BAHAMAS and CUBA
Hey everyone,
The trip I have been waiting for and preparing for is finally here and it is even more incredible than I expected! The Bahamas was so beautiful. The plane ride was fine and so many people were staying at our hotel. We got to hang out at the Atlantis a lot, which was really cool-it is so extravagant -- we met a guy for there and he took us around and we saw all the fish tanks, slides, everything. The second day we rented scooters -- it was so much fun! We got to see so much of the island but it was pretty scary and a little acquired at first but we got the hang of it quick! Anyway we got in a cool club in Atlantis - the dragon and hung out at our hotel.
Tuesday we boarded the ship! Our room is probably the smallest three bed room but its cozy and our roommate is so awesome -- from New York, really cool - I know we are all going to get along great. The atmosphere of the ship is so accepting. Everybody is just looking for a new friend and ready to explore!
We got in to Cuba two days ago. It is so incredible I feel like I am in a different world from the one that we left behind (the US). Most of the cars are from the 50's the buildings are so run down but the architecture is breathtaking!! And the people are the nieces' people I have ever been around. The culture here is fascinating! I couldn't imagine living in part of the world like this, but at the same time its great. Its like they have no worries you want to cry because you feel like they're deprived but at the same time you can see how happy they are and content and it makes you smile. We met this awesome Cuban the first day and he showed us around the whole city --I have taken so many pictures and WE HEARD CASTOR SPEAK!! And he threw us one of the funniest parties I have ever been to -- this place was incredible!! Free food drinks band - I made good friends with a Cuban named Rosa and she taught me how to dance then later we went to this really neat bar. I am having such a wonderful time. I still can't believe I am going around the world. I hope everything is going good at home. I love you all and I miss you all so much!!!!! I will try to stay in touch but communication -- email and phones -- are so hard to deal with!!
I love you all - - Roxy
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South Africa
All of you have to make a trip back to Cape Town.
Words cannot even explain how incredible this place was, but regardless I am going to try to use them, just keep in mind there is no way they can give it justice!!
As for me, I am constantly changing, if you know what I mean! I'm growing so much and feel like a different person. I don't know if I am really making sense. The best way I can describe it is I feel as though I am on an emotional, life changing roller coaster. I go up, then twist, then back down, and do it all over again, but when I stand back and look at what's going on in the big picture, no matter how many times I go up and then fall again I am still continuously progressing toward the end of the ride. That's a weird analogy but it's the only way I can try to describe what's going on inside of me.
Now it's time to hear about the absolutely amazing Cape Town!!! We arrived at around 5:00 in the morning - coming into the port was incredible, saw the sunset, table top mountain, lions head, had seals swimming around us - great!
First day - we got off the ship about 9:00. The harbor is so different from any of the past ports. It's beautiful here. The port looks so similar to Baltimore's port (found out later that they had the same designers). And I feel like I have stepped back into the states. Little shops everywhere lined the streets and I have to admit it was almost a relief to feel at home. I think what I enjoyed most of all was the cleanliness of the city. After Cuba and Brazil, a descent bathroom was not something I was use to in the ports.
After going to the mall, picking up some things we really needed, doing a little shopping and orientating ourselves with the area, it was time to go meet with our tour guide - Daniel (a man around 50 with a good personality and knew everything about everything, from trance parties to how many species of plants were found in Cape Town) . So six of us (Sarah, Christen, John, BJ, Byron and Paul - friends of mine and all from CU and me) headed off to table mountain because the weather was good and we were told it can change in a matter of minutes. I didn't think a view could get better than sugar loaf or the Christ statue in Rio, but this one definitely gave it a run for its money - the mountain's view was incredible. Cape Town's landscape cannot even be captured in pictures or described in words. It's a paradise with the most beautiful beaches jutting off of mountains, palm trees lining the streets, and wild animals running around in the rural areas. The most beautiful people you have ever seen and really just everything from natural beauty to structural man designed art that is all spectacular in its own way. So we sat for a while, drank a South African wine called Pinotage, and enjoyed our surroundings while being educated by Daniel about the wine, correct way to drink it, and what to look for in the wine. The wine here is excellent! Pinotage has definitely become one of my favorites. All of you have to try it - so we will just have to go back to get some!
Later we had a city orientation and I just found that the incredible Cape Town could even get better! To say the least I love it here and know you would too!! That night we went out to eat at a restaurant that had been recommended, Blues, which was in another upscale area of town. I definitely splurged - we had lobster (they call it crayfish), shrimp, mussels, crab, wonderful soups, pastas - the food was delicious so we all had to share (you would probably hate how everyone tries everyone's food). Then we went upstairs to a really cool, open bar that over looked the beach. For the rest of the night we just bar hopped. The first part of the night was pretty chill, then toward the end we went to a fun dancing bar, but it was only a Wednesday night so not that much was going on.
The next morning (three hours later) we met with Daniel and were off to Cape Hope and Boulder beach. This is the most southern tip of Africa. We saw penguins and one was hatching an egg, baboons walking along the street, ostrich, and Cape points breathtaking National preserved Forrest. The penguins were cool but I could have stayed at Cape Hope all day. There were trails everywhere and the landscape and surroundings were unreal. Hiking around that area is something I have to do when I go back as is hiking up Table Mountain instead of taking the easy way up in the gondola. Our trip out to this area was really interesting too. Having Daniel is the best! He took us through all the unique areas of this region (Cape Town is so big) - Camps bay, Clifton's beach, etc (if you want you can look then up on the Internet so you can see how incredible these areas are). It was really interesting. When we got back we met up with a South African guy that BJ had talked with at the bar the night before and he took us to some of his friend's house in Camps Bay. This house was unreal. We had no idea we were going to a place like this - glassed in pool, sauna, Tabletop Mountain in their back yard. This I believe was a turning point in my trip! I feel almost guilty in a way now because looking back I wish I would have interacted more with the poverty stricken section of town, but I have no regrets and know everything happen for a reason as did this experience. Five guys and two girls form Virginia moved to Cape Town and found this house in October. They didn't know where they were going to live, work, none of them had ever even been here. It inspired me. They pay $250/month and just enjoy life here in paradise. They had all good things to say about South Africa, and they are a big influence in me knowing I have to come back here. They were so cool and we ended up going out with all of them that night to a really fun bar, Baseline!! We stayed out all night. The ride home was beautiful, the sun was rising and we were admiring the beauty city. Long story short - We got a taxi, got to the boat, changed cloths and went back out to meet Daniel for our wine lands tour - Yes Crazy!
We were a little tired, but the exciting surroundings and kept us up. The wine lands were another unseen until now beautiful area of Cape Town. We saw Zebras along the streets hanging out with cows, beautiful vineyard, more dreamlike landscapes, and had so much fun. After three vineyards it was time to go back. I found out I like white wine a lot more that I thought at the champagne vineyard, but red is still my favorite. When I come back I want to stay out at the wine lands. I can't explain how awesome they are. Soon as we got back we had tickets to the Rugby game. The atmosphere was a lot like our football games on a smaller scale, then we left to meet with Thomas, one of the Virginia boys, for dinner at Five Flies, another incredible restaurant! Dinner took 3 � hours. I love that!! We went back to Thomas's house. They were having a party for others and us at semester at sea, but by then me and everybody else who hadn't slept were about to pass-out so most of us had to leave early and get at least a few hours of sleep (only four hours) before we had to get up for our last tour.
The townships were a total contrast from everything we had been experiencing so far. I have never seen anyone live the way these people do. They are communities of thatched shacks and one-bedroom homes that house families. Children filled the streets with no shoes and old torn cloths, dirty form head to toe. Trash was everywhere and just basically the worst slums you have ever seen, but then across the street would be normal (to us) homes lining the opposite side of the road. The profound contrast of the two groups of society I experienced as I did in Salvador is so hard to understand. I loved the township though. At a small school I started playing with the children and showing them themselves in my camera and they freaked out. All the mothers gathered around and it truly was incredible. To see the fascination in there smiles was awesome. Someone had said South Africans smile with their entire face and right then I saw it. They are so content and happy with nothing. It's sad to say, I just can't really understand it. I don't know if they just don't know any different, but I honestly don't think that's what it is because they can look over two block and see it. And another thing I found surprising was in some of the shacks they would have nice radio/CD player. The experience was great and it made me wish I would have really gotten more involved with this portion of the society than I did, but I have months ahead of me and have absolutely no regrets. Later that day I went to a diamond factory, Shaminsky's. WOW!! They had a 58-carot-tanzanite ring. The rarest and largest in South Africa - I will have to show you pictures!
My trip was again incredible, awesome, wonderful -- life changing and eye opening and I will be back!
I love all of you so much -- only 72 days left! Keep emailing me with what's going on. I hope everything is well with you!
We are: 10861 nautical mile to Tanzania (I think), have sea temp of 82, moving at 14 knots, and above an ocean depth - that's deep
These experiences are making me grow but all of you have still made me who I am -
I love you - Roxy
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South Africa
Hello from Cape Town!!
I CANNOT BELIEVE I, AM, IN AFRICA. It really looks like the Lion King with Table Mountain and the funny trees (but I guess the industrialized part throws it off a little bit). We arrived into the harbor around 5:30 (our time) this morning. Coming into Cape Town was so amazing. We watched the sun come up over the mountains and city. The view from here is incredible and it was so cute, seals were swimming around our boat. It seems we take up the entire harbor. I cannot wait to get off the boat!
The past nine days from Brazil to here went so much faster than from Cuba to Brazil. Life on the boat has been so great. I made it through my entire first test. There have just been so many other things to do. I'm learning how to meditate from this incredibly interesting man (he met the Dali Lama.) We also have a really good personal trainer on the boat who I have attended some of his seminars. Although, I haven't yet gotten in the gym much to try out all. I've learned and I interviewed for a spot on the committee that plans our ambassador�s ball (our last formal good-bye party) and got it. So I will be planning the entertainment aspect of the party. Everything has really been great here. I have met so many more people and it seems like the boat just keeps getting smaller, but I like it. It really is like we are just one big family floating around in the sea!
To back track a little, Brazil was such an incredible experience -- I don't know how anything could be better, but my expectations of Cape Town are really high.
We lucked out and a friend of ours knows a tour guide here. So six of us are going to have a personal tour guide for four days and supposedly he's our age so he can take us out too!
Back to Brazil, we flew to Rio the second day and did pretty much everything you could do -- sugar loaf mountain, the Christ statue, laid out, went through the rain forest, saw the favelas, ate awesome food, and went to some of the coolest clubs. Brazil from Cuba was so different, but both were definitely their own unique experiences.
Well, we should be getting off the boat really soon so I have to go. I miss all of you so much and I think about you everyday -- email me some time and let me know what's going on back home. Hope everything is going well!
Love you all - - Roxy
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India
Hey!!!
I made it out of India and I'm not sick yet - cross your fingers!! I think my first shower back on the boat might have been the best shower I have ever had (that's saying a lot being that it was on the boat - that's like saying my first shower back in the dorms was awesome !).
We arrived into India on March 15 on Saturday. As I stepped off the boat, I was really surprised to not be so shocked like I had anticipated. We had been warned to prepare for the worst. Soon as we stepped into the harbor we would be surrounded and that they knew we were coming and yes taxi drivers did flock to us and many people were begging or insisting that we buy whatever it was they had, but this was nothing that we were not use to and it wasn't any more over whamming than any of our past experiences in some of the other counties. With this impression in mind I would have never thought I would leave this country five days later feeling the way I do�.
The first day me and two other girls from CU got a taxi and toured the town. You would be amazed at how cheap transportation is although your not paying monetarily for the ride in other ways you pay a ridiculous amount. After visiting about four unreasonably expensive stores that we did not want to visit (they get commission off of tourist that they bring to these stores) we were taken to one of the markets. While we were in India, Holi, one of their holidays was going on. It was so crazy; an elephant was walking through to bless people. Huge parade type floats were on the streets and people were covered in colors. It was all pretty overwhelming. I had my first experience here with the kids trying to attack you in order to get a few cents, the tiny babies sleeping on the streets, the market vendors screaming at you, but the culture shock had only begun.
Soon after that we went to one of mother Teresa's orphanage. I don't know why but for some reason I was expecting some Annie type orphanage. Well to say the least these expectations were quickly crushed. I walked through this place and couldn't believe my eyes. I felt like I was in a mental institution for kids, but worse. When I got back to the ship I couldn't hold back my tears. I didn't know how to handle it, but I did. My trip was only starting and this is what I was here for. To experience new things and realize what all the world entails. We ended up that night going out to eat and for drinks at five star hotel for a friend of ours birthday. Eating made me feel guilty and looking around at this extravagant hotel disgusted me. I don't know I was just experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions and wasn't exactly sure how to handle it all.
The next morning we had to be up at 4:00 to catch a flight to Varanasi. As we arrived at our hotel, it looked so out of place. We were driving through the worse slums I have ever seen. We were in a poverty stricken world, streets filled with trash, thousands of people sleeping on the streets and then all of a sudden this incredible hotel. I could look out my window into houses made out of sticks and cows roaming the city, but I soon came to realize that was India. It was so intense. That day we got to visit the ruins where Buddha preached his first sermon, a stupa, and the ruins of an ancient monastery. I even got to sit beside monks meditating. It was so awesome. Next we visited an Indian art emporium with some of the most incredible rugs I have ever seen. A few of my friends bought some, but they were a little out of my range!
Our next day again started at 4:00. It was so crazy though we were out on the streets by 5:00 and the city was already bustling. Arriving at the banks of the Ganges River was incredible !!! We took a boat ride as the sun was rising and watched as thousands of Hindus bathed in this river. Cremations were taking place beside people cleaning their cloths and washing their selves. I can't even explain my feeling toward this. I made friends on the walk back with a guy desperately trying to sell me necklaces. Talking to him was so interesting and moving. He told me about his family and job and I wanted to cry, but I kept talking until we made it back to the bus. It's so crazy how little things like this impact me so much. While on the bus, I realized how exhausted I was and emotionally worn out. Seeing pilgrims converging themselves in the holy water for ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth, others burning their loves ones and releasing their ashes into the river, avoiding beggars and basically fighting off street vendors as we walked through the alleys on the way there and back, everything was so overwhelming and was going by so fast. It was just really hard to take all in.
We then had a city orientation and learned about this enchanting city. It was amazing I couldn't believe I was actually getting to visit the oldest living city in the world, the center of civilization and learning for over 2000 years. The temples, shops, silks, everything was so incredible. Soon after that we were off again on another flight to Delphi. We were given a driving tour of the city to orient us with the city and then arrived at yet another insane hotel that seemed so out of place I felt like I was in a dream, the Ashok hotel. That night we went out to a really fun club in the hotel and met up with another semester at sea group. I just couldn't believe I was parting at the insane club after coming off the streets of India.
The next morning was IT!!!!! We caught a train at 6:00 to Agra. Had a few hours to regroup at a hotel there and we were off on our WAY TO THE TAJ!!! I knew it was going to be awesome but WOW! It didn't even look real! When I ran my hand over the walls of this structure I couldn't believe my eyes. Precious stones, thousands of them, are embed into this perfectly symmetrical and remarkable building - it was just awesome - that's all I can say! We walked around it for hours. I was mesmerized by its beauty and its enchanting story, this magnificent mausoleum was unbelievable!
We flew back the next mooring again at 4:30!! I was able to do a little shopping in Chennai and we finished off our day with one last good dinner although really curry and Indian food are two things I never want to have again -- well not really but right now I am so sick of them I don't know what to do!!
Some one had said India will get into your blood, it will assault all of your senses and that's exactly what I did. I walked into this country thinking it can't be any worse than what I have already seen and that I could see and let be and to a certain extent I did, but even though I walked away from India I know India will never walk away from me. It wasn't what I saw there, it was more than that. It was everything all combined. There is a cloud that lays over India and soon as you enter its presence it slowly takes over you emotionally. You become emotionally drained from trying to take it all in and then distraught from trying to understand. How can I be seeing this? How can I be so lucky to be born into the life I have and these people born into this one? So many things were running through my head. I kept looking around and I was amazed, but the amazement wasn't what affected me. It was more than that and I can't even explain it. When I stepped off the boat that Saturday afternoon I thought it was just another port but I was wrong. I was stepping into another world. Another world that overtakes you that swallows you up and that I could not avoid. To walk through this country and only look around would for me was impossible. I was seeing something I have never experienced and I was seeing not just looking.
On the last day I stopped for a minute and looked around. I remembered how I felt that first day and how much my impressions had changed. I felt unclean, drained and depressed. I looked around and I felt invisible. Rickshaws, motor cycles, people on bikes, cars were all flying by and around the corners of the roads. Lanes were nonexistent and how they didn't wreck I still don't understand. Three year olds pulling at my arms and I realized I had become immune to it. I was use to seeing these pitiful scenes. Huge billboards lined all the streets. Advertisements were everywhere and then under them cows were eating the trash that covered the streets and had accumulated there for no telling how long. Nothing made sense. As you looked out across the city it appeared that fog was setting over it, but it wasn't that. The thickness of the air was pollution. The sounds of people screaming, constant horns blowing, commotion was all you could hear. Everything was going by so fast. How I had five days early stepped into this place, flew around from country to country, seen everything from some of the nicest hotels to the worst conditions I have ever experienced, the most beautiful building in the world embedded with rubies, emeralds, all types of precious stones and then homes that were no more than a sheet draped over a stick. How could I be doing this? So many emotions rushed through my body. This country is more than the eye can see, it's more than words can describe, it's more than just culture, people, or just another country, India is something more, something I can't even explain and most of all because I still don't even understand what I just experienced. All I can say is how thankful I am to have had this opportunity. Thank you for getting me here!
I love you - roxy
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