Day 11- More Ubuntu Education And Lunch At Spengas

Today, after breakfast, we went to the Ubuntu offices and had a fantastic session with Quoniclei. We discussed what Ubuntu meant to each of us, and brainstormed various fundraisers we could organize once we returned home. Quoniclei was blown away! It seems that Ubuntu is growing ever more impressed with us with each passing day! This is great news as it not only strengthens our relationship with the organization, but it uncovers more opportunities for us during our stay. Afterwards, we headed over to Spengas, a small restaurant run out of a shed in the middle of the marketplace in the township. We were all a bit skeptical at first; however, once he brought out the first plate of food, we quickly realized how delicious the food was. We were sure that Spengas would turn out to be our favorite restaurant of the entire trip! After eating at Spengas, we returned to the B&B and enjoyed a little down time. This was wonderful, as it allowed for some of us to get some much needed rest and allowed the rest of us to reflect on the trip and work on our journals (or in my case, this blog).

Day 10- Mobile HIV Test Van, School Kitchen Container And Lifeskills At Primary School

Wow, today we finally were able to work with the children! The day started at the Ubuntu office, where we were given a tour of both the onsite HIV testing crate and their mobile HIV center. The onsite container, with one nurse and one councilor, was able to test a maximum of 10 people a day. The mobile van on the other hand, also with one nurse and one councilor, could test up to 14 people a day. The van offered extra privacy to those who wished to be tested discreetly and also had Ubuntu's first male nurse, who actually attracted many more men, as they felt more comfortable working with another man. Our guide explained how important privacy was when it came to HIV testing. Many people were fearful of the stigma that could come with simply walking into the clinic. It seemed ironic that, despite the 40% HIV+ rate, the community was judgmental of those who simply walked into a clinic.

Next, we traveled to one of the primary schools in Zuide (the township), and received a tour of the two shipping containers that housed Ubuntu's primary kitchen. The kitchen, which had a small garden outside, would produce lunch for the certain schools that Ubuntu sponsored. Many of us were shocked when we were told that some of the schools could not afford to feed their students. This meant that the students came to school hungry, and returned home without lunch, hoping to find a bite to eat for dinner. This has inspired us to organize a fundraiser in order to provide food to a school in Zuide for a year.

We then traveled to another primary school, where Ubuntu was hoasting 'lifeskills" classes. Ubuntu essentially comes to a school and provides one of its teachers to replace the normal teachers. These replacements teach songs and lead discussions about HIV and AIDS, teaching through a fun approach they call "edutainment". We were all divided up and distributed into classes. Jon, Hurst and I were given to "Nicolas' " class. He was extremely professional, and the kids loved him! We were blown away by how talented all the students were as well. They learned new songs and dances in just minutes! The three of us helped distribute snacks (juice, apples and banannas) that Ubuntu had provided. Soon enough, class was dismissed and we were mauled by hundreds of children wanting their picture taken. The children go crazy at the sight of a camera, and wish to see their picture immediately after it is taken. Interacting with the kids and taking hundreds of pictures with them was possibly one of the most fun experiences we have had with Ubuntu so far!

Afterwards, we returned to the B&B and then went to dinner at the Boardwalk. After dinner, we were able to do some shopping in the many stores located on the boardwalk around the casino. What a great day...

Day 9- Tour Of Ubuntu

Today, we headed over to the Ubuntu offices and met with leaders of the separate divisions: Care and Support, Empowerment, Clinical and Prevention. Care and Support is responsible for counseling to HIV infected and affected people. They also perform house visits to check on the status of their clients. Empowerment is responsible for educating community members on the dangers of HIV. Clinical is responsible for HIV testing and the distribution of of medications. Lastly, Prevention is responsible for educating clients, both old and young, about how to use various prevention methods, such as using condoms. These four areas of aid are all intertwined and disigned to work with the community by introducing Western medicine and safety practices, but at the same not interfereing with the township's embedded tradition.

After the various presentations, we took a tour of one of the clinics Ubuntu supports. The clinic was primarily for HIV and TB testing and management. Ubuntu, in addition to providing staff, crates used to do HIV tests as well as counseling and their support, has provided a large garden that is used everyday to cook soup for the patents, so they have something to take their medication with. Ubuntu has created many of these gardens which have proved to be extremely beneficial to the community. In addition to providing food to those in the clinic, it has also provided a model garden for those who wish to create their own gardens.

After the tour, we headed back to the B&B to rest until our friends from Ubuntu came over to have a braai or a traditional South African BBQ. The food was delicious! One of the Ubuntu members, Astra, who was helping us grill, told us stories about some of the children at Ubuntu. One of the girls had been failing in school, so he went to her house to uncover the reason. In the end, he discovered that the little girl's mother was HIV+, her brother, also HIV+, was in jail, her father was dead, and she had been raped 4 times. This story helped wake all of us up and realize that, although many people here walk about with a happy demeanor and a smile upon their face, life is rougher than any of us could imagine.

Day 8- Robben Island and Back To PE

This morning we finally were able to sleep in! After meeting in the lobby around 10:30, we began our search for a restaurant open on Sunday morning to eat breakfast at. Twenty minutes later, we found a nice spot and enjoyed easily the best breakfast of the trip. Afterwards, we rushed back to Daddy Longlegs and met our driver to take us to Nelson Mandela Bay so we could catch our ferry to Robben Island. Upon arriving, we boarded a bus and took a guided tour of the island. Surprisingly, the island has a large population of "African Penguins". I must admit, it was a bit confusing seeing penguins in Africa! We proceeded to tour the limestone quarry where the prisoners of Robben Island were forced to mine. Although the heat within the quarry was unbearable at times, it was the only time the prisoners were able to talk freely amongst each other, discussing various political topics. The motto on the island was "Each One, Teach One".

After the tour by bus, we entered the actual maximum security prison and took a tour guided by an actual ex-political prisoner of the island. The tour was extremely interesting and out guide, who had once worked in the kitchen during his sentence, told us stories of how they had stole and smuggled uncensored newspapers from the guard's houses and distributed them amongst the prisoners so they could catch up on current political events. The most ironic story he told us, was that they usually hid most of their political contraband, comprised of books, newspapers and personal manuscripts under a compartment in the warden's desk. He began laughing hysterically when describing the look upon the wardens face when he had approached him on the day all the political prisoners had been freed, asking for access to the warden's office so he could retrieve the contraband. Once our tour came to an end, we took the ferry back to the bay and caught a taxi back to the hotel, then straight to the airport to catch our 6:00 p.m. flight.

Upon landing, we retrieved our silver van from the parking lot and went to dinner near the casino, enjoying some live music as we ate. We headed back to the B&B afterwards and prepared ourselves for tomorrow when we would be meeting with Ubuntu. Once again, we had a beautiful, busy day and continued to learn more and more about this fascinating country and its tumulus past and present affairs.

Day 7- Streetwires, Table Mountain, Waterfront Mall And Mamma Africa

Today was yet another extremely busy day! After breakfast at a very chic restaurant, we headed to Streetwires, an organization that provides jobs making wire art to locals. We had a great time making beaded wire pendents with some of the local artists! Afterwards, we took a taxi to Table Mountain , which offered beautiful views of Capetown. William and I almost tried to abasil (repel) down the face of the mountain, which was advertised as the worlds largest commercial abasil; however, we did not feel like waiting to be trained and such. Around 3:00, we took the gondola back down and headed to the Waterfront Mall, where we grabbed lunch, attended a free hard-rock concert and got some shopping done. The Mall is Capetown's second most popular tourist attraction, only second to Table Mountain. Around 6:00, we went back to the hotel and got ready for an amazing dinner at Mamma Africa ! After dinner, we walked over to the live band and began to dance. Karen was even so bold as to jump up on stage and dance with Raymond from the band, because "Everybody loves Raymond" as he put it. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by an amazing little bakery for desert. Blissfully full and ready to relax, we headed back to Daddy Longlegs and watched a movie in the lounge late into the night before heading back to our amazing rooms for a nights sleep.

Day 6- 4x4 Ride, More Bungee and Day 1 In Capetown

Today was an extremely busy day! After breakfast, we piled into massive 4x4 trucks and began our off-road drive back to the National Park. The ride was surprisingly peaceful and offered more beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. Once we arrived back at the park, we said our goodbyes to our guides Ian and Stanley and quickly drove down the road to the bungee location yet again. This time, Mrs. Howard, Mr. Cole, Nolutando and Hurst jumped! The weather was much nicer than before, making the jump slightly less terrifying. After the successful jumps, and a trip to the gift store for a shirt and their DVD's, we rushed back to PE to unpack, re-pack and catch a 6:30 p.m. flight to Capetown. Luckily, we made the flight with time to spare.

Capetown was at the complete other end of the social spectrum from PE and the Dolphin Trail. The city is extremely European and full of life. Unfortunately, the streets were crowded with tourists, locals, children begging for money, drug dealers, and prostitutes sending some of us into culture shock. Despite the overwhelming energy seeping from "Long Street", where our hotel, Daddy Longlegs, was located, we managed to find a place to eat dinner. Mr. MacAdoo urged us to try a dish that we had never had before and thankfully, everything proved to be delicious. Jon especially enjoyed his crocodile. We were all excited to go back to the hotel and relax in our amazing rooms.

Day 5- Day 2 On The Dolphin Trail

Today, we woke up in an extremely warm room, a huge improvement from the night before. After yet another delicious breakfast, we said goodbye to Dustin and the Misty Mountain Reserve and followed our guides into the woods (can we call it the jungle?) for our last day of hiking. Although this portion of the trail had less steep accents, the technical rock faces we had to attack proved to be even more challenging; however, yet again, Nicole and Lauren pushed on allong the trail, with more strength than the day before. After an hour long rest in the woods for lunch (we were really roughing it) we continued on our way to the last stop on the trail, the Fernery. The group unintentionaly split into two groups, the first led by Mrs. Howard, who apparently instructed the guide to walk fast and make no stops, and the second led by Nicole and Jon followed by the second guide.

Upon arriving at the Fernery, it didnt take long to discover how extravigant the chalets were. We had the coolest showers we have ever seen, a freestanding bathtub that was out in the open right up agains the patio looking out towards the mountains and the sea, and a porch that had an amazing view. As if the challets were not extravigant enough, the amazing 4 course meal ceartainly was. After dinner, we rested in the lounge area watching soccer and playing darts. We were happy to be finished with hiking and looking forward to the 4x4 ride back to the National Park in the morning. Day 2 on the Dolphin Trail was just as good as the first.

Day 4- First Day On The Dolphin Trail

Today we woke up bright and early to rush to breakfast down the road at the same resturaunt as the night before. The plan was to eat breakfast, meet our two guides, take a boatride along the coast, covering the trail we were about to hike, and then begin the hike once we returned; however, due to the massive, and I mean massive, waves, the boat ride was canceled and we began the hike immediately after breakfast. Our guides, Ian and Paul (I think, I will need to double check on the names) had both grown up in the townships; however, they were etremely knowlegable about the trail and like most people from the townships, extremely courteous and hospitible.

The trail was extremely easy at first, a wooden boardwalk that weaved through the trees and led to a beautiful suspention bridge that spanned over the bright blue ocean water. However, once we reached the end of the suspention bridge, we encountered the real trail. A winding dirt path, littered with large rocks and vegitation that climbed up and down the rocky coastline. Although the trail was extremely challenging at times, the views were spectacular and worth every drop of sweat. The group was extremely proud of Nolutando, Lauren and especially Nicole for their persistance and patience with the challenging trail.

Once we reached the cow pastures of Misty Mountain Reserve, all woes brought about from the trail seemed to instantly vanish. The reserve was located on the very edge of the high coastline and was surrounded by beautiful pine reserves. Once again we were seperated into roomates and branced off to explore our more luxurious cabins, or as the South Africans call them, challets. Jake and I were fortunate enough to have the honeymoon suite, outfitted with a small side den, and a larger bathroom...with a jaccusi bath. Ironically, just as I was about to take a short nap, Hurst dropped by asking if anyone wanted to go mountain biking with him. Being the bike-freak that I am, I couldnt resist. So, after our 5 hour hike allong the coast, Hurst and I sattled up allong with our host and now mountain bike guide, Dustin. Surprisingly, the 6'3"ish and easily 220lb man was an extrordinary biker. He and I had great fun exchanging bike stories and critiquing the various bikes on the market. The ride turned out to be just as beautiful as the hike itself. Once we returned to the reserve, Hurst calculated that we had rode 18 miles. 18 miles! We were astonished at how Hurst had attacked the technical and quite long trails with such power. Mr. MacAdoo was extremely happy that he had not accompanied us on the ride after hearing the distance.

After yet another delicious dinner, Dustin and I talked for about 3 hours about South African culture, converted just about everything from rands to dollars (7.8r to the dollar) and I got a whites perspective on the townships. Hurst and I also have our mountain biking pictures posted on the Misty Mountain Reserve. Upon returning to my chalet, Jake and I proceeded to make a LARGE fire in our heater, which proved to be quite an improvement from the hot water bottles. Day 1 of the Dolphin Trail was all around a beautiful day.

Day 3- Bungee and Tsitsikamma National Park

Today we left the B&B around 9:30 and made a beautiful, two-hour drive to Tsitsikamma National Park. During the drive, we encountered some rain, causing the car to fog up. Hurst, who was riding "shotgun" with Mr. MacAdoo, learned the valuable lesson of wiping the fog off the windshield on the drivers side as well as his own, allowing the driver to see! Before we arrived at the National Park, we made a stop at Face Adrenalin, home to the largest commercial bungee jump in the entire world. On average, the jumper falls approximately 600 ft. or the length of two football (American this time) fields. Seeing as how Jake and I had shook on the airplane to Jo-berg that we would jump, we were the first to sign up, followed shortly by Mr. MacAdoo, Vuyo and William. Although the weather overcast sky's, light rain, and a steady wind, made the jump 10x more terrifying, we all walked out across the nerve-wracking bridge that hangs from the underbelly of Bloukrans Pass, the largest free-standing, concrete bridge in the Southern Hemisphere. Mr. Macadoo jumped first, followed by Vuyo, William, myself and Karen, who decided to jump at the last second. The experience was unsurpassable and the view simply breathtaking. Be sure to click on the "video" link on the right to watch some of the jumps.

Finally, we arrived at the Park, only to face a half-hour search for our cabins. We were all assigned roommates, someone who we did not know that well. Luckily, I was paired with Vuyo and had the pleasure of learning of his background. We talked briefly of the townships, my first of many discussions on the subject. We all proceeded to walk down the road, because Mr. Macadoo and William, who were staying in a very nice cottage with heated floors and a TV, were late picking us up. The walk turned out to be a steady run towards the small restaurant located less than a mile down the road and within the park. At dinner, we met Doug, a jubilant, stout man stuffed with knowledge who was also the planner for the Dolphin Trail hike. The dinner was delicious, a Brie (BBQ) of Angelfish, chicken kabobs, fillets as well as salad and carrots, our first vegetables of the trip. After dinner, we rode back to our cabins and went to bed. Unfortunately, Vuyo and I did not see the electric heater under the table, or the extra blankets located in the cabinets and had to resort to using the old-fashioned hot-water bottles at the foot of our bed. Although I did not mind, I was a bit shocked when Vuyo told me that one should not use such bottles too often, as they will become too used to a warm bed, and will not be able to sleep at home, the township in PE for him. Its surprising how an inconvenience to one person could be viewed as a luxury to the other. We are more than blessed with the lives we lead.

Day 2- Township Tour

Today, we visited the Ubuntu headquarters in the Magxaki Township, the largest located in PE. After meeting Vuyo and Nolutando, Ubuntu representatives who will be accompanying us on the Dolphin Trail starting tomorrow, we met "Banks", the co-founder of Ubuntu. A wise and elegant man, Banks was extremely hospitable and knowledgeable about the township. We piled into the van and our small red car and followed banks to the top of a hill in the neighboring town less than a Km from the township itself. The view was spectacular and offered an aerial view of the township, divided into separate "pockets" as Banks described. The colorful maze of shacks was both beautiful and horrifying. We were all astounded at how massive the township really was. Once again we piled back into the cars, except this time, William, Hurst and I jumped in Banks’ car, eager to ask questions. As we ventured back into the township, we all seemed to notice and feel the same thing. Everyone in the street seemed to have a smile on his or her face and waved at us as we passed, making us feel like rock stars. Our second stop was at the small primary school where Banks had taught before meeting Jake, the other co-founder of Ubuntu. Banks immediately pointed out the schools resemblance to a jail. Yet again, we piled back into the cars and proceeded to the market square. During the ride, Banks explained how the children had nowhere to play, pointing out the idle children leaning against makeshift fences and playing in the streets. Without an outlet, such as a football (European of course) field or a park, the children turn to drinking at a very young age, some as young as 12. As we pulled into the market square, we immediately spotted women preparing “Smiley” or smoked sheep’s head. Banks approached one of the women and made a purchase, returning to the group with a silver bowl containing half of a sheep’s head. Hurst bravely volunteered to take the first bite, and the group’s curiosity immediately grew once he announced how delicious it was. Hurst and I enjoyed the tongue, very much like a lamb shank. William and I enjoyed the ear, which tasted like a fatty, flavorful piece of beef. Hurst, William, Nicole, Phillip, Coach Cole, Mrs. Howard, Jake and Karen all enjoyed the cheek, which tasted “Just like pork” according to Hurst. Afterwards, we proceeded to finish out tour by passing by a woman selling fresh chickens, which upon purchase she would slaughter and clean on the spot, as well as a woman selling medicinal herbs that seemed to cure almost everything.

Once we returned to the B&B after a delicious dinner, many of us found the immediate contrast between the extreme poverty of the township and the luxurious lifestyle of Bluewater Bay just miles away. Its safe to say that we “got our worlds rocked” just after a single day in the township.

Day Two- I Got A Spider Bite Lastnight....

So, lastnight before getting in bed, i killed an extremely small spiter that was in my bed. Jake and I proceded to beat our pillows and search our beds for any other small creatures. It wasn't until this morning that we realized that the large bump on my neck was actually....a spider bite. Time to WebMD!

Day 1- Arrive In Port Elizabeth

We began our journey at 5 pm on Saturday in the Atlanta International Airport and landed in Johannesburg and landed at 4 pm (atlanta time) on Sunday. After rushing through customs and managing to get checked in with 30 min to spare, we rushed to the bus on the tarmac and boarded the plane. After a 7:45 pm (PE Time so +6 hours) departure, we arrived in PE around 9:15. All was going extremely smooth until the airline managed to loose Karen and my luggage. Fortunately, the luggage will arrive around 8 am tommorrow.

We arrived at the Bluewater Bed and Breakfast around 10:00 pm and got situated. The boys are staying upststairs in a rather sick flat. We are planing on waking up around 7:30 tommorrow for breakfast and will take a tour of the township afterwards.

Check back tommorrow for more updates.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. As you can see, it is currently quite bare. Throughout the trip I plan to update this page as much as possible. I will post pictures, videos and comment on the daily activities. I do expect the entries to become quite emotional as I progress throughout the trip. Check back soon!