone tries to get you to come to their stores, just to look. Even if you didn’t want to it was tough telling them no. And then came the torrential down pours so we got stuck in some very odd place of the market until the rain stopped. It wasn’t comforting at all, we almost walked through the rain to get away. We just stayed close together. Then, we had to meet the bus so we walked through the rain, it has lightened up a bit and headed for the bus. It began to pour again as we stood and waited for the bus, which ended up showing up late. We were soaked, cold, and tired. Finally, the bus came and we went to the hotel. It was a really nice place we had about 2 hours and then we were off to dinner and a horse show. The food at the place was very good. The first thing we had was a vegetable dish that I decided to pass on. The second was the meat dish, which was an egg on top of meat that was like ground beef. It was really good. Then, the last dish we had was couscous with lots of vegetables. For dessert it was some type of fruit I believe and I passed on that too. After that we watched a horse show which was really interesting. We headed back to the hotel and had to be at breakfast at 6am, bus leaves at 7.
PS. Interesting fact, they seem to call it Coke Light everywhere not Diet Coke.

09/11/09

Woke up and was starving for breakfast. I was afraid of what it could possibly be. TONS OF CROSSIANTS! So, that is what I ate. We boarded the bus and were starting our 8 hour drive to the Sahara Desert to start our Desert Experience. I have never seen so many mountains in my life, nor have I twisted and turned up and down around mountains so much either. It was absolutely gorgeous though, one of the mountains is the highest in Morocco. We did stop off a few times for pictures and to stretch. Other times we stopped for a bathroom break along the way. I slept pretty much most of the time. We did stop off for lunch at a restaurant along the way. The first thing we ate was another vegetable dish which I tried a little bit of. Next, was what seemed as their version of little hot dogs, burgers, chicken, and kebabs and that tasted so good. After that was a fruit soup thing that had bananas in it, so I didn’t eat that either. Lunch ended and we had another 4 hours ahead of us. We literally felt we were heading into nowhere. Around 430pm we finally arrived at our destination. The destination meaning pulling over to the side of the road and a bunch of camels and nomads lined up. We were told to get off the bus drop our  bags in a pile if you need it if not leave it on the bus. Our luggage will be transported to the nomad tents where we will be sleeping. Then, go pick a camel. So, that is what I did. I picked the first one in a line of 5 camels roped together. Oh and just want to make it clear that there was NOT a camel for everyone so some had to walk up to a certain point and switch. That was extremely depressing and tiring, but what do we expect when 170 students go on a trip like this. It was all part of the experience is the way I looked it. So about an hour and a half later we reached the site and the nomads were singing to us upon entering. We found our bags and were given tent assignments and sent to put our stuff away. I was in tent 11, how weird mom? We were given a mattress, sheets, a pillow, pillow case, and a blanket. All of which were covered with sand and smelled like camel. Thank god I brought my travel sheet and pillow case for these types of occasions. Everyone was extremely jealous of me, and I couldn’t have been happier. We had about 2 hours until dinner because the nomads had to eat when the sun went down because of Ramadan so we waited to eat after they did. We watched the sunset and it was gorgeous I have some really good pictures too. After that the water, beer, and wine came out. I decided to try the beer which is my goal in every country. It was good, but would have been better if it wasn’t warm. Then, the Nomads sang and danced for us just prior to dinner. We were all seated for dinner and out came the bread. I have pictures of the women making it fresh over a fire. It was delicious. We were given some sort of vegetable and meat dish that was so good. We usually don’t finish the whole Tagine. This, time we did and we definitely wanted more. But we didn’t get any, instead was fruit. Well, everyone said it tasted so good and I should try it so I did. Unfortunately I did not get the name of it so I have no idea what I ate. It was so good, I think I had more than one piece too. Then, was dancing and singing and joining hands in circles. It was fun for a few hours. They also spelt out Semester At Sea in fire on the top of the hill it was awesome. They were very nice people and welcomed us to their home. Then, I got something in my eye was annoyed and went to bed. Apparently I didn’t miss out on much except that some people’s beds had giant beetles in it so they dragged their mattresses outside and slept under the stars. I was a lucky one and did not have the beetle problem.

God Bless The USA – 9/11/01 Never Forgotten.
- We did have a moment of silence at lunch today around 915am EST.

 

09/12/09

Breakfast again was at 6am so I woke up just a little before and went to the top of the hill to watch the sunrise. It was awesome and I am glad I made my way up there. I have tons of pictures of it too. Then, I went and got all my stuff together and was in search of a camel for the trek back to the bus. I found a nice one and got on. Eventually reached the bus and got on for another 8hr drive back to Marrakesh to spend another night in the hotel. We did stop for lunch again and it was vegetables to start. I skipped that and ate the next course which was prunes with some type of meat. I ate the meat it was really good, we think it was lamb. Then of course there was another type of fruit which I loved too. I had two pieces of it, and don’t know the name. Hopefully I will be able to figure it out when I get home. Then, they had mint tea. The first time I tried this I didn’t like it so this time I had a little bit more. I got some really cool pictures that this restaurant overlooks these homes. They were in two movies and one of which was the Gladiator.  Then, another 4 hours until we reached Marrakesh. We did stop at a store in Marrakesh and yes mom I found salt and pepper shakers. As they are completely different in Morocco they are more like little Tagines that are connected. We finally made it back to the hotel and were dying for a shower. We met around 8pm and were in search of a restaurant. Since it was late a lot of places were closed. We went to a place called the Yellow Sub. As in the Yellow Submarine. The entire place was dedicated to The Beatles. I enjoyed a beer that was called Casablanca and had Gnocchi for dinner. Excellent choice. Went back to the hotel and went to bed to be up and ready to go to the Souks.

09/13/09

 Breakfast wasn’t nearly as early as it has been so we could sleep in a little bit. We ate at 9:00am and I had probably 7 croissants because I was so hungry. We boarded the buses for the Souks, which is the market again for some last minute shopping. I got a few things such as a Marrakesh t-shirt and a shot glass. We went back to the hotel picked up the remaining kids and were en route for Casablanca! We got back here around 430pm relaxed until dinner and then ate the biggest meal of my life. We got ready and went to tour the city. We entered the market and my friend wanted to buy a magic box. So, we talked to this young kid who was 20 for a long time he spoke good English. After, he asked us to get some mint tea with him. We went and talked with him for about an hour, and it was awesome. Probably one of my top experiences on this trip so far. I learned a lot about their culture and what he liked to do when he wasn’t working or in school. We went back to the ship stayed up for a bit then went to bed.

09/14/09

Today, we went to the I Love Hip Hop In Morocco FDP so that we could hear the one woman in the video we watched on Wednesday talk about her involvement in the Hip Hop industry. It was actually really exciting and interesting. I am so happy that I signed up for it because I know a lot of people were regretting that they didn’t. After that ended we went and got lunch and decided to head out to the market again. My friend wanted to buy a scarf and a Moroccan hand. I wanted to buy a miniature camel figurine. We both found what we wanted. Moroccans are so helpful in helping you negotiate prices and will take you where you will find what you need. This man took us all over until my friend got everything she needed. It was awesome. After that we went and found some postcards and were in search of the post office. It was nowhere to be found and then we asked some people that were from SAS where to get stamps and directly behind us was a store that sold them. Finally, we found them. Then, I bought a few sodas with what I had left and headed back to the ship. I didn’t realize that I couldn’t board with twist off caps so I sat outside and drank 2 out of the 7 sodas that I bought and then threw out the rest. It wasn’t bad I only spent under 5 US dollars on it. I just wanted to get rid of the rest of my change. Now, I am exhausted and am going to relax for the rest of the night. I have classes for a week before reaching Ghana on the 22^nd of September. Sorry for the long update but, I am sure most of you want to know what I’m doing. Thanks again for keeping up with my Blog!

Morocco Day

Today was Morocco Day which translates into cram as much information as possible about Morocco in one day. We had Global Studies this morning (Both A & B) classes had to go so it was cramped. It was very interesting, it was about the veil in the Islamic world and the meaning of it women. I won’t go into detail because it is a debated topic within the Islamic community. After that I went back and took a nap. Oh by the way it was gorgeous outside today and we were situated in the middle of the water. We could see Gibraltar, a small country south of Spain. Awesome views. We ate lunch and then went to the 2:00pm required movie of I Love Hip Hop Morocco. It was an awesome movie and I’m happy that I signed up for the talk that happens on Monday where some of the people from the movie will be coming aboard the ship. After that I relaxed and watched Beauty and The Beast, yes I watch the kids movie channel. They have all the best Disney movies on! Then, had dinner and got ready for the 2 hour presentation of logistics and cultural information sessions. They were actually really helpful and interesting. I learned a lot about what not to do and what you should. Such as do not take public buses, use taxis and negotiate before getting in the cab, do not eat uncooked food, be careful of water, etc. I’ve mentioned previously that I’m going on a Camel Trek. This trip was planned through SAS and about 150 people are going so it should be exciting. It starts out in Casablanca where we get driven to Marrakech which is a good tourist city so we were told today. We stay in a hotel there and then leave the next day on an 8 hour bus ride to Zagora. This is the part where my mom cringes; I stay in a nomad tent in the desert for the night. The next morning I get to ride the Camel in the Sahara Desert. Later, in the afternoon back to Marrakech and hotel for the night. Next day, relax then head back to Casablanca on Sunday. So I’m pretty excited and plan on taking LOTS OF PICTURES! Tonight we finally get to fall back 2 hours, it’s such a relief. I’ll be relaxing and finishing packing for the rest of the night. I’ll not be responding to emails or anything until I come back Sunday. Also, I won’t be able to update my blogs either so I’ll do one long one when I get back. I’ve been keeping up with my journal so I’ll be bringing that along.

We’ll be in Morocco tomorrow at 8am!!

Goodbye Spain!

Yesterday was pretty low key. We decided not to go out of Cadiz and walked around for a little while during the afternoon. However, we went to lunch first on the ship and were approached by an older couple. This happened to be Gretchen and her husband Ray. They are from South Carolina. They asked to sit with us and to talk so we kindly let them join us. This is there 5^th and last voyage. They were on the Fall voyages of 99, 02, 04, 06, 09. They have seem much of the world, but they wanted to experience it one last time and because this voyage was so extremely special. So that cut about an hour out of our day. It was very interesting what she had to say about some places I am visiting especially Varanasi in India. She said she has not been there in 10 years, but would never forget it. So, I’m pretty excited to live that experience too. After leaving the ship a little after 1230 we went to search for a few souvenirs and to kill some time. However, in Spain they have this time called Siesta time which they close all stores at 2pm and do not reopen to 5pm or after. At this time they all go home and take a nap. So, it’s tough in the afternoon to find something to do. We came back to the ship and I sat outside on the deck for awhile. Then, we ate a little bit of dinner on the ship and went to take naps. We met up around 9 and started out journey to find the bars of Victoria Beach in New Cadiz. The bus in itself was an experience. I’ve never been so close to another person in my entire life. And they just kept letting people on and on and on. It was so cramped; thankfully we were close to the door so when we had to get off it wasn’t difficult. We roamed around for awhile before finding a restaurant to have a little bit to eat. We tried the Ham that the interport lecturer had told us about and it was delicious! I also had the lamb and that was really good too. Then, we got some kind of fried fish all different types on a platter, most were very very good too. After, we decided to look for a bar. We found the bar Woodstock which was the same name of the bar in Old Cadiz. We went in and had a beer then decided to move on. So, we went to the bar that was on the beach and had 2 beers. The beer of Cadiz seems to be a beer called Cruzcampo and it was really good. So, then the lights go out and they tell us bar closed at 2am. So, we finished our drinks and were on our way to find the bus stop. However, the streets were dead and there were no buses to be found. We then decided to start walking back to the ship and finally got a taxi. It was an experience to say the least. This took us about an hour of our time between walking and finding a taxi to get back to the ship. Today is our last day, kind of came so quickly! We went to the food market for my friend’s food and culture class and then we went and finally tried Paella. It’s a type of rice that has vegetables, meat, or seafood in it. I tried the seafood one and it was really good. Later we found Gelato which I had yet to try and I absolutely loved it. The food in Spain was delicious, although the area wasn’t too good for tourists. We sat at outside at a resturant and had one last Cruzcampo before boarding. Now, I am back on the ship and we leave around 6pm and will be in Morocco Thursday morning. I’m excited for the next country, but sad to leave Spain so soon.

PS. WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE A DOG HERE? I've never seen so many in my life.

Seville, Spain

Last night, I went out in search of a bar televising the Spain Soccer Game. After awhile, I finally came to a bar called Woodstock. I went inside and quickly found a bunch of other SAS students, about 20 of them watching the game. I was kind of pissed because I missed the whole first half, but little did I know I would watch Spain score 4 more goals. It was an awesome experience. Every time a goal was scored, the Ola Ola chant was going on and the bartender rang a bell. It was a lot of fun. I have never seen so many size glasses to choose from when ordering a beer. I settled for a tube glass, and the beer only cost 2 euros. So, of course I had two of them. The name of the beer I don’t have a clue, but it was soo good. All I know it was a blue and white statue of a woman and it looked like I was getting beer from her ass. After, the game ended we went to a club/bar called Persume. Ironically, the bar was playing music videos in the English Language. I had another beer there called Al Ahambre. It was a darker beer, not a big fan. After that bar, we headed back toward the ship because it was about 1:30am and we had early plans for today. Little did we know that the main gate was closed which made us take about a 15 minute detour to the other gate. I came home and went straight to bed. I woke up this morning and wasn’t too sure on what my plans were going to be. I knew one of my friends and I were going to the train station to see what time we could get a train to Seville. We ended up getting on the 11:10am and arrived a couple minutes before 1pm. However, there was a little issue on the train. Apparently, the man who sold us the tickets put us on the train for tomorrow. So, therefore we were in someone’s seats. Luckily, the man collecting tickets spoke English and told us it was a mistake and we could stay. I couldn’t imagine what I would have done if we had to get off. After arriving we took a taxi into the city and began walking. We did a little sightseeing and kept walking around and around. Not really in any direction just wherever the road took us. We had lunch at a small place, the waiter attracted us when he spoke English. So, I ordered a fried empanada. It was pretty much fish and chips without the fish it was chicken. It tasted very good, the French fries sucked though. While sitting there we were approached by a woman and a dog no older than a few weeks. She tells us to pet it, so we did even though I didn’t want to. Then she goes to my friend and tells her we owe her 2 euros. I couldn’t believe this was happening, who would of thought? Anyway, we got up from lunch and proceeded on finding a large amount of small gift shops. I bought myself a shot glass of course. Ah Mom, I was able to get salt and pepper shakers too! They are bulls in a wooden pen. One shop we walked into a dog was just walking around. When the owner was walking away the dog picked up a stuffed heart shaped object from a basket on the floor and walked out. I was in complete shock I didn’t know what to do. A few minutes later the dog was brought back with the toy in its mouth with the store owner from next door. We kept going and going. Oh did I  mention that today it reached over 100 degrees???? I was dying. I have some nice sunburn. Everyone would be so proud of me I drank over a liter and a half of water today haha. I feel great too, which I am pretty happy about. We then wandered to find a taxi back to the train station. The taxi took us to the parts we missed so it was exciting. I took lots of pictures today too! Later, when we looked at the map we realized how much we had walked. Honestly, I didn’t know that it was humanly possible. I cannot feel my calves, but I do have a lot of memories of this trip to Seville. I’m going to go relax for awhile and make some plans for tomorrow.

PS. Funny story, mostly to my Scranton friends on the first day of one of my classes last week my professor was calling out first and last names. Guess what I was called? BEATLE. Hahaha miss you guys!

Cadiz, Spain - Day 1

SPAINNNNNN!!! Well today was my first day in Spain. I got up at 645am to see the sunrise and watch the ship dock. I got breakfast first though and I had a croissant, DELCIOUS. The sunrise was absolutely beautiful. The colors were orange and yellow mixed. I plan on waking up early to see the sunrise in every country. We docked about 7:15am, actually 45 minutes early than our expected arrival. I went and walked around with my friend for a little while. I was excited to finally be on land again. After exploring a little we came back and our tour didn’t leave until 1:00pm so, I took a nap. The tour was about 4 hours long and covered the Old part of the city. About an hour of this period of time was on the bus the rest was walking. Needless to say I can’t feel my feet. The tour guide wasn’t too helpful she pretty much sounded like a textbook. The tour was boring too, but it was an experience and I was able to see a few museums. Not the exciting first day I had expected, but hopefully tonight will be fun. We’re heading to bars in the Modern section of Cadiz. Apparently, there is a lot of night clubs, disco clubs, and bars on the beach. I’ll bar hop for a little then head home. Although we were told that bars don’t open until 10 or 11 and you are to be prepared to stay up all night as they do not close until 7 or 8 in the morning. Everyone seems to stay out that late. Most likely tomorrow I’ll be heading to Seville for the day. Alright, I’m going to go nap and get ready for tonight’s festivities.

PS. I plan on trying Gelato tomorrow!

AND GO SPAINNNNN! Sorry Dad you can't watch the game, hopefully I can catch it somewhere!

Almost to SPAIN!

Well isn’t this the best way to start off the voyage.. I am on antibiotics for 7 days because of my ear piercing being infected yet again. This time I had to remove which is probably something I should have done about 5 years ago. Eh, whatever. SPAINNN TOMORROWW! It’s so exciting to finally reach our first port. I have a City Orientation tomorrow afternoon to go through Cadiz. Tomorrow night I plan on finding a bar to watch the soccer game. I’m going to Granada on Tuesday and Seville on Wednesday. So, I have a pretty packed schedule with buses and tours. However, I can’t believe I’ve been on this voyage a week. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. As I just start getting used to my classes we now won’t have them for 10 days because of going to one country/port after another. Tonight I had salad because guess what they have…. HONEY MUSTARD!!!! I am so excited that they have this, I feel like I’m at home haha. After dinner tonight we decided to sit outside on lounge chairs on deck 5. It was the most relaxing I’ve ever felt this entire trip. I was able to lie down and hear the ocean’s waves as they crashed upon the boat. But, I was also watching the sun begin to set. Of course in the hour I spent out there I have gotten a nice sunburn to start off with tomorrow. We had a logistic meeting tonight about safety, behavior, ship time, dock time, etc. DOCK TIME means that for every 15mintues you arrive after the On Ship time of say 1800hrs it will result in a penalty of 3hours per those 15 minutes. This penalty is tacked onto your arrival at the next port which means you will not get off the ship with everyone else. So, yes Mom I will arrive much earlier than the On Ship time to be that this doesn’t interfere with my next port. My next port is Casablanca, Morocco. I’ll be doing a Camel Trek through the Saharan Desert. I’ll update you as much as I am able to while in Spain. If I can’t I will give you a long update when I get back from my excursions and more details about Morocco!

PS. The Ocean was gorgeous today, it was the most beautiful blue. Nothing like New Jersey Ocean haha.

Today was cloudy yet again so I didn’t spend any time outside today. I had two classes today that went well. It was my friend’s birthday today so we had chocolate cake at dinner and it was a definite upgrade from the various “sponge cake” desserts we usually have. Tonight we had a presentation from a few interport lecturers and faculty who are from Spain. Interport Lecturers are people usually students who are from the next country we are visiting and stay on the ship for a period of time and right before we enter their home country they give a presentation. It was quite entertaining tonight because one male faculty member who is from Spain went over stereotypes for both Spain and the US. Some of them included all we do is watch football and drink beer, and we only eat hamburgers and French fries. One thing he pointed out was DEFINTELY do not where white socks with sandals. Which we all know in the US makes you look like a tourist also. We learned that if you are going to a bar you can’t really wear flip flops or sneakers. Bars don’t really get started until around 11pm and last til 7 or 8am. They also taught us how to greet people in Spain which is two kisses, one on each cheek. They also advised us on what food we have to try and what wine goes with what meal. Fun Fact: In Spain you never are suppose to tip your bartender or waiter at all, and never anything more than 5%. Usually people just leave spare change at dinner or at a bar. A bunch of us realized today that we won’t have classes again after tomorrow for about 10 days which is relaxing, but nerve wracking that we are actually preparing for two countries Spain and Morocco. We only have one day between countries so it should be a little fast paced to transition from one to the other. After the meeting, I headed up to the bar upstairs. It was my first time at the bar, yes surprisingly. I tried a beer called Tiger. I’m not so sure where it’s from, but it was really good. The bar is outside on Deck 7 by the pool, it’s actually a really cool place. Everyone kind of just sits around and talks. I’ll probably head up there a little more often. One more day of classes then Saturday morning I will reach the port of Cadiz, FINALLY. This voyage is already teaching me a lot about myself and it’s only been a week. I can’t wait to see what I learn through many of my experiences that have yet to come.

Trips.. Trips.. and More Trips!

After a few days of clouds the sun finally came out this afternoon. After lunch I decided to go outside and read for my next class. Of course I felt my skin burning in just about 10 minutes so I had to move to the shade. I also realized that there is a 24 hour coffee service, but you just need your own mug. I will be investing in one shortly so I can have iced coffees. Surprisingly, the coffee on board isn’t bad so I’ll enjoy it. I think I’ve been going withdrawal especially since I drank like 4 iced coffees a day at home. Dinner is the same old same old practically every day. After dinner I sat outside by the pool for awhile and relaxed. 8pm was a meeting for students to find out what everyone else is doing in the first port Cadiz. I went because I only had the first day planned. My friend Katie and I are joining up with another group of 5 to go to Seville and Granada. Hopefully it works out. Oh and we’ll go to the bar the night we get there to see Spain play Belgium, the group all seem interested. It should be a good time. I don’t know really anything about Spain so I’m just going to go with the flow and see where it takes me. If I knew that they would have these sessions I would have left some days open for independent travel. I have a few days here and there, but not too many. I think it will eventually balance out. We had a pre-sale for the trips we wanted in majority of the countries and I got all of the ones I picked so, I’m pretty excited about that. Some things I am doing are: doing adventures, parks, and beaches in Mauritius, Ghana I’ll be doing a Habitat for Humanity, South Africa I’ll be doing City Orientation and Cape Peninsula. I’ll go into more detail when they come closer. Many of the other things I have planned are going to be done independently such as for India the Taj Mahal & Varanasi, Sleeping on the Great Wall of China, Safari in Capetown, and most likely Great White shark cage diving in South Africa. The rest of the days are either free or I have an FDP which is usually a trip required by a professor. The next presale won’t occur for a couple weeks so I have time to figure it out. That pre-sale will cover Vietnam, China, Japan, and Hawaii. Some of which I’m interested in doing independently. Well, I think that’s about it for now. Aladdin is on the movie channel so, I’m going to watch that with a few friends and relax for the night. SPAIN in 3 DAYS!

 

PS. Thanks to everyone who has been following along, the posts will get more interesting once I start getting into ports!

$100 Solution

My classes yesterday went well. The first one was Global Studies at 9:20 am. Besides the time it’s at, it was a really good class. The book we have to read is really interesting too. My afternoon class was really exciting because it does count as a CJ course. It’s the Deviance and Social Control I mentioned previously. We talked a little bit about deviant behavior and what it means to us. But, the most important part was that we have a debate and we had to choose a topic. There were 5 topics which were: Life without parole is inhumane, Assisted Suicide, Legalize Prostitution, Decriminalization of Drugs, and Lower the Drinking Age to 18. I chose the CON side of Life without Parole is inhumane. I have enough background in Criminal Justice I think I would do a pretty good job arguing against that statement. Today was exciting we had a barbeque which consisted of burgers, hot dogs, pasta salads, corn, baked beans, etc. It was definitely a relief to finally get something other than pasta and potatoes. I went to a seminar tonight about an organization that a professor started called the $100 solution. What it boils down to is a group of students receive $100 dollars and are guided by coaches/supervisors to enter into a community and ask “What can we do for you?” His emphasis was on it’s not about the money it’s about the process and I totally agree. He wants us to bring this idea back to our home campuses which I completely intend to do. To top it all off he is an alumni of The University of Scranton’s bachelor & masters programs. He actually grew up in Scranton and now lives in Kentucky. He is willing to come back to Scranton to get this project going as soon as I get back I’ll be working on it for him. THANK GOD the clocks do not change tonight so I can get a full night’s sleep or well something close to it. Only a few more days until SPAIN! I’m excited it’s getting so close. I am really really excited because Spain plays Belgium for a World Cup Qualifier on the night I get there. So, I’ll be heading to the bar to watch that game Sept. 5^th.  Well, I think that’s enough for now.  Miss you all!

Oh and my TV squeaks when the ship rocks and it’s the most annoying thing in the entire world. Luckily a friend of mine looked on the back of the pictures in her room where notes are from previous SAS students and found stick a sock in drawers when the ship is rocky. Therefore, I took the idea and now I look at my sock hanging from the TV. hahaha