Modest Mouse has saved my poor African existence.
part 3.
Hey All!!
How are all of you?? Things are crazy here- I can’t believe that Wednesday will mark the end of my first month in SA. Time is flying by faster than I ever knew was possible.
Just got back tonight from an 11 day trip down the coast (Called the Garden Route) to Cape Town, and back (+- 4,400 kilometers in total…looooong ass car rides). We left here last Friday and drove about 11 hours down to Grahamstown to stay the night and visit one of Michelle’s best friends who goes to college there. After getting back from the bar at 4 o’clock, still drunk mind you ($2 rum and cokes and $1.50 brandy and cokes will mark my downfall), my host parents woke us up at 5 and shoved us back in the car for the drive to Port Elizabeth, where we spent the night with some relatives. (Of course we were exxxxtreeeemely hung over, so naturally the freakin waiter at the restaurant where we ate lunch kept bringing Michelle and I free shots…it was terrible)
Then on Sunday we continued down the ‘Route (which has some of the most incredible scenery I’ve ever encountered) to Knysna, where we spent two nights on the coastal town known for its oysters. On the way we stopped at the world’s highest (and longest) bungee jump, and I figured why not? I was only gonna be here once. But of course, only after I had harnessed up (and paid) and was on my way up the bridge did my host dad snap out of the daze he must have been in and said I wasn’t allowed to go L But I’m determined to do it when I get back. Did a little rock climbing to visit what is called the Knysna Heads, which is basically these amazing rock formations right on the Indian Ocean. (yes, not only have I braved camping in this country, but also rock climbing J) Spent two nights there, and went to a Rotary meeting there on Tuesday before we got back in the damn car and drove to Hermanus, which reminds me very much of many of the smaller towns in Cape Cod. Fairly uneventful, and we left the next morning to get to Cape Town (finally!).
I seriously don’t think I could even start to explain how amazing Cape Town is. The first thing we did was go down to Cape Point, which is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. It was absolutely gorgeous, but we had to hurry a bit to get to some dinner with these random people I didn’t know. The next day we got up early and took a cable car up Table Mountain, and saw one of the most breathtaking views I’m sure I’ll ever see. I really don’t even know where to start to explain that, but I’ve got pictures so I’ll just have to show you all instead. We spent the rest of the day at the waterfront, and went to this great little jazz club/restaurant for dinner.
I told my host parents that I wanted to go to Robben Island (Where Nelson Mandela was prisoner for 27 years), and so we booked a ferry for me for the next day, but of course the weather was terrible an all the boats were cancelled. So I had to settle with the displays they had on land of the history of apartheid and the island (which of course was still incredible), and I literally had to fight back tears the whole time. This just angered my host dad, of course, since he still thinks apartheid was one of the greatest things that ever happened to this country. The racism problem is getting worse and worse, to the point where I literally have to restrain myself from punching people in the face. And it angers me so much when my host brother (an immature 14 years) says horribly racist things (He only calls black people Negroes or kaffirs). Like while we were at the Robben island museum, he asked me if I thought Mandela was a good man. Naturally I replied that of course I did, and he just scoffed and went on about how he was just a dumb Negro, blah blah. (and then he went on to say that apartheid was the same as what the US is doing in Iraq right now, but that’s a whole ‘nother story) The problem was he was only saying those things not out of ideas he’s developed on his experiences and fact, but simply because his parents say the same. I’m really not getting along with my host dad or brother, but I don’t have too too much time with them personally, so it should be ok. (AHHH ok while writing that last sentence, I hear michelle ask my host brother to change the channel to a show she wanted to watch, and he refuses because “it’s a black show” ahhhhhhhh im gona strangle him I swear.
Anyways, back to the trip. We left Cape Town on Saturday morning and drove to the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE to this town called Smithfield, where there are about 300 inhabitants. This town is a dead town with all dirt roads, and upon arrival I decided it was a great place to go running. I’m freaking retarded, I swear. I take off down the road and after about 3 minutes I look behind me and there this like 15 year old black boy running behind me, holding a soccer ball. I smile and just keep running. Well like a minute later I hear laughter and look back and the whole freaking team is running behind me, and everyone in the town (about 70% black, so they were wondering why I was running around their neighborhood) is outside laughing and pointing. I laughed for a bit, but then thought that it could have turned ugly pretty fast. I started running at a full sprint all the way back to the B&B and when I got back the captain shook my hand and thanked me for giving his team a good workout. I almost died laughing. So many random things have happened to me here.
We left Smithfield this morning and went to the Lesotho border, where I went through a cultural village of the Besotho people. It wasn’t nearly as incredible as my Zulu experience (I don’t think many things could ever be) but it was still very interesting to learn about people that I wouldn’t otherwise even know existed.
The greatest part of this week, though is that I’m gonna see one of my dearest friends in the world that I haven’t seen for 2 years and didn’t think I was gonna see for a loooot longer, Kim. I’m spending two nights with her and then going directly to the Drakensberg with my family until Monday night, so e-mails will be delayed a little bit once again (sorry to everyone that responds to these, I do my best to get on whenever I can!)
I feel so out of touch with everyone, but hope everything is going well (Tonya, please email me and give me an update ok?). Oh, and Conor, the count is to about 209 monkeys (still including baboons). I can’t believe I’ve still kept count.
Miss you all!!
Love,
Lauren
Hey All!!
How are all of you?? Things are crazy here- I can’t believe that Wednesday will mark the end of my first month in SA. Time is flying by faster than I ever knew was possible.
Just got back tonight from an 11 day trip down the coast (Called the Garden Route) to Cape Town, and back (+- 4,400 kilometers in total…looooong ass car rides). We left here last Friday and drove about 11 hours down to Grahamstown to stay the night and visit one of Michelle’s best friends who goes to college there. After getting back from the bar at 4 o’clock, still drunk mind you ($2 rum and cokes and $1.50 brandy and cokes will mark my downfall), my host parents woke us up at 5 and shoved us back in the car for the drive to Port Elizabeth, where we spent the night with some relatives. (Of course we were exxxxtreeeemely hung over, so naturally the freakin waiter at the restaurant where we ate lunch kept bringing Michelle and I free shots…it was terrible)
Then on Sunday we continued down the ‘Route (which has some of the most incredible scenery I’ve ever encountered) to Knysna, where we spent two nights on the coastal town known for its oysters. On the way we stopped at the world’s highest (and longest) bungee jump, and I figured why not? I was only gonna be here once. But of course, only after I had harnessed up (and paid) and was on my way up the bridge did my host dad snap out of the daze he must have been in and said I wasn’t allowed to go L But I’m determined to do it when I get back. Did a little rock climbing to visit what is called the Knysna Heads, which is basically these amazing rock formations right on the Indian Ocean. (yes, not only have I braved camping in this country, but also rock climbing J) Spent two nights there, and went to a Rotary meeting there on Tuesday before we got back in the damn car and drove to Hermanus, which reminds me very much of many of the smaller towns in Cape Cod. Fairly uneventful, and we left the next morning to get to Cape Town (finally!).
I seriously don’t think I could even start to explain how amazing Cape Town is. The first thing we did was go down to Cape Point, which is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. It was absolutely gorgeous, but we had to hurry a bit to get to some dinner with these random people I didn’t know. The next day we got up early and took a cable car up Table Mountain, and saw one of the most breathtaking views I’m sure I’ll ever see. I really don’t even know where to start to explain that, but I’ve got pictures so I’ll just have to show you all instead. We spent the rest of the day at the waterfront, and went to this great little jazz club/restaurant for dinner.
I told my host parents that I wanted to go to Robben Island (Where Nelson Mandela was prisoner for 27 years), and so we booked a ferry for me for the next day, but of course the weather was terrible an all the boats were cancelled. So I had to settle with the displays they had on land of the history of apartheid and the island (which of course was still incredible), and I literally had to fight back tears the whole time. This just angered my host dad, of course, since he still thinks apartheid was one of the greatest things that ever happened to this country. The racism problem is getting worse and worse, to the point where I literally have to restrain myself from punching people in the face. And it angers me so much when my host brother (an immature 14 years) says horribly racist things (He only calls black people Negroes or kaffirs). Like while we were at the Robben island museum, he asked me if I thought Mandela was a good man. Naturally I replied that of course I did, and he just scoffed and went on about how he was just a dumb Negro, blah blah. (and then he went on to say that apartheid was the same as what the US is doing in Iraq right now, but that’s a whole ‘nother story) The problem was he was only saying those things not out of ideas he’s developed on his experiences and fact, but simply because his parents say the same. I’m really not getting along with my host dad or brother, but I don’t have too too much time with them personally, so it should be ok. (AHHH ok while writing that last sentence, I hear michelle ask my host brother to change the channel to a show she wanted to watch, and he refuses because “it’s a black show” ahhhhhhhh im gona strangle him I swear.
Anyways, back to the trip. We left Cape Town on Saturday morning and drove to the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE to this town called Smithfield, where there are about 300 inhabitants. This town is a dead town with all dirt roads, and upon arrival I decided it was a great place to go running. I’m freaking retarded, I swear. I take off down the road and after about 3 minutes I look behind me and there this like 15 year old black boy running behind me, holding a soccer ball. I smile and just keep running. Well like a minute later I hear laughter and look back and the whole freaking team is running behind me, and everyone in the town (about 70% black, so they were wondering why I was running around their neighborhood) is outside laughing and pointing. I laughed for a bit, but then thought that it could have turned ugly pretty fast. I started running at a full sprint all the way back to the B&B and when I got back the captain shook my hand and thanked me for giving his team a good workout. I almost died laughing. So many random things have happened to me here.
We left Smithfield this morning and went to the Lesotho border, where I went through a cultural village of the Besotho people. It wasn’t nearly as incredible as my Zulu experience (I don’t think many things could ever be) but it was still very interesting to learn about people that I wouldn’t otherwise even know existed.
The greatest part of this week, though is that I’m gonna see one of my dearest friends in the world that I haven’t seen for 2 years and didn’t think I was gonna see for a loooot longer, Kim. I’m spending two nights with her and then going directly to the Drakensberg with my family until Monday night, so e-mails will be delayed a little bit once again (sorry to everyone that responds to these, I do my best to get on whenever I can!)
I feel so out of touch with everyone, but hope everything is going well (Tonya, please email me and give me an update ok?). Oh, and Conor, the count is to about 209 monkeys (still including baboons). I can’t believe I’ve still kept count.
Miss you all!!
Love,
Lauren