I recieved a phone call late last night from my daughter Tara. She is having a great time. She was exploring Salvadore with a group of friends and found a resturant with entertainment that they all thought was great.The call was disconnected after five minutes. She had been shopping earlier in the day and using a credit card. I returned home from work last evening to a call from the credit card company checking on her activity. I called the credit card company back fearing that her card had been stolen or lost. They assured me that they were merely checking because of the activity , as this was a new card. They also noted that they had talked to her at one of the stores when she was making a purchase. The women on the other end of the phone was so nice. She told me that my daughter had landed safely and by the activity on her credit card was having a good time. I did found this reassuring and funny while I waited until 10:00 o�lock to hear from her. She should be on the Amazon by now, therefore no more credit card calls.
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South Africa
I recieved a short call today from Tara. She is having a great time in South Africa. She spent the day sightseeing and shopping. She took a cable to the top of the table. The view was magnificant.She is sorry that she has herself scheduled tomorrow for an all day world hunger assignment and then an overnight lodge trip. She wants to do all this and more.
Would like one more day to hike the table. She is still feeling sick from the amazon trip and has trouble with stomach pains and keeping food down. Aside from not feeling well thinks South Africa is great. I hope to hear more from her before they leave on Saturday, that is if she is not running around making good use of evey minute in port.
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South Africa
I woke up with help from my friend Lisa at 5am and yes I willing did this to see the most amazing sight the sun hitting table mountain and to see us pulling into port. It was still night and the moon looked huge and then we slowing saw the light emulated the mountain. When were able to get off the ship I ran off with no real plans but to pick up presents and try to repel table mountain, I suggest you do a yahoo or goggle search for a picture it is amazing. I unfortunately was unable to repel Table Mountain due to the wind that was a bummer.
We arrived in Cape Town during the Cricket tournament and when we got lost on our way to the market stopped in a hotel and it was the one they were staying at that was kind of neat. We finally made it to the market and you all know me a quick shopper so we left not to long after we stopped at a poppies like restaurant but south African style and the people were so nice they came to talk with us that was nice and the food was so good� seeing as how I have been a little sick from the Amazon, I don�t care I loved the Amazon I would get sick again to go back. Anyway we went back to the ship dropped off our bags and Heather and I were going to hike table mountain now if you looked at the picture you see it is a hall to get up there, we took a taxi and the people told us it would 3 hours so we did not want to get stuck up on table mountain which later other SASers did, they had to get search and resuse for them. We went up on the cable car and watched sunset it was so nice the colors and the clouds then the city was lit my little ant like lights it was like a bug city. Then we all went to dinner and many little kids wanted to join our outdoor table. Then we came back to the waterfront were we are docked and had ice-cream and a drink then I called home and went to bed at 2or 3.
I went on operation hunger with the school visit it was a service activity. I wanted to go and see how they helped the children; I thought it would influence me to get more involved at home with soup kitchens. I heard the other groups were able to weigh the children, write how much they weighed on their hands and monitored to see if they were malnutrition. That was not quite what I did, I was a little disappointed at first but I really enjoyed the day, I had an eye opening time
My trip begins at Luthando which is a preschool, one of the nicer ones that operation hunger helped them start up. We arrived not knowing what to do, they told us to just play with the kids. We were given two or three boxes of toys and stared to play. Some people were coloring with them others were giving them bouncing balls. The children absolutely loved the bubbles we had it was so cute they were all around us and were jumping up and trying to grab them. The kids were singing their songs and I knew a couple but some were in Xhosa their language. There were some of the out going kids that always get your attention. They were all so cute. My favorite part was when I taught the children the hokey pokey. I also was giving the children horsy back rides and airplane rides. When it was snack time we sat down with the women who ran the school, she also started the school. She built up the school she used to have it in her own house. The school is open five days a week and cost four Rand a day (about 7.5Rand equal one dollar). She was very grateful we brought toys. After our talk we said our goodbyes and took a group picture and headed to the next school
After the preschool we went to Chuma a primary school. At this school we had a school chores sing to us it was great. The school was a little overwhelming, the students were like wolfs because they gave us stickers to hand out so all the kids were pushing and grabbing and hitting to get these stickers. I know when I was younger I would have wanted a sticker to. Our visit there was short compared to our time at the preschool. We got back on the bus and ate lunch on our way to the other schools
Later we arrived at Noluthando a school for the deaf. The women told us it was for blacks. Saying whites have other better schools for the deaf. They have all the grades and also have a technical school as well. The students are bused in from all over. We went into a first or second grade class and the children were happy to see us and waved and said hello. I learned there that for girls to wear shorts was odd, because the kept moving there hand to there thigh. The head master was saying it was difficult for the parent to learn sign language they offer classes but not too many can make it do to the distance and working, so the kids love to come to school to talk with people and be understood. She was also telling us that one of the boys� who was seven, mother just past away. She stopped up to visit him and found there was no bread or milk in the house. She said the house had six other children and there is only one bed and they all sleep on it. The older sister goes to the neighbor and asks for bread, that loaf is split between all six and it is their meal for the day. She said she gives him any leftover food from the school. Kind of makes you think of the lunch you just ate and threw some food away. We had to get back on the bus and go to our last school.
After the school for the deaf we went to a high school this was the most intimidating of all the schools. I just remembered how I was in high school. We were broken up into four small groups and were going to walk around an informal settlement. We started to walk and I began talking with a seventeen year old girl named Confidence. Almost the first words out of her mouth were people around here are so ignorant about Aids and how there should be a nursery in school because so many girls are having kids, she had a strong opinion telling me people have to be responsible. She was a very smart girl. She opened up to me very quickly; I wouldn�t have been so open with some one I met five minutes ago. She told me she lived with her aunt because her mom lived in an informal settlement and could not support her. She told me she hopes she can go to Johannesburg for university she wants to be in advertising, radio because everyone even if you are not rich can listen to it. She went on to tell me she was a victim of rape by her uncle when she was little and hasn�t told her mother yet. She said she is involved in many activities to keep her mind off it. I could not believe how composed this girl was, she had more strength and determination then I ever will. The operation hunger was a great experience
We arrived back at the ship and heather and I were determined to climb Table Mountain we did and it was amazing. We looked down at were we started it was such a rush and feeling of accomplishment, but I was just remember Confidence telling me she would love to see it and she lives maybe 20 minutes from the mountain and went up twice, I think she impacted me more than I did her.
The next day I left for Kagga Kamma which is a national park. It was nice I never before went off roading in a huge bus it was fun. We arrived and got our rooms and I was staying in a cave it was really neat it was like a honeymoon suite, we all hiked to this huge gorge and the view there was amazing as well, then we came back for a campfire dinner. We looked up at the stars and out there you didn�t realize how many stars there are, I didn�t know there were a bunch of stars all around Orion�s belt. I was able to look in the telescope and see satern and Jupiter and you can even see the two closest galaxies, the Milky Way I laid on my back for so long just staring up in amazement and I saw a shooting star or falling (laurel) and asking the astrometry questions. Then we went on our night game dive it was fun we were all singing the theme to India Jones while we left the camp area. I saw an owl and oestridge, antelope, scorpion and manta backs. Then we came back and got ready for day two for kagga kamma
We woke up backed our bags what was great about there was it was so quite you couldn�t hear a thing it was nice. We went on anther hike and ran into a Zebra and me and some others walked up slowly to it and I got so close to him it was so cool. We looked at cave drawings then made our way back to Cape Town
Then I ran around getting last minute things like groceries and making quick calls not wanting to leave so many things I didn�t get to do, Robin island where Mandela was, Bolder Beach were the penguins were and sky diving and clufing and I wanted to talk to more of the people. Even though apartheid is over people are still so racist and many people are surprised at you being nice to them.
I will always remember what I saw and hear in South Africa
As always
Tara
Sorry this is so long I had a lot to write<
And sorry it is a couple of days after I left, I have lot of work to do Tanzania a couple of tests.
Mom I got your package thanks I love getting mail.
Heather sorry I didn�t email back I will I promise thanks for writing me
Nikki you too<
Tina I now know your pain, you know what I mean
Bye
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South Africa
I recieved a postcard yesterday from Tara, sent from South Africa. She said that she was having a wonderful time and loved her trip to the Kagga Kamma. She stayed in a Cave for the night and called it the honeymoon suite. Climbing the table was the best, for her. I am amazed how I have received mail from all three ports but our mail services to the kids is a hit or miss. I know that Tara has received some of my letters and cards but not everything is getting to her or the other kids.
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India
I recieved a phone call from Tara this morning but the connection was poor so I called just a few minutes ago in Agra. This was a much better, clearer connection. She is having a wonderful time. They have seen some of the sights today and was out walking around the town of Agra. She is afraid to eat too much and has been careful about the food. I guess they did a good job in warning the kids . She did tell me how difficult it is at times to make calls so she appreciated the fact that I was able to call her.
The number to the Hotel Mansinh in Agra for trip CHE17 has been changed. The new number is 011-91 562-2331771.
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