when it rains in Cape Town, it rains sideways

Today was incredible. We spent the whole day checking out the area of Cape Point which includes the Cape of Good Hope - the farthest south and west you can get in Africa. We had a van tour that started in Cape Town showing us all of the major sights in the city. Then we drove to the coast and got to see the amazing sights of both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans...I got to stand in both of them today! First we took a boat ride to see where the wild seals live. The ride started out great, but then it started pouring out of no where and we all got soaked (second picture) - and then Maryam got seasick and threw up, but overall it was a cool experience. After that, we stopped at a part of the Indian Ocean where wild penguins live (see picture above) - they came right up to people! On our way to the Cape of Good Hope National Park we saw both wild baboons and ostriches just a few feet away from our van! The best part of the day was hiking around the Cape of Good Hope. We did get hit by some intense rain which made it both miserable and incredible at the same time. We were so high up on the cliffs and we were climbing on some pretty scary rocks, but the experience was unforgettable. We were all soaked from head to toe (again), but we all agreed that it was worth it. The beaches we saw today had really soft white sand that was a nice change from the lakes in Minnesota. I can't really explain the sights we saw today because they were so unreal. The mountains, cliffs, the coast, the clouds, the ocean...there really aren't words to describe it and I tried to take as many pictures as possible, but nothing is like being there physically. So we're all home now, showered and warm, and all anyone can talk about was the sights we saw today.  Sorry the text is all crazy with the pictures...I can't seem to fix that yet, haha.

On a completely different note.....

           Yesterday we had a discussion about what we, personally, wanted to get out of this trip. We had been learning a lot about HIV/AIDS and how it is not something we can just come in and fix, and it is not something that we can change over night. We are here to learn about HIV/AIDS and provide more of a service than a solution. It was nice to hear the other students' perspectives and it allowed me to reevaluate what I really do want to get out of this trip. So far we have been involving ourselves in a lot of tourists activities, but we are reminded during our class time and even during our personal discussions that we are here for so much more than that. Yesterday while we were exploring the town after checking out the museum we walked past a court house with a lot of refugees, police personal, and other people being arrested. TJ told me last night (after I had already written my blog for yesterday) that he and Jesse were yelled at by one of the prisoners in the back of the police truck to "go home" while they pounded on the side. They may not have known what country they TJ and Jesse were from, but they were upset that they were there. TJ and I discussed how unfair it is to judge someone based on what other people have done (stereotyping in general) and it expanded our discussion to how it goes both ways. No one really knows what another person is like just because they may share the same culture as someone else with their own beliefs or actions. Our discussion ended the way most discussions of that nature do - it's a never-ending circle. It is also a coincidence that we had also had a full day of lectures about Apartheid and how people were discriminated against and forced to leave their land. A minority of white people forcing out a larger population of black people -  allied by the Americans at the time. TJ and I talked about how since we are American, we are tied in with other political issues associated with Americans rather than just students studying abroad in Cape Town. 

It makes us all think about how people may feel about Americans now that we are in their country. I don't know a lot about politics, nor am I that interested in it, but it becomes real when you see things like that with your own eyes. I hope that when we are exposed to the township life it enlightens me further so I can not only understand another culture's lifestyle, but also gain perspective on their ideas of my own culture. I know the refugee incident and the townships are very different scenarios, but it is the beginning of a greater understanding in my mind. Sorry about the whirl-wind of thoughts, but sometimes I write in a stream on consciousness and it probably makes a lot more sense in my head...none the less, I share it with you.