Emma and a small group did do their own trip to Lencois in Brazil. She said they felt comfortable knowing that other SASers had prearranged trips there. Getting the tickets and the bus ride were harrowing and once they got to Lencois she writes, "The bus stops six hours later and we are seriously in the middle of nowhere - there are just a bunch of cars (call them personal taxis) surrounding the bus with 100 different Bob Marley's ready to take us somewhere - we were very confused. We end up not getting in a car - but following a little boy through the town down some alleys to his house. We find a room - double bed on the floor with mosquito net above us - we are thinking - what the hell have we gotten into???? Little do we know we are about to experience the time of our lives the next two days." The picture of these kids following this child through the streets! The boy became their quide for the next two days and they loved him. The prearranged trip cost $350 and they spent about $80. I heard she was planning this from a friend at home that she had spoken to and needless to say I was very glad when she arrived safely back to the ship.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Africa
Just received a call (3:30 a.m. there) from our daughter Emma, and it settled our anxious hearts. She had informed us by email that she was considering skydiving and we let her know that we were not terribly excited with the prospect. Just who packs those chutes, anyway? Had read earlier in the evening the message from a mom whose son had done the same and since he hadn't mentioned that any of the other students had died.
Well, she had an amazing (seems to be the operative word for all she sees and does) time and loved her "buddy"(4,000 jumps under his belt.) She evidently had been talking to him about her about her father's love of flying and his favorite saying about skydivers - only a fool would jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Just before the plunge he looked at her and cried, "Whose your daddy now?!" She was breathless telling all that she has been doing since they arrived yesterday.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ship Life
We received Emma's account of her stay in Cape Town and she did many of the things that I had read in your postings: skydiving, wineland tour, hiking Table Mountain, township visit and club and bar hopping. She was with the group that visited the UVA grads in the home they are renting and was wowed. Thinks this is just the ticket for the year after graduation. I will have to remind her that they are Virginia alum not WEST Virginia and her father and I may have other ideas! Her team in the unOlympics was the Adoman (sp) Sea - blue team and while they were abysmal in the scoring I think they had a great time. She did tell about the bathing suit contest in which she had to model a suit designed in 45 min. using anything BUT fabric. Pancakes played a large part in the construction - she said it was mortifying and hilarious (assured us that she wearing a suit underneath.) About the obstacle course competition she writes, " I did the course wrapped in toilet paper - placed third - but then there was some sort of "time descrepency" with the green team - they got to do it over again - originally came in last and then came in first.....now isn't that sketchy?"They were only hours away from Tanzania and she's excited about the safari.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India
Mom and Dad,
I love getting your e-mails - they are so great.........geez - for Grandaddy to say that - yes - wow - almost made me tear up. I'm so glad you all are enjoying my e-mails - I'm surprised people are so interested....I mean maybe not SO surprised - it IS the most amazing thing ever.....just so nice that everyone cares. Last night at the pub was 80's theme night - so MUCH fun - of course Cristin and I had the best costumes........decked out........mini skirts (wore a tube top as my mini.....hilarious), cut up shirt, sports bra underneath, hoops the size of my head, pink eyes shadow, ice pink lipstick, with the side ponytail - it was a great night.
OK - moving on - So, yes, we are arriving in India tom. morning. Stephanie (Harper - her last name) - one of her sorority sisters came on SAS two years ago and somehow hooked up with this girl from Chennai and has kept in touch and will be showing us around tom. Turns out that her father owns the orphanage that SAS goes to - so she is taking us there first, showing us around Chennai (historical sites), to a great Indian restaurant and to some shops - then tom evening she is taking us to her house to have dinner with her family! I'm so excited - will be awesome. We'll see though b/c we were supposed to meet her at 8:00 (the time the ship was supposed to be cleared.....however - it is going to be later now and we are just hoping that she got the e-mail telling her that we were going to be later meeting her. Oh - also want to try to get to Mamalaporrum and Kechlaporium.(mutilated the spelling) The next day (this is our plan) we want to take the 6 a.m. train to Bangalore and kind of play it by ear from there - we have names of places and an idea of what we want to do. Bangalore is one of the fastest growing cities in India - population of 8 million - beautiful gardens, history, and nightlife (supposedly). The 17th (Monday) is Holy - one of the most celebrated holidays in India - so this will be fun also.
This is supposed to one of the most amazing stops for us - one with so many mixed feeling and emotions. Like you read on the website - we don't have classes the
day after our departure from Chennai (a TBA day) - not only is 80% percent of the boat sick - but they say also depressed. I am trying to prepare myself for what
I'm about to see.
It's late - and I'm going to try to get some sleep so am rested for the week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India
On the train ride from Chennai to Bangalore I had the worst case of 'traveler's sickness' you could ever think of - cramping beyond belief and every time I tried to go (I must have gotten up 20 times).....I just couldn't.....two little metal footstools to put your feet on and squatting over a hole that falls directly onto the train tracks (literally) I just couldn't - the cramps only got worse. However - I did painfully make it through the 5 hour ride - in and out of a cramping sleep. Once in Bangalore, we bought our return tickets and I successfully went to the bathroom....another hole.....flies and other creatures making a b-line for my butt....but I didn't really care at this point.". . . .
"back to the hotel. We were about to go to sleep and noticed a lizard climbing on the inside of our glass door opening to the balcony - it was clear - looked like it had the potential to be poisonous - so 1:00 a.m. - we called our "butler" and he came with a napkin - walked in and saw it....gave a look and gave the 'Oh, that kind" expression, walked back out and returned with this black baton stick thing covered in some type of goo. He reached up and the little thing stuck right to it.....poisonous lizards in the room.....happens all the time....ain't no thing.